Boyega, Beharie, and Williams Shine in Otherwise Fine ‘892’

Michael K. Williams shines in his final performance in Abi Damaris Corbin's debut feature.

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‘God’s Country’ is The Crème de la Crème of Sundance 2022

"Sometimes it feels like things never change. But I promise you they do. They have to."

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I’m Ready For My Close-Up, Mr. Leone: How a Shot Defined the Western

Sergio Leone put the Western genre under a microscope. Or at the very least, a macro lens.

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‘Am I OK?’ Celebrates Coming of Age at Any Age

Directors Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne provide a personal stamp to this warm, giddy tale of female friendship.

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‘Resurrection’ Sends Rebecca Hall Into a Downward Spiral Towards Madness

Think 'Sleeping with the Enemy' but with a quietly grinning Tim Roth pulling all the strings.

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‘Hatching’ Finds Beaks and Blood in the Mother’s Yolk

What came first, the freaky humanoid bird creature or the egg?

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The 50 Best Movies of 2021

The Film School Rejects team watched hundreds of movies in 2021 and enjoyed quite a few. These are the 50 best.

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The Pros and Cons of Analog vs. Digital Audio

Dedicated hardware or everything "in a box"? Here's a look at why this age-old debate is about more than "what sounds better."

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‘Pam & Tommy’ is as Humanizing as It is Entertaining

Hulu’s series about the celebrity sex tape scandal that rocked the '90s mostly forgoes salaciousness in favor of empathy for the couple at its core.

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Why High Resolution Shouldn’t be a Standard in Modern Filmmaking

4K should be a practical and artistic choice ... not a requirement.

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‘Alice’ is an Uneasy But Bold Reckoning with America’s Grotesque “History”

The less you know about it, the better, but it's probably already too late for you.

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Jump On It: Exploring the Narrative Potential of the Jump Cut

From special effects to montage, to pure, unbridled style, here's a brief introduction to the many uses of the jump cut.

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‘Sharp Stick’ Marks a Confusing Return for Lena Dunham

Dunham is back with her first movie in over a decade.

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The Real Story Behind ‘Thirteen Lives’

The upcoming Ron Howard movie dramatizes the story of a boys soccer team trapped in a Thai cave for 18 days.

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‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Takes a Step Backward Before Its Showdown

The Chapter 5 sidequest brings an old friend back into the fold, and it's as satisfying as it is frustrating.

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The Fantastical Style of ‘Euphoria’ Captures the Realities of Modern Teendom

In its new season, 'Euphoria' boosts its stylishness in order to hack into the mind of a teenager.

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‘Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.’ is Two Movies When It Should Be One

But you can't be too mad about its structural sin when you have Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall quietly waging war with each other.

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What the ‘Golden Girls’ Chronic Illness Episode Means to Me

Dorothy's traumatic and frustrating journey through the medical system hits close to home for people who live with chronic illnesses, like our TV critic Valerie Ettenhofer.

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‘Watcher’ Chases Maika Monroe With Uncertainty and Dread

It seems Maika Monroe is being followed once again. Or is she?

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‘We Need to Talk About Cosby’ Reckons with the Two Bill Cosbys

This Showtime docuseries from W. Kamau Bell is an invitation to discuss a painful betrayal beyond its headlines and tweets.

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‘Fresh’ is a Shocking Trojan Horse That Commits to the Bit

It may not work as social commentary horror, but Mimi Cave's feature debut is still an over-the-top delight for anyone willing to roll with its surprisingly dark punches.

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With ‘Call Jane,’ Phyllis Nagy Delivers a By-the-Book Abortion Drama

The lackluster first feature from the 'Carol' screenwriter follows the story of an underground abortion clinic in 1960s Chicago.

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‘Speak No Evil’ Delivers a Brutal Commentary on Blanket Kindness

Most of you are going to hate this movie.

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‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ Finds Laughs and Pain After College

Cooper Raiff delivers another winner with his thematic follow-up to 2020's 'Shithouse.'

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‘Sundown’ is a Devastating and Honest Probe of Life with Grief

Tim Roth delivers a complex, superb performance in the latest from writer-director Michel Franco.

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‘When You Finish Saving the World’ Wants You Out of Your Head

Jesse Eisenberg's feature directorial debut is an exhausting bout between mother and son, sold by Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard's captivating anti-chemistry.

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‘After Yang’ is Science Fiction Deeply Rooted in the Human Adventure

Kogonada's sophomore feature is a relentlessly pristine experience, but one that is ultimately warm and throbbing with life.

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Cynthia Erivo Takes Center Stage

Her early years in Hollywood are filled with high notes, and we're ready for more.

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‘The Gilded Age’ is a Lavish, Engrossing Period Drama

The latest drama from 'Downton Abbey' creator Julian Fellowes is a sprawling, engaging look into late-1800s New York society life.

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Terry O’Quinn is an All-American Psycho in ‘The Stepfather’

In this edition of The Great Performances, we celebrate the actor's work in his first lead role.

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Critic’s Picks: The Best Films of 2021

This year's top fifteen films come from France, Japan, Denmark, Norway, the UK, and the US, and they run the gamut in tone, style, and popularity.

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The Real Stories Behind ‘The Godfather’

A number of real gangsters inspired the characters of Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece.

