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Michael VerMeulen

A&E 12/3/19 9:06pm

“Knives Out” revamps the classic “whodunnit” with modernity and wit

By Michael VerMeulen

While they are plentiful in the world of literature, original works in the “whodunnit” subgenre are rare in film. With his newest film “Knives Out” though, filmmaker Rian Johnson has put the murder mystery genre up on the silver screen in extravagant fashion, crafting a delightful puzzle of a tale that both echoes and subverts the greats like Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle.

A&E 9/24/19 9:10pm

Review: “Ad Astra” Falls Short of the Stars

By Michael VerMeulen

Acclaimed director James Gray has taken his big shot at the storied space genre with “Ad Astra,” an expansive, impeccably produced movie that sadly does not achieve the equilibrium between internal character study and sci-fi epic that it attempts to reach.

A&E 8/27/19 9:57pm

Review: Summer slasher ‘Ready or Not’ delivers a gruesomely good time

By Michael VerMeulen

In the glut of horror films that come it each year, it can be difficult to find works that either have noticeable technical effort and prowess behind them or do not rely on jump scares to provide tension. Thankfully, the new horror release “Ready or Not” satisfies both qualifications, as well as excelling in another genre as makes the movie all the more entertaining: comedy.

A&E 11/20/18 12:41pm

‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’: disjointed and disappointing

By Michael VerMeulen

In 2016, the “Harry Potter” prequel film “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” was resoundingly profitable, so it only made sense when it was announced that four sequels were being greenlit. The second film in this new series, however, is a product severely lacking in quality — “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is easily the worst film to take place in the Wizarding World so far.

A&E 11/14/18 12:05am

‘Outlaw King’: Clumsy but worthwhile

By Michael VerMeulen

Although shows like “Game of Thrones” has seen a rise in popularity, medieval films have not followed suit. Production of such films is few and far between. Director David Mackenzie attempts to rectify this dearth of Middle Age epics with his new film “Outlaw King,” a flawed yet compelling piece of grand medieval entertainment.

A&E 11/7/18 12:12am

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ relies too heavily on existing fandom

By Michael VerMeulen

If you listen to music, you probably like Queen and its legendary frontman Freddie Mercury. It is this universal appeal that serves as the foundation for the new Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody,” a film that relies too heavily on the built-in fandom of its killer soundtrack and shies away from delving into any material of profound substance.

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