Alison Willmore
Why I’ve Had Trouble Buying Hollywood’s Version Of Girl Power
I get the desire to take comfort in cheerful stories of women’s triumph, from Ocean's 8 to On the Basis of Sex. But in 2018, I haven’t found them very comforting.
Alison Willmore
These Are The 11 Best Movies Of 2018
This year was bad, but at least the movies were good. Here are my favorites.
Alison Willmore
The Only Good Political Movies This Year Are About An 18th-Century Queen And Joseph Stalin
The Favourite and The Death of Stalin are dark historical comedies that work as funhouse mirrors, reflecting back warped shapes that look a little more recognizable than we'd like.
Alison Willmore
Being A Wendi Deng Stan Has Gotten Very Complicated
My half-joking hobby isn't all that funny anymore, but it’s not like I’m going to look away.
Alison Willmore
"Mid90s" Is The Biggest Skateboarding Movie Of The Year, But It's Not The Best
In Mid90s, Minding the Gap, and Skate Kitchen, skateboarding doesn't just look good onscreen — it’s a fascinating way to deal with race, gender, and what it means to belong.
Alison Willmore
Why Is Everyone Mad About Ryan Gosling’s New Space Movie?
First Man doesn’t romanticize Neil Armstrong, or NASA’s hard-won moon landing. Instead, it tries to show great achievements without needing to deify those responsible for them.
Alison Willmore
“A Star Is Born” May Not Get Pop Music Right, But It Gets That It Matters
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga have remade A Star Is Born as a tender, conflicted love story for the age of poptimism. (Spoilers, if you haven’t caught any of the three previous versions of this movie.)
Alison Willmore
Is “Life Itself” Too Real For White Male Critics, Or Is It Just Really Bad?
No one could blame Dan Fogelman for being upset about the critical reaction to his new movie, but the director’s self-defense is more cynical than any of the reviews.
Alison Willmore
This Fall’s Oscar Movies Take A Hard Look At The Not-So-Perfect Son
Beautiful Boy, Ben Is Back, and Boy Erased each offer a different take on the idealized white suburban son whose parents fail to see him as he really is.
Alison Willmore
John Krasinski Wants To Play Red-State Heroes Without Getting Political
Cubicle drone Jim Halpert has remade himself as an action hero, and a particular kind — a reluctant but stalwart defender of an American way of life.
Alison Willmore
“Crazy Rich Asians” Doesn't Care About Your Impossible Expectations
Crazy Rich Asians and To All the Boys I've Loved Before may be making history, but all they really want is to entertain. Isn't there something historic in that, too?
Alison Willmore
We Live Half Our Lives Online — So Why Don't More Movies Show It?
John Cho's new movie Searching might be the first one you see that takes place entirely on a computer screen. But it probably won't be the last.
Alison Willmore
Tom Cruise's Undying Hustle Is What Makes The "Mission: Impossible" Movies So Good
There will always be new leading men in Hollywood. But Cruise seems determined to prove that none of them will ever work as hard as he does.
Alison Willmore
Amy Adams’ New HBO Series Breaks Into The Boys Club Of Dark TV Drama
The days of the watercooler show may be numbered, but Sharp Objects suggests that prestige drama could still develop into something new.
Alison Willmore
The Hot New Hollywood Genre Is The Human Extinction Fantasy
Projects like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Westworld, and War for the Planet of the Apes suggest humanity is getting what it deserves. (Spoilers for the end of Fallen Kingdom.)
Alison Willmore
The Scammers In “Ocean’s 8” And “Solo” Can’t Keep Up With Real Life
In this summer of scamming, IRL grift is easily outpacing the current big-screen visions of cons, heists, hustling, and fraud for sheer escapist satisfaction.
Alison Willmore
In This Year’s Scariest Movies, Family Is Everything
Between the poisonous trauma of Hereditary and the oppressive solidarity of A Quiet Place, horror in 2018 has become a family affair.
Alison Willmore
I’m Addicted To Old Console Games, And It’s All My iPhone’s Fault
Years after leaving the PlayStation behind, I've found my way back into video games — or maybe they've found their way back to me.
Alison Willmore
Who Gets To Be At The Center Of #MeToo Stories?
Jennifer Fox’s powerful new film The Tale is a reminder of how many #MeToo narratives have been centered on the men accused, rather than the people who have spoken up against them. (Warning: This essay contains descriptions of child sexual assault, and spoilers.)
Alison Willmore
Diablo Cody's Midlife Crisis Movies Are Actually Dark AF
Don’t get fooled by the lighthearted marketing — Tully, like Young Adult, is actually a serious look at women in crisis. Spoilers for Tully below!
Alison Willmore
