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Thursday, February 06, 2025 — Houston, TX

Arman Saxena

A&E 2/4/25 11:03pm

Review: “Nickel Boys” is an intimate and potent masterpiece

By Arman Saxena

Oscar season might have crowned Brady Corbet as the new “great American director” for his ambitiously sprawling “The Brutalist,” but with Nickel Boys — his adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel — RaMell Ross stuns us all, staking a bold claim as a visionary, essential voice in American filmmaking. 

A&E 2/4/25 11:02pm

Oscar snubs and surprises

By Ridhi Dondeti , Jennifer Liu , Jay Collura and Arman Saxena

On Jan. 23, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for their annual much-anticipated Academy Awards. Like every year, this slate of nominees was full of snubs and surprises; here are some that the Thresher believed were especially notable.

A&E 1/28/25 11:27pm

Review: “Conclave” is agreeably thrilling

By Arman Saxena

The movie your dad probably insisted you watch over break, “Conclave” is a political-religious thriller that never quite rises to greatness, yet remains thoroughly absorbing from first frame to last. Adapted from Robert Harris’s novel and helmed by “All Quiet on the Western Front” director Edward Berger, the film scored an impressive eight Oscar nominations on Thursday morning, including Best Picture, Best Actor and a likely win for Best Adapted Screenplay. It’s not hard to see why: “Conclave” weds a first-rate ensemble to sumptuous visuals, spinning Vatican intrigue into a tightly crafted spectacle that, for better or worse, stops short of any deeper revelations. 

A&E 1/28/25 11:14pm

Review: Mangold’s Bob Dylan remains ‘A Complete Unknown’

By Arman Saxena

The Academy Awards revealed their nominations Jan. 23, and to the surprise of many, James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic walked away with eight. Titled “A Complete Unknown,” the film follows Dylan’s meteoric rise in the 1960s folk scene, culminating in his now-famous transition to electric guitars. Despite the nods from the Academy, Mangold’s film delivers a story that is more style than substance, never fully illuminating the genius behind the shades. 

A&E 12/3/24 11:19pm

“Emilia Perez” rings shallow

By Arman Saxena

France’s submission for the 2025 Academy Awards will likely be the country’s thirty-ninth film nominated in Best International Feature. Currently on Netflix, Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Perez” follows an overworked lawyer in Mexico who helps a trans cartel boss leave her life of crime and start anew. 

A&E 11/19/24 10:58pm

Flicks to enjoy with friends and family this Thanksgiving

By Arman Saxena

Many film fans discuss their favorite Christmas movies, Valentine’s Day movies and even Election Day movies, but Thanksgiving cinema is too often forgotten. Here at the Thresher, we want to acknowledge some of the best movies to see while enjoying a potluck, cooking for a Friendsgiving or spending a warm moment with loved ones this Thanksgiving break.

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