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The Movie Isle

The Movie Isle is not a Tomatometer-approved publication. Reviews from this publication only count toward the Tomatometer® when written by the following Tomatometer-approved critic(s): Kristen Lopez, Scott Phillips.

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Rating Title | Year Author Quote
The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018) Scott Phillips The Strangers: Prey at Night drips with 80's influences. From its synth score to the Stephen King font of its opening title cards, the film capitalizes on the audience's nostalgia for its slasher predecessors.
Posted Jul 27, 2020  Edit critic review
Annihilation (2018) Scott Phillips The majority of the movie is told in flashbacks with Natalie Portman's character as the sole POV, and her blandness gives the audience no emotional investment in the outcome of her tale.
Posted Jul 27, 2020  Edit critic review
Unsane (2018) Scott Phillips Much has been made of Soderbergh shooting the film on an iPhone. It's not the stunt that the mainstream press makes it out to be. The low-fi look of the cinematography is in perfect sync with the subject matter.
Posted Jul 27, 2020  Edit critic review
Summer of 84 (2018) Scott Phillips Summer of '84 does many things well. The suspense set pieces are well-staged. The young cast gives convincing performances.
Posted Jul 27, 2020  Edit critic review
American Animals (2018) Scott Phillips ...It leaves American Animals feeling a bit hollow. But, it's still a ride well worth taking.
Posted Jul 27, 2020  Edit critic review
Filmworker (2017) Scott Phillips Filmworker is much more than a hodge-podge of Kubrick trivia.
Posted Jul 25, 2020  Edit critic review
The Endless (2017) Scott Phillips The Endless doesn't scream at the top of its lungs. Instead, it leaves you asking, "Did I just see what I thought I saw?"
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Ghost Stories (2017) Scott Phillips Ghost Stories has a satisfying meta quality to its construction. It's a film about exposing con men that's running a long con on its audience the whole time.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Dark Money (2018) Scott Phillips Dark Money should be required viewing.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
The Miseducation of Cameron Post (2018) Scott Phillips Miseducation offers a talented cast giving compelling performances, but the film never quite lives up to its potential due to its predictable screenplay.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Terminal (2018) Scott Phillips The film will make the most of your 4K television, but the candy-colored visuals grow tiresome. As my father-in-law says, "I like ice cream, but I wouldn't want to eat it at every meal."
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
The Cakemaker (2017) Scott Phillips The Cakemaker is a beautiful portrait of love in its many forms.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Halloween (2018) Scott Phillips Halloween 2018 gives us the family reunion that we've been waiting for.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Nico, 1988 (2017) Scott Phillips If it sounds like a bleak journey, it is. But, it's one worth taking.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Damsel (2018) Scott Phillips ...throughout its 110-minute runtime, I had no idea where the story might take me. And that's a high compliment, indeed.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
We the Animals (2018) Scott Phillips It's a strange ride, but in the best possible way.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Searching (2018) Scott Phillips What places Searching a cut above the average thrillers filling the multiplex every weekend is the resonance of the relationship between David and Margot.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Pick of the Litter (2018) Scott Phillips Pick of the Litter offers lessons about the importance of service animals and raises awareness about the visually-impaired people who put their lives in the hands of these guide dogs every day.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Creed II (2018) Scott Phillips Creed II, like the second Rocky film, is a comeback story. It's the tale of a rematch. Unfortunately for the audience, the trajectory of Creed II so closely resembles Rocky II that the film becomes painfully predictable.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Support the Girls (2018) Scott Phillips Support the Girls doesn't offend with its depiction of its subject matter. It commits a greater sin: it never acknowledges that these are issues at all.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
211 (2018) Scott Phillips There are some competently staged shootouts surrounding the bank robbery, but those sequences are not enough to recommend the film.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Green Book (2018) Scott Phillips ...the relationship at its core helps to dilute its sentimentality before it overwhelms the film. Like Dr. Shirley, Green Book doesn't sell out entirely, just a little bit.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Hold the Dark (2018) Scott Phillips Hold the Dark doesn't feel as organic as Blue Ruin, but it's a worthy addition to Saulnier's filmography nonetheless.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
