Chicago Reader
Tomatometer-approved publication
Rating
Title/Year
Author
1
1.5/4
Tenet (2020)
The auteur doesn't show much growth in his most recent self-indulgent work.
Posted Sep 18, 2020
2
3/4
The Burnt Orange Heresy (2020)
Giuseppe Capotondi's latest looks at the dark inauthenticity of the art world.
Posted Sep 18, 2020
3
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
4
The Pale Door (2020)
The Pale Door is a raucous ride through a different type of wild west.
Posted Sep 16, 2020
5
Vinyl Nation (2020)
During our America's current discord, Vinyl Nation is a friendly reminder of this community.
Posted Sep 14, 2020
6
Brassed Off (1997)
7
The Truth About Cats & Dogs (1996)
8
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
9
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
10
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
11
12
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
13
Stand and Deliver (1988)
An unexpected triumph.
Posted Aug 12, 2020
14
City Slickers (1991)
A diverting if bumpy ride...
Posted Aug 11, 2020
15
The Devil's Advocate (1997)
At half its present length it might make an OK midnight camp item.
Posted Aug 10, 2020
16
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
17
The Gauntlet (1977)
18
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
19
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
20
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
21
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
22
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
23
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
24
Desperados (2020)
Any funny film should also be relatable and have true stakes-this Netflix release failed to do either...
Posted Jul 13, 2020
25
The Old Guard (2020)
26
Palm Springs (2020)
[Palm Springs] seamlessly blends romance, comedy, science fiction, and heart-wrenching emotional drama.
Posted Jul 13, 2020
27
28
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
29
Porno (2020)
Porno is a funny and frightening time-machine trip worth taking.
Posted Jul 6, 2020
30
The King of Staten Island (2020)
31
Absolute Power (1997)
Clint Eastwood as producer-director-star strikes out in a rather slack thriller that oddly recalls a couple of Hitchcock's lesser movies, To Catch a Thief and Topaz.
Posted Jun 25, 2020
32
Michael (1924)
...it holds its own not just through its stunning technical prowess, but also in its surprising cultural longevity.
Posted Jun 23, 2020
33
Mädchen in Uniform is more than deserving of its radical cinematic legacy.
Posted Jun 23, 2020
34
Victor Victoria (1982)
Victor and Victoria is charming as a musical comedy, but it is also a remarkably poignant commentary on the performance
Posted Jun 23, 2020
35
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Solid, agreeable entertainment, this basically consists of plentiful gags and lighthearted satire spiked with Dante's compulsive taste for movie references...
Posted Jun 22, 2020
36
2.5/4
Babyteeth (2020)
37
The Education of Shelby Knox (2005)
38
Becky (2020)
39
Hollywood Chinese (2008)
There's more celebration than insight as the story moves closer to the present, but it's still a worthy look at a seriously neglected part of Hollywood.
Posted Jun 8, 2020
40
Handsworth Songs (2011)
The mosaic-like structure... successfully conveys the unorganized resistance of minority groups against the overwhelming bigotry of the time.
Posted Jun 5, 2020
41
1BR (2020)
1BR's unique timeline paired with its palpable tension makes for a memorable addition to the horror-movies-about-cults catalog.
Posted Jun 4, 2020
42
Chutney Popcorn (1999)
The film runs out of comic situations after the first hour and resorts to too many senseless montages
Posted May 29, 2020
43
Kaboom (2011)
Funny, scary, and exuberant, Kaboom delivers the goods as both a generational marker and a tale of things to, uh, come.
Posted May 29, 2020
44
Circus of Books (2020)
45
An exceptional oral history of the love that dared not speak its name-and how it finally spoke.
Posted May 28, 2020
46
Edge of Seventeen (1999)
The actors mainly come across as movie types rather than characters, and despite the obvious sincerity of the project, deja vu seems written into the conception.
Posted May 28, 2020
47
The Celluloid Closet (1996)
Lively and absorbing.
Posted May 28, 2020
48
Straight Up (2020)
A relevant and resonant rom-com.
Posted May 27, 2020
49
Frenzy (1972)
50
Pahokee (2020)