Saturday, September 05, 2026

Venice 2026: 'Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger' Review


Don't Look Back in Anger
 isn't a straightforward concert film. Instead, it combines live footage with a meditation on the beloved 1990s band's legacy. Would I have preferred that Oasis just play the hits? My review is up at Screen International

Telluride 2026: 'The Idiot(s)' Review


Anna and Fyodor Dostoevsky's marriage sure seemed complicated. In The Idiot(s), the couple are on their honeymoon and flat broke. Maybe if Fyodor works on his next book, called The Idiot, perhaps their fortunes will change? This is not a conventional biopic, and my review is here

Friday, September 04, 2026

Venice 2026: 'My Undesirable Friends: Part II — Exile' Review


I think I made it pretty clear how much I loved My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow. Now comes its superb sequel. For Screen International, I reviewed Part II — Exile.

RJD2 & Supastition - "Back Talk"

Old-school hip-hop, complete with a glorious amount of scratching and hard beats. Hell yeah. Happy Labor Day.

Thursday, September 03, 2026

Venice 2026: 'Too Much Sugar' Review


Robert Greene makes nonfiction films in which he collaborates with his subjects on the final product, which often has a therapeutic element to it. Too Much Sugar is his latest documentary, and one of his strongest. My review is live over at Screen International

Venice 2026: 'Bucking Fastard' Review


Werner Herzog tells the story of two unusually close sisters in Bucking Fastard, which stars real-life sisters Rooney and Kate Mara. The movie doesn't always make narrative sense, but its emotional logic is unimpeachable. My review is up at Screen International

Wednesday, September 02, 2026

Venice 2026: 'Ink' Review


The 83rd installment of the Venice Film Festival kicked off with Danny Boyle's Ink, which looks at the rise of The Sun, the notorious English tabloid. Jack O'Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy are all in fine form. My review is here

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Previewing Venice, Telluride and Toronto 2026


Greetings from Venice. The screenings started today, so for a fun bonus episode of the podcast, I picked five films I'm most curious to see at the fall festivals. Then, we look at the big movies coming out later in 2026. Folks, it's officially awards season. You can listen to our conversation down below.

Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Let's Rank Ridley Scott's Movies


For the fine folks at Rolling Stone, I helped contribute write-ups for the site's ranking of every Ridley Scott film. As always, I have to remind you that I had no say in the overall rankings, so don't yell at me. But if you'd like to hear my thoughts on LegendNapoleon and other films, go here

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Coyote vs. Acme,' 'The Dog Stars' and 'Tony'


After a week off, we're back. You can hear us talk about Looney Tunes, Will Forte, the Roadrunner, Ridley Scott, Jacob Elordi, Anthony Bourdain, Dominic Sessa, Matt Johnson and the WNBA down below.

Friday, August 28, 2026

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Wile E. Coyote, Ridley Scott, 'Idiots' and 'Buddy'


I was on KCRW this week, alongside Shawn Edwards, to discuss this weekend's big releases. That includes Coyote vs. Acme and The Dog Stars, but also the indies Idiots and Buddy (pictured above). You can hear our thoughts down below.

Tool - "Sober"

Between this video and The Nightmare Before Christmas, the mid-1990s were a great time for stop-motion animation.

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

'The Dog Stars' Review


I get the sense that a lot of my colleagues are down on Ridley Scott's latest. I have mixed feelings about The Dog Stars, but I ultimately found it pretty moving. I get into why over at Screen International