By Cinematic universes don’t always require the presence of capes, superpowers, or characters with multi-film story arcs. Some can utilize the oeuvre, tropes, and genre created by a filmmaking team. The Coen Brothers have made 18 films since 1984 and, in the process, have created their own genre and their own cinematic universe. Overlooked
The Black Phone (2022)
The Black Phone (2022) Never talk to strangers. Denver, 1978: Young teenager Finney Blake (Mason Thames) is snatched by The Grabber (Ethan Hawke), a serial killer who has been preying on the local kids for a while now, leaving behind nothing but Missing Person notices and the odd black balloon.
The Heist Drama BREAKING Isn’t BAD, Just Only Intermittently Compelling
Now playing in the Triangle at multiplexes and maybe an indie theater or two: BREAKING (Dir. Abi Damaris Corbin, 2022) In this moody one-man heist melodrama, John Boyega, best known for being given little to do in the recent spate of STAR WARS sequels, is put in the familiar position
Film Review – Breaking
Bank heists have long been a familiar premise in movies. However, in Breaking (2022) this set up takes a secondary role to more pressing matters. Directed by Abi Damaris Corbin (who also cowrites with Kwame Kwei-Armah), this examines the true-life tale of Brian Brown-Easley, a Marine war veteran who attempted to…
Film Review – Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday (2022) works better for what it stands for as opposed to the story it tells. Filipinos have long been entwined in all facets of American culture, including the arts. Yet when it comes to representation, they have mostly been ignored. Like many actors of…
