Behind The Curtain

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

Recent Reviews

Still of Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe in ‘Gladiator’ (2000)

Gladiator (2000)

Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix make this tale of betrayal and revenge a memorable spectacle

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Still of Jade Quon and Ben Kingsley in ‘Jules’ (2023)

Jules (2023)

This quirky tale of three elders helping an endearing alien has something to say about life’s regrets and growing older

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Still of Brittany Murphy and Holly Hunter in ‘Little Black Book’ (2004)

Little Black Book (2004)

Brittany Murphy and Holly Hunter may be the stars, but it's Julianne Nicholson who breaks your heart

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Still of Kim Kang-woo and Seo Ye-ji in ‘Recalled’ (2021)

Recalled (2021)

Can you figure out Seo Ye-ji’s terrifying premonitions before she can?

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Still of Peter Dinklage, Glenn Close, and Josh Brolin in ‘Brothers’ (2024)

Brothers (2024)

If you can believe Peter Dinklage and Josh Brolin are twins, maybe you’ll believe this movie is funny

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Still of George Clooney and Brad Pitt in ‘Wolfs’ (2024)

Wolfs (2024)

Lone wolves George Clooney and Brad Pitt in a comedic romp smart enough not to become a mushy buddy movie

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Still of Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook in ‘Predestination’ (2014)

Predestination (2014)

Have a look at this Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook brain-bender. If you can figure it out, let me know

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Still of Robert Redford and Brad Pitt in ‘Spy Game’ (2001)

Spy Game (2001)

Robert Redford keeps you – and his colleagues – guessing as he races to save protégé Brad Pitt

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Still of Josh Harnett and Ariel Donoghue in ‘Trap’ (2024)

Trap (2024)

Josh Harnett is the only reason to see Trap, for a closing shot that evokes Norman Bates in that Hitchcock classic

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Still of Amy Adams in ‘The Woman in the Window’ (2021)

The Woman in the Window (2021)

Let this be a lesson to filmmakers trying to emulate a masterwork like ‘Rear Window’: Less is more

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Still of Stephanie Hsu, Michele Yeoh, and Ke Huy Quan in ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’ (2022)

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

Buckle up. Michele Yeoh is perfectly cast as the reluctant hero at the chaotic center of countless parallel lives

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Still of Adam Driver in ‘Megalopolis’ (2024)

Megalopolis (2024)

Even if this isn't your type of movie, see it anyway. You want to be able to say: I was there when it happened

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Recent Quick Takes

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

Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

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It’s not as bad as you’d think. So while it’s a waste of time, it’s your time to waste