The superhero genre is accused of many things. Politically, it is described as conservative, reactionary and downright fascist. The genre has a tendency towards being white male centric, with exceptions like “Wonder Woman” and “Black Panther” highlighting rather than resolving the problem. As the Marvel and DC franchises have become more popular, studios opt for…
The third entry in the “Annabelle” series, a part of the extended “Conjuring” Universe, is Gary Dauberman’s directorial debut, Annabelle Comes Home. The scribe is close to the source, though, as he was responsible for scripts on 2014’s “Annabelle” and 2017’s “Annabelle: Creation,” as well as 2018’s “The Nun.” Luckily, Dauberman’s transition behind the camera…
Horror auteur (“The Conjuring”) and box office money maker (“Furious 7”) James Wan takes a somewhat unexpected stab at the superhero genre with Aquaman. Starring the imposing, but beloved, Jason Momoa (“Conan the Barbarian”), scene stealing Amber Heard (“Machete Kills”), and a seasoned Willem Dafoe (“The Florida Project”), Wan’s installment to the successful (albeit it…
The Nun, the fifth film in “The Conjuring” Universe, is a hugely flawed and underwhelming horror film that’s both plodding and formulaic. While the film, Corin Hardy’s sophomore directorial effort following 2015’s “The Hallow,” boasts convincing performances from scream queen Taissa Farmiga (“The Final Girls”) and Demián Bichir (“Alien: Covenant”), it fails to leverage its…
Annabelle: Creation begins sometime in the mid-twentieth century where, isolated in a beautiful old farmhouse, dollmaker Samuel Mullins (Anthony LaPaglia, “A Good Marriage”) lives with his wife, Esther (Miranda Otto, “The Homesman”), and his happy, fun-loving daughter Bee (Samara Lee, “Concussion”). As he puts the final touches on a familiar limited edition doll, a folded…
Despite taking place largely in a single location, Fabio Guaglione and Fabio Resinaro’s film, Mine, manages to tell a varied story of life experiences, a story that touches on family history, personal regrets and misunderstandings, and even a subtle political critique of US militarism. Playing like a cross between “The Hurt Locker” and “127 Hours,”…
The Belko Experiment begins in Bogotá, Colombia, as a man drives slowly down a street clogged with traffic and pedestrians, looking calmly around at his surroundings, taking in the sights. Eventually, he and a number of other employees arrive at the Belko Industries building which requires an intense security sweep of each car. Security cameras…
