Tell-Tale TV

Tomatometer-approved publication
Rating Title/Year Author
4.5/5 The Christmas Setup (2020) Esme Mazzeo Lifetime's The Christmas Setup does more than finally provide the LBGTQIA community representation in the beloved genre of TV Christmas movies. It does so in the most authentic way possible. EDIT
Posted Dec 14, 2020
2.5/5 A Sugar & Spice Holiday (2020) Esme Mazzeo A Sugar & Spice Holiday makes a good effort, but much like young Suzy's gingerbread house in the first scene, the script is not structurally sound. EDIT
Posted Dec 14, 2020
2.5/5 The Prom (2020) Cristina Iskander It's pretty, sparkly and full of megawatt power, but its lack of depth or commitment to well, anything besides its color scheme, ultimately holds it back from being great or particularly memorable. EDIT
Posted Dec 14, 2020
3.5/5 I'm Your Woman (2020) Ashley Bissette Sumerel Jean's journey throughout the film isn't just about figuring out how to survive. It's about figuring out who she is as a woman and as a mother. EDIT
Posted Dec 13, 2020
4/5 Mank (2020) Kevin Lever This may not hail the hallmarks of a David Fincher film, but it holds a particularity to its filmmaking, where every single moment, down to its own non-linear style of storytelling, feels tight and succinct. EDIT
Posted Dec 7, 2020
1.5/5 Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square (2020) Carly Herriges Overall, the story is lackluster, production low quality, and performance fell flat. EDIT
Posted Nov 24, 2020
4.25/5 The Christmas House (2020) Esme Mazzeo The Christmas House proves that small details go a long way in telling a Christmas romance story, and hopefully, this is just the first step of many where representation is concerned. EDIT
Posted Nov 23, 2020
4/5 The Princess Switch: Switched Again (2020) Alicia Gilstorf Doesn't quite strike the same level of magical Christmas chaos that the first film wields so brilliantly. That said, this sequel proves that Stacy and Margret still have plenty of doppelganger shenanigans left to captivate us. EDIT
Posted Nov 19, 2020
3.25/5 Christmas in Vienna (2020) Esme Mazzeo Opposites might attract, but Jess deserves someone more exciting than Mark. Drew and Elliot have just enough chemistry to carry the film, but it's nothing we can feel through the screen. EDIT
Posted Nov 16, 2020
4/5 Operation Christmas Drop (2020) Alicia Gilstorf This high-flying tale isn't here to satisfy just any Christmas enthusiasts. The untraditional film warms our hearts not with snow and grand decoration, but with an authentic holiday in the tropics and the essence of giving back. EDIT
Posted Nov 5, 2020
3.75/5 Holly & Ivy (2020) Caitlin Wyneken Cheesy and cliché as it might be, Holy and Ivy does what it sets out to do -- makes you fall in love with its characters and the love they share for each other while getting you in the Christmas spirit. EDIT
Posted Nov 3, 2020
4/5 Holidate (2020) Esme Mazzeo Holiday cynics rejoice. Thanks to Holidate, we finally have our very own rom-com -- and it doesn't disappoint. EDIT
Posted Oct 28, 2020
2.5/5 Christmas on Ice (2020) Esme Mazzeo Chemistry can cure many stumbles within a fluffy romantic comedy, and Klein and Cooper have some, but not enough to save the film. Christmas On Ice also continuously undervalues its supporting storylines. EDIT
Posted Oct 26, 2020
2.5/5 Rebecca (2020) Lacy Baugher It's beautiful to look at -- full of Instagram-worthy sets, lush scenery, and forbidding Gothic landscapes -- but it ultimately has little to say. EDIT
Posted Oct 23, 2020
4/5 A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting (2020) Carly Herriges A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting is a fun and campy movie that could easily become a classic on par with Halloweentown and Hocus Pocus. EDIT
Posted Oct 19, 2020
