Brent Leuthold
Whatzup Features Writer
Articles
![Amy Ryan and Joaquin Phoenix star in Ari Aster’s latest film, Beau Is Afraid.](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/52/Reelviews-3-52acb9f6.jpeg)
Director not afraid to be self-indulgent
With only three features under his belt, writer/director Ari Aster has made quite a name for himself with back-to-back nervy horror hits Hereditary and Midsommar. He returns after a four-year […]
![Nicolas Cage, left, and Nicholas Hault star in the new comedy/horror/fantasy film Renfield.](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/aa/ReelViews-2-aa9f8851.jpeg)
Horror-comedy lacks necessary bite
The new horror-comedy Renfield begins with a fantastic premise for a five-minute sketch. After hearing a couple people in a self-help group share details of their toxic relationships, the titular […]
![The Super Mario Bros. Movie features the voices of, from left, Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Peach), and Keegan-Michael Key (Toad).](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/b0/ReelViews-1-b01e4b9d.jpeg)
Illumination, Nintendo achieve high score
Thirty years after the nightmare vision of a live-action adaptation, the world’s most popular video game franchise finds new cinematic life through Illumination with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. As […]
![Along with directing Air, Ben Affleck also stars in the folm as Nike CEO Phil Knight.](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/7a/ReelViews-7a4ea605.jpeg)
Jordan-to-Nike story keeps things light
Michael Jordan is such an enduring cultural figure that even the finer details of his unparalleled legacy can be the focus point for a sports biopic. Enter Air, which recounts […]
![Michelle Rodriguez and Chris Pine star in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/bd/ReelViews-3-bd162d96.jpeg)
‘Dungeons’ brings fun of game to screen
Despite being based on a role-playing game that’s been around almost 50 years that is more popular now than ever, Dungeons & Dragons hasn’t been well-served in the realm of […]
![Shazam! Fury of the Gods stars, from left, Adam Brody, Grace Caroline Currey, Zachary Levi, Meagan Good, and D.J. Cotrona.](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/ee/ReelViews-2-ee934c36.jpeg)
DC can’t recapture lightning in bottle
Let’s start with a confession: I was wrong about 2019’s Shazam! After rewatching the movie last weekend, I stand by some of the quibbles from my original two-star review — […]
![Carrie Coon, left, and Keira Knightley star in Boston Strangler, which will be streaming on Hulu on March 17.](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/6d/ReelViews-1-6d1bde40.jpeg)
Hulu true-crime drama is worth your time
In 1968, there was the release of The Boston Strangler, a crime film loosely based on the real-life serial killer at the center of 13 still-unresolved slayings that decade. The […]
![Creed III stars, from left, Michael B. Jordan, Mila Davis-Kent, and Tessa Thompson.](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/4b/ReelViews-4bfacbed.jpeg)
Third film in series follows winning formula
When Ryan Coogler rebooted the Rocky series in 2015 with Creed, it brought a much-needed level of excitement to the stalled franchise and introduced a formidable new pugilist protagonist to […]
![Emma Mackey and Fionn Whitehead star in Emily.](/wp-content/themes/yootheme/cache/e0/ReelViews-3-e04df819.jpeg)
Too many liberties taken in pseudo-biopic
Australian actress Frances O’Connor makes her directorial and writing debut with Emily, a pseudo-biopic about revered writer Emily Brontë that intentionally fudges the facts surrounding the 19th century author. Though […]