What to Watch When You're Hiding Under the Couch
Some movies to lighten your existential load this week -- or to confirm it.
Latest
Watch List Digest: Special TIFF Edition
I went to the Toronto International Film Festival and watched 20 movies in six days. Here's the best of them.
Toronto Report III: "Hamnet," "Frankenstein" and more
Reviews of the new Chloé Zhao, del Toro's monster movie, "The Smashing Machine," "Good Fortune" and "The Christophers"
Toronto Report II: "Knives Out," "Ann Lee," "Bad Apples" and a "Lost Bus"
Coming to theaters near you: A darker, deeper (but still funny!) "Knives Out," an 18th-century rave about the founder of the Shakers, a new Saoirse Ronan and more.
Toronto Report I: "Sentimental Value," "It Was Just an Accident," "Nouvelle Vague"
Joachim Trier's best movie to date? Richard Linklater's love letter to Godard and Truffaut? Peak Panahi? Read on.
Happy 75th, "Rashomon" (But Which One?)🔒
How Akira Kurosawa’s classic film became the model for truthiness as a cinematic and cultural point of view. (From the WaPo)
New Reviews: "A Little Prayer," "Caught Stealing" and "The Roses" 🔒
One of the best movies of the year -- and two that aren't.
"Highest 2 Lowest" Redux + Ty's TIFF Preview
Some second thoughts on Spike Lee's latest, and a baker's dozen of my most anticipated Toronto Film Festival screenings
Watch List Digest 8/24/25
Some gloomy thoughts on the future of film criticism and film critics + two recommendations and two new reviews.
New Reviews: "Honey Don't!" and "Relay" 🔒
This week: A solo Coen joint and a tight little New York noir
A Farewell to Movie Critics
Some jaundiced thoughts on the field in which I've spent my working life. Plus a few movie recommendations.
New Reviews: "Highest 2 Lowest," "Americana," "Souleymane's Story"
Spike Lee's reunion with Denzel Washington ain't Kurosawa, but it ain't bad.
One Good Film
One Good Film: "Crossing" (and more)
A sweet sleeper of a Georgian movie; plus: a bonkers fascist artifact from Depression-era Hollywood, two fine new streaming releases, and a ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reminder.
Weekly Digest
Watch List Digest 8/10/25
Japanese Cinema 101, a Hollywood classic revisited, new reviews and more
Classics 🎞
Happy 75th, "Sunset Blvd."🔒
Three-quarters of a century on, Billy Wilder's classic is still a bitter, bitter pill
New Movies
New Reviews: "Weapons," "Freakier Friday," and more 🔒
A stunning new horror film, a congenially plastic Disney sequel and a music doc that swoons a bit too much.
New Movies
What To Watch: "Caught By The Tides" (plus: Japanese Cinema 101)
Jia Zhangke's latest is a literal career summary. Also: You have to pick ten movies to represent Japanese cinema to newcomers. Quick: what do you choose?
Weekly Digest
Watch List Digest 8/2/25
A quiet week this week. It happens.
New Movies
New WaPo reviews: "Together," "The Naked Gun," "Folktales"🔒
This week: A kinda brilliant new horror-comedy, a better-than-expected reboot and Norwegians with sled dogs.
What to Watch
What to Watch: "Easy Living"
Jean Arthur stars in a great, underrated screwball comedy from director Mitchell Leisen.
New Movies
New WaPo Reviews: "Oh, Hi!" and "Bad Shabbos"🔒
Two new comedies about love and criminal behavior. One zings, the other doesn't.
Good Movies 📽
What to Watch: "Blues" in the Night
Something (streaming) for everyone: "40 Acres," "Materialists," "Drop," "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl," "The Shrouds" and "Peking Opera Blues"
What to Watch
What to Watch: "The Remarkable Life of Ibelin"
Plus: Brief reviews of new releases "Sorry, Baby" and "Oh, Hi!" and a heads-up on hard-to-find classics.
Good Movies 📽
The Watch List Top Ten
For Watch List newcomers: The most popular movies on demand recommended by this newsletter since its inception in 2021. (Plus a bonus for paid subs.)