Sully

I quite enjoyed the chronology employed in the retelling of this story, but overall the film felt somewhat inconsequential. It was a nice story, but something held this film back from any sort of emotional response from me.

7.25/10

13th

This documentary begins as an inspection of a particular clause in the thirteenth amendment that has far-reaching effects on our nation, but quickly blossoms into an examination of the minority experience in the US, as well as the epidemic of mass incarceration. This was one of the more depressing films I've seen as of late. It's hard watching so many humans be so real-life horrible to one another.

9.25/10

Krisha

KRISHA is one of those films that lives or dies solely on the strength of the lead role. And this film thrives because the breathtaking performance given by Krisha Fairchild that at times becomes a bit hard to stomach given the weight and nature of the narrative.

8.75/10

OJ: Made in America

This sprawling, exhaustive documentary clocks in at just under 8 hours, and covers one of the more surreal lives the public has been captivated by. The film supplements OJ's story with a great tangential examination of race issues in LA during the time. As someone who grew up during the time but wasn't familiar with many of the details of the case, it was transfixing.

9.5/10

Mad Max: Fury Road (Black and Chrome Edition)

Taking away the color from a film that used it to create such gorgeous set pieces only serves to highlight how tremendous every other aspect of this film truly is.

10/10

Sky High

This was a really fun film! The visual effects are quite dated (and probably not up to snuff in 2005), and the comedy and plot are very basic, but you can tell this film was made with a lot of love. The talent involved in the film is pretty incredible, as well, with big names popping up in a handful of cameo roles all throughout the film.

7/10

Passengers

Potentially troubling plot aside, I found this film to be fairly enjoyable. The somewhat overwrought melodrama was counterbalanced with a really interesting environment that was a lot of fun to slowly discover.

7/10

La La Land

A beautiful film that doesn't quite live up to the director's previous work for me, but features some great music and dance sequences. Act two drags a bit, but the final act is phenomenal and well-worth the price of admission.

9/10

Assassin's Creed

I knew nothing about the lore or games going in. The plot felt inconsequential and silly. But the largest crime this film commits is the cinematography. The colors are washed-out and dull, which is a shame, as there are some really interesting shots here that could look much better. Similarly, the camera-work for the many action scenes feels as if the director was begrudgingly showing the briefest bits of a set piece before cutting to a different part of the action. There is some cool stuff on display here, slow down and let your audience savor it! This felt like it should have been a better film, had a few crucial decisions been made differently.

5.5/10

Pacific Rim

Gorgeously shot gigantic monsters battle gargantuan robots with a healthy amount of world-building and a plethora of fun, charismatic characters. What's not to love?

8.25/10