5/5 A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote (2020) Stephanie Holland When you start with material as strong as The West Wing, it's hard to go wrong. Aside from the crucial message about voting, the special makes us seriously long for an actual full blown reunion. EDIT
Posted Oct 16, 2020
3.5/5 The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) Kevin Lever With a wonderful cast and fairly solid writing and directing from Sorkin, there is a rousing call here that gives The Trial of the Chicago 7 power beyond being simply a good movie, and makes it one to look out for. EDIT
Posted Oct 16, 2020
2.5/5 The Lie (2018) Carly Herriges The Lie is upsetting, unredeemable, and filled with unlikeable characters. EDIT
Posted Oct 8, 2020
3/5 Hubie Halloween (2020) Alicia Gilstorf I find myself able to enjoy this movie... for the sweet and easily digestible candy bar it is. EDIT
Posted Oct 8, 2020
3/5 Secret Society of Second Born Royals (2020) Alicia Gilstorf if you're looking for a light superhero ensemble with low stakes and dope jumpsuits, this movie has exactly what you need to have a fun night in with the family. EDIT
Posted Sep 28, 2020
5/5 Enola Holmes (2020) Stephanie Holland There's no mystery about whether or not Enola Holmes is worth watching. It's a fantastic adventure, with a captivating lead, new supporting characters, and an always timely theme of female empowerment. EDIT
Posted Sep 25, 2020
2.5/5 The Devil All the Time (2020) Alicia Gilstorf It's difficult to swallow, but even stellar performances from Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson are not enough to save this film from buckling under the weight of its own insufferable storytelling. EDIT
Posted Sep 16, 2020
4.25/5 Unpregnant (2020) Kat Pettibone Presenting itself as a good time road trip teen comedy, Unpregnant threads poignancy underneath its wackiness; depicting a woman's struggle to maintain independence over her own body in the timeliest of ways. EDIT
Posted Sep 15, 2020
3/5 The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020) Allison Nichols The Babysitter: Killer Queen is about what you expect, a fun horror movie that delivers on some laughs and gruesome deaths. It's nothing more than that, and it falls a little flat compared to the first movie, The Babysitter. EDIT
Posted Sep 10, 2020
4/5 Love, Guaranteed (2020) Caitlin Wyneken Love, Guaranteed doesn't have any huge surprises. It's not really supposed to. It gives fans of the genre just what they expect and want. EDIT
Posted Sep 8, 2020
4.5/5 I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020) Kevin Lever It's a weird world, and Charlie Kaufman continues to capture it in a way like no other. EDIT
Posted Sep 2, 2020
3/5 Chemical Hearts (2020) Kat Pettibone At it's best, it's a film that allows women to be complicated, broken, and unlikable. EDIT
Posted Sep 1, 2020
2.5/5 All Together Now (2020) Cristina Iskander It's relatively easy, feel good entertainment, with a dose of decency and connection that so many of us are learning for these days. However, there's a large gap between what it is and what it could have been. EDIT
Posted Sep 1, 2020
3/5 Project Power (2020) Alicia Gilstorf Project Power is not going to win any awards for its convoluted plot or surface-level social awareness. But as far as mindless action thrillers go, this one at least has a conscious. EDIT
Posted Aug 17, 2020
3.5/5 Work It (2020) Alicia Gilstorf Work It might have a flimsy plot and a questionable definition of dance at times. But it also has Jordan Fisher dancing spontaneously on a piano and, dare I say it, that's enough. EDIT
Posted Aug 10, 2020
2.5/5 The Kissing Booth 2 (2020) Kat Pettibone This only ends up backfiring, forcing the major characters all to stay in one place treading water, unable to grow or gain any type of complexity, and leaving the audience asking the question: what exactly was the point? EDIT
Posted Aug 3, 2020
4.75/5 Psych 2: Lassie Come Home (2020) Caitlin Wyneken Every joke lands, every serious moments fits in with the comedy, and every guest star, new and known, is as welcome as an old friend. EDIT
