Movies Graded

Director: Sidney Lumet Stars: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch Runtime: 121 minutes Synopsis:   A television network cynically exploits a deranged former anchor's ravings and revelations about the news media for its own profit. Performances: 10/10 Screenplay: 10/10 Costume/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 9/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Verdict: "The World is a Business, Mr. Beale." These words, uttered in Sidney Lumet's Oscar-winning "Network" by Ned Beaty's character during a chilling scene that will stick with me for a very long time, just prove how relevant the topic tackled in the movie is today, more than 40 years after the film's initial release. About corporate greed and media manipulation, the movie does an incredible job at showing the unbelievably inhumane measures taken by big companies in order to increase their ratings and make bigger profits. This is a shocking movie from start to finish that contains perhaps some o

Director: Juan José Campanella Stars: Ricardo Darin, Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago Runtime: 129 minutes Synopsis:   A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  10/10 Verdict: Winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards, "The Secret in Their Eyes", also known as "El Secreto de sus Ojos" in its home country of Argentina, is a masterful thriller worthy of all its recognition. Directed by Juan José Campanella, who also co-wrote the script with Eduardo Sacheri, the author of the novel it was based on, the movie follows a trio of counselors set on solving a murder case that has been haunting them for years. Led by an exceptional Ricardo Da

Director: Robert Budreau Stars: Ethan Hawke, Mark Strong, Noomi Rapace Runtime: 92 minutes Synopsis:   Based on the absurd but true 1973 bank heist and hostage crisis in Stockholm that was documented in the New Yorker as the origins of the 'Stockholm Syndrome'. Performances: 10/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Costumes/Makeup: 9/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict: Everybody's familiar with the Stockholm Syndrom, which is the name of the syndrome which sees hostages developing feelings for their captors. But not everyone knows the story behind the events that gave it its name. This movie tells that story and let me tell you, it's surprisingly as fascinating as it's hilarious and entertaining. Directed by Robert Budreau, the film focuses on a hostage crisis in Stockholm that took place in 1973 where a self-proclaimed outlaw, played by Ethan Hawke, starts developing a bond with one of his hostages, played by Noomi Ra

Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth Runtime: 181 minutes Synopsis:   After the devastating events of  Avengers: Infinity War  (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe. Verdict: The epic conclusion of a saga that spanned 11 years and 22 movies, "Endgame", and similarly to "Return of the Jedi", "Return of the King", or "The Deathly Hallows", is much more than just a movie, it's an event that will define an entire generation. And while there is certainly a lot to admire about it, I can't help but feel a little underwhelmed by the ambitious three-hour long finale. The follow-up to the incredible "Infinity War" has all the elements of a blockbuster and juggles them in a very smooth way that kept me entertained for most of its runti

Director: Michael Chaves Stars: Linda Cardellini, Raymond Cruz, Patricia Velasquez Runtime: 93 minutes Synopsis:   Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 3/10 Special Effects: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 3/10 Cinematography: 4/10 Score/Soundtrack:  3/10 Entertainment Factor: 2/10 Verdict: Inspired by a well known Mexican folktale about the ghost of a weeping woman cursed by the guilt of drowning her children, I was excited for the newest entry in The Conjuring Universe (I still don't understand the reason behind that inclusion) for two reasons: The inspiration and Linda Cardellini, who I always enjoy seeing in movies. And while the actress, most famous for her breakthrough role in the canceled-too-soon TV show "Freaks and Geeks", didn't disappoint in the lead role, e

Director: Hal Ashby Stars: Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles Runtime: 91 minutes Synopsis:   Young, rich, and obsessed with death, Harold finds himself changed forever when he meets lively septuagenarian Maude at a funeral. Performances: 10/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack:  10/10 Verdict: A classic in every sense of the word, "Harold and Maude" is perhaps one of the very few movies out there that perfectly nails the blend of comedy, drama, and romance. About a death-obsessed young boy's admiration for a much older, eccentric woman, the film benefits from having perhaps one of the best opening scenes in cinema history. A scene that serves as a marvelous introduction to Harold's complex character that also perfectly set up the narrative's comedic tone as well as its dramatic one. A tone elevated throughout the film by the exceptionally layered and hilarious performances by Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort,

Director: Claire Denis Stars: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, André Benjamin Runtime: 113 minutes Synopsis:   A father and his daughter struggle to survive in deep space where they live in isolation. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Special Effects: 9/10 Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict: Ever asked yourself what a low-budget, artistic version of "Interstellar" would look like? No? Well, "High Life" answers that question regardless. Trying to explain the film's extremely deep and complicated premise without giving away anything is a near impossible task. On the surface, it follows a group of prisoners sentenced to a dangerous space voyage to a nearby black hole. But legendary French director Claire Denis' intentions with "High Life" were of much more philosophical nature, touching on themes such as the human condition, loneliness, sexuality, and desire, all

