Author: Rob Dean

There are large swaths of movies that are simply okay. They’re mostly entertaining but still have multiple flaws, and while they aren’t incredibly ambitious or genre-defying, many elements are executed well enough. These films aren’t very memorable, but they’re a fine way to divert oneself for a couple hours. “The First Purge” is one such movie. There are good performances and clever ideas, all fueled by a strong allegory of class and racial inequality, but there is also a lot of squandered potential with weak dialogue, poor cinematography and lack of thematic cohesion. Directed by Gerard McMurray from a script…

The political thriller/action movie has gained traction since the ’70s. Following on the heels of the fallout of Watergate and other international scandals, many adult-oriented films have been made in the intervening years that take existing, real world political elements and place them into a personal, dramatic tableau complete with a few exciting action sequences. It’s a good formula that, when done well, has the gravitas of biography while providing the vicarious delights of fantasy; the system is corrupt, but maybe the “little guy” can win just this once. “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” is a great example of this…

Not every film has to follow the same structure or adhere to one form. There are many times when filmmakers are looking to subvert expectations or wish to experiment with the normal narrative format to elicit a unique emotional response from audiences. The possibilities for telling stories with film are endless; there are an infinite number of ways of mashing up narrative, perspective, imagery, sound and so much more in a way that will produce a singular experience for a viewer. However, when creating a movie for general audiences and not looking to experiment with or comment upon narrative expectations,…

A lot can be learned from the stories people tell themselves. Not just the entertainments that cultures produce and digest, but also the personal narratives that go on daily in their brains. It’s an old saying that no one sees themselves as the villain, but it’s true that all people have a reason for their behavior and a way to rationalize what they do, sometimes lying to themselves to avoid facing the consequences and gravity of what they have become. There are so many biases, assumptions and lapses of objective perception that it becomes near impossible to find anyone who…

Movie remakes are not inherently bad projects. If done right, they can be a way to bring classic or foreign stories to a wider audience. Or they can be cultural snapshots that display a particular point in time in society, much like how the four different “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” films reveal different fears and modes of thinking from the eras in which they were made. Many movies can be revisited and remade to provide a new perspective or personality to the property, revealing different angles and layers when considered in a new light. However, if a film’s basic…

Crossover events have been huge in comic books for many decades. Whether it’s the Justice League meeting the Justice Society, top heroes fighting the coolest villains in Marvel’s “Secret War,” or any number of times that multiple superheroes stood together against a foe larger than themselves, fans come out in droves to eat it up. Within those pages, readers get characters pairing up in surprising ways, a healthy dose of spectacle and stakes, and usually some life-altering events that will become part of canon (until the next reboot or retcon). Ever since the first post-credits scene in 2008’s “Iron Man,”…

Not every movie has to have a message or be about something deeper. It’s possible for films to simply be a matter of spectacle or entertainment without having any sort of profundity or commentary. True, the stories with deeper layers tend to hit harder and linger longer in the minds of the audience, but it’s also possible that people will attach meaning to something after the fact if they really enjoyed it. For those movies that do try to say something, it’s best to be consistent in the criticism and moral of the story or else there will be a…

Gimmicks have a long history in filmmaking, especially within the horror genre. Whether it’s adapting a well-known intellectual property or using a familiar phrase or holiday, these movies rely on taking an established idea and turning it into the premise for a dark and deadly story. Sometimes the results can be surprisingly fun and expand upon a simplistic premise in clever ways. Most often, though, it’s a tired excuse to shoehorn in deaths and jump scares around a concept that audience members are already familiar with. “Truth or Dare” unfortunately falls into the latter category, using the well-worn teenage party…

The movies that seem to last the longest in the hearts of viewers are those that are emotionally honest and also a bit complex. That doesn’t mean the films are an overcomplicated maze of misdirection, but that they resemble life in muddying the waters between genres. Life isn’t just a comedy or just a drama – instead, it is made up of moments where people are laughing one moment and inconsolable the next. Those cinematic entries that show the multifaceted aspect of emotions on a daily basis tend to resonate more because they are identifiable and more fulfilling. “Blockers” is…

Fear is a very personal emotion and experience. There is a wide range of what causes fear in people and therefore a broad spectrum of what most consider “scary.” For some, a movie has to be completely grounded in reality in order to effectively scare them. For others, dark imagery will haunt viewers after watching a film, no matter if it’s tied to the supernatural. Then there are other factors like age, social and cultural baggage, and other experiences that feed into what a person is afraid of. There are universal elements that startle everyone, but there is nothing that…