Movie Reviews

Arts

Killer Thriller 'Knives Out' Is Surprisingly Subversive — And Comfortingly Familiar

2:11pm November 26, 2019

by Justin Chang

Writer-director Rian Johnson's deliriously entertaining comic detective story brings together an all-star cast and an ingeniously plotted crime story whose every twist catches you by surprise.

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Arts

'A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood' Showcases The Profound Effect Of Mister Rogers

1:59pm November 22, 2019

by Justin Chang

Director Marielle Heller's new film, starring Tom Hanks, casts a spell with the lightest of touches. Drop your skepticism; this film feels like an encounter with Fred Rogers himself.

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Movie Review: 'Frozen 2' And 'A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood'

5:50pm November 21, 2019

by Bob Mondello

The simultaneous openings of Frozen 2 and the Mr. Rogers bio-pic A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood offer a chance to talk about the changing nature of children's entertainment.

An NYPD detective (Chadwick Boseman) shuts down Manhattan in pursuit of two cop killers in 21 Bridges.

Arts

New York's On Lockdown To Search For Cop-Killers In The Muddled '21 Bridges'

5:00pm November 21, 2019

by Andrew Lapin

Chadwick Boseman stars as a cop on the hunt for violent criminals in this "fitfully enjoyable if somewhat workmanlike action flick."

Tom Hanks stars as the beloved children's performer Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

Arts

'A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood': Can You Say 'Sincere' And 'Heartening?'

5:00pm November 21, 2019

by Ella Taylor

Marielle Heller's new film isn't Fred Rogers' story — it's the story of two damaged outsiders (Tom Hanks and Matthew Rhys) finding a connection that overcomes the darkness in their childhoods.

Mark Ruffalo stars as a lawyer facing off against Dupont in Todd Haynes's Dark Waters.

Arts

In 'Dark Waters,' A Conventional But Compelling Tale Of Corporate Comeuppance

5:00pm November 21, 2019

by Mark Jenkins

In "the most conventional movie of [director Todd] Haynes' career," Mark Ruffalo plays a lawyer taking on DuPont. The film distills years of litigation into an urgent story.

Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) is headed for a fall in Frozen II.

Arts

'Frozen II' Lets It Go ... Darker

11:52am November 20, 2019

by Glen Weldon

Yes, there's another earworm-ballad, but the sequel at least attempts to course-correct for the pernicious princess obsession that Disney unleashed on the world in the first place.

Sterling K. Brown plays the patriarch of a family in crisis in Waves.

Arts

A Florida Family Saga, Told In 'Waves' Of Healing And Heartache

12:13pm November 15, 2019

by Justin Chang

Life doesn't go according to plan for the family at the center of this wrenching drama. But while Waves doesn't peddle easy redemption, it does offer what feels like a state of grace.

In The Report, Adam Driver plays staffer following the CIA's paper trail of post-9/11 detention and interrogation tactics.

Arts

'The Report': A 7,000-Page Government Study, Brought To Vivid, Horrifying Life

5:00pm November 14, 2019

by Mark Jenkins

Both didactic and engrossing, director Scott Z. Burns' film about the investigation into post-9/11 CIA interrogation techniques stars Adam Driver as an idealistic Senate staffer.

Breakin' up is hard to do in Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story, starring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver.

Arts

A Couple Faces The Painful End Of The Line In 'Marriage Story'

5:00pm November 14, 2019

by Linda Holmes

Noah Baumbach draws on excellent performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson in a drama about a wrenching divorce.