Saloum (2022) Movie Review

Congolese director Jean Luc Herbulot crafted this action-thriller set in the titular region in Senegal, an eerily abandoned network of marshes and waterways in which ghosts (literal and figurative) seem to lurk in the shadows. That's an apt setting for the story, which follows three mercenaries known as Bangui's Hyenas, who have become something like … Continue reading Saloum (2022) Movie Review

Werewolf by Night (2022) Movie Review: Offers Just Enough Bite

While technically a Marvel property (and therefore another entry in the MCU), the creative team behind Werewolf by Night refreshingly chooses to downplay overt connections to that larger tapestry. MCU fans will no doubt delight in what connections there are, but Michael Giachhino's werewolf movie is unburdened by needing the prior knowledge that can inhibit … Continue reading Werewolf by Night (2022) Movie Review: Offers Just Enough Bite

Shin Ultraman (2023) Movie Review

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/iYqrg724Qwb The latest reboot of a longstanding Japanese franchise (or at least, the latest one to get a wide American release) is Shin Ultraman, helmed by one of the co-directors of Shin Godzilla, Shinji Higuchi. If you're a newcomer to this series and its characters (like me), that doesn't really matter: the plot is so … Continue reading Shin Ultraman (2023) Movie Review

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) Movie Review

This adaptation of Pinocchio presents itself as the children's flick we didn't know we needed. Just when you thought the whole genre was sunk after Disney's own 2022 remake, del Toro reminds us that there is power in wonder, imagination, and good ol' fashioned frights. Director: Guillermo del Toro, Mark GustafsonProducers: Guillermo del Toro, Gary Ungar, Alexander Bulkley, Corey … Continue reading Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) Movie Review

Netflix’s Troll Honors & Trolls the Genre | “Troll” Movie Review

From Norwegian studio, Motion Blur, in partnership with Netflix comes a kaiju of the Scandinavian sort. Troll, like the modern classic Trollhunter (2010), exhibits Norwegian folklore on a monstrous scale. Unlike, Trollhunter, however, this new film by aptly-named director Roar Uthaug (Tomb Raider, 2018) is satisfied with the bare minimum - it achieves this surprisingly … Continue reading Netflix’s Troll Honors & Trolls the Genre | “Troll” Movie Review

How ‘Frankenstein Conquers the World’ Confronts the Monstrous Legacy of Hiroshima & Nagasaki | Movie Review

Frankenstein Conquers the World marks a departure from Honda's usual kaiju-fare of the mid '60s; however, it also marks a welcomed return to his horror aesthetic. Frankenstein features many graphic images that are intentionally brief and bloody, thereby leaving a lasting impression. The same is true for Honda's use of close-ups, especially on the titular … Continue reading How ‘Frankenstein Conquers the World’ Confronts the Monstrous Legacy of Hiroshima & Nagasaki | Movie Review