Scott Derrickson makes his second film of 2025 with a sequel to his 2022 hit The Black Phone. It has been four years since Finney Blake (Mason Thames) survived being held captive by the serial killer The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), whom he killed. He’s suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from the experience. His sister, Gwen […]
Bugonia Review
I was a bit apprehensive going into the screener of Bugonia at the 2025 Chicago International Film Festival. You see, I had only seen two of Yorgos Lanthimos’ films before – those would be The Favourite, which I loved, and Poor Things, which I hated – which meant it was a coin flip (in my […]
Good Fortune Review
Aziz Ansari has proven himself to be a successful comedic actor, appearing in shows like Parks and Recreation and Master of None. He makes his feature film directorial debut with a body swap comedy about the gig economy. Arj (Ansari) is a man struggling to survive. He works part-time in a hardware store, does random […]
Hedda Review
There are a handful of roles in the theatrical cannon that an actress covets. Chief among them is Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen’s tragic creation. A woman desperate to control not only her own fortunes but the fortunes and actions of those around her. It’s a hell of a role – one that has tempted many […]
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins Review
Sunrise on the Reaping is the fifth book in the Hunger Games series and the second prequel. This book focuses on Haymitch Abernathy and the 50th Hunger Games. Haymitch Abernathy is a 16-year-old boy whose birthday lands on Reaping Day. He gets reaped for the 50th Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell, which doubles the […]
Tron: Ares Review
The Tron series has returned for a third entry. This time, elements of the Grid enter the real world and get used in a battle for corporate supremacy. Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) and his company, Dillinger Systems, have developed a system that can bring creations from the Grid into the real world. He attempts to pitch his […]
Good Boy Review
Good Boy is Ben Leonberg’s directorial debut, and it had a simple yet effective premise: a horror film told from a dog’s point of view. Indy and his owner, Todd (Shane Jensen), move to the countryside after Todd inherits his grandfather’s home. However, Indy senses a dark presence in the house, leading to him being […]
Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars Review
I fancy myself a bit of a foodie. I’m from Chicago – a world class city when it comes to food – and I have been lucky enough to have eaten at Michelin starred restaurants around the world. I’ve also watched every season of Bravo’s Top Chef, making sure to visit the restaurants of contestants […]
The Last Frontier Review
If there’s one thing The Last Frontier, the new thriller from AppleTV+ has going for it, it’s its cast. Which is absolutely stacked, not just with actors you’ll remember from big budget films – Jason Clarke, Dominic Cooper, Alfre Woodard, Johnny Knoxville – but a host of faces that will be familiar to TV fans […]
The Smashing Machine Review
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s career has taken a dramatic turn by teaming up with the indie studio A24 and acclaimed director Benny Safdie so he can star in a biopic about Mixed Martial Artist Mark Kerr. Mark Kerr is a star fighter in the growing sport of MMA. Between 1997 to 2000, he travelled to […]









