Wildflower (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
“Wildflower” brings us one of the most touching stories about families needing to learn to trust they did enough and their kin can make it on their own.
Young Adult
In the Young Adult tag, you’ll find coming-of-age stories and productions featuring those in their late teens through twenties getting their lives together.
A Good Person (2023) – Review/ Summary
While sometimes the cursing feels like an unnecessary crutch to heighten the drama, “A Good Person” will pull on your heartstrings and make it clear why Florence Pugh is considered a top talent.
School Spirits: Season 1/Episode 5 “The Twilight End Zone” Review
A special maternal connection between Maddie and Wally make a poignant episode of School Spirits.
Shazam! The Fury of the Gods (2023) – Movie Review
Shazam! Fury of the Gods returns as a sequel with the super hero family battling a wicked trio of twisted sisters complete with a dragon and monsters wreaking havoc on Philadelphia.
School Spirits: Season 1/Episode 4 Recap “Ghoul Intentions”
Secrets come out and teams come together in a revealing School Spirits episode.
School Spirits: Season 1, Episodes 1-3 “My So-Called Death/The Fault of Our Scars/Dead and Confused” – Recap/ Review
In the School Spirits premiere, Maddie is dead, and mystery lurks in every school hallway as she tries to discover what happened to her while balancing time between the living and the dead.
Chang Can Dunk (2023) – Movie Review/ Summary
Chang Can Dunk is an impressive debut by Jingyi Shao that shakes up the familiar underdog sports story.
Lonely Castle in the Mirror (2023) – Review/ Summary
With themes of bullying, death, assault, and more, “Lonely Castle in the Mirro” is an immensely emotional experience.
The Magic Flute (2023) – Review/ Summary
“The Magic Flute” is the kind of movie adaptation that will make you wonder, if the film is this good, would seeing it live be just the same or better?
Suzume (2023) – Review/ Summary
Makoto Shinkai continues his streak of visually stunning and emotionally impactful anime with “Suzume.”
“Conversations After Sex” at the Irish Arts Center (2023) – Review/ Summary
“Conversations After Sex” may do itself a disservice by not naming its character or having different men play the lead’s lover, but it still delivers in many ways.
The Coast Starlight (2023) – Review/ Summary
Taking place barely over a day, “The Coast Starlight” is packed with a series of what-if conversations that leave you longing for connection.
Under His Influence (2023) – Review/ Summary
In this “Did he or didn’t he” film, a social media influencer falls for a young man who may have killed his teacher, but the evidence is slim against him.
Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey (2023) – Review/ Summary
“Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey” feels like a throwback to when slasher movies began, and the goal was to freak out the audience with intense visuals.
Somebody I Used To Know (2023) – Review/ Summary
“Somebody I Used To Know” may have a wonderful “Community” reunion and unexpected friendship worth investing in, but it doesn’t offer much beyond that.
The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window (2023) – Review/ Summary
While it sometimes feels like it says too much to make things more complicated than they need be, as time goes on, you realize avoiding simplicity is the point.
Joy Ride (2023) – New Movie Coming Soon
From the writers of “Family Guy,” “Crazy Rich Asians” and “Raya and the Last Dragon” comes a new comedy adventure set in Asia.
Cat Person (2023) – Review and Summary
If you ever wondered what a woman may think when dating a man, both the positive and negative, “Cat Person” is here to illuminate you.
The Starling Girl (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
Coming of age in a religious setting is hard, for what coastal cities may see as natural impulses, a conservative community in the Midwest would call those sin.
Maybe I Do (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey act as Trojan horses for a movie about love, companionship, and marriage after 60.
A Thousand and One (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
If Teyana Taylor is going to give up on her music career, the gift of her performance in “A Thousand And One” makes up for it.
Shortcomings (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
“Shortcomings” desires to push back against the spectacle of representation as it dives into the day-to-day conversations of an unlikable lead.
The Persian Version (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
In this epic exploration of an Iranian Mother and her American-raised daughter’s relationship, you get a story that feels like a friend revealing a recent discovery of their family history to you.
Fancy Dance (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
“Fancy Dance” may have a name that makes you think you’ll watch something lighthearted, but as it dives into indigenous people’s continued injustice, you only get that in doses.
Sometimes I Think About Dying (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
“Sometimes I Think About Dying” is a dry and awkward romance that sometimes has moments of sweetness but is often tiresome to watch.
Mutt (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
“Mutt” is part of the new wave of LGBTIA+ media which moves beyond the coming out and trauma often associated with that, and explores that period of adjustment once the dust settles.
Fair Play (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
What starts as a cute love story set in the financial world becomes the type of film that will infuriate you and make you yell at the protagonist about what they need to do to win you back.
Young. Wild. Free (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
“Young. Wild. Free” is more than a cute but very chaotic love story. It also allows Sierra Capri to be the rare depiction of the chaotic, life-altering female lead thus far, almost exclusively played by White women.
Alice, Darling (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
In the toned-down “Alice, Darling,” the depiction of emotional abuse is on display and given a touch that surprisingly isn’t leaning towards Oscar bait.
Door Mouse (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
“Door Mouse” has cult classic workings that will make it a favorite amongst a niche group, but it may struggle to make a blip in a sea of video-on-demand releases.
House Party (2023) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
While I don’t think anyone was asking for a “House Party” remake, you’ll be glad we got one.
The Beginning & The Middle (2021) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
Two friends from high school reunite at a party, and there is the question of whether a crush might become something more.
Christmas With The Campbells (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
The innuendo-filled “Christmas with The Campbells” is not a family Christmas movie but could be good for the adults to watch or listen to while getting things ready or cleaning up.
Darby And The Dead (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
“Darby and The Dead,” being yet another teen movie focused on the outcast who, with a makeover, becomes popular, sidesteps what could have made it interesting.
Rolling Into Christmas (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
While the early part of “Rolling Into Christmas” is high quality, as relationship drama comes into play, things go downhill fast.
Wednesday: Season 1 – Summary/ Review
While Jenna Ortega makes a superb Wednesday, unfortunately, they put her in a world reminiscent of the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” with boy drama and a mediocre mystery.
Blood, Sex & Royalty: Season 1/ Episode 1 [Premiere] – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)
“Blood Sex and Royalty” pursues edutainment with CW-type casting and performances mixed with actual historians to note the historical context.
The Sound of Christmas (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
“The Sound of Christmas” gives you everything you could want from a holiday movie. There is singing, promotion of the Christian faith, and all kinds of drama.
Christmas Party Crashers (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)
Like many BET productions, you would be remiss to underestimate “Christmas Party Crashers” based on its name and what’s sold in the poster.
