Nate Adams

'Eternity' review: A heartfelt afterlife romance with charm to spare Courtesy of A24Movies about the afterlife or the great beyond are a dime a dozen. We’ve seen plenty of filmmakers speculate on what happens to our minds, bodies, and souls once our ticket gets punched...

There’s a magical, almost Pixar-like warmth running through ETERNITY, dressed up in the cozy clothes of an indie rom-com. It pops thanks to stellar turns from Miles Teller, Elisabeth Olsen, and Callum Turner.

'Wicked: For Good' review: Part two is heartfelt, and heavy, but also missing a little magic Courtesy of Universal Recently, I saw an article noting that, only a year removed from “Wicked,” the first half of Jon M. Chu’s blockbuster adaptation of the beloved musical, Universal was scaling bac...

WICKED: FOR GOOD Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande deliver spectacular work, nailing nearly every emotional beat, but the film around them is mostly fine, because, as anyone who knows the show can attest, Act II has always been the weak link, and the movie can’t quite overcome it.

'The Running Man' review: Edgar Wright loses his footing in clunky sci-fi remake Courtesy of Paramount PicturesI’m not mad; I’m just disappointed.Those were my thoughts leaving Edgar Wright’s dizzying sci-fi actioner “The Running Man,” a remake of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger fi...

As someone who loves the book and Edgar Wright, THE RUNNING MAN was my most anticipated of the year, and it ends up being a soul-crushing disappointment.😔

Now You See Me: Now You Don't review: This franchise still has some new tricks Courtesy of LionsgateWhen watching a movie like “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” the third entry in one of this century’s more eyebrow-raising franchises, I like to approach it with the same mindset I...

NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T is an unabashedly ridiculous sequel in a franchise no one asked for, and yet, damn it, I can’t help but enjoy the sheer, brazen stupidity of it all.

In theaters Friday.

'Christy' review: Sydney Sweeney swings hard but can’t save this flat biopic Courtesy of Black Bear Few actresses in Hollywood have been catapulted to stardom quite as fast as Sydney Sweeney. Between the surprise success of the rom com “Anyone But You,” the glossy nunsploitati...

I appreciate what Sydney Sweeney is swinging for in her transformation as real-life boxer Christy Martin, but she can’t quite carry a film that doesn’t know how to fight for its own hero. A blundering misfire.

In theaters Friday.

'Bugonia' review: Yorgos Lanthimos’ deranged dissection of paranoia, power, and the human experiment Courtesy of Focus Features Emma Stone could very well be an alien in Yorgos Lanthimos’ absurdist new dark comedy “Bugonia,” a remake of Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 cult classic “Save the Green Planet!” Or a...

BUGONIA continues Yorgos Lanthimos’ streak of bold, bizarre odysseys, anchored by commanding performances from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. It’s fascinating, but not for the faint of heart.

'Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere' review: The Boss deserves better Courtesy of 20th Century Studios The subgenre of “legendary musician biopics” is alive and well with writer-director Scott Cooper’s “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” an unconventional if oddly a...

It’s shocking how lethargic SPRINGSTEEN: DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE feels given its subject is one of America’s most vital and prolific musical storytellers. Deeply disappointing.

'A House of Dynamite' review: Kathryn Bigelow lights the fuse on nuclear terror Courtesy of Netflix Our nation’s worst fears erupt in propulsive, nerve-shredding fashion in Kathryn Bigelow’s relentless thriller “A House of Dynamite.” Cut from the same cloth as Sidney Lumet’s “Fai...

Kathryn Bigelow’s A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE is easily the most terrifying film you’ll see all year, a harrowing, pulse-pounding, and disturbingly plausible vision of how a nuclear war might actually unfold. It feels less like a movie and more like a waking nightmare.

On Netflix tomorrow.

'Blue Moon' review: Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater chase the ghost of Lorenz Hart Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics Anyone with even a passing knowledge of musical theater will recognize the name Richard Rodgers — one half of the legendary duo Rodgers & Hammerstein — but fewer are...

BLUE MOON will be catnip for hardcore musical theater aficionados and Ethan Hawke disappears into the role of Lorenz Hart, but sometimes the film gets caught in its own chamber piece limitations.

'The Black Phone 2' review: Don't answer the call Courtesy of Universal/BlumhouseAll sequels are unnecessary if you really think about it. But a good one can deepen its characters, expand the universe, and—on rare occasions—surpass the original. Unfo...

You can go ahead and let this one keep ringing.

