Movie Reviews | Matinee With Matt

A Sick and Twisted Tale is Spun in Emerald Fennell's Sophomore Effort 'Saltburn'

Nov 22
4 min

A Sick and Twisted Tale is Spun in Emerald Fennell's Sophomore Effort 'Saltburn'

"I loved him. But was I in love with him?" In the year of our Lord 2023, the early to mid-2000s seems like a sufficiently nostalgic era....

Disney Indulges Itself With a Big-Budgeted 'Wish' That Never Comes True

Matthew Creith

Nov 21
3 min

Disney Indulges Itself With a Big-Budgeted 'Wish' That Never Comes True

"I decide what everyone deserves!" What do you get when you mix one of the largest media conglomerates with a pandering tale lacking...

Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix Reteam to Bring a French Leader Back to Life in 'Napoleon'

Matthew Creith

Nov 14
3 min

Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix Reteam to Bring a French Leader Back to Life in 'Napoleon'

"If you do not provoke me, you do not need to fear me." Napoleon Bonaparte is a name most people know, even if they aren't exactly sure...

The Strange and Beautiful World of Bella Baxter Are on Full Display in 'Poor Things'

Matthew Creith

Nov 9
3 min

The Strange and Beautiful World of Bella Baxter Are on Full Display in 'Poor Things'

"Would you rather the world not have Bella?" Director Yorgos Lanthimos seldom shies away from the absurd. The auteur understands how to...

'The Marvels' Proves Laughter is the Best Medicine for Superhero Fatigue

Matthew Creith

Nov 8
3 min

'The Marvels' Proves Laughter is the Best Medicine for Superhero Fatigue

"Oh Captain, My Captain!" Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in full force, and Captain Marvel returns for a sequel all her...

'Priscilla' Lacks Pizzazz in Sofia Coppola's New Biopic

Matthew Creith

Oct 26
3 min

'Priscilla' Lacks Pizzazz in Sofia Coppola's New Biopic

"I want a life of my own." One year after Baz Luhrmann and Austin Butler showed what made rocker Elvis Presley so famous in his heyday,...

Paul Giamatti & Alexander Payne Reteam for One of the Best Movies of the Year in 'The Holdovers'

Matthew Creith

Oct 19
3 min

Paul Giamatti & Alexander Payne Reteam for One of the Best Movies of the Year in 'The Holdovers'

"You don't tell a boy that's been left behind at Christmas that you're aching to cut him loose." In 2004, director Alexander Payne and...

Review: Lily Gladstone Gives Humanity to Inhumane Story in 'Killers of the Flower Moon'

Matthew Creith

Oct 17
4 min

Review: Lily Gladstone Gives Humanity to Inhumane Story in 'Killers of the Flower Moon'

"This blanket is a target on our backs." Let's set the scene: 1920s Oklahoma. The Osage Nation becomes the chosen people by chance as the...

Review: There's No Pill Available to Make 'Pain Hustlers' Bearable

Matthew Creith

Oct 11
3 min

Review: There's No Pill Available to Make 'Pain Hustlers' Bearable

"If I'm lying, you can kiss me anywhere you want on this perfect body." The decade is the 2010s. Florida has become the epicenter for new...

Review: Anna Kendrick's Directorial Debut 'Woman of the Hour' is a True Crime Chiller

Matthew Creith

Oct 3
4 min

Review: Anna Kendrick's Directorial Debut 'Woman of the Hour' is a True Crime Chiller

"I always get the girl." There is nothing quite like an actor's directorial debut, especially when the film's premiere takes place at an...

Review: 'Quiz Lady' Elevates the Comedy Stylings of Awkwafina and Sandra Oh in Trivial Sibling Story

Matthew Creith

Oct 2
3 min

Review: 'Quiz Lady' Elevates the Comedy Stylings of Awkwafina and Sandra Oh in Trivial Sibling Story

"Don't go anywhere. I know I won't!" Awkwafina is Anne, a game show enthusiast who prides herself on possessing encyclopedic knowledge in...

Review: 'Dumb Money' Invests in its Cast Without Dividends From the Script

Matthew Creith

Sep 20
4 min

Review: 'Dumb Money' Invests in its Cast Without Dividends From the Script

"I just like the stock." Imagine if you will a boxing match of the clichéd David versus Goliath. In one corner, there's Goliath,...

Review: 'Fair Play' Shines an Erotic Light on Gender Dynamics in a High-Stakes Corporate Environment

Matthew Creith

Sep 19
3 min

Review: 'Fair Play' Shines an Erotic Light on Gender Dynamics in a High-Stakes Corporate Environment

"If I can't make you cry, I'm going to make you bleed." Power and influence are tricky concepts; no two people understand it better than...

