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

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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

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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

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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’

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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

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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

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Still of Daniel Diemer and Skeet Ulrich in ‘Supercell’ (2023)

Supercell (2023)

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

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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?

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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’

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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

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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

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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

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Recent Quick Takes

Transfusion (2023)

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Sam Worthington is mired in a plodding plot that wants to be actioner and think piece and winds up being neither

Act of Valor (2012)

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The well staged action sequences can't make us overlook the stilted dialog and cardboard characterizations

Sand Storm (2016)

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It's not a war story – only it is, of sorts – about modern Arab women's struggle against millennia-old traditions

The Skeleton Twins (2014)

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Estranged, dysfunctional twins Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig somehow manage to make suicide mirthful

Alien Outpost (2014)

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Another tired "advanced beings from outer space invade with WWII-level tactics." OK battle scenes, zero plot

Black or White (2014)

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A hard-edged, thought-provoking drama of a widowed father fighting for custody of his biracial daughter

Young Ones (2014)

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In a water-parched future, a refreshingly original and complex story of greed, betrayal, and family loyalty

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

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A do-gooder lawyer who works from the back of his car begins to realize his case isn't exactly open-and-shut

Conan the Barbarian (2011)

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For a guy facing the fight of his life, Conan sure does spend a lot of time sword-twirling.