'After the Hunt' review: An all star cast gets lost in a movie that has missed the moment Courtesy of Amazon/MGMDesperate to be topical and provocative, but landing squarely in the realm of the flat and flavorless, Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt” plays like a movie about seven years too...

takes a special kind of skill to have an insane cast headlined by Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri and feel this airless. AFTER THE HUNT whiffs.

'Good Fortune' review: Keanu Reeves steals the show in Aziz Ansari’s endearing comedy Courtesy of LionsgatePreaching a good, if slightly toothless, message about how the world works against the working class and gig economy workers while also doubling as a satire of the ultra-rich, “Go...

Enjoyed GOOD FORTUNE well enough if only because Keanu Reeves’ repeated use of the word “nuggies” almost sent me into cardiac arrest from laughing so hard.

In theaters Friday.

'Tron: Ares' review: Disney brings digital dazzle to hollow story Courtesy of DisneyLet’s be honest: “Tron: Ares” exists less because audiences demanded it and more because Disney wanted to remind everyone they just opened a new roller coaster at its theme park. But...

Disney doesn’t make cool movies anymore, but TRON: ARES comes close. Despite its surface-level take on the rise of AI, it’s a visually engrossing experience anchored by a sleek Nine Inch Nails score.

'Kiss of the Spider Woman' review: Lopez spins gold in lavish but slight musical adaptation Courtesy of Roadside Attractions There’s a sequence midway through director Bill Condon’s adaptation of John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Terrence McNally’s “Kiss of the Spider Woman” that’s one of the most ...

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is weighed down by a director who never quite finds the film’s identity, but my goodness, Jennifer Lopez absolutely brings the house down. It’s just a shame the world around her isn’t nearly as captivating.

'The Smashing Machine' review: Dwayne Johnson swings for prestige, but the movie taps out Courtesy of A24Within the first fifteen minutes of Benny Safdie’s sports drama “The Smashing Machine,” I was ready to declare Dwayne Johnson’s turn as UFC fighter Mark Kerr the best performance of his...

Dwayne Johnson deserves credit for stepping outside his comfort zone, but THE SMASHING MACHINE isn’t the serious acting showcase he clearly hoped it would be.

'Good Boy' review: Canine led horror movie is more devastating than you'd think Courtesy of Shudder/IFCSpoiler alert: the dog DOES NOT die at the end of “Good Boy,” a lean and eerie 73-minute horror flick told entirely from the perspective of an adorable pooch. It’s a clever gimm...

NO the dog doesn’t die in GOOD BOY, but this endearing horror movie told entirely from the perspective of an adorable canine still packs a pretty massive emotional punch.

In theaters this weekend.

'The Strangers: Chapter Two' review: Lousy slasher sequel goes absolutely nowhere Courtesy of Lionsgate2008’s “The Strangers” and its sequel “Prey by Night” thrived on a simple, chilling concept: anyone could choose to attack you, for no reason, at random. The killers’ only explana...

If you thought THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 was rough, wait until you suffer through CHAPTER 2, a lifeless, meandering sequel that limps along without tension, purpose, or even the faintest pulse of excitement for the so-called CHAPTER 3 finale.

'The Long Walk' review: Stephen King's bleak allegory marches into today's divided world Courtesy of Lionsgate Stuck in development hell since Stephen King first published the book in 1979 (with Frank Darabont once attached to adapt it), “The Long Walk” has finally made it to the big scre...

As a big fan of the book, I struggled with some of the film’s bolder departures, but THE LONG WALK still emerges as a searing, timely allegory for our fractured times and its impact sharpened by raw, riveting performances from an outstanding young cast.

'Swiped' review: Bumble and Tinder's origin story loses its bite on screen Courtesy of 20th Century Studios/HuluDesperately trying to be “The Social Network” but for the rise of Tinder and Bumble, “Swiped” offers a surface-level story that shows little interest in actually e...

SWIPED gives dating apps the elusive origin story to middling results.

Streams on Hulu this Friday.

'The Conjuring: Last Rites' review: A bloated curtain call for horror's biggest franchise Courtesy of Warner Bros. 2013’s “The Conjuring” was a terrifying and refreshing detour from the previous decade’s reliance on “Amityville” and endless “Exorcism” retreads. An old-fashioned haunted hou...

2013’s THE CONJURING was, at the time, the antithesis to the cliche riddled possession and exorcism movies from the decade prior. Now, with THE LAST RITES, the franchise has come full circle and become the thing it once set out to combat.

