Ben Cahlamer
Film Review: “The Son”
Akira Kurosawa once said, “in a mad world, only the mad are sane.” Florian Zeller explores a fine line between the madness and desperation of those who are left in the wake of a tragic family event and those of
‘M3GAN’ Movie Review
In cinematic terms, January is usually a wasteland for new releases, often “dumped” by studios that know they won’t perform well, or future Oscar contenders spilled over from their December LA/NYC playdates. New-to-the-year releases are a risky venture, yet the
Top Ten of 2022: A Unity in Cinema
Top Ten films of 2022 . . . that’s a tough chore. Once again, I’m coming in right under the wire. As I write this, my list of Top Films of 2022, we’re seven hours, 30 minutes from ringing in
‘Spoiler Alert’ Review: Romance Story is Long on Romance, Short on Fundamentals
I confess that, as a film critic, I go into movies cold these days. Trailers tend to give too much away. Social media is ablaze with factoids about new projects; I don’t want to know what a movie will say
‘Emancipation’ Film Review: Will Smith Starrer Struggles To Find Identity
As students, we’re taught about the Emancipation Proclamation that Lincoln signed in the 1800s. What we’re not taught is the effort it took those who were enslaved to free themselves. To this day, we’re still not introduced to the bold
‘She Said’ Review: Lack of Dramatic Urgency Hampers Greatest Social Change in This Generation
Throughout history, investigative journalism has been at the center of the biggest stories to bring down those men thought to be untouchable. In the case of Maria Schrader’s She Said are Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey, and Rebecca Corbett’s investigative expose
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Review: Sequel Honors Boseman, Fails to Reach Epic Quality
It’s easy, perhaps flippant, to dismiss a product that gives people joy. No matter this critic’s feelings about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or comic book-based fantasy films in general, Ryan Coogler’s task of mounting the sequel, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,”
‘Armageddon Time’: Film Review
Coming-of-age stories are, collectively, a dime-a-dozen. We’ve seen them in the afternoon specials, cinema, and stage. As an audience, we have a fixation with exploring themes of the past and their influences on us as children through, often, rose-colored glasses.
‘Black Adam’: Movie Review
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Forgive me for eliciting Corinthians as an opening to