Simon Abrams
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‘Confess, Fletch’ Film Review: Jon Hamm and a Talented Ensemble Nail This Mystery’s Breezy Vibe
Hamm takes over for Chevy Chase with a more modern take on Gregory McDonald’s wisecracking investigative journalist and sleuth
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‘Sisu’ Film Review: Wild Action and Weak Dramatics Make for a Thrilling But Frustrating Crowd-Pleaser
Toronto Film Festival 2022: Packed houses will enjoy the genre thrills in this violent war picture from the director of “Rare Exports,” but watching at home alone will spotlight its flaws
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‘Barbarian’ Film Review: Stunning Horror Debut Stays One Step Ahead of the Audience
Writer-director Zach Cregger (“The Whitest Kids U’Know”) brilliantly baits and switches over the course of an exquisitely crafted scary story
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‘Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul’ Film Review: Regina Hall Elevates Satirical Evangelical Mockumentary
The targets of writer-director Adamma Ebo’s comedy aren’t always clear, but Hall’s performance consistently hits the bullseye
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‘Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero’ Film Review: New Anime Chapter Fits in Fan Service Among General Thrills
Viewers who’ve been along for the “Dragon Ball” ride will get the most from this new saga, but there are still delights for the uninitiated
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‘Vengeance’ Film Review: B.J. Novak’s Capable Directorial Debut Suffers From B.J. Novak’s Script
Starring as a Brooklyn podcaster investigating a Texas murder, Novak wants to challenge both-sides narratives while also indulging in one
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‘The Gray Man’ Film Review: Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans Coast on Charm Through Patchy Action Movie
The Russo Brothers bobble the choreography of violence in the film’s endless set pieces while failing to make their characters interesting
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‘Don’t Make Me Go’ Film Review: John Cho Labors to Enliven Listless Tear-Jerker
The story of a terminally ill father’s road trip with his daughter leads to a climax that writes a check this script can’t cash
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‘The Deer King’ Film Review: Post-Ghibli Anime Delivers Better Setups Than Payoffs
The filmmakers tackle an ambitious man-and-nature saga but get lost in the specifics of plot, character and even design
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‘Sniper: The White Raven’ Film Review: Ukrainian Character Study Devolves Into Generic Revenge Thriller
Director Marian Bushan introduces us to a complicated figure but can’t handle the shift into standard (but well-shot) action movie tropes
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‘The Black Phone’ Film Review: Stephen King–Flavored Retro Horror Delivers Solid Chills
Scott Derrickson’s adaptation of a Joe Hill story leaves a lot on the table, character-wise, but it’s an effectively nostalgic scary tale
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‘Lynch/Oz’ Film Review: ‘Blue Velvet’ Meets the Yellow Brick Road in Fascinating Documentary
Tribeca Film Festival 2022: John Waters, Karyn Kusama and other experts connect “The Wizard of Oz” to the weird, wonderful oeuvre of David Lynch
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‘Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko’ Film Review: Low-Key Coming-of-Age Anime Gets the Details Right
The tale of a young girl learning to love herself (and her seaside town) might not seem fresh, but the character specifics pop in this beautiful feature
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‘I Love America’ Film Review: Sophie Marceau Tackles L.A. Dating in Glib, Shiny Rom-Com
If you hate-watched “And Just Like That…,” you might find similar shallow pleasures here
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‘Saturday Fiction’ Film Review: Gong Li Period Piece Falls Short as Spy Thriller and Backstage Drama
Director Lou Ye blends murky black-and-white and a soundtrack of background noises to enervating effect