Freaky (2020)

The concept of Freaky Friday is repurposed as the comedic slasher film Freaky, with ample amounts of laughs and gory carnage.

Michael WardNovember 12, 2020Kathryn Newton, Vince Vaughn, Katie Finneran, Kelly Lamor Wilson, Celeste O’Connor, Misha Osherovich, Uriah Shelton, Alan Ruck, Melissa Collazo, 2020, Comedy, Horror, Freaky, Christopher Landon, Michael Kennedy

Come Away (2020)

An intriguing concept gets pushed aside for a frustrating, and surprisingly bleak family film, remixing the stories of Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland into one misguided mash-up.

Let Him Go (2020)

Diane Lane and Kevin Costner are terrific together in the hit-or-miss thriller Let Him Go, starring as grandparents who set out to reconnect with a grandson they haven’t seen in quite some time.

Michael WardNovember 6, 20202020, Western, Suspense/Thriller, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Lesley Manville, Kayli Carter, Booboo Stewart, Jeffrey Donovan, Will Brittain, Ryan Bruce, Adam Stafford, Connor Mackay, Thomas Bezucha, Larry Watson, Let Him Go

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2020)

Borat returns, this time hoping to gift his 15-year-old daughter as a peace offering to Vice-President Mike Pence, as Sacha Baron Cohen’s obnoxious character in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm…, a sequel to the 2006 comedy classic.

Michael WardOctober 22, 20202020, Comedy, Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova, Dani Popescu, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Pence, Borat, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Jason Woliner, Peter Baynham. Sacha Baron Cohen. Jena Friedman, Anthony Hines, Lee Kern, Dan Mazer, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Swimer, Nina Pedrad, Nick Corirossi

Kajillionaire (2020)

Miranda July’s new comedy/drama, Kajillionaire, places us with a family of small-town thieves, who sees their world turned upside down when a new friend enters the picture. A fantastic performance by Evan Rachel Wood makes this unique film well-worth seeing.

Michael WardSeptember 25, 20202020, Kajillionaire, Comedy, Drama, Miranda July, Evan Rachel Wood, Richard Jenkins, Debra Winger, Gina Rodriguez, Mark Ivanir, Rachel Redleaf, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Diana-Maria Riva, Randy Ryan

Antebellum (2020)

Antebellum has important things to say about racism in America...until it willingly hurtles itself off a cliff with a howler of an ending that undermines everything which came before it.

Michael WardSeptember 19, 20202020, Horror, Antebellum, Janelle Monáe, Eric Lange, Jena Malone, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, Gabourey Sidibe, Marque Richardson, Tongayi Chirisa, Robert Aramayo, Lily Cowles, London Boyce, Gerard Bush, Christopher Renz

The Way I See It (2020)

The Way I See It offers a voice and a platform for former official White House photographer Pete Souza, whose images of Presidents Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan have been significant companions to important moments in recent American history.

Michael WardSeptember 18, 20202020, Documentary, The Way I See It, Pete Souza, Patti Lease, Ben Rhodes, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Samantha Power, Susan Rice, Dawn Porter

All In: The Fight for Democracy (2020)

All In: The Fight for Democracy is a powerful, factual, profound look at America’s long history of voter disenfranchisement, from the formation of the Constitution to present-day 2020.

Michael WardSeptember 18, 20202020, All In: The Fight for Democracy, All In, Documentary, Stacey Abrams, Carol Anderson, Debo Adegbile, Lauren Groh-Wargo, Desmond Meade, Eric Holder, Marcia Fudge, Andrew Young, Liz Garbus, Lisa Cortes, Jack Youngelson

Chemical Hearts (2020)

Chemical Hearts arrives on Amazon Prime, failing to stand out, similar to countless other teen dramas that populate streaming services and television networks nowadays.

Michael WardAugust 21, 20202020, Drama, Chemical Hearts, Lili Reinhart, Austin Abrams, Sarah Jones, Adhir Kalyan, Kara Young, Coral Peña, C.J. Hoff, Bruce Altman, Meg Gibson, Shannon Walsh, Richard Tanne, Krystal Sutherland

Words On Bathroom Walls (2020)

Adapted from the popular novel of the same name, Words on Bathroom Walls is a disappointment, only able to go as far as the impressive Charlie Plummer can take it.

