Charles Bramesco

Charles Bramesco is a freelance film and TV critic living in Brooklyn. A former staff writer for Rolling Stone, he's been featured in the New York Times, New York Magazine, the Guardian, and many other fine publications. His second book, Colors of Film: The Story of Cinema in 50 Palettes, will be published in the US on March 14, 2023.

All Articles From Charles Bramesco

The Complicated Legacy of “Shortbus,” The Sex-Club Cult Film With a Heart of Gold

Director John Cameron Mitchell reflects on a provocative, endearing movie that was both ahead of and behind its time

Bradley Cooper's Entire Career Has Been Leading Up to This Moment

In "Nightmare Alley" and "Licorice Pizza," B-Coop finally shows us what's lurking beneath all that leading-man bravado

Sean Baker Discusses “Red Rocket,” Simon Rex and the Cinema of Sex Work

Baker's latest film lends his trademark empathy and gentleness to a down-on-his-luck "suitcase pimp" in Gulf Coast Texas

What Happens When Paul Thomas Anderson Makes a Feel-Good Movie?

"Licorice Pizza" sees the director at his most nostalgic, looking back at his California youth with trademark fastidiousness — but also a gauzy sense of optimism

“Last Night in Soho” Reminds Us That Pop Culture Is Not a Viable Persona

Edgar Wright's latest feature completes a trilogy of films that cast the director's obsession with nostalgia in a new light

Denis Villeneuve’s Ambitious “Dune” Is Very Large and Very Empty

The scale resembles “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Star Wars,” but is there any substance underpinning it all?

“No Time to Die” Is a Fitting Retirement Party for a Gen-X Icon

Daniel Craig confronts office politics, groveling associates and — yes — sinister foreign baddies in his final turn as 007

"The Humans" Is the Horror Movie Thanksgiving Deserves

Two months after 9/11, in a claustrophobic Chinatown apartment, a family does what families do

Tammy Faye, Tonya Harding and the Rise of Image Rehab Cinema

Hollywood loves a redemption story. But is it painting with too broad a brush?

“The Card Counter” Is a Tense Second Act to Paul Schrader’s Doomsday Period

Humanity may be beyond salvation, but at least we've got a good spokesperson

"The Green Knight" Is Really, Truly Not That Kind of Fantasy Movie

In lieu of hero-buildling and stylized violence, David Lowery's take on Arthurian legend invites you to soak in its vibes and chew the scenery

Making Sense of the Many Father Figures of Paul Thomas Anderson

Fathers both real and surrogate play a prominent role throughout his films, though their relationship to his own remains mostly a mystery

“In the Heights” Is a Blueprint for Saving the Musical. Will Anyone Take Heed?

After a decade of torturous singalongs, Jon M. Chu’s dazzling adaptation breathes new life into a storied American tradition

“This Town” Proves That Romcoms Are a Dish Best Served Dark. Very, Very Dark.

David White's breakout indie hit asks a tricky question: Could you fall in love with someone who probably isn’t a murderer, but might be?

Is This How It Ends for Roy Andersson?

In "About Endlessness," the 78-year-old director delivers something he hasn't for a long time: a glimmer of optimism

Remembering “Josie and the Pussycats,” the Last Bastion of Pop Cynicism

Now 20 years old, Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont's film still reads as a slyly subversive commentary on the slow, corporate death of popular music