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Chris Sawin
Tomatometer-approved critic
Chris Sawin has been writing about film for over a decade. Formerly of Examiner.com, Chris has an unabashed admiration for weird and eccentric cinema, the nastiest of horror films, and particularly loves animation when it's done right.
Movies reviews only
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Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024) |
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has beautiful cinematography, compelling performances from the cast, and superb performance capture that’s more impressive than ever. As the Planet of the Apes films progress, it’s remarkable how connected they all are. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted May 13, 2024
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The Roundup: Punishment (2024) |
Detective Ma uses his fists and is a bare-knuckled juggernaut of law enforcement. With swift action, decent story, and entertaining characters, The Roundup: Punishment continues to solidify the best string of action films most people don’t even know about - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted May 13, 2024
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The Fall Guy (2024) |
Stunts have gone underappreciated for a long time, and The Fall Guy gives stuntmen a monster-truck-sized tribute that crashes and smashes its way into our hearts before lighting it on fire and doing it all over again. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted May 13, 2024
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Boy Kills World (2023) |
Its repetitive nature and whooshing cinematography ruin the action, and the comedy side of the film seems like it was written by a 12-year-old. Boy Kills World is a punch-drunk lobotomy to the action genre. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Apr 27, 2024
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Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023) |
A vampire that refuses to kill isn’t a new idea, but that familiar concept is Humanist Vampire’s most intriguing aspect. The execution of that concept falls flat since the film only seems to go in a familiar direction. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Apr 27, 2024
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Abigail (2024) |
Abigail has the bickering, playful ribbing, and explosive gore of Renfield. The cast is phenomenal and has some enjoyable moments in the film. However, once you see one enthusiastic body eruption, it becomes redundant, and the humor falls flat. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Apr 27, 2024
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Arcadian (2024) |
There are very few surprises in the writing for Arcadian. However, the creature design is so different and crazy, and the performances are strong even if the characters aren’t. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Apr 16, 2024
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Civil War (2024) |
The scariest aspect of Civil War is that it feels like it isn’t far off from happening. It is a haunting story that feels authentic and documents bloodshed during a nationwide nightmare. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Apr 16, 2024
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The First Omen (2024) |
A sinfully crafted and stupendously acted horror surprise. A prequel film is rarely the best of its franchise, but The First Omen embraces the best tendencies of The Omen and expands upon fruitful religious horror that could spawn hellacious sequels - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Apr 16, 2024
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Monkey Man (2024) |
Monkey Man delivers on the action and is a solid debut for Dev Patel as a director. Still, a sequel or future film in the genre would reach legendary status with a stronger story and more coherent cinematography. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Apr 09, 2024
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Exhuma (2024) |
Bloody memorable sequences aside, Exhuma is worth the watch but would have benefitted from more efficient pacing and a little less emphasis on being so hungry after dealing with the dead for a living. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Apr 04, 2024
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Femme (2023) |
Femme is a knockout thriller with some killer performances. Who is dominating whom in Femme, and how that unravels, is nightmarishly tense and overwhelmingly thought-provoking. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Apr 03, 2024
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Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) |
With its horrid dialogue, simplistic story, and rough CGI, Godzilla x Kong is the definition of a lousy movie turned guilty pleasure that despite its flaws, possesses some epic moments smashing and bashing their way into kaiju royalty. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Apr 02, 2024
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Late Night with the Devil (2023) |
Late Night with the Devil is one of the best horror films of 2024, anchored by a genuine performance, impressive special effects, and a story that is as fascinating as it is unsettling. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Mar 25, 2024
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Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024) |
Kung Fu Panda 4 isn’t the best Kung Fu Panda film, or even the best of the series’ three sequels. However, as a fourth film in a franchise, it’s a ton of fun. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Mar 13, 2024
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The Invisible Fight (2023) |
The Invisible Fight has an amusing concept with a clunky and exaggerated execution. The aspect that entices you rides shotgun to something far less exciting but likely much more grounded in reality. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Mar 05, 2024
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Dune: Part Two (2024) |
