Author Archives: Sammie Purcell

Since 2016, director Pablo Larraín has made three films about culturally significant women of the 20th century. “Jackie” (Jackie Kennedy) leans into camp and melodrama; “Spencer” (Princess Diana) took elements from gothic horror: and “Maria” (Maria Callas) is an opera.  If you’ve ever heard Maria Callas sing, you’ve probably never forgotten the sound. Her voice […]

“Let me tell you the whole story.” That’s how Glinda (Ariana Grande) opens up “Wicked.” A lie, really, because she will only be telling you half the story – “Wicked” is just a part one, with the second movie slated to come out next year.  The decision to split the story into two films has […]

“Emilia Pérez” begins with a choral overture; a prologue characterized by electronic, almost Imogen Heap-style vocals. The screen is dark, and the camera quickly moves in on a band as they play along with the robotic tones, the brims of their hats bedazzled with the sort of lights you might also see adorning the cowboy […]

Before Sisters Barnes and Paxton begin a long day of missionary work for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, they kick off the morning with a conversation about condoms.  Well, really marketing. As “Heretic” – the new horror film from Scott Beck and Bryan Woods – begins, Sister Paxton (Chloe East) is telling […]

Anora – but don’t call her that. Her name is Ani – is a hustler.  The titular character of Sean Baker’s “Anora” is a 23-year-old stripper who spends seven nights a week working the room at a Manhattan club – and boy, is she good at working the room.  Ani (Mikey Madison) can talk her way out […]

“Conclave” is all about hushed conversations in dark rooms. One of the most important locations in a film that beautifully recreates echoing church halls and the dramatic, high ceilings of the Sistine Chapel is a simple auditorium; a bright light shining down on the cardinals seated there, the rest of the room draped in shadow. […]

There’s a particular brand of weepy drama that is always bound to get me. A good amount of resilience, a healthy dose of stiff upper lips in the face of abject tragedy – do it even remotely well, and you’ve got me. I’ll be crying in that theater.  “We Live in Time,” directed by John […]

It’s Oct. 11, 1975, just minutes before the first episode of “Saturday Night Live” (then called “NBC’s Saturday Night”). John Belushi (Matt Wood) is missing, but Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt) has found him. She watches as he glides around the Rockefeller Center ice skating rink wearing a bumblebee costume.  This is one of the sweeter […]

The Orkney Islands are a beautiful place. Beautiful, but tough.  With rugged cliffs, sparkling seas, and landscapes that have been shaped over millions of years, the islands are a sight to behold, but they can feel quite savage at times – the freezing water can chill you to the bone, the wind can whip at […]

“Megalopolis” centers around a meeting of minds in conflict.  Frank Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), the mayor of New Rome – a New York-esque city in the near future – frequently clashes with Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) over how to rebuild the dying city to its former glory. Frank remains staunchly committed to the status quo while […]

A man rides his bike down a quiet, rural street, Iron Maiden blasting in his headphones. The music is loud. Like, obscenely loud. So loud, the man doesn’t notice the cop car behind him attempting to pull him over. The cop clips the man on the bike with his car, unceremoniously knocking him to the […]

A couple of years ago, “Speak No Evil” – a Danish horror film from director Christian Tafdrup – premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, making more than a bit of a splash in the horror world for its razor sharp satire and even sharper depravity. A little over a year later – as is wont to happen […]

When someone is dying, there tends to be a lot more talking than you might expect.  That’s one of the things “His Three Daughters” really nails about death – the constant conversation. When you’re waiting for a loved one to pass, you’re never really allowed to live in the weirdness of that particular kind of […]

The high school movie is an important genre of film, and one with a multitude of formulas. One of those formulas – and perhaps the one that reigns supreme – is that of the high school party.  “Can’t Hardly Wait.” “Superbad.” “Project X.” “Booksmart.” Plenty of teen movies have tackled the big party, following that […]

Picture this: you arrive at a hotel somewhere in the islands. You’ve just been on a plane for five-ish hours, an endeavor that’s left you with a crick in your neck and your face on the verge of a massive breakout. The villa looks beautiful, but you’re tired, you’re cranky, and you need a shower. […]

Ridley Scott’s “Alien” is so formative and so influential to all the science fiction/horror that came after it, it’s hard to not compare any movie of its ilk – within the “Alien” franchise or not – to its greatness. “Alien: Romulus,” director Fede Álvarez’s newest addition to the canon, is no exception.  It’s a better […]

Playing Hamlet is one of those things an actor dreams about. But winning the role is only half the battle.  In “Sing Sing,” Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin finds that out the hard way. His director Brent (Paul Raci) gives him the note to try and embody the Danish prince before he delivers the famous “to […]

Late into “Deadpool & Wolverine,” Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) makes a plea to the camera, surrounded by hundreds of other Deadpools from a myriad of different universes. A lady Deadpool, a Scottish Deadpool, a baby Deadpool – you get the drift.  Our Deadpool pleads with the other Deadpools, with the audience, with Kevin Feige himself, to […]

Legacy sequels are par for the course these days in Hollywood, from the successful (“Top Gun: Maverick”) to the less successful (“The Exorcist: Believer”). Nowadays, big blockbusters tend to tie into a movie from 20+ years ago, aiming to tickle our nostalgic funny bone but so often failing to capture what made said old movie […]

We’ve all heard the theory – the Apollo 11 moon landing was faked and filmed by Stanley Kubrick. “Fly Me to the Moon” dares to ask, what if that were true?  Well, if it were, there’s no way they could have gotten Kubrick. But in “Fly Me to the Moon,” NASA doesn’t need him. The […]