Tag: film
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The Gift of Time: What The Best Man Holiday Teaches Us About Life and Loss
Friends and family—these are the two pillars of the holiday season. It’s no surprise, then, that they’re often the emotional core of Christmas films. Relationships, whether familial or platonic, are messy, imperfect, and often complicated. But it’s precisely those flaws that make them so relatable and so fitting for the season. “The Best Man Holiday”…
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All Charm, No Surprise: ‘Freakier Friday’ Plays It Safe
Some films succeed on charm and star power alone. They rally audiences with beloved actors and a heartwarming, feel-good message, and that combination is often enough to carry a project to success. The challenge arises when studios assume that the film’s triumph came from narrative strength rather than the perfect alignment of casting, tone, and…
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When the World Feels Heavy, Love Actually Feels Necessary
One of the most moving—and easily one of my favorite—holiday films is “Love Actually.” The title alone captures its essence. The holiday season is often framed as a time of generosity, goodwill, and joy, and all of those qualities flow naturally from hearts full of love. Zora Neale Hurston once wrote in her emotionally evocative…
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Four Christmases: What If the Best Christmas Gift Was a Detour?
One thing all humans share is the experience of life—its rhythms, its surprises, its detours. The holiday season often feels like the fourth quarter of a long game, the quiet stretch before sunset, a time to pause and reflect before a new dawn begins. Yet life rarely follows the script we expect. Sometimes those detours…
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The Classic That Grew with Us: Returning to “A Christmas Story” Year After Year
Bob Clark’s (1983) “A Christmas Story” remains one of the most nostalgic and beloved holiday films. When I first watched it as a child, I couldn’t quite explain why it struck such a chord with me. Resonance, after all, depends on personal connection—yet this family bore little resemblance to my own. So what was it…
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Almost Christmas: A Recipe for Togetherness
With each passing day, the approach of the holiday season brings not only a sense of reflection but also a renewed appreciation for films that capture the warmth of love, growth, and togetherness. My second selection in this pre-holiday viewing lineup was the 2016 ensemble comedy “Almost Christmas.” The Familiar Ingredients The film perfectly encapsulates…
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A Comedy of (Christmas) Errors: Why Clark Griswold’s Quest Never Gets Old
For some, it might feel too early to dive into holiday movies; for others, the timing couldn’t be more perfect. But for this reviewer, there’s never a wrong moment to revisit a film—classic or contemporary—that captures the spirit of the season. With the festive months fast approaching, nostalgia is in full swing. One by one,…
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The Horror Begins Anew: “Welcome to Derry” Captures the Terror Beneath Small-Town Perfection
Stephen King masterfully tapped into the terrors of childhood with his terrifying novel, It. The face of this fear, Pennywise the Dancing Clown, became an iconic horror figure, unforgettable and frequently adapted for both television and film. Now, audiences are taken to the very origin of this terror: Derry, Maine. Pennywise Undisguised For those familiar…
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“Goodboy: A Dog-Centric Horror That Struggles to Connect
Some films may seem promising in theory and on paper but require additional depth to truly resonate on a lasting level. Unfortunately, despite the hype surrounding the 2025 horror film Goodboy, it ultimately failed to live up to expectations. Cinematic Context “Goodboy” is a project by Ben Loneberg. It tells the story of a man…
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Blood, Tension, Zombies—The Elixir Hits Different
“The Elixir” is one of those films that quietly sneaks up on you—unassuming at first glance. It found its way onto my watchlist during a casual scroll through Netflix’s latest horror releases. The simplicity of its title and the intriguing promise of “zombie horror” were reason enough to press play. The Fountain Of Fatality The…
Uncut Diamonds 