Paprika coalesces Satoshi Kon’s vision of dreamwords, filmmaking, and artistic expression into one unified whole.
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Tokyo Godfathers is about as close as you can get to a Charles Dickens Christmas adaptation apart from actually making a film based on A Christmas Carol.
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In 2020, National Treasure is as much a historical artifact as the American landmarks it features in its adventure narrative, but it’s still fun.
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Satoshi Kon’s debut feature remains one of cinema’s best psychological thrillers and a scathing critique of exploitation in the entertainment industry.
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Tremors’ status as cult classic and staple of cable TV is a result of its sturdy filmmaking and fun vibe.
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Much like a modern version of Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953), Yi Yi is a lovely exploration of the generational dynamics of a single family.
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Almost 20 years after its release, Memento remains a stunning encapsulation of Christopher Nolan’s obsessions as a director, and one of the very best neo-noir films.
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George Sluizer’s celebrated mystery film subverts our obsession with mystery itself.
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Jia Zhangke’s anthology film examines how people react violently in times of precariousness, which is more relevant than ever.
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Edgar Wright’s classic “rom zom com” is primarily a triumph of brilliant editing and montage.
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Bad Boys II epitomizes Michael Bay in all his trashy glory.
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Die Hard is the definitive action film of the 1980s and a quintessential Christmas story about a family coming together.
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Rian Johnson’s idiosyncratic middle chapter subverts our narrative expectations in order to explore the core of what he thinks Star Wars is all about.
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The Force Awakens manages to deliver a great deal of the thrills and emotional resonances of Star Wars, but mining the past to build the future always comes with a cost.
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Star Wars: The Clone Wars explores the development of Anakin Skywalker while laying the groundwork for the popular television series.
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Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes has a grimy atmosphere, nasty deaths, and a simmering subtext of class rage
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The second Ewoks spin-off film, The Battle for Endor, learns from the mistakes of its predecessor while relying heavily on fantasy conventions and parallels to the Original Trilogy.
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Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure shows that not all Lucasfilm Star Wars productions can capture the same magic as the Original Trilogy, though it isn’t without some interest.
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A rare sequel that goes in a different direction, darker and deeper, The Empire Strikes Back permanently transformed what the Star Wars saga would be.
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The simplicity and iconicity of Star Wars obscures its remarkable formal achievement.
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