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Jonathan Barkan
Tomatometer-approved critic
Publications:
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Madam Yankelova's Fine Literature Club (2017) |
Charming, quirky, but not without its faults, Madam Yankelova's Fine Literature Club is a dark drama for fans of Tim Burton and Jean-Pierre Jeunet. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Mar 01, 2021
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Greenland (2020) |
Greenland lands with a disappointing thud. - JonathanBarkan.com
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| Posted Dec 17, 2020
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Freaky (2020) |
Unapologetically queer and genuinely charming, Freaky isn't perfect but it's a damn good time. - JonathanBarkan.com
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| Posted Nov 11, 2020
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Come Play (2020) |
Come Play is a solid enough horror film that ... stumbles along the way. With another film or two, Jacob Chase will certainly become a name to watch out for. - JonathanBarkan.com
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| Posted Oct 28, 2020
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Speed (1994) |
Speed still remains a taut, thrilling action masterpiece, one that is expertly edited, fantastically written, and exhilarating from start to finish. - JonathanBarkan.com
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| Posted May 11, 2020
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Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) |
It's playful, it's fun, and it feels like what a Sonic the Hedgehog movie should be. - JonathanBarkan.com
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| Posted Feb 13, 2020
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Underwater (2020) |
Underwater is perfectly mediocre popcorn fare. There are a few great moments and a lot of forgettable ones. - JonathanBarkan.com
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| Posted Jan 28, 2020
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Richard Jewell (2019) |
That it needed to be made now and by Eastwood ultimately takes away from what is undoubtedly an important story, one that could have, and should have, carried more weight. - JonathanBarkan.com
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| Posted Dec 05, 2019
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Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) |
It's a great popcorn movie but it's not going to withstand the test of time, no matter which way you slice it. - JonathanBarkan.com
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| Posted Oct 30, 2019
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Ghost Killers vs. Bloody Mary (Exterminadores do Além Contra a Loira do Banheiro) (2018) |
Paint your house. Weed your garden. Anything at all. But for the love of all that's holy and unholy, don't waste your time on Ghost Killers vs. Bloody Mary. - Dread Central
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| Posted Sep 27, 2019
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Guns Akimbo (2019) |
Guns Akimbo is a double-barrel blast of adrenalized chaos. It ain't perfect but [it's] a rush when it fires on all cylinders. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Sep 11, 2019
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The Lighthouse (2019) |
...this phantasmagoria plays the audience like a fiddle, weaving a deeply unsettling sea shanty. - Dread Central
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| Posted Sep 09, 2019
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Color Out of Space (2019) |
Gorgeous, vibrant, and terrifying, Color Out of Space is packed with Lovecraftian creatures and cosmic infections galore. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Sep 08, 2019
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Spiral (2019) |
Spiral is a frightening and compelling addition to queer-powered horror. Come for the great team behind the cameras, stay for Bowyer-Chapman's stunning performance. - Dread Central
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| Posted Aug 30, 2019
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Ready or Not (2019) |
Ready or Not is a devilishly good time. Samara Weaving wades through viscera and gore, emerging a new Queen of Horror. - Dread Central
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| Posted Aug 21, 2019
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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) |
Øvredal's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark hits nearly all the right notes. ...Schwartz and Gammell should be feeling a great deal of pride right about now. - Dread Central
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| Posted Aug 08, 2019
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Astronaut (2019) |
It's always a shame when a film has a charming, even sweet premise and yet it stumbles so frequently that little, if anything, can salvage it. - JonathanBarkan.com
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| Posted Jul 26, 2019
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Parasite (2019) |
Parasite is Bong Joon-ho at his very best. A masterpiece of storytelling and a captivating dissection of class struggles, it is cinema at its finest. - Dread Central
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| Posted Jul 08, 2019
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Dark Phoenix (2019) |
...a dull, lifeless, hollow, melodramatic hodgepodge of bad ideas and even worse executions. - JonathanBarkan.com
Read More
| Posted Jul 03, 2019
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Annabelle Comes Home (2019) |
Sit back, make sure you have some popcorn, and get ready for one of the most entertaining horror movies this year has to offer. - Dread Central
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| Posted Jun 24, 2019
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Midsommar (2019) |
You will be shocked, you will be devastated, and you will think about it long after the credits roll. - Dread Central
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| Posted Jun 19, 2019
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Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) |
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is the definition of a summer blockbuster. ...Just don't expect to care much along the way and maybe have some Dramamine ready. - Dread Central
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| Posted May 30, 2019
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Pet Sematary (2019) |
Scary as hell, beautifully shot, and faithful in tone, horror fans won't want to miss this! - Dread Central
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| Posted Mar 17, 2019
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The Curse of La Llorona (2019) |
As a horror film it works just fine and, for as much as there is to scratch your head about, there's certainly enough to make you cover your eyes. - Dread Central
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| Posted Mar 17, 2019
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The Head Hunter (2018) |
Created by a skeleton crew on a meager budget with limited supplies, [The Head Hunter] is overflowing with imagination and atmosphere. - Dread Central
