Jeremy Beck

@moviemanifesto.bsky.social

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Movie critic. TV addict. Editor-in-chief of MovieManifesto.com. For freelance: beck dot jeremy at gmail. he/him

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New piece: Hail, cinema, I really liked LONGLEGS. Maybe it isn’t the scariest horror movie ever made, but it’s definitely among the creepiest. Osgood Perkins is a talent; Maika Monroe is a star. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/07/long...

Longlegs: Into the Spider-Curse - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Osgood Perkins' latest horror effort might not be the scariest movie ever made, but it's intensely creepy, and Maika Monroe shines.

Good morning, I wrote about HORIZON: AN AMERICAN SAGA. It’s admirably ambitious, but if Kevin Costner wanted to save the movies, he shouldn’t have made a TV show. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/07/hori...

Horizon, an American Saga: To Each His Yellowstone - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Kevin Costner's first Horizon movie is barely a movie at all, instead operating as an extended television premiere. Ironic, that.

Good morning, I wrote about MAXXXINE. Mia Goth is great as usual, and there’s plenty of style, but it’s a considerable step down from X and PEARL—largely because Ti West forgot how to choreograph a proper horror set piece. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/07/maxx...

MaXXXine: Body Trouble, But Dressed to Thrill - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Ti West and Mia Goth's third go-round in the X-verse has some flavor, but it fails to achieve the same levels of tension.

New piece: I wrote about KINDS OF KINDNESS. It’s far from my favorite Yorgos Lanthimos movie, but it’s still a banger—or at least two-thirds of it is. Pity about that middle segment. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/07/kind...

Kinds of Kindness: Thrice, Guys Finish Last - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Yorgos Lanthimos' triptych fable is less magnificent than Poor Things, but it's still awfully entertaining (and funny).

Two-review day! I wrote about JANET PLANET, which I didn’t entirely love; it’s deliberately paced to the point of slackness. But it has several terrific scenes, and it gradually accumulates considerable power. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/07/jane...

Janet Planet: Smothering Instinct - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Annie Baker's coming-of-age story moves slowly and can feel slack, but it eventually acquires considerable power.

Good morning, I wrote about A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE. As a horror movie, it’s fairly pedestrian. As a dual character study, it’s surprisingly poignant. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/07/a-qu...

A Quiet Place, Day One: The City That Never Speaks - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Michael Sarnoski's Quiet Place prequel isn't as thrilling as its forebears, but it's surprisingly powerful on a character level.

I wrote about THE BIKERIDERS. As a character study, it doesn’t offer a ton of oomph, despite strong performances from Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and (especially) Tom Hardy. But as a wistful elegy, it’s strangely powerful. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/06/the-...

The Bikeriders: Mad Packs, Fury Rode - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Jeff Nichols' counterculture drama doesn't have a ton of oomph, but the actors are strong and the themes are oddly poignant.

New piece: I went long on Pixar’s INSIDE OUT 2, a movie that retreads its predecessor’s footsteps a bit but which is still a terrific piece of entertainment, teeming with interesting ideas, vibrant colors, and rich humor. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/06/insi...

Inside Out 2: She’s Crossed That Loving Feeling - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Pixar's latest sequel is a tad familiar, but it's still marvelous, full of broad invention, boisterous color, and deep feeling.

New piece: I wrote about Ishana Night Shyamalan’s THE WATCHERS. It isn’t very good overall, but it showcases enough stylistic promise to make me strangely confident about her next movie. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/06/the-...

The Watchers: What You See Is What You Fret - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Ishana Night Shyamalan's debut feature supplies some striking images, but it doesn't deliver the necessary oomph.

New piece: I wrote about Richard Linklater’s HIT MAN, a deeply enjoyable movie in which the sizzling chemistry between Glen Powell and Adria Arjona overpowers the story’s more prosaic flaws. (Pity it’s on Netflix.) Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/06/hit-...

Hit Man: Murder for Liar - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Richard Linklater and Glen Powell deliver a breezy romantic comedy that's effortlessly enjoyable and even a tad suspenseful.

