Movie Reviews

Civil War | Review

Published

2 years ago

April 19, 2024

Alex Garland’s Civil War depicts a fictional US conflict that is less about conveying a political perspective as it is a tense statement about the normalization of violence and collectively losing sight of the bigger picture.

Poignancy in film is sometimes on purpose, sometimes just coincidence. Civil War is a bit of both. Here is a film that recognizes the diplomatic atmosphere being as strained as it has been in a very long time, but also comes to theaters exactly at the right time when those conflicts are heightened to a worryingly improbable end. Civil War may depict a fictional conflict in the United States, but it’s message speaks to the global increase of violence in our lives driven by the splintering of society towards radical perspectives – in specific those who act upon them and those who pretend they aren’t a threat.

Those exact perspectives aren’t clearly defined in Civil War, which is a detriment to those viewers who are hoping the film will champion their own specific views. Instead, director Alex Garland makes the choice to not explicitly detail the cause of his fictional civil war, but instead realize the greater implications of that conflict on the general population. It recognizes the general opportunity of how things could get out of control here in the US, as if to demonstrate that the systems of our precious constitution are just as susceptible to abuse as anywhere else in the world.

Civil War
Directed By: Alex Garland
Written By: Alex Garland
Starring: Kristen Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley-Henderson
Release Date: April 12, 2024
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By not providing a concrete reason for the conflict, Garland’s film suggests the flaws of humanity make it inevitable. He reinforces this theme by peppering in accounts of people who are pretending the war isn’t happening, as if to suggest their ambivalence played a role. The film contrasts the experiences of those people with their heads buried in the sand by spinning a narrative around those who are paid not to: war correspondents.

The story focuses on a renowned journalist Lee Smith (Kristen Dunst) who has made a name for herself covering harrowing atrocities across the globe, and her colleague Joel (Wagner Moura) who lives for the thrill of experiencing the thrill of battle in person. As the civil war is upon the precipice of conclusion, they decide to race to Washington D.C. to try and interview the President of the United states before he is captured by his opposition. In this journey they are joined by Sammy, a veteran reporter who would rather die than stop working (Stephen McKinley-Henderson), and Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), a young and inexperienced photographer who looks up to Lee.

Lee and Joel are an experienced 2-man crew who have been together through some very dangerous conflicts depicted to the audience through flashbacks. Sammy and Jessie’s involvement thus represents a hazard because they don’t just have to worry about themselves, they have to look out for two people who don’t have the same capabilities as they do. But while Sammy is willingly putting himself in danger and has the wherewithal to know exactly what he is getting himself into, Jessie does not. Joel and Lee’s opposing perspectives on the approach to their work is something that makes their working relationship function, but it creates conflict in regards to Jessie.

Lee is reluctant to bring Jessie in under her belt and show her the ropes because she has seen the worst of humanity and fears Jessie isn’t prepared for it both emotionally and physically. Lee doesn’t want to have to care about someone else because it may compromise her ability to do her own work. Meanwhile Joel is excited to be able to share his enthusiasm for being in the thick of the battle and wants to help Jessie experience this for the first time. For her part Jessie realizes the uncomfortable burden her presence places on the group, but knows that if she wants to further her career this is a golden opportunity she would never get if she played it safe.

In this way, all of them essentially exploit the pain and suffering of others for their living. This experience has essentially numbed them to the motivations of the conflict, which is part of the reason why the film doesn’t spend time commenting on them. Furthermore, it isn’t really possible for Lee & Company to be on one side or the other because the integrity of their craft and personal safety requires them to be ambivalent. In many ways they hide behind it like a shield. While they can’t ignore the conflict, their reasoning to not be on one side or the other is just as selfish as those who are ignoring the conflict.

You could construe this as a criticism of the media, which I think may be valid. But I think the point is the fact that our society is at a point where “sides” are necessary in the first place. This is a bigger criticism of the world’s social development as a whole. Rather than be motivated by the greater good, we’re motivated by selfish desires and we channel that into picking “sides”. At one point in the film, the main characters encounter a man with a gun who has captured and tortured two men because they were stealing from him. He comments on how he had gone to high school with one of them, suggesting the extremes that have become necessary – even in a civilized first-world nation – for individual survival.

