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Lauren Coates
Tomatometer-approved critic
Lauren Coates is a freelancer with a passion for sci-fi, an unhealthy obsession with bad reality television, and a constant yearning to be at Disney World. You can follow her on Twitter @laurenjcoates, where she's probably talking about Star Trek.
Movies reviews only
| Rating | T-Meter | Title | Year | Review |
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Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023) |
This French vampire dramedy may not be groundbreaking, but its strong leads and dry humor make it well worth watching. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Jul 10, 2024
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The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) |
Never reaches beyond familiar low-hanging fruit. - AV Club
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| Posted Apr 22, 2024
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Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) |
Despite an intriguing subplot for Phoebe, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is an incohesive, unoriginal entry. It coasts on fan service to carry a paper-thin plot and a lukewarm crop of characters, new and old. - The Spool
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| Posted Mar 23, 2024
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Immaculate (2024) |
Unfortunately, between Immaculate’s cliches, incoherent direction, and shallow characters, not even the ethereal power of Sydney Sweeney can rescue this nunsploitation flick from damnation. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Mar 22, 2024
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Every Little Thing (2024) |
Through simple, thoughtful filmmaking choices and an eloquent, honest subject, “Every Little Thing” (like the birds themselves) is a small but mighty documentary that finds beauty in the little things.
- Offscreen Central
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| Posted Mar 20, 2024
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Frida (2024) |
It’s not the first film to tackle the wild, colorful world of Kahlo, and it won’t be the last, but Gutierrez’s stylistic sensibilities lend “Frida” a vibrance and rawness to her story that transcends typical documentary filmmaking convention.
- Offscreen Central
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| Posted Mar 20, 2024
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Kneecap (2024) |
Fierce, foul-mouthed, and spearheaded by Peppiatt’s fearless direction, Kneecap pays delightful, dirty homage to a trio of unlikely revolutionaries. - Offscreen Central
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| Posted Mar 20, 2024
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This Is Me... Now: A Love Story (2024) |
Equal parts music video, autobiography, and extensive therapeutic fantasy, JLo’s This Is Me… Now is an opulent, self-indulgent musical fantasy that makes for a fascinating (if dizzying) viewing experience. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Mar 01, 2024
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Lisa Frankenstein (2024) |
Though it may struggle to balance tone, Lisa Frankenstein is a crass, unapologetic love letter to the horrors of teenage girlhood, spearheaded by an electric turn from Kathryn Newton. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Feb 15, 2024
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Argylle (2024) |
Argylle ultimately buckles under the weight of its own ambition, and the end result is a messy, overlong (if entertaining) romp. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Feb 15, 2024
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Mean Girls (2024) |
Between the inconsistent vocals, bizarre musical arrangements, and misguided script updates, Mean Girls (2024) is a letdown, whether you’re a fan of the 2004 film or the 2017 musical. - Nerdist
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| Posted Jan 13, 2024
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The Iron Claw (2023) |
Though the script’s approach to handling the lengthy story renders the film less effective than it could’ve been, the quartet of performances at the heart of The Iron Claw wring maximum emotional potency out of the biographical tragedy. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Dec 23, 2023
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Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire (2023) |
While Snyder may do his best to invent a dark, gripping universe to engross viewers, Rebel Moon is a limp, soulless regurgitation of tropes stolen from much more formidable films. - AV Club
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| Posted Dec 23, 2023
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The Color Purple (2023) |
The Color Purple is still a joyous crowd-pleasing odyssey, made to feel fresh with the help of a pitch-perfect cast. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Dec 22, 2023
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Poor Things (2023) |
Pulling from horror, science-fiction, romance, and coming-of-age genres, Bella Baxter’s story is an enrapturing, sophisticated, deeply feminist one: Lanthimos firing on all cylinders. - Third Coast Review
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| Posted Dec 16, 2023
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The Boy and the Heron (2023) |
The Boy and the Heron’s wandering structure and barrage of characters dilute a potent story, resulting in a visually dazzling film whose emotional core isn’t quite as effectively realized as previous Ghibli flicks. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Dec 11, 2023
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All of Us Strangers (2023) |
Paradoxically devastating yet detached, All of Us Strangers’ narrative hook and cast make for a solid watch, but the stylistic and directorial shortcomings rob the film of maximum emotional potential. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Dec 05, 2023
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May December (2023) |
