The Spool
@thespool.bsky.social
📤 325
📥 55
📝 373
@lisalamanfilmfan praises BACKROOMS as a key part of a rising new age of horror.
buff.ly/P4mPjGk
loading . . .
Tour the creepy and visually precise Backrooms
Much like The Great Mouse Detective heralded the imminent arrival of the Disney Renaissance, Kyle Edward Ball’s Skinamarink has proven a harbinger of the 2020s horror cinema scene. Specifically, it…
https://thespool.net/reviews/movies/film-review-backrooms-a24-2026-chiwetel-ejiofor-renate-reinsve/
1 day ago
0
0
0
What's the difference between a piano and a fish? Who cares, says
@ungajje.bsky.social
, focus on how great TUNER is instead!
loading . . .
Tuner plays all the right notes
It isn’t hard to find people who complain that “they don’t make movies for adults like they used to”. Regardless of the validity of that declinist point of view, the cinematic varietal that…
https://buff.ly/dCMk53u
6 days ago
0
1
1
Spider-Noir has descended from the rooftops and
@ungajje.bsky.social
couldn't be happier.
loading . . .
Spider-Noir rejects black-and-white replication
One of the harder things to accept as a comic book fan is that your favorite character is going to be different depending on where they show up. Yes, they have some core qualities and a power set…
https://buff.ly/vvd9j6P
7 days ago
0
0
1
@ungajje.bsky.social
has plenty of praise for I LOVE BOOSTERS despite feeling the film doesn't quite realize its range of ambitions.
loading . . .
I Love Boosters inspires admiration, if not quite adoration
The classic @Tormny_Pickeals’ tweet declared, “Black Panther was a fine movie but its politics were a bit iffy. wouldve been way better if at the end the Black Panther turned to the camera & said i…
https://buff.ly/2RWaN9P
7 days ago
0
0
1
Despite brief thrills, Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu plays like a rerun of the TV series, says
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
. And not one of the good episodes.
loading . . .
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu a rote return to galaxy far, far away
Star Wars and television have been going together like “ramma-lamma-lamma-ka-dingity-da-dinga-dong” for ages. Never forget, the second piece of filmed Star Wars media ever was that Star Wars Holiday…
https://buff.ly/ZJqcEkc
8 days ago
0
5
2
MAXIMUM PLEASURE GUARANTEED is wildly far-fetched, but Tatiana Maslany and pacing will keep viewers from noticing because they'll be too busy feeling the tension, argues
@ungajje.bsky.social
.
buff.ly/hgRWoxX
loading . . .
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed delivers…if tension is your kink
As a title, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed feels at least oxymoronic if not knowingly ironic. The series does start with a virtual “relationship” between the recently divorced Paula (Tatiana Maslany)…
https://thespool.net/reviews/tv/tv-review-maximum-pleasure-guaranteed-appletv-2026-tatiana-maslany/
12 days ago
0
0
1
With MARGO'S GOT MONEY TROUBLE airing its season finale today on AppleTV, the time is ripe to revisit
@ungajje.bsky.social
's very positive review of the series.
buff.ly/r1kjbDH
loading . . .
Margo’s Got Money Troubles succeeds nonetheless
If you are younger, say under 30, you might know have a great idea who David E. Kelley is or was. But for Gen Xers and geriatric to mid-Millennials who grew up on network television, he looms large. H...
https://buff.ly/r1kjbDH
14 days ago
0
0
1
LIFEHACK struggles with some of the same issues most screenlife films do, confesses
@ungajje.bsky.social
. Nonetheless, it proves a well-oiled thriller that evokes an era of the internet that feels both moments and forever ago.
loading . . .
LifeHack won’t cut your chore time in half, but it entertains
Because everything on the internet inevitably must face the twin reapers of irony poisoning and capitalistic corruption, lifehacks have evolved. They've graduated from at least mildly useful…
https://buff.ly/cRo7VZ8
15 days ago
0
0
1
Inde Navarrette's tour de force performance and Curry Barker's assured directing make OBSESSION as unpredictable as it is entertaining, declares
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
.
buff.ly/OwvaujF
loading . . .
Fixate on the twisted joys of Obsession
Men are terrifying. You need not even gaze on the men in high American political positions to recognize that reality. Just try being a woman taking an Uber ride home on a Saturday night. Or standing…
https://thespool.net/reviews/film-review-obsession-focus-features-2026-inde-navarrette/
15 days ago
0
1
0
@sgorr.bsky.social
can't stay silent on her love for SILENT FRIEND.
buff.ly/4qTaPD0
loading . . .
Silent Friend wants to connect you with the trees, yourself
“When I see a botanical garden, I see a bunch of lonely souls,” says scientist Alice (Léa Seydoux). At first, that’s what Silent Friend seems to show us—a collection of lonely people scattered across…
https://thespool.net/reviews/film-review-silent-friend-1-2-special-2026-tony-leung-chiu-wai/
20 days ago
0
1
1
In comic book terms, THE PUNISHER: ONE LAST KILL has enough story for an 8-page backup stretched over the course of a full one-shot, says
@ungajje.bsky.social
. That's a bad thing.
buff.ly/sObYxAH
loading . . .
The Punisher: One Last Kill could’ve missed a few kills
Not to get all M. Night Shyamalan here, but let’s talk about organizing units in comics. Stick with me, I promise this is going somewhere. The total “world” of Marvel Comics is the Marvel Universe,…
https://thespool.net/reviews/tv/tv-review-the-punisher-one-last-kill-disney-plus-2026-jon-bernthal/
21 days ago
0
0
1
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
declares IS GOD IS a remarkable, not-to-be-missed achievement.
loading . . .
And lo, Is God Is delivers unto audiences a heavenly film
Adapting a play into a feature film is not for the faint of heart. For every Casablanca, The Father, His Girl Friday, or Stalag 17 that yield rich creative rewards, there are a host of failures like…
https://buff.ly/t7PhZCs
21 days ago
0
2
0
With Netflix pushing the memeification of APEX hard on social media,
@ungajje.bsky.social
decided to catch up with the survival flick. Alas, even Taron Egerton being a little weirdo can't make it tops.
loading . . .
Even a bonkers Taron Egerton can’t push Apex high
Taron Egerton playing a weirdo is a gift. But even gifts have their limitations. For Egerton, that limitation appears to be Apex, a survival thriller now on Netflix. Tapping into his oddness can turn…
https://buff.ly/Xl0EJyF
26 days ago
0
0
1
Witty and enchanting, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES proves the biggest surprise in family films since PADDINGTON, argues
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
.
loading . . .
The Sheep Detectives uncover enchanting wit and pathos
One glance at the poster for The Sheep Detectives is enough to fill one’s soul with dread. All those celebrities voicing CG sheep? From one of the Minions directors? Surely this project will be to…
https://buff.ly/7RUtfMM
28 days ago
0
2
2
"Solid as hell" HOKUM has the
@sgorr.bsky.social
seal of approval. Read her review now.
loading . . .
Hokum stirs up solid Irish countryside scares
As a genre, horror constantly searches for new ways to make the ordinary scary. From the quaint suburbs of Halloween to a bright summer day in Midsommar to the children’s toys of Chucky and The…
https://buff.ly/6XKiHqq
about 1 month ago
0
2
1
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
praises MOTHER MARY's "admirable ambitious streak" while still arguing it is not among director David Lowery's best efforts.
loading . . .
Fascinating Mother Mary strikes some sour notes
Music superstar Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) needs a dress. She could get such an outfit from anywhere in the world, but, as a David Lowery protagonist, that simply won’t do. Instead, she calls up…
https://buff.ly/PWk6KOw
about 1 month ago
0
1
0
Tonal problems undermine an otherwise dark, mean, and funny OVER YOUR DEAD BODY, says
@ungajje.bsky.social
.
loading . . .
