“There was and is a lot riding on A Quiet Place Part II. As a sequel, as an intellectual property, and as the first trial balloon for bringing people back to the movie theater. By almost all metrics, it steps out into the unknown and succeeds in its mission.”

Despite the fatalities and flawless victories, Mortal Kombat can’t justify being a passive observer of the movie when you can be an active player in the game.

“Godzilla vs. Kong offers enough action to enjoy if you can shut off your brain and ignore the human plot. If you can’t, those pesky human storylines are really going to test you.”

“Raya and the Last Dragon has some elements that are very similar to previous Disney animated entries, but it has strong themes of overcoming division and learning to trust others that are surprisingly timely without being preachy.”

2020 was a tough year to see movies, but there were still some fine works to be found out there.

“Wonder Woman 1984 continues the story of Diana Prince. Unfortunately, it falls quite short of the expectations set by the first movie.”

“Promising Young Woman could easily have been an exploitation movie, but I’m glad that it doesn’t go completely in that direction. Like the best black comedies, it is intended to provoke and challenge and make people uncomfortable.”

“Soul does for the human soul what Inside Out did for human emotions.”

“Sound of Metal offers a unique look into a deaf community and it features several commendable performances, none more so than Riz Ahmed in the lead. It’s a technically impressive and immersive experience in the sound department too.”

“‘You cannot capture a man’s entire life in two hours. All you can hope is to leave the impression of one.’ This is a perfect encapsulation of Mank.”

“If you’ve seen any movie where a successful person has to return home to deal with family problems they’ve tried to leave in the past, most of this movie will feel familiar to you.”

“There is much to enjoy and to appreciate in ‘Clair de Lune’ which appeared as a labour of love of those involved in its making.”

“It’s been 14 years, but Baron Cohen is still able to shock with his characters, the uncomfortable situations he puts people into, and his willingness to let people say the cringiest things.”

“For all of this film’s baffling decisions, I can’t say I was ever bored. And while I continue to shout “why?” into the void I implore everyone to watch this film at least once”

“What do Greek mythology and the Marvel Cinematic Universe have in common? They are both sprawling worlds populated with hundreds, if not thousands, of developed and undeveloped characters among varied and intensely detailed environments.”

“The question isn’t ‘are the MCU and other franchise, commercial or genre movies, cinematic art?’ but, rather ‘are they diluting the competition and preventing the survival and growth of traditional cinematic art?’ and, ultimately ‘does it matter?”

“American cinema, still a crucial determinant in films’ success in the American market, continues to resist the spread of multilingual and foreign cinema.”

In this video essay on Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Ethan Child attempts to defend the oft-criticized "psychiatrist scene" at the end of the film. This defense includes an analysis of the film's framing of audience viewership.

These are the names you’re going to want to keep an eye on in the 2020s.

“While the infamous “wax on, wax off” line is quoted routinely by anyone born before 1990, Miyagi was obviously saying and teaching more than just how to shine a car. He emphasized the importance of breathing whenever he taught a new exercise to Danielson. While breathwork and meditation has been practiced for thousands of years, it wasn’t until recently that science had actually shown specific physical and mental benefits of doing so.”