Dissenting opinion alert! I did *not* like IN A VIOLENT NATURE, an ugly horror movie that tries to flip the genre on its head and instead falls flat on its face. A few gnarly kills can’t salvage a fundamentally flawed premise. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/06/in-a...

In a Violent Nature: One Man’s Slash Is Another Man’s Pleasure - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Chris Nash's buzzy horror movie tries to subvert the genre. It ends up proving that some conventions exist for a reason.

New piece: I wrote about George Miller’s FURIOSA. I’m not interested in debating whether it’s better than FURY ROAD (it is); I just want to talk about how it’s fucking awesome. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/05/furi...

Furiosa, a Mad Max Saga: Witness Glee - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com George Miller's latest Mad Max movie is more than just a staggering action triumph. It's a fully realized journey. Saga, indeed.

New piece: I mostly liked Jane Schoenbrun’s I SAW THE TV GLOW, which wrestles with why we love art and how that love connects us with people. I just wish it had a more lucid third act. Still, great images and provocative ideas. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/05/i-sa...

I Saw the TV Glow: Long Live the Screen - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Jane Schoenbrun's provocative thriller wrestles with thorny questions about art, love, and identity. Pity about its third act.

New piece: I’m mixed on KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES. It starts off slowly and sputters late, but in between it’s pretty interesting, with intriguing themes, remarkable motion-capture effects, and at least one killer set piece. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/05/king...

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Monkey See, Monkey Coup - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com The latest Planet of the Apes movie has a bumpy start and finish, but its middle passage is engaging, and oh those mo-cap effects.

New piece: I mostly liked THE FALL GUY; it features charming performances from Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt and pays touching tribute to the craft of stunt work. Still, shouldn’t it have been a little... better? Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/05/the-...

The Fall Guy: Putting the Action Stunt and Center - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt's action rom-com is a loving tribute to stunt work that could use a bit more charm of its own.

New piece: I wrote about Luca Guadagnino’s CHALLENGERS, a ravishing sports movie that’s as sexy as it is suspenseful, with terrific star turns from Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/05/chal...

Challengers: Thirst Serve - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Luca Guadagnino's sports love triangle is a ravishing achievement, full of excitement and verve and movie-star glamour.

New piece: I wrote about two new movies—Guy Ritchie’s THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE and the Zellner Brothers’ SASQUATCH SUNSET—and how sometimes, “originality” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. My first feature in awhile, if you want to read it or whatever: moviemanifesto.com/2024/04/sasq...

Sasquatch Sunset, Ungentlemanly Warfare, and the Risk of Originality - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Guy Ritchie rips off Tarantino again, while the Zellners head into the wilderness. Should original movies be better?

I wrote about Alex Garland’s CIVIL WAR. Everyone is fired up about this one, so naturally I found it Kinda Fine—strong individual scenes and crisp filmmaking in service of a muddled, thematically vacant whole. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/04/civi...

Civil War: The Revolution Will Not Be Rationalized - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Alex Garland's dystopian thriller is energetic and exciting. It's also weirdly empty, with blurry themes and thin characters.

I wrote about Dev Patel’s MONKEY MAN. As a story, it’s kind of messy and unformed, but as a JOHN WICK-style action extravaganza, it delivers the genre goods. More originals like this, please! Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/04/monk...

Monkey Man: Punch and Broody - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Dev Patel's action extravaganza isn't the smoothest story, but it's a fun ride, with some banger set pieces.

Good morning, I wrote about GODZILLA X KONG. As a neanderthal who enjoys monster movies, I really wanted to like this one. Alas, it’s quite bad; even Rebecca Hall can’t save it. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/04/godz...

Godzilla x Kong, the New Empire: Animal Kingdumb - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Nobody needed a Godzilla Kong movie to be smart. But some well-choreographed kaiju action might have been nice.

Good morning, I wrote about IMMACULATE, a mostly meh movie that’s partially redeemed by a phenomenal ending. Also, Sydney Sweeney! Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/03/imma...