Over Your Dead Body worth exhuming
Vacations can be hard. Anticipation and expectations run headlong into unfortunate reality. The planning. The uncomfortable sleeping arrangements. The hours of travel. Your spouse throwing a wrench…
https://buff.ly/r6peWHU
about 1 month ago
0
0
1
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
points to the twin devils of apathy and capitalism to explain the bland, poorly executed MICHAEL.
loading . . .
Monotonous. Misguided. Meaningless. Michael.
Apathy has consumed the world. For many, particularly professional artists in powerful positions, the 2020s and second Trump administration moved them to do little more than shrug their shoulders at…
https://buff.ly/W8BdRtw
about 1 month ago
0
5
2
On this blessed 420,
@ungajje.bsky.social
reviews PIZZA MOVIE, a nachos-dripping-with-hot-neon-orange-cheese film (complimentary).
loading . . .
Pizza Movie satisfies your stoner movie munchies
Reviewing a stoner film when you aren’t one isn’t always an easy prospect. It’s difficult to enjoy a culture when you aren’t part of it. At least that’s how I typically explain my lack of…
https://buff.ly/wMpVu7I
about 1 month ago
0
1
1
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
praises the darkly humorous Kontinental ’25 as another strong example of writer-director Radu Jude's commitment to depicting the modern world as Hell while still imbuing the feature with empathy.
loading . . .
Kontinental ’25 Is A Visually Precise Dark Comedy Treat
Writer/director Radu Jude’s Kontinental ’25 begins with Ion (Gabriel Spahiu), an unhoused former athlete, washing up in a park surrounded by animatronic dinosaurs. From there, Jude’s camera captures…
https://buff.ly/pAkH96w
about 2 months ago
0
3
3
LEE CRONIN'S THE MUMMY sometimes plays more like a gross-out dark comedy than a typical Mummy film, explains
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
. Sadly, it too often embraces familiarity and lore obsession over those creative choices.
loading . . .
Unhinged highs can’t stop Lee Cronin’s The Mummy unraveling
It’s 1932. Filmmaker Karl Freund strolls down a sidewalk, happening upon a movie theater playing his directorial debut, The Mummy. He stops a moment, tilts his gaze upward at the marquee, and cracks…
https://buff.ly/9IIGhcI
about 2 months ago
0
0
0
While
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
indentifies charms in NORMAL, particularly Bob Odenkirk's performance, but ultimately finds the film too complicated and talky for its own good.
loading . . .
Odenkirk can’t overcome Normal shortcomings
Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk) has a lot going on. A marriage on the fritz. Heavy job trauma. In search of a break, he takes on an interim sheriff job in the small Minnesota town of Normal, a place of…
https://buff.ly/snHg5us
about 2 months ago
0
0
0
While
@ungajje.bsky.social
has reservations about how the plot treats its initial victim, he can't deny CRIMINAL RECORD Season 2 is a compelling sophomore effort.
loading . . .
Criminal Record Season 2 is a little bit of history repeating
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. So goes the expression, one with which DS June Lenker (Cush Jumbo) is apparently unaware. Why else would she again fall in with the disgraced…
https://buff.ly/sZ7dEgg
about 2 months ago
0
0
1
The advertising campaign did THE MINIATURE WIFE wrong as the series turns out to be an excellent surprise, says
@ungajje.bsky.social
.
loading . . .
The Miniature Wife makes a surprisingly big impact
Hollywood loves a good logline. Truth be told, many of us do. So let’s get this review started with one. The Miniature Wife looked like a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids riff with somehow worse comedy. What…
https://buff.ly/gqr0rZw
about 2 months ago
0
0
1
Taylor Ortega is excellent in BIG MISTAKES but the show itself is ill-formed, argues
@ungajje.bsky.social
about the newly released Netflix series.
loading . . .
