Features
“The Hate U Give” is a call for justice
“The Hate U Give,” based on The New York Times bestseller by Angie Thomas, is a raw, profoundly emotional and, for better or worse, highly accessible film that shouldn’t be missed. […]
Articles by Gordon McPherson
Features
2018’s “Halloween”: a brutal thrill ride
The new “Halloween” movie, brilliantly titled “Halloween,” is a wry, brutal thrill ride that ranks among the year’s most purely entertaining films.
Features
“Hold the Dark” is a convoluted mess
The Netflix original “Hold the Dark” is a deeply atmospheric film that won’t hold casual viewers’ attention for more than 15 minutes. […]
Features
2018’s “The Predator” lacks in character development, but exceeds in bloody carnage and explosive action scenes
Director Shane Black’s “The Predator” is a wildly inconsistent film that entertains despite bland characters, hit-or-miss humor and generic plotting. While losing the balls-to-the-wall spark that made the 1987 original compelling, the film’s bloody carnage and self-awareness make it perfectly watchable, if not particularly noteworthy. […]
Features
John McTiernan’s “Predator” still a massive hit, even 31 years after its release
The 1987 version of “Predator,” starring an unrealistically buff Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a macho, explosive and brainless film that still holds up surprisingly well in 2018. The film stars Schwarzenegger as Dutch, an elite soldier […]
Features
“The Happytime Murders” is a guilty pleasure
“The Happytime Murders” is crass, foul, profane and objectively terrible. Yet, it is oddly entertaining. Director Brian Henson, who previously produced family-friendly puppet fare, has a pretty twisted mind. The film revolves around a puppet […]
Features
“Upgrade” defies expectations and is sure to satisfy any action junkie
Warning: spoilers ahead. Few movies in recent memory have elicited a sense of pure B-movie glee like director Leigh Whannell’s “Upgrade.” The film centers around Grey Trace, played by Logan Marshall-Green, who works as a […]
Arts & Entertainment
“BlacKkKlansman” proves to be disturbing yet influential
Minor spoiler warning. Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” is a disturbing and provocative condemnation of hatred, making it one of 2018’s must-see films. “BlacKkKlansman” centers around an African-American man in the 1970s named Ron Stallworth, played brilliantly […]
Features
“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” best movie of 2018
“’Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’ is a perfect film, in my humble opinion,” writes Gordon McPherson, The Index movie reviewer. “I have not one single problem with it, besides that it ends.” […]
Features
“Rampage” is disappointing with its mindless violence
“Given this ridiculous plot, viewers shouldn’t expect ‘Rampage’ to take itself too seriously,” writes Gordon McPherson, The Index movie reviewer. […]
Features
“Unsane” is chilling, unsettling and experimental
“While the concluding chapter of ‘Unsane’ makes an unfortunate detour into horror movie cliches,” writes Gordon McPherson, The Index movie reviewer, “Soderbergh has crafted a subversive, Hitchcockian thrill ride that will leave audiences glued to their seats through white-knuckle suspense and disturbing plot twists.” […]
Features
“A Quiet Place” is a fear-inducing thrill ride
“Despite a ridiculous premise, ‘A Quiet Place’ features some of the most frighteningly tense scenes put to the silver screen in quite some time,” writes Gordon McPherson, The Index movie reviewer. […]