Split - Review

   Very few directors, or filmmakers in general, have as strong of a start as M. Night Shyamalan. And yet few have had such a downfall like the young director had following the promising beginning. After a few missteps (The Last Airbender and After Earth in particular) and some truly disastrous films, the filmmaker corrected course with 2015’s The Visit and has truly made a return to greatness with Split.

Lion - Review

   One of the final potential Best Picture candidates on my list to see, Lion was near the bottom in terms of anticipation. While the trailers and promotional material never really grabbed my attention, the buzz had and I can happily say I’m glad it did. On the surface, Lion doesn’t seem like anything too unique, but the level of storytelling here, from the filmmakers and actors, is immensely worthwhile in the end.

Hidden Figures - Review

   Films have a history of telling stories that may have gone overlooked throughout history, but this one feels even more horribly unknown than most. The story of Hidden Figures is undoubtedly worthy of being told and particularly in this uplifting and hopeful way. To see a lesser known, but vastly important, component of sending a man into orbit is wonderful and vital to appreciating these women for their roles in American history.

The Countdown - The 25 Best Films of 2016

   

   Now that my worst films of 2016 list it out there, it's certainly time to look on the brighter side of 2016 films. While big budget blockbusters were vastly disappointing for the year for the most part, the smaller, indie films thrived, producing some fantastic and truly special films. From awards season heavy hitters to the smallest of horror and drama you could imagine, these are the best films of 2016.

Underworld: Blood Wars - Review

   Well it’s everyone’s favorite time of the year, the annual film dumping ground known as January. 2017 did not wait very long to give audiences it’s first bad film, and it’s pretty bad. It isn’t completely shocking that Underworld: Blood Wars is low in quality as nothing from the franchise was going to indicate a quick turnaround, but just how bad is the 5th entry?

Fences - Review

   Adaptations are tricky. Whether it’s a novel, a short story, a comic book or otherwise, films have be crafted just right to not only be good but to be considered a faithful adaptation at all. Fences is the rare adaptation of an August Wilson stage play of the same name, a medium that brings along pre-established dialogue and staging for the filmmakers to adapt. Throw in the actors that just earned Tony awards for their work in said play and you’re bound to get something quality.