By The Last Showgirl (2024) is not really a story so much as an arrangement of melancholy poses. Pamela Anderson walks through casinos, wanders around the Las Vegas Strip, and stares into the distance while director Gia Coppola waits for sadness to materialize around her. Occasionally, it does. More often, the
Review: The Last House (2026) Climate Anxiety Turned Prepper Fantasy
The first half of The Last House (2026) brought back memories of the COVID lockdown for me. I was hunkered down in an apartment in Buenos Aires with my wife and three toy poodles. The only time I went outside for two months was to go to the pharmacy, and the typically
Faith, Control, and the Illusion of Choice in Heretic (2024)
This essay contains major spoilers. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ Heretic (2024) begins as a theological debate before gradually revealing that no honest debate was ever possible. Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant) appears eager to discuss religion with two young Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East). He has
Review: Bugonia (2025), A Disappointing Misadventure From Lanthimos
This review contains major spoilers. You’ve been warned! If you’d like to see the film for yourself, you can stream it at this link. Yorgos Lanthimos and conspiracy culture should have been a natural fit. Lanthimos built much of his career around closed systems, irrational rules, and characters who accept
Review: Friendship (2024), When Cringe Comedy Turns Sinister
Tim Robinson is at his funniest when a character realizes that he has violated an unwritten social rule and responds by making the situation infinitely worse. A normal person might apologize, quietly withdraw, or accept that the moment has become awkward. Robinson’s characters refuse. They argue, repeat themselves, raise their
