The Pod Generation - Review | Sundance 2023

The Pod Generation - Review | Sundance 2023

Directed by: Sophie Barthes

Written by: Sophie Barthes

Starring: Emilia Clarke, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rosalie Craig, Vinette Robinson. Jean-Marc Barr

Runtime: 109 min

Synopsis: A New York couple, Rachel (Emilia Clarke) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor) live in a not-so-distant future where technology provides ever-more convenient living. A rising tech company executive, Rachel lands a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples a convenient (and shareable) maternity by way of detachable artificial wombs, or pods. But Alvy, a botanist with an affection for nature, prefers a natural pregnancy. And yet, as Rachel’s AI therapist puts it, why is that “natural”? So begins the tech-paved path to parenthood.

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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Written by: Michael Waldron

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, Rachel McAdams

Runtime: 126 min

Synopsis: The MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.

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Mini-Reviews - 2021 Edition

Mini-Reviews - 2021 Edition

Usually, I prepare this type of article near the end of each year and upload mini-reviews that I have in store for a few films I didn’t have time to write a full opinion piece on. I’m going to do things differently in 2021 so that I can publish my thoughts on every movie I see this year without missing a single one. Even with much fewer films in 2020, I still found myself struggling with time, so I expect 2021 will go down the same road, sooner or later.

Therefore, this article will contain the same concise opinions you’ve seen in other pieces like this. Small reviews of some movies I can’t afford the time to write 800+ words on due to external situations that might occur in my life. In most cases, these are going to be films that won’t have that much of an impact on my year-end reflection of the best/worst movies I’ve seen in 2021.

This section will be updated each time I add a new entry, as well as its date of publication, so these compact opinions can be seen by everyone at any time.

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The Old Guard (2020) - SPOILER-FREE Review

The Old Guard (2020) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Written by: Greg Rucka

Starring: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Chiwetel Ejiofor

Runtime: 118 min

Synopsis: Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it's up to Andy and Nile (KiKi Layne), the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary.

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The Lion King (2019) - SPOILER-FREE Review

The Lion King (2019) - SPOILER-FREE Review

Directed by: Jon Favreau

Written by: Jeff Nathanson

Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy Eichner, John Kani, John Oliver, James Earl Jones, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter

Runtime: 110 min

Synopsis: From Disney, director Jon Favreau's all-new The Lion King journeys to the African savanna where a future king is born. Simba (JD McCrary / Donald Glover) idolizes his father, king Mufasa (James Earl Jones), and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival. Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Mufasa's brother (and former heir to the throne) has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy, and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.

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