Latest news with #RTCriticsConsensus
Forbes
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Sinners' Reviews: Does Michael B. Jordan Vampire Thriller Have Bite?
Michael B Jordan plays twins in "Sinners." Sinners — a new horror thriller from Black Panther and Creed director Ryan Coogler starring Michael B. Jordan — opens in theaters this week. What do critics think about the film? Rated R, Sinners plays in Thursday previews before opening Friday in theaters nationwide. The official logline for Sinners reads, 'Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.' Jordan plays the twin brothers Smoke and Stack in Sinners, which also stars Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O'Connell, Wumni Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller and Delroy Lindo. As of Wednesday, Sinners has a 99% 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 74 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus for Sinners reads, 'A rip-roaring fusion of masterful visual storytelling and toe-tapping music, writer-director Ryan Coogler's first original blockbuster reveals the full scope of his singular imagination.' David Ehrlich of IndieWire is among the top critics on RT who gives the film a 'fresh' rating, writing, 'A bloody, muscular, barrelhouse of a vampire movie that throbs like the neck of a blues guitar on fire, Ryan Coogler's Sinners might be the first story the Creed director has ripped straight from his own guts.' Critic Robert Daniels Roger Ebert online also gives the film a 'fresh' review on RT, but has minor issues with the film, writing, 'This collision of Queen of the Damned and From Dusk Till Dawn offers plenty of spectacle, even if it offers few new wrinkles to the vampire mythology, especially as it relates to the film's Southern setting.' Critic Richard Lawson also gives Sinners a 'fresh' review, although with small reservations. In his review for Vanity Fair on RT, Lawson writes, 'Sinners is propulsive and stirring entertainment, messy but always compelling. The film's fascinating array of genres and tropes and ideas swirls together in a way that is, I suppose, singularly American.' Like Lawson, Variety's Owen Gleiberman also has small complaints about the film, writing in his 'fresh' review on RT, 'Sinners works more than it doesn't, even if it doesn't always gel, but it's a commanding demonstration of how lavishly spirited and 'serious' a popcorn movie can be.' In his 'fresh' review on RT, The Hollywood Reporter critic David Rooney notes of Sinners, 'As much arthouse as grindhouse, it's a blood-drenched mix tape that shouldn't work. But it does, thanks to Coogler's muscular direction, a terrific cast, enveloping IMAX visuals, body-quaking sound and music that stirs the soul.' Clarisse Loughrey of the U.K.'s Independent also gives the film a 'fresh' review, writing, 'If cinema weren't in such a sickly state, Sinners' electric fusion of genres would be a guaranteed box office sensation ... One can only hope audiences recognize its bounty of riches.' Sinners plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters Friday nationwide.
Forbes
10-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Drop' Reviews: Are Critics Falling For Meghann Fahy Mystery Thriller?
Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar in "Drop." Drop — a mystery thriller starring Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar — is new in theaters. Are critics falling for the plot of the film or not? The official summary for Drop reads, "Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus, The Perfect Couple) plays Violet, a widowed mother on her first date in years, who arrives at an upscale restaurant where she is relieved that her date, Henry (It Ends with Us' Brandon Sklenar) is more charming and handsome than she expected. But their chemistry begins to curdle as Violet begins being irritated and then terrorized by a series of anonymous drops to her phone. 'She is instructed to tell nobody and follow instructions or the hooded figure she sees on her home security cameras will kill Violet's young son and babysitting sister. Violet must do exactly as directed or everyone she loves will die. Her unseen tormentor's final directive? Kill Henry.' Rated PG-13, Drop is playing in Thursday previews and opening in theaters on Friday. The film is directed by Christopher Landon (Happy Death Day). As of this publication, Rotten Tomatoes critics have collectively given Drop an 88% 'fresh' rating based on 59 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus for the film reads, 'A Hitchcockian thriller that cleverly utilizes modern technology for its twists and turns, Drop delivers on its pulpy premise while providing a welcome showcase for leading lady Meghann Fahy.' Allison Wilmore is among