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. Fri, 12 Jun 2026 21:54:23 PST en-us https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Tribeca-Film-Festival-2026-Act-One.shtml Reviews This unsettling new coming of age drama is a daring, uneven mix of “Black Swan” and “Whiplash” that doesn’t quite manage to stick the landing. ]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 21:30:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Tribeca-Film-Festival-2026-Act-One.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Disclosure-Day.shtml Reviews Steven Spielberg's latest is a strong, confident return to familiar territory that employs emotional wonder and propulsive urgency to tell a story that feels both classic and current. While it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the director's greatest work, it's still a smart, heartfelt studio movie with real craft and personality. ]]> Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Disclosure-Day.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Tribeca-Film-Festival-2026-That-Friend.shtml Reviews This relatable third-wheel buddy comedy is built on a silly, drug-fueled premise and given heart thanks to a genuinely moving performance by comedic actor Harvey Guillén. ]]> Thu, 11 Jun 2026 09:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Tribeca-Film-Festival-2026-That-Friend.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Masters-of-the-Universe-2026.shtml Reviews This latest take on the 1980’s Saturday morning cartoon is a visually vibrant, deeply affectionate dive into fan service that shines brightest through bold production design and delightfully campy villain performances from Jared Leto and Alison Brie, but it’s ultimately held back by a wildly uneven tone, flat digital effects, and a disjointed script that leaves its heroic faction trapped between earnest fantasy and modern parody. ]]> Fri, 05 Jun 2026 08:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Masters-of-the-Universe-2026.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/No-Place-For-Football.shtml Reviews This documentary about the unique challenges facing Greenland’s amateur football teams will immerse you in the vibes of a small sports club, and the contrast makes for excellent watching in the run up to the World Cup. ]]> Thu, 04 Jun 2026 22:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/No-Place-For-Football.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Power-Ballad.shtml Reviews This warm, low-key transatlantic dramedy starring Paul Rudd as a wedding singer whose deeply personal ballad is stolen by a stagnating pop superstar (Nick Jonas) brings surprising realism and strong ensemble performances to a sharp, witty script, delivering a genuinely comforting blend of effective comedy and unforced emotional stakes. It's a music-driven journey well worth taking. ]]> Thu, 04 Jun 2026 08:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Power-Ballad.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Pressure.shtml Reviews Director Anthony Maras overcomes technical constraints and some first-time-at-this-scale inexperience to deliver an engaging, cerebral addition to the WWII cinematic canon based on the play by David Haig and heavily elevated by brilliant performances from Andrew Scott, Chris Messina, and Kerry Condon. ]]> Fri, 29 May 2026 08:30:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Pressure.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Tom-Clancy-s-Jack-Ryan-Ghost-War.shtml Reviews This adaptation of the popular Prime Video series offers a functional but ultimately underwhelming theatrical experience that pales in comparison to the franchise's classic films, sacrificing intelligent espionage and arriving frustratingly short on both firepower and originality. ]]> Wed, 20 May 2026 09:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Tom-Clancy-s-Jack-Ryan-Ghost-War.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Mortal-Kombat-II.shtml Reviews This blood-soaked video-game sequel leans on Karl Urban’s entertaining Johnny Cage performance, Josh Lawson’s reliable Kano comedy, inventive fight choreography and a generally committed supporting cast, but its bloated plot and thin villainy keep it from becoming more than a solid, crowd-pleasing diversion. ]]> Fri, 08 May 2026 08:15:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/Mortal-Kombat-II.shtml https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/The-Sheep-Detectives.shtml Reviews This surreal family-friendly whodunnit is warm, humane, and approachable with its stellar ensemble cast bringing plenty of charm to the quirky tale of a flock of sheep who set out to solve a murder. Beneath its playful surface the film explores surprisingly weighty themes that give it a resonance far beyond the average kids' adventure.
]]> Thu, 07 May 2026 14:00:00 PST https://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/The-Sheep-Detectives.shtml 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