A.A. Dowd
Writer
A.A. Dowd, or Alex to his friends, is a writer and editor based in Chicago. He has held staff positions at The A.V. Club and Time Out Chicago, and is a member of the National Society of Film Critics.
Is Alien the ultimate directors’ franchise?
From Ridley Scott to James Cameron to David Fincher, the Alien series has long functioned as a revolving door of great directors.
Alien: Romulus review: a down-and-dirty creature feature that plays it too safe
Though slickly directed by Fede Álvarez, Alien: Romulus is little more than a remix of the beloved sci-fi franchise's most iconic moments.
With Deadpool & Wolverine and Robert Downey Jr.’s return as Doctor Doom, Marvel is getting desperate
Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU as Doctor Doom, combined with the Deadpool & Wolverine's cheap fan service, only illustrates the mess Marvel is in now.
20 years ago, one of the most unsettling movies ever made divided audiences
Upon its divisive release 20 years ago, this low-budget movie impressed critics, but enraged audiences. All these years later, is it still worth watching?
Forget Deadpool & Wolverine — this is the best X-Men adaptation of them all
With apologies to Deadpool & Wolverine, it's not the best X-related adaptation. Find out which X-Men movie, or show, remains the greatest X-Men tale ever.
Trap review: M. Night Shyamalan’s new thriller is deeply stupid
Josh Harnett is creepily entertaining in Trap, a new M. Night Shyamalan movie that buckles under the weight of too many contrivances.
20 years later, this widely hated blockbuster is still one of Hollywood’s most underrated thrillers
This summer hit movie, which just turned 20, is better than its bad reputation will lead you to believe.
Deadpool & Wolverine review: Marvel’s inside joke grows old
In Deadpool & Wolverine, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman team up for a relentlessly meta superhero sequel that overdoes on fan service.
Twisters? Longlegs? Deadpool? The ’90s are back, baby!
From the blockbuster sequel Twisters to the return of Deadpool and the X-Men, 2024 is already looking a lot like the 1990s.
30 years ago, this action movie changed Hollywood forever. But was it for better or worse?
In 1994, a popular action movie starring one of the biggest stars changed Hollywood forever. 30 years later, Digital Trends asks if it was for better or worse.
Longlegs review: A spooky slideshow in search of a movie
The new horror movie Longlegs, starring Nicolas Cage as a serial killer, is arrestingly stylish, but lacks the deeper terror of its influences.
This unforgettable film might just be the best sci-fi movie ever made. Here’s why
This great remake of a sci-fi classic has lost none of its nightmarish, paranoid power. Find out what it is and why it's more timely than ever.
Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 review: Costner’s Western is an epic bore
The first installment of Kevin Costner's multipart Western epic Horizon: An American Saga plays like the tedious pilot of a miniseries you wouldn't finish.
This 1994 film is one of the best action movies ever made. Here’s why it still holds up
This 1994 action movie hasn't aged a bit, and is more exciting than the latest John Wick or Bad Boys sequel. Find out what it is and why you should watch it.
Post-Avengers: Endgame, the MCU’s biggest stars have gone gloriously bad
With Furiosa, Chris Hemsworth joins a growing list of MCU stars like Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo who have been rejuvenated by standout villainous roles.
Hit Man review: At last, the star vehicle Glen Powell deserves
Anyone but You and Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell reunites with Richard Linklater for Hit Man, an eccentric comedy on Netflix that proves he's a star.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga review: a thrilling new trip down Fury Road
George Miller takes Mad Max out of Mad Max, but there are thrills aplenty in his astonishing spinoff prequel Furiosa.
Are the new Planet of the Apes movies going anywhere?
The new Planet of the Apes franchise has craft and soul to spare, but it lacks direction — the sense that it's building to anything.
2024’s weirdest movie is a haunted flashback for the Nickelodeon generation
Jane Schoenbrun's spooky A24 indie I Saw the TV Glow captures a precise moment in American culture — the last gasp of analog fandom before the internet age.
25 years ago, The Matrix led a mini movement of sci-fi simulation thrillers
From The Matrix to eXistenZ to The Thirteenth Floor, 1999 was an unusually robust year for sci-fi movies that put the world inside a computer.
Does the sci-fi classic Alien have the best movie marketing campaign ever?
With Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi masterpiece Alien back in theaters, let's revisit its iconic tagline, poster, and trailer.
The best Marvel movie just turned 10 this year. Here’s why it’s still a blast to watch
There are funnier and more inventive entries in the MCU, but Captain America: The Winter Soldier is still the platonic ideal of a Marvel movie.
The Beast review: a gonzo sci-fi movie with a touch of David Lynch
David Lynch meets Cloud Atlas meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in the ambitious sci-fi whatsit The Beast, starring Dune 2 actress Léa Seydoux.
Ripley review: Netflix’s terrifically tense thriller
Originally developed for Showtime, Ripley, Netflix's beautifully shot adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, features a brilliant performance by Andrew Scott.
Netflix just remade one of the best thrillers of all time. Is it worth watching?
Netflix just quietly premiered a remake of one of the best thrillers ever made. But is this latest version worth watching or just another disappointing retread?
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire review: a very flimsy monster mash
In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Godzilla joins forces with King Kong for a Hollywood monster movie without a fraction of the power of Godzilla Minus One.
Late Night with the Devil review: a fun talk-show Exorcist
David Dastmalchian plays a talk show host summoning evil on live TV in the entertaining but rarely scary found-footage horror movie, Late Night with the Devil.
Before Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve made 2 unnerving Jake Gyllenhaal thrillers
Premiering in the fall of 2013, two Jake Gyllenhaal movies, Prisoners and Enemy, set director Denis Villeneuve on the path to Arrival, Dune, and Dune: Part Two.
All the 2024 Best Picture Oscar nominees, ranked
From Barbenheimer to Poor Things, these are the 2024 nominees for Best Picture, ranked from worst to best.
Dune: Part Two review: a beautifully numbing sci-fi epic
Denis Villeneuve completes his two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic novel with Dune: Part Two, another amazing looking, but plodding sci-fi epic.
You probably haven’t seen this underrated 2004 thriller. Here’s why you should watch it now
Nicole Kidman plays a woman with a very strange dilemma in an oddball 2004 mystery that deserves a second look.
Is Christopher Nolan’s Tenet the misunderstood masterpiece some claim it to be?
Christopher Nolan's only box-office disappointment, Tenet, returns to IMAX theaters this weekend. Is it the misunderstood masterpiece some fans claim it to be?
Drive-Away Dolls review: a wacky Coens caper, minus a Coen
Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan take a madcap road trip in Drive-Away Dolls , the first comedy Ethan Coen has made without his brother, Joel.