‘When You Finish Saving the World’: Jesse Eisenberg’s Directorial Debut is a Neurotic Mixed Bag [Review]

January 16, 2023 Jordan Ruimy

You would expect nothing more than cringe when it comes to oddball actor Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut, and that is exactly what we get in “When You Finish Saving the World,” which plays like a mix of Nicole Holofcener and Todd Solondz.

‘Plane’: Gerard Butler Action Movie Isn’t As Bad As You Think

January 13, 2023 Jordan Ruimy

We seem to be in throwback mode right now at the movies. Last week’s “M3GAN” was a deep dive into ’80s killer doll movies and this coming Friday sees the release of “Plane,” a throwback action movie recalling the days of Arnold and Stallone.

‘Holy Spider’: Graphic Serial Killer Noir Works Better as Iranian Indictment [Review]

October 21, 2022 Jordan Ruimy

Set 21 years ago in Masshad, Iran, Ali Abassi’s “Holy Spider” shocked quite a few people at Cannes for its depiction of violence towards women.

‘The Good Nurse’ is Fairly Gripping and Includes Another Strong Performance From Chastain [Review]

October 17, 2022 Jordan Ruimy

My expectations were fairly tamed down when I entered the Princess of Wales theater at TIFF for Tobias Lindholm’s “The Good Nurse,” and know what?

Charlotte Wells’ ‘Aftersun’ is the Best Debut of the Year [Capsule]

October 16, 2022 Jordan Ruimy

This Cannes Critics’ Week title had everybody talking on the Croisette. Debut filmmaker Charlotte Wells depicts the personal story of the melancholic and bittersweet resort holiday she took with her father (Paul Mescal) twenty years ago.

‘The Banshees of Inisherin’ is the Best Film of 2022, So Far

October 15, 2022 Jordan Ruimy

We are only six days away from the best movie of 2022, so far, at least, being released in theaters.

‘Till’: Danielle Deadwyler’s Grieving Performance Hits Where It Hurts [Review]

October 14, 2022 Jordan Ruimy

Chinonye Chukwu directs the hell out of the conventional screenplay she’s been given in “Till.” The movie wouldn’t have worked in many hands, but through her caring direction, and a landmark performance from Daniel Deadwyler, it does.

‘Triangle of Sadness’: Ruben Ostlund’s Latest Provocation is the Best Comedy of the Year [Review]

October 4, 2022 Jordan Ruimy

Ruben Ostlund’s latest provocation, this year’s Palme d’Or winner, is absurdist satire done right. The writer-director yet again proves he’s a unique voice in cinema and one that is much-needed at the moment.

‘Don’t Worry Darling’ is Not A Total Train Wreck

September 20, 2022 Jordan Ruimy

I’m telling you, if Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling” didn’t have all this behind-the-scenes baggage going against it then maybe critics would have been kinder to it. It’s not a terrible movie, nor is it a very good one either.

‘Watcher’: An Impeccable Hitchcock For the #MeToo Era [Capsule]

June 2, 2022 Jordan Ruimy

Chloe Okuno‘s “Watcher,” which I raved about a few months ago when it premiered at Sundance, is getting released tomorrow.

‘Paris, District 13’ Is All About Sex and More Sex [Review]

April 12, 2022 Jordan Ruimy

Jacques Audiard’s “Paris, 13th District” is a racy but oddly convoluted film for the celebrated French filmmaker.

‘Navalny’: Astonishing Doc Uncovers Assassination Attempt of Russian Politician [Capsule]

April 10, 2022 Jordan Ruimy

Almost guaranteed to be a major Oscar contender in the Documentary category, Daniel Roher’s “Navalny” was a late addition to this past January’s all-virtual Sundance Film Festival.

‘Don’t Look Up’ is Quite Bad; Toothless Satire

December 14, 2021 Jordan Ruimy

I don’t recall writing anything about Adam McKay’s “Don’t Look Up,” so here goes.

