Courtney Howard
Film critic (Variety, AV Club, etc.); frequent reviews, release reactions, and festival reporting.
Theron and Egerton Deliver Thrilling River‑Wild‑Style Action in APEX
Baltasar Kormákur’s APEX on Netflix is very much my jam. Charlize Theron & Taron Egerton give us their gonzo, white-knuckle version of DEAD CALM and THE RIVER WILD. My review: https://freshfiction.tv/apex-review-charlize-theron-and-taron-egerton-get-dead-calm-on-a-river-wild/
Fight Club: Fincher’s Sharp Satire of Masculinity and Consumerism
David Fincher’s FIGHT CLUB is an absolutely brilliant satire on masculinity & consumerism that sneaks in a dark classic romcom as a lil’ treat. Brad Pitt, Edward Norton & Helena Bonham Carter are completely locked in. My favorite Fincher film....
Simple, Movie‑scene Teasers Beat Traditional Ads
Evil Dead Burn’s teaser trailer is excellent. HBO used to cut their movie ads like this. Simple, clean, effective, attention grabbing. I’ve been saying for decades now that more of ‘em should just be sequences from the movie itself.
The Invite: Wilde's Brilliant, Darkly Comic Masterpiece
Olivia Wilde’s THE INVITE is phenomenal. Loved every second. An uncomfortably hilarious, deeply insightful chamber piece motored by sincerity cloaked in comedy. Pulls influence from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Edward Norton & Penélope Cruz are impeccable.
Wrong Best Friend Leads to Betrayal in Flawed Comedy
Chandler Levack’s ROOMMATES is a cautionary coming-of-age comedy about choosing the wrong best friend. East & Sandler are terrific. Overall, okay, though the narrative stumbles, leaning into the brewing horror of betrayal. Its conflict resolutions felt rushed & unresolved.
Jackass 2 Hits 35mm: Live Q&A with Creators
Tonight’s screening is gonna be phenomenal: #Jackass2 on 35mm at the @egyptianla put on by am_cinematheque . Plus, a Q&A with Jeff Tremaine and Johnny Knoxville.
Ben Wheatley's Neo-Western “Normal” Disappoints Expectations
Ben Wheatley’s chilly, FARGO-esque neo-western NORMAL is surprisingly underwhelming. I expected far better results from a small town shoot-em-up by Bob Odenkirk and Derek Kolstad. My review: https://freshfiction.tv/normal-review-ben-wheatleys-chilly-neo-western-severely-underwhelms/
HOKUM: Adam Scott Shines in McCarthy’s Best Film
HOKUM traffics in sharp, frightful fare. Absolutely stomach-churning. Houses a well-written antihero driving the horrific hijinks where you wanna see him be terrorized as well as seek redemption. A dastardly good performance from Adam Scott. Damian McCarthy’s best film yet.
Cate Blanchett Eclipses Cybil Shepard in Martha Inc.
There can be only one person who’ll top Cybil Shepard in her performance as Martha Stewart in MARTHA INC., reenacting this life moment - and that person is Cate Blanchett.
Lee Cronin's “The Mummy” Delivers Relentless, Terrifying Horror
LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY goes hard. It does not hold back. A freaky-as-fuck creepshow. Scary, scream-worthy & squirm-inducing. Natalie Grace is the MVP in a Linda Blair-inspired performance. A buffet of split diopter shots.
Giant Mummy Stands Guard at BeyondFest Screening
Mummy Dearest: At the #BeyondFest screening of leecroninsthemummy tonight and they’ve got a ginormous mummy in the parking lot.
Tech Commentary Lost when Show Explains Instead of Trusting Viewers
I liked where FACES OF DEATH was going with its commentary on a tech-obsessed era…until they stopped trusting their audience to decipher the message and had their characters do it for them. My review: https://freshfiction.tv/faces-of-death-review-a-modern-facelift-for-a-cult-classic-splatter-horror/
Keanu Reeves' Genuine Excitement About Acting with Scorsese
Keanu Reeves’ reaction to getting to work with Martin Scorsese (both acting) sounds pretty accurate.
Alana Haim’s Trauma Reveals Double Standards of Grace
I thought Alana Haim’s character’s dark secret in THE DRAMA was more disturbing than Zendaya’s because she went through with it and it was actually traumatizing to another human. The underlying commentary is about who gets to be given grace and...
Zendaya and Pattinson Deliver a Brilliant, Talk‑Worthy Drama
Kristoffer Borgli’s THE DRAMA is Very Good™️. Oh to be a fly on the wall during the date night post-screening discussions it’ll inspire. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson deliver the goods. Plus, it houses a head-butt for the ages. My review: https://freshfiction.tv/the-drama-review-say-i-do-to-robert-pattinson-and-zendayas-prenuptial-predicament/