On Screen

Smart reviews for the visually obsessed. On Screen features film reviews and festival coverage, spotlighting cinematic craft, storytelling and standout performances.

  • Review: ‘Ad Astra’ doesn’t have the right stuff (Includes first-hand account)

    We have only explored a fraction of the universe and have yet to even come close to inventing the technology postulated in many science fiction movies. Thus, the genre has the freedom to make its own path and go anywhere the filmmakers’ imaginations take them. In recent years, some have opted to keep it simple by focusing on a lone character in space, while others have revisited monumental events in history. Still others choose to look towards an even more distant future in which advancements in space travel have made the impossible possible. This is the world in which Ad Astra unfolds.

  • Review: ‘It Chapter 2’ is worth the creepy trip back to Maine (Includes first-hand account)

    You can’t always go home again… and sometimes, you flat out don’t ever want to again. Not everyone had happy childhoods, either due to family trauma, schoolyard bullies — or unspeakable monsters hiding around dark corners and in sewer drains. But sometimes going back isn’t a choice. Sometimes going back means fulfilling a promise you made nearly three decades earlier to return if “It” returned. There’s unfinished business in Derry, Maine and only a group of seven now distant friends can put an end to the evil that’s haunted that town for centuries. In It Chapter 2, it’s time for everyone to come home.

  • Review: ‘Ready or Not’ is a bloody good time (Includes first-hand account)

    Marrying someone often means also marrying their pre-existing loved ones — for better or worse. It’s great if your in-laws are wonderful, but can be a real trial if the dislikes outweigh the things you like about them. Or there could just be that one monstrous elephant that’s always in the room when they’re around. In the back of your head, you may wonder if they feel the same way about you… or maybe they haven’t made much of an effort to hide how they really feel. But to keep the peace, you smile politely and go along with their strange family traditions. Unfortunately in Ready or Not, ignoring these signs leads to a potentially fatal wedding night.

  • Review: ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’ rides on a stellar performance (Includes first-hand account)

    Being a genius has often gone hand-in-hand with a prevailing sense of individuality, and some level of quirkiness and/or social awkwardness. It’s thought their minds work differently than other people’s, not just in terms of their brilliance but how they relate to the world and other humans. Thus, relationships can be quite challenging, more so for the other person who must learn to accept, tolerate and/or adapt to the prodigy’s eccentricities. There are certainly ups and downs, and not all connexions can survive the extra pressure, but those that do can be wonderful. In Where’d You Go, Bernadette, the stress becomes a little too much and a family reaches its breaking point.

  • Review: ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’ is limited by age, not scares (Includes first-hand account)

    In every culture, there is a tradition of telling stories to pass down wisdom, as well as warnings about the dangers young people need to learn to avoid. Some of these evolved into local folklore, urban legends or just fictions to frighten and entertain. Passed down between generations and eventually recorded, sharing these tales is a pastime that many enjoy… and some — particularly young campers around campfires — dread. In 1981, Alvin Schwartz published a compilation of these chilling, short narratives, which became a secret pleasure for many adolescent readers. Now, Guillermo Del Toro has produced a big-screen adaptation with its own spectral storyteller, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

  • Review: ‘Luce’ defies expectations, but what’s going on behind that smile (Includes first-hand account)

    Everyone likes an underdog story. Seeing people/teams/animals succeed against all odds appeals to audiences because it makes them feel good by proxy. However, not a lot of thought is often given to the pressure these expectations can place on the one carrying everyone’s hopes on their shoulders. Of course they want to be successful for themselves, but there’s the added burden of potentially disappointing all their supporters if they don’t finish on top. Sure they say your best is good enough, but there’s always that little voice in the back of your mind that whispers it’s not true. In Luce, a young man faces all of these issues with mixed results.

  • Review: ‘Hobbs & Shaw’ is pumped to reinvigorate the franchise (Includes first-hand account)

    With eight movies under its belt and at least a couple more on the way, everyone knows what to expect when they go to watch the a Fast and the Furious movie: fast cars, high-speed chases, entertaining quips, an emphasis family and a “do or die” attitude. But with the franchise potentially coming to a close, the studio would understandably have an interest in branching out and extending its longevity. Thus, they approached two of the series’ side characters about starring in a spinoff together — they’re already well-liked by audiences, so they’re the perfect candidates for launching a new franchise in the same world. And this brings us to, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

  • Review: The West is fading in ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ (Includes first-hand account)

    Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has consistently expressed an enthusiasm for the golden age of Hollywood, spaghetti westerns, grindhouse cinema and fresh opportunities, particularly for actors stuck in a rut. A trailblazer in the ‘90s with his unique, stylish blend of violence and parallel storylines, he’s recently been afforded the opportunity to indulge his passions and revive these types of movies with his own flair. Currently in a phase focusing on Westerns, he’s gone back in time to examine a day in the life of a former TV cowboy and his faithful stuntman. Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood is another variation for the director, though his signature style is still front-and-centre.

  • Review: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ spins a web of action-packed fun (Includes first-hand account)

    Since Marvel came back into the fold, Spider-Man has flourished. No longer an emo man-child, he exudes youth and teenage sarcasm in a manner inherit to the character. In other words, Peter Parker really looks and feels like the boy next door now. Moreover, bringing him back into the greater MCU allowed for more interesting storylines as he built a paternal bond with the ever-aloof Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). If you haven’t seen Avengers: Endgame, then you really should before watching this picture because it opens with a major spoiler (which also can’t/won’t be avoided for the remainder of this review — fair warning). Having announced this movie would close out Marvel Studios‘ phase three rather than Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home took the baton and slung away.

  • Review: ‘Annabelle Comes Home’ is a practised source of dread (Includes first-hand account)

    While some people love and collect vintage porcelain-faced dolls, others rightfully find them incredibly creepy. They inherently seem to have a certain level of sadness or malice attached to them. Long before Chucky took to the screen, people were suspicious of children’s toys. The Annabelle doll had many homes, but it all started when a grieving family adopted her as their surrogate and opened the door to a malevolent demon who terrorized them and all future owners. Eventually paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, were able to contain the evil. In Annabelle Comes Home, a girl learns the meaning of the old adage, “Curiosity killed the cat.”

  • Review: ‘The Secret Life of Pets 2’ finds fun in hairy situations (Includes first-hand account)

    Change can be difficult for everyone, non-humans included. It can disrupt whatever you’ve come to perceive as normal, alter long-standing routines, and add or remove others from your life. Whether it’s for better or worse, change is inevitable so sometimes you just have to make the best of it even when it doesn’t feel like an improvement… but hopefully, with a little time, that sentiment can change too. In The Secret Life of Pets 2, Max is now glad to have his big pal Duke, but is he ready for a new baby to enter the mix?

  • Review: ‘Dark Phoenix’ goes up in flames (Includes first-hand account)

    Fans of the Phoenix saga generally came to the story in one of two ways: through the X-Men comics or via the ‘90s animated TV series. The last couple of attempts to incorporate the fiery narrative into the film franchise didn’t amount to very much and definitely didn’t do the epic storyline justice. Now, they’ve given the immensely powerful mutant her own picture in which to explore her abilities and unleash the rage that accompanies it. But it’s not all fire and brimstone as there’s a lot of complex emotions to deal with as well. Dark Phoenix tries to encapsulate all of these things while telling one of the superheroes’ most beloved narratives.