Author: Derrick Murray

2025 has been an interesting year for cinema. All throughout the strikes and other extenuating circumstances, the common turn of phrase for almost 2 years was, “survive until 25.” Now that the year is upon us, the lineup has been met with quite a bit of trepidation and middling responses. That’s not to say the films have been bad, but aside from a few surprise standouts there has been very little that feels like the clear frontrunner for best of the year and/or strong awards contenders. It’s still early, and the fall festival season is about to get underway in…

Innovative action, thrilling stunt work, and a backboard shattering performance from De Armas, “Ballerina” is a certified blast sure to satisfy both action and Wick fans alike.

“The Life of Chuck” is an undeniable life affirming experience that celebrates living and wraps you in a warm, comforting blanket of hope. We contain multitudes, indeed.

After 12 films now it’s probably time to definitively decide where you land on Wes Anderson. A singular filmmaker so in tune with his own style it’s basically become a genre unto itself. With that, it means that Anderson isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok. What isn’t is asking a leopard to change its spots, and heading into “The Phoenician Scheme” under the assumption that you’re going to get anything other than what Wes Anderson does is extremely misguided. Asking him to change when he has made it abundantly clear throughout his entire career that he has no intention of…

As the summer blockbuster season begins its ramp up, we’ve reached the point in the year where there are just too many movies to review individually. While I do my best to get to as many films as I possibly can, there just isn’t enough time and aren’t enough words to match the amount of popcorn I eat at the theater. Nevertheless, here are 3 new films we watched recently! “Karate Kid: Legends” – In Theaters If we’re being honest, there’s no real reason to mine “Karate Kid” for every single shred of resources something rather basic can possess. But…

“Bring Her Back” is the feel bad movie of the year.

It is with a heavy heart to say that after 30 years and 8 films, the “final” installment is something no film in the franchise has been so far: boring. Yes, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is an unfortunate misfire, rife with nearly every IP pitfall imaginable and then some. A bland affair that sheds any sense of espionage or personality, “The Final Reckoning” concludes the long running series with a whimper instead of a bang. It’s hard to even comprehend how much the film gets wrong considering that this is the 4th film helmed by Christopher McQuarrie. You…

If you find yourself asking, “do we really need another ‘Final Destination’ movie?” after seeing the trailer for “Final Destination: Bloodlines” you wouldn’t be wrong. Arriving nearly a decade after the last installment and 25 years after the first, “Bloodlines” is the latest revival over early 2000s franchises thought to have met death a long time ago. While milage may vary on the series as a whole, one thing is certain: “Bloodlines” is an absolute blast. A true to formula outing invigorated by a perfect blend of self awareness, tongue in cheek plotting, and over the top cartoonish blood splattering…

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…