the top critics on RT who give drop a 'fresh' review. In her review in the New York Magazine/Vulture on RT, Wilmore writes, 'It's a perfectly preposterous set-up for a thriller, but the core of [Meghann] Fahy's agonizingly distracted performance is something real and recognizable.' Siddhant Adlakha of Variety has similar sentiments about the film on RT, but writes in his 'fresh' review, 'A silly, pulpy mystery entirely sure of its own conceit, Drop combines tech paranoia and the looming specter of abuse to create something surprisingly taut and entertaining.' Brian Tallerico of Roger Ebert online also praises Drop, writing on RT, 'I'm not saying Drop is one of the best thrillers ever made. But at a time when it feels like so many movies like this can't settle on an identity, there's something purely entertaining about seeing a movie that's designed like a rollercoaster.' Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire is also on board with the ride that Drop offers, writing in his review on RT, 'We should have nothing but gratitude for a movie that has almost zero bloat and tells an effective, original story in 90 minutes, even if this sleek package is made up of some shopworn tropes.' Meanwhile, Chase Hutchinson of The Wrap is among the top critics on RT who give Drop a 'rotten' review, noting, 'It may be just slick enough in small slivers to win some over, but audiences should raise their standards for what they get out of this date.' Jacob Oller of AV Club also gives the film a 'rotten' review on RT, but still appears to like the film, writing, 'While it's never tightly paced or logically coherent enough to actually excite, Drop offers a self-aware take on its silly brand of nervy fun.' Drop plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters on Friday.
Forbes
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Death Of A Unicorn' Reviews: Do Critics Believe In Jenna Ortega Horror Comedy?
Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega in "Death of a Unicorn." Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd's horror comedy Death of a Unicorn is new in theaters this weekend. How real is the concept of the movie for critics? The official logline for Death of a Unicorn reads, 'A father (Rudd) and daughter (Ortega) accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss (Richard E. Grant) seeks to exploit the creature's miraculous curative properties.' Written and directed by Alex Scharfman, Death of a Unicorn also stars Téa Leoni, Will Poulter, Sunita Mani, Jessica Hynes, Steve Park and Anthony Carrigan. As of Thursday, Death of a Unicorn has received a collective rating of 57% 'rotten' from 103 reviews from Rotten Tomatoes critics. The RT Critics Consensus reads, 'Receiving some sparkle from Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega's father-daughter rapport, Death of a Unicorn's broad satire is a bit too on the horn but makes for an entertainingly splattery creature feature.' As of the publication of this report, RT had yet to post an audience rating on its Popcornmeter, which is based on verified user ratings. Among the top RT critics who give Death of a Unicorn a 'rotten' rating is Kyle Smith, who writes in the Wall Street Journal, 'What if unicorns were vicious killers?' is the kind of idea that might sound cool in certain contexts — say, at sixth-grade recess — but it doesn't yield much of a movie.' Nick Schager shared Smith's sentiments in his 'rotten' review for The Daily Beast, writing, 'Unlike its unique and fantastical title creature, it's a commonplace monster mash which serves up only frenzied commotion and tired social commentary.' RT critic Moira MacDonald also didn't sense any magic in Death of a Unicorn, penning in her review for the Seattle Times, 'Horror comedy, alas, is a tricky balance, and making a movie dance on a unicorn's horn is trickier still; this one clearly needed a little more unicorn dust.' Death of a Unicorn did, however, find some supporters among RT's top critics, including Bob Mondello of NPR,who writes, 'The film would have benefitted from a tighter edit and a bigger effects budget, but its principals -- especially Jenna Ortega as the only person on screen with a conscience, and Will Poulter as her polar opposite -- are clearly having a ball.' Also enjoying the ride of Death of a Unicorn is Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence, who writes on RT, "You can only consider 'eat the rich' to be a zeitgeist-y concept if you forget about things like the French Revolution, but in these post-Succession/billionaire-dominated times, it doesn't feel like a surprise that these stories have a cathartic effect.' Rated R, Death of a Unicorn, starring Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd, opens in theaters on Friday.