Immaculate: Snacc of All Trades, Master of Nun - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Sydney Sweeney gets her scream-queen on in a horror movie that's largely beneath her... until its terrific ending.

Good morning, I wrote about LOVE LIES BLEEDING, an imperfect movie with a strong Kristen Stewart performance, a spotty suspense quotient, and a tender queer love story—not to mention a glorious ending. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/03/love...

Love Lies Bleeding: Her Body Is a Rage - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Rose Glass' neo-noir has spotty plotting, but Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian are great, and the movie has style to spare.

Two weeks after its release, I finally wrote about DUNE: PART TWO. It’s a marked improvement over its predecessor, with strong characters and complex themes to match its stunning visuals. Review here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/03/dune...

Dune, Part Two: Getting the Sand Back Together - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Denis Villeneuve’s Dune sequel is a more ambitious and satisfying movie, with rich characters and complex themes.

I wrote about last night’s Oscars, which featured some highlights (“I’m Just Ken”), some dead spots (In Memoriam, woof), and the unfortunate truth that Lily Gladstone and Emma Stone couldn’t both win Best Actress. Piece here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/03/osca...

Oscars 2023: Oppenheimer Wins, Show Delivers Decent Kenergy - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Oppenheimer won the trophies, Ryan Gosling won the night, and Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone are both great actors.

Oh hey, were you interested in a list of *all* of my predictions and preferences for this year’s Oscars, in easily digestible form? Yes? Well, you’re in luck, it’s just one click away! moviemanifesto.com/2024/03/osca...

Oscars 2023: Full List of Predictions - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Our full list of Oscar predictions (and preferences) for the 96th Academy Awards, in one handy place.

And here’s the last one. We all know that OPPENHEIMER is winning both Best Picture and Best Director. But which movies *should* win those categories? The answer may surprise you. Piece here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/03/osca...

Oscars 2023: Best Picture and Best Director - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com We all know that Oppenheimer is winning Best Picture at the Oscars. What this piece presupposes is, what if it shouldn't?

Neglected to post this yesterday: So, who the hell is winning Best Actress, Lily Gladstone or Emma Stone? Who should? And most importantly, how did I exclude both Keira Knightley and Saoirse Ronan from my ballot?? (Don't worry, they both made honorable mention.) moviemanifesto.com/2024/03/osca...

Oscars 2023: Best Actor and Best Actress - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Cillian Murphy has the edge over Paul Giamatti, but Best Actress is a coin flip. Emma Stone or Lily Gladstone? Suspense at the Oscars!

Look out, it’s a two-post Oscars analysis day! Both screenplay races this year are genuinely suspenseful, so I dug into the data, crunched the numbers, surveyed the history, and... OK, I just randomly picked the winners. Should be exciting! Piece here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/03/osca...

Oscars 2023: The Screenplays - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Two categories, two toss-ups! Can Oppenheimer hold off Barbie and American Fiction? Will Anatomy of a Fall top The Holdovers? Oscars!

Sure, we know that Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Robert Downey Jr. are winning the supporting actor awards at the Oscars. But what about Julianne Moore for MAY DECEMBER? What about John Magaro for PAST LIVES? What about Iman Vellani for THE MARVELS??? Piece here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/03/osca...

Oscars 2023: The Supporting Actors - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com The winners are locked, but do they deserve it? Where is Julianne Moore? And should Oppenheimer just have five supporting actor noms?

Our Oscars analysis marches on, with looks at some super-sexy craft categories. Can BARBIE hold off POOR THINGS for costume and production design? What about the epic battle for Best Visual Effects? And just how many wins is OPPENHEIMER getting? Piece here: moviemanifesto.com/2024/03/osca...

Oscars 2023: The Big Techies - MovieManifestomoviemanifesto.com Barbie vs. Poor Things! Godzilla Minus One vs. The Creator! Oppenheimer vs. movies that are not Oppenheimer! The Oscars roll on.