Michael Phillips
Michael Phillips is the Chicago Tribune film critic. He previously wrote about theater, movies, arts and culture for the Los Angeles Times and other outlets. He has taught cinema studies and arts journalism around the nation, guest-hosts Filmspotting" on Chicago Public Radio, and lives in Logan Square with his wife, children and, for now, dog."
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‘Wolf Man’ review: Like father, like son in a grim and serious horror remake
Director Leigh Whannell makes horror films for grown-ups. Unlike his "Invisible Man" remake, though, this one is a bit of a slog.

Review: ‘One of Them Days’ is a Los Angeles comedy with unexpected poignancy — and Keke Palmer
Its timing is bittersweet — the first Los Angeles-set comedy of 2025, opening mid-wildfires — but Keke Palmer energizes "One of Them Days."

‘The Brutalist’ review: Adrien Brody’s visionary architect comes to America and meets his destiny
He comes to postwar America with blueprints for a new kind of beauty in director Brady Corbet's ambitious, if imperfect, epic film.

‘The Last Showgirl’ review: Pamela Anderson, back in the spotlight and free at last
Old-school Las Vegas revues are ghosts now. Pamela Anderson is anything but. So why is 'The Last Showgirl' less than satisfying?

Column: In the blur of awards season, let those strange and unfamiliar movie titles be an invitation
Don't know much about 'The Brutalist' or 'Nickel Boys'? This is the perfect time to do something about that.

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Movies for winter 2025: Wolf men and vampires and bears, for starters
Horror and franchises dominate the winter '25 movie slate, plus new work from auteurs ranging from Almodovar to Steven Soderbergh.

Column: The worst movies of 2024, plus 3 screen highlights to make up for them
Tribune critic Michael Phillips picks 10 films from the very bottom of 2024's barrel but throws in some offbeat highlights as well.

‘Babygirl’ review: Secrets, lies and one road to a fulfilling sex life, starring Nicole Kidman
Dutch writer-director Halina Reijn’s film follows a high-powered CEO and her intern. It may be confounding, at least the first time you watch it.

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‘Oh, Canada’ review: Richard Gere shows the price of a lifetime of deception
Reuniting with his "American Gigolo" director Paul Schrader, Gere and his costar Uma Thurman dig deep into a dying filmmaker's confession, on camera.

‘The Order’ review: FBI agent Jude Law takes on white supremacists in a tense movie based on a true story
Based on a nonfiction book from the 1980s, a string of bank robberies are investigated by an agent in rural Idaho.