Behind The Curtain

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

Movies to Skip

Recent Reviews

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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24 October 2024

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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31 July 2024

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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7 July 2024

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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27 January 2024

Photo of Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence in ‘Passengers’ (2016)

Passengers (2016)

Sadly, the distasteful cliche they chose is worse than the cliches they avoided

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7 November 2017

Photo of Judi Dench and Ali Fazal in ‘Victoria and Abdul’ (2017)

Victoria and Abdul (2017)

Judi Dench is the only beacon of light in this dark and joyless tale

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13 October 2017

Photo of Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz in "The Lobster" (2015)

The Lobster (2015)

Fine performances by Farrell and Weisz can't make you overlook the relentless dreariness

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8 April 2017

Photo of Jesse Eisenberg and Kisten Stewart in Cafe Society (2016)

Cafe Society (2016)

Despite a few surprises, ‘Cafe Society’ is more of a bland snack than a satisfying meal

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27 January 2017

Photo of Chris Pratt and Denzel Washington in The Magnificent Seven (2013)

The Magnificent Seven (2016)

Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt at their most engaging. And still you couldn't care less

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22 December 2016

Photo of Matt Damon in Jason Bourne (2016)

Jason Bourne (2016)

Like relentless action scenes? If that's all you want, that's all you get

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8 August 2016

Still of Goosebumps (2015)

Goosebumps (2015)

Jack Black can't work enough magic to give ‘Goosebumps’ some chills

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29 May 2016

Photo of Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone in Aloha (2015)

Aloha (2015)

Fast-forward to the final scene with Danielle Rose Russell, then say goodbye to ‘Aloha’

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6 March 2016

Recent Quick Takes

Ca$h (2010)

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The only thing remotely entertaining is seeing slimy Sean Bean get what he deserves

Okay Madam (2020)

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Uhm Jung-hwa and Park Sung-woong score a near miss in this comedy whose silliness overwhelms the fun

Secretly Greatly (2012)

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Uncommonly ridiculous tale of North Korean spies whose mission in the South is to act like idiots and then die

The Man Standing Next (2020)

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Despite fine turns by Lee Byung-hun and Lee Sung-min, this languid, somber historical drama is hard to stick with

Run All Night (2015)

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More output from the Liam Neeson action assembly line, with a chilling supporting turn by Ed Harris

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

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

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