On Screen

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

  • Review: ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ ends the brutal confrontation (Includes first-hand account)

    Mankind has always insisted on climbing to the top, first of the food chain than the tower of power. Eventually, being king of their own local heap wasn’t enough and they went about conquering additional land, fighting bloody battles and feeding their desire for more. Living apart peacefully often seems against our natures, and thus nothing and no one are left to their own devices. In War for the Planet of the Apes, Caesar doesn’t want to fight but he may not have a choice.

  • Review: ‘Spider-Man — Homecoming’ finally gets it right (Includes first-hand account)

    In an age of remakes and reboots, it’s becoming frequently common to see one character played by multiple actors in the span of a couple decades. This is especially true in the superhero universe where the stories are seemingly infinite, but the performers’ commitment comparatively brief. Even a multi-picture deal typically runs down in 10 years or less, leading studios to start anew after each cycle. The latest franchise to be rebooted with a fresh face is one of Marvel‘s youngest heroes in tights: Spider-Man. In the first standalone film of the reboot, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter Parker is still learning to flex his superhuman muscles.

  • Review: ‘Despicable Me 3’ needs more Minions (Includes first-hand account)

    In spite of not being at the centre of a movie, it’s not unusual for secondary characters to steal the show. They exhibit something that appeals to audiences, whether it’s personality, cuteness or some other attribute that draws in people. Once this attraction is recognized by studios, they generally attempt to capitalize on it in some way, such as merchandise, sequels or spin-offs. This was most notably the case with the Minions (followed closely by Agnes and her fluffy unicorn), which were instant hits and immediately available everywhere. Their latest appearance is in Despicable Me 3.

  • Review: ‘The Beguiled’ captivates characters before it all goes wrong (Includes first-hand account)

    During war times in the 19th century and earlier, the men would all leave and the women would ban together in an effort to protect their homes and families. While the men faced the carnage of battle, the women faced their own hardships with supply shortages, pillaging soldiers and tending large pieces of land alone. This was the case during the Civil War, in which men of all ages and races were sent to kill each other while the women were delivered news of their deaths. In The Beguiled, a Southern all-girl’s school becomes host to an injured Yankee solider near the end of the conflict.

  • Review: ‘The Big Sick’ is an instant favourite (Includes first-hand account)

    While online avenues are supposed to have made dating simpler, meeting someone — the right someone — is as difficult as ever. After all, once you get over the initial hurdle of actually going on a first date, everything that follows is generally the same: deciding if you share similar views on the big things, meeting each other’s friends and family, and potentially planning your futures together. It’s also a wrench in one or more of these steps that can lead to a relationship’s demise. Even worse, is just simply being too afraid to commit — because as one character learns in The Big Sick, you don’t always get a second chance.

  • Review: ‘Baby Driver’ frontrunner for best summer action movie (Includes first-hand account)

    Although the musical’s heyday is long past, it has seen somewhat of revival in recent years. While La La Land is a throwback to the classic feel and style of the big budget productions, another film has to some extent reimagined the genre to incorporate a more contemporary approach to the old school pictures. While at first glance, Baby Driver doesn’t look like a musical, it certainly shares some elements with the finely tuned genre.

  • Review: ‘Rough Night’ not so rough for audiences (Includes first-hand account)

    For several decades, the raunchy comedy has belonged to men. Even though there have been a few bawdy films featuring female casts, they’ve still been directed by men. It’s taken a long time for studios to put their trust in the all-female movie, but each time they’ve recently “taken a chance” the returns have generally been worth it. The latest “risk” is Sony’s R-rated Rough Night, which is helmed by a woman who knows how to write honest, vulgar women.

  • ‘Battle of the Sexes’ trailer recreates competitive energy (Includes first-hand account)

    Any time women have wanted something men already have, they’ve had to fight to get it; whether it’s a prominent position, an equal seat at the table or simple respect. At some point, feminist became a dirty word and was spewed with vitriol at anyone who supported women’s rights to be treated the same as their counterparts. Yet they persevered, filling history with women who broke down the barriers and paved the way for those who would come after them. Battle of the Sexes chronicles one of those momentous occasions.

  • Review: ‘It Comes at Night’ is haunting because it’s probable (Includes first-hand account)

    One of the most attractive aspects of post-apocalyptic movies from a filmmaker’s perspective is they can be made with big or small budgets. It can be populated with gruesome monsters or imply a destructive force lurks on the periphery. The nature of the movie allows the sets to be sparse and for a limited number of locations to be the norm rather than a notable reduction. They definitely present some limitations, but also a lot of opportunity. It Comes at Night is a movie about isolation by necessity and its effects on a family.

  • Review: ‘The Mummy’ needs its priorities reordered (Includes first-hand account)

    It’s no longer unusual to see studios looking for new ideas to reach back into their histories and reboot old ideas or franchises. For many who’ve watched the originals, this ranges from a minor irritation to an outright offense. But the reality persists and it’s arguably unfair to judge a movie before watching it, or to carry preconceptions into a screening. So (almost) every picture deserves a fair shake, but then it’s open season. The latest film up for reboot judgement is The Mummy and it seems there may have been a good film in there somewhere.

  • Review: ‘Captain Underpants’ wears a cape of silliness (Includes first-hand account)

    Stunting a child’s creativity is considered a crime by many people. After all, their imaginations are a source of fun as well as a means of understanding the complicated world around them. Thus, in a lot of adolescent or children’s fiction, the villainous adult is trying to keep the protagonist kids from having fun through pretend or invention. In Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, the two boys at the centre of the story decide to teach their super strict principal a lesson when he destroys their latest comic.

  • Review: ‘Wonder Woman’ is unstoppable (Includes first-hand account)

    For those who love superheroes and their subsequent movies, there’s nothing more disappointing than to see your favourite characters ill-used in a highly anticipated tent pole picture. While some of the Marvel films haven’t been stellar, they seem to have a grasp on how to make a good comic book movie. DC, on the other hand, has failed in every attempt. Then there’s the automatic derision directed at female-led action pictures — granted, the track record was spotty but women are due for a breakout movie. History showed the odds were against Wonder Woman, but that was even more reason to overcome them.