All posts by Nate Richard

Movie Reviews

A Complete Unknown Review

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A Complete Unknown

  • Director: James Mangold
  • Writer: Jay Cocks, James Mangold
  • Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Scoot McNairy

Grade: B+

I’ve personally always been softer on musical biopics compared to most. Sure, most of these movies follow the same exact formula, telling the same rise and fall narrative, that movies like Walk Hard and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story mocked relentlessly. But some movies, like Elvis or Rocketman, add some more much-needed personality to the subgenre. But more often than not, we get movies like Bohemian Rhapsody or Bob Marley: One Love, which treat their subjects as if they are literal superheroes.

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Movie Reviews

Gladiator II Review

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Gladiator II

  • Director: Ridley Scott
  • Writer: Chris Morgan, Hiram Garcia
  • Starring: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielson, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger

Grade: B

Ridley Scott is one of our more interesting filmmakers working today. Like many of his era, he’s directed many films that have been hailed as all-time classics, like Alien, Blade Runner, and of course, the original Gladiator. However, over the past two decades, Scott’s track record has gotten much shakier with misfires such as The Counselor and Robin Hood. It really wasn’t until The Martian in 2015 that Scott felt like he was fully back in form. At least for a little bit.

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Movie Reviews

Here Review

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Here

  • Director: Robert Zemeckis
  • Writer: Eric Roth
  • Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany, Dannie McCallum, Joel Oulette, Daniel Betts, Kelly Reilly

Grade: B-

Robert Zemeckis was once one of the top filmmakers in Hollywood. And for good reason. He had delivered hit film after hit film on a consistent basis, ranging from blockbusters like Back to the Future and Oscar-winners such as Forrest Gump.

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Movie Reviews

Joker: Folie à Deux Review

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Joker: Folie à Deux

  • Director: Todd Phillips
  • Writer: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
  • Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener

Grade: C+

It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years since the release of Todd Phillips’ Joker. Whether you loved it or hated it, the movie’s status as a phenomenon is undeniable. Not only did it become the highest grossing R-rated movie (at the time), but it was hard to escape since it premiered at the Venice Film Festival and won the prestigious Golden Lion Award. Regardless of what any individual felt, it got a lot of people talking and even became a bit of a hot-button political issue.

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Movie Reviews

My Old Ass Review

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My Old Ass

  • Director: Megan Park
  • Writer: Megan Park
  • Starring: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Percy Hynes White, Maddie Ziegler

Grade: A-

Coming-of-age films have always been a hallmark of filmmaking, from the beloved movies of John Hughes to the modern classics like Lady Bird and The Edge of Seventeen. Writer-director Megan Park’s sophomore feature My Old Ass brings a new twist to the genre. Instead of being a period piece, complete with nostalgic needle drops and the filmmaker’s own upbringing, Park sets her film squarely in the present day with her heroine interacting with her future self.

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Movie Reviews

Megalopolis Review

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Megalopolis

  • Director: Francis Ford Coppola
  • Writer: Francis Ford Coppola
  • Starring: Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LeBouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne, Talia Shire, Kathryn Hunter

Grade: D+

Make no doubt about it, Francis Ford Coppola is a director who has more than earned his reputation as a master of film. From The Godfather and Part 2 to Apocalypse Now, he has made some of the most widely celebrated and praised movies of all time. Although unlike some of his compatriots such as Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, he has had his fair share of fumbles.

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Movie Reviews

Monkey Man – Movie Review

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Monkey Man

  • Director: Dev Patel
  • Writers: Dev Patel, Paul Angunawela, John Collee
  • Starring: Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Sikander Kher

Grade: A-

It’s impossible to hate Dev Patel, that’s just one of the facts of life. Since his breakout role in Slumdog Millionaire, he’s proven time and time again that the has the charm, the looks, and the acting chops. He’s the ultimate movie star package. In fact, there’s a very good argument to be made that he should be the next James Bond.

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Movie Reviews

Love Lies Bleeding – Movie Review

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Love Lies Bleeding

  • Director: Rose Glass
  • Writers: Rose Glass, Weronika Tofilska
  • Starring: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Dave Franco

Grade: B+

Kristen Stewart has done everything to put her Twilight days behind her, much like her co-star Robert Pattinson has. Pattinson has balanced indie fare and blockbusters, and Stewart has primarily stayed in the world of arthouse movies (with a few exceptions). Yet director and writer Rose Glass’ sophomore feature Love Lies Bleeding feels much different than anything Stewart has done before.

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Movie Reviews

Dune: Part Two – Movie Review

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Dune: Part Two

  • Director: Denis Villeneuve
  • Writers: Denis Villeneuve, Josh Spaihts
  • Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, Christopher Walken

Grade: A

For the past two decades, there’s been a myriad of genre blockbusters that have tried to emulate the epic scope of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. There have been some films that made a noble effort, but none have been able to successfully capture that lightning in the bottle. Enter Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films, a franchise that once felt like it would never actually get made after David Lynch’s ill-fated 1984 movie. 

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