Movie reviews of Sandy Schaefer

Hobbs & Shaw is partially successful in evolving the Fast & Furious property, yet mostly comes off feeling like a branding exercise for The Rock. Review

Thanks to Wang's deeply personal direction and Awkwafina's subtly profound performance, The Farewell offers a touching and truly authentic experience. Review

The Art of Self-Defense is a witty and idiosyncratic takedown of machoism that doesn't shy away from its uncomfortably terrifying aspects. Review

Thanks to Aja's confident direction and Kaya Scodelario's warrior performance, Crawl makes for a terse and otherwise exhilarating viewing experience. Review

Point Blank throws a lot of ideas at the wall without ever committing to any one of them, resulting in a thriller that's more confusing than exciting. Review

Stuber is an uneven buddy comedy that can't seem to decide if it's from the 80s or modern day, but occasionally gets in some decent jokes. Review

Yesterday is a fluffy and ultimately half-baked 'What if?' fantasy that partially gets by on its zestful storytelling and endearing performances. Review

Annabelle Comes Home offers enough thrills, jolts, and even heartfelt storytelling to compensate for the lack of depth to its horror elements. Review

Midsommar is a mixed bag that blends unsettling horror with bizarre comedy, resulting in a film that's equal parts fascinating and frustrating. Review

Despite its mixed success as a satire of the Digital Age, Child's Play is an otherwise entertainingly bloodthirsty re-imagining of the slasher brand. Review

Shaft is a bland requel that sacrifices the qualities that make this franchise relevant, in order to crack tired jokes about millennials instead. Review

Late Night works as a gently funny (if somewhat toothless) dramedy, thanks to a combination of authentic performances and Kaling's sincere writing. Review

Though The Secret Life of Pets 2 features plenty of cutesy animal shenanigans, this only does so much to compensate for its flimsy and episodic story. Review

Ma is elevated by Octavia Spencer's terrifically creepy performance, even as it struggles to realize the full potential of its horror movie premise. Review

King of the Monsters offers the campy pleasures of an old-school Godzilla sequel, despite going overboard with its relentless kaiju battles. Review

Brightburn is a creepy, bloody genre mashup that fails to fully explore the fascinating questions it raises about the dark side of being a superhero. Review

Aladdin is a jubilant and energetic Disney retelling that mostly succeeds in updating the animated version, even if it never feels quite as magical. Review

The Dead Don't Die's premise simply isn't developed enough to sustain the entire film, even with a great cast and Jarmusch's dark wit at its disposal. Review

Photograph finds joy in the spaces between its story mechanics, which makes it easier to appreciate the film's occasionally patience-trying methods. Review

Parabellum offers enough dynamic set pieces and dazzling fight choreography to offset its flaws as a continuation of John Wick's story. Review

Even with an enjoyably cheeky performance by Anne Hathaway at its disposal, The Hustle makes for a tedious repackaging of a fun comedic premise. Review

Despite a captivating performance by Zac Efron, Extremely Wicked is hamstrung by its lack of focus and fails to offer a fresh perspective on Bundy. Review

While it offers some laughs and has the makings of a decent rom-com, Long Shot gets bogged down in its scattershot attempts at political satire. Review

Tolkien is an earnest and well-acted dramatization of the storyteller's experiences that's hindered by its adherence to the typical biopic framework. Review