Author: Derrick Murray

While the true summer blockbuster season doesn’t really get underway until mid to late May, there are more movies that ever being released each week. Some small, some big and everything in between, there’s no shortage of cinema available if you’re willing to look for it. With more movies than I can review, individually, it’s once again time to do another quick review roundup, especially as we head into the breach of Summer Movie Season followed quickly by the Fall Festival Season, then the Oscar race begins. It’s the calm before the storm, and here are a few films to…

It’s no secret that Tim Robinson and his singular brand of off kilter comedy isn’t for everyone. Who it’s for will let you know, as the fan base of Robinson and his series “I Think You Should Leave” are extremely outspoken and devoted. This made “Friendship” the hottest ticket of TIFF overall and one of the most difficult tickets to secure for Midnight Madness. I was thrilled that I was able to snag one to the premiere at the last minute, only for that excitement to be whisked away 15 minutes into the new film. It’s not that “Friendship” is…

There was a time when the MCU took risks. Not just with the superheroes they chose to focus on, but the directors and writers and even cast were all gambles on relatively unknowns or untested in the space. Since “Avengers: Endgame,” everything has been safe, more in service of the machine than telling good stories. Which is why “Thunderbolts*” is a refreshing experience due to its risk taking and harkening back to a better time but also a frustrating watch because this is what we should have been getting the whole time. On the larger scale, it is a pre…

“Sinners” is bold and beautiful and kind of all over the place, but whatever misgvings you may have about the narrative construction take a back seat to all of the film’s excellence. And “Sinners” is so goddamn entertaining it doesn’t even matter if some things don’t make sense.

In a world of unoriginal IP franchises and unnecessary remakes, family friendly cinema is all but craving for something original and timeless. “The Legend of Ochi” should be a welcomed entry into this canon, a wholly original and vibrant fantasy adventure clearly inspired by things like “The Never Ending Story,” “E.T.” “The Dark Crystal,” and ‘Labyrinth.” And while there is some exceptional practical puppetry, gorgeous visuals, and the cutest creature this side of Grogu, the magic is missing from the land. In its effort to be a classic kid friendly throwback, it thrusts itself into some iconic company “The Legend…

Perhaps I’m growing weary of the massive influx of IP and remakes, reboots and franchises that take over the theater week after week. Not that all of those are bad, but there’s a longing for something original and familiar. A nostalgia for straightforward genre films they just don’t make anymore…but the kind we use to get all the time. Maybe that’s why “Drop” worked for me. It checks all the boxes of the late 90s/early 2000s thrillers, reminiscent of things like “Red Eye” or “Nick of Time,” and more recently “Carry-On.” Sure, it’s not nearly as well constructed or everlasting…

It feels somewhat wrong to be so critical of a film that seems tailored made to my cinematic sensibilities. One that is comprised of nearly everything I’ve been asking for films to do more of over the last few years. In a sea of endless IP and remakes, something like “Freaky Tales” should be a giant breath of fresh air. It takes risks, goes for broke, and is about as original as anthology films can get. It’s bombastic, self aware, hyper stylized, and a loving ode to city and cinema. And most importantly, it spends a large portion of its…

The retread of scandals and true stories are abundant in American cinema and our desire to see more of them rarely wanes. “The Luckiest Man In America” is the latest entry into the ‘based on a true story’ scandal genre, one that plays fast and loose with the facts (nothing new to these kinds of films) despite existing in a rather contained setting and timeframe. It’s a difficult film to wrap my words around, existing in a sort of forgettable yet fascinating limbo where I both appreciate and criticize the film’s ambitions. There’s a propulsive story undercut by its own…

It goes without saying that Val Kilmer should’ve been a megastar. He had all the charisma, charm, and cool needed to be the kind of superstar celebrity of the old guard. But more in love with the work than the fame and fortune, Kilmer ultimately followed a different path, one where he pursued a multitude of endeavors outside of film and solidified himself as one of your favorite actors’ favorite actors. Often the best part of anything he was end, he leaves behind a vast filmography filled with iconic performances and hidden gems that are – if for no other…

“Death of a Unicorn” meanders about without a sense of urgency, and even when the horns come out and the bodies start dropping, it never feels like anyone is all that worried about their impending doom. Nothing ever feels earned, so all of the payoffs – be it justice or reconciliation or redemption – all feel contrived rather than organic.