Director: Chris Butler Stars: Hugh Jackman, Zach Galifianakis, Zoe Saldana Runtime: 94 minutes Synopsis:   Mr. Link recruits explorer Sir Lionel Frost to help find his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La. Along with adventurer Adelina Fortnight, this trio of explorers travel the world to help their new friend. Animation: 10/10 Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Editing: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Entertainment Factor: 8/10 Verdict: With films such as "Kubo and the Two Strings" and "Coraline", Laika has continuously graced our eyes with some of the best stop-motion animation movies out there. And "Missing Link" is no exception. Starring Hugh Jackman as Sir Lionel Frost, an adventurer set on finding the lost valley of Shangri-La along with Mr. Link and Adelina Fortnight, voiced respectively by Zach Galifianakis and Zoe Saldana, the movie not only contains the usual superb stop-motion design the studio has ac

Director: Max Minghella Stars: Elle Fanning, Zlatko Buric, Rebecca Hall Runtime: 92 minutes Synopsis:   Violet is a shy teenager who dreams of escaping her small town and pursuing her passion to sing. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a local singing competition that will test her integrity, talent, and ambition. Driven by a pop-fueled soundtrack, Teen Spirit is a visceral and stylish spin on the Cinderella story. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 5/10 Costumes/Makeup: 7/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 6/10 Score/Soundtrack:  8/10 Verdict: For some unexplainable reason, I was quite excited to see Max Minghella's directorial debut "Teen Spirit". And while I didn't completely fall in love with it, I still found it to be a rather satisfying sort of sad guilty pleasure. Similarly to "Flashdance", the movie follows Violet's participation in a singing competition that could offer her a career in the music industry if sh

Director: Rupert Wyatt Stars: John Goodman, Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors Runtime: 109 minutes Synopsis:   Set in a Chicago neighborhood nearly a decade after an occupation by an extra-terrestrial force, Captive State explores the lives on both sides of the conflict - the collaborators and dissidents. Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 3/10 Special Effects: 6/10 Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 4/10 Score/Soundtrack:  5/10 Entertainment Factor: 2/10 Verdict: "Why is everything so bland" and "I'm bored" were the only two notes I took while watching Rupert Wyatt's newest project "Captive State". Depicting a human rebellion taking place in a Chicago neighborhood during an alien invasion, the movie failed to capture any of the elements that made similar films such as "District 9" such crowd-pleasers. Absolutely nothing was even remotely interesting. The world built had nothing compelling to it

Director: George Sluizer Stars: Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, Gene Bervoets, Johanna ter Steege Runtime: 107 minutes Synopsis:  Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia is abducted. After three years and no sign of Saskia, Rex begins receiving letters from the abductor. Performances: 9/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Editing: 9/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: Based on Tim Krabbé's "The Golden Egg", George Sluizer's "The Vanishing" is an intense movie that checks all the boxes of a riveting thriller. Centered around Rex's desperate search for his abducted wife, the film manages to keep you on the edge of your seat for its entire runtime. I wasn't bored a single second, and kept constantly trying to pick up clues to understand what happened to Soskia at that damn gas station. However, the true star of the thriller is Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu, His take o

Director: Brady Corbet Stars: Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Raffey Cassidy Runtime: 114 minutes Synopsis:   An unusual set of circumstances brings unexpected success to a pop star. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 7/10 Costumes/Makeup: 9/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Verdict: Directed by Brady Corbet, "Vox Lux" follows pop sensation Celeste's rise to stardom, which was shaped by a traumatic event she had to endure when she was a teenager. The movie serves as a fascinating character study of the main character, extremely well captured by both Raffey Cassidy and Natalie Portman, who both play the role of Celeste at different times of her life. Jude Law as the manager and Stacy Martin as the pop star's sister, Ellie, also delivered great performances worthy of the film's standards. The songs, written by Sia, as well as the late Scott Walker's score, were both extremely effective in shaping the movie's at

Director: Gaspar Noé Stars: Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta, Cyril Roy Runtime: 161 minutes Synopsis:   A French drug dealer living in Tokyo is betrayed by his best friend and killed in a drug deal. His soul, observing the repercussions of his death, seeks resurrection. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 8/10 Editing: 10/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Verdict: This movie had been sitting on the top of my watchlist for God knows how long, and boy am I glad I finally got round to experiencing it. I say experience because "Enter the Void" is not just a movie, it's a journey. Describing its plot would almost take away from the film's extremely ambitious spiritual concept. A concept only provocateur french filmmaker Gaspar Noé could come up with and pull off like he did. Noé truly outdid himself by capturing a very fitting psychedelic atmosphere through the film's masterful cinematography and editing, making the audience li

Director: Neil Marshall Stars: David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane Runtime: 120 minutes Synopsis:   Based on the graphic novels by Mike Mignola, Hellboy, caught between the worlds of the supernatural and human, battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge. Performances: 5/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Special Effects: 3/10 Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 2/10 Cinematography: 4/10 Score/Soundtrack:  3/10 Entertainment Factor:  2/10 Verdict: "What's that? A mistake." This answer, uttered by Daniel Dae Kim's character in the closing minutes of the film, perfectly resumes what this reboot of "Hellboy" was. Directed by Neil Marshall, most famous for directing "The Descent", the third live-action adaptation of the superhero is a departure from Guillermo Del Toro's vision and completely fails to capture what made the first two such cult classics. Because this "Hellboy" was utterly soulless. It was a bad CGI-f