Impeccably shot, superb visual effects, and dripping with mostly strong performances from its entire cast, Villnueve’s latest will have you almost entirely invested in the dry, twisty, and monochromatic sci-fi drama for nearly all of its three hours. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Mar 05, 2024
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Hundreds of Beavers (2022) |
The delightfully chaotic special effects, ridiculously amusing humor, and overwhelming passion and admiration for vintage Warner tomfoolery make Hundreds of Beavers one remarkable excursion into a wacky winter war zone you won’t soon forget - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Feb 22, 2024
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She Is Conann (2023) |
She is Conann is disgusting at times, jaw-dropping at others, and engrossing in between. It’s a gay film at its core, but it’s also overflowing with blood and dog-faced hellhounds. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Feb 14, 2024
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Restore Point (2023) |
Restore Point is a gorgeous vision of the future that lacks depth, a worthwhile story, and heartfelt performances. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Feb 09, 2024
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Monolith (2023) |
The storytelling masterfully unfolds in a way that mimics sweating anxiously; all the while trying to wrap an armed landmine in paper mache. Still, Monolith will only cater to those willing to embrace a film modeled after the tortoise rather than the hare - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Feb 06, 2024
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Argylle (2024) |
Argylle is an action thriller that willingly wallows in goofy, cringey nonsense. Its writing is immature, and its action is overloaded with sloppy CGI and outrageous concepts that are preposterously frustrating. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Feb 06, 2024
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Orion and the Dark (2024) |
There’s a beauty to admire at night, and Orion and the Dark showcases that aspect in delightful fashion. However, its over-complicated narrative and bland animation make the film feel like it's barely worth the time of day. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Jan 30, 2024
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Badland Hunters (2024) |
Chock-full of impressive violence and spectacular fight scenes, Badland Hunters features Ma Dong-seok at his most explosive. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Jan 30, 2024
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I Did It My Way (2023) |
I Did It My Way feels like a big-budget soap opera. These actors are all playing the same character. The film literally has one decent action sequence while the rest of the film is devoted to to choppy CSI editing and looking contemplative on rooftops. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Jan 16, 2024
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Godzilla Minus One (2023) |
Godzilla Minus One is not only one of the best films out of the 30-plus in the series, but also one of the best films of the year. The acting is superb, the destruction is immense and incredible, and the gnarly Godzilla design is fantastic. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Dec 12, 2023
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Saltburn (2023) |
Saltburn embraces that universally cosmic dread of being a revolting human being and builds an extravagant labyrinth of a castle on top of it. Saltburn is disgustingly mesmerizing, and Barry Keoghan gives the perverted performance of a lifetime. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Dec 08, 2023
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It's a Wonderful Knife (2023) |
The design of the killer is fantastic, Justin Long shines as a spray-tanned turd, and the storyline has at least one solid detour. The biggest letdown is that It’s a Wonderful Knife has no memorable kills, and any big reveal is nothing short of apparent. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Dec 08, 2023
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Next Goal Wins (2023) |
Next Goal Wins thrives on being an hour and a half of Taika Waititi’s trademark goofy nonsense, but the director tethers it to reality. Even with its redundant humor fatigue, this film is Taika Waititi’s most coherent since Hunt for the Wilderpeople. - Wealth of Geeks
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| Posted Nov 18, 2023
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Thanksgiving (2023) |
Thanksgiving overflows with gross-out violence and corny one-liners. The dialogue grates the nerves, and the characters play as one-dimensional and entitled imbeciles. - Wealth of Geeks
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| Posted Nov 17, 2023
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Five Nights at Freddy's (2023) |
There are some pacing issues, and the acting could be more balanced. Keeping the majority of the anxiety inducing chills from the video game franchise it stems from, Five Nights at Freddy’s delivers a solid movie experience. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Nov 02, 2023
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You'll Never Find Me (2023) |
You’ll Never Find Me is a masterpiece of suspense that flourishes in its terrifyingly claustrophobic atmosphere with two of the most riveting performances you’ll see in a horror film this year. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Nov 02, 2023
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The Creator (2023) |
The Creator has astonishing visuals, but that’s where its charm ends. While the performances are strong, thrilling elements of the film swap actual excitement for a more traditional science fiction film that pays tribute to its influences and little else. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Nov 02, 2023
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Divinity (2023) |
