Speaks in Movie Lines: Movie Reviews

Welcome to the Movie Reviews page! Here, the movies I see each year are listed by star-rating. Click on linked titles to the reviews/essays themselves.

I work with a Five Star system for rating movies. Hard for me. In trying to be objective, I consider issuing stars for the following aspects of a movie experience:

1. The Experience (How enjoyable is the film? Does it engage, delight, etc.?)
2. The Quality (How well do the style and storytelling work together?)
3. The Importance (How strong is the personal connection? How strong is the impact on our culture?)
4. The Perspective (How well does it take filmmaking chances? Is there a strong vision?)
5. The Performances (How good is the casting, performances, charisma and chemistry?)

Click HERE to scroll through all reviews, newest to oldest.

★★★★★ {All-Timer}

Marriage Story
The Irishman
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Avengers: Endgame

★★★★1/2 {Perfection}

Ford v Ferrari
Knives Out
Hustlers
Ad Astra
Uncut Gems

★★★★ {Solid}

Blinded by the Light
Midsommar
Good Boys
The Beach Bum
Captain Marvel

★★★1/2 {Better Than Most}

Late Night
Us
Long Shot
Booksmart
IT: Chapter 2
Spider-Man: Far From Home

★★★ {Just Your Average Movie}

Rocketman
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
The Highwaymen

★★1/2 {Uneven}

Joker
Aladdin

★★ {Not Worth the Time}

★1/2 {Truly Bad}

The King

★ or 1/2★ {Played on My Phone the Whole Time or Left the Theater}

All the movies in this type are those I saw but didn't review fully. Thoughts on these movies can most likely be found in my Letterboxd Diary.

★★★★★ {All-Timer}

BlacKkKlansman
The Favourite
Searching
Mission: Impossible - Fallout

★★★★1/2 {Perfection}

Annihilation
Tully
You Were Never Really Here
Won't You Be My Neighbor?

★★★★ {Solid}

Hereditary
Deadpool 2
Ready Player One
Incredibles 2
Red Sparrow
First Reformed
Eighth Grade
Blindspotting

★★★1/2 {Better Than Most}

Black Panther
Isle of Dogs
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Set It Up
A Futile and Stupid Gesture
Blockers

★★★ {Just Your Average Movie}

Game Night
The Last Movie Star
Outlaw King
Three Identical Strangers
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
First Man
Ant-Man and the Wasp

★★1/2 {Uneven}

Ocean's 8

★★ {Not Worth the Time}

Super Troopers 2
Beautiful Boy
Vice
The Death of Stalin

★1/2 {Truly Bad}

★ {Played on My Phone the Whole Time or Left the Theater}

All the movies in this type are those I saw but didn't review in any way due to my head being up my ass. Thoughts on these movies can most likely be found on my Instagram or Letterboxd Diary.

★★★★★ {All-Timer}

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
Lady Bird
The Florida Project
mother!
The Lost City of Z
A Ghost Story

★★★★1/2 {Perfection}

Stronger
Ingrid Goes West
Good Time
The Meyerowitz Stories: New and Selected
Wind River
Logan

★★★★ {Solid}

Molly's Game
The Shape of Water
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Landline
Wonder Woman
Alien: Covenant
Get Out
Blade Runner 2049
It
Dunkirk
The Beguiled
Baby Driver

★★★1/2 {Better Than Most}

The Disaster Artist
Free Fire
Atomic Blonde
The Big Sick

★★★ {Just Your Average Movie}

Gifted
The Lovers
Spielberg
Beauty and the Beast*

Fist Fight*

★★1/2 {Uneven}

Colossal
Girl's Trip
John Wick: Chapter 2

★★ {Not Worth the Time}

Logan Lucky
The House

★1/2 {Truly Bad}

The Founder

★ {Played on My Phone the Whole Time or Left the Theater}

Baywatch

All the movies in this type are those I saw but didn't review in any way due to my head being up my ass. Thoughts on these movies can most likely be found on my Instagram or Letterboxd Diary.