This psychological thriller marks a return to form for M. Night Shyamalan, featuring a tour de force performance from James McAvoy as a kidnapper suffering from multiple personality disorder. The big twist is, there is no big twist: It’s just a suspenseful, well-acted film. My RogerEbert.com review. Read the review...
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Reviews
10 — Er, 11 — Worst Films of 2016
This was a really terrible year in a lot of ways and for a lot of reasons, but it especially sucked when it came to movies. The good ones were very, very good — look no further than my 2016 top-10 list for examples — but the bad ones were...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Why Him?
Bryan Cranston and James Franco are stuck in one-note roles as an uptight father and his wild, would-be son-in-law, respectively, in this raunchy, R-rated comedy. Meanwhile, the young woman at the center of their squabble, a Stanford University senior played by Zoey Deutch, doesn’t seem to have much agency in...
Read more10 Best Films of 2016
I realize I haven’t written nearly enough reviews this year and I have a million excuses for that: being busy with Nic’s school, his skating, my skating, What the Flick?!, various radio shows, trying to read actual books. But I promise you I see everything, and I keep a running...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Two Lovers and a Bear
“Two Lovers and a Bear” does indeed contain two lovers and a bear — and the bear can talk. The story of tortured people (Tatiana Maslany and Dane DeHaan) in a fiery romance in the icy Canadian Arctic is beautiful and strange, and it heads in directions you won’t expect....
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Moana
The latest musical extravaganza from Walt Disney Animation Studios follows the adventures of a young woman who finds her own voice and forges her own identity as she becomes the first female leader of her people. It’s a complete blast with a great message. But for all its thrills, laughs...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — The Edge of Seventeen
“The Edge of Seventeen” is a strong successor to John Hughes’ legacy with its mix of biting humor and bittersweet heart. But writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig also dares to go to places that are darker and truer in her feature filmmaking debut. Hailee Steinfeld is just radiant as a high...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — The Girl on the Train
The book wasn’t great. It was solid trash — a juicy page turner. The movie version isn’t even that. It’s a surprisingly flat and suspense-free tale of pretty people in peril. Emily Blunt gives it her all, though, as the title character: a damaged woman on a misguided quest for...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
It’s essentially “Groundhog Day” meets “X-Men.” But really, Tim Burton’s latest fantasy adventure is much more complicated than that, with a dense mythology and overly explanatory dialogue that may leave you wondering what you’d just seen. The costumes are gorgeous, though. My RogerEbert.com review. Read the review here...
Read moreRogerEbert.com — Storks
“Storks” is shockingly good — way better than it looks. It’s got a zippy, zany streak filled with absurdist asides reminiscent of “Looney Tunes” cartoons. But it also sneaks up on you with genuine emotion by the end. Just don’t look for real-world logic here — and enjoy those awkward...
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