new york times

🎬 Banshees of Inisherin 🤩🤩🤩🤩

film

A funny, absurd film set on a remote Irish island, where little ever happens — until now. One day, Colm (Brendan Gleeson) decides he no longer wants to be friends with his long-time pal Pádraic (Colin Farrell). We follow the story mainly from Pádraic’s point of view, who lives with his sister and their donkey on a small, cliff-side farm. Pádraic struggles to understand what he’s done to deserve this kind of treatment, least of all accept the matter. But, Colm’s mind is made up. He intends to spend his final years securing his legacy as a composer, and refuses to squander another precious hour engaged in dull conversation. We can all relate to some degree. Time is precious. People change. Not all relationships are meant to last forever. But, to what lengths would you go?! A charming, surprising film that will leave you perplexed until the bitter end.

Trailer

Genre: Comedy, Drama
Released: 2022
Running Time: 1h 54m
MPAA: R
Director: Martin McDonagh
Writer: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan
Studio: Film4 Productions, Blueprint Pictures, TSG Entertainment
Distributor: Searchlight Pictures

Related Reviews & Articles

IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 97% Tomatometer, 76% Audience Score
Roger and Ebert: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

IndieWire / VARIETY / Hollywood Reporter / New York Times / Rolling Stone / The Guardian / Mashable / NPR / DECIDER / New Yorker / DEADLINE

Where to Watch: HBO Max, Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube etc.

📺 Pam and Tommy 🤩🤩🤩🤩

tv

I was too young to follow the story of Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee in real time, but of course, I’ve heard about the infamous sex tape. The first few episodes cover the intense love affair between Pam and Tommy — love at first sight if there ever was such a thing. We also quickly establish Rand Gauthier as the man who is out to get them. As the series continues, Tommy must reckon with the end of his Mötley Crüe music career, while Pamela struggles to rise above her Playmate status and beach babe role on Baywatch. The show digs into themes of celebrity, sexism, misogyny and how the internet dismantled privacy and changed the face of porn forever. If you lived through the 90s, you’ll love the fashion, music and lingo throwbacks. Loose jeans and “cool beans.” A time when grunge replaced punk, and Nirvana and Third Eye Blind were the hot, new acts in town. Though, I really could’ve done without the dick talk. But, the acting is superb. Definitely bingeworthy!

Trailer

Genre: Biography, Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: 2022
Running Time: 5h 40m
Creator: Robert Siegel
Starring: Lily James, Sebastian Stan, Seth Rogan, Nick Offerman, Taylor Schilling
Studio: Annapurna Television, Lionsgate Television
Distributor: Disney Platform Distribution

Related Reviews & Articles

IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 79% Tomatometer, 67% Audience Score
Roger and Ebert: ⭐️⭐️✨

VARIETY / Hollywood Reporter / The Guardian / DECIDER / New York Times

Where to Watch: Hulu, DIRECTV, Amazon, Google Play

🎬 She Said 🤩🤩🤩🤩✨

film

One of the best films I’ve seen so far this year. Of course, I knew the story already. The #metoo movement. The allegations around Harvey Weinstein and what became of him (read: jail). But, She Said is the story of the investigative journalists who broke the momentous news despite the forces of power playing against them. With the support of the New York Times editorial board, these two women fought to bring this article to life. They managed to tell the stories of those who were afraid to speak out. Thanks to their passion for the subject and their relentless pursuit in exposing the culprits, they encouraged key figures to speak out publicly against long-standing sexual abuse practices in Hollywood, and the work place as a whole. You could say they gave this movement its legs. Wonderful, relevant watch. A film about journalism at its finest. Highly recommend.

Trailer

Genre: Drama, History
Released: 2022
Running Time: 2h 9m
MPAA: R
Director: Maria Schrader
Writer: Rebecca Lenkiewicz (screen), Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey (New York Times)
Starring: Zoe Kazan, Carey Mulligan, Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher, Frank Wood, Adam Shapiro
Studio: Annapurna Pictures, Plan B Entertainment
Distributor: Universal Pictures

Related Reviews & Articles

IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 87% Tomatometer, 91% Audience Score
Roger and Ebert: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

IndieWire / VARIETY / Hollywood Reporter / New York Times / The Guardian / Empire / TIME

Where to Watch: Peacock, Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, RedBox etc.

🎬 The Pale Blue Eye 🤩🤩🤩✨

film

Chilling, eerie and haunting. The Pale Blue Eye is a tale of murder and deceit that gravitates toward the occult. At first, you’ll want to escape into the untouched, snowy woods of the Hudson Valley, where Detective Augustus Landor lives alone — his own family gone. But then, we discover a U.S. cadet has hanged himself and had his heart cut out. Landor begrudgingly takes the case. But, it won’t be his last murder investigation.

I read Edgar Allen Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart in school, and it’s the kind of story that sticks with you. Harry Melling does a fantastic job of playing the poet, and there are references to Poe’s other work throughout. Christian Bale is equally great as Detective Landor, and so are the supporting performances. The perfect watch for a gloomy winter weekend.

Trailer

Genre: Crime, Horror, Mystery
Released: 2022
Running Time: 2h 8m
MPAA: R
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Scott Cooper (screen), Louis Bayard (book)
Starring: Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Simon McBurney, Timothy Spall, Harry Lawtey, Toby Jones, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gillian Anderson, Robert Duvall
Studio: Cross Creek Pictures, Streamline Global Group, Le Grisbi Productions
Distributor: Netflix

Related Reviews & Articles

IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 64% Tomatometer, 73% Audience Score
Roger and Ebert: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

IndieWire / VARIETY / Hollywood Reporter / New York Times / Vulture / Rolling Stone / The Wrap / DEADLINE

Where to Watch: Netflix

🎬 Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 🤩🤩

film

I have to admit, I didn’t like the first Knives Out film, and I liked this second one even less. Even good performances by Edward Norton and Janelle Monae couldn’t save it for me. Without giving anything away, I figured out the “murder mystery” within the first 30 minutes and spent the rest of the film thinking it was rather dull. Also, Daniel Craig’s accent as Detective Benoit drove me crazy, but I’m very particular about accents. That being said, I’m in the minority here. Daniel Craig was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance and the general consensus is that people love this movie. It’s not that I’m against whodunits in general (I used to read detective novels as a kid), but this series hasn’t managed to capture my interest, despite the star-studded cast. Let’s just say, I’m way more excited for Ocean’s 14 to come out. But, what do I know? Go check it out yourself!

Trailer

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Released: 2022
Running Time: 2h 19m
Studio: T-Street
MPAA: PG-13
Starring: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista
Director: Rian Johnson
Writer: Rian Johnson

Related Reviews & Articles

IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 92% Tomatometer, 93% Audience Score
Roger and Ebert: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

IndieWire / VARIETY / Hollywood Reporter / New York Times / The Wrap / DEADLINE

Where to Watch: Netflix