Reviews
Sep 29 2026
“The Mess” Might Be Noah Van Sciver’s Best Book Yet
Noah Van Sciver has written some epic tomes. The Complete Works of Fante Bukowski clocked in at 452 pages, and Joseph Smith and the Mormons at 464. His newest book, The Mess, is a mere 168 pages but has just as much emotional heft. It’s also arguably more formally ambitious than any book he’s written,…
Sep 25 2026
The Hive’s “Bull in a China Shop” Brings a Modern Vibe to a Historical Story
This month, the St. Paul–based Hive Collaborative has partnered with Fortune’s Fool Theatre to stage Bull in a China Shop, a historical drama telling the true story of Mary Woolley and Jeannette Marks, a lesbian couple who dedicated themselves to the cause of first-wave feminism in the early 20th century.…
Sep 25 2026
Philippine Folklore Meets Full-Throttle Heart in “Forgotten Island”
It’s always pure magic when an animated movie takes a massive creative risk and the gamble actually pays off. Forgotten Island is that kind of movie. Directed and written by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the creative duo behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, this film is a gorgeous, chaotic,…
Sep 20 2026
“Star Wars Zero Company” Is Exactly the Game Fans of the Clone Wars Have Been Looking For
Ever since Star Wars introduced fans to the turbulent Clone Wars, they have been clamoring for more. Many have fallen in love with the battlefields, followed along with all the gripping stories, and spent fortunes collecting every unique ship and helmet that the era has delivered. While there has been…
Sep 18 2026
“Mamma Mia!” Is Gaudy Fun at the Orpheum Theatre
Now through September 20, the Orpheum Theatre is hosting Mamma Mia!, the light, bright romp set to the hits of Swedish pop group ABBA.
This was not my first time seeing the stage show—I grew up watching the 2008 film adaptation at home, and my mom took me to see the movie at the Castro Theater in San Francisco…
Sep 17 2026
Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” Reset
Adapting a survival horror game is rarely about translating its lore. It is about capturing its panic.
Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil understands this distinction better than almost any franchise attempt before it, stripping away the obligation to a line-by-line reboot to deliver a pure, relentless…
Sep 12 2026
“Practical Magic 2” Is a Cozy Return to a Familiar World
I never understood the impulse to treat 1998’s Practical Magic like untouchable gospel. It was always a cozy, messy blend of witchy romance and domestic drama, a film I appreciated more for its comfort than any cinematic perfection.
Approaching the follow-up with that attitude toward the original…
Sep 04 2026
“Onslaught” Is Heavy-Metal Violence with Unfinished Business
If you told me Adam Wingard pitched Onslaught by slamming a stack of John Carpenter VHS tapes and a Terminator poster onto a producer’s desk, I would believe you. The film hits the ground running with a propulsive synth score and tactile sound design that signal its intentions from the first frame.…
Aug 28 2026
Bizhiki Provides a Soundscape for the Natural World at the Walker Art Center
On August 20, the Walker Art Center presented the 2026 installment of its Sound for Silents film screening series. These events combine live musical performances with films from the Walker’s Ruben/Bentson Moving Image Collection as well as contemporary motion picture work. This edition featured…
Aug 27 2026
“The Dog Stars” Runs on Fumes
Following the devastating news of Dolly Parton and Tim Curry passing away on the very same day, I walked into Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars the following afternoon desperately needing a distraction. The simultaneous departure of two towering cultural icons who offered decades of comfort, camp, and…