Sundance 2025: 'The Legend of Ochi' Review

The Legend of Ochi is a conscious throwback to the type of live-action fantasy film that many Gen-X kids grew up on. But does it work? My review is up at Screen International. 

Sundance 2025: 'Folktales' Review

Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady are back with their latest documentary, which looks at a folk high school in Norway that's like a gap year for students who want a more nature-centric education. That means learning to dogsled, among other things. Here's my review of Folktales. 

Monie Love - "Monie in the Middle"

Raise your hand if you never knew Simone Johnson (a.k.a. Monie Love) was British.

Sundance 2025: 'The Alabama Solution' Review

Some documentaries exist to infuriate. Such is the case with The Alabama Solution, which features footage inside an Alabama penitentiary that was shot on smuggled cellphones by the prisoners. The horrendous conditions are simply appalling. My review is up at Screen International.

Sundance 2025: 'Together' Review

This year's Sundance was pretty quiet in terms of sales. But one movie that did get picked up is Together, a body-horror starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco as a struggling couple who ... well, let's just say they're suddenly about to have some quality time together. You can read my review of this Neon pickup over at Screen International.

Sundance 2025: 'Opus' Review

In Opus, Ayo Edebiri plays a frustrated young music journalist who gets a rare opportunity when she's invited to attend an exclusive listening party for the new album from a brilliant but reclusive pop star (John Malkovich). Unfortunately, this horror-thriller is pretty underwhelming, as I explain in my Screen International review.

Sundance 2025: 'BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions' Review

Kahlil Joseph's art installation BLKNWS has been turned into a feature-length, mixed-media film. It's a dazzling experience that's almost too much to absorb in one sitting. My review is here.

'Sing Sing' Review

With the Oscar-nominated Sing Sing available for streaming on Friday, I figured I should point you in the direction of my review, which is up at Screen International.

The Film Comment Podcast: Talking 'Twinless,' 'By Design' and 'Rabbit Trap' at Sundance

It was a treat to be on The Film Comment Podcast alongside my buddy Robert Daniels and host Devika Girish here in Park City. We discussed some of the early highlights (and lowlights) of the festival. (For those interested, Robert and Devika also reviewed Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore, which I haven't seen yet.) 

Enjoy the conversation, which included observations about Dev Patel, Miranda July and David Lynch, down below.

Sundance 2025: 'Sorry, Baby' Review

Eva Victor's remarkable Sorry, Baby, in which they star, is about a twentysomething writer who goes through something terrible. (I won't say what.) How do people cope with trauma? How does it change them on a molecular level? This delicate film offers some answers. I reviewed the movie for Screen International.

Sundance 2025: 'Train Dreams' Review

Train Dreams aspires to be an old-fashioned American epic, telling the story of an everyman living in Idaho at the start of the 20th century. My review of one of Sundance's most-acclaimed films is up at Screen International.

Sundance 2025: 'The Ugly Stepsister' Review

What if the Cinderella story was told from the perspective of one of her ugly stepsister's? For Screen International, I reviewed this intriguing, ultimately disappointing fantasy film. 

Sundance 2025: 'The Perfect Neighbor' Review

Can one documentary encapsulate all that is wrong with America? Probably not, but The Perfect Neighbor comes close. I reviewed this riveting, chilling film here.

Sundance 2025: 'If I Had Legs I’d Kick You' Review

What a stunner If I Had Legs I'd Kick You is. Rose Byrne plays a woman who, for all practical purposes, is a single mom. (Her husband is always gone.) And her daughter is very sickly. Also, she may be losing her grip on reality. My review is here.

Sundance 2025: 'Jimpa' Review

Jimpa is the new film from Good Luck to You, Leo Grande director Sophie Hyde, but this one is a lot more personal. Taking inspiration from her own life, it tells the story of a filmmaker mother (Olivia Colman) with a nonbinary child (Hyde's own child Aud Mason-Hyde) and a gay father (John Lithgow. Not surprisingly, Jimpa is an emotional movie, but I also had some nitpicks. You can read my review here.