Stephen Dorff’s monstrous performance is intriguing, and the unbelievable stop-motion fight featured near the film’s end is a highlight. Overall, Divinity is this flesh-driven and monochrome chunk of thrust-thirsty nonsense. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Nov 02, 2023
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The Toxic Avenger (2023) |
This cast seems to be having a blast in their roles, and its entertaining assault of absurd vulgarity and buckets of ooey, gooey, and chunky amounts of blood is hysterical ecstasy. The Toxic Avenger is undoubtedly ridiculous and laugh-out-loud funny. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Nov 02, 2023
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It Lives Inside (2023) |
Some potentially rewarding elements of It Lives Inside make it seem like a worthwhile vision for the demonic possession genre of horror. But while the horror elements have vitality, the story never goes deeper than the surface. - Wealth of Geeks
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| Posted Nov 02, 2023
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Inspector Sun (2022) |
Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow is a vivacious glimpse into the minuscule world of insect sleuthing. It’s unfortunate that the lackluster animation and crudely juvenile humor aren’t nearly as lively. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Sep 16, 2023
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Lovely, Dark, and Deep (2023) |
Lovely, Dark, and Deep knows how to thrust the audience into unshackled insanity but forgets to throw a life-saving buoy to its witnesses, resulting in the viewer helplessly drowning in twisty and meaningless drivel. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Sep 07, 2023
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Blackout (2023) |
Blackout is a competent werewolf film that puts meaning behind the bloodbath. Every character plays a part in the overall story and you don't see that very often in low budget horror. Larry Fessenden has crafted a psychological beast of a monster movie. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Sep 07, 2023
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#Manhole (2023) |
#Manhole is ludicrous at times and its dependence on social media becomes a bit of a hindrance, but Yûto Nakajima’s solid performance and an absolutely bonkers ending make this a thriller worth watching. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Aug 25, 2023
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New Life (2023) |
With its intensity, and the outstandingly devastating performances of Hayley Erin and Sonya Walger, New Life can be an anxiety inducing ride at times; a horror thriller that is just shy of cinematic excellence. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Aug 25, 2023
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Mad Fate (2023) |
Mad Fate is a riveting watch because the performances are great and the premise is vastly different than what you’re used to seeing in thrillers touching on similar concepts.
It masterfully dances around whether our fates are actually chiseled in stone. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Aug 16, 2023
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Killing Romance (2023) |
As far as musical romantic comedies go that revolve around murder and ostriches, Killing Romance is the craziest and nonsensically brilliant as they come. Killing Romance is so overflowing with preposterousness that it truly has to be seen to be believed. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Aug 10, 2023
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River (2023) |
River is smartly written, has a fantastic cast, and is beautifully filmed. Ridiculously entertaining. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Aug 09, 2023
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Deep Sea (2023) |
Deep Sea is the best animated film of the year that most won’t see or even know about. Its extraordinary animation sets it apart from everything else out there because it feels like a brilliant, one-of-a-kind plunge into pure imaginative whimsy. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Aug 08, 2023
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Haunted Mansion (2023) |
LaKeith Stanfield steals every scene while The Hatbox Ghost is one of the more menacing live-action Disney villains to be portrayed in quite some time. But the exaggerated comedy is annoying and anything remotely scary is ruined by relentless buffoonery. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Jul 26, 2023
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Talk to Me (2023) |
Aaron McLisky’s cinematography featuring a ghoulish incline at just the right time makes Talk to Me, which is already a well-written nightmare and unique plunge into personal hell, visually and uniquely chilling. The ending is phenomenal. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Jul 25, 2023
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Sympathy for the Devil (2023) |
Cage is a terrifically unhinged version of Castor Troy from Face/Off with a touch of Frank Booth from Blue Velvet. But once Sympathy for the Devil starts diving into the motivation behind each character is when it starts to fall apart. - Reel Rundown
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| Posted Jul 24, 2023
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Barbie (2023) |
It feels like Barbie will be more enjoyable the more you think back on it. Ryan Gosling is outrageously funny and the film fully embraces ridiculous concepts while also intellectually tickling our brains as we question how we socially treat one another. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Jul 21, 2023
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Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) |
With an ending that leaves the Indiana Jones character in a satisfying bookend for the franchise, hopefully The Dial of Destiny is the final Indy film. Like Roger Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon, Harrison Ford is literally too old for this sh*t. - Bounding Into Comics
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| Posted Jul 13, 2023
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