DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)
In 1990, Kevin Costner's epic western was widely hailed as major progress in Hollywood's representation of indigenous people. But what will The Unenthusiastic Critic make of it 30 years later?
IT'S A "STRANGE CASE" OF JEKYLL IN HYDE PARK ON A CHALLENGING LOVECRAFT COUNTRY
Questions of identity, duality, and transformation abound in a disturbing and surprisingly complicated episode of Lovecraft Country.
LOVECRAFT COUNTRY GETS LOST DOWN A GIANT PLOT HOLE IN "A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE"
With its weakest hour yet, Lovecraft Country turns in a story that is at turns dull, derivative, and disturbing (but not in a good way).
THE STRANGERS (2008)
There's no place like home, as The Unenthusiastic Critic's 2020 Halloween Movie Marathon concludes with Bryan Bertino's harrowing home-invasion thriller.
HEREDITARY (2018)
What's scarier than family? So we're talking about Ari Aster's breakthrough horror movie this week, as The Unenthusiastic Critic's Halloween movie marathon continues.
OTHER RECENT POSTS
THE UNENTHUSIASTIC CRITIC
BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)
Where we're going, we don't need roads. It's The Unenthusiastic Critic, now in podcast form! Listen to our pilot episode, as Nakea and I sit down for her first viewing of Back to the Future.
January 4, 2018
MOVIE LISTS & ROUNDUPS
THE BEST FILMS OF 2017
In a very good year for cinema, I'm naming my top-five films in six categories: Drama, Comedy, Action, Horror, Animation, and Documentary.
December 31, 2017
DOCTOR WHO
DOCTOR WHO: THE 20 BEST STORIES OF THE MOFFAT ERA
In the second part of my retrospective on Steven Moffat's era of Doctor Who, I discuss the Moffats with the Mostest: my all-time favorite stories from Seasons Five through Ten.
December 27, 2017
DOCTOR WHO
DOCTOR WHO: THE 20 WORST EPISODES OF THE MOFFAT ERA
In the first (and grumpier) of two retrospectives on Steven Moffat's Doctor Who, I run down my 20 least favorite stories from Seasons Five through Ten.
December 22, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
A GRAY STATE (2017)
Erik Nelson's new documentary is a near perfect distillation of homegrown American crazy, and a timely look at a dark undercurrent of American culture.
October 31, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
WHOSE STREETS? (2017)
Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis' infuriating and empowering new documentary about Ferguson is essential viewing for every American.
August 27, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
LOGAN LUCKY (2017)
Steven Soderbergh is back—but have we really missed him?
August 26, 2017
GAME OF THRONES
GAME OF THRONES 7×06: "BEYOND THE WALL"
"Beyond the Wall" might just be the dumbest episode of Game of Thrones ever, but there's good stuff here if we look beyond the contrivances.
August 23, 2017
GAME OF THRONES
GAME OF THRONES 7×05: "EASTWATCH"
"Eastwatch" is something of a table-setting episode, but it also looks at how fathers live in their children, for better or worse.
August 20, 2017
BLOG
THE MIRROR OF CHARLOTTESVILLE
Some thoughts—from a white liberal, for white liberals—on Charlottesville, privilege, and the need to shift our fundamental understanding of our country.
August 20, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
ANNABELLE: CREATION (2017)
Like the rest of its dishonorable and disposable ilk, Annabelle: Creation is just a fairly efficient machine for generating meaningless jump-scares.
August 13, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
KIDNAP (2017)
Luis Prieto's KIDNAP, starring Halle Berry, is a cheap and ugly grindhouse film for the soccer-mom set.
August 12, 2017
GAME OF THRONES
GAME OF THRONES 7×04: "THE SPOILS OF WAR"
The stunningly good "The Spoils of War" packs a lot of emotional subtext into a short and action-packed episode.
August 9, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
STEP (2017)
Amanda Lipitz's documentary is a rare and inspiring celebration of the love, beauty, and optimism of disadvantaged black communities.
August 7, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
THE DARK TOWER (2017)
Nikolaj Arcel's quick and pointless adaptation of Stephen King's sprawling epic is a tepid, paint-by-numbers picture.
August 6, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
DETROIT (2017)
Simplistic, reductive, and perversely exculpatory, Kathryn Bigelow's DETROIT is well-executed torture-porn that irresponsibly exploits the destruction of black bodies.
August 4, 2017
GAME OF THRONES
GAME OF THRONES 7×03: "THE QUEEN'S JUSTICE"
In "The Queen's Justice," ice and fire finally come together, and everyone needs to let go of the things they think they know.
August 4, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
STRANGE WEATHER (2016)
Holly Hunter is always good, but Katherine Dieckmann's road-trip movie drives her down some frustratingly contrived roads.
August 1, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
THE EMOJI MOVIE (2017)
I do not seem to have the appropriate catalog of symbols on my app to adequately express my feelings about The Emoji Movie.
July 30, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
ATOMIC BLONDE (2017)
Charlize Theron can do no wrong, but Atomic Blonde needed to either be a whole lot smarter, or a whole lot stupider, to be any fun at all.
July 29, 2017
MOVIE LISTS & ROUNDUPS
THE BAD BATCH, THE LITTLE HOURS, A GHOST STORY, LADY MACBETH
In my attempt to see and review every new movie this summer, I've fallen a little behind. Here are shamefully quick takes on films that didn't get full reviews, including The Bad Batch, The Little Hours, A Ghost Story, and Lady Macbeth.
July 29, 2017
GAME OF THRONES
GAME OF THRONES 7×02: "STORMBORN"
With new allegiances being forged, "Stormborn" tests the strengths—and limitations—of different kinds of loyalty.
July 26, 2017
FILM REVIEWS
GIRLS TRIP (2017)
Funny, fearless, and full of genuine feeling, Girls Trip is the best American comedy of the summer.
July 26, 2017