On Screen

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

  • Review: ‘First Man’ puts audiences in the front seat for the moon landing (Includes first-hand account)

    To make history is to be forever immortalized and even though there are sometimes countless people who contribute to the ground-breaking feat, only one or two names are often remembered. Most things are accomplished on the successes and sacrifices of others, but the only story that seems to matter is that of the victorious. Yet, even then, the final act may be recounted in detail while everything that led to it remains in darkness. First Man chronicles Neil Armstrong‘s revolutionary moon mission, but it begins its tale well before the launch.

  • Review: ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’ will shock its spellbound audience (Includes first-hand account)

    There are many types of venues that gather strangers into a single spot, each with their own stories that briefly intersect for this comparatively brief and forgettable period of time. Whether they’re attending for food, lodging, business, entertainment or some combination, the reason for congregating can also be inconsequential and just a matter of necessity or obligation. But occasionally something extraordinary (or extraordinarily horrific) occurs that forever links these people to each other, intertwining their narratives in a manner no one expected when they crossed the threshold. This is what happens when patrons check-in in for Bad Times at the El Royale.

  • Review: ‘The Sisters Brothers’ doesn’t try to abide by tradition (Includes first-hand account)

    While the Western’s heyday may have passed, there is no shortage of new entries to the genre, especially of late. The narratives in the category allow for interesting explorations of race and class, as well as greed and justice. The era of gunslingers and gold diggers invites any number of conversations of right and wrong, good people and bad… and what’s right may not always be good, and vice versa. Legends were created as their feats were immortalized in the written word and fame became a goal rather than an abstract idea. This is the world in which The Sisters Brothers unfolds.

  • Review: ‘A Star is Born’ plays an unanticipated melody (Includes first-hand account)

    This film has been remade multiple times, in different languages and has generally featured compelling actors in the leading roles. This tale of discovery, stardom and disappointment is timeless, and each rendition is enriched by the individuals’ interpretation of the role. The other pivotal element of the picture is the soundtrack, which drives the relationship at the centre of the narrative. It requires performers with range as they must convey deep emotional connections as well as sing. The film being described is none other than A Star is Born.

  • Review: The best reason to have a ‘Bad Reputation’ (Includes first-hand account)

    One of the great things about film in recent years is their increased (and somewhat begrudging) willingness to tell female stories. In some cases, it’s hard to believe they weren’t told before and in others it’s easy to see they couldn’t have been told correctly until now. But as others have said, seeing oneself on-screen is a powerful thing and women at the forefront have been grossly underrepresented in spite of comprising half the world’s population. That, of course, doesn’t mean they haven’t been doing great things — just that no one was sharing them with the masses. In Bad Reputation, audiences learn about Joan Jett‘s barrier-smashing music career.

  • Review: ‘Fahrenheit 11/9’ tells it how it is as only Michael Moore can (Includes first-hand account)

    There are people who are not inclined to seek out information about politics, social issues or the world at large, but they are more likely to consume this material if it’s presented in the form of entertainment. A movie, documentary, late-night talk show or news satire television program is a digestible source of intelligence that’s able to summarize from a vast array of sources. Of course, that’s not to say those delivering these communications don’t have their own agenda or biases, but it is still a way to ensure people receive information and hopefully take steps to draw informed conclusions. Filmmaker Michael Moore is one of the most prolific producers of issue-based documentaries for the masses and his latest picture is Fahrenheit 11/9 (not to be confused with the previous release, Fahrenheit 9/11).

  • Review: ‘The Wife’ will not play second-fiddle to anyone ever again (Includes first-hand account)

    “Behind every successful man, there is a woman.” This popular saying may sound complimentary, but it actually speaks to the systemic oppression that relegated an entire gender to the background. It suggests women are best suited in a supportive role that encourages a man’s career rather than embark on one of her own. It’s not surprising the saying was popularized more than half a century ago, when it was expected a woman’s primary life goals were marriage and motherhood regardless of what skills or potential she might possess; and those who went against the grain would forever be considered “uncouth.” It is this environment that informs the story of The Wife.

  • Review: ‘The House with a Clock’ will start new generation of horror fans (Includes first-hand account)

    Some of the key elements of young adult fiction is the adolescent protagonist makes mistakes that can be attributed to their immaturity, while also finding the strength to triumph over whatever villain or personal obstacle is at the tale’s centre. This formula is so generic, it allows for any number of narratives in any number of genres, meaning it never gets old because you never have to tell, read or watch the exact same story twice. Thus, even though The House with a Clock in its Walls features some aspects seen in other tales, it is its own picture.

  • Review: ‘The Predator’s only problem isn’t its name (Includes first-hand account)

    There is a prevailing sentiment that any contact with an alien race will be generally unfriendly and probably violent. The expectation is that there will be no interest in making peace or sharing knowledge; instead, there will be a war over resources and in spite of advanced alien technology, humans will prove triumphant via their sheer will to survive. One can only hope that if there is intelligent life out there, they don’t access our entertainment and judge our species inhospitable. Thirty years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred in a movie about a space warrior that came to Earth to earn his stripes. More have come since and now they’re back in The Predator.

  • Review: People really should exercise more caution around ‘The Nun’ (Includes first-hand account)

    While the individual movies in The Conjuring franchise have varied in quality, most horror fans can agree that they’ve introduced audiences to some of the creepiest creatures in recent years. Your skin may still crawl when you remember small hands clapping behind Lauren’s haunted mother and plunging her into darkness. Or perhaps Annabelle’s unsettling and unseen movements across the room still gives you goosebumps. The latest spectre to instill fear in the hearts of moviegoers was a ghoulish woman in a habit with demonic eyes. The Nun sets out to answer the question, where did she come from?

  • Review: ‘Mile 22’ is a flawed but rewarding tactical operation (Includes first-hand account)

    While popular genres and interests come and go in waves, there appears to be a current focus on elite military personnel. These men and women carryout covert missions, supported by the best technology and often under the agreement that if caught, they do not exist. TV series and films have been tapping into this fount of gritty and riveting stories, both fiction and non-, for a few years now. Mile 22 is the latest, which turns 16 Blocks into a military operation on foreign soil that requires the transporters cover a little more ground.