Spearheaded by a trio of visceral, mesmerizing performances from Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton, May December is a paradoxically heartbreaking exploration of trauma wrapped up in a sharp wit. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Dec 04, 2023
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The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023) |
A standout leading lady isn't quite enough to rescue Songbirds and Snakes from sluggish runtime, bizarre pacing, and muddled thematic elements, but Zegler's fire (combined with some memorable costuming and action set pieces) lends this film some spark. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Nov 29, 2023
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The Marvels (2023) |
While the titular Marvels make for an endearing, women-centric found family, the film’s hyperawareness of its role in a larger universe is its downfall. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Nov 17, 2023
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The Killer (2023) |
Despite a measured performance from Fassbender and a clear vision/understanding of world-building in Fincher’s approach to visual storytelling, The Killer lacks any kind of teeth. - Chicago Reader
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| Posted Nov 17, 2023
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Priscilla (2023) |
Coppola’s film is fierce in its subtlety, relying on Spaeney’s breathtaking performance and the inherent tragedy of Priscilla’s story to deliver a film that’s equal parts beautiful and heartbreaking. - AV Club
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| Posted Nov 02, 2023
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TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR (2023) |
An ambitious, fully realized reflection of Swift’s gargantuan career that brings the sought-after concert experience to the masses but doesn’t offer much in the way of filmmaking flare. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Oct 20, 2023
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Totally Killer (2023) |
As far as lighthearted, sci-fi shenanigan B-movie horror goes, you could certainly do worse than the delightful 80s ridiculousness that is Totally Killer. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Oct 06, 2023
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Dumb Money (2023) |
There’s certainly a very cerebral, sharply scripted version of this film somewhere else in the universe. But the Dumb Money we got is serviceably funny and narratively competent if nothing else. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Sep 26, 2023
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Medusa Deluxe (2022) |
From Perkins, Webb, and Meikle’s gripping performances to the stunning hair and makeup work from Chloe Dixon and Anne Little, Medusa Deluxe is a poignant murder mystery with a stellar cast and a killer sense of style. - Culturess
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| Posted Aug 31, 2023
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Bottoms (2023) |
It operates on a shoestring narrative and at times struggles with rounding out its characters -- but any structural issues it may have are more than eclipsed by the bizarrely charismatic force of Bottoms‘ unique sense of humor. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Aug 23, 2023
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Red, White & Royal Blue (2023) |
There’s a good-natured charm to Red, White, & Royal Blue that makes it digestible in even the most ridiculous moments— a sweet, at times poignant entry to the blossoming canon of queer rom-coms. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Aug 13, 2023
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Talk to Me (2023) |
Though it leans on familiar genre tropes and stylistic conventions, a devastating script and charismatic cast (spearheaded by Sophie Wilde) make Talk To Me a terrifying and pervasively heartbreaking tale of grief. - AV Club
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| Posted Jul 31, 2023
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Haunted Mansion (2023) |
An odd mixture of homages to the ride, earnest emotional storytelling, and conventional studio quirkiness that (though not always elegantly strung together) makes for an unexpected and often delightful ode to a Disney classic. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Jul 26, 2023
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Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023) |
Dead Reckoning may not reach the story highs of Fallout and Rogue Nation, but Cruise and McQuarrie’s dedication to delivering top-of-the-line stunts results in another pulse-pounding and undeniably exhilarating entry in the world of Mission: Impossible. - Offscreen Central
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| Posted Jul 10, 2023
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Stan Lee (2023) |
While it may be expecting too much for a documentary produced by Disney to go anywhere near the less squeaky-clean side of Lee’s story, it’s nonetheless underwhelming to see an otherwise well-crafted doc so uninterested in examining its subject. - Offscreen Central
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| Posted Jun 29, 2023
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Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (2023) |
A fairly cut-and-dry chronicle of his stunning double life that uses clips from his expansive filmography to parallel the ongoings of his tumultuous, often tortured personal life. - Offscreen Central
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| Posted Jun 29, 2023
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Rather (2023) |
For those of us who may not have any existing knowledge of or affection for Rather, this is an awfully inelegant, uninteresting way to frame a fascinating career in American television. - Offscreen Central
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| Posted Jun 29, 2023
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Maestra (2023) |
Shot with an 80% female crew (a staggering statistic and an all-too-rare one), Maestra is earnest, authentic, and wholehearted in its attempts to capture the life, passion, and spirit of women in a cutthroat field.
