Like most movie adaptations of books, Sam Esmail made a few major changes to Rumaan Alam’s novel. These can be relatively minor, for example, in the novel, Ruth is George’s wife. In the movie, Ruth’s George’s daughter. You can make…

The end of Joker: Folie á Deux really begins following the assault by the guards and the death of Arthur’s fellow inmate and friend, Ricky. The assault itself is a full circle moment, as we find out in the original…

Barry Lyndon’s themes, ending, meaning, real-life application, and more Inferiority  When trying to figure out a movie’s theme, the first thing I usually do is look at the very beginning. Many writers like to crystallize the story’s point in an…

It's easy to mistake Megalopolis for a Shakespearean drama about American politics. While the political fable is there, the film's true tension is between older generations standing in the way of the next generation's attempt at progress.

Synecdoche, New York is a daunting movie that's actually quite simple. Actually, it's so simple that if I summarized it here, you wouldn't need to check out the article. But I'll tell you anyways: It's about not wasting time, in life and art.

What is Transformers One about? Transformers One introduces the idea of “staying on protocol” as a challenge to viewers. It’s that message that you’re more than meets the eye. You have potential. But it’s easy to get swept up by…

What is Vanilla Sky about? For those who want a quick answer—Vanilla Sky is pretty straightforward. Everything that Tech Support says in the final scene is true. Tom Cruise is having a lucid dream. He did die (sort of) and…

What is Mad God about? On the surface, Mad God is a “what if” that imagines a world in which God has punished human arrogance. This is why the opening cites both the story of the Tower of Babel and…

Speak No Evil has more going on than just an excellent performance from James McAvoy. It has two primary themes. One, the importance of healthy honesty. And two, the influence of parents on children.

What is the point of The Substance? The Substance uses a female perspective to explore aging and the impact of media and the entertainment industry on beauty standards. Elisabeth Sparkle is a negative example. Who not to be. If you…

What is the point of Strange Darling? Strange Darling is about perception and how quick people are to jump to conclusions based on biases and limited information. The movie portrays that through the dynamic between “The Lady” and “The Demon”.…