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The Noel Diary, a holiday romcom
The Noel Diary is set around the holidays. It’s a sweet romcom story about two lonely people who bond over parenting issues. It’s on Netflix but would fit in with the massive collections of holiday movies at Hallmark or Lifetime.
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The Swimmers, a true story of courage and determination
The Swimmers is based on the true story of an Olympic swimmer who left Syria in 2015 during the war and made a perilous journey to Germany with her sister and cousin. The film was written by Sally El Hosaini and Jack Thorne and directed by Sally El Hosaini.
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The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special – Merry Christmas
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a 40 minute romp with some Marvel characters designed to bring you a little holiday cheer. It’s streaming on Disney+.
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Bantú Mama, a quiet story of connections
Bantú Mama, is a quiet and largely visual story about identity, the longing for roots, and the deep connections between people and places. It’s in the running for best international feature film entry from the Dominican Republic for the upcoming Oscars. There are some spoilers ahead.
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The Wonder, Florence Pugh stars in this period piece
The Wonder is a period piece set in 1862 Ireland. The plot about faith vs. science is as relevant today as it was under the religious and patriarchal confines of that former time.
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The Mystery of Her, a pleasant surprise
The Mystery of Her is a film I never heard of with stars I’d never seen before. I took a chance based on the quality of the trailer. It turned out to be well acted and surprisingly good. It’s another version of the memory loss story.
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Adopting Audrey, Jena Malone in a free-spirited indie
Adopting Audrey takes us through a few weeks in the life of Audrey as she attempts to be adopted as an adult by a family as dysfunctional as her own. She watches YouTube videos at night, especially about cute animals, and she noticed one video about adult adoptions.
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See How They Run, spoofing the whodunit
See How They Run is a whodunit that makes fun of whodunits – and Agatha Christie and writers and directors and actors and producers and even ushers. It makes fun of everything. You never know which timeworn whodunit trope will get satirized next. Plus, it is fun to watch just to see whodunit.
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Review: Enola Holmes 2, and Sherlock too
Enola Holmes 2 takes up where the original film Enola Holmes left off. Enola, played with madcap exuberance by Millie Bobby Brown, opens her own detective agency and waits eagerly for clients to arrive. She breaks the fourth wall to share her thoughts and eyerolls with the audience.
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Causeway, a gentle story of recovery
Causeway stars Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry in a quiet, introspective story about two traumatized people who find each other and help each other heal. The subtle reveal of character the two lead actors create is touching and brimming with vulnerability.
Reviews of movies and TV focused on women