Denton Record-Chronicle - Rotten Tomatoes

Denton Record-Chronicle

Denton Record-Chronicle is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Boo Allen, Chase Whale, Preston Barta, Todd Jorgenson
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
4.5/5
Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)

Preston Barta

'Cha Cha Real Smooth' offers no basic steps in its warm-hearted stomp-a-thon. It certainly makes you laugh, but it also makes you feel more open to your better impulses.
Posted Jan 28, 2022
2
4/5
After Yang (2022)

Preston Barta

You feel every ounce of passion, love, and hurt - and who you become on the other side makes for a beautiful, meditative journey.
Posted Jan 22, 2022
3
5/5
Fresh (2022)

Preston Barta

It's totally insane, and I ate up every second of it. I almost want to bite my lip here not to reveal any more - just see it, and trust me on this.
Posted Jan 21, 2022
4
3/5
Scream (2022)

Preston Barta

Despite not being the sharpest knife in the series drawer, the fifth installment offers enough blood-soaked thrills to keep it from dropping dead.
Posted Jan 14, 2022
5
See For Me (2022)

Preston Barta

A solid midnighter that subverts expectations with its cat-and-mouse high jinks.
Posted Jan 7, 2022
6
4.5/5
Licorice Pizza (2021)

Preston Barta

A loopy, sweetly meandering coming-of-age story.
Posted Dec 24, 2021
7
4/5
The Lost Daughter (2021)

Preston Barta

Prepare for it to work its subtle magic, wow you with its tender performances, and hurt and heal you with its moving, discomforting truths about mothers and daughters and the women struggling to be both.
Posted Dec 23, 2021
8
4.5/5
Don't Look Up (2021)

Preston Barta

'Don't Look Up' very clearly has a lot on its mind. Ideas shoot out of it like a firehose, but there's a poetic, melancholic nature to all its insanity. One of the year's very best works!
Posted Dec 23, 2021
9
3.5/5
Nightmare Alley (2021)

Preston Barta

[Del Toro's latest] plays you like a fiddle, looks gorgeous and is deliciously messed up.
Posted Dec 18, 2021
10
3/5
The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)

Preston Barta

A simple but moderately effective adaptation, aesthetically and thematically existing somewhere between The 400 Blows and The Raven. However, one wishes it were a bit more inventive like the Coens' O Brother, Where Art Thou? was of Homer's The Odyssey.
Posted Dec 18, 2021
11
3.5/5
Red Rocket (2021)

Preston Barta

This isn't a feel-good movie. It's a feel movie.
Posted Dec 18, 2021
12
4/5
The Novice (2021)

Preston Barta

It's truly a perfect assembly of storytelling components rowing in unison. Isabella Fuhrman [gives a] commanding and impressive performance.
Posted Dec 17, 2021
13
4.5/5
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Preston Barta

There have been many creative spills with this franchise, but this latest entry manages to mop it up. You'll laugh until it hurts, become a sobbing mess and feel your heart grow for so many reasons. It's everything you could want this trilogy closer to be
Posted Dec 16, 2021
14
5/5
King Richard (2021)

Preston Barta

Speak softly and carry a big racket. 'King Richard' is the year's best, most moving film.
Posted Nov 25, 2021
15
3.5.5
tick, tick...Boom! (2021)

Preston Barta

'tick, tick...BOOM!' is a dramatic firework that explodes with creativity, heart and soul. Andrew Garfield sings his heart out in one of the year's top performances.
Posted Nov 25, 2021
16
3.5/5
Encanto (2021)

Preston Barta

The powerhouse musical numbers, gorgeous animation work and encouraging messages about family all shape this into a must-see family event.
Posted Nov 25, 2021
17
4.5/5
The Souvenir: Part II (2021)

