Lily Allen - "Beg for Me"

West End Girl is such an intimate, candid breakup album that I suspect different listeners take up residence in different tracks, spending days burrowing inside them. Grateful not to be in the same situation as Lily Allen is right now relationship-wise, I have nonetheless been drawn to "Beg for Me," whose emotional neediness is a sentiment I can relate to. You never forget what that feeling is like.

Red Sea 2025: 'Kwibuka, Remember' Review

Kwibuka, Remember tells the story of Lia (Sonia Rolland), an aging basketball star who is invited to play for her national team. However, this will require her to return to her homeland of Rwanda, where she hasn't been since she was a child. I reviewed this touching, underwhelming drama about the lingering scars of genocide for Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Ping-Pong, Movie Stars and Stand-Up Comics

This week's episode features three pretty-darn-good movies. You can hear us riff on Marty Supreme, Jay Kelly and Is This Thing On? down below.

'Ella McCay' Review

James L. Brooks has not made a film since How Do You Know. He's back with Ella McCay, which stars Emma Mackey as an idealistic young politician facing myriad personal and professional crises. My review is up at Screen International. 

How the Posters for 'No Other Choice,' 'Bugonia' and 'Sinners' Got Made

I am fascinated by movie posters. They are this special mixture of art and marketing that have to sell a film's essence in a single image. So, how do they do it? For the Los Angeles Times, I talked to the creative teams behind Bugonia, No Other Choice and Sinners to learn the behind-the-scenes secrets. It was very fun. 

(My thanks to Stephanie Jones for this great illustration.) 

'The Secret Agent' Review

For the Los Angeles Times, I reviewed one of the most acclaimed international films of the year. Here's my take on Brazil's The Secret Agent. 

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Debating 'The Chronology of Water,' Digging 'Fackham Hall'

Witney Seibold and I joined Madeleine to discuss the weekend's big movies. You can hear our thoughts on Five Nights at Freddy's 2, The Chronology of Water, The Secret Agent and Fackham Hall down below.

My Interview With Imran Hamdulay and Keenan Arrison, the Team Behind 'The Heart Is a Muscle'

For Screen International, I spoke to writer-director Imran Hamdulay and star Keenan Arrison about The Heart Is a Muscle, which is South Africa's submission for the Best International Feature Film Oscar. We talked about masculinity, fatherhood and depicting Cape Flats in a more nuanced way than it's usually seen on screen. You can check out our conversation down below or read excerpts from it here.

Nick Jonas - "Jealous"

While hardly claiming to be any sort of expert on the Jonas Brothers, I feel confident declaring this the best song any of them have ever made.

'Five Nights at Freddy's 2' Review

I'll give Five Nights at Freddy's 2 this: It's slightly better than the absolutely atrocious original. Still ... well, just read my review.

'Scarlet' Review

In a down year for animation, Scarlet has been one of the few standouts. I reviewed Mamoru Hosoda's unconventional riff on Hamlet for Screen International.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: New Films From Chloe Zhao, Rian Johnson and Kleber Mendonca Filho

This week's podcast salutes three auteurs. You can check out our reviews of Hamnet, Wake Up Dead Man and The Secret Agent down below.

'La Grazia' Review

Toni Servillo is terrific in La Grazia, Paolo Sorrentino's salute to a fictional Italian president who's actually a morally upstanding individual. (We could use a couple politicians like that right about now.) I reviewed this quite touching drama for the A.V. Club. 

'Marty Supreme' Review

Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme continues his recent exploration of unabashedly self-centered people chasing their dreams, no matter who gets hurt along the way. And once again, it works. My review is live at Screen International. 

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': What 'Siskel & Ebert' Meant to Me

I was honored to be asked to join Press Play to talk about the legacy of Siskel & Ebert on the show's 50th anniversary. You can hear my segment at the 19:22 mark.

'Eternity' Review

A romantic triangle in the afterlife? That's the premise of Eternity, an A24 romantic comedy that I wish I liked better. You can read my review here.

Turnstile - "Never Enough"

Pretty soon, Spotify will release its annual "Here's what you listened to the most this year" charts. I would not be surprised if this is my most-played song of 2025.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: The 'Wicked' Finale, 'Train Dreams,' 'Sirat'

I am just now realizing that all three movies on this week's episode have trains in them. We lamented Wicked: For Good but praised Train Dreams and Sirat. Check out our conversation down below.

'My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow' Review

I have been raving about Julia Loktev's epic documentary since I first saw it at the end of last year. I've seen it two times since. With My Undesirable Friends opening this weekend in Los Angeles, I'm very happy to say I reviewed the film for the Los Angeles Times.

'Zootopia 2' Review

Based on the family audience I saw Zootopia 2 with, I think the film will do very well over the holidays. My review is up at Screen International.