FRANKLY SPEAKING

In a review that accidentally took three months to write, I reflect on the highs and lows (mostly highs) of 2023.

In the smash sensation of the summer, Barbie and Oppenheimer depict the existential state of our world, and provides hope to survive.

How are studios utilizing "spoiler culture" to sell their product, and how has it hurt the way we engage with stories?

I reflect on the many, many things I watched this year, and conclude my ranking my 10 favourite movies of 2022!

Upon the short-lived theatrical release of Glass Onion, I go back through Rian Johnson's work and trace the themes that climax here.

From "Taylor Swift" to "Midnights," we tour Swift's career through the locus of "Reputation" and how it changed her career.

How Rogue One paved the way for the next five years of the franchise, and how Andor might course-correct.

In the wake of the SDCC announcement that Phase Four is ending soon, I reflect on what - if anything - we accomplished this phase.

Clones is a weird, largely flawed movie, but a surprisingly fun one that is filled with Lucas' prescient political insights.

Picks and predictions for the 2022 Oscars, including an extensive look at this years Best Picture nominees!

Well, well, I write 'bout Inside again, and talk about the ways it succinctly frames the depressing cultural moment of 2021.

Revisiting Spider-Man 3, a shockingly poignant movie about the vulnerabilities of forgiveness and people a broken human being.

Netflix's Cowboy Bebop trips over the many pitfalls of adapting animation to live-action and loses its soul along the way.

On how horror can bring about catharsis and force us into conversation with that which we try to silence.

How Marvel's third acts often fall towards spectacle rather than character, and how Shang-Chi could have been different.

As I return to the theatre, I reflect on Black Widow & The Suicide Squad, and how smaller stakes often make bigger-feeling movies.

In a time of transitions and uncertainty, I turn to Cowboy Bebop and the way it looks at both liminality and the inevitability of endings.

How the MCU's first Disney+ shows inspire reinvigorated hope for the heartbeat for a franchise losing its momentum.

Close out the year by looking at some of Nolan's earliest movies, as I gush about things I love and reflect on the art of great showmanship.

In the wake of Disney's Investor Day announcements, we look at the future of film and television.