The film begins with paintings as the credits roll, and there’s an instant familiarity with the artistic side of Guadagnino. Without doing much, he sets many locations for Maren and Russell acts like she is an outcast at this school. She wants to make friends, but she doesn’t understand her urges. When Maren goes to a sleepover (without her father knowing), she gets close to one of the girls. She asks about her past, but Maren is detached; her mind wanders because of her heightened sense of smell by inhaling her scent. The look of carnal desire on Russell’s face says more than words ever could. There’s a mixed wave of lust and discomfort while watching her, which is confusing. Then without thinking, she takes the girl’s finger into her mouth, and blood gushes everywhere. Guadagnino expertly combines grotesque imagery with sensuality to heighten every emotion in you. It’s impossible to look away at any point because it’s mesmerizing.  Guadagnino does highlight the morality of these ch

I’m going to make a bold statement here, but one I honestly believe to be true. Andor is the best Star Wars has been since the Original Trilogy. Fans in search of epic space battles, lightsaber duels, or a direct connection to the Skywalker Saga may walk away disappointed. However, those in search of a deeper, more mature entry in this long-standing franchise will bask in everything the show has to offer. Star Wars has always been more focused on telling a big, sweeping story filled with exciting action sequences. The galaxy always felt huge, but it never really felt full. Andor changes all of that, with a grounded and personal story unlike anything Star Wars has given us before. This is a thoughtfully constructed, character-driven series that adds depth and life to the galaxy in ways none of the movies or shows have been able to. With twelve episodes, this is the longest Disney Plus series yet, giving the story ample room to breathe and develop at a natural pace. It smartly avoids the

  It has been a few years since we have seen the guardians of the galaxy on screen together in such a lighthearted fashion. This time, it is around the holidays and with all of the recent events in the MCU, mantis and Drax want to try to bring some Christmas joy to peters life. While at the home of the Ravagers they get this idea to get Peter the greatest gift he can ask for and travel to earth to fetch the gift which results in one of the most hilarious cameos in the MCU. James Gunn has shown us time and time again between marvel and DC why he is such a fantastic storyteller and Director; He has made us fall in love with this team, and really care for them. With Marvel phase 4 mostly consisting of films revolving around grieving, it is great to see the guardians taking some time off and enjoying the time together in such a wholesome fashion.  A few guardians didn’t get as much spotlight in this special, as it focused mainly on Drax and Mantis but there is only so much you can sqeeeze

  It’s hard to believe Tim Burton has never helmed an Addams Family project before. The quirky gothic stylings of the franchise are right up his alley, so it was only a matter of time until we were treated to his version of the family. While Wednesday may not be exactly what fans envisioned for Burton’s take on these characters, it’s a fun and mildly twisted series elevated by the always-excellent, Jenna Ortega. Although this show is geared toward a young adult audience, older viewers will appreciate the clever nods and references to the family’s film and television history. Whether it’s the signature double snap or having Ricci return in a different role, there’s more than enough to please longtime fans. Burton’s signature style gives the series an appropriately dreary look, even though it doesn’t always meld with the teen-focused storytelling.  The production design is also quite impressive. Everything from the gothic architecture of the Nevermore campus to the creature design looks

  The film highlights the generational trauma that can be passed down from parent to child in an almost vicious cycle. Sometimes parents can take insecurities and project them onto their children. Other times parents can be exactly like their parents after trying incredibly hard not to turn out like them. Children battle with their parents at a young age over wanting to be an individual and not an extension of their parents. That is when the perception of a parent of their child begins to change. A child isn’t brought into this world for parents to fix the issues they couldn’t heal from in their childhood. This runs throughout the film with Searcher and his son Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White). Once Searcher finds some pests in his crops, he ventures to the outskirts of Avalonia to get to the root of the problem. During this adventure, Searcher wants Ethan to learn the farming ways with him. As Ethan explores with his father, he understands that he has a different perspective on living org

  Director Maria Schrader made some excellent choices to show the stories of the survivors. She let the stories breathe as the women would retell their painful memories to the journalists. Schrader never showed any physical moments between the survivors and Weinstein, which was the right choice. Given the title of this film, the words being spoken by the women became more powerful as there were only images implying how the situation had unraveled. It was more powerful to process the words than to connect to graphic images on the screen. These claims happen to women more than any of us care to admit, and the language used to explain what happened is more chilling than a re-enactment of a terrible memory. The script is co-written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Kantor, and Twohey. They highlighted the spaces in the timeline to keep a steady pace. There are tense moments that could resonate with journalists on a different level, and the score by Nicholas Britell would flow seamlessly in and out wi

Happily ever after is a fairytale ending that’s been used more times than any of us can count. It’s a cheerfully definitive conclusion to a story, leaving what happens next up to the viewer’s imagination. Disenchanted reopens a story that finished 15 years ago, to show us what comes after happily ever after.  This sequel doesn’t totally justify its existence, but the colourful presentation and energetic performances make it a delightful enough distraction for those who fell in love with the first film. Whereas Enchanted found Giselle as a fish out of water, lost and bewildered by the real world, Disenchanted takes the opposite approach - well, sort of. Here we have the down-to-earth characters from the original navigating new territory, as Giselle accidentally transforms her town into a magical, real-life version of Andalasia. There was the opportunity to twist what worked so well in the first film and have everyone else feeling lost and bewildered. Instead, they all pretty much play d