Audrey Callerstrom’s Top 10 Movies of 2021
by Audrey Callerstrom, Staff Writer
So here are my top 10 films to-date, including a placeholder for Licorice Pizza, and a “safety school” option in case I don’t like Licorice Pizza.
In THE NOVICE, Isabelle Fuhrman shines in a cautionary tale about perfection
by Audrey Callerstrom, Staff Writer
The Novice is about how striving for perfectionism in sports can morph into body horror and self-abuse.
WEST SIDE STORY looks to the past for movie musical magic
by Ryan Silberstein and Audrey Callerstrom, Editors
The lasting impression I think this West Side Story adaptation will have is how “Old Hollywood” it feels.
C’MON C’MON is strongest when it favors truth over whimsy
by Audrey Callerstrom, Staff Writer
C’mon C’mon manages to stay in the vein of cute and sweet, at times to its detriment.
CUSP is a dull documentary about bored Texas teens
by Audrey Callerstrom, Associate Editor and Staff Writer
The whole film feels as boring as these teens feel, rushing to the next party or bonfire to drink because it’s something to do.
THE HUMANS is a film with strong performances, but tepid drama
by Audrey Callerstrom, Associate Editor and Staff Writer
The drama here doesn’t feel like anything outside of an average family Thanksgiving.
THE FEAST is a gruesome and mysterious slow burn
by Audrey Callerstrom, Associate Editor and Staff Writer
The Feast is an effective slow burn, the kind of true horror that comes not with violence, but with the growing feeling of dread.
DOUBLE WALKER is an incomplete ghost/revenge story
by Audrey Callerstrom, Associate Editor and Staff Writer
From its first moments, you can tell that Double Walker is surrealist and focused on ambiance and mood rather than story.
ANTLERS is a layered and atmospheric folk horror/mystery
by Audrey Callerstrom, Associate Editor and Staff Writer
Antlers, the fifth film from Scott Cooper (Hostiles), takes its time setting the stage, providing some subtle, and not so subtle, hints at what is happening in a small town in Oregon.
THE FRENCH DISPATCH is Wes Anderson’s lopsided trip into anthology film
by Audrey Callerstrom, Associate Editor and Staff Writer
If this is Wes Anderson’s “love letter” to The New Yorker, then, well, you will enjoy it, if you love, in equal measure, every Wes Anderson film as well as The New Yorker.
THE BLAZING WORLD is a beautiful spectacle, but lacks a solid story
by Audrey Callerstrom, Associate Editor and Staff Writer
The Blazing World kind of yadda-yaddas its story, which doesn’t reveal anything new to the audience or attempt to dive into deeper themes.
OUIJA JAPAN: mistakes were made
by Audrey Callerstrom, Associate Editor and Staff Writer
This is the kind of movie where what sounds like music that you can license for free online plays throughout multiple scenes, even when people are talking.
SWEET THING is a sweet indie, but lacks substance
by Audrey Callerstrom, Associate Editor and Staff Writer
Alexandre Rockwell, writer/director of Sweet Thing, had a brief stint of popularity during the independent film boom of the 1990s.
MASS is a showcase of four great performances
by Audrey Callerstrom, Associate Editor and Staff Writer
One of Kranz’s greatest strength here is how he builds the setting for this story.
V/H/S 94 tries some new things on old tapes
by Audrey Callerstrom, Staff Writer
This time around, there are some unique and clever choices that go into the V/H/S story format.
VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE does everything but rap–yes, Venom even cooks breakfast
by Ryan Silberstein and Audrey Callerstrom, Editors
Two MovieJawners bond over their mutual love of this delightfully odd franchise.
SURGE is a shaky-cam misery parade
by Audrey Callerstrom, Staff Writer
…It’s hard to stay invested a film with a main character that the film’s creator appears so ambivalent about.
Melanie Lynskey shines in the easy, plucky LADY OF THE MANOR
by Audrey Callerstrom, Staff Writer
There’s value in a movie that comes together simply because it’s easy to shoot and the actors in it are all friends.
WHAT SHE SAID fails to make its characters worth hearing
by Audrey Callerstrom, Staff Writer
What She Said suffers from a limp script, underwritten characters, and unclear intentions.
Add MARTYRS LANE to the pile of safe and dull child-led horror
by Audrey Callerstrom, Staff Writer
Can you stay interested and engaged knowing the film is two little kids talking to each other the whole time?