Author: Kasey Butcher

Everyone has bills to pay and that’s the only reason I can think of to explain some of the movies that have come out lately with a stellar cast but little creativity or emotional resonance. . . Read More

Great actors can sometimes make stale writing still feel exciting, as exemplified in The Gorge and Running Point. Meanwhile, Sara Bareilles’s songwriting elevates an already great film in Waitress: The Musical. . . Read More

The other day, I asked my daughter to rank the fictional bears. Corduroy topped her list, followed closely by Paddington and Winnie the Pooh. Then, we saw the latest Paddington movie in the theater, and it did not help the loveable bear take the top . . . Read More

Sometimes movies that feel familiar provide a comforting sort of fun and other times they set us up for unexpected twists. The new movie Back in Action deploys all the usual action-comedy tropes but still feels like a blockbuster. . . Read More

This week, I watched two films that very differently explore trauma and themes about people’s inhumanity toward each other. Your Monster turns Beauty and the Beast into a tale of suppressed rage whereas A Real Pain explores mental health and intergenerational . . . Read More

Happy New Year, Waynedale. I’m back to report on what I have watched since Christmas: a gripping sci-fi series, the Die Hard wannabe, and new biopics.First, I caught up on Severance on Apple TV+ before the second season. . . Read More

I took my knitting to the movie theater, which tells you two things. I can knit in the dark. And I think two hours and forty minutes is an awfully long runtime. . . Read More

Years ago, in a class about food in literature, I first saw the 1992 film Like Water for Chocolate and was charmed by the magical realism in the story of a young woman who can cook her feelings into the food she prepares. . . Read More

Woman of the Hour draws inspiration from the real-life crimes of Rodney Alcala, a serial killer who appeared as a contestant on The Dating Game in 1978, during his murder spree. . . Read More

The time has come again my annual roundup of what new horrors are streaming. I want to say that I dutifully paced myself over months, but really, I engaged in a horror binge, making my October very spooky indeed. . . Read More

When I saw that Max was producing a new adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot, I was excited. Although the novel has been on my Kindle for years, I never got around to reading it, or to watching any of the previous adaptations. . . Read More

If you are looking for a show that bridges a late summer feeling into spooky season, The Perfect Couple on Netflix may fit the bill. The limited series takes place over a long holiday weekend but has a cold-blooded murder at its core. . . Read More

Recently, I went to put Monsters, Inc. on yet again and saw that Disney made a new movie about Trudy Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel. The film is a historical look at women in sports and an incredible story of perseverance. . . Read More

I do not understand Netflix’s budgetary decisions. They produce and release so much content that it is hard to keep up. For example, recently, they added a new four-part series about Laci Peterson and the exquisite documentary Daughters alongside . . . Read More

You know what goes great with the string of rainy days we’ve had? Murder mysteries. On Netflix, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder follows a modern Nancy Drew, and on Hulu At Witt’s End picks up a cold case from the mid-90s. . . Read More

When Twister came out in 1996, I was just a girl totally enamored by Helen Hunt’s hair and her aunt Meg’s mobiles. Since that summer, I have watched the classic disaster film countless times, most recently before heading to the theater to see the . . . Read More

In the streaming era, there are plenty of reasons to skip the theater and introduce movies to children at home where they can move around, talk, and hide behind the couch if something (like the Beetlejuice trailer) scares them. . . Read More

The promotional poster for Am I OK? features a close-up of Dakota Johnson’s face as she cries beneath her heavy bangs. It looks like one of those influencers who, for some reason, film themselves crying, often in their cars. . . Read More

Hit Man was an instant hit for Netflix and I was excited to see it. After screening the film, however, I think it’s clear that its success comes down to the performance of Glen Powell, the “It Man” of the moment. . . Read More

"IF," a whimsical children’s film by John Krasinski, explores themes of childhood, grief, and imagination but falters due to unresolved story elements. Performances by Cailey Fleming and Steve Carell stand out, although Ryan Reynolds as Cal feels miscast. . . Read More

I sometimes wonder if John Green is the best thing to come from Indiana. He writes the voices and experiences of teenagers beautifully, is a passionate advocate for mental health, and he plays the gym coach in the latest movie made from one of his . . . Read More