Watch List Weekly Recap 9/30/22
A busy, fizzy discussion on the use and abuse of star ratings in reviews, plus new movies in theaters and on demand.
This is the Friday recap of Ty Burr’s Watch List postings for the week. If you’d like to receive this weekly email ONLY, please go to your account page and under “Email notifications” uncheck every box except “Weekly Digest.” If you’d prefer to not receive it at all, uncheck just “Weekly Digest.”
Why a picture of “Cats” (above)? It’s the one film in 19 years of reviewing for the Boston Globe that I should have given zero stars to but didn’t. (It got a half-star, and that was kind.) Star ratings are the subject of the midweek posting: Do you like them? Do you need them? Should I replace them with grades, or cartoons, or photos of Bodhi in various stages of critical engagement? Lots of people weighed in; you should, too.
For the Weekend Round-Up, I point you to a crowdpleaser in theaters (“Bros,” above), a moody Irish drama on demand (“God’s Creatures”), an intriguing classic-rock documentary on Netflix, and more. Plus, I beat up on “Blonde” some more, because the movie deserves it.
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