Preston Barta

Hogg paints a beautiful deconstruction of a reconstruction. Not only does she effortlessly expand upon her original film with imaginative aplomb, but she also weaves in a thoughtful language that makes 'Part II' work as a standalone essay.
Posted Nov 12, 2021
18
2.5/5
Belfast (2021)

Preston Barta

Kenneth Branagh's love letter to home is artificially packaged. In addition to not having a fluid visual identity, 'Belfast' comes across as a messy collection of scenes that lack the emotional momentum to make it sing.
Posted Nov 12, 2021
19
2.5/5
The Power of the Dog (2021)

Preston Barta

It has seeds of ideas about the secrets we carry, repressed emotions, masculinity and clinging to the past. Still, nobody seems to water them to blossom into a work with any lingering effects. All bark with little bite.
Posted Nov 8, 2021
20
5/5
Spencer (2021)

Preston Barta

A two-hour tightening of a piano wire. It's motorized by feeling and observation, like a Richard Linklater character study filtered through a Terrence Malick lens. It's an experience, plain and simple, and a difficult one to shake.
Posted Nov 4, 2021
21
3.5/5
Finch (2021)

Preston Barta

It's a thrilling, relatable and genuinely sweet tale that encapsulates thoughts about our purpose and the little things that keep our heart machine going. There's nothing here that's not wonderfully realized and lovingly presented.
Posted Nov 3, 2021
22
Mass (2021)

Preston Barta

'Mass' is a remarkable study of grief and acceptance that's both timely and important. It showcases four of the best performances of the year, and it challenges your own thoughts and feelings.
Posted Oct 29, 2021
23
4.5/5
Dune (2021)

Preston Barta

Villeneuve's artistry is so infectious that he could adapt a phone book and make it an award winner. 'Dune' is an experience you won't soon forget!
Posted Oct 22, 2021
24
3.5/5
Lamb (2021)

Preston Barta

There's no silencing this one. Let it send your mind running into the darkest corners.
Posted Oct 13, 2021
25
4/5
Titane (2021)

Preston Barta

'Titane' isn't quite as organic and straightforward as 'Raw.' It's so heavy on symbolism that you'll have to detach yourself from casual viewing. But I haven't stopped thinking about it. So, that's saying something.
Posted Oct 13, 2021
26
4/5
Blue Bayou (2021)

Preston Barta

'Blue Bayou' is easily one of the year's most moving and timely works. The performances and Justin Chon's artistry pull you to an emotional depth that deserves serious awards consideration.
Posted Sep 18, 2021
27
3.5/5
Copshop (2021)

Preston Barta

Carnahan's saucy wordplay and perfectly cast ensemble add up to a thrill-a-minute blast that rains as much lead as killer-good laughs.
Posted Sep 18, 2021
28
3/5
John and the Hole (2021)

Preston Barta

Often [resembling] the unsettling feelings of Gus Van Sant's 'Elephant' and Michael Haneke's 'Funny Games,' 'John and the Hole' uncovers a contemplative, symbolic and rewarding work.
Posted Aug 6, 2021
29
4/5
Pig (2021)

Preston Barta

An unexpectedly restrained, delicate and tender anti-revenge tale about holding onto what you love and the underbelly of culinary arts. Some 'Pig.'
Posted Aug 6, 2021
30
3/5
The Suicide Squad (2021)

Preston Barta

'The Suicide Squad' chokes a little on its own supply, but enough joy can be found to mark it a winner.
Posted Aug 6, 2021
31
3.5/5
Jungle Cruise (2021)

Preston Barta

It's so jam-packed with good feelings, fantastic puns, and popcorn-flavored action that you'll likely make it an annual viewing tradition.
Posted Jul 30, 2021
32
4.5/5
The Green Knight (2021)

Preston Barta

'The Green Knight' is overflowing with curious, well-inked text located between the lines. Some will recognize the film's beauty quickly, while others may dismiss it as weird nonsense or acknowledge it later.
Posted Jul 30, 2021
33
3/5
Old (2021)

