Quiet and introspective, First Man takes Neil Armstrong’s loud, monumental achievement and rather focuses on his human connections—smartly avoiding common biopic tropes along the way.
10 out of 12 Tamales
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”: Throwback-Tamales Review
Behind Elizabeth Taylor’s Oscar-winning turn as Martha, a vitriol-spewing lush, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf goes beyond being an excellent character-driven drama and imprints itself in the annals of film history.
11.5 out of 12 Tamales
“Leave No Trace”: One-Sentence Review
Driven by two superior performances, Ben Foster’s and Thomasin McKenzie’s, Leave No Trace capably roots itself in minimalistic idealism, creating an effective, linear narrative.
9.5 out of 12 Tamales
“Venom”: One-Sentence Review
With Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock/Venom duo on screen, it’s a raucous crowd pleaser—but without—director Ruben Fleischer’s Venom is a generic conglomeration of superhero duds of years past.
7.5 out of 12 Tamales
“A Star is Born”: One-Sentence Review
Uneven, yet undeniably full of kinetic energy, A Star is Born, with a soulful and revealing performance from Lady Gaga, resonates with its audience.
8.5 out of 12 Tamales
“A Simple Favor”: One-Sentence Review
A Simple Favor’s sultry intrigue is overshadowed by director Paul Feig’s inability to pick a consistent tone, often leaning more on his comedic tendencies rather than what works.
6 out of 12 Tamales
“Little Monsters”: Throwback-Tamales Reviews
Not even nostalgia—nor cult status—can mask how poorly Little Monsters has aged, permanently regulating Howie Mandel and Fred Savage from the silver screen to the TV screen.
5 out of 12 Tamales
“Tully”: One-Sentence Review
Behind Charlize Theron’s strong performance and Jason Reitman’s steady direction, Tully’s domestic-dreaminess lulls its viewer into a must-see-this-to-the-end trance—for mostly better than worse.
8 out of 12 Tamales
“Blaze”: One-Sentence Review
Blaze Foley’s rambling, punch-drunk personality is perfectly played by star-in-the-making Ben Dickey in director Ethan Hawke’s down-to-earth memoir-pic Blaze.
10 out of 12 Tamales
“The Dark Knight”: Throwback-Tamales Review
Directed by Christopher Nolan—but straight up owned by Heath Ledger’s Joker—The Dark Knight took mostly-for-the-masses comic-based films and thunderously flipped the script, raising the bar far above all superhero movies before it.
12 out of 12 Tamales
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