Category Archives: Mike Faist

The Bikeriders (2024)

the bikeriders movie posterDirector Jeff Nichols (Take ShelterMud) is an expert at creating ordinary characters, putting them in everyday situations, and allowing interactions and relationships to carry the story. He has masterfully accomplished this through films I adore, such as Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter, and Mud, and through films, such as Midnight Special and Loving, that aren’t quite as good as a whole but still have well-crafted characters. The Bikeriders, his most recent film, follows a similar blueprint but fails to tell an exciting story or have a single character we genuinely care about. While well made with a stellar cast that put forward the effort, the film was a snoozefest.

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Challengers (2024)

challengers movie posterI have a spot in my heart for intense sports movies. I also enjoy films that effectively incorporate flashbacks to flesh out the story and its characters. Luca Guadagnino’s (Bones and AllCall Me by Your NameChallengers incorporated both themes into his sexual, taught, tension-filled drama, using professional tennis as its backdrop.

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