Interstellar: Feeling Machine
Interstellar’s brilliant technical filmmaking hinges on a story thwarted by melodrama. Its head is full of ideas, but its heart is empty.
Science Fiction
Jurassic World Dominion Trailer: How Jurassic Park Evolved Into This
Jurassic World Dominion is supposed to be the climax of decades of franchise build-up. Here are my thoughts on the trailer and how this series got here.
Zack Snyder vs Superman: Why Intent Became Conflict in Man of Steel
A response to Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel as well as to the debates about it, including both its problematic execution and its honest desire for greatness.
Superman: Mythic Origins
Superman creates a well-meaning mythology that predicts the most profitable film genre. Its many imitations are only partial, however. The original still soars.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Force Illusion
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is as sloppy for its artists as embarrassing for its fans. It is brand mismanagement in visual form.
Ad Astra: Space Melodrama
Ad Astra attempts to be a space opera and family melodrama. Failing both makes even its best intentions seem misplaced from other films.
Alien: The Love of Sex Monsters
The horror in Alien is as disquietingly personal as any sci-fi epic ever made. This is the genre’s ultimate masterclass in turning style into story.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Reluctant Romance
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one romance that counts as all of them. Reluctance becomes the ultimate fantasy.