Big Mistakes makes a couple of significant ones
Everyone makes mistakes. We trust the wrong people, make bad choices, buy things we can’t afford. For most of us, the consequences are noteworthy but ultimately minor. A broken heart, a skinned knee,…
https://buff.ly/vfXpVFj
about 2 months ago
0
0
1
Not every choice works in HAMLET starring Riz Ahmed, but what does work makes the film worth watching, asserts
@sgorr.bsky.social
.
buff.ly/UOT9h0h
loading . . .
Riz Ahmed breathes new life Hamlet in mostly solid adaptation
To adapt or not to adapt isn’t the question. Rather, it is why adapt Hamlet, one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays. With over 50 film adaptations since 1900, clarity of vision and purpose grows all…
https://thespool.net/reviews/film-review-hamlet-focus-features-2026-riz-ahmed/
about 2 months ago
0
1
1
With SHRINKING Season 3 officially ending today, revisit
@ungajje.bsky.social
's review of the full season.
loading . . .
Oxymoronically, Shrinking Season 3 grows
When I say Shrinking Season 3 is the series’s best effort yet, it may sound a bit like a backhanded compliment considering my ambivalence about its prior installments, Season 1 in particular. But…
https://buff.ly/oxC8TFI
about 2 months ago
0
0
1
@ungajje.bsky.social
praises YOUR FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS Season 2 as an improvement over its debut with a clearer thesis on wealth and the wealthy and an eye towards all of our inevitable deaths. But still funny.
loading . . .
Death is moving in in Your Friends & Neighbors Season 2
Your Friends & Neighbors’ theme, “The Joneses” by Hamilton Leithauser & Dominic Lewis, has always warned us, “You can’t keep up with the Joneses”. In practice, though, Season 1 struggled to land that…
https://buff.ly/2gxuTGc
2 months ago
0
0
1
MIKE & NICK & NICK & ALICE isn't nearly as over the top as its premise suggests, but it is still plenty of fun, asserts
@ungajje.bsky.social
.
loading . . .
Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice do the time warp
Have you ever looked back on an earlier version of yourself and just absolutely hated who you were? You can’t believe you did or said that thing. Can’t even understand how you could have hurt that…
https://buff.ly/5aFduod
2 months ago
0
0
1
Despite not reaching the heights of TITANE,
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
finds plenty compelling about Julia Ducournau's latest, APEX. Read her review now.
loading . . .
Tortured, shattered, and lonely: This is Julia Ducournau’s Alpha
In hindsight, it’s appropriate that I was the only soul in my Sunday morning screening of Alpha. After all, this is a motion picture about pervasive loneliness. Witnessing that kind of story with…
https://buff.ly/g6P3mag
2 months ago
0
1
0
THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE is an Easter egg-filled improvement over its predecessor...but just barely, says
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
.
buff.ly/F2toWva
loading . . .
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is an upgrade, but only marginally
Before helming Illumination’s Mario movies, directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic headed the Teen Titans Go! series famous for its hyperactive sensibilities and absurdist comic impulses.…
https://thespool.net/reviews/film-review-the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-illumination-2026-chris-pratt-charlie-day/
2 months ago
0
2
1
SOMETHING VERY BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN starts with all atmosphere before the plot takes over halfway through the season. Despite quality production design, @ungajje.bksy.social thinks the whole thing would've been better served by just being a film.
buff.ly/qNcrEjg
2 months ago
0
0
1
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
praises the contrasts in the new horror-comedy FORBIDDEN FRUITS, loving its mix of dark humor and toxic witchy melodrama.
loading . . .
Forbidden Fruits succulent with dark comedy, terrific performances
“Bless your heart.” Fellow lifelong Texas residents undoubtedly have heard that phrase countless times. It’s a trio of words epitomizing the bizarre paradoxes of Texan culture. Externally kind but…
https://buff.ly/WKQMmjL
2 months ago
0
2
1
New release OUR HERO, BALTHAZAR, has split The Spool staffers.
