Category: Movie Analysis
-
Elio and the Cost of Playing It Safe: What Pixar’s Box Office Flop Says About “Woke Goes Broke”
Release Date: Premiere June 10, 2025; US wide release June 20, 2025 Runtime: 98 min (1h 38m) Rating: PG for thematic elements, some action/peril Production Companies: Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures Producers: Mary Alice Drumm, Pete Docter, Lindsey Collins Cinematography: Derek Williams and Jordan Rempel Music: Rob Simonsen Elio (2025) Directors: Domee Shi & Madeline Sharafian, Adrian Molina (credited though he exited prior to completion)…
-
James Gunn’s Superman (2025): A Hopeful Reboot Rooted in Immigration, Morality, and Heart
Release Date: Premiere July 7, 2025; US wide release July 11, 2025 Runtime: 129 min (2h 9m) Rating: PG-13 (sequences of sci-fi violence, brief strong language, and thematic elements) Production Companies: DC Studios, Troll Court Entertainment, The Safran Company Producers: James Gunn & Peter Safran Cinematography: Henry Braham Music: John Murphy & David Fleming Superman (2025) Director: James Gunn…
-
Final Destination: Bloodlines — A Bloody Rebirth of Death’s Design (And Ranking Every Kill That Made Us Gasp)
Final Destination: Bloodlines revives the franchise with inventive kills, emotional resonance, and a chilling send-off for Tony Todd’s iconic character. Balancing gnarly visuals with themes of fate and generational trauma, this requel honors the original while carving out new ground. A sharp, symbolic return that doesn’t cheat death.
-
When the Magic Dies: A Double Review of Death of a Unicorn and The Woman in the Yard
Death of A Unicorn (2025) Directed by: Alex Scharfman Starring: Paul Rudd, Paul Rudd, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, Richard E. Grant Unicorns have long been seen as symbols of purity and beauty, but Alex Scharfman flips that mythology on its head, crafting a world where these creatures are anything but majestic. Paul Rudd and Jenna…
-
Catching Up
Movies You Slept On Exploring Themes of Class and Control in ‘Locked’ and ‘The Assessment’ Locked (2025) Directed by David Yarovesky Starring: Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins An engaging take on a timeless theme: class disparity and the divide between those who observe from the outside and those trapped within their circumstances. Eddie Barnish (Bill…
-
National Women’s Month Spotlight: Zöe Kravitz
No Forgiveness, Just Forgetting: The Feminist Core of Blink Twice Blink Twice Directed by Zöe Kravitz Starring Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, and Alia Shawkat Since the beginning of time, power dynamics between genders have shaped society. While much discourse has taken place over the years, it remains evident that women are still fighting for equality…
-
Weekend Watchlist: Villains, Veterans, and Virtuosos
The Rule of Jenny Pen Directed by: James Ashcroft Starring: Geoffrey Rush and John John Lithgow John Lithgow masterfully embodies the unsettling presence of Dave Crealy, an antagonist who reflects the darker side of aging and vulnerability. The film explores isolation, dementia, elder neglect, abuse, and the shifting power dynamics that come with aging —…
818 Lens 