Review: Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt Make Sweet Music Together in 'Flora and Son'

Matthew Creith

Sep 19
3 min

Review: Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt Make Sweet Music Together in 'Flora and Son'

"I was 17 with a screaming child on my lap. This can't be my story. But, without him, I have nothing." Irish writer and director John...

Review: Toby Wallace Dives Into Deep Waters With Ben Foster in Brian Helgeland's 'Finestkind'

Matthew Creith

Sep 12
3 min

Review: Toby Wallace Dives Into Deep Waters With Ben Foster in Brian Helgeland's 'Finestkind'

"You live and you die. It's the in-between part that's important." Writer/director Brian Helgeland's work often speaks for itself....

Review: Jonathan Glazer's Holocaust Movie is a New Perspective in 'The Zone of Interest'

Matthew Creith

Sep 11
3 min

Review: Jonathan Glazer's Holocaust Movie is a New Perspective in 'The Zone of Interest'

There is no denying that the Holocaust happened. Millions of Jewish people lost their lives to a madman who sought power for a select few...

Review: Netflix's Thriller 'Reptile' Neither Slithers Nor Charms in TIFF Debut

Matthew Creith

Sep 9
3 min

Review: Netflix's Thriller 'Reptile' Neither Slithers Nor Charms in TIFF Debut

"It's only going to get worse now." What do you get when you mix talented actors with a topsy-turvy script aiming to be like David...

Review: 'Blue Beetle' Battles Evil with Family and Community on its Side

Matthew Creith

Aug 24
3 min

Review: 'Blue Beetle' Battles Evil with Family and Community on its Side

"You are a superhero, cabron!" As of late, DC has been in a transitional period, trying to identify where their comic book superheroes...

Review: Randall Park Swings For the Fences in Directorial Debut 'Shortcomings'

Matthew Creith

Aug 3
3 min

Review: Randall Park Swings For the Fences in Directorial Debut 'Shortcomings'

"Just because I'm a hypocrite doesn't mean I'm wrong." Actor Randall Park takes on directing duties in the new movie, "Shortcomings," in...

Review: Tom Cruise Gives Us What We Want in "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One"

Matthew Creith

Jul 5
3 min

Review: Tom Cruise Gives Us What We Want in "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One"

"Ethan, you're playing four dimensional chess with an algorithm." After almost three decades on the silver screen, the "Mission:...

Review: "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" Says Goodbye to One of Film's Greatest Leads

Matthew Creith

Jun 29
3 min

Review: "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" Says Goodbye to One of Film's Greatest Leads

"Hitler made mistakes. And with this, I will correct them all." Professor by day, whip-wielding archeologist in his spare time. For over...

Review: Jennifer Lawrence Bares It All For Comedy in "No Hard Feelings"

Matthew Creith

Jun 21
3 min

Review: Jennifer Lawrence Bares It All For Comedy in "No Hard Feelings"

"I've had a one night stand before and gotten zero Buick Regals for it." The newest comedy to hit movie theaters, "No Hard Feelings," is...

Review: "The Flash" Opens the Door For '90s Kids to Rejoice

Matthew Creith

Jun 16
4 min

Review: "The Flash" Opens the Door For '90s Kids to Rejoice

"You wanna get nuts? Let's get nuts." There's a lot of fun to be had with a comic book movie, even if it's just entertaining on a surface...

Review: Pixar Misses the Mark with "Elemental"

Matthew Creith

Jun 14
2 min

Review: Pixar Misses the Mark with "Elemental"

"Elements don't mix!" In the grand tradition of Pixar movies, "Elemental" might be among some of my least favorites. But I am very aware...

Review: Miles Morales Heads Into Uncharted Territory in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"

Matthew Creith

May 31
3 min

Review: Miles Morales Heads Into Uncharted Territory in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"

Spoiler alert: "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" ends on a cliffhanger. This shouldn't be too much of a surprise since a third...

Review: White People Problems Creep Into "You Hurt My Feelings"

Matthew Creith

May 25
3 min

Review: White People Problems Creep Into "You Hurt My Feelings"

"Is she jealous of the homeless?" Actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus can do no wrong. She has proven herself worthy of being bestowed the title of...

Review: Revenge is a Dish Best Served Unhinged in 'Fast X'

Matthew Creith

May 17
4 min

Review: Revenge is a Dish Best Served Unhinged in 'Fast X'

"Everybody becomes family. It's like a cult with cars." I'm never going to apologize when a movie makes me smile from start to finish....

Review: 'BlackBerry' Proves Communication Is Not Universal

Matthew Creith

May 12
4 min

Review: 'BlackBerry' Proves Communication Is Not Universal

"Men will no longer commute, they will communicate." The BlackBerry was a revolutionary invention when it was released to the general...

