Overstreet Archives: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Ten years ago, I wrote about The Muppet Christmas Carol for another website, marking the film's 20th anniversary. Here,…
The Wonder: a film about what we believe and why it matters
On the week that I watched The Wonder , I had a challenging encounter with a stranger that brought the movie's central…
All-Stars: Steven D. Greydanus and 20+ years of extraordinary writing on film
Star-gazing again, I'm pointing to one of the brightest in the cosmos of criticism: Steven D. Greydanus. I'd be…
Sparks but no fireworks from My Father’s Dragon
The source material, a 1948 children's book by Ruth Stiles Gannett, is whimsical and funny, and has clearly influenced…
A loud recommendation for All Quiet on the Western Front
Do we need another epic war movie in 2022? Yes, if it serves to strip away any sense that battlefields are about heroes…
Stuck in the middle with Tár
Director Todd Field's return to the big screen is an unforgettable spectacle. And it is, almost inarguably, the…
Looking Closer All-Stars: Sarah Welch-Larson on The Rings of Power
Star-gazing, I'm highlighting Sarah Welch-Larson as the first Looking Closer "all-star" — a writer whose wisdom and wit…
Sinead O’Connor was right all along
It has taken three decades — 30 years to the month! — for the truth to come into focus. In the early '90s, Sinead…
Two new essays in one week: The Enlightened Replicant and the Liberated Marionette
New writing is heating up my laptop these days. I have two new essays — my first ever contribution to my favorite…
Where Did My Community Go? Marcel the Shell Offers Insight at The Rabbit Room
After posting my initial review of Marcel the Shell With Shoes One here at Looking Closer, I've contributed a second…
In Roger Michell’s final film*, Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren are in trouble with the law
Roger Michell's final film* is an endearing epilogue to an impressive career, but even the headliners Jim Broadbent and…
Mrs. Harris goes to the land of pure imagination
The great Leslie Manville proves that she can make even a cloying crowdpleaser like this worth watching. You might find…