Hokum is a great little horror flick, one that runs heavy in atmospheric chills but light on gore. It’s about a writer who travels to Ireland to ostensibly spread his parents’ ashes. But he has more on his mind than closure—and the inn that he visits wants more from him, too. So perhaps it’s not surprising that the film comes with its own hidden layers. Let’s unpeel a couple of them. But to do so, we’re going to need to... Read more
National Superhero Day was April 28—a day to salute one of America’s greatest contributions to pop culture. Ever since Superman started tossing cars in 1938, superheroes have been an integral part of our entertainment fabric. And they’ve not just entertained us; they’ve sometimes inspired us. T But despite their moniker, these superheroes—especially in the last couple of decades—aren’t always the most heroic kids on the block. Sometimes, even these high-flying wonders can fall. I’ve always loved me some superheroes. I’ve... Read more
“Do you believe in God?” Ryland Grace asks his boss, Eva Stratt, in Project Hail Mary. “Beats the alternative,” Stratt says. And so it is, especially the age in which Grace and Stratt find themselves. The sun has been afflicted by, essentially, an interstellar virus. Single-celled critters dubbed astrophage have invaded the system, attached themselves to the sun like a giant collective leech and are gobbling up its electromagnetic radiation, causing the sun to cool—and the earth, of course, along... Read more
Movies still speak to us. And in 2025, they had a lot to say about faith. Certainly, the year saw its share of faith-based flicks hit theaters, and many of them made a powerful impact at the box office. Two films by Angel studios landed in the box office’s top 50 in 2025: The King of Kings (No. 34 with $60.3 million) and David (No. 48 with $41.8 million as of Dec. 26, but it’s still adding to its gross).... Read more
The tagline for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein reads, “Only a monster would play God.” From the time Mary Shelley first brought life to the mad doctor and his creation, Frankenstein has been filled with spiritual themes. In the 1931 film Frankenstein, the doctor exalts, “Now I know what it feels like to be God!” In the 1935 sequel The Bride of Frankenstein, the monster himself becomes a broken Christ-like figure—eating bread and wine in a metaphorical last supper before being... Read more
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is the best movie ever made about Marvel’s First Family. Well, OK, that’s not hard, given the Fantastic Four’s spotty cinematic track record. A 1994 film was so bad that it was never released. The 2005 version was a box-office success but a critical failure. And the less said about the 2015 reboot, the better. The 2015 version is a sterling example of what can go wrong with a superhero movie: Director Josh Trank wanted... Read more
The Life of Chuck hasn’t exactly set the world on fire since its release earlier this month. But while it might not be among 2025’s biggest films, it could be one of its best. Granted, this was never crafted to be a box-office blockbuster. It’s just too contemplative, too whimsical, too flat-out weird. The whole story is told backward, for one thing—beginning with Act III, which itself seems to culminate with the end of the world. And much of the... Read more
You can’t deny the power, artistry and sheer entertainment value of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. The film manages to balance horror and humor as well as any. Michael B. Jordan—playing the gangster twins Smoke and Stack—is at his charismatic best. And the music? It swings from foot-pounding blues numbers to tender Irish ballads–transcending the window-dressing treatment music often get and deftly informing both what Sinners says and how it feels. And that’s the point. Sinners is about music: Not just its... Read more
Movies go in seasons. And those seasons, like winter in New Hampshire, tend to come early. The summer movie season usually begins the first week of May. The Christmas movie season might touch off right after Halloween. And right now—even though the calendar still says that it’s winter, faith-based films are beginning to bloom. That’s right: It’s Christian movie season. It’s part of a natural entertainment cycle, really. With big blockbusters in hibernation and with plenty of moviegoers looking for... Read more
We’ve seen sexy vampires, sparkly vampires, atheistic vampires who might take their morning showers in holy water without ill effect. It feels like it’s been a while since we’ve seen a real vampire vampire—a monster smelling of blood and brimstone, an unholy creature at home in, at least, the upper reaches of hell. Not a misunderstood antihero or an occult superhero, but something altogether evil. Enter Count Orlok, the refreshingly old-fashioned villain from the latest Nosferatu movie. And his dark... Read more
Select your answer to see how you score.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In