Why is Hollywood still struggling to create female characters that aren’t so one dimensional? Although there have been decades of progress, too many women characters are left as almost underdeveloped ideas. We’re often presented with the overly competent “strong” woman who lacks emotional depth, or the romantic interest whose only...
Within this era of billion-dollar franchises and tentpole storytelling, the modern blockbuster has cultivated a perplexing trend: the infantilization of male emotion. From Marvel’s quip-happy heroes to the angst-ridden boys of “Fast & Furious”, male protagonists have increasingly leaned on emotionally regressive tropes — often stuck in cycles of arrested...
The modern day “Jurassic Park,” films, no matter how good or bad, have been a huge hit and are a testament to the inherent fascination with dinosaurs that people have. But there’s one thing that the modern “Jurassic World,” films have been getting wrong and that is the meta storyline...
Disney has had a run of failures with their live-action adaptations for a while now, and everyone is pretty much over them. The theatrical releases of these films have been largely criticized by fans who are tired of seeing inferior versions of Disney classics. When DreamWorks first announced their plans...
The newest installment in the “Jurassic Park,” franchise, “Jurassic World Rebirth,” arrived in theaters on July 2, 2025, last Wednesday. Its box office was initially projected to be $260 million, yet it easily cleared this calculation with an impressive $380 million. According to AP News, “The Universal Pictures release, directed...
It’s that time of year again when our country comes together to celebrate our independence through fireworks and good food. Of course, there are many ways to spend our time during the 4th of July, including turning off the lights and watching some movies. There are several films to choose...
With Michael Bay’s “Transformers,” in 2007 being a smash hit, it allowed the franchise to really shine in the eyes of the public, with four sequels being pumped out to recreate the success of the first live action film since. However, with each release, the quality of each film took...
Prestige cinema has a pain problem. Not the kind that invites empathy or understanding but the kind that fetishizes suffering as a shortcut to artistic legitimacy. From Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” to Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave”, the industry’s most lauded films often hinge on the spectacle of agony....
Pixar’s newest film, “Elio,” has just hit theaters on June 20, 2025 and has bombed abysmally. Its opening weekend performed at an embarrassing $21 million compared to its $250 million budget, which has set a record for Pixar’s lowest performing opening weekend, beating out the previous, staggeringly low, $30 million...
Cinematic universes have been proven to be a successful formula, just look at the past decade and you can see the sheer number of them that have popped up. As each one continues, producers and studios feel the need to up the stakes every time and the conclusion of this...
The zombie movie genre has consistently been at the forefront of popular culture for decades. These creatures have graced the screens of millions across the world, and yet they have fallen out of favor in the past few years. People have argued that the beginning of its decline happened around...
The third act used to be where movies cemented their legacy. It was where stakes peaked, characters evolved and audiences left feeling fulfilled. Now, it’s where many blockbusters pump the brakes, drop a few breadcrumbs and cue the credits — just in time for a mid-credits scene to point toward...
Hey! Are you enjoying NYCTastemakers? Make sure to join our mailing list for NYCTM and never miss the chance to read all of our articles!