Movies

If anyone had told me that a new Superman film—one not starring the implacably handsome Henry Cavill but helmed instead by the broad-shouldered, blithely anonymous David Corenswet—would soar, I would have rolled my eyes faster than a Kryptonian in mid-spin. But James Gunn’s Superman propels itself out of the crate marked “2020s franchise relaunches” and straight into pop delirium, unexpectedly bristling with wit, irreverence, and yes, a genuine affection for tights, capes, and Clark’s enduring decency.

Let’s mark STRAW’s arrival on the Netflix scroll not as a quiet debut but with the thudding, dissonant crash of a fire alarm, one of those pulpy, middle-of-the-night interruptions you half resent and won’t soon forget. This is Tyler Perry pushing melodrama to the edge of the precinct, a kitchen-sink-pressure-cooker tragedy with more indignities than a daytime soap marathon, yet fierce enough in its final moments to repay (if not quite justify) the ordeal. It’s equal parts a how-bad-can-it-get gauntlet and a surprisingly alive, wounded scream from the cracked ribcage of America’s social machinery.

September 5 arrives on the screen as an urgent, bracing slab of historical drama—a kind of fevered docudrama pitched somewhere between the fretful hum of a 1970s control room and the icy dread pressing in from the world outside. Tim Fehlbaum’s direction plunges us into the back corridors of catastrophe: the Munich massacre at the '72 Olympics is no longer simply a horror recalled, but a media spectacle in real-time, filtered through the sweating brows and moral agonies of ABC Sports. Not since Lumet thrust us behind the cameras in Network have we felt the pulse of crisis with such claustrophobic vitality—and with almost as much queasy self-examination.

Star Trek: Section 31, the latest “triumph” in the hallowed Star Trek franchise. Released on Paramount+, this film attempts—let’s be generous here—to capture the magic of the Star Trek universe, but instead, it resembles a hapless child playing dress-up in a too-big, moth-eaten uniform. Longtime Star Trek fans, brace yourselves: this isn’t just bad; it’s a nostalgic nightmare. With its confused characterizations and incoherent plot, the film stands as a testament to what happens when you take a beloved franchise and toss it into a blender set on “oblivion".

In the chilling landscape of South Korean cinema, Park Chan-wook’s Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance emerges as a haunting exploration of the human psyche entangled in the web of moral ambiguity.

As a longtime admirer of Russell Crowe, my anticipation for "Sleeping Dogs" was palpable. Directed by debut filmmaker Adam Cooper, this 2021 crime thriller is adapted from E.O. Chirovici's novel "The Book of Mirrors." From the outset, Crowe’s magnetic presence and a compelling narrative enticed me into a world of suspense and psychological reflection that truly kept me at the edge of my seat.

As I settled in to watch Small Things Like These, I was ready to be enveloped in a poignant narrative set against the backdrop of 1980s Ireland. The film’s premise, delving into the deeply troubling history of the Magdalene Laundries, along with a stellar cast led by the immensely talented Cillian Murphy, had me eager for an emotionally resonant experience.

I was eager to see how Perry would navigate the delicate balance between historical accuracy and cinematic storytelling, especially given the heavy emotional weight of the subject matter. What I didn’t expect was to feel both uplifted and somewhat disappointed by the film's execution.

Unfortunately, while I sat to watch with a sliver of hope for a nail-biting adventure—perhaps with a clever twist or two—I quickly learned that this film wouldn't be swimming with the greats. Instead, I found myself floundering through a plot filled with superficial characters and a story threadbare enough to leave many unanswered questions in its wake.

Upon entering the gritty world of The Shadow Strays, I was buzzing with anticipation for what is touted as Timo Tjahjanto’s latest masterpiece in action crime thriller cinema. It’s been just over two hours of intense pulse-pounding sequences and layered storytelling that promise a visceral experience.