Review: 'Hypnotic' Fails to Test the Boundaries of Reality

Matthew Creith

May 11
3 min

Review: 'Hypnotic' Fails to Test the Boundaries of Reality

"What you're seeing isn't real." Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez has played around with various genres for most of his career. Since hitting...

Review: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Gives Rocket a Revenge Arc

Matthew Creith

May 5
3 min

Review: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Gives Rocket a Revenge Arc

"The story has always been yours." The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in the business of introducing new superheroes and villains to its...

Review: ‘Ghosted’ Navigates Modern Dating and Espionage

Matthew Creith

Apr 20
3 min

Review: ‘Ghosted’ Navigates Modern Dating and Espionage

"I let my emotions cloud my judgment." Boy meets girl at a farmers market. Girl flirts with boy, but boy is too oblivious to know it....

Review: ‘Renfield’ Attempts To Escape The Fangs Of An Abusive Relationship

Matthew Creith

Apr 12
2 min

Review: ‘Renfield’ Attempts To Escape The Fangs Of An Abusive Relationship

Irish author Bram Stoker created a new horror subgenre by introducing “Dracula” in the late 1800s. Since then, several incarnations have...

Review: 'Air' Introduces Legends By Way of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

Matthew Creith

Apr 3
3 min

Review: 'Air' Introduces Legends By Way of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

"World class players don't wear third class shoes." You could call it a biopic. You could call it a behind the scenes look at the...

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (SXSW)

Matthew Creith

Mar 27
3 min

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (SXSW)

“That is one pudgy dragon…did he eat the last one?!” Truth-telling time: I have never played the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. I...

Matthew Creith

Mar 21
3 min

Tetris (SXSW)

"Good ideas have no borders." At SXSW, I had the opportunity to attend the world premiere of "Tetris," the new AppleTV+ movie starring...

Matthew Creith

Mar 8
3 min

Scream VI

A spoiler-free review. “You fuck with my family, you die!” If 2022’s poorly titled fifth installment, “Scream,” taught us anything, it’s...

Matthew Creith

Feb 28
3 min

Creed 3

“Damian’s fighting the world, and he’s trying to hurt people.” “Creed 3” is battling its way into movie theaters this week. With it comes...

Matthew Creith

Feb 23
3 min

Cocaine Bear

"An apex predator, high on cocaine, and you're going towards it?!" Set in 1985, the true story elements of "Cocaine Bear" concern drug...

Matthew Creith

Feb 14
2 min

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

“It’s never too late to stop being a dick.” Welp, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Five officially kicks off this week with “Ant-Man...

Matthew Creith

Jan 26
3 min

You People

Modern love has come a long way since the days of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," the 1967 romantic drama that dealt with interracial...

Matthew Creith

Jan 4
3 min

A Man Called Otto

"I haven't even left yet and they're trying to erase us." Otto Anderson is a cantankerous older man living in a snowbound metropolis...

Matthew Creith

Dec 16, 2022
4 min

Babylon

"Welcome to the wonderful world of sound." Damien Chazelle hit it out of the park with his mainstream debut feature film, "Whiplash," a...

Matthew Creith

Dec 8, 2022
2 min

Empire of Light

"Nothing happens without light." The year is 1981, and we are transported to England to the run-down movie theater palace known as the...

Matthew Creith

Dec 1, 2022
2 min

Bones and All

“I want you to eat me…bones and all.” From “Suspiria” and “Call Me by Your Name” director Luca Guadagnino, “Bones and All” is the tale of...

Matthew Creith

Nov 16, 2022
3 min

She Said

"The only way these women will talk…is if they all jump together." Based on the book of the same name by New York Times journalists Jodi...

Matthew Creith

Nov 16, 2022
3 min

The Menu

“Yes chef!” Have you ever watched an episode of “Succession” and thought, “Gee, I would love it if there was a bit more comedy and Logan...

Matthew Creith

Nov 2, 2022
3 min

Causeway

“Driving a car shouldn’t be a victory.” Theater and television director Lila Neugebauer enters the indie film space with her newest...

Matthew Creith

Oct 27, 2022
4 min

The Fabelmans

“Family. Art. It will tear you in two.” At the Toronto International Film Festival, director Steven Spielberg noted that “The Fabelmans”...

Matthew Creith

Oct 24, 2022
2 min

The Good Nurse

"Why?" "Because they didn't stop me." Based on the true story of Charlie Cullen and Amy Loughren, Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain...

Matthew Creith

Oct 18, 2022
3 min

Tár

Lydia Tár is the most decorated conductor ever to live. The recipient of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award, she has conducted...