Film Review

I love to watch movies and TV shows and I love to write about them. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to do this as much as I would like. Only when I feel that I have something worth writing about will I add a review.

Unlike traditional reviews, these will often read more like conventional essays. Traditional movie reivews are too formulaic and too often prioritize elevating the aesthetic sensibilities of the author than providing meaningful commentary. It’s as if most reviewers see themselves as poets first and foremost. Perhaps that’s a function of editors looking for the most talented writers when hiring, but most just spew out the most pretentious and meaningless gobbledygook.

I miss Roger Ebert. I especially loved it when he would write about the ideas a film inspired him to think about while sparsely discussing the movie itself. If a reviewer mentions the film’s color pallette it damned well better have to do something with the plot. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

 

Film Review Formula

I rate things on a five star scale and I try to avoid half stars as much as possible. Because I try to write about the ideas a film elicits, these writings are less designed to guide consumers and more designed for a person who has already watched the film.

One of the five stars is reserved for artistic merit. A film can be technically perfect, but if it’s not about anything it can only receive four stars.

Fargo Season 5

Fargo Season 5

Fargo season five continues the simulacra of previous seasons. The show runners just can’t manage to pass things off as believable.

Space Sweepers

Space Sweepers

Space Sweepers decides to “save the cat” and it demonstrates why beat-by-beat formulations of screenplays are boring.

Us

Us

Jordan Peele’s Us demonstrates the power of allegory to make an audience buy in to a seemingly ridiculous plot.

BlacKkKlansman

BlacKkKlansman

BlacKkKlansman is an imperfect film, but not a mediocre one. For the strengths, you should definitely watch it.

The Killer

The Killer

The Killer provides plenty of style and great performances, but none of that can distract from its inherently silly and cliché premise.

They Cloned Tyrone

They Cloned Tyrone

They Cloned Tyrone is an excellent film that takes a critical look at attempts to force black assimilation by means of appropriation.

Fargo Season 4

Fargo Season 4

Fargo season 4 continues a frustrating series that is marked by complete technical proficiency from everyone but the writers.

The Bad Batch

The Bad Batch

The Bad Batch attempts to be some sort of transgressive allegory, but its message is muddled and the plot is ridiculous.

Master and Commander

Master and Commander

Master and Commander paradoxically wants to be both Moby Dick and a rollicking adventure about great British men. You can’t be both.

F

Back to Top