Preston Barta

With its thoughtful family dynamics, technical brilliance and consistently intriguing (and ridiculous) narrative, 'Old' is a new nightmare to hold your attention.
Posted Jul 23, 2021
34
3/5
The Forever Purge (2021)

Preston Barta

Certain aspects are rinsed and repeated here. However, the familiarity of its terror [in terms of the real world] and strong characters earns 'The Forever Purge' its stripes.
Posted Jul 1, 2021
35
3/5
F9 (2021)

Preston Barta

Blow a raspberry when this movie actually tries with its drama and drool when cars break all the laws of physics. 'F9' is a two-and-a-half-hour smile just waiting for you to see it.
Posted Jun 25, 2021
36
3.5/5
Luca (2021)

Preston Barta

Despite its [familiarity], 'Luca' is a deliciously adorable tale with lovable characters, dazzling visuals and colors, and a tender message about growing up that hits you square in the heart.
Posted Jun 17, 2021
37
3/5
12 Mighty Orphans (2021)

Preston Barta

It succeeds primarily as a story of a chapter in history - one that shows how a coach and a team arrived at a conclusion and acted on it, helping change the game and its community forever. Sometimes, you can't help but get romantic about it all.
Posted Jun 10, 2021
38
4/5
In the Heights (2021)

Preston Barta

With its stunning vision, catchy tunes, and mesmerizing choreography, and compelling narrative, 'In the Heights' is magic on every level.
Posted Jun 10, 2021
39
4/5
A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

Preston Barta

'Part II' roars with heart and intensity. It's one of the better sequels out there, and there's more room for the film series to grow (if in the right hands).
Posted May 28, 2021
40
4/5
Cruella (2021)

Preston Barta

Its daringness to be character-driven and different (in a Tim Burton/Batman kind of way) isn't so black and white. It's killer fun!
Posted May 27, 2021
41
3.5/5
Wrath of Man (2021)

Preston Barta

Ritchie directs a tightly-wound thriller with a palpable menace that has much more on its mind than attention-grabbing criminal activity and shoot-out action. It's a worthy welcome back to the theater during the summer movie season.
Posted May 7, 2021
42
2.5/5
In The Earth (2021)

Preston Barta

Some aspects are tasty in the moment, but the aftertaste is nothing too special.
Posted Apr 17, 2021
43
4/5
Monday (2021)

Preston Barta

'Monday' is a beautifully rendered film, with an imaginative narrative structure, stunning cinematography, and two leading performances from Stan and Gough that sting with naturalism.
Posted Apr 16, 2021
44
4.5/5
Moffie (2019)

Preston Barta

'Moffie' is the first truly great film of 2021.
Posted Apr 9, 2021
45
3/5
Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Preston Barta

While it may be just as dumb, nonsensical, and overstuffed as everything that has come before, Adam Wingard's clash of the titans is a big bowl of popcorn fun and easily the best entry in this new MonsterVerse.
Posted Apr 1, 2021
46
4/5
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)

Preston Barta

'Raya and the Last Dragon' borrows from Disney's vast universe, applies it well.
Posted Mar 5, 2021
47
4/5
Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

Preston Barta

King's film transcends beyond its familiar narrative beats to offer an electric depiction of history with powerful performances and stinging contemporary relevance.
Posted Feb 13, 2021
48
3/5
Palmer (2021)

Preston Barta

There's nothing wrong with a little predictability and a comfortable presentation when it's a sweet and moving movie like 'Palmer.'
Posted Jan 29, 2021
49
4.5/5
Nomadland (2021)

Preston Barta

Zhao's patient and tender drama is as comparable as it gets to embarking on a long, meditative bike ride. It teaches us to embrace the world's natural state, with all its ups and downs.
Posted Jan 29, 2021
50
3/5
The Little Things (2021)

Preston Barta

Points for an original ending. If only the rest of the film was up to snuff.
Posted Jan 29, 2021