Category: Film/Series
-
The Rocky Balboa Phenomenon: An Essay on Real-World Impact
If you look up Rocky Balboa on your favorite search engine, you will discover that he is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Rocky movie franchise. What it unsurprisingly fails to reveal is exactly how iconic the character is and how its impact extends far beyond movies or the countries in which…
-
22 July (2018) Review: A Raw Look at a Terrorist Attack & Its Aftermath
Released in 2018, Paul Greengrass’s “22 July” offers a brutal, uncomfortable look at the 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway. Starring Anders Danielsen Lie and Jonas Strand Gravli in the lead roles, the film’s greatest achievement is its absolute refusal to either sensationalize the violence or soften its blows for the audience’s comfort. Instead, Greengrass forces…
-
Zwigato (2022) Review: An Honest Look at a Stuck Gig Economy Worker
Starring Kapil Sharma in the lead role and directed by Nandita Das, Zwigato offers a deeply honest look at the Gig Economy through a highly specific lens. The lens is the story of a married man with a family that depends on his work on Zwigato. It would have been easy for this film to…
-
Spider-Man: Lotus (2023) Review: Love, Loss, and Moving On
Directed by Gavin J. Konop and starring Warden Wayne and Sean Thomas Reid in the lead roles, Spider-Man Lotus is a beautifully crafted film, even if rough around the edges on occasion. While it is labelled as a superhero fan film, I believe the description doesn’t give you the complete picture. It’s a piece about…
-
Southpaw Regional Wrestling Review: WWE’s Greatest, Most Unhinged Comedy Masterpiece
When I look back at WWE around the 2016 era, there’s a lot that the Connecticut-based entertainment giant got right. Dean Ambrose finally capturing the WWE Championship and the launch of the revamped SmackDown Live with Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon running the series remain among my fondest memories of that period. But if you…
-
Materialists (2025) Review: A Brutally Honest Take on the Modern Dating Market
Directed by Celine Song and starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal in the lead roles, “Materialists” is a great study about the modern state of dating. From the trailers, one might think of it as a different kind of rom-com. But, it’s way more than that. I would say it’s a hybrid of…
-
Dude (2025) Review: Moving Beyond the Tag of a Flawed Hero
Directed by Keerthiswaran and starring Pradeep Ranganathan & Mamitha Baiju in the lead roles, Dude isn’t simply a fun romantic comedy — it’s a movie with plenty of tricks up its sleeve. The movie drew me in primarily because it starred one of my favorites, Mamitha, and I had heard several praises about Pradeep Ranganathan.…
-
Invincible Season 4 Finale Review: Why Mark Grayson’s Truce is the Smartest (and Most Painful) Move of the Series
Invincible has been an incredibly well-received project from the start, but the Season 4 finale has set things on a whole different level. All important characters have made some pretty interesting decisions. And, where things go from here is anyone’s guess. Allow me to explain why the finale was one for the ages. Do note:…
-
The Amateur (2025) Review: A Grounded, Tech-Driven Alternative to the Action Hero Trope
Directed by James Hawes and starring Rami Malek in the lead role, “The Amateur” (2025) is an American action thriller that fully lives up to its title. It isn’t a film that’s going to knock your socks off and keep you hooked for eternity. But it is a good option if you’re looking for a…
-
Mortal (2020) Review: A Grounded and Gritty Take on the Thor Origin Story
If you prefer films that take the most honest, unflinching stance, over crowd-pleasing ones, you can’t go wrong with Mortal (2020). Directed by Andre Øvredal and starring Nat Wolff, this stunning fantasy action film explores the terrifying repercussions of a God losing his temper. Unlike mainstream blockbusters, which mention the collateral damage as a footnote,…
