Reviews

Romantic films live and die by chemistry, and here the sparks between the leads fizzle. Steve Martin’s character comes across less as a master of relationships and more like an amateur gymnast overly enthusiastic about leaping around.

Based on Edmond Rostand’s classic play Cyrano de Bergerac, this modern update stars Steve Martin, who also wrote the screenplay. He plays a self-conscious man whose perceived flaws hold him back from pursuing love. In the end, his wit and talent win over the princess. Like other Hollywood rom-coms, it reminds us that love gives us strength.

The plot stays as straightforward as ever, dominated by fight scenes and romantic interludes throughout, and the finale is so bare-bones it borders on dull. Unlike previous installments, this one throws in a supposedly sophisticated imitation, but with such obvious weaknesses that its defeat feels laughably inevitable.

Although this version here is definitely stronger, the film is still mid. It delivers a mild satire of the arms race, with villains who feel both foolish and crude. Gene Hackman turns in the weakest Lex Luthor of his career, but Christopher Reeve’s performance—complete with timeless charm and rugged good looks—remains absolutely irreplaceable.

This is probably Eric Rohmer’s simplest take on relationships. On the surface it’s about one-sided love failing to lead to a happy ending, but underneath he skewers the egotism and wishy-washiness people bring to romance. The heroine’s childish antics aren’t charming, but they ring true for a lot of real-world relationships.

In the film, when the man compliments the woman’s painting, she insists on giving it to him. But when he rushes off, he forgets it on the couch. This perfectly reflects their status and relationship in the romance.

You could binge it like a TV series—same old formula: bodies piling up, with a cliffhanger at the end to set up for the sequel.

Jason finally makes his debut, though he’s still rocking a burlap sack instead of the iconic mask—which somehow makes him even clumsier. The American teen-slasher formula has been around for thirty years, so why does it still work?

The opening atmosphere and pacing are spot-on, giving the impression of an ambitious work blending elements of Jaws with the style of Halloween. But once the second half kicks in, it falls apart—the plot takes a nosedive, and things get dull

The strengths and flaws here are equally glaring. John Carpenter’s mastery of dread is off the charts—the fog itself is bone-chilling. Rumor has it the opening scene was a reshoot, yet it fits perfectly and adds an extra layer of eeriness. Overall, it kicks off slow and finishes too quickly, leaving me wanting more.

After watching Gloria, I realize Luc Besson’s Léon isn’t as groundbreaking as it seems—or rather, it’s great because he’s standing on John Cassavetes’s shoulders.

Told in a gritty, realistic style, this story packs major drama and it holds up incredibly well, even more so than Léon. By the way, you can bet Quentin Tarantino drew plenty of inspiration from John Cassavetes here.

Production values are top-notch—costumes, makeup, props, all stellar. The plot is a bit mellow, but the pacing feels just right. It’s a blast to watch with friends.

Rarely do you get a movie that’s both kid-friendly and wildly entertaining. The British director’s playful take on history is absolutely brilliant.

The film is a remake of Double Indemnity. Kathleen Turner almost managed to match Barbara Stanwyck’s allure. William Hurt is a chameleon: slap a mustache on his face, and his sleaze factor doubles. Lawrence Kasdan’s script is superb, giving the movie a seductive, restless tension that’ll have you practically sweating in your seat.

This film proves that a femme fatale and forbidden romance are always the perfect setup for a masterful conspiracy.

No doubt, this is the ultimate submarine movie. It checks every box: confined spaces, depth charges, naval battles, narrow escapes, and inevitable fate.

After watching this movie, my first thought was that this submarine was insanely lucky. It survived two destroyer attacks, getting bombed all over, its batteries ruptured and toxic gas leaked from the inside. It even went past its maximum depth, got stuck in the bottom of the sea—and still made it back up. In a real war, any one of these would have sunken you.

Isabelle Adjani delivers an unmatched neurotic performance. Her screams, tears, and convulsions are so visceral you start to question her actual mental state—it’s the gold standard of method acting gone off rails.

There are three main lenses through which people interpret Possession: gender dynamics, political allegory, and Lovecraftian horror. The scares and gore are just surface-level gimmicks—the real heart lies in the first two themes. The director clearly intended to fuse all three into one unsettling experience.