'Twinless' review: Dylan O'Brien doubles down in a messy but mesmerizing two-hander Courtesy of Roadside Attractions Shedding his “Maze Runner” heartthrob persona for something far thornier, Dylan O’Brien sinks his teeth into James Sweeney’s offbeat dramedy “Twinless” with a performa...

TWINLESS is strange and a little messy, but Dylan O’Brien delivers a fearless dual performance in James Sweeney’s offbeat dramedy about grief, loneliness, and the messy ways we reach for connection.

'Caught Stealing' review: Austin Butler takes a beating in Aronofsky's scrappy crime caper Courtesy of Sony In Darren Aronofsky’s "Caught Stealing”, perhaps the “Black Swan” and “mother!” filmmaker’s most commercial outing, Austin Butler spends nearly two hours getting the absolute hell bea...

Pretty wild that the director of REQUIEM FOR A DREAM and BLACK SWAN has now made a late-’90s style, mainstream NYC crime caper. Rough around the edges, sure, but CAUGHT STEALING swings hard.

'The Toxic Avenger' review: A cult classic gets a star-studded but sloppy reboot Courtesy of Cineverse Hailing from the ultra-low-budget Troma studio—the same outfit that gave “Superman” director James Gunn his start—the 2025 update of the schlocky splatterfest “The Toxic Avenger”...

Wanted to like the 2025 reboot of TOXIC AVENGER more than I did, but its corny B-movie carnage clashes with limp jokes and clunky attempts at emotional depth. The practical effects and the cast are good tho.

Now playing in theaters.

'The Thursday Murder Club' review: British whodunit delivers one boring mystery Courtesy of Netflix As I sat and watched “The Thursday Murder Club,” directed by family-film stalwart Chris Columbus and starring such heavyweights as Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley, and C...

THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB? More like The Thursday Snooze club 😴

On Netflix tomorrow:

'Fixed' review: R-rated animated canine comedy chases its own tail Courtesy of Netflix A one-note joke gets played ad nauseam in Genndy Tartakovsky’s R-rated animated comedy “Fixed.” Tartakovsky, best known for shepherding the “Hotel Transylvania” franchise, presents...

FIXED takes a fun premise, dog realizes he’s going to be neutered the next day and decides to have one last night of freedom, and runs it into the ground.

On Netflix tomorrow.

'Freakier Friday' review: Lohan and Curtis reunite for a legacy sequel that has plenty of charm Courtesy of Disney In what might be the biggest surprise of the summer, “Freakier Friday” is actually really great. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The 2003 original, arriving at the peak of Linds...

FREAKIER FRIDAY kinda rocks. It has a little more nuance and endearment compared to the usual legacy slop that comes from Disney. Lohan and Curtis are having a wonderful time. And I did too. Shocked!

'Weapons' review: Zach Cregger delivers a horror mystery for the ages Courtesy of Warner Bros./New Line Between Jordan Peele and now Zach Cregger, the sketch-comedian-to-horror-auteur pipeline is officially thriving. Two years after blindsiding audiences with the insane...

Zach Cregger’s WEAPONS is pure ~insanity~ and in a summer filled with reboots and lazy sequels, it stands out as a boldly original movie that’s utterly captivating while still being terrifying and also kinda hilarious? An absolute powerhouse.

'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' review: Not quite fantastic, but not quite a disaster either Courtesy of Marvel Studios It’s a low bar to clear, but you won’t be shocked to hear this: Matt Shakman’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is the best on-screen iteration Marvel’s first family has ev...

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS isn’t spectacular, but its retro charm and stand-alone vibe make it feel like a blast from a better Marvel cinematic past.

'Eddington' review: Ari Aster turns the pandemic into a savage Western satire Courtesy of A24Since the pandemic uprooted our lives in 2020, there’s been no shortage of art trying to reckon with it. Some, like the resourceful 56-minute horror thriller “Host,” cleverly embraced t...

Enjoyed Ari Aster’s Western-styled plunge into the political and ideological chaos of the 2020 pandemic with EDDINGTON. It’s sharp, brutal, and completely unafraid to enrage people. Mileage will definitely vary deeply.

'I Know What You Did Last Summer' review: Stick a hook in it Courtesy of Sony It’s 1997 all over again! Or so the characters keep proclaiming throughout Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s trope-heavy legacy sequel “I Know What You Did Last Summer.” Much like how 1995’s...

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER is already a strong contender for the dumbest movie of 2025. Who could’ve guessed that a legacy sequel to a movie that wasn’t even that good in the first place would somehow be worse?!