ReelViews for R movies

There are numerous powerful Holocaust movies available but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything that offers the kind of grim, you-are-there perspective of Son of Saul. With perhaps 90% of the shots in close-up with long takes, the movie ...

Narratively, The Song of Sway Lake doesn’t have much going for it but when it comes to capturing the tone of a specific locale, the approach of director Ari Gold is without peer. If you’ve ever spent a summer vacation at a private lakeside...

Spoiler Warning: This review discusses key plot points in detail. Those who have not seen Sophie's Choice and wish to have a "virgin experience" are advised not to read beyond the first paragraph. Sophie's Choice was the best film released in 1...

Sorry to Bother You may be 2018’s answer to 2017’s Get Out – an entertaining film with a strong socio-political subtext. At times very funny and occasionally outrageous, Sorry to Bother You defies expectations with a fresh take on survi...

No one could accuse Soul Men of originality - it cribs liberally from countless buddy films and road movies - but it offers enough energy and humor to overcome its shortcomings. The hit-to-miss quotient of the film's frequently profane and raunchy...

Sound of Metal, a 2019 Belgian-American drama from director Darius Marder, achieves its life-affirming aim in such a way that it never feels cloying or preachy. Featuring a forceful central performance by Riz Ahmed (best-known as either one of...

Boxing movies are like romantic comedies: they come in neat packages, follow tried-and-true formulas, and rarely challenge conventions.  There are outliers, of course, like Martin Scorsese's brilliant Raging Bull, but those are rare. For the...

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a popular thriller trope in which a character (or group of characters) would form a connection with a stranger (or strangers) but, over time, the actions and motivations of one character would turn murderous....

If I were in a kind mood, I might say that The Specialist attempts to be an atmospheric, dramatic thriller. On the other hand, if I wanted to be truthful, I could note that this film has two obvious assets (both of which are used to maximum advant...

The villain of Species -- a new science fiction/action/thriller/gorefest from director Roger Donaldson -- is a sexy young alien named Sil (Natasha Henstridge). For most of the film, her primary problem is a massive case of sexual frustration. Eve...