2 months ago
1
0
0
With the newest episode of IMPERFECT WOMEN hitting streaming today, look back at
@ungajje.bsky.social
's review of the whole series from last week. Find out why he argues the show is doomed by its insistence on trying to be two kinds of television at the same time.
loading . . .
Imperfect Women lives down to its name
When adapting a book for television, a smart choice may be devoting episodes to different characters’ points of view. It allows the viewers to experience familiar events through different eyes.…
https://buff.ly/igDcdn9
2 months ago
0
0
1
@ungajje.bsky.social
struggles to reconcile THE MADISON's two halves. One is a deeply empathetic and insightful look at grief. The other, an ugly, reductive take on cities and the people that have the nerve to live in them. The series airs in final three episodes Saturday.
loading . . .
Bisected The Madison can only muster love for half of its own story
I don’t say this sort of thing often. In fact, this might be the first time I’ve ever said anything like this. But, here we go. The Madison would be better off if it had nothing to do with New York…
https://buff.ly/Ic4Gl51
3 months ago
0
0
1
Ryan Gosling has charm to spare in the energetic and entertaining PROJECT HAIL MARY, says
@ungajje.bsky.social
.
loading . . .
Project Hail Mary scores
There is a certain temptation to compare Project Hail Mary to 2015’s The Martian. Both are, after all, Drew Goddard-penned adaptations of Andy Weir books that feature lone human beings unexpectedly…
https://buff.ly/dckdSDz
3 months ago
0
0
1
undertone tries to do for sound what so many good found footage films have done for the visual. Unfortunately, predictability and underwhelming scares diminish its craft, argues
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
.
buff.ly/t7aXU4U
loading . . .
The craft of undertone undermined by scare struggles
Horror cinema has wrung immense power from found-footage or uniquely filmed movies in which cameras accidentally capture something terrifying. The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, and…
https://thespool.net/reviews/film-review-undertone-vvs-films-2026-nina-kiri/
3 months ago
0
1
0
@lisalamanfilmfan.bsky.social
is here for all your Oscars needs. Who will win? Who should win? How do you dance like an Irish vampire? Well, maybe not the last one. But maaaaybe.
loading . . .
2026 Oscars Predictions: Who Will Win, Who Should Win
Much like Palpatine’s resurrection, somehow, the Academy Awards have returned. This Sunday, they’re poised to capture the undivided attention of film geeks for a 98th time, celebrating 2025’s…
https://buff.ly/Cmvd92u
3 months ago
0
1
1
SCARPETTA's scenes set in the past are excellent, says
@ungajje.bsky.social
. By contrast, the scenes in the present are frequently loud, chaotic, and overstay their welcome.
loading . . .
Scarpetta struggles with work-life balance, past and present
Two immediate thoughts emerge early on while watching Scarpetta, the new series that adapts Patricia Cornwell’s first Kay Scarpetta novel, Postmortem, and her 25th appearance, Autopsy. First, when…
https://buff.ly/CihsuFK
3 months ago
0
0
1
WAR MACHINE is a solid action sci-fi film elevated by practical effects and a strong direction by Patrick Hughes, says
@ungajje.bsky.social
. It sadly makes little room for personality, though.
loading . . .
War Machine built from spare parts
It is reductive to call War Machine “Predator in the scrublands if the Predator was a mech-looking robot alien”. And yet, that does feel like the most thorough summary of the whole endeavor. More to…
https://buff.ly/Mg29auG
3 months ago
0
0
1
ROOSTER doesn't yet seem to have figured out what show it is going to be, notes
@ungajje.bsky.social
. He's not sure how long it can afford not knowing.
loading . . .