Director/writer Garland first made a name for himself in cinema by reinventing the zombie genre for the 21st Century with his script for 28 Days Later. In many ways, Civil War feels like a zombie movie. The world it depicts has fleeting reminders of normalcy amidst a harrowing almost post-apocalyptic fight for survival. There are gripping action sequences with sound design that pummels you into the back of your seat. And yet most of the film is quiet, expressing the void of humanity from this possible future. Garland depicts empty streets with the occasional roving military vehicle, others are littered with the carcasses of cars and equipment abandoned long ago. Like a zombie movie it hinges on humanity’s hubris – despite all our impressive accomplishments we’re still a deeply flawed species.

Kristen Dunst portrays Lee the entire film with the aghast expression of someone who has seen too much. But Jessie’s inclusion in her life is what ultimately breaks her. Not because she witnesses her loss of innocence first-hand, but because Lee sees herself in Jessie. From this outside perspective Lee begins to feel the guilt that she had hid away for all these years. Reporting on these terrible events doesn’t necessarily bring heightened concern from the general public, instead it fuels our tolerance for them.

Civil War offers us the ultimate paradox of our modern information age; the more we know about what is going on, the worse off we are. Truth becomes the enemy not because of what it means to us, but because of our selfish reactions towards it. The film conveys a pulse-quickening tale of survival in a harrowing dystopia of fear towards knowledge. It flies in the face of every horror film where we’re told that the most frightening thing is the unknown.

Movie Reviews

People Shared Their Thoughts About Movies They Watched And These 67 Reviews Are Comedy Gold – AOL

Published

11 hours ago

July 19, 2026

Press Room

People Shared Their Thoughts About Movies They Watched And These 67 Reviews Are Comedy Gold – AOL

If you love movies, chances are you’ve read a review or two before deciding what to watch. Most people keep things pretty simple—they talk about the acting, the storyline, or whether the film is worth your time. But then there’s Letterboxd, a popular social platform where movie lovers log, rate, and review the films they watch. While plenty of reviews are thoughtful and insightful, others take a… much more chaotic approach.

That’s exactly what the Letterboxd Reviews With Threatening Auras account celebrates. It rounds up the platform’s funniest, most unhinged, and wonderfully cursed reviews—the kind that make you stop mid-scroll and wonder what was going through the reviewer’s mind. These definitely aren’t your standard “Loved it, 4 stars” takes. They radiate such a bizarrely threatening energy that it’s almost impossible not to keep scrolling to see what wild review comes next.

We’ve all been there—sitting through a film, hoping it gets better, only for the credits to roll and leave you wondering what on earth you just watched. But if there’s one silver lining, it’s the internet’s reaction afterward. Sometimes the reviews are so funny, dramatic, or brutally honest that they’re more entertaining than the movie itself.

Whether it’s an accidental masterpiece of comedy or a hilariously savage one-liner, people have a remarkable talent for putting their thoughts into words. The truth is, movie reviews come in all shapes and sizes. They vary depending on who’s writing them, where they’re published, and what they’re hope to achieve. Some are designed to help you decide what to watch on a Friday night, while others dig deep into themes, symbolism, and filmmaking techniques.

One of the most familiar formats is the capsule review. These are the short reviews you’ll often spot in newspapers, magazines, streaming platforms, or entertainment websites. Usually just one or two paragraphs long, they quickly summarize the story, highlight a few strengths and weaknesses, and end with a clear recommendation or star rating. They’re ideal for people who don’t want spoilers or lengthy analysis—they simply want to know whether a movie is worth their time. Writing one isn’t always as easy as it looks, though. Condensing an entire film into just a few sentences while still being informative takes real skill. That’s why some of the best capsule reviews manage to say more in 100 words than others do in 1,000.

