Young CriticBarry Jenkins' prequel is intriguing, but falls into familiar beats Hollywood is split between studios churning endless arrays of sequels and small auteur-driven cinema. Every once in a while there is crossover between t
Young CriticPaolo Sorrentino's latest continues to keep viewers at arm's length Paolo Sorrentino is a director mesmerized by beauty, be it in art, landscapes, architecture, or human beings. His Oscar-winning film The Great Beauty (2
Young CriticRobert Eggers' adaptation is the most faithful Dracula adaptation yet Despite Dracula being one of cinema’s most indelible figures, there has never been a truly definitive adaptation. Bela Lugosi’s iconic portrayal in
Young CriticThis Spanish thriller delivers an unforgettable lead performance The ETA terrorist group disbanded officially in 2018, albeit their violent attacks had stopped in 2010. Spain, however, had been living with this internal
Young CriticThe animated return to Middle-Earth is rushed and shallow The Lord of the Rings has inspired an entire generation of fantasy novels, shows, and films. Yet the property itself is not as exploited as similar mammoth proper
Young CriticSony's final (hopefully) Spider-villain film is another mess Sony Pictures has been incapable of wringing out the full potential of the Spider-Man IP it own. The Peter Parker character has been passed to creative control
Young CriticLuca Guadagnino's second film of the year has Daniel Craig deliver his best work Luca Guadagnino has become fascinated with romances of confused lovers. It’s been a common thread from A Bigger Splash (2015) through Call
Young CriticThe animated film is transcendent and a must-watch An animated Latvian film with no dialogue, following a nameless cat as it survives a biblical flood, might sound like cliché cinephile catnip. Yet, Flow is a very real
Young CriticThe Disney sequel plays it too safe Under returning CEO Bob Iger, Disney has turned to producing less content and linking to proven properties. As such we are getting less obscure Marvel characters, a pause on Star Wars
Young CriticThe sword-and-sandals sequel plays it safe by retelling the same story When it comes to sequels, Hollywood often seems afraid to take stories forward, opting instead for safe, pseudo-remakes. This was the case with Star
Young CriticThe musical adaptation is winning, if overstuffed Broadway musicals don’t always translate seamlessly to the big screen. While there have been hits like Chicago (2002), there have also been duds such as Cats (2019) a
Young CriticThe Christmas actioner is irresistibly forgettable “Feels like it was written by AI” will become an increasingly derogatory phrase within the art world, detailing a project beset by lack of originality or daring. How AI
Young CriticScott Beck and Bryan Woods' theological deconstruction fails to fit within a film Scott Beck and Bryan Woods had been making films as a duo for some time before they broke through as the screenwriters of A Quiet Place (2
Young CriticJesse Eisenberg's sophmore film is an irresistible dramedy Actors can quickly become typecast into specific roles. Jesse Eisenberg, for example, has consistently played a neurotic, socially awkward intellectual since Th
Young CriticClint Eastwood's potential final film is his strongest in a decade Clint Eastwood is 94 and yet the American filmmaker has been consistently making films. In the last decade alone, he’s produced eight movies. However, ag
Young CriticRobert Zemeckis' latest wrings out more from its gimmick than you expect Aside from Robert Zemeckis’ obsession with cutting edge cinematic technology, he’s been fascinated with time and the way humans interact and reflec
Young CriticThe musical takes heavy inspiration from Almodovar Jacques Audiard is a director known for his deep empathy, using it to tell stories about disparate and diverse characters—from 19th-century American cowboys in The Siste
Young CriticThe Vatican political thriller is gripping if at times melodramatic Vatican politics have long been a rich setting for drama, from Paolo Sorrentino’s The Young Pope (2016) and The New Pope (2020) to Fernando Meirelle
Young CriticThe romance's unconventional structure is a bold if risky bet Romance films have become cliches having staid and predictable structures. However, filmmakers have been trying to re-energize the genre, approaching it from
Young CriticThe horror-comedy fails in both its genres Political satires have become harder to pull off due to the rise of populism and incompetence that strong democracies have witnessed. This has left only the most extreme satiris
Young CriticThe final film in the trilogy falls completely flat Super-hero fatigue has been noted by movie studios. As a result, output has significantly been scaled back as Disney’s MCU had just one theatrical release this year ( D
Young CriticSean Baker's Palme D'Or winner is another complex character study Sean Baker is reminiscent of the revolutionary directors of the 1970s, filmmakers who reshaped cinema by telling stories from the fringes of American life
Young CriticThe horror follow-up's increased scale dilutes its haunting nature Smile (2022) became a viral sensation before its release; the Paramount marketing team employed one person to stand behind home plate of MLB games and sm
Young CriticDamien Leone's latest entry continues a worrying escalation of violence The Terrifier movies have been a fairytale for independent filmmaking; a ragtag crew starts a franchise using creativity, grit, and scant budgets. T