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What Movies Tell Us About the Expressive Power of Mozart’s Lacrimosa

We often think about what pre-existing music tells us about films, but what do films tell us about pre-existing music?

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Movie of the Year: The Matrix Resurrections

For our movie of 2021, we're going back to where it all started...

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Sujata Day Wants to Tell a Different Kind of Story About South Asian Americans

We talk to the actress-turned-filmmaker about 'Definition Please,' paying homage to Bollywood, and why she never wants to be a producer again.

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The Eerie Likeness of ‘Vertigo’ and ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’

"I've gone back to my first love: painting."

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Everyone is Miserable in the New Season of ‘Ozark’ Including Us

The Netflix crime drama’s rote, redundant new season hints at an interesting endgame, but mostly just exhausts us in the meantime.

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The Real Story Behind Netflix’s ‘Inventing Anna’

Shonda Rhimes' latest series tells the story of a young woman pretending to be a German heiress.

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From ‘Spree’ to ‘Zola’: Crafting the Canon of Social Media Cinema

Social media may have been a mistake but at least we're getting some compelling films out of it.

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The Ending of ‘Scream’ Explained

It's all Rian Johnson's fault.

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‘Scream 5’ Drowns Returning Characters in Fresh Blood

Wes Craven may be gone, but one of his horror legacies lives on.

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12 Movies to Watch After ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’

We recommend the movies that came before and influenced Joel Coen's take on the Scottish play.

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If They Can Survive the Pandemic, Movie Theaters Might Be Here to Stay

Reports of the death of movie theaters have been greatly exagerated.

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The Real Story Behind ‘Pam & Tommy’

The new miniseries tells the story behind the unauthorized release of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee's sex tape.

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13 Movies to Watch if You Like Wes Craven’s ‘Scream’

Do you like scary movies? We sure do. Here are some that remind us a whole lot of Wes Craven's meta-horror classic.

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The Sound of Silliness: Appreciating the Soundtrack to ‘Swiss Army Man’

Queue the sad rendition of "Cotton Eye Joe."

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Steve McQueen Makes ‘The Great Escape’ Towards Our Pick of the Week

Plus 14 more new releases to watch at home this week on UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD!

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Courteney Cox Gave Heart to the Heartless in ‘Scream’

Cox smartly resisted making her character, Gale Weathers, a stereotype of tabloid journalism by playing her with compassion in Wes Craven’s meta-horror classic.

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The Family Business: Breaking Down the Opening Credits of ‘Succession’

Yeah, yeah, yeah the music slaps. But what are the opening credits to 'Succession' trying to tell us about the show's main theme?

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The Real Story Behind ‘Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber’

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as the controversial ex-CEO of Uber in Showtime's upcoming series.

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Are We Sure That’s Peter Parker in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’?

We examine how Uncle Ben factors into the MCU Spider-Man and whether or not the 'No Way Home' climax presents a brand new Peter Parker.

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The 15 Best TV Characters of 2021

From an anime villain to a mafioso to a pair of billionaires with outsize personalities, these characters were the most memorable -- and most memed -- of the year.

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Season 2 of ‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Commits a Few Comedy Sins

Danny McBride’s religious farce returns for a season that underutilizes most of its funniest actors.

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Anatomy of an Interrogation Scene

High contrast lighting and over-the-shoulder shots? Must be an interrogation scene.

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The 15 Most Interesting New Filmmakers We Met in 2021

In a mystifying year, we found hope in these fifteen filmmakers. Their art has our backs.

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15 Great 2021 Movies Directed By Women

With this list, you can watch great movies and support strides towards gender equity while you do it. What could be better than that?

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An All-American Degenerate: The Times James Stewart Played the Villain

Inside you there are two Jimmy Stewarts: an all-American everyman and a sneering blackhat.

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The Real Story Behind ‘Cyrano’

A look at the man known for his big nose and even bigger guts.

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Imagining the ‘Vega Brothers’ Movie Quentin Tarantino Never Made

This fake trailer's got F-bombs in spades. By which we mean: Felons, Firearms, and Family.

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The 15 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Movies of 2021

Time-loops, clones, a King Shark, and a big green knight are just some of the things you'll find on our annual spotlight on the year's speculative fiction films.

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John Cena Brings an Irresistible Theater Kid Energy to ‘Peacemaker’

James Gunn's latest superhero foray places a deplorable human being at its center and asks us to care. The request is large but worthy.

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The 15 Best TV Shows of 2021

Hundreds of shows aired in 2021. Here, TV critic Valerie Ettenhofer picks 15 of the best ones.

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A Brief History of How Street Dance Influenced the Movie Musical

From "West Side Story' to 'In the Heights' here's a brief look at the way urban dance informs the modern movie musical.

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The 15 Best Breakout Performances of 2021

From seasoned professionals getting their long-overdue recognition to newcomers who were plucked from obscurity through pure chance, here are 15 performers who signaled a bright horizon for cinema this year.

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What Makes ‘The Exorcist III’ Jump Scare So Effective

Sometimes the scariest thing in the world is stillness. And giant metal scissors.

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All the Horror You Need to Stream in January 2022

Because what says "new year, new me" like folk horror and micro-budget genre films?

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