Professional critics often take a different approach. Publications such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and major newspapers publish what are commonly known as trade reviews. These aren’t just personal opinions; they also consider a film’s broader impact, commercial appeal, performances, direction, cinematography, and where it fits within the industry. Their reviews are often read by moviegoers, filmmakers, studios, and even award voters. While audiences don’t always agree with the critics, these reviews provide a structured, informed perspective that goes beyond simply saying whether a movie was enjoyable. They aim to explain why a film succeeds—or why it falls flat.

Then there are academic film reviews, which take things to an entirely different level. These aren’t written for casual viewers but for students, researchers, and people who study cinema professionally. Rather than focusing on entertainment value, they examine symbolism, storytelling techniques, historical context, editing, cinematography, and cultural influence. It’s less about asking, “Was this movie good?” and more about exploring what the film is trying to communicate and how it fits into the history of cinema. They can be dense, detailed, and surprisingly fascinating, often revealing layers that the average viewer might never notice. Even a blockbuster superhero movie can become the subject of serious academic discussion.

Of course, not every review is carefully researched. Some of the most popular today are instant reaction reviews—the videos, podcasts, TikToks, or tweets people post immediately after leaving the theater. They’re fast, emotional, and completely unfiltered. You can usually tell within seconds whether someone loved the movie or absolutely hated it. Because there’s no time to overthink anything, these reactions often feel refreshingly genuine. Sure, opinions may change after a second viewing, but that’s part of the fun. They capture that immediate emotional response we all have after watching something memorable, whether it’s excitement, disappointment, confusion, or complete disbelief.

And then there’s arguably the internet’s favorite category: user reviews. Platforms like Letterboxd, IMDb, and Rotten Tomatoes have given everyday movie lovers a place to share whatever is on their minds. Some people write thoughtful essays that rival professional critics, while others somehow manage to steal the spotlight with a single sentence. One review might offer a heartfelt personal story about how a film changed someone’s life, while the next simply says something so absurd that thousands of people can’t stop laughing. Because anyone can contribute, there’s an endless variety of voices, personalities, and senses of humor. That’s exactly what makes scrolling through user reviews so addictive.

In recent years, these reviews have taken on a life of their own. Thanks to social media, the funniest ones are regularly shared far beyond the platforms where they were originally posted. Sometimes the review becomes more famous than the movie itself. A perfectly timed joke, an oddly specific observation, or an outrageously dramatic reaction can spread across the internet within hours. It’s a reminder that people aren’t just reviewing movies anymore—they’re entertaining each other in the process. For many film fans, reading the reviews afterward has become almost as enjoyable as watching the movie itself.

And that’s exactly where today’s collection comes in. Instead of looking at traditional movie criticism, we’re diving into the wonderfully chaotic world of Letterboxd, where movie lovers often express themselves in the most unpredictable ways imaginable. They aren’t polished critiques or carefully balanced opinions; they’re pure internet gold. Keep scrolling, Pandas, and see which review made you laugh the hardest—or left you wondering what on earth the reviewer had just watched.

Movie Reviews

1986 Movie Reviews – Aliens and Vamp | The Nerdy

Published

24 hours ago

July 18, 2026

Press Room

1986 Movie Reviews – Aliens and Vamp | The Nerdy

by Sean P. Aune | July 18, 2026

Welcome to an exciting year-long project here at The Nerdy. 1986 was an exciting year for films giving us a lot of films that would go on to be beloved favorites and cult classics. It was also the start to a major shift in cultural and societal norms, and some of those still reverberate to this day.

We’re going to pick and choose which movies we hit, but right now the list stands at nearly four dozen.

Yes, we’re insane, but 1986 was that great of a year for film.

The articles will come out – in most cases – on the same day the films hit theaters in 1986 so that it is their true 40th anniversary. All films are also watched again for the purposes of these reviews and are not being done from memory. In some cases, it truly will be the first time we’ve seen them.

This time around, it’s July 18, 1986, and we’re off to see Aliens and Vamp.

Aliens

Really, what can you say about a classic?

Set 57 years after the events of Alien, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) finds herself heading back to LV-426 when a colony on the planet stops communicating with Earth. Teamed up with Colonial Marines, she is still unprepared for the new horrors she will find at the claws of the xenomorphs.

