Storytelling
Ant-Man and the Wasp Is Marvel’s Biggest MacGuffin
Ant-Man and the Wasp has a plot built entirely out of MacGuffins and a villain who finally breaks Marvel's mold.
Storytelling
8 Reasons Why Ocean’s 8 Is the Perfect Feel-Good Heist Movie
From the humor to the pacing, Ocean's 8 works in a way that provides a template for other heist movies to follow.
Storytelling
The Biggest Story Problems in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
Remembering the story and plot lessons that Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park got right but sequels like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom keep forgetting.
Storytelling
How Tag Hid a Heartfelt Movie in a Crass Comedy
Tag shouldn't work as a movie, but it does -- almost despite itself. Its crass, uneven comedy hides a surprisingly satisfying emotional payoff.
Storytelling
The Tone Paradox in Deadpool 2
It's no surprise that Deadpool 2, the ultra-violent R-rated superhero action comedy with the heart of a cartoon puppy, has a tone problem.
Armchair Sociology
Sollers Point: Unraveling Masculinity Onscreen
Sollers Point has its finger on the pulse of a huge American problem: masculinity in crisis. Writer-director Matthew Porterfield is a dedicated chronicler of Baltimore’s lesser-told stories, and in Sollers Point he finds a true diamond in the rough. The story follows Keith (McCaul Lombardi), whose life after house arrest Read more…
Armchair Sociology
Westworld: Reality, A.I., and the God Problem
When I was about 5 or 6, I had a thought that both exhilarated and terrified me. I was riding in the car with my parents, looking out the window, and I thought… How do I know if I’m real? Beyond that… how do I know if “reality” even exists? Read more…
Storytelling
Avengers: Infinity War Shows How to Write a Huge Ensemble Story
Why Marvel's biggest movie yet is a great example of how to write for a large ensemble of characters.
Storytelling
10 Ways Iron Man’s Plot Created the Marvel Movie Formula
10 years after Marvel Studios released Iron Man, here's how that movie's success has been duplicated in every MCU film since.
Storytelling
How Jordan Peele Changed Get Out from Script to Screen
Compare the biggest changes between Jordan Peele's screenplay for Get Out and his finished film.