PHOTO: Universal Pictures On November 20, 2024, I went into a screening of Jon M. Chu’s Wicked with a mix of excitement and skepticism. As a fan of the original musical, I was looking forward to seeing a big-screen version of it, but I was also worried that it might be a major disappointment. While I have some small issues with that film, it exceeded my expectations and is a pretty solid movie musical. Critics and audiences also enjoyed it, as it became a major hit and a cult

PHOTO: Paramount Pictures A Stephen King adaptation directed by Edgar Wright and starring Glen Powell sounds like a slam dunk on paper. After all, Wright has given us such singular creations as Shaun of the Dead , Scott Pilgrim   vs. the World , and Baby Driver , so pretty much anything he puts his name on is sure to pique most people’s interest. Wright is passionate about every film he makes, so his choice to adapt The Running Man  suggests that he has a strong vision that c

PHOTO: Netflix When seeing the words “Un Film de Richard Linklater” during the opening credits of Nouvelle Vague , I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. This isn’t because I feel that Linklater is ill-equipped for a film like this, but because there’s something surreal about the notion that he’s directing a film almost entirely in French. But then again, Linklater has made a variety of films in different genres and mediums over his career, so maybe it is more surprisin

PHOTO: MUBI The opening moments of Die My Love may feature the best example of tone setting I’ve seen all year. We begin with an extended shot of our two lead characters, Grace and Jackson, entering a dilapidated house in rural Montana. This house belonged to Jackson’s late uncle, but now belongs to them. Grace and Jackson quietly discuss the house during this, and eventually sit on the floor. It is daytime in this scene, and there is a stillness to it that makes the film fee