‘France’: Bruno Dumont’s Nihilism Strikes Gold [Capsule]

December 10, 2021 Jordan Ruimy

Bruno Dumont’s darkly satirical ”France” received the first major boos of Cannes 2021. I dug it. A nihilistic portrayal of humanity through the eyes of a clinically depressed TV journalist. A Lynchian score by composer Christophe seems so out of place, but it only adds to the dramatic ambiguity of Dumont’s vision (his best since 2015’s “Li’l Quinquin”). The moral of this movie seems to be that life is shit. [B+]

‘Being the Ricardos’: Aaron Sorkin’s Bland Tackling of Lucille Ball [Review]

December 7, 2021 Jordan Ruimy

The reviews are in and “Being the Ricardos” is, quite frankly, getting terrible reviews. A 54 on Metacritic based on 21 reviews and a 50% rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes.

‘West Side Story’ Spielberg’s Remake Sticks With the Formula and Doesn’t Reinvent [Review]

December 6, 2021 Jordan Ruimy

By all accounts, “West Side Story” is beautifully photographed, excitingly well-acted and brilliantly directed by Steven Spielberg. So, why was I left so cold when the credits rolled? One must ask the obvious question: why remake Robert Wise’s masterful 1961 classic?

‘Flee’: Overpraised Animated Documentary Tackles an Immigrant’s Journey From Afghanistan to Sweden

December 3, 2021 Jordan Ruimy

I wrote about Jonas Poher Rasmussen‘s “Flee” when it screened at the Sundance Film Festival this past January. This is an animated doc that uses Rotoscope-like animation to mask the identity of a gay man who escaped Afghanistan in the late ‘80s.

‘Nightmare Alley’: Guillermo del Toro’s Highly-Stylized Film Noir Lacks Realism and Substance [Review]

December 2, 2021 Jordan Ruimy

Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley” screened for press last night. This is not a crowd-pleaser by any stretch of the imagination.

‘The Humans’: Overdirected Chamber Piece is All Style and No Substance [Review]

November 23, 2021 Jordan Ruimy

This stagey debut film from writer-director Stephen Karam, adapted from his Tony Award-winning play, explores the hidden secrets of a family and the love that keeps them intact.

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Critics Polls

Featured

Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

Critics Poll: Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Tops Our 1960s Critics Poll

We’ve already covered the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Now we have the results for the Best Films of the 1960s.

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Steven Soderbergh to Direct ‘The Batman: Part II’ as Matt Reeves Remains Away

BREAKING: Steven Soderbergh has stepped in to finish "The Batman Part II" as Matt Reeves remains away due to family reasons. This is a beautiful gesture, if you ask me: a filmmaker helping out a fellow filmmaker.

Taika Waititi's ‘Klara and the Sun' Panned by Critics, Gets 1-Star Reviews at London Premiere — 23 on Metacritic

Taika Waititi's career has been on shaky ground for a while now, and nobody really believed “Klara and the Sun” would fix anything. The course correction isn't coming; if anything, this will only sink him further.

‘Digger' Loses Whopping 2,535 Screens in Week 3, One of the Biggest Drops Ever for a Studio Release

Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Tom Cruise-starring satire is now playing in just 786 venues. That's down from about 3,321 last weekend, a 76% cut, and one of the biggest ever week-two-to-week-three drops ever.

‘Dune: Part Three' Is “98% Done” — Denis Villeneuve Admits He's “Tired” of Arrakis and Needs a “Rocket” to James Bond

Villeneuve was announced as director of the "Dune" reboot back in February 2017. By the time "Part III" hits theaters this December, he'll have spent close to a decade working back-to-back on Arakis.

Tim Burton Teams With Kazuo Ishiguro on Original Film Set in Post-War Japan

Sources say it's the project Burton has focused on most since "Wednesday" wrapped, and it could be his next film if things move forward quickly.

August 19, 2019

3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.