PETERSON REVIEWS
I’m on Spring Break. Posts will resume on April 20.
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‘Polyester’ is a Delightful Douglas Sirk Parody
John Waters’ 1981 comedy is a lovably irreverent take on Sirk’s 1950s melodramas. It also marks a major transitional moment in his career.
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‘The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love’ is a Sharp, Sweet Romantic Comedy
Writer-director Maria Maggenti’s feature-length debut captures the us-against-the-world intensity of first love with a light, charming touch.
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‘Hit Man’ Could Make Glen Powell Happen
Plus: The bland Max dramedy ‘Am I OK?’ is lucky to have Dakota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno.
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‘Speak’ Features a Great Early Performance from Kristen Stewart
The TV movie, made when Stewart was just 13, shows how distinctive a performer the actress was from an early age.
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‘Dressed in Blue’ is Essential
Antonio Giménez-Rico’s reality show-esque documentary about six transgender women living in Spain is a powerful snapshot of a moment in time.
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The Emotional Brutality of ‘The Boys in the Band’
This landmark 1970 adaptation of the Off-Broadway play often feels like the cinematic equivalent of rubbing salt into a wound — for better and for worse.
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Johnny Huynh’s Musical Dreams
The University of Washington junior and Bothell resident is juggling school and a budding music career.
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‘Feeling’ and ‘Know Your Place’ Cut Deep
New movies from Joanna Arnow and Zia Mohajerjasbi, reviewed.
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‘Love Lies Bleeding’ is a Tense, Propulsive Story of Toxic Love
Kristen Stewart gives one of her best performances yet in Rose Glass’ noir.
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‘Harry and the Hendersons’ is a Slight But Likable Creature Comedy
It’s like ‘E.T.’ with Sasquatch and without the emotional weight.
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Greener Pastures
‘I Saw the TV Glow,’ ‘Furiosa,’ and ‘Evil Does Not Exist,’ reviewed.
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The Relatable Pains of ‘May’
Writer-director Lucky McKee makes us feel sympathy for the devil.
APRIL 2026
The Theme is ‘High Anxiety’
ASDFJHGSD
The Unrelenting Grimness of ‘Frozen River’
Misty Upham and especially Melissa Leo are excellent in this frostbitten drama.
March 27, 2026
February 4, 2026
November 6, 2025
Superheroines
On Julia Loktev’s towering, terrifying ‘My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow.’
March 30, 2026
Everything Everywhere
William Greaves’ ‘Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One’ is almost 60 years old and still feels ahead of the curve.
March 11, 2026
Next Big Things
Gregory La Cava’s ‘Stage Door’ is often at once hysterically funny and brutally pragmatic about the personal toll a career in entertainment can take.
March 4, 2026
Peterson Reviews 