https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/movies.shtml Reviews of independent and wide-release films written by lead critic Joe Lozito and his merry band of crackerjack movie reviewers. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:10:16 PST en-us https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/The-Devil-Wears-Prada-2.shtml Reviews This sequel to the now-classic 2006 workplace comedy brings back the original cast, who are all great here, but it’s a follow up that hammers home a message heard many times before. ]]> Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/The-Devil-Wears-Prada-2.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Michael.shtml Reviews This $200 million biopic spectacle functions as a thrilling resurrection for fans of the King of Pop but a sanitized, frequently airless tribute for critics. Jaafar Jackson and Colman Domingo deliver electrifying performances in a film that does capture the lightning of the performer, but leaves the complex, fractious reality of the man firmly in the shadows. ]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:30:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Michael.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Fuze.shtml Reviews With its generic one-word title and even more generic-looking poster this 2025 TIFF entry comes across like something that's doomed to the bowels of Netflix, but it's an actioner with enough tension to fulfill a craving. ]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Fuze.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Mother-Mary.shtml Reviews Indie auteur David Lowery's latest is a phantasmagoric two-hander that explores the relationship between a pop star and her fashion designer, delving into past wounds and how they haunt those in the present. ]]> Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Mother-Mary.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Normal.shtml Reviews This solid, "bone-crunching" Midwestern-Western thrives on Bob Odenkirk’s weary charisma and Ben Wheatley’s chilling visual flair, but is hampered by a lack of narrative patience, villains far too eager to explain their own conspiracy, and a central mystery with less depth than a local snowdrift. ]]> Fri, 17 Apr 2026 05:45:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Normal.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/The-Drama.shtml Reviews This one starts as a romantic comedy, then initial perceptions come to a screeching halt. It may have been going for something profound but winds up feeling like empty provocation. ]]> Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/The-Drama.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/The-AI-Doc-Or-How-I-Became-an-Apocaloptimist.shtml Reviews Director Daniel Roher's latest is an engaging, visually playful documentary that serves as a solid entry-level primer on our collective anxieties surrounding artificial intelligence, though it’s hampered by the sheer speed of evolution of its subject and a lack of analytical bite. ]]> Fri, 27 Mar 2026 07:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/The-AI-Doc-Or-How-I-Became-an-Apocaloptimist.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Project-Hail-Mary.shtml Reviews This spectacular, emotionally layered science-fiction epic brilliantly translates the brainy complexity of Andy Weir’s novel to the big screen, with Ryan Gosling delivering a captivating, surprisingly funny performance as an isolated astronaut, anchored by a profound and seamlessly executed partnership with his unforgettable alien companion, Rocky. Absolutely see this thrilling and deeply hopeful cinematic marvel in the largest, most immersive premium format possible. ]]> Fri, 20 Mar 2026 06:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Project-Hail-Mary.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Dead-Deer-High.shtml Reviews If it's March it must be SXSW! BPBS's Matt Passantino gives us his take on an issue movie that's featured at the fest; it's well-crafted, sensitive, and sidesteps the cliches potentially lurking behind the well-meaning phrase, "the healing power of art." ]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:30:30 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Dead-Deer-High.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/The-Bride.shtml Reviews Maggie Gyllenhaal’s take on the Frankenstein-and-Bride mythos is a fiercely original and visually arresting reimagining that’s anchored by an electrifying, multi-layered performance from Jessie Buckley. The narrative occasionally wanders into hazy thematic territory, but bold world-building and punk-rock energy make it a compelling, must-watch piece of genre filmmaking that prioritizes creative audacity over tidy plotting. ]]> Fri, 06 Mar 2026 09:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/The-Bride.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Scream-7.shtml Reviews This 30-year franchise can’t seem to find the period at the end of its repetitive sentence, and its seventh installment doesn’t seem all that interested in effectively wrapping up the conversation. ]]> Fri, 27 Feb 2026 20:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Scream-7.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Man-on-the-Run.shtml Reviews This new Paul McCartney documentary serves both newcomers and longtime fans by vividly chronicling McCartney’s post-Beatles reinvention with Wings, presenting an engaging, emotionally textured portrait that prioritizes craft over revelation. ]]> Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Man-on-the-Run.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/How-to-Make-a-Killing.shtml Reviews This glossy would-be eat-the-rich satire is the latest attempt to make Glen Powell a leading man, but it fails due to questionable story structure and a screenplay that never dares to go dark enough. ]]> Thu, 19 Feb 2026 09:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/How-to-Make-a-Killing.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Wuthering-Heights2.shtml Reviews Pretty movie stars, pretty costumes, and pretty locations fail to ignite a spark in the new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s book. ]]> Fri, 13 Feb 2026 09:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Wuthering-Heights2.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Crime-101.shtml Reviews "Crime 101" is a sleek, disciplined heist thriller that executes familiar genre beats with precision, drawing heavily - sometimes too heavily - on the aesthetic, structure and vocabulary of Michael Mann’s "Heat". Craftsmanship, performances, and cool restraint make it quite watchable, even as a reluctance to step out of its influences’ shadow keeps the film from becoming something truly its own.
]]> Fri, 13 Feb 2026 08:45:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Crime-101.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Shelter.shtml Reviews The latest action thriller from stoic stalwart Jason Statham is perfectly fine. As a career pivot it's negligible, but as a Statham movie it's the gold standard: brisk, competent, derivative in reassuring ways, and anchored by a star who long ago turned this exact mode into a brand. ]]> Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:45:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Shelter.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Mercy.shtml Reviews This "interesting misfire" of a thriller is the quintessential January release, living in that hazy space where the premise, a few sharp ideas, and just enough interesting imagery keep you watching even as the whole drifts along, never quite fully connecting. ]]> Fri, 23 Jan 2026 09:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Mercy.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Dead-Man-s-Wire---An-Interview-with-Cary-Elwes.shtml Editorials Ahead of the release of "Dead Man's Wire," BPBS's Stuart Shave has a conversation with actor Cary Elwes. ]]> Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:45:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Dead-Man-s-Wire---An-Interview-with-Cary-Elwes.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Dead-Man-s-Wire.shtml Reviews Gus Van Sant’s "Dead Man’s Wire" is a vital, tragicomic return to form that transforms the 1977 Tony Kiritsis hostage crisis into a tightly controlled chamber thriller about class rage, debt, and media spectacle. Exceptional ensemble work from Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Colman Domingo, Al Pacino, and Cary Elwes anchors impeccable 1970s world-building and Danny Elfman’s off-kilter score. ]]> Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Dead-Man-s-Wire.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Best-Performances-of-2025.shtml Editorials Continuing our 2025 retrospective, here is a look at some of the standout performances of the past year. A few are in the Oscars race; most are not, but they're all worthy of recognition. ]]> Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:15:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Best-Performances-of-2025.shtml