Chaperone
This sleek little indie is set in rural Hawai’i and features an entirely AANHPI (Asian American and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islander) cast. The story centers on an ethical dilemma that 29-year-old…
One Battle After Another
Very loosely based on Thomas Pynchon's 1990 novel "Vineland," Paul Thomas Anderson's (Licorice Pizza, The Master) latest film is a seriously entertaining action dramedy perfectly timed to our current political…
John Candy: I Like Me
I liked, but did not love John Candy: I Like Me. The documentary features an array of interesting interviews, nuggets, and archival moments about the Canadian actor and comedian who…
Roofman
Fans of true crime stories should get a kick out of Roofman. It’s not just inspired by a true story. It is a true story, far-fetched as it may seem.…
The Lost Bus
The Lost Bus is inspired by a real rescue drama that unfolded during the deadly Camp Fire that engulfed and destroyed the entire town of Paradise, California in November 2018.…
A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
This is the first big, bold, beautiful film of the year (that I have seen anyway.) It's a thoroughly odd romantic fantasy set in a surreal world from Kogonada, the…
Death of a Ladies’ Man
Gabriel Byrne stars as Samuel O'Shea, an aging poetry professor and ladies' man who finds himself adrift, first by discovering his much younger wife in their bed with her lover,…
Waltzing with Brando
Based on true events, Waltzing with Brando tells the story of young architect Bernard Judge’s (John Heder, Napoleon Dynamite) relationship with the iconic star, as he tries to build his…
Eleanor the Great
Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is a solid one thanks largely to the watchability and likability of nonagenarian June Squib (Thelma, Nebraska). Squibb plays the title character, Eleanor Morgenstein, in Eleanor…
Quickie review: The Thursday Murder Club
Sometimes Netflix has just what you need for a night in! This adaptation of Richard Osman's bestselling mystery is the perfect flick to take your mind off the crazy world…
The Roses
It’s a thorny dilemma. The Roses can be dark and violent and sad, but also engaging, wickedly funny, and deliciously vicious. The film is a reimagining of the 1989 classic…
The Baltimorons
As a native Baltimorean, it seemed only fitting that I (Mainstream Chick) check this one out, even if it does skew arty. I liken it to a Hallmark Christmas movie…
Highest to Lowest
This film marks Denzel Washington's and Spike Lee's fifth collaboration. They've done some of their best work together, and though it's been 19 years since they were on opposite sides…
Drowning Dry (Seses)
In this Latvian-Lithuanian film, two couples and their kids head to a cabin in the country following a mixed martial arts fight where one of the dads, Lukas (Paulius Markevičius),…
Bad Shabbos
If you keep your expectations low, you just never know! Such was the case with dark comedy Bad Shabbos. I watched this small festival darling a while back, in advance…