Family Drama

‘Family Stone’ (2005), with loaded cast, better than a lump of coal

“The Family Stone” (2005) piles strong actors onto the screen and allows them to interact in an overstuffed house at Christmastime. This metaphorical snowball fight

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Self-cannibalizing ‘The Monkey’ is more dark than comedic

“The Monkey” is the fourth-biggest Stephen King adaptation of 2025, but it’s the one that most cynically comments on the fact that Hollywood can’t get

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‘It: Welcome to Derry’ expands from King’s work in King-y way

Showrunner (and often director) Andy Muschietti knows how to make a sale. As with the “It” movies, but more so, he gets stellar performances out

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‘Cinnamon Skin’ (1982) blows up into a good quest novel

By his 20th novel of out 21, “Cinnamon Skin” (1982), Travis McGee knows who he is and is starting to accept it. John D. MacDonald’s

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‘Freakier Friday’: Some things don’t change with age

“Freakier Friday” is a cute sequel to a cute 2003 remake of a cute 1976 movie that has been remade and sequelized several other times

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A century of suspense: All 52 Alfred Hitchcock films, ranked

A century ago, Alfred Hitchcock quietly (indeed, soundlessly) started his career with throwaway rom-dram “The Pleasure Garden.” Fifty-two years and exactly 52 films later, he

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YA-style mystery ‘Sun Down Motel’ (2020) floats off like a ghost

Simone St. James’ “The Sun Down Motel” (2020) has a structure that’s almost like cheating. Twenty-ish Viv investigates cold cases in 1982 while working at

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‘Final Girls’ (2015) makes fun of old tropes, unfortunately shepherds new one

“The Final Girls” (2015) continues the grand tradition of making fun of slasher movies, something that has always happened to some degree even within serious

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‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ is a fantastic bore

It’s a year ending in 5, so that means it’s time for another “Fantastic Four” movie so Fox (and now Disney) doesn’t lose the license.

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‘Conjuring’ saga applies wallpaper as fast as it peels in ‘Last Rites’

The Smurl family home in “The Conjuring: Last Rites” includes peeling wallpaper in the stairwell, an accidental metaphor for the way the film uses top-shelf

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