Author: Derrick Murray

In a renaissance of good video game adaptions, it is always shocking when a current entry takes us back to the bad days. You know, the “Max Payne,” “Mortal Kombat 2” era that many of us who lived it would like to forget. Today, we have critically acclaimed adaptions like “The Last of Us” and “Fallout” have given us hope – hope that fans of games can be given proper, engaging renditions fit for the TV and silver screen. Alas, that optimism is diminished greatly with “Borderlands,” a soulless attempt at capturing the vibrant and chaotic first person shooting world…

Love him or hate him, M. Night Shyamalan always gives us something to talk about. He’s a filmmaker who often operates in extremes; when he hits, it’s an out of the ballpark home run. But when he misses, he whiffs hard, almost to the point of being irredeemable. And thus is the endless cycle of Shyamalan releases. We go in knowing it is either going blow us away or leave us swearing off his films indefinitely until the next one. “Trap” is a bit of both, the filmmaker indulging his best and worst tendencies in a mixed bag of a…

“Deadpool and Wolverine” may be the least narratively cohesive film so far, feeling more like a collection of loosely connected comedy sketches than a fully realized film. But it is so much damn fun and packed with everything fans of the series could ask for that it doesn’t really matter.

“Longlegs” is a film that heavily relies on tension and atmosphere, operating with a disorienting mileu and meticulous framing to create a slow burn, unflinching and disquieting experience that creeps into the darkest recesses of your mind and never gives you a chance to breath.

“MaXXXine” is a ton of fun for lovers of the genre, packed with over top violence, dark humor, and terrific performances

It’s been a very strange year for movies. The after effects of the writers strike seems to have made a much larger impact on 2024 than it many thought it would at the end of the year of 2023. You can feel the lack of future planning and increase in post production delays, and while that hasn’t translated into less films to see per se, it does have a drastic effect on the quality of releases. Even the festival buzz has been largely muted, with very few critical darlings coming out of Sundance and Cannes this year. Comparatively, by this…

“The Bikeriders” is anchored by its incredible performances and cool rebel vibe, packed with rousing and introspective moments that do resonate even if the entirety of the film doesn’t quite get there.

“Inside Out 2” is a fascinating blend of simplicity and complexity, a retreading of its original (sometimes to a fault) but imbued with an emotional intelligence that captures more nuanced storytelling.

“Backspot” is a propulsive, thoughtful examination of competitive sports with a unique framework, a keen eye for visual flare behind the camera and terrific performances.

“Bad Boys Ride or Die” is good and better than the last one, but it still stifles its stars and takes its focus away too often from the things that make these characters so beloved.