Young CriticMichael
A brazen act of revisionism dressed up as a biopic. The Jackson estate delivers a sanitized greatest-hits listening party that tells us nothing about who Michael Jackson really was. Colman Domingo is the only one doing i
Reviews tagged: biography
Young Critic
Young CriticSong Sung Blue
A glossy tribute that mistakes affection for insight Tribute bands are affectionate nostalgia-bait for music fans, wishing to experience an older group in person. One of the most famous tribute bands known at Lightning &
Young CriticThe Voice of Hind Rajab
A harrowing portrait of innocence, bureaucracy, and the human cost of war The recent war in Gaza was bound to spark art attempting to grapple with the horrors and devastating loss it has caused. One of the most potent st
Young CriticSpringsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere
Scott Cooper's take on the Boss is hopelessly shallow and dull The music biopic has such a staid and worn formula that it’s defining parody came out all the way back in the early 2000s with Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Young CriticThe Smashing Machine
Benny Safdie's first solo directorial effort delivers Dwayne Johnson's best performance Despite bursting onto the cinematic scene with their film Good Time (2017) and gripping follow-up Uncut Gems (2019) the Safdie broth
Young CriticThe Captive
Alejandro Amenabar's latest is confused in its structure “Don Quijote de la Mancha” is considered the most-read novel in the history of mankind, surpassed only in readership and circulation by religious texts like “the B
Young CriticThe Life of Chuck
A tender, time-twisting tribute to the beauty of an ordinary life When you think of the pairing of Stephen King and filmmaker Mike Flanagan, your immediate thought is likely horror. The American author is famous for nove
Young CriticA Complete Unknown
James Mangold delivers Bob Dylan's definitive, if sometimes overly-familiar, biopic Bob Dylan’s enigmatic nature has inspired many films attempting to capture his essence and revolutionary influence. Todd Haynes took the
Young CriticThe Apprentice
The Donald Trump origin story works as an effective tragedy Despite Donald Trump’s ubiquitous presence in media and culture since his first presidential run in 2016, he has rarely been depicted in dramatic film or televi
Young CriticSaturday Night
The SNL origin story is an immersive if shallow watch Saturday Night Live (1975-) has been a staple of New York and American culture since its inception. The show was created and is still run by Lorne Michaels, who has s
Young CriticBack to Black
The Amy Winehouse problematically santizes the dark elements of her life The music biopic is a genre that has not running out of steam despite oversaturating the market decades ago. Consumers’ obsession with fame and wan
Young CriticOrigin
Ava DuVernay's "impossible" adaptation of the academic text is profoundly moving Adapting an academic dissertation on the origin and roots of racism into a dramatic film can feel like quite the impossible task. Yet Ava D
Young CriticFerrari
Michael Mann's return to directing is sadly attached to a hopeless script Michael Mann is a director whose thrillers defined the 1990s and 2000s, from the likes of The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Heat (1995) to Colla
Young CriticMaestro
Bradley Cooper's sophmore directing effort is a crowning achievement Despite being an action star, romantic lead, and celebrated performer, Bradley Cooper is quickly transitioning into becoming one of the most unique dir
Young CriticNext Goal Wins
Taika Waititi's predictable sports film is weighed down by too many jokes Taika Waititi has deftly flitted between multiple mediums in a short amount of time, he’s quietly become a TV mogul, heralding three shows at the
Young CriticNapoleon
Ridley Scott's take on the historical character is technically astounding if narratively shallow Apple Studios seem to be one of the few still shelling out big money for the type of cinematic epics that have gone the way
Young CriticPriscilla
Sofia Coppola's latest brings a more complex take on the famous relationship Despite growing older, Sofia Coppola has retained the ability to capture the perspective of adolescent girls. From her breakout in The Virgin S
Young CriticKillers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese delivers a great take on the American tragedy Many films have tried to capture the “essence of America” and arguably a few have been able to, from The Godfather (1972), to The Will Be Blood (2007), or Do
Young CriticDumb Money
Craig Gillespie's adaptation of the GameStop craze is hilariously comprehensive The GameStop stock craze of 2021 was a frenzy that was ripe for satire and comedy, yet few thought there would be a cinematic biopsy so soon
Young CriticOppenheimer
Christopher Nolan's latest is a true cinematic achievement Christopher Nolan has been a filmmaker fascinated with time, physics, and quantum mechanics. It is thus not surprising that he would fall into making a film abou
Young CriticBlackberry
The most recent film about over-ambitious entrepreneurs is winning and comprehensive There seems to be a new thematic fascination in film and television within the last two years: over-ambitious entrepreneurs. Many proje
Young CriticBlonde
The Marilyn Monroe biopic is cripplingly misguided Despite the Golden Age Hollywood that was sold to viewers in the 1940s and 1950s, an underlying darkness helped power the entertainment world at that time. This system o
Young CriticBreaking
John Bodega delivers a career-best performance in this indictment of veterans’ treatment The United States has a number of shameless issues when compared to similar (and poorer) European nations, from gun culture to unat
Young CriticElvis
Baz Luhrmann’s brings his bombastic flash to the King of Rock and Roll’s biopic The music biopic is a genre that despite producing many interchangeable films, has delivered true breakthroughs in cinema, such as the crimi