Turbo
When a Garden Snail Dreamed Bigger Than Anyone Expected When DreamWorks announced Turbo in 2013, an animated film depicting a snail wanting to be the fastest racer in the world, the skepticism of the premise was an “absurd snail in the Indy 500” summoned the most questionable reactions. A cartoon snail even winning the Indy […]
Penguins of Madagascar
How Four Feathered Spies Changed Their Cast Long After The Laughter There was an overwhelming amount of publicity surrounding the theatrical release of Penguins of Madagascar in 2014, and the characters Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private, who had also featured in scene-stealing roles in the original Madagascar film, and who the world had come to […]
Due Date
Beyond the Road Trip – Unpacking the Journey of a Comedy Classic Todd Phillips’ comedy Due Date, which was released in November 2010, was more than just a road trip movie. It was a trip- a trip on which Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, on a cross-country journey of unpredictability, formed a bonding of […]
Pompeii
From Gladiators to Stardom: The Aftermath of Pompeii In 2014, Pompeii was showcased as the centerpiece of an exciting new historical drama, romance, and disaster picture. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, the movie also featured actors such as Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Kiefer Sutherland, and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. While the film received various critiques for its […]
The Lost City
A Treasure Hunt That Began with a Romance Novel The Lost City shows us Loretta Sage (Sandra Bullock), a bestselling romance novelist, who is lonely, and begins to feel trapped in her own fictional, adventure-filled worlds. The adventures in her novels center around a romance with a hero called Dash, who is played by her […]
Horizon Line
The Build-Up: A Survival Thriller with Potent Expectations The announcement of Horizon Line in 2019 came with its own share of mysteries and promises. The concept of a dead pilot and two passengers on a modest plane with no clear landing thousands of feet above the ground was enticing. There was a promise of thrill […]
F*** Marry Kill
The Hype Before It Hit the Screen Before F** Marry Kill* was released, expectations were high in certain circles. The premise alone—dating apps, true-crime obsession, and the idea that one of the people you’re casually dating might be a serial killer—felt very “of the moment.” Lucy Hale, known for Pretty Little Liars, stepping into a […]
Original Sin
Original Sin: Between Desire, Destiny, and the Shadows of Real Life Original Sin, upon its debut in 2001, was much anticipated even before its premiere due to the magnificent geek suspense that surrounded it. With the beauty of the American screen, Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas did not only act in the movie, but ‘wore […]
The Ornithologist
A Journey Into the Wilderness João Pedro Rodrigues’ The Ornithologist is the first Portuguese film which is not solely dedicated to birds or landscapes. It is more of a spiritual allegory regarding identity, sex, and faith captured through surrealism and deeply rooted emotions. Rodrigues’ work is a perfect fit for the Portuguese cinema that still […]
Black Sea
Treasure, Betrayal, and the Human Depths of Black Sea There are movies that have the ocean as a setting, and then there are movies that have the ocean as a character. Black Sea (2014) directed by Kevin MacDonald, belongs to the latter. It is a taut underwater thriller about greed, survival, and splintered loyalty. Yet […]