film

Review: Deadpool & Wolverine

In Marvel’s first-ever R-rated entry, Ryan Reynolds’s and Hugh Jackman’s iconic characters are a match made in hell.

by Laya Tate July 24, 2024July 24, 2024

Latest stories

Review: Dress My Tour (Season one)

Dress My Tour deserves a dressing down.

Dress My Tour (Season one) now streaming on Hulu

by Marah Eakin July 24, 2024July 24, 2024

Cheese-en-scène

Themed movie menus that pair double or triple features with curated charcuterie

Many of my favorite movie memories are from my teenage years, right at the cusp of the streaming age, when mail-in discs and trips to Family Video coincided with Comcast VOD and a bare-bones Netflix digital queue. My friends and I would stock up on food at Jewel-Osco before a movie night, not just for the usual sleepover junk food…

by Daniella Mazzio July 24, 2024July 24, 2024

Keep quiet and watch the damn movie

The Moviegoer is the diary of a local film buff, collecting the best of what Chicago’s independent and underground film scene has to offer. This will likely be the first and only time I write about a screening I didn’t attend. Last Thursday, David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (1986) screened at the Music Box Theatre as part of the monthly Rated…

by Kat Sachs July 23, 2024July 23, 2024

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Features

Find film fests at ChicagoScreens.org

The new website from the Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals consolidates information for attendees and fosters collaboration between local fests.

by Jonah Nink July 17, 2024July 24, 2024

God is seen and heard in Janet Planet

Annie Baker’s quiet film debut explores a strikingly universal parent-child relationship.

by Joey Shapiro July 3, 2024July 24, 2024

MaXXXine is an electrifying return to form

The conclusion of Ti West’s trilogy draws inspiration from 80s horror, giallo, and the deadly ambition of its own protagonist.

by Maxwell Rabb July 3, 2024July 24, 2024

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REviews

Movie Review

Review: The Last Breath

Maybe the worst shark movie is the best shark movie.

by Noah Berlatsky July 24, 2024July 24, 2024

Movie Review

Review: Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger

Martin Scorsese is the narrator and guide in this inviting documentary about British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

by Donald Liebenson July 24, 2024July 24, 2024

Film

Lady in the Lake (Miniseries)

Lady in the Lake is an ambitious swing and a miss.

by S. Nicole Lane July 19, 2024July 24, 2024

Film

Review: Widow Clicquot

In Widow Clicquot, a potentially fascinating, bubbly story is watered down by sexist framing.

by Andrea Thompson July 18, 2024July 24, 2024

Film

Review: Twisters

Twisters pales in comparison to its 90s predecessor, but it’s a fun summer blockbuster.

by Maxwell Rabb July 18, 2024July 24, 2024

Film

Review: My Spy the Eternal City

My Spy the Eternal City is a poorly conceived sequel.

by Noah Berlatsky July 17, 2024July 22, 2024

Film

Review: Longlegs

The scariest movie of the year also happens to be the dumbest.

by Joey Shapiro July 17, 2024July 22, 2024

Film

Review: Fly Me to the Moon

Fly Me to the Moon is an underwhelming space race film that can’t quite decide on its genre.

by Kylie Bolter

Film

Review: Mother, Couch

Mother, Couch captures something real about family and aging, but it remains unsatisfactory.

by Daniella Mazzio

Film

Review: Last Summer

French provocateur Catherine Breillat explores age gap relationships with complexity and truth in Last Summer.

by Kat Sachs

Film

Review: Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person

This French vampire dramedy may not be groundbreaking, but its strong leads and dry humor make it well worth watching.

by Lauren Coates

Film

Review: A Quiet Place: Day One

As a franchise prequel, A Quiet Place: Day One doesn’t do enough world-building, but Lupita Nyong’o makes it worth a watch.

by Noëlle D. Lilley

Film

Review: Music

Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex inspired this intentional and affecting drama.

by Soham Gadre

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Small screen

Eighty-six the Italian beef

Season three of The Bear focuses on fine dining and form over story and character.

by Lauren Coates July 10, 2024July 24, 2024

Review: Sunny (Season one)

Sunny helps viewers process their AI robot fears.

by S. Nicole Lane July 9, 2024July 24, 2024

Review: Queenie (Season one)

Despite lacking depth in its themes and characters, this adaptation is an enjoyable ride.

by Noëlle D. Lilley June 12, 2024June 28, 2024

Review: Doctor Who (Season one/Series 14)

New stars and a legacy showrunner bring Doctor Who into a new era.

by Lauren Coates May 17, 2024June 28, 2024

Chicago community calendar: Arts & Culture event listings

Review: The Big Cigar (Miniseries)

Black Panther Party cofounder Huey Newton gets the Hollywood treatment—for better or for worse—in this new biodrama.

by Micco Caporale May 17, 2024June 28, 2024

Review: Dark Matter (Season one)

This sci-fi thriller has its missteps, but powerful leading actors give it depth and resonance.

by Gregory Wakeman May 10, 2024June 28, 2024

Review: The Sympathizer (Miniseries)

An overambitious narrative overshadows the strong performances in The Sympathizer.

by Maxwell Rabb April 19, 2024June 28, 2024

Review: Ripley (Limited series)

This latest iteration of The Talented Mr. Ripley puts aesthetics over substance.

by Lauren Coates April 11, 2024June 28, 2024

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Chicago Reader print newspaper cover art for volume 52 number 25 featuring an illustration of the fine arts building in chicago surrounded by other buildings on michigan avenue — Volume 52, Number 25 Credit: Illustration by Joe Mills

High Fidelity gets the oral history treatment

An interview with Andrew Buss, author of Top Five: How High Fidelity Found Its Rhythm and Became a Cult Movie Classic

by Donald Liebenson

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