Here are some reviews of films coming out at the theater this week as well as others that may be in theaters or newly on home video.
Opening: Aug. 18, 2023
Wide (United States)
Blue Beetle
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Strays
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Limited (United States)
Birth/Rebirth
Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: What makes Moss’s creeping horror so effective is how these actresses gradually acquire traits of each others’ characters, the deeply maternal, sympathetic Reyes becoming coldly focused while Ireland’s possibly autistic, single-minded mad scientist begins to show signs of empathy.
Madeleine Collins
- Excerpt: As Judith, Efira is reminiscent of the iconic Hitchcock blondes of yesteryear; her enigmatic and sensual performance calls to mind everything from Kim Novak’s dual roles in Vertigo to Tippi Hedren’s psychosexual secrets in Marnie. Yet while Madeleine Collins clearly aspires to the label of Hitchcockian, the film doesn’t measure up to the high bar set by the Master of Suspense.
Mutt
Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: Writer/director Vuk Lungulov-Klotz, himself trans, has made a deeply affecting, personal film about the trans experience, one of the very best LGBTQ movies, and just movies In general, of the year.
2023 Films In Theaters Now In Select Areas
Fast X
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Jules
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Oppenheimer
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
For member reviews of this film, follow this link
Bad Things
Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: Unfortunately, the only impression [Thorndike’s] sophomore film makes is that of a low-rent, semi-coherent take on “The Shining” with little scary about it.
Corner Office
Allen Almachar @ The MacGuffin
- Excerpt: The film is making a comment on the trials and tribulations of working in an office setting, but the messaging is fuzzy.
The Eternal Memory
Christopher Reed @ Hammer to Nail
- Excerpt: By the end, the viewer emerges with a rich panoply of scenes to contemplate, each one building on the impact of what came before.
Gadar 2
Hundreds of Beavers
Jared Mobarak @ Hey, have you seen …?
- Excerpt: While this live-action LOONEY TUNES epic of silent-era slapstick nonsense is definitely too long, it proves itself to be a vast improvement over its predecessor by fully leaning into the madness until you can’t help reveling in its charm.
King Coal
Christopher Reed @ Film Festival Today
- Excerpt: As a work of cinema, King Coal proves aesthetically stunning, while also holding our attention as cultural anthropology. McMillion Sheldon pulls off the impressive feat of making such a specific documentary a meditation on the state of the nation as a whole (without any form of heavy-handedness to alert us to what she is doing).
Klondike
Bavner Donaldo @ Cinejour [Indonesian]
The Last Voyage of the Demeter
Sarah Gopaul @ Digital Journal
- Excerpt: Spanish creature actor Javier Botet does an excellent job capturing Dracula’s unnatural movements and physique… accomplishing the complete opposite of Gary Oldman’s sensual fiend.
Mark Hobin @ Fast Film Reviews
- Excerpt: I’m glad this is the “last” voyage because I don’t want to board this ship again.
Dennis Schwartz @ Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
- Excerpt: There are too many other good Dracula films to watch other than this flawed one.
Love Life
Jared Mobarak @ Hey, have you seen …?
- Excerpt: Jealousy isn’t what Fukada is interested in pursuing. He’s focusing upon forgiveness instead. Not for the other’s transgressions or unspoken feelings, but for themselves.
Medusa Deluxe
The Monkey King
Laura Clifford @ Reeling Reviews
- Excerpt: The film is so relentlessly paced it could have used a few more rest points, but kung fu action is painstakingly choreographed, the animation is vibrant, and its humor is both visual and character driven.
OMG 2
Red, White & Royal Blue
Restore Point
Jared Mobarak @ Hey, have you seen …?
- Excerpt: It may feel by-the-numbers in scope, but its execution more than makes up the difference. A testament to everyone involved that it proves a worthy return to the genre [for the Czechia].
River
Jared Mobarak @ Hey, have you seen …?
- Excerpt: While the journey doesn’t utilize a single-take device like BEYOND, its frenetic pace and potential for extreme emotions demands a similar level of investment that you’ll be more than willing to provide due to its infectious sense of entertainment.
They Cloned Tyrone
Mark Hobin @ Fast Film Reviews
- Excerpt: . A promising start doesn’t take an interesting idea to a satisfying conclusion.