Director: Farhad Safinia Stars: Mel Gibson, Sean Penn, Natalie Dormer Runtime: 124 minutes Synopsis:   Professor James Murray begins work compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the mid 19th century, and receives over 10,000 entries from a patient at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, Dr. William Minor. Performances: 7/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 3/10 Cinematography: 4/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Verdict: Well, I'd rather read the dictionary than sit through this movie a second time. "The Professor and the Madman" is centered around the true story of an asylum patient's contribution to the first edition of the Oxford Dictionary. And boy was it a snooze fest. Directed by Farhad Safinia, most famous for writing my favorite movie directed by Mel Gibson, "Apocalypto", the film stars Gibson alongside Sean Penn and Natalie Dormer, who all deliver decent performances despite not

Director: Ali Abbasi Stars: Eva Melander, Eero Milonoff, Jorgen Thorsson Runtime: 110 minutes Synopsis:   A customs officer who can smell fear develops an unusual attraction to a strange traveler while aiding a police investigation which will call into question her entire existence. Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 9/10 Costumes/Makeup: 10/10 Editing: 8/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  7/10 Verdict: From the writer of "Let the Right One In" (one the best Horror/Fantasy/Romance hybrids of all times) comes another equally grasping film that also centers around an unlikely relationship. Directed by Ali Abbasi, "Border" stars Eva Melander as Tina, a customs officer with a heightened sense of smell who develops a weird connection with Vore, played by Eero Milonoff. The two leads deliver two very fittingly different performances that perfectly captures their onscreen personalities. Performances only rendered even more impressive when y

Director: Brie Larson Stars: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Joan Cusack Runtime: 92 minutes Synopsis:   A woman named Kit receives a mysterious invitation that would fulfill her childhood dreams. Performances: 4/10 Screenplay: 2/10 Costumes/Makeup: 6/10 Editing: 6/10 Cinematography: 5/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Verdict: Oh boy. There has been no doubt in my mind that Brie Larson was a more than talented actress since I watched her in her breakthrough role in "Short Term 12" back in 2013. The confirmation came 2 years later with her Oscar-winning performance in Lenny Abrahamson's "Room". "Unicorn Store", her latest project which also serves as her directorial debut, is unfortunately one to forget. About Kit's search for happiness in a world dominated by responsibilities and a boring, repetitive lifestyle, the film, despite being incredibly colorful, felt ironically pale. I'm truly struggling to point out elements

Director: Kevin Kolsch, Dennis Widmyer Stars: Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow Runtime: 101 minutes Synopsis:   Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home. Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 4/10 Costumes/Makeup: 8/10 Editing: 4/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  6/10 Verdict: Based on a Stephen King novel of the same name and the remake of its 1989 adaptation, "Pet Sematary" revolves around a family who moved into a new house only to discover a mysterious burial ground hidden near it. Having not seen the original movie nor read the novel, I went into this remake completely blind about its plot. And came out of the theater disappointed by the way its pretty cool concept was wasted. Because "Pet Sematary" is divided into a classic 3 act narrative in which only the last

Director: Dean DeBlois Stars: Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, F. Murray Abraham Runtime: 104 minutes Synopsis:   When Hiccup discovers Toothless isn't the only Night Fury, he must seek "The Hidden World", a secret Dragon Utopia before a hired tyrant named Grimmel finds it first. Animation: 9/10 Performances: 8/10 Screenplay: 6/10 Editing: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  9/10 Entertainment Factor: 7/10  Verdict: A solid end to one of the best trilogies in the animation world, "The Hidden World" may not benefit from the best story in the franchise, but is sure elevated by some of the most visually gorgeous animated work I have seen in the past couple of years. Once again centered around the relationship between Hiccup and his dragon Toothless, this third entry adds a few new characters to the ever growing world and sees the protagonists running against the clock to find the legendary Hidden World before Grimmel, a dragon hunter that is up to no

Director: Robert Zemeckis Stars: Steve Carell, Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger Runtime: 116 minutes Synopsis:   A victim of a brutal attack finds a unique and beautiful therapeutic outlet to help him through his recovery process. Performances: 6/10 Screenplay: 3/10 Special Effects: 9/10 Costumes/Makeup: 5/10 Editing: 7/10 Cinematography: 7/10 Score/Soundtrack:  4/10 Verdict: It's no secret that Robert Zemeckis' career has been filled with both great movies ("Forrest Gump", "Flight", "Cast Away") and not-so-great ones ("Allied", "Beowulf"). I'd put his latest project about the true story of a man suffering from PTSD and dealing with it in a very unconventional way in the second category, despite not finding it be as disastrous as its Rotten Tomato score make it out to be (currently standing at 33%, making it Zemeckis' worst reviewed film). The movie is kind of divided into two storylines: one takin