Maryann Johanson

MaryAnn’s quick take: Replaces the novel’s rage with gentle comedy, biting its tongue and undercutting its protagonist. Still, mundane truths about women’s realities that rarely get public airings are on welcome display.

That was the tagline for Nightbitch on its teaser poster, which features a photo of a sweaty, dirty, snarling Amy Adams. Her face is in close-up, sharply front-lit, as if she's been caught in headlights at night. Nightbitch is a movie about a woman driven so crazy by parenting a toddler that she has fallen under the delusion (or is it?) that she is turning into a dog. So, then, here she is, clearly startled during her canine-esque nocturnal wanderings, her visage briefly captured, perhaps, by an accidental cryptozoologist.

Watch me chat about this Oscar-winning Best Picture.

An Advent calendar of holiday movies to fulfill heartfelt desires.

Red One, Despicable Me 4 and Madame Web were among 2024's lowlights.

The movie industry might not be at the height of its powers in the streaming age, but it's still a vital part of our pop culture ecosystem. I mean for goodness sake, a gothic remake of a silent 1922 vampire ( Nosferatu ) movie raked in $11.5 million in a single day... on Christmas. There's still a joy in talking with friends about a new film you saw and loved (or hated), whether a blockbuster or indie gem.

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The Alliance of Women Film Journalists — of which I am a member — has announced the winners of its 2024 EDA Awards.

MaryAnn’s quick take: Stark and unsentimental, as stubborn and as challenging as its protagonist, and as monumental as his works. Adrien Brody’s performance is extraordinary, full of flinty anger and palpable melancholy.

The Brutalist delivers a modern American epic. T he Brutalist is a film as stubborn and as challenging as its protagonist.