The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Review: The Coen Brothers Spin Six Tales of Old West Tragicomedy
The Coen brothers return to the Old West for a darkly comic anthology of six stories of doomed men and women out on the frontier. […]
comedy
The Christmas Chronicles Review: Kurt Russell Saves the Holidays
Netflix continues its encroachment into the Hallmark Christmas movie game with a treacly kid’s flick elevated greatly by Kurt Russell as a Santa Who Bangs. […]
Dr Seuss’ The Grinch Review: Illumination’s Slick Remake is Two Sizes Too Bland
Diving deep into Minions territory, Illumination’s revamp of the holiday classic sands off the Grinch’s hard edges and turns him into a blandly grumpy uncle. […]
Olympia’s Cast and Crew on Capturing Millennial Malaise in Chicago (Interview)
We talk to star/writer McKenzie Chinn, director Gregory Dixon, and actor Charles Andrew Gardner about their vibrant, Chicago-set indie about a young woman navigating her […]
10 Movie Witches to Hex Your Halloween
Halloween season is here, which means it’s the season of the witch. The witch has long been a part of our collective unconscious, mostly in […]
What They Had: Elizabeth Chomko and Robert Forster on Crafting Sensitive Family Drama (Interview)
The first-time filmmaker and the veteran actor sit down to talk about Chomko’s experiences with Alzheimer’s in her own family, the switch from studio to […]
Can You Ever Forgive Me? Review: Melissa McCarthy Compels in Awards-Hungry Journalism Drama
While it’s patently hungry for awards, Melissa McCarthy’s biopic of infamous letter forger Lee Israel is compelling and darkly accessible, with some great supporting turns […]
CIFF Dispatch, Part 2: What They Had, Retablo, Maria By Callas, and More
The Chicago International Film Festival keeps chugging along this week, and so does our coverage. From upcoming big indie films to smaller local works, to […]
Trouble Review: A Modest Small-Town Dramedy With an Overqualified Cast
While Theresa Rebeck’s low-budgeted rural hangout comedy sports a fine cast, they can’t quite elevate the proceedings beyond the occasional modest laugh. Movies that are […]
Trouble: Writer/Director Theresa Rebeck on Wrangling Low Budgets and Big Stars (Interview)
Novelist, screenwriter and Pulitzer-nominated playwright Theresa Rebeck is a woman of many hats – the latest of which is the director of the independent ensemble […]