My somewhat low rating here does not mean that I don’t respect Benson and Moorhead’s ambition. Creating a legible sci-fi tale involving temporal loops and sinister, omniscient forces is not an easy feat, and they […]
Tag: Sci-fi
Black Panther (Coogler, 2018)
I’ve made it clear in other reviews that I’m no Marvel fanatic, and that their cookie-cutter approach to plot and characterization has becoming maddeningly repetitive with each new entry. It’s so nice, then, to watch […]
Midnight Special (Nichols, 2016)
Midnight Special is trying to tell something more ambitious in scope, yet Nichols doesn’t go out of his way to make it ambitious. And so you’re left watching it, maybe pleasantly, maybe impatiently; when the end comes, it neither jolts nor astounds. It leaves nary a mark.
Marjorie Prime (Almereyda, 2017)
The ending of Marjorie Prime is magnificent. It’s the sneakiest of culminations, summing up everything that comes before it while giving significant payoff to a key “omission.”
10 Cloverfield Lane (Trachtenberg, 2016)
Contained in a claustrophobic bunker for much of its running time, 10 Cloverfield Lane is an exercise in scouting out trust.
Blade Runner 2049 (Villeneuve, 2017)
In terms of blockbusters from this year, this one really takes the cake, doesn’t it? One can picture Villeneuve paring his nails while overseeing this endeavour, exuding an air of confident control as the vision of Philip K. Dick and Ridley Scott lands in his capable hands.
THX 1138 (Lucas, 1971)
THX 1138 divests itself of context to the point of inner paralysis. Unlike classic dystopian models, it makes no attempt to thread the needle for us, opting instead for an observational approach that feels almost anthropological.
The Lonely Film Critic 