You Might Be the Killer (2018) Scott Phillips Horror fans won't be disappointed by the film. It will scratch that horror itch until something better comes along.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Overlord (2018) Scott Phillips Overlord delivers exactly what you are expecting. Nothing more; nothing less. And that's quite alright if you're looking for a horror-flavored action adventure.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
What They Had (2018) Scott Phillips What They Had is well-made. It simply doesn't stand out from the pack.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Apostle (2018) Scott Phillips ...an interesting idea that ultimately devolves into silliness.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018) Scott Phillips Standoff is a testament to the power of tight writing and solid, nuanced acting.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Destroyer (2018) Scott Phillips The best crime films find the current of humanity that runs beneath the surface of the action and the gritty atmosphere, and that's where Destroyer delivers.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Escape Room (2019) Scott Phillips There's so much quality content out there and so little spare time to enjoy it. Escape Room made me wish I had stayed home and taken a nap instead.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Springsteen on Broadway (2018) Scott Phillips It clips along like a finely-tuned machine born of hours upon hours of planning and staging, but it has an urgency to it that grips the audience and won't let go.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
The Angel (2018) Scott Phillips Lorenzo Ferro anchors the film with his portrayal of Carlos Puch, but his performance is beautifully understated.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
At Eternity's Gate (2018) Scott Phillips It's an internal film that lives inside the mind of Van Gogh. Like the film itself, it's a strange, but beautiful, place to be.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
You Were Never Really Here (2017) Scott Phillips If quiet, internal acting is your bag, this film should be at the top of your must-see list.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018) Scott Phillips It's a moving tribute to a man who lived his life to help others.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Prospect (2018) Scott Phillips Given its budget restrictions, the film wisely chooses to show us the fringes of this future world where the lower social strata struggles to survive with make-shift means of transportation and low-fi space gear.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Happy Death Day 2U (2019) Scott Phillips The new film entertains while also feeling a bit familiar. But in the dog days of February, you could do a lot worse at the theater.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
A Star Is Born (2018) Scott Phillips My favorite film of 2018.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Widows (2018) Scott Phillips Widows is an instant crime classic.
Posted Jul 24, 2020  Edit critic review
Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero (2018) Scott Phillips It's a heart-warming story that features beautiful, painterly animation.
Posted Jul 23, 2020  Edit critic review
Revenge (2017) Scott Phillips I still can't believe that this brilliant thriller is the debut feature from writer/director Coralie Fargeat. I truly can't wait to see what she does next.
Posted Jul 23, 2020  Edit critic review
Shoplifters (2018) Scott Phillips Shoplifters shows us that family is simply a concept, a social construct that has little to do with genetics and instead springs from love and sacrifice.
Posted Jul 23, 2020  Edit critic review
Under the Silver Lake (2018) Scott Phillips Even at two hours and fifteen minutes, the film still zips along, and I was never anything less than entertained.
Posted Jul 23, 2020  Edit critic review
Leave No Trace (2018) Scott Phillips Leave No Trace is a brilliant examination of family, sacrifice and the price a parent is willing to pay so his child can lead a better life.
Posted Jul 23, 2020  Edit critic review
Private Life (2018) Scott Phillips The film is filled with dark humor and rich emotion.
Posted Jul 23, 2020  Edit critic review
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) Scott Phillips Beale Street has that special alchemy where visuals, narrative and performance combine to create something transcendent.
Posted Jul 23, 2020  Edit critic review
Aniara (2018) Scott Phillips Aniara explores an interesting thesis about the resilience and adaptability of the human spirit: as long as there is life, there is hope.
Posted Jul 23, 2020  Edit critic review
John Wick: Chapter 3 -- Parabellum (2019) Scott Phillips It's a spectacle. Nothing more; nothing less. And that's enough.
Posted Jul 23, 2020  Edit critic review
My Son (2017) Scott Phillips My Son is tightly constructed and well layered.
Posted Jul 23, 2020  Edit critic review
Dogman (2018) Scott Phillips Dogman shows us the dirty sidewalks, the stained floors and the people who struggle to make ends meet.
Posted Jul 23, 2020  Edit critic review
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