Movie Reviews
Film and television reviewed the way I’d want to read them — with a rating that means something, an honest accounting of what works and what doesn’t, and craft notes for writers who want to understand how the machinery operates.
Each review includes a craft notes section for writers — specific observations about structure, character, world-building, and what the film does that you can actually use. Not theory. Technique you can steal.
Sports (17)
May 19, 2026Bull Durham (1988)
Ron Shelton's 1988 minor league baseball comedy. Costner, Sarandon, Robbins. The rare sports film that captures the actual sport's culture.
May 19, 2026Chariots of Fire (1981)
Hugh Hudson's 1981 British Olympic drama. Two 1924 runners, one Christian one Jewish. Vangelis score. Won Best Picture.
May 19, 2026Eight Men Out (1988)
John Sayles' 1988 Black Sox scandal drama. Sweeney, Cusack, Sheen. The 1919 thrown World Series through procedural accuracy.
May 19, 2026Free Solo (2018)
Chin-Vasarhelyi 2018 Alex Honnold doc. El Capitan free solo climb. Camera operators with PTSD from filming. Won Best Documentary.
May 17, 2026Gridiron Gang (2006)
Lessac's 2006 juvenile detention football drama. Dwayne Johnson as the coach. Based on the actual Camp Kilpatrick Mustangs program. Honest, unfussy. Above-genre work.
May 19, 2026Hoop Dreams (1994)
Steve James' 1994 five-year Chicago basketball doc. William Gates and Arthur Agee. Snubbed by Oscars in major scandal.
May 19, 2026Hoosiers (1986)
David Anspaugh's 1986 small-town basketball drama. Gene Hackman as coach. Dennis Hopper as drunken assistant. Indiana high school basketball.
May 19, 2026Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Clint Eastwood's 2004 boxing drama. Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman. Won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress.
May 19, 2026Moneyball (2011)
Bennett Miller's 2011 baseball analytics drama. Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, Jonah Hill as Peter Brand. Aaron Sorkin screenplay.
May 19, 2026O.J.: Made in America (2016)
Ezra Edelman's 2016 seven-hour ESPN doc. O.J. Simpson trial through race-and-celebrity prism. Won Oscar despite TV format.
May 16, 2026Raging Bull (1980)
Scorsese's 1980 boxing biopic of Jake LaMotta. Black-and-white, Schoonmaker-cut, De Niro at 60 pounds heavier. A man who only feels anything when hit.
May 19, 2026Rocky (1976)
John Avildsen's 1976 boxing underdog launcher. Stallone wrote and starred. Won Best Picture. Began the franchise that defined boxing cinema.
May 19, 2026Senna (2010)
Asif Kapadia's 2010 Ayrton Senna F1 doc. Archive footage only, no talking heads. Brazilian champion's career through his 1994 death.
May 19, 2026Slap Shot (1977)
George Roy Hill's 1977 minor league hockey comedy. Paul Newman as player-coach of dying franchise. Hanson Brothers, violence as entertainment.
May 19, 2026The Color of Money (1986)
Scorsese's 1986 Hustler sequel. Paul Newman returns as Fast Eddie alongside Tom Cruise. Pool hall drama. Newman finally won the Oscar.
May 19, 2026The Last Dance (2020)
Jason Hehir's 2020 Jordan Bulls doc. Ten-part ESPN series. 1997-98 championship season as spine. Pandemic-era release.
May 19, 2026The Wrestler (2008)
Aronofsky's 2008 professional wrestling drama. Mickey Rourke comeback. Marisa Tomei as stripper. Aging body as central content.