FRANKLY SPEAKING

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

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

Peele's newest hit, "Nope," continues to excel in unveiling the way we respond to monsters, this time tackling our social media craze.

In "Everythng, Everywhere, All at Once," Daniels Kwan and Scheinert use its out-of-this-world setting to talk about the heart of humanity.

How Matt Reeves' "The Batman" confronts the trends of the broader franchise, and rebuilds Bruce Wayne into the superhero that we need.

As we dive into Oscar season, I review one of the best movies of the year, and how it explores the uncertain crucible of life.

In a world of uncertainty, Lana Wachowski makes a profoundly personal film about fighting for love.

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

My mixed opinions on The Eternals, a movie with high ambitions that perhaps flies too close to the sun.

Discussing the art of artifice and framing, and how fantasy heightens reality in Wes Anderson's "The French Dispatch"

Dune is big!! And also I talk about Villeneuve's skill with scale and audience experience, and how his gamble is hopefully paying off.

How Star Wars' anime anthology brings to life a core essence of Star Wars that has often gotten lost.

How Shang-Chi does a great job at introducing a new cast by revealing character through combat and important choices.

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

How Lowery's dazzling "The Green Knight" enters into modern conversations and sensibilities to reimagine myth.

Invincible starts strong, but its languishing pace exposes a hollow, aimless story underneath the bloody veneer.

I tackle Planet of the Apes, and the way it flips the script with every new movie in order to best challenge its world and characters.

In this spoiler-free review, I talk about my complicated love for Tenet, especially through its characters and themes about time and fate.

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.

Birds of Prey strikes exactly the sort of balance of fun, frenetic violence that Suicide Squad promised and failed to deliver on.