Chicago Reader
Tomatometer-approved publication
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
4/4
City Hall (2020)
2
The Planters (2020)
Alexandra Kotcheff and Hannah Leder wrote, directed, starred in, and even did most of the crew work for this intriguing dark comedy, which is better than it has any business being.
Posted Oct 27, 2020
3
Meet Joe Black (1998)
A savory, extralong feature whose obvious plotlines unfold with an almost painful slowness that somehow makes them deeper.
Posted Oct 26, 2020
4
3/4
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
The film is not meant to be a documentary, though, and naturally takes creative license, keeping the essence of the real life events...
Posted Oct 23, 2020
5
1.5/4
Books of Blood (2020)
Books of Blood doesn't pass the horror test...
Posted Oct 23, 2020
6
Von Heinz's subtle direction employs realistic widescreen compositions that envelop both Luisa's world and her inner conflict.
Posted Oct 16, 2020
7
Days (2020)
8
Finding Yingying (2020)
...a doleful elegy for Yingying and the person she could have become.
Posted Oct 16, 2020
9
Rife with magical realist elements, the film is a visual and auditory treasure trove...
Posted Oct 16, 2020
10
Notturno (2020)
The cinematography is sublime, but the beautiful imagery doesn't mask the terror of Rosi's subject matter.
Posted Oct 16, 2020
11
Rasoulof's style infuses the subject matter with a sense of poetry and moral reckoning that invokes age-old Persian literary traditions.
Posted Oct 16, 2020
12
Undine (2020)
13
The Woman Who Ran (2020)
South Korean writer-director Hong Sang-soo makes deceptively simple films that become more complicated upon consideration, and no less is the case with his 24th feature.
Posted Oct 16, 2020
14
4/4
The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020)
The 40-Year-Old Version deftly offers a fresh and exciting perspective on a tired film trope.
Posted Oct 9, 2020
15
2/4
The Devil All the Time (2020)
16
1/4
Troll 2 (1990)
Troll 2 is bad. Very, very bad. The script is stupid, the acting is wooden, the special effects are laughable, the vintage-80s synthesizer score is cheesy.
Posted Sep 28, 2020
17
Ema (2019)
...likely to be among my favorites of the year.
Posted Sep 25, 2020
18
Juanita (2019)
I''m thankful that I took a chance on it. With plenty to discover, I'm already eager to continue exploring worlds to which I wouldn't otherwise be privy.
Posted Sep 25, 2020
19
The Unforeseen (2008)
One can see the hand of coproducer Terrence Malick in this gorgeous, lyrical documentary about ecological destruction in Austin, Texas.
Posted Sep 22, 2020
20
1.5/4
Tenet (2020)
The auteur doesn't show much growth in his most recent self-indulgent work.
Posted Sep 18, 2020
21
3/4
The Burnt Orange Heresy (2020)
Giuseppe Capotondi's latest looks at the dark inauthenticity of the art world.
Posted Sep 18, 2020
22
Political documentaries are a dime a dozen, yet I was moved by how stridently this one's subjects are fighting for people's right to vote.
Posted Sep 17, 2020
23
The Pale Door (2020)
The Pale Door is a raucous ride through a different type of wild west.
Posted Sep 16, 2020
24
Vinyl Nation (2020)
During our America's current discord, Vinyl Nation is a friendly reminder of this community.
Posted Sep 14, 2020
25
Brassed Off (1997)
26
The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)
27
Made in Bangladesh (2020)
While similar, this story feels more urgent as it considers the livelihoods of women in especially precarious positions.
Posted Aug 31, 2020
28
Gilda (1946)
Hayworth, whether she's performing "Put the Blame on Mame" (dubbed by Anita Ellis) or just being her glamorous self, was never more magnificent.
Posted Aug 25, 2020
29
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Apart from some fine slimy creeps in the Medusa episode, it's bland and toothy, with a narrative that gets bogged down in short-term action.
Posted Aug 17, 2020
30
31
With an easy, lingering tempo and stunning frames shot through with light, this South Korean drama leaves the viewer with a sense of contemplative midsummer lassitude.
Posted Aug 13, 2020
32
Stand and Deliver (1988)
An unexpected triumph.
Posted Aug 12, 2020
33
City Slickers (1991)
A diverting if bumpy ride...
Posted Aug 11, 2020
34
The Devil's Advocate (1997)
At half its present length it might make an OK midnight camp item.
Posted Aug 10, 2020
35
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
36
The Gauntlet (1977)
37
3/4
A Most Beautiful Thing (2020)
This is a film that every child in the city of Chicago needs to watch because we are all in the same boat.
Posted Jul 31, 2020
38
3/4
Holy Trinity (2019)
Holy Trinity may not give everything it wants to cover the same amount of attention, but it leaves its audience with plenty to think about...
Posted Jul 27, 2020
39
The Long Goodbye (1973)
The film is so inventive in its situations and humor that its shortcomings - the blunt ideas at its core - don't become apparent before several viewings.
Posted Jul 17, 2020
40
Hard Eight (1996)
This first feature by writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson is impressive for its lean and unblemished storytelling, but even more so for its performances.
Posted Jul 17, 2020
41
Archive (2020)
Asking what happens if a machine replicates free will so well that it begins to form its own desires contrary to that of its creator, Archive is a unique take on love and loss
Posted Jul 13, 2020
42
The Beach House (2020)
Jeffrey A. Brown's The Beach House is a daring debut that proves you don't need a big budget to make a captivating cosmic horror film.
Posted Jul 13, 2020
43
Desperados (2020)
Any funny film should also be relatable and have true stakes-this Netflix release failed to do either...
Posted Jul 13, 2020
44
The Old Guard (2020)
45
Palm Springs (2020)
[Palm Springs] seamlessly blends romance, comedy, science fiction, and heart-wrenching emotional drama.
Posted Jul 13, 2020
46
47
This delightful, intimate documentary offers a glimpse into Walter's remarkable career as well as a nostalgic journey for the millions in Latinx families who love him.
Posted Jul 7, 2020
48
Porno (2020)
Porno is a funny and frightening time-machine trip worth taking.
Posted Jul 6, 2020
49
The King of Staten Island (2020)
50
Absolute Power (1997)