Author: Chad Liffmann

Film Review: “Dracula”

A style-over-substance vampiric jaunt through the ages

Dracula (Caleb Landry Jones) strolls through revelers in ‘Dracula.’

From Tod Browning to Francis Ford Coppola, Werner Herzog and Robert Eggers to Mel Brooks, and many in between, filmmakers love to put their stamp on Bram Stoker’s Dracula and/or its German offspring, Nosferatu. It seems that just about every year the Dracula story gets reimagined. Step up to the plate, writer/director Luc Besson (Léon, The Fifth Element, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets). Besson imprints the traditional Dracula story with his trademark strangeness, choosing to emphasize both humor and gothic romanticism while filling the frame with strong production design. Though this new Dracula is far from dull, and even features a few standout performances, the film’s erratic style and tonality keep the final product from reaching the emotional and cinematic heights of its most memorable predecessors. Continue reading “Film Review: “Dracula””

Film Review: “Whistle”

A bloody but iterative teen slasher

Chrys (Dafne Keen) blows the creepy whistle because why not, in ‘Whistle.’

Whistle, the newest horror film from director Corin Hardy (The Nun) and distributed by IFC and Shudder, is a smartly crafted exercise in mindless iteration. Like an eager groupie of the Final Destination franchise, Whistle riffs, steals, and honors the re-energized ‘90s franchise (Final Destination: Bloodlines was a surprise hit in 2025) to entertaining but ultimately forgettable ends. Whistle’s campy teenage horror proves the elasticity of the subgenre, even as the illogical script and unbalanced acting places a chokehold on the film’s effectiveness. Continue reading “Film Review: “Whistle””

Film Review: “Shelter”

Another winter, another Statham action film

Michael Mason (Jason Statham) and Jesse (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) on the dance floor in ‘Shelter.’

Over the last few years, Jason Statham has become the patron saint of early-year action escapism: The Beekeeper (January 2024), The Working Man (March 2025), and now Shelter (January 2026). The Beekeeper 2 is also reportedly set for a January 2027 release. There’s just something about Statham’s no-nonsense handling of baddies within simple (yet silly) plots that seems to resonate with audiences as a way to kick-off a new year. Shelter is better than it needed to be, but worse than it could’ve been. Exciting but iterative, yet elevated by the strength of Ric Roman Waugh’s direction and Statham’s charisma, Shelter provides just enough emotion and action to withstand its shortcomings. Continue reading “Film Review: “Shelter””

Film Review: “H is for Hawk”

Foy is strong in this undemanding tale of nature and grief

Helen (Claire Foy) and Mabel (hawk) look for a good place to hunt in ‘H is for Hawk.’

Like many stories about how an animal changes a grieving character’s life, even as recently as last year’s The Friend, H is for Hawk pointedly hits the expected emotional beats. Unlike these stories, however, H is for Hawk lacks the playful human and animal opposition-turned-camaraderie dynamic that pushes similar narratives forward. A solid but slightly exoteric drama with beautiful photography and strong performances, H is for Hawk still struggles to lift off from its slow pacing.  Continue reading “Film Review: “H is for Hawk””

Film Review: “We Bury the Dead”

Ridley helms this tightly bound clash of disaster and zombie genres

Ava (Daisy Ridley) sits amongst the deceased in ‘We Bury the Dead’

I can’t help but admire Daisy Ridley’s recent role choices, starring in a variety of mid-tier dramas and sneaky-fun genre films: Sometimes I Think About Dying, Young Woman and the Sea, and Cleaner. In each film, Ridley is giving her all. Now she’s starring in We Bury the Dead, an Australian quasi-zombie drama by Zak Hilditch (1922). Tight on world-building scope but heavy on quiet intensity, We Bury the Dead is a solidly constructed thriller to kick off the new year. Continue reading “Film Review: “We Bury the Dead””

Film Feature: Chad’s Top 20 Films of 2025

What a sneaky good, but not great, movie year. 2025 was full of major blockbuster disappointments (Mickey 17, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Tron: Ares, The Running Man, Wicked For Good) and a few five-star masterpieces. But there was a plethora of three-and-a-half to four-star fare, some good and some great, that made moviegoing a memorable experience. The honorable mentions will be many this year, but here’s my ranked list of the twenty best films of 2025:

20. FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES

The sixth film in a series is rarely, if ever, as good as, if not better, than all previous installments. Bloodlines refreshed the ‘90s horror franchise in inventive new ways, killing off a plethora of death-cheaters. 