I’m going to do something I normally don’t do and talk about a deleted scene. Aliens, as it stands is a heck of a follow-up to the original film, but for the life of me I will never figure out why James Cameron cut the scene about Ripley’s daughter dying. For those unfamiliar with it, there is a scene after Ripley returns to Earth where she learns her daughter passed away at the age of 66, two years before Ripley made it home. She cries over the fact she had promised her daughter she would be home in time for eleventh birthday.

This scene does so much to frame some of Ripley’s decisions throughout the rest of the movie. This scene, when included, improves the film far beyond the theatrical cut and adds immense weight to several other scenes.

The theatrical version is great, the extended cut is even better.

Where to watch: Available to stream.

Vamp

The 1980s seem to have already been fed up with vampire films with far more of them tackling the tropes instead of being straight-faced about the bloodsuckers.

Keith (Chris Makepeace) and AJ (Robert Rusler) are rushing a fraternity when when the latter promises the frat a stripper for their party to help their chances of getting in. They head downtown and wander into a strip club that features a dancer named Katrina (Grace Jones) that they are mesmerized by and decide she is the one they need. Little do they know she is actually an ancient vampire.

Considering this wasn’t long after Fright Night, it seems everyone was tired of the same old vampire stories. If they only knew what was coming several years later.

It’s a fine movie, and I mean that in the sense of “it’s fine.” It doesn’t do anything that new per se, but it has some fun visuals and sight gags.

Where to watch: Available to stream.

1986 Movie Reviews will continue on July 25, 2026, with , Maximum Overdrive, and Out of Bounds.

Movie Reviews

“The Odyssey” is Christopher Nolan’s Most Singular Film Yet (Movie Review)

Published

1 day ago

July 18, 2026

Press Room

“The Odyssey” is Christopher Nolan’s Most Singular Film Yet (Movie Review)

Christopher Nolan delivers his boldest and most visually stunning film to date.

TOP FIVE OF “THE ODYSSEY”

5. Nolan’s Astounding Script

As a writer-director, Nolan has evolved in substantial ways over the course of his career. He has always been a strong, concept-oriented writer who could sell the ever-living shit out of a great narrative hook, but in recent years, he has reached another level of craftsmanship, especially when it comes to the emotional depth of his work. His take on The Odyssey has the unenviable task of condensing Homer’s sprawling, lyrical epic into a feature-length runtime, yet he manages to turn that challenge into a strength rather than a weakness. From the very first frame, Nolan engages in a fascinating conversation with the original text.

The screenplay merges elements of both Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey in articulate and insightful ways that should excite scholars and newcomers alike. Nolan’s film is so efficient that it remains completely accessible to those unfamiliar with the stories, while also serving as a fascinatingly complex and deeply thoughtful adaptation that will keep longtime fans captivated until the very end. Somehow, he accomplishes all of this while crafting one of his most personal works to date. The film is explicitly rooted in many of Nolan’s recurring thematic interests, including time, familial bonds, and the inherent guilt of achievement, while pushing each of those ideas to new depths. This is my favorite Nolan screenplay to date, and an incredible accomplishment.

4. The Insane Ensemble

The cast Nolan assembles for The Odyssey is as sprawling as Homer’s epic itself. The ensemble is a blend of longtime Nolan collaborators and newcomers, all of whom come together to form a richly woven tapestry of fully realized performances. For my money, there isn’t a weak link in the group. If anything, it’s remarkable to see acclaimed actors like Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, and Zendaya appear for only a few minutes each and still leave a lasting impression.

There are, however, several standout performances, particularly from Matt Damon, Samantha Morton, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, and Elliot Page. Each actor is utterly magnetic, possessing the screen presence and charisma to command Nolan’s signature IMAX frames in breathtaking fashion. Tom Holland also deserves special recognition, delivering what is arguably the best performance of his career. By the film’s end, it genuinely feels like he’s entering an entirely new chapter as an actor. Altogether, the performances are phenomenal, filled with emotion, pathos, and deeply affecting, soulful work.

