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‘Strays’ review: Dogs go hunting for laughs on comedy’s mean streets, with Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx

Little things start adding up against “Strays.” Why treat the eagle attack on Bug as a jump scare instead of a sight gag? The Dennis Quaid cameo: Huh? When the raunch doesn’t click, the strain shows.

August 17, 2023

‘August Wilson: A Life’: A theater giant’s symphony of 20th century Black lives, captured by biographer Patti Hartigan

She writes of the rift between playwright Wilson and director Lloyd Richards. "It was like a divorce, but perhaps an inevitable one. While it lasted, it was one of the key relationships in the American theater."

August 17, 2023

‘Blue Beetle’ review: A reluctant superhero in a better-than-average DC Comics movie

It's nice to get out of Gotham and visit a new fictional urban center: Palmera City, imagined here as Miami with a hint of “Blade Runner,” if “Blade Runner” enjoyed a little sunshine.

August 16, 2023

Things to do around Chicago: Fan Expo in Rosemont, P!NK at Wrigley and the Bud Billiken Parade

This is a big expo weekend in Rosemont, plus live music and the annual parade in Bronzeville.

August 11, 2023

‘Billions’ review: A finance bro runs for president. What could go wrong?

As we arrive at the show’s end — or one hopes — the Showtime series is creatively tapped out.

August 11, 2023

Review: ‘Heart of Stone’ is a Netflix killer-spy movie about all-powerful AI. Far-fetched twist: Actual humans wrote the script.

Gal Gadot needs better material. Only when she gets to square off with Alia Bhatt’s superhacker does this Netflix spy thriller suggest a human pulse.

August 10, 2023

Review: ‘Passages’ is a compelling sexual triangle set in Paris — and a 2023 film standout

In director Ira Sachs' bisexual triangle "Passages," Tomas tells Agathe that he says "I love you" whenever he feels it. Agathe's response: No. "You say it when it works for you." That's one of countless moments that makes the movie feel alive, and alert.

August 10, 2023

‘The Fugitive’ at 30: Andrew Davis made a great Chicago movie. Here are some of the secret ingredients

"Fugitive" director Andrew Davis: The studio had an idea of what kind of meal they wanted, but no recipe. So I had to figure out how to run the kitchen and make it work."

August 09, 2023

‘Only Murders in the Building’ review: This time it’s a musical!

Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd bring new energy to Season 3 of Hulu's comedic-melancholic whodunit "Only Murders in the Building."

August 09, 2023

In appreciation: Chicago’s William Friedkin was the street-level master of suspense, from ‘French Connection’ and ‘The Exorcist’ to ‘Bug’

His biggest movie successes changed the course of '70s cinema, walloping audiences in ways previously unimaginable.

August 07, 2023

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ review: This murky, underwater sequel doesn’t even have enough sharks

As Jonas, Jason Statham’s lack of excitement is contagious. “Great,” he mutters at one point, sounding like he’s in line at the post office. “More Megs.”

August 04, 2023

Review: ‘A Compassionate Spy’ is a Manhattan Project espionage story that began at UChicago

Seen in the context of “Oppenheimer,” Steve James’ film serves as a fascinating complement — and in some ways, a corrective — to the Christopher Nolan blockbuster.

August 04, 2023

This movie critic went looking for the biggest, best way to see ‘Oppenheimer.’ Here’s what I found.

My travels took me to the Music Box Theatre in Chicago, the Emagine Batavia “Super EMX” and a real IMAX screen in Indianapolis. That last one twice.

August 03, 2023

Column: Hollywood is spending more than ever. Where is the money going?

The Hollywood actors and writers strike has made it clear: Money isn’t going to workaday people who make TV shows. So where is it going?

August 03, 2023

Column: In defense of background TV

There's a place in the TV landscape — or there should be — for the kind of easy-to-watch shows you pick when you’re tired or distracted.

August 02, 2023

My Worst Moment: Beau Bridges and the surreal moment on stage

“It’s like when something strikes you funny when you’re in church — it’s the worst timing imaginable," said Beau Bridges of his worst moment on stage.

August 01, 2023

‘Talk to Me’ review: When a game of talk-to-the-hand turns into a nightmare

In this summer of screaming pink (”Barbie”), is there room for a dour, low-lit Australian horror film about demonic possession?

10 Things to do around Chicago: Ed Sheeran, fair weekend in Chinatown and cool cars on Navy Pier

Look for another summer weekend of live music, Fiesta Del Sol, Chinatown Summer Fair and a Bollywood-inspired performance in the park.

‘The Beanie Bubble’ review: Tiny treasures, massive workplace drama

Four movies about the wonders of corporate mythmaking have been released in the first half of the year. "The Beanie Bubble" on Apple TV+ is the latest

Column: The lesson Hollywood should learn from ‘Barbenheimer’? Let originality come through.

Post-Barbenheimer, says Slate critic Dana Stevens, Hollywood should "make space for interesting filmmakers who’ve proven themselves at getting audiences excited in their work."

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