Roulette Films

With Stranger Things coming to an end as a series, I do an analysis of the final season to discuss why I think it succeeds more than it fails. I mention some of the various issues that can make the final season feel rather rough around the edges at times, but how overall the series stays true to the characters it has made us grow to care about over the years.Agree? Disagree? At least willing to admit it was better than Game of Thrones? Let me know in the comments below.

Find this review along with clips and scenes from the final season on my YouTube channel here. And find all my other links here.

Four years down, who knows how many to go? As is tradition, another year down means another tier list where I briefly review and rank all the films and series I've watched for the very first time in 2025. As is the case with prior versions of this tier list, the order I go through these and their relative rankings follow pretty closely to my own Letterboxd account, where I log these through the year. Overall this year was really good for me in terms of what I got to see and what I got to experience outside of film and television. Lots of milestones and once in a lifetime experiences. So, I hope that 2025 was excellent to you as well, and that 2026 has even better things in store.Let me know what watched this year and you thought of it. What stood out in 2025, good or bad? What do you think of my own rankings on the things I've seen? Anything you'd have placed differently? Let me know in the comments below! And, of course, if you enjoyed the video and would want to hear my thoughts on other movies or series, subscribe!

To actually see the Tier List as I describe it, check out my YouTube Channel here.

Check out my Letterboxd here.And for all my other links, go here. Thanks for listening!

On opening weekend, I saw the sequel to Wicked, Wicked For Good. And, overall, I liked it. However, as many fans of the play know, the second act (or, in this case the second film) is notably weaker than the first act. Though the film was very much enjoyable and done well, it could not escape a fate that it seemed predestined for. I discuss some of the reasons why the second film feels perhaps lesser when compared to the first, while praising some attempts the cast and crew made to remedy this issue. I also give some suggestions for additional efforts which could have been made and might've enhanced an already solid film. Let me know your thoughts on the film, and if you agree with my assessment of things. Thanks for listening!

You can find this review in video form on my YouTube channel here. And you can find all my other links here.

In this episode, I discuss what I think makes certain horror films stand above the rest. Namely, I compare reliance on jump-scares, short term shock, and knee-jerk sorts of film styles to the stat-padding which is often found in professional sports. Perhaps effective in the moment or from a bird's eye view, but ultimately a detriment to not only the individual culprit, but eventually the art form at large. I discuss why certain horror films and athletes tend to have more staying power in our ongoing cultural conversations, be that their deeper themes and ways of creating fear, or their powerful dunking and three point shot. It's a bit of a amalgamation, but hopefully something that makes sense and is interesting to listen to. Happy Halloween! And, of course, feel free to debate me in the comments and let me know what you think about either the movies, sports, and athletes I discussed.Watch this review with clips from horror movies and basketball highlights on my YouTube Channel here.And find all my other links here.

In this video, I decide to get the ball rolling on the Halloween season a bit early. I discuss Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of Dracula with its star-studded cast, as well as a somewhat-slept on Pixar film that I recently watched for the first time. After watching each, I was struck by how both movies chose to depict the "monsters" they each featured. There was emphasis to varying degrees on the humanity underneath against the beastliness on the surface. And this in turns leads to the viewer responding in different ways to each "monster" in the respective films.So, I talk about how this works for each character, their arcs, and the films their in as a whole. I talk about what sacrifices are made for each type of "monster" and how these choices serve a movie in its entirety.Did you like this video? Let me know in the comments below! Any recommendations on what to review next? Or was there anything you wished I mentioned in this video that I didn't bring up?

Find this review on YouTube along with clips from both films here. And find all my other links here.

This go around, I discuss Weapons, an all-around unsettling and eerie horror-thriller movie from the creator who brought us Barbarian. While I don't think I loved Weapons quite as much as I did Barbarian, there was still a lot to enjoy, mull over, and unpack after viewing. And of course this is on top of the great tension and scares that it created. I also discuss one of my least favorite topics, Death of the Author, and how Weapons particularly makes me reverse my stance on it for this specific instance. Do you agree? Let me know what you thought of weapons in the comments below! Find this review as well as clips from the movie on my YouTube Channel here. And find all my other links here.

Last week, I saw the latest adaptation of Marvel's First Family. And, to be honest, I was pretty meh on it. I could certainly appreciate it, and understood that most of it was well done, but I just didn't connect to it in the same way I did with Superman recently. I talk about why this is in my review. Specifically, I mention the lack of character journeys from my point of view, and how this hindered my ability as a viewer to really connect with the main cast. Without this, it's hard to get much of an emotional response or attachment, in my opinion. Do you agree? Let me know in the comments. Find this review, along with clips from the film, on my YouTube channel here. And find all my other links here.

Last weekend, I saw Superman. And I've been thinking about it, listening to its score, jamming to its soundtrack, and just really enjoying everything about it since then. I really enjoyed it for what it was: a movie that rejuvenated a character and brought some amazing energy to me as a viewer. In the review I discuss what in the movie worked so well for me, and why I hold this particular adaptation in such high regard.

Did you like Superman? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments below!

Find this review on YouTube, along with clips from the movie, on my channel here. And find all my other links here.

Last week I saw 28 Years Later. Frankly, didn't love it. And this is despite really enjoying the original, 28 Days Later. Maybe I missed something in 28 Weeks Later? I dunno. I talk about what I think went wrong from my perspective in the film, citing some examples of shortcomings or parts of the movie that hold it back from being something more (or, in my opinion, better). Particularly some second-half narrative elements fell very short in my opinion. Watch this review, as well as scenes from the movie, on my YouTube channel here. And find all my other links here.

This time on Roulette Reviews, I discuss the finale to what might be one of my favorite series of all time. Mission: Impossible constantly delivers top-notch action, and in many ways it did exactly that in its swan song. But, it was not without flaw, and I discuss what I felt didn't make it quite as spectacular as some of its predecessors, ranging from its villain to its pace. Still though, it's a fantastic experience, and one I'm sure I'll revisit again and again. Have you seen Final Reckoning yet? Are you going to? Let me know in the comments! Find this review along with some really incredible clips from the movie on my YouTube channel here. And find all my other links here.