Alison Willmore
15 Movies You’ll Be Talking About This Awards Season
Strippers, showmen, and sad clowns — with movies like Hustlers, Judy, and Joker, this year’s Serious Movie Season is looking a little less somber than usual.
Alison Willmore
"Succession" Is A Horror-Comedy About The Terrible Humanity Of The Rich
The appeal of watching the HBO series comes from the way it excuses no one — including those of us watching — from the devolution onscreen.
Alison Willmore
Brad Pitt Is A Character Actor Trapped In A Movie Star's Body
Pitt's one of the most movie star–looking movie stars out there. But his best performances, from Fight Club to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, have been in scene-stealing supporting roles.
Alison Willmore
A History Of Women In Quentin Tarantino Movies
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood has reignited discussion about how Tarantino depicts women. Maybe the best way to explore the question is to let his characters speak for themselves.
Alison Willmore
“Midsommar” Is Scary, But Not Because Of All The Grisly Deaths
Ari Aster's new movie is a nightmare about finding the place where you feel like you belong. Spoilers ahead.
Alison Willmore
Meryl Streep Is The Best And Worst Part Of “Big Little Lies”
If there’s a through line in this season of Big Little Lies, it’s that maternal good intentions themselves aren’t worth shit.
Alison Willmore
Why Does Everyone Love "Chernobyl" So Much?
HBO's Chernobyl lets its viewers partake in the disaster without feeling like this kind of collective failure could ever happen here or now.
Alison Willmore
The Rise Of The Rom-Com Schlub
Always Be My Maybe and Long Shot let their ambitious women have it all — because the men in their lives are willing to hold their purses. Mild spoilers!
Alison Willmore
“Booksmart” Has A Blind Spot When It Comes To Class
Olivia Wilde's girl-centric Gen Z comedy is gloriously frank when it comes to sexuality and substances, but it’s less interested in its own class tensions.
Alison Willmore
Keanu Reeves May Be Pure, But He's Not Oblivious
America’s most memeable actor is back in John Wick: Chapter 3, a movie that's in on the joke of our obsession with Keanu. He might be too.
Alison Willmore
"Detective Pikachu" Is A Movie About How Brands Are Our Friends
Ryan Reynolds voices the world’s cutest CGI creature in the new Pokémon movie, but not even Pikachu can fix your real life.
Alison Willmore
What Happens When Christian Movies Go Mainstream?
Faith-based hits like God's Not Dead and I Can Only Imagine aren't the surprise they used to be. But how will an industry fueled by a sense of neglect handle mainstream acceptance?
Alison Willmore
Climate Change Fiction Is Rethinking The Ecoterrorist
We don't need to be on board with the extreme actions of characters in First Reformed and The Overstory to feel some empathy for the desperation that drives them.
Alison Willmore
In “Us” And “Pet Sematary,” History Is The Scariest Thing Of All
In Jordan Peele’s new movie and the latest Stephen King adaptation, the real bump in the night might be decades of suppressed trauma. Spoilers ahead!
Alison Willmore
Elizabeth Holmes’ Scam Is Over, But Her Story Will Go On Forever
The Theranos scandal is juicy, damning, and rife with potential readings — in other words, ideal fuel for our 24/7 take economy.
Alison Willmore
“Greta” Is A “Murder Me, Mommy” Meme Come To Life
French acting legend Isabelle Huppert is the rare fave who seems like she really could run you over with a car if you asked nicely enough.
Alison Willmore
I Wish More TV Shows Ran For Just One Season
Must the reward for a successful TV show always be for it to keep going until it's not as good as it used to be?
Alison Willmore
"Russian Doll" Is Better At Video Game Storytelling Than Most Video Game Adaptations
Netflix's delightful time-looping series is one of a few recent titles that take inspiration from gameplay. Spoilers for Russian Doll and Serenity.
Alison Willmore
Why Are “Bohemian Rhapsody” And “Green Book” Still Oscar Frontrunners?
As this turbulent award season comes to an end, Hollywood appears to be closing ranks around two controversial movies (and their creators) that don't really deserve to be defended.
Alison Willmore
Is It Just Me, Or Is Marie Kondo’s Netflix Show Weirdly Dark?
Netflix's Tidying Up With Marie Kondo promises that you can organize your way to "your ideal life." But are messes really a cause of our problems, rather than a symptom?
Alison Willmore