- Offscreen Central
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| Posted Jun 29, 2023
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Cypher (2023) |
As much a narrative feature as it is a doc, Cypher is a fittingly unorthodox and refreshing take on typical music documentary conventions—perfect for a rapper whose unique style (both in fashion and music) similarly defies convention. - Offscreen Central
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| Posted Jun 29, 2023
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Bad Things (2023) |
These messy, complicated women deserve an original horror story of their own, not a film that bills itself as the queer, female-led answer to The Shining. - Offscreen Central
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| Posted Jun 29, 2023
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The Line (2023) |
The script (co-written by first-time director Ethan Berger) is already brilliant, but Wolff and Abrams take strong material and turn it into something truly special with a pair of haunting and, at times, achingly vulnerable performances. - Offscreen Central
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| Posted Jun 29, 2023
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Smoking Tigers (2023) |
Capped off by Jun-ho Jeong’s tragic supporting turn as Hayoung’s well-meaning but all-too-human father (simply referred to as “Appa”), Smoking Tigers captures the beauty and pain of coming of age as a teenage child of divorce. - Offscreen Central
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| Posted Jun 29, 2023
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Lost Soulz (2023) |
What it lacks in story, Lost Soulz makes up in raw, character-focused storytelling, and the result is an earnest, open, remarkably joyful film with a quiet yet powerful lead. - Offscreen Central
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| Posted Jun 29, 2023
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He Went That Way (2023) |
Elordi and Quinto (the latter of whom sports an off-putting accent) are serviceable, but with a script that was already in dire need of another pass, the lukewarm performances aren’t enough to rescue He Went That Way from frustrating mediocrity. - Offscreen Central
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| Posted Jun 29, 2023
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Past Lives (2023) |
Though its laid back pacing and slice-of-life approach to narrative may make the first hour feel particularly lengthy, the emotional potency of Past Lives is undeniable. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Jun 26, 2023
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The Little Mermaid (2023) |
Thanks to Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, and some key changes in the script, it’s undoubtedly one of Disney’s most interesting, ambitious remakes yet. - Culturess
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| Posted May 30, 2023
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Peter Pan & Wendy (2023) |
There are rare glimpses of brilliance in Peter Pan & Wendy that hint at a bold take on this beloved story, but those moments are far too infrequent. The rest of the film is so stale and shallow that it’s hard to truly call this something new. - Nerdist
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| Posted Apr 28, 2023
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Clock (2023) |
Though its messaging may sometimes be unsettling and strange, Jacknow has a sharp edge, and Agron has a magnetic quality that build an intoxicating little nightmare of a film. - The Spool
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| Posted Apr 26, 2023
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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023) |
Frank yet warm, charming yet brutally honest, Craig’s film pays its due diligence to Blume and her cherished novel. - The Playlist
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| Posted Apr 25, 2023
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Chevalier (2022) |
Though it may not be the weighty biography Bologne deserves, Chevalier is still an undoubtedly effective period romantic drama. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Apr 17, 2023
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Showing Up (2022) |
From production design to sound engineering and score, every little detail in Showing Up works in gentle harmony, and the end result is a beautiful little film with a magnetic performance from Michelle Williams and a quietly bewitching sense of self. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Apr 10, 2023
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Paint (2023) |
Tonally flat, strangely uncharitable towards its source material, and lacking in wit or humor, this Owen Wilson vehicle is a not-so-happy little accident I’d like to paint over. - The Mary Sue
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| Posted Apr 06, 2023
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Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) |
Though it may struggle with pacing and an arbitrary villain, a trio of endlessly charming and deliciously ridiculous performances from Grant, Pine, and Page make Honor Among Thieves a worthy holder of the Dungeons & Dragons name. - Nerdist
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| Posted Apr 06, 2023
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