WHO’S WATCHING WHO Review – Family Ties Save the Day
Staci Layne Wilson’s Who’s Watching Who review says it’s a charming short with more going on beneath the surface. Who’s Watching Who is a short film that’s been sweeping the film festival circuit (with an eye toward streaming platforms), and winning the hearts of viewers everywhere. It’s not easy to make an impact in less…
TRAVELING LIGHT Review – Heavy Ruminations on Class, Cults, and Covid-19
Staci Layne Wilson’s Traveling Light review says the new Tony Todd vehicle is a departure from his signature Candyman role but worth a look for those into cerebral dramas. Actor Tony Todd and director Bernard Rose’s most famous pairing happened decades ago, with the cult favorite horror film, Candyman. Candyman was more than just blood…
SCREAM Review—Ghostface is Back, with a Wink and a Nod
Staci Layne Wilson’s Scream review says the slasher keeps to its postmodern roots while giving the proceedings contemporary cachet. Scream directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett are a clever team of true horror aficionados—if their names don’t ring a bell, you may remember their sleeper hit, 2019’s Ready or Not—who are the perfect pair to…
NIGHTMARE ALLEY Review—All That Glitters is Not Gold
Staci Layne Wilson’s Nightmare Alley review notes the visuals are a dream, but the tale bursts at the seams and falls apart. Bradley Cooper stars as Stan Carlisle in Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley— he’s a shady, charming grifter with no qualms when it comes to manipulating marks as well as loved ones. Carlisle wasn’t born…
VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE – Silly, Comedic, and Action-Packed
Staci Layne Wilson’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage review says that the violent buddy comedy is entertaining but instantly forgettable. I can’t remember if I saw Venom in 2018. (Oh, wait a minute: yes I did, and here’s my review.) I have a feeling I’ll be saying the same thing about Venom: Let There Be…
THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK Review – Sacrilege or Sublime? A Bit of Both…
Staci Layne Wilson’s The Many Saints of Newark review says The Sopranos prequel should please fans, but it might confuse newbies. I’ve been a devotee of the mobster TV series The Sopranos since the show debuted on January 10, 1999, and I saw every episode until its famous “blackout” ending on June 10, 2007. A…
CANDYMAN Review – Gory But Thought-Provoking Horror
Staci Layne Wilson’s Candyman review says filmmakers Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele bring fresh blood to an old trope. Director Nia DaCosta’s Candyman reimagining has been called a “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 film of the same name, and that it is. While it sticks to the stuff horror fans loved about the original—a vengeful,…
THE NIGHT HOUSE Review—Too Many Unanswered Questions
Staci Layne Wilson’s The Night House review says the story of a new widow haunted by memories of her husband may be a bit too slow and complicated. Teacher Beth (Rebecca Hall) is a woman dealing with the sudden suicide of her architect husband Owen (Evan Jonigkeit), whom she senses has come back from the grave to…
THE GREEN KNIGHT Review – Evergreen or Sword-and-Sorcery Routine?
Staci Layne Wilson’s The Green Knight review says Dev Patel’s latest epic is a visual stunner but has limited appeal. The 14th century epic poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was once a lesser-known Arthurian legend, but thanks to a 1920’s translation by the legendary fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien, and its subsequent adaptations for the…
LISEY’S STORY Review — It’s a Long One!
Staci Layne Wilson’s Lisey’s Story review tells you what to expect from Apple TV+’s newest limited series based on a bestselling Stephen King novel. The luminous Julianne Moore plays the title character in Lisey’s Story — he is the recent widow of a celebrated and successful Maine-based novelist, Scott Landon (Clive Owen). Since this limited series is…