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| Posted Mar 13, 2019
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Daniel Isn't Real (2019) |
Daniel Isn't Real is a psychological thriller married with cosmic body horror in inventive, original, and exciting ways. - Dread Central
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| Posted Mar 11, 2019
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Us (2019) |
Jordan Peele's Us is one of the most original horror titles in recent years. This movie is destined for greatness. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Mar 09, 2019
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The Unthinkable (2018) |
Beautifully filmed and breath-stoppingly intense, The Unthinkable wonderfully blends human emotion with the horror of war in a grounded and captivating story. - Dread Central
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| Posted Mar 07, 2019
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Happy Death Day 2U (2019) |
Happy Death Day 2U loses the snappiness of the first film while injecting a substantial amount of gleeful absurdity. It won't please everyone but you'll be flat out lying if say you were bored. - Dread Central
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| Posted Feb 13, 2019
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Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2019) |
Never dull, always informative, and expertly crafted, Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror is a triumph of masterful execution, engaging storytelling, and brutal honesty. - Dread Central
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| Posted Feb 07, 2019
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Alita: Battle Angel (2019) |
While [Alita: Battle Angel] falters in its storytelling and treatment of characters, it's so damn badass and fun that it's worth suffering its flaws. - Dread Central
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| Posted Feb 04, 2019
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Glass (2019) |
Unsure if it wants to be grounded in reality or embrace its fantastical premise, Glass is unable to strongly deliver on either. - Dread Central
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| Posted Jan 16, 2019
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The Quake (2018) |
While not as mind-blowing or exhilarating as The Wave, The Quake is, without a doubt, a very solid, enjoyable, and thrilling experience. - Dread Central
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| Posted Dec 15, 2018
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Suspiria (2018) |
Suspiria ... lives and breathes in a world of its own, weaving an enchanting, dizzying, and frightening spell. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Sep 24, 2018
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Tumbbad (2018) |
Tumbbad [is] a fascinating journey into Indian horror with a timely, relevant historical twist. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Sep 24, 2018
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Overlord (2018) |
Overlord gave me exactly what I wanted. Tight, fun, vicious, and brimming with practical FX gore, you'll be hard-pressed to find a film as gleefully bloody this year. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Sep 23, 2018
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Halloween (2018) |
Halloween pays loving and respectful homage ... while making a very bold and decisive claim for its own existence. This is the real deal and it is every horror fan's dream come true. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Sep 09, 2018
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The Predator (2018) |
Poor story choices and strange, if not outright silly, character decisions result in an experience that will ultimately leave audiences feeling a great amount of "meh". - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Sep 07, 2018
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One Cut of the Dead (2017) |
Audiences will leave this movie with a rekindled love - and appreciation - for cinema in general. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Aug 30, 2018
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Climax (2018) |
... a dizzying, disorienting, descent into damnation. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Aug 28, 2018
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Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires (2018) |
It's crude, it's childish, and damn if it's not a good time! - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Aug 28, 2018
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The Darkest Minds (2018) |
Boring, predictable, uneven, and clunky, The Darkest Minds is simply not worth the money or time. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Aug 03, 2018
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Unfriended: Dark Web (2018) |
Unfriended: Dark Web is an unrelentingly effective, albeit cruel, experience. If you've never thought to put tape over your webcam, this movie will scare you into doing so. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Jul 24, 2018
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What Keeps You Alive (2018) |
This film never falters in terms of engaging audiences. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Jul 10, 2018
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Blood Fest (2018) |
If you're able to look past [the] flaws, or simply accept them, Blood Fest should certainly please a great many. Played right, it could become the party horror film of the year. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Jun 26, 2018
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Ghostland (2018) |
Unpleasant, vicious, and mean-spirited, Incident in a Ghostland ... sets horror back and gives credence to those who decry the genre as misogynistic and regressive. - Dread Central
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| Posted Jun 25, 2018
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Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017) |
Issa Lpez's Tigers Are Not Afraid will be spoken of in the same breath as The Orphanage and Pan's Labyrinth while still being able to stand on its own. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted Jun 02, 2018
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In Darkness (2018) |
In Darkness may feature a fantastic performance from Natalie Dormer but the rest of the film falters in bringing anything new, or even remotely exciting, to the table. - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted May 31, 2018
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Dark Crimes (2016) |
Dark Crimes may be bolstered by Carrey's nuanced and fascinating performance but the thoroughly unpleasant film feels like it simply wants to punish viewers ... - Dread Central
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| Posted May 10, 2018
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The Cleanse (2016) |
... certainly rocky in terms of pacing and unsure how to handle all of its characters, it blends horror, comedy, romance, and emotion into an original film ... - Dread Central
Read More
| Posted May 04, 2018
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