Rooster hasn’t found its call
It’s funny how things can sometimes start a micro-trend, purely by accident. Yesterday I reviewed Vladimir, a comedy set on and around the campus of a small liberal arts college, where a large facet…
https://buff.ly/fWjySuF
3 months ago
0
0
1
VLADIMIR gets plenty right about the motivating qualities and limitations of desire, but fumbles when it tries to make hot takes on issues of power, consent, and more, says
@ungajje.bsky.social
loading . . .
This Vladimir impales, wink wink nudge nudge
It is perhaps fitting that the titular Vladimir is both a cipher to the audience and the story’s protagonist/narrator (Rachel Weisz). In the same way that he (Leo Woodall) comes to life in her…
https://buff.ly/Wq4O0jj
3 months ago
0
0
1
Andrew Stanton's possible live-action comeback IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE is a disappointment on almost every level, reports
@ungajje.bsky.social
in his review.
loading . . .
Meaning lost In the Blink of an Eye
When it comes to big-screen live-action features, Andrew Stanton has caught a bit of a raw deal. Multiple animated masterpieces of Pixar and several episodes of some of the best TV shows of the past…
https://buff.ly/902GiLt
3 months ago
0
0
1
DTF St. Louis is a slow-motion suburban noir that suffocates and beguiles the audience, says
@ungajje.bsky.social
thespool.net/reviews/tv-r...
loading . . .
DTF St. Louis is DTS (Down to Surprise)
Take this by way of a public service announcement. There are moments in DTF St. Louis’s first episode that are utterly suffocating. The opener is frequently so quiet, soft, and still. Viewers can feel...
https://thespool.net/reviews/tv-review-dtf-st-louis-hbo-2026-david-harbour-jason-bateman/
3 months ago
0
1
1
@ungajje.bsky.social
admits THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME had no need for a second season, but its new go-round is nonetheless superior to the first, thanks in no small measure to Jennifer Garner getting to fight.
loading . . .
The Last Thing He Told Me Season 2 hones its storytelling
Unlike far too many series, The Last Thing He Told Me provided a satisfying ending when Season 1 wrapped. There was a bit of a tease in the final moments. At a gallery, Hannah Michaels (Jennifer…
https://buff.ly/B4zkZJk
3 months ago
0
1
1
PARADISE is back! It isn't quite as strange Season 1, reveals
@UnGajje.bsky.social
, but it makes up for it with an overall deeper grasp of the characters' emotions.
loading . . .
Think twice before skipping Paradise Season 2
When Paradise ads started running late in 2024, they seemingly promised a rather straightforward, if elevated concept, murder mystery. The President of the United States, Cal Bradford (James…
https://buff.ly/PuKU59K
3 months ago
0
1
1
PILLION is one of 2026's first must-watch films, argues
@sgorr.bsky.social
. Check out why in her review:
loading . . .
Strap up and settle in for a ride with stunning dom-com Pillion
Pillion’s premise sets out to turn as many heads as star Alexander Skarsgård did in his leather halter-top ensemble at the film’s BFI premiere. Playfully referred to as a “dom-com”, it’s a peek into…
https://buff.ly/yLvxa1z
4 months ago
0
2
1
SCHOOL SPIRITS Season 3 returns this week and
@UnGajje.bsky.social
praises its ability to navigate new characters and plotlines without losing track of the main cast or overcomplicating the show's charms.
loading . . .
School Spirits Season 3 honors the invisible
You can sometimes feel a show overcomplicating itself to keep going past its natural end. The prime example of this is Lost’s middle seasons, which many pointed to as wheel-spinning. Their case is…
https://buff.ly/XSGvaGR
4 months ago
0
0
0
THE BEAUTY is a return to form for Ryan Murphy, but one needs to keep in mind all the good and bad that can mean, argues
@UnGajje.bsky.social
.
loading . . .
The Beauty is a beast
My first real writing about television was recapping episodes of Nip/Tuck. I can’t recall exactly which season exactly. What I can say for sure is it wasn't early, when the series was at its best.…
https://buff.ly/vkzNORm
4 months ago
0
0
1
Load more
feeds!
log in