Sundance 2025: 'Sly Lives! (aka The Burden Of Black Genius)' Review

Here come the Sundance reviews. First up is Sly Lives!, the new documentary from Questlove about Sly Stone. It's more than just your typical rock doc, which I get into over at Screen International.

Doechii - "Denial Is a River"

Here's the gateway drug to get you into Doechii's Alligator Bites Never Heal.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Wolf Man,' 'Back in Action' and Previewing Sundance 2025

It's January, which means talking about bad movies and getting ready for Sundance, which will hopefully feature some great movies. Check out this week's episode down below.

Angelo Badalamenti - "Twin Peaks Theme"

What else would I have picked? Rest in peace, David Lynch (and Angelo Badalamenti).

 

'Wolf Man' Review

In 2020, Leigh Whannell made The Invisible Man, a modern update of the horror franchise with a contemporary relevance. I was mixed on that film for some of the same reasons I'm mixed on his latest. For Screen International, I reviewed Wolf Man.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Our Most-Anticipated 2025 Films and Our Oscar Nomination Predictions

A big first episode to start the new year. We spent two hours previewing the films we're excited to see in 2025, and then we offered our guesses for what's going to be nominated in the six major Oscar categories. Dive in.

My Interview With Roy Wood Jr.

It's now been a couple years since Roy Wood Jr. left The Daily Show. And on Friday, he unveils his latest stand-up special, Lonely Flowers, which is all about our dwindling ability to connect with one another. For Cracked, I talked to the comic about isolation, masculinity, fantasy football, being vulnerable on stage, and why he still hasn't watched his set from the 2023 White House Correspondents' Dinner. Hope you enjoy.

'Den of Thieves 2: Pantera' Review

I had never seen Den of Thieves, but I made sure to do so before I saw the sequel. So glad I did: It's really good. As for Pantera, well, that's what my Screen International review is for.

The Police - "Every Bomb You Make"

You're never too old to learn new things, even about one of your favorite songs. 

Last year, the Police released a "Super Deluxe Edition" of their final album, Synchronicity. Included on there was "Every Bomb You Make," an alternate version of the band's finest song, "Every Breath You Take." I assumed it was a demo of some kind -- an early snapshot of the hit it would become. I was wrong: "Every Bomb You Make" was a new version made in 1985 for the influential U.K. series Spitting Image, which is probably best known in the U.S. because Genesis worked with the show (and its caricaturish puppets) for their "Land of Confusion" video. Sting's song was reworked to be a commentary on the world powers' obsession with nuclear weapons. But before the new edition of Synchronicity, apparently the full track had never been released.

The Comedies I'm Curious to See in 2025

Celine Song making a James L. Brooks-style romantic comedy? Adam Sandler returning as Happy Gilmore? Here's my preview of 2025's most intriguing comedies for Cracked.

My Interview With Pedro Almodovar, Writer-Director of 'The Room Next Door'

I loved The Room Next Door, so I wanted to talk to Pedro Almodovar about his bittersweet drama that touches on life, death, global catastrophe and euthanasia. We talked about all that, and also John Huston's The Dead. My interview is live over at the Los Angeles Times.

(Photo by Shayan Asgharnia.)

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Previewing the 2025 Movie Year

It's a new year, which means it's time to start thinking about the films worth getting excited about in 2025. I was on Press Play alongside Shawn Edwards to discuss everything from Wicked: For Good to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning to Sentimental Value. Listen below.

The Magnetic Fields - "'70: They're Killing Children Over There"

Lately, I've been listening to 50 Song Memoir, Stephin Merritt's ambitious project in which he wrote a song related to each of the 50 years he'd been alive. (He turns 60 in February.) It was my favorite album of 2017, and plenty of songs still strike a chord. But right now, I'm really feeling "They're Killing Children Over There."

How Did 'Longlegs,' 'Anora' and 'Conclave' Become Arthouse Hits?

This was fun: For the Los Angeles Times, I spoke to the marketing teams behind three of this year's indie/arthouse success stories to find out how they did it. We keep hearing that audiences won't go see specialty films in theaters anymore. Here are three examples that contradict that received wisdom. Learn more about the campaigns behind Longlegs, Anora and Conclave here.