Author: Douglas Davidson

Founder: Elements of Madness | Contributing Senior Film Critic: CLTure | Bylines at Pretty Vacant One and FilmFed | The Cine-Men podcast co-host | NC Film Critics Association & Southeastern Film Critics Association member | Rotten Tomatoes approved individual critic
Films

Thoughtful dramedy “Asher” offers a killer time.

There’s something intriguing about good assassin films. These stories have been used as fodder for buddy comedies (The Hitman’s Bodyguard), romantic comedies (Grosse Pointe Blank), coming of age stories (Leon: The Professional), revenge thrillers (John Wick), or just straight up dramatic nightmares (Collateral). Somehow, though, it doesn’t matter if the lead is the hunter or the prey, the way someone can seem so cool, calm, … Continue reading Thoughtful dramedy “Asher” offers a killer time.

Douglas Davidson
Films

REVIEW: Incredibles 2

It’s been 14 years since Brad Bird’s now-classic The Incredibles hit theaters and, for many, the wait’s been excruciating. Gratefully, not only are Parrs returning, but they’re returning with a story that’s a sequel in the purest form – a continuation with the characters we met in 2004 but for whom time has barely passed. With a script and direction from Bird, along with most … Continue reading REVIEW: Incredibles 2

Douglas Davidson
Films

Review: Saving Brinton

For many, going to the movie theater is all about escapism. Whether by some space odyssey, gut-busting comedy, biopic, family drama, or adventure historical, the movie theater is a place to depart the seriousness of life and embark on a journey of a different sort. Even with growing audience fallout, the theatrical experience remains a reprieve from the trials of the day-to-day, whether enjoyed in … Continue reading Review: Saving Brinton

Douglas Davidson
Films

Review: Terminal

Appearances can be deceiving. Always be the smartest person in the room. There’s no such thing as coincidence. These may be rote clichĂ©s, yet the failure to adhere to them will get you killed in Vaughn Stein’s feature debut, Terminal. Before you harangue me for a spoiler, part of the brilliance of Stein’s script is everything is laid out for the viewer from the jump. … Continue reading Review: Terminal

Douglas Davidson
Films

Review: The Judge

A well-executed documentary works on multiple levels. There’s the central story the director explores, but then there’s some other aspect that finds its way on in, often by surprise. Sometimes these elements overshadow the central story, others they enhance – the latter being the case with director Erika Cohn’s The Judge, a compelling piece of veritĂ© cinema focused on Judge Kholoud Al-Faqih, the first female … Continue reading Review: The Judge

Douglas Davidson
game night poster
Films

Review: Game Night

Everyone knows that one super-competitive person. The one who will bury your nose in their victory or flip over the table in defeat. Yet we love them because they’re family and it’s usually only during game night that their inner beast emerges. With the recent resurgence of table top games, bringing family members together (Exploding Kittens), tearing them apart (Monopoly), or out-right traumatizing them (Cards … Continue reading Review: Game Night

Douglas Davidson
Saturday-Church-Poster
Films

REVIEW: Saturday Church

Audiences will quickly compare Saturday Church to Moonlight, the 2017 Best Picture Oscar winner which also tells a personal, character-driven story about a boy’s search for self at the intersection of sexual identity and race. While both excel at telling singular stories in this vein, that’s where the similarities end. Saturday Church, for all of its heartbreak, is grounded in a beautiful joyfulness that pervades … Continue reading REVIEW: Saturday Church

Douglas Davidson
jumangi-art
Films

REVIEW: ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”

In 1995 audiences were taken on a fantastical adventure when two young children began to play the board game Jumanji, a magical game which, once started, cannot be stopped until the end is reached. The film, titled after the game, still resides in the hearts of the children that watched it, beloved for its wild and ridiculous premise. Though the 2005 follow-up Zathura: A Space … Continue reading REVIEW: ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”

Douglas Davidson