Behind The Curtain

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

Recent Reviews

Still of John Ashton, Eddie Murphy, and Judge Reinhold in ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ (2023)

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)

Eddie Murphy does his ad-libbing best to animate ‘Axel F,’ but only the soundtrack reminds us of past magic

Skip It
Full Review
Still of Morena Baccarin and Pierce Brosnan in ‘Fast Charlie’ (2023)

Fast Charlie (2023)

Pierce Brosnan in a tense revenge tale with Elmore Leonard-esque dialog, plus a touching nod to James Caan

See It
Full Review
Still of Hyun Bin and Yoo Ji-tae in ‘The Swindlers’ (2017)

The Swindlers (2017)

Who’s scamming whom? You’ll have to pay careful attention to discover who is the real swindler

See It
Full Review
Still of Anne Hathaway and Mark Ruffalo in ‘Dark Waters’ (2023)

Dark Waters (2019)

Mark Ruffalo shines as ‘the lawyer who became DuPont’s worst nightmare’

See It
Full Review
Still of Adria Arjona and Glen Powell in ‘Hit Man’ (2023)

Hit Man (2023)

Glen Powell is effortlessly funny as the unassuming prof who reinvents himself

See It
Full Review
Still of Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby in ‘Napolean’ (2023)

Napoleon (2023)

Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby are adrift in a meandering narrative that leaves us as uninformed as we began

Skip It
Full Review
Still of Daniel Diemer and Skeet Ulrich in ‘Supercell’ (2023)

Supercell (2023)

A surprising glimpse into the psychology, and obsession, of storm chasers

See It
Full Review
Still of Youn Yuh-jung, Kim Kang-woo, and Kim Hyo-jin in ‘The Taste of Money (2012)’

The Taste of Money (2012)

Will Kim Kang-woo come to embrace his master's contempt for money? Or will he cash in?

See It
Full Review
Still of Yoo Tae-oh, Greta Lee, and John Magaro in ‘Past Lives’

Past Lives (2023)

Celine Song's absorbing rumination on ‘what might have been’ versus ‘what is’ versus ‘what will be’

See It
Full Review
Still of Annette Bening and Jodie Foster in ‘Nyad’ (2023)

Nyad (2023)

Annette Bening and Jodie Foster demonstrate it’s not about the destination but the journey

See It
Full Review
Still of Russell Crowe and Liam Hemsworth in ‘Pokerface’ (2022)

Poker Face (2022)

A mess of a movie that's almost worth watching to appreciate how bad it really is

Skip It
Full Review
Photo of George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman in ‘1917’ (2019)

1917 (2019)

Meticulous detail and (faux) one-shot cinematography makes ‘1917’ an immersive spectacle worth experiencing

See It
Full Review
Previous Next

Recent Quick Takes

The Mother (2023)

Skip It

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

Canary Black (2024)

Skip It

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

Family Pack (2024)

See It

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

Night of the Assassin (2023)

Skip It

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

Knights of the Zodiac (2023)

Skip It

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

Land of Bad (2024)

Skip It

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

Ruthless (2023)

Skip It

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

A Special Lady (2017)

Skip It

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

Night in Paradise (2020)

Skip It

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