Cinema Tonic | Film Reviews and Analysis

Home
Podcast
Archive
About
Kurosawa's 'Cure' - A truly haunting film streaming on the Criterion Channel
Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 1997 breakout hit grows better with age.
 • 
Malcolm Taylor
'Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1'- mission accepted: practical filmmaking and romantic chemistry brings exhilarating thrills
The Cruise/McQaurrie Mission collab continues its hot streak with great new cast additions and the requisite death-defying stunts propelled by an…
 • 
Malcolm Taylor
Sisu is a Finnish action/war movie with an inspired Tarantino grindhouse riff: Inglorious Basterds, all killer edition
From Finland, Sisu is a glorious World War II action/western delivering unburdened cinematic thrills through terrific cinematography, production design…
 • 
Malcolm Taylor
Most Popular
View all
Montage editing in the title sequence for Scorsese's Casino
 • Malcolm Taylor
Living pushes prestige while rubber stamping a beating heart of its own
 • Malcolm Taylor
Magic Mike's Last Dance would have you believe it's no tawdry affair but love at first grind
 • Malcolm Taylor
2
I like Movies: cinephile skewering comedy dares to takes the diss out of a "Canadian" movie
 • Malcolm Taylor
2
Sisu is a Finnish action/war movie with an inspired Tarantino grindhouse riff: Inglorious Basterds, all killer edition
 • Malcolm Taylor
The Whale's plea for honesty doesn't meet you halfway, but I'm okay with that
 • Malcolm Taylor
How To Blow Up A Pipeline is a taught indie eco-thriller with a pulse-pounding score that drives toward structural damage
Daniel Goldhaber's sophomore feature grips with an edgy story, superb cast, tight edit, banging score, and exceptional direction; an indie thriller not…
 • 
Malcolm Taylor
Beau is Afraid: Ari Astor's bold, visionary epic on the interiority of anxiety writ large on an IMAX screen is the cinema event of the year…
Joaquin Phoenix's psychologically intense performance portraying a minimized hero's journey to reunite with his mother, creates a towering Citizen Kane…
4
Renfield: worse than Ant-Man 3?
Even a Cage-ified Nic Cage can't save this film from the misguided dreck that it is.
 • 
Malcolm Taylor
Air: Affleck's sports drama soars on sublime direction, a stellar cast, and a superb script
With a cast firing on all cylinders, Affleck delivers an exceptionally well paced vintage Hollywood crowd-pleaser with deft comedic touches stitched by…
 • 
Malcolm Taylor
A Thousand and One: A.V. Rockwell takes character-driven drama to exhilarating heights
Teyana Taylor's towering performance inspires awards chatter with her break-out feature lead debut as a single mother making hard sacrifices to ensure a…
 • 
Malcolm Taylor
2
Ep. 007 - Brother: Clement Virgo's cinematic stunner with a high-wattage cast presents a moving portrait of the first-generation Canadian…
A read of my review of Clement Virgo's new film Brother, a stellar Canadian drama elevating David Chariandy's lauded book.
10:30
Brother: Clement Virgo's stunning film adaptation elevates Chariandy's lauded book
A cinematic jaw-dropper with high-wattage stars delivers a compelling, evocative look at growing up in Scarborough, Toronto, between the 90s and early…
 • 
Malcolm Taylor
Cinema Tonic | Film Reviews and Analysis
Reviewing films from a cinephile aesthetic following the release cycle
Recommendations
House Inhabit
House Inhabit
Jessica Reed Kraus
Cartoons by Hilary
Cartoons by Hilary
Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell
Price Point
Price Point
Roy Price
Hey, What Are You Watching?
Hey, What Are You Watching?
Valerie Ettenhofer
RSSTB
RSSTB
Alex Murphy

Cinema Tonic | Film Reviews and Analysis

AboutArchiveRecommendations
© 2025 Malcolm Taylor
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture