Author: Matt Conway

The career of M. Night Shyamalan has taken some fascinating turns. Starting off as a golden boy with The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, many began to consider him this generation’s Steven Spielberg. Since then, Shyamalan has failed to get even close to that level of success, with The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth all being big duds. Shyamalan is now trying to get his mojo back in the genre that started his career with Split. The high-concept thriller follows three girls who are kidnapped by a man who possesses 24 distinctly different personalities. While Split may not be an exact return to form for Shyamalan, this is certainly his best film…

After a decade of mediocrity, Michael Keaton’s career has come back to life over the past few years. The former Batman star has given several fantastic performances, including roles in two straight Best Picture winners with Birdman and Spotlight.  Trying to keep his winning-streak alive, Keaton stars in The Founder. The film follows Ray Kroc, a persistent salesman looking to stay afloat when he discovers McDonalds, a fast-food service unlike any of its kind. The film follows Kroc’s involvement in the McDonalds brand, as well as his ruthless approach to business. On paper, The Founder seems to be just another formulaic biopic about an impressive success story. Thanks to…

When considering who is among Hollywood’s best directors, Martin Scorsese is a name deserving of that praise. Crafting masterpieces for over forty years now, his work on films like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas will always rank him as a legend. With all these great films, its surprising to think that his true passion project is just finally coming out. That film is Silence, which Scorsese has been developing since 1990. The film follows two priests who attempt a mission to rescue their mentor for Japan, which has outlawed Christianity. Silence has underperformed at the box office and received only one nomination from the Oscars. This…

Everyone knows of Ben Affleck as a celebrity and a very fine actor, but his greatest achievement is in his role as a director. Ever since his directorial debut Gone Baby Gone, Affleck has proven himself to be one of this era’s strongest directors. Proving himself further with The Town and Oscar-winner Argo, Affleck has since become of Hollywood’s most desired names. In between jumping around in the Batman costume, Affleck has directed his latest flick Live By Night. Based on a Dennis Lehane novel, the film follows Joe Coughlin, a Boston-born outlaw who moves down to Flordia to join the Probation alcohol business. In several aspects, this has…

As far as the film calendar goes, there is no month more dreaded than January. A time of year that promises a fresh slate for many is a dumping ground for films. The month features either movies that studios have delayed several time or just ones they are unceremoniously dumping into theaters. On paper, Sleepless appears to be no different. Featuring a minmal marketing effort and no critic screenings, the writing on the wall for this flick was not good. The film follows Vincent Downs (Jaime Foxx), a cop who is put in a tough position when his son his kidnapped. Just…

Out of all the adaptations, Power Rangers is the one that has received perhaps the most divisive reaction so far. The lone trailer released for the film left much to be desired for some, but impressed others with its more realistic tone. Supporters of the film may be pleased to hear that one of it’s key stars has seen the film and is quite impressed. Bryan Cranston, who is set to play Zordon, spoke out at Television Critics Association tour about his impressions on the film: “This movie is actually gonna be a big deal. I’ve seen a lot of it, because…

For better or worse, the duo of Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg have made an interesting trend. With Berg directing and Wahlberg as the titular star, the two have brought some of history’s more recent stories to life in film. Both Lone Survivor and Deepwater Horizon were graced with their fair share of good reviews, as well as some skeptics questioning the purpose of these films. Their latest project Patriots Day had me nervous since its announcement. The film takes place during and after the events of the tragic Boston Marathon Bombing in 2013. Patriots Day does not do much to differentiate itself from the other Berg and…

It may not be talked about as much, but it seems horror films are starting to get a lot better. The horror genre is one that for the past decade featured only a mere few good movies, but it has recently become a lot more consistent. Just last year, films like Ouija: Origins of Evil, Green Room, and The Witch impressed both critics and audiences alike with their quality and style. Trying to get the horror genre started on the right foot this year is The Bye Bye Man. The film follows three friends who recently move into a new home. While searching their house, they…

Brining history to life through cinema has been a common means of retelling important stories. These films have become a common part of cinema today, especially during Awards Season. There is always at least one “based on a true story” film that gets major recognition during Oscar time. Vying to be that film is Hidden Figures. Set in 1961, the film follows three African American woman (played respectively by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae), who strive to help NASA complete their first successfully space launch, as well as defy the standards of segregation. Despite falling into the pratfalls of…

So many films these days try to compete for Oscar gold, which ultimately leaves many of these films in the dust. Even after investing a lot of money into marketing and Oscar campaigns, certain films just fail to reach larger audiences. This year’s biggest example of that appears to be A Monsters Call, which underwhelmed in its limited release and is now expanding to a nationwide audience. Based on a novel by Patrick Ness (as well as originally conceptualized by Siobhan Dowd), the film follows Connor, a boy who is struggling with the news of his mothers terminal illness. In an effort…