Alison Willmore
After Years Of Playing The Friend, Sandra Oh Is Finally The Star
After years of playing supportive besties, Oh's finally the lead in Killing Eve — alongside a character intent on making it all up to her by being her scariest fan.
Alison Willmore
“Billions” Has Become TV’s Sharpest Critique Of Toxic Masculinity
In its third season, Showtime's Billions has snapped into focus from being a blurry series about power to an infinitely sharper one about gender. Spoilers through last night's episode, "Hell of a Ride," below.
Alison Willmore
Orientalism Is Alive And Well In American Cinema
The rage directed at critics of Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs is a reminder of how many people don’t want to believe that an homage can also slight the culture it's putting onscreen.
Alison Willmore
“Ready Player One” Is An Accidental Horror Movie About Fandom
Steven Spielberg has made a darker movie than he seems to realize — a cautionary tale about burying ourselves in pop culture while the world burns. SPOILERS ABOUND.
Alison Willmore
The Myth Of Traveling Light
Packing the bare minimum has always made leaving and coming back seem easier. But the older I get, the more I feel the weight of the miles between me and everyone I love.
Alison Willmore
“A Wrinkle In Time” Has Become An Argument Instead Of A Movie
The real question for A Wrinkle in Time has never been what it means for the film industry if it’s a success, but what will happen if — or when — it’s not.
Alison Willmore
Is Hollywood Already Done Being Angry?
At the 90th Academy Awards, the film industry seemed anxious to put the #MeToo moment behind it. Are audiences ready to do the same?
Alison Willmore
Natalie Portman’s New Sci-Fi Movie Is Going To Frustrate The Hell Out Of People
But that doesn't mean Annihilation isn’t worth watching. Some spoilers (sort of — it's not a very spoilable movie) below.
Alison Willmore
Difficult Men Meet Their Match In “Fifty Shades” And “Phantom Thread”
The Best Picture nominee and the erotic trilogy don’t banish the aspirational fairy tale of what happens to women who marry powerful men, but they do both hold it up to a new light. Spoilers below!
Alison Willmore
A Netflix Movie Doesn’t Need To Be Good — It Just Needs To Be There
Netflix is using its budget and reach to stake out an alternate movie universe, where a title that would flop in theaters — like The Cloverfield Paradox — can be repositioned as a win for streaming.
Alison Willmore
The Most Daring Movies Made By Women May Not Be Coming To A Theater Near You
At this year's Sundance Film Festival, everyone waited for the #MeToo moment to lead to money on the table for women directors.
Alison Willmore
14 Movies You Should Know About From The Sundance Film Festival
It was a quieter year at the annual film festival in Park City, Utah, but there were still plenty of powerful, moving, and surprising films worth talking about.
Adam B. Vary
What Should We Do With Hollywood’s Rotten Apples?
Being an ethical consumer of media is always going to be more involved than just dumping any title that's been touched by a seemingly boundless supply of bad men.
Alison Willmore
"Star Wars" Has Created A Villain Too Real For Its Own Fantasy Universe
Kylo Ren is the greatest and most troubling part of The Last Jedi. Spoilers below.
Alison Willmore
14 Scenes From Movies And TV That Made Us Cry In 2017
We did a lot of crying this year, and sometimes it had nothing to do with the news. (Warning: Spoilers ahead.)
Louis Peitzman
In 2017, Movies Tackled The Myth Of The American Suburb
Cinema went to battle with the idea of the shiny American suburb this season — in The Shape of Water, Suburbicon, and Downsizing — but it didn't always win.
Alison Willmore
These Are The 11 Best Movies Of 2017
(According to me.)
Alison Willmore
"Three Billboards" Is An Unfortunate Metaphor For Our Complicated Cultural Moment
What happens when your resonant dark comedy about female anger is also a lousy one about racism?
Alison Willmore
There’s No Way Louis C.K.’s New Movie Can Happen Now
I Love You, Daddy is a primer for how conversations about power and consent get muddied and used to excuse abusive behavior. And in the wake of allegations against C.K., the film became unreleasable.
Alison Willmore
"Stranger Things" Is Nostalgic For A Time Before Nerds Were Toxic
The second season of the Netflix series has ventured where the first did not: into the realm of underdog wish fulfillment. (Warning: spoilers.)
Alison Willmore
