Staff Critic · Comic Book & Franchise
Tom has reviewed comic-book and franchise films since the genre's modern rise, tracking the medium's evolution across two decades.
112 reviews published on Celluloid
★★★★½
Osmar Prado's A Dog's Will (2000) endures as a defining comedy landmark from Brazil, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.
★★★★½
Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira (1988) endures as a defining animation landmark from Japan, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Essential viewing — a certified classic.
★★★★☆
Kunle Afolayan's Anikulapo (2022) endures as a defining fantasy landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.
★★★★½
Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) endures as a defining family landmark from United States, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Essential viewing — a certified classic.
★★★★★
Robert Zemeckis's Forrest Gump (1994) endures as a defining drama landmark from United States, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.
★★★★½
Zhang Yimou's Hero (2002) endures as a defining action landmark from China, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Essential viewing — a certified classic.
★★★★½
Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (2000) endures as a defining romance landmark from China, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Essential viewing — a certified classic.
★★★★½
Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita (1960) endures as a defining drama landmark from Italy, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Essential viewing — a certified classic.
★★★★½
David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (1962) endures as a defining adventure landmark from United Kingdom, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Essential viewing — a certified classic.
★★★★½
Yılmaz Erdoğan's Organize İşler (2005) endures as a defining comedy landmark from Turkey, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.
★★★½☆
Togan Gökbakar's Recep Ivedik (2008) endures as a defining comedy landmark from Turkey, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Worth watching for context — influential even where opinions split.
★★★★½
Alfonso Cuarón's Roma (2018) endures as a defining drama landmark from Mexico, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Essential viewing — a certified classic.
★★★☆☆
Milly Alcock's fierce Kara Zor-El and Jason Momoa's scene-stealing Lobo lift a DCU entry that critics find uneven but audiences largely embrace.
Worth seeing for Alcock and Momoa — just manage blockbuster expectations.
★★★★☆
David Corenswet's earnest Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane anchor a DC Universe launch that trades grimdark for sincerity — plus a scene-stealing Krypto.
Fresh and essential DCU viewing before Supergirl.
★★★★☆
Kunle Afolayan's The Figurine (2009) endures as a defining drama landmark from Nigeria, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.
★★★★½
Tom Hooper's The King's Speech (2010) endures as a defining drama landmark from United Kingdom, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Essential viewing — a certified classic.
★★★★½
Gareth Evans's The Raid (2011) endures as a defining action landmark from Indonesia, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.
★★★½☆
Frant Gwo's The Wandering Earth (2019) endures as a defining sci-fi landmark from China, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.
Strongly recommended — a staple of its national cinema.
★★★★☆
An anthology stitched from short films by Gazan filmmakers under bombardment — shifting tones that no single narrative could capture.
Essential, difficult, and urgently necessary.
★★★½☆
Shane Atkinson wrings dark comedy from mistaken identity, with John Magaro's hapless lead giving LaRoy, Texas the jittery energy of small-town noir.
Modest but sharply entertaining indie noir.
★★★½☆
The franchise's billed farewell trades a bit of shock value for genuine affection between its aging daredevils.
A scrappy, sentimental victory lap.