Junction: Movie Review

There have been so many opioid epidemic movies and shows over the past year or two, so it kind of seems like an odd choice for actor Bryan Greenberg to make his screenwriting and directorial debut with. It’s impossible for Junction to stand-out against the bigger-budget productions, the grittier productions, the documentary productions, so it just tucks itself into the middle with a nicely polished, lower budget, fictionalized story that could be (mostly) true.		2024 Directed by: Bryan Greenberg Screenplay by: Bryan Greenberg Starring: Griffin Dunne, Ashley Madikwe, Bryan Greenberg and Sophia Bush

Weak Layers: Movie Review

A very enjoyable movie about skiing, friends, lovers, and life in a ski town.

Weak Layers might seem like a simple movie on the surface – a skiing comedy where three female friends try to win a competition – but it successfully incorporates around 4 different simple ideas to tell a movie slightly different than expected to allow the audience to just be entertained by the skiing, the comedy, the romance. It’s got it all and remains a very simple, easy to like, fun to watch little movie.		2023 Directed by: Katie Burrell Screenplay by: Katie Burrell, Andrew Ladd Starring: Katie Burrell, Jadyn Wong, Chelsea Conwright, Evan Jonigkeit

American Fiction: Movie Review

American Fiction asks the question “What is Black art?” Is it a novel or a film made by a Black person or does it have to be about an experience unique to their culture in such a way that White people can praise it to absolve their guilt? It asks this question by telling a tale that is both truthful in an everyday every American kind of way and a part that is pure fiction that offers entertaining reflection.		2023 Directed by: Cord Jefferson Screenplay by: Cord Jefferson Starring: Jeffrey Wright, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, and Sterling K. Brown

Mean Girls: Movie Review

The same Mean Girls, now with songs.

The trailer says, “This is not your mother’s Mean Girls.” Except that it is. They added songs and changed a few lines, but otherwise it’s pretty much exactly the same Mean Girls. The updating for today’s audience is limited to wardrobe changes and new makeup styles, and the gossip around school is now done via tik tok videos and group texts.		2024 Directed by: Samantha Jayne, Arturo Perez Jr. Screenplay by: Tina Fey Starring: Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Christopher Briney and Bebe Wood

Anyone But You: Movie Review

It’s a beautiful movie to look at, but has lots of nagging distractions.

Anyone But You feels like it’s recreating the sensual romantic comedies that were once popular but for modern audiences. The film focuses on the gorgeous stars, the beautiful setting, the attractive stars, the delightful ensemble and did I mention how hot the leads are? This is very much a look at the very beautiful, very rich people on vacation type of movie.		2023 Directed by: Will Gluck Screenplay by: Ilana Wolpert, Will Gluck Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell

The Iron Claw: Movie Review

A surprisingly compelling story about tragedy.

I will never understand wrestling. Like any good university student in the 2000s, I had a group of friends into WWE Raw and I tried to like it but just couldn’t. I do, however, like biopics and “based on a true story.” The Iron Claw is a dramatic look at an American tragedy way more than it even resembles a wrestling movie. I had never heard of the Von Erichs before watching this movie and I’m sure my viewing experience was completely different than someone who grew up idolizing them.		2023 Directed by: Sean Durkin Screenplay by: Sean Durkin Starring: Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, Stanley Simons and Jeremy Allen White