Film Reviews

On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing a pair of movies, both imports, that revolve around women looking for, among other things, some sense of their authentic selves. First up is the English-made “The Lost King” followed by the Korean-French film “Return to Seoul.”

“The Lost King” is an entertaining reimagining of a true story, Dan Webster says in his review.

Directed by Elizabeth Banks and produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, “Cocaine Bear” is Hollywood’s latest attempt at manufacturing a B-movie sensation. Nathan Weinbender says the bear itself is a true movie star, but the film itself isn’t nearly as fun as it should be.

We’re all familiar with the concept of myth, whether we’re talking about a story involving heroes and their attendant quests, or a popularly accepted tale that masks actual truth. On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing a pair of movies that are steeped in myth. First up is the Chinese import “Full River Red,” followed by the Hulu drama “Boston Strangler.”

Adapted from a videogame, “The Last of Us” is a riveting HBO miniseries that explores the meaning of love, Dan Webster says in his review.

The concept of race is a touchy topic in America. So, too, is family dysfunction. In this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be discussing two movies that explore both Black life in America and how family turmoil isn’t confined to any single racial group. First up is the big-screen offering “Creed III,” followed by a streaming choice, titled simply: “Bruiser.” In addition, they’ll offer their reactions to Sunday’s Oscar broadcast.

The Oscars are coming on Sunday, and the question is—as has been true for the past couple of years—will the annual broadcast offer up any surprises? On this week’s show, Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender, and Mary Pat Treuthart will be offering up their picks, both who they think will win and who they think should win. They’ll also review one of the Feature Documentary nominees, Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.”

Despite the occasional exception, European cinema has always felt different from American cinema. Call what they do more experimental, more serious, more thoughtful, whatever, European filmmakers—the best ones, at least—distinguish themselves by refusing to pander to mainstream tastes. This week Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of European films that are prime examples of the European filmmaking ethos. First up is the Polish-made EO followed by the Belgian-made Close.

He burst upon the mainstream moviemaking scene in 1999 with a thriller called “The Sixth Sense.” Since then, M. Night Shyamalan’s career has had its ups and down. This week Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss Shyamalan’s latest effort, “Knock at the Cabin,” before tackling the Oscar-nominated live-action and animated short films, which are screening at the Magic Lantern.

Life is full of moments in which, for one reason or another, we’re impelled to change the way we perceive things. Sometimes that means even changing our very selves. Thisd week Dan Webster, Nathan Weinbender and Mary Pat Treuthart discuss a pair of Oscar-nominated movies, each of which features protagonists who have to face such a scenario. First up is “Living,” which stars Oscar-nominated Bill Nighy, followed by “Argentina, 1985,” which is up for a Best Foreign Language Academy Award.