19. THE NAKED GUN

Pure comedies can still be good, and still make money! The reboot of The Naked Gun had some of the funniest lines of the year, and produced the rare pleasure of joining in raucous laughter with a moviegoing audience. Continue reading “Film Feature: Chad’s Top 20 Films of 2025”

Film Review: “100 Nights of Hero”

100 Nights is a flimsy whimsy

Cherry (Maika Monroe) and Hero (Emma Corrin) indulge in chess and falconry in ‘100 Nights of Hero.’

Arabian Nights meets queer feminist fantasy in Julia Jackman’s magical romance 100 Nights of Hero, based on a graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg. The film is drenched in colorful costumes and whimsical folklore in order to engage audiences with a Middle Eastern-inspired medieval tale. The film’s stylings are unique and thorough, but the script leaves us yearning for deeper thematic resonance. Jackman’s confident direction, even as the film struggles to commit to a tone, preserves 100 Nights of Hero’s sincere portrayal of queer feminism and the precious art of storytelling. Continue reading “Film Review: “100 Nights of Hero””

Film Review: “Hamnet”

Buckley is the engine powering this emotionally condensed drama

Agnes (Jessie Buckley) waits for Hamlet to start in ‘Hamnet.’

Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling book Hamnet was a literary sensation, and quickly sparked rumors of an inevitable movie adaptation. When Oscar winner Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) was announced as Hamnet’s director, followed by the casting of Oscar nominees Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter) and Paul Mescal (Aftersun) in the starring roles, expectations shot through the roof. Now that Zhao’s Hamnet is finally arriving in theaters, does it live up to the hype? The answer is a soft ‘yes.’ Through a tremendously powerful performance from Buckley and a deeply emotional script, Hamnet reproduces the story’s inherent drama even as it strips away any narrative complexities. Continue reading “Film Review: “Hamnet””

Film Review: “Zootopia 2”

Fur and scales face off in the world-expanding Zootopia sequel

Nick (Jason Bateman) and Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) paddle in pursuit in “Zootopia 2.”

Nine years ago we were introduced to the Oscar-winning world of Zootopia, where our own human society, including social stigmas, cultural taboos, and bureaucratic flaws were mirrored by anthropomorphized animalia. Zootopia was an excellent family film with plenty adult-oriented jokes, references, and themes. Zootopia 2 kicks off right where the first film left off, expanding its geographical scope while delivering an abundance of zany animal characters, clever banter, and endless sight gags. Even moments of apparent “sequelitis,” where an original work feels the pressure to replicate its initial success while making things bigger and better, don’t detract from the pleasure of discovering more of Zootopia’s inner workings. With the original film’s stellar voice cast returning, and adding a few notable new characters into the mix, Zootopia 2 is another pun-filled adventure with tremendous heart. Continue reading “Film Review: “Zootopia 2””

Film Review: “The Thing With Feathers”

Cheap jump scares punctuate this grief-stricken slog

Dad (Benedict Cumberbatch) feeling very crow-y in “The Thing With Feathers.”

Sometimes you swing and miss, but at least you swung. The Thing With Feathers is a big swing and a miss. Aiming to entice horror fans with its phantasmagoric plot and cheap jump scares, The Thing With Feathers fails to offer anything more than a singular message about grief being tough to overcome. Despite Benedict Cumberbatch’s (The Roses) efforts to compensate for a shallow script and one-dimensional character, The Thing With Feathers remains a frustrating viewing experience. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Thing With Feathers””