Michael WardAugust 21, 2020Charlie Plummer, Taylor Russell, Andy Garcia, AnnaSophia Robb, Devon Bostick, Lolo Sebastian, Molly Parker, Walton Goggins, Beth Grant, Nick Naveda, Thor Freudenthal, Julia Walton, Words on Bathroom Walls, 2020, Drama

Magic Camp (2020)

After two-plus years of delays, and a whole lot of pre-release baggage Disney is ignoring, Magic Camp arrives three years after it first went into production on Disney+. Maybe it should have stayed on the shelf.

Red Penguins (2020)

New documentary Red Penguins tells a crazy, compelling story of the good and bad surrounding a tenuous partnership between the Russian national hockey team and the National Hockey League following the fall of the Soviet Union. What could possibly go wrong?

Michael WardAugust 21, 20202020, Documentary, Red Penguins, Steven Warshaw, Howard Baldwin, Valery Gushin, Victor Gusev, Alexander Lyubimov, Tom Ruta, Alxander von Bush, Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, Alexander Baranovsky, Gabe Polsky

Boys State (2020)

One of 2020’s best documentaries and films, Boys State is a powerful, lasting look at young men’s participation in a mock political competition at the Texas State capital, forever changed by their experiences.

Michael WardAugust 14, 20202020, Documentary, Boys State, Steven Garza, Ben Feinstein, Robert MacDougall, Rene Otero, Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss

The Go-Go's (2020)

Alison Ellwood’s terrific, nothing-to-hide look at pop/punk innovators The Go-Go’s is a long overdue celebration of the band’s appeal and legacy.

Michael WardAugust 7, 2020Documentary, 2020, The Go-Go's, Belinda Carlisle, Jane Wiedlin, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine, Elissa Bello, Ginger Canzoneri, Margot Olavarria, Miles Copeland, Kathleen Hanna, Paula Jean Brown, Stewart Copeland, Lynval Golding, Alison Ellwood

CREEM: America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine (2020)

Creem Magazine deemed itself as the only rock and roll magazine during its two-decade existence. Scott Crawford’s new documentary captures the rebellious, raucous spirit found within its pages.

The Secret: Dare To Dream (2020)

Inspired by a popular best-selling help book from 2006, The Secret: Dare to Dream is an odd, peculiar kind-hearted movie that feels tone deaf from the real world.

Michael WardAugust 2, 20202020, The Secret Dare To Dream, The Secret, Katie Holmes, Josh Lucas, Jerry O’Connell, Celia Weston, Sarah Hoffmeister, Aidan Pierce Brennan, Chloe Lee, Sydney Tennant, Katrina Begin, Andy Tennant, Bekah Brunstetter, Rhonda Byrne, Rick Parks

Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets (2020)

Not quite a documentary, not quite a complete work of fiction, Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is a sobering but important look at dive bar culture, as a group of regulars wander into their favorite bar’s final day of being open.

Michael WardJuly 27, 20202020, Documentary, Bloody Nose Empty Pockets, Drama, Michael Martin, Shay Walker, Marc Paradis, Cheryl Fink, John Nerichow, Bruce Hadnot, Tra Walker, Rikki Reed, Pam Harper, Felix Cardona, Kamari Stevens, Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross

Radioactive (2020)

Rosamund Pike’s resilient performance as the legendary physicist Marie Curie is nearly lost in Radioactive, a densely plotted, overthought biopic.

Michael WardJuly 24, 2020Rosamund Pike, Sam Riley, Anya Taylor-Joy, Aneurin Barnard, Katherine Parkinson, Simon Russell Beale, Indica Watson, Cara Bossom, Tim Woodward, Demetri Goritsas, Sian Brooke, Edward Davis, 2020, Radioactive, Drama, Marjane Satrapi, Jack Thorne, Lauren Redniss

Hamilton (2020)

The cinematic release of 11-time Tony Award winner Hamilton is an exhilarating film experience. Masterfully edited and performed, this is an outstanding and intimate presentation of a watershed moment for musical theater and modern pop culture.

Michael WardJuly 4, 20202020, Hamilton, Performance, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, Jonathan Groff, Sydney James Harcourt, Thayne Jesperson, Jon Rua, Ephraim Sykes, Thomas Kail

The King Of Staten Island (2020)

Pete Davidson will likely become a much bigger star with the arrival of The King of Staten Island. Sadly, he deserves to shine in a better movie.

REVIEWS