Movie Reviews

We try to find themes in the movies we review on Movies 101, but sometimes it’s just impossible. This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a trio of streaming movies that couldn’t be more different in theme, tone and even style. All, though, are quality views. First up is the Sidney Poitier documentary “Sidney,” followed by Lena Dunham’s anachronistic comic study “Catherine Called Birdy,” and, finally, the woman-in-peril thriller titled, simply, “Watcher.”

Rage is one of those emotions that makes for great movie storytelling. Traditionally a realm of men, rage these days is being expressed more and more in movies by women. This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss two movies, each of which explores a world defined by female rage. First up is the African history lesson "The Woman King," followed by the contemporary drama "God’s Country."

Every generation of movie fans has its favorite era of filmmaking, often the very one it inhabits. Some of us, though, look to the past. This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a pair of movies that, each in its own way, pays tribute to the past. The first is “Blonde,” an artistic – to some controversial – look at the life and career of the actress Marilyn Monroe. The second is “Dead for a Dollar,” which is a tribute to the school of the B-western.

In his 1954 book “The Doors of Perception,” Aldous Huxley argued that psychedelic drugs allowed him to see life as it really is. But did they, really? This week, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss three movies, each of which addresses differing perceptions of reality: In order, the three are “Don’t Worry Darling,” the documentary feature “Moonage Daydream” and the horror film “Barbarian.”

This week, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Truthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a few little known movies that deserve to be remembered.

Good intentions don’t always work out, at least not in the way we hope. Just ask Blanco, the character played by Javier Bardem in the Spanish-language film “The Good Boss.” This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss “The Good Boss” along with the coming-of-age dark comedy “Funny Pages.”

Actions, as the great philosophers often preached, have consequences. Some are good, some are bad and others … well, any or all of them can make for great cinema. This week Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a trio of films focusing on characters who make decisions and then are forced to endure what comes next. The films are “Resurrection,” “Benediction” and “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.”

Whether we’re referring to a lust for romantic love, an ardent need for acceptance or the simple quest for a peaceful, happy life, desire is a staple movie theme. This week, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a trio of movies, each of which features characters – in one case real-life people – whose life journey involves one or the other of the afore-mentioned yearnings. Those movies are “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” “Prey” and “The Territory.”

If you were given a choice between serving 10 years in a minimum-security prison or transferring to a far more dangerous facility to complete a mission that might earn you your freedom, which would you choose? This week, Dan Webster, Mary Pat Treuthart and Nathan Weinbender discuss a based-on-real-events miniseries titled “Black Bird” in which a guy is given that very choice. They also review the Iranian film “Hit the Road.”

There have been many golden eras of cinema. One of the most universally recognized eras, though, is the 1950s. And it was out of that decade that the actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward emerged. This week, Nathan Weinbender, Mary Pat Treuthart and Dan Webster discuss Ethan Hawke’s six-part HBO Max series titled “The Last Movie Stars.” Afterward, we’ll run down some of the married couple’s greatest achievements on screen.