Behind The Curtain

Concise Reviews for Movie Addicts Who Don't Have Time to Waste

Recent Reviews

Still of Judit Polgár in ‘Queen of Chess’ (2026)

Queen of Chess (2026)

What grandmaster Judit Polgar has to teach you has little to do with chess and much to do with life

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Still of Stephen Graham and Tom Hanks in ‘Greyhound’ (2020)

Greyhound (2020)

No grandiose speeches, no daredevil maneuvers – just an authentic, gripping portrayal of war in the North Atlantic

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Still of Jaden Martell and Clive Owen in ‘The Confirmation’ (2016)

The Confirmation (2016)

Clive Owen navigates a weekend full of bad luck as he struggles to confirm he deserves redemption

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Still of Tsutomu Tatsumi and Ayano Shiraishi in ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ (1988)

Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

This lyrical, beautiful, and profoundly sad tale is one you should experience, though once may be enough

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Still of Glenn Close and Josh O’Connor in ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ (2025)

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)

The well-worn mystery format gets an adequately thrilling spin thanks to Glenn Close and Josh O'Connor

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Still of Maggie Smith and Tom Courtenay in ‘Quartet’ (2012)

Quartet (2012)

You don’t need to be a classical music fanatic to be enthralled by these veteran performers

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Still of Rafael Vitti and Amendoim in ‘Caramelo’ (2025)

Caramelo (2025)

Here’s a syrupy sweet tale of a shaggy dog and a shaggy man, who save each other’s lives

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Still of Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey in ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are charming and heartbreaking as oil-and-water lovers trying to escape their pain

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Still of Toshiro Mifune and Tatsuya Nakadai in ‘High and Low’ (1963)

High and Low (1963)

Toshiro Mifune is superb as the conflicted father, but enjoy this one as a trend-setting police procedural

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Still ofSally Hawkins and Doug Jones in ‘The Shape of Water’ (2017)

The Shape of Water (2017)

Sally Hawkins is enchanting in this masterfully told tale of love, loss … and monsters

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Still of Park Gyu-young and Im Si-wan in ‘Mantis’ (2025)

Mantis (2025)

Park Gyu-young stands out in this stylish martial arts tale as an assassin aiming to get the respect she deserves

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Still of Randy Stuart and Grant Williams in ‘The Incredible Shrinking Man’ (1957)

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

This potentially thought-provoking science-fiction adventure morphs into an entertaining creature feature

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Recent Quick Takes

The Mother (2023)

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Jennifer Lopez brings the intensity, but the plot is outrageously overblown at every turn

Canary Black (2024)

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Kate Beckinsale gives it her all, but she can’t save this predictable spy thriller whose twist you spot right away

Family Pack (2024)

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A silly and mildly entertaining tale of a family transported to the middle ages to fight werewolves

Night of the Assassin (2023)

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An ailing assassin with a price on his head slices through innumerable badguys and a predictable plot

Knights of the Zodiac (2023)

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So sad to see Sean Bean wasted in this adolescently scripted mashup of martial arts and mythology

Land of Bad (2024)

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Yet another "things go sideways" rescue mission. Rousing gun fights. Lots of explosions. Capture and torture

Ruthless (2023)

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Dermot Mulroney goes bare knuckles against sex traffickers, but can't punch his way out of this mediocre script

A Special Lady (2017)

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A twisty plot, Godfather-reminiscent set pieces, and a gutsy heroine can't make up for the exploitive brutality

Night in Paradise (2020)

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Gangster gets sold out, with bloody results. But Jeon Yeo-been shines as a terminal case with a deadly aim