Posted Jul 17, 2020
3.5/5 Palm Springs (2020) Cristina Iskander Samberg's performance is pitch perfect and his command of subtlety (something he's not traditionally known for) is impressive... With that said, the movie really belongs to Milioti. EDIT
Posted Jul 13, 2020
3.5/5 The Old Guard (2020) Kevin Lever I's a very solid, very capable movie that expertly uses all of its moving pieces to tell a tale of hope buried deep within a sea of despair. EDIT
Posted Jul 9, 2020
4/5 Greyhound (2020) Kevin Lever Greyhound uses its snappy, chipper runtime to get in and get out without missing a beat, where every minute counts and every minute is used with purpose. With so much at stake, the film becomes a gauntlet of intense force in order to see another day. EDIT
Posted Jul 7, 2020
2/5 Desperados (2020) Alicia Gilstorf Desperados is a desperate film -- desperate to be different from the genres it so confidently tackles and desperate to win us over with its ridiculous high-stakes summer shenanigans. EDIT
Posted Jul 6, 2020
4/5 The Vast of Night (2019) Kevin Lever A wonderful science fiction film that uses its small scale to its advantage. It never loses its sense of fun even when floating on its darker edges, and for a first feature from Andrew Patterson, it's an astounding achievement. EDIT
Posted May 28, 2020
3/5 The Wrong Missy (2020) Lauren Busser This movie is enjoyable, and it's definitely something I recommend watching if you want some lighter fare. EDIT
Posted May 15, 2020
2/5 Bad Education (2019) Erin Allen Too many dead ends like this lead to a choppy narrative that lacks the slick and shiny cohesion the filmmakers seem to be attempting. EDIT
Posted Apr 28, 2020
3/5 Lost Girls (2020) Cristina Iskander Despite some strong performances and a compelling message, it does come off a little underbaked at times. EDIT
Posted Mar 16, 2020
3/5 All the Bright Places (2020) Erin Allen It's rare for a film adaptation to overcome "the book is better" pitfall, and All the Bright Places is not one of those rare cases. Although, it is a decent film with many rewarding elements. EDIT
Posted Mar 2, 2020
3/5 To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020) Alicia Gilstorf The first half of this sequel is brimming with adorable little moments that instantly pull us back into the warm fever dream of teenage love that is Lara Jean's life. EDIT
Posted Feb 14, 2020
4.5/5 A Beauty & the Beast Christmas (2019) Mary Misasi A holiday movie that should become a viewing tradition year after year. EDIT
Posted Dec 16, 2019
2.5/5 A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby (2019) Alicia Gilstorf Don't expect to be rewarded for making it to the end because the luck and charm that carried the first film to stardom are nowhere to be found by the time the credits roll. EDIT
Posted Dec 9, 2019
4/5 Same Time, Next Christmas (2019) Cristina Iskander An enjoyable watch, and easily one of the best original Christmas movies in years. EDIT
Posted Dec 6, 2019
5/5 The Irishman (2019) Erin Allen It's incredible when something can live up to and surpass the hype-The Irishman is already a classic, instantly time-honored, and will pass through that slightly open door into the annals of great American cinema. EDIT
Posted Dec 2, 2019
4/5 A Christmas Wish (2019) Esme Mazzeo As for the story, it's so much fun! EDIT
Posted Dec 2, 2019
4/5 Twinkle All the Way (2019) If I had to describe Twinkle All The Way in a phrase, it would be "mature whimsical"...there is nothing cheesy about the whimsy of this movie . EDIT
Posted Nov 25, 2019
4/5 The Knight Before Christmas (2019) Alicia Gilstorf The Knight Before Christmas isn't perfect but it comes as close as a Christmas rom-com about a knight and science teacher can. EDIT
Posted Nov 21, 2019
3/5 A Sweet Christmas Romance (2019) Esme Mazzeo As sweet as a sugar cookie. EDIT
Posted Nov 11, 2019