3. The Horror Sequences

It’s astonishing how much of Homer’s epic Nolan manages to fit into this film without ever making it feel rushed or condensed. For me, though, the most exhilarating moments come when he fully embraces the story’s fantastical elements through a distinctly unsettling, dread-filled lens. The Cyclops sequence feels like Nolan casually inserted a masterful horror short into the middle of the film’s first act. Even more impressive is the Circe-centered sequence later in the runtime, which pushes the film into even more delirious and mesmerizing territory while employing a similarly immersive approach.

These sequences give Nolan the opportunity to apply many of his signature filmmaking techniques in entirely fresh ways. The craftsmanship on display feels deeply rooted in his established style, incorporating everything from practical on-screen light sources and a thunderous blend of diegetic and non-diegetic sound to his trademark cross-cutting. Yet, when placed within these mythological and fantasy-driven settings, those familiar techniques feel completely revitalized, creating some of the most visually and emotionally striking moments of Nolan’s career.

2. An All-Encompassing Cinematic Experience

Which brings us to the culmination of all this extraordinary craftsmanship: The Odyssey is simply a transportive experience, one that can only be compared to one other Christopher Nolan film, his masterpiece, Dunkirk. From Hoyte van Hoytema’s breathtaking cinematography and Richard King’s immersive sound design to Ludwig Göransson’s soaring score, every element of the film pulls you deeper into its world. Sitting in an IMAX theater, surrounded by this level of cinematic precision and commitment, while witnessing the remarkable performances and Nolan’s grand creative vision, results in something truly monumental.

It was a theatrical experience I won’t soon forget, one that felt epic in every sense of the word.

1. The Obscenely Satisfying Final Act

The final thirty minutes of The Odyssey feel like watching a magic trick unfold before your eyes. As gripping and immersive as the film is from the very beginning, it becomes clear that Nolan has been meticulously setting up layers upon layers of narrative and thematic dominoes, all so he can knock them down in spectacular fashion during the final act. The sheer number of satisfying payoffs that arrive in rapid succession throughout this closing stretch is nothing short of astonishing.

At three hours long, The Odyssey never feels like it’s wasting a single moment. Instead, Nolan creates an experience that makes you feel as though you’ve genuinely embarked on this journey alongside the characters. By the time the film reaches its conclusion and everything comes full circle with such precision and emotional weight, it’s difficult to put into words just how deeply moving it all is. I genuinely sat there with my jaw on the floor. It’s phenomenal filmmaking.

RGM GRADE

(A)

Over the past few decades, Christopher Nolan has established himself as one of the defining filmmakers of his generation. From early works like the critically acclaimed cult classic Memento to blockbuster landmarks like The Dark Knight and Inception, and most recently the Academy Award-winning Oppenheimer, Nolan has remained one of the most influential voices in modern cinema. That made the question of what he would do after winning Best Picture and Best Director for Oppenheimer especially compelling. What kind of film does a director who seemingly can do anything choose to make at the absolute height of his creative powers?

The answer is The Odyssey, an adaptation of Homer’s seminal, genre-defining epic. The choice of source material wasn’t entirely unexpected, given Nolan’s long-documented fascination with the story. He nearly directed Troy back in 2004 before pivoting to Batman Begins, a decision that ultimately launched the extraordinary run of films that followed. What is surprising, however, is the sheer ambition and fearless conviction with which he tackles the material. In a post-Oppenheimer world, Nolan clearly feels emboldened to take even bigger, bolder, and more daring creative swings. The result is a staggering achievement. The Odyssey is unlike anything else in modern blockbuster filmmaking and stands among the finest accomplishments of Nolan’s career.

Ultimately, it’s almost unbelievable that a film like this exists: a massive-budget, three-hour, R-rated epic that finds Christopher Nolan pushing himself further than ever before while embracing his unique storytelling instincts in deeply thoughtful and compelling ways. For a filmmaker whose work has often felt meticulously controlled, The Odyssey crashes over you like a roaring sea, occasionally threatening to overwhelm even its creator, yet becoming all the more exhilarating because of it. It’s a breathtaking, enthralling, and profoundly insightful cinematic achievement. I cannot recommend it highly enough.