Ben Miller
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nebisben.bsky.social
Ben Miller
@nebisben.bsky.social
IceCream4Freaks.com
TFE | Cinema Scholars
@dfwcritics.com | IFSCritics
The David Thewlis of Podcasting | he/him

https://linktr.ee/NebIsBen
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While this film might not reach the heights it so desperately wants, but it remains an immensely watchable tale.

My review of Frankenstein (3.5/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/11/10/r...
Review: “Frankenstein” is Watchable and Expertly Crafted, But Little Else
Guillermo del Toro is running out of surprises. While he can certainly deliver ornate spectacle, his latest adaptation of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein attempts to elevate the material above the…
icecream4freaks.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:16 PM
The film may be a bit alienating, but Jennifer Lawrence has literally never been better. It's a towering performance I won't soon forget, in a film with equal impact.

My review of Die My Love (4.0/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/11/07/r...
Review: “Die My Love” is Jennifer Lawrence’s Career Apex
Jennifer Lawrence already had a billion-dollar franchise, an Academy Award, and worldwide acclaim to her name before turning 30. Now fully transitioned into adult roles, Lynne Ramsey’s singul…
icecream4freaks.com
November 8, 2025 at 1:32 AM
This film might be exactly the kind of film you expect it to be, but at least Sydney Sweeney is trying her best. She is a bit underrated as an actor, and this film is just another example of her talent.

My review of Christy (3.0/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/11/05/r...
Review: Despite Sydney Sweeney’s Best Efforts, “Christy” Can’t Beat Sports Conventionality
Sydney Sweeney goes down a similar route of many beautiful actresses before her: make yourself slightly ugly for the sake of acclaim. While Sweeney gives a stirring performance, there’s only …
icecream4freaks.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:37 PM
His new film might be exactly his style, but director Yorgos Lanthimos might need to find a new trick before he alienates his audience (even though I liked it).

My review of Bugonia (3.5/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/10/30/r...
Review: “Bugonia” Isn’t For Everyone, And Maybe Not For Anyone
Nobody can accuse director Yorgos Lanthimos of being too commercial. While his new film Bugonia steers directly against the idea of mainstream filmmaking, it asks the question: who is this actually…
icecream4freaks.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:30 PM
For the sheer amount of ideas the film tries to convey, the film certainly never comes across as boring. A dynamic Colin Farrell performance certainly helps.

My review of Ballad of a Small Player (3.5/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/10/27/r...
Review: “Ballad of a Small Player” Might Not Totally Work, But At Least It’s Trying Something
Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player does not suffer from a lack of imagination. These days, not playing it safe almost counts as much in my book as it does for being a complete failure. …
icecream4freaks.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:28 PM
East of Wall hive....RISE!!!!!
The nominees for Best Feature at this year’s Gotham Film Awards ✨

Follow The Gothams on Letterboxd ➡️ letterboxd.com/thegotham

See the list of nominees ➡️ boxd.it/PNwAo
October 28, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Few things are as lazy as a review describing a film as a "love letter to X"
October 27, 2025 at 2:31 PM
For @insessionfilm.bsky.social, I wrote about the history of films getting 10+ Oscar nominations in a year, and how five films could do it again this year
insessionfilm.com/chasing-the-...
Chasing The Gold: Is 2025 the Year of Double Digit Nominations? | InSession Film
Could this be a record-breaking year for double digit nominations?
insessionfilm.com
October 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM
While this film may not reach the heights of Richard Linklater's career, it might be Ethan Hawke's best performance. It proves the duo hasn't lost a bit of their power after eight collaborations.

My review of Blue Moon (4.0/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/10/20/r...
Review: “Blue Moon” Proves the Linklater/Hawke Combo Has Still Got It
You would think after seven films together, there wasn’t much more for the combo of actor Ethan Hawke and director Richard Linklater to achieve. But, with Blue Moon, the pair prove their coll…
icecream4freaks.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:16 PM
You would be truly shocked at how often characters in old movies get quickly married, just so their characters can bang without running afoul the Hays Code
October 14, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Is this film good? No. Is it memorable? Also, no. Am I glad I watched it? Again, no. It's excellent background noise while you do laundry.

My review of The Woman in Cabin 10 (2.0/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/10/13/r...
Review: “The Woman in Cabin 10” is a Dour Combo of Better Films
What do you get when you combine Flightplan, Death on the Nile, and Glass Onion but without an ounce of levity? Simon Stone’s The Woman in Cabin 10 answers that question in a staggeringly con…
icecream4freaks.com
October 13, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Reposted by Ben Miller
@vertigay314.bsky.social & @alexmarcus.bsky.social examine the cultural moment that was Tom Holland vs. Zendaya on Lip Sync Battle.
It's Tom-Plicated: A Tom Holland Podcast - Lip Sync Battle: Tom Holland vs. Zendaya (2017)
It's Tom-Plicated discusses the cultural moment that was Lip Sync Battle: Tom Holland vs. Zendaya.
thepopbreak.com
October 7, 2025 at 5:13 PM
This film is pretty to look at, great to listen to, and as narratively hollow as its predecessors. A hilariously miscast Jared Leto certainly doesn't help.

My review of Tron: Ares (3.0/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/10/07/r...
Review: “Tron: Ares” is Certainly a Tron Film (Pretty to Look At, Empty Inside)
I keeping with the tradition on previous Tron films, Joachim Rønning’s Tron: Ares is visually captivating, entertaining, audibly stellar, but narratively hollow.
icecream4freaks.com
October 7, 2025 at 4:02 PM
While ultimately harmless entertainment, this film doesn't do much to expand on the real-life tragedy, or make it seem particularly thrilling. It's a marked miss from director Paul Greengrass.

My review of The Lost Bus (2.5/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/10/06/r...
Review: “The Lost Bus” is Too Exhausting to Be Thrilling
The frenetic stylings of director Paul Greengrass can elevate otherwise spiritless material. But what happens when the director tackles something already cackling (no pun intended) with energy? In …
icecream4freaks.com
October 6, 2025 at 7:00 PM
This film is almost entirely dependent on your stomach for the subject matter. If you can get past some of the plot elements, the central performances alone are worth the watch.

My review of All of You (3.0/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/10/03/r...
Review: “All of You” is a Standard Romantic Drama Elevated by Performances
For a fairly standard romantic drama, William Bridges’ All of You does have a few distinct advantages. While a mild sci-fi element helps to get things started, the excellent lead performances…
icecream4freaks.com
October 3, 2025 at 2:40 PM
One of my bigger takes: Wolf of Wall Street is not a great film, and Leo does nothing more than what Jim Carrey does in Liar Liar
October 3, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Did you know today is the 10th anniversary of The Martian? If you didn't know, now you do. I wrote about it for InSession Film!
insessionfilm.com/op-ed-a-look...
Op-Ed: A Look Back (and Up) At ‘The Martian’ 10 Years Later | InSession Film
The years later, The Martian has only grown in popularity and achievement. When the time comes for subsequent anniversaries, I would expect its reputation to grow even more so.
insessionfilm.com
October 2, 2025 at 8:08 PM
While plainly entertaining, the film is ultimately forgettable. For a film rife with narrative potential, I don't really know what the filmmakers were doing.

My review of The Smashing Machine (3.0/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/10/01/r...
Review: “The Smashing Machine” Forgets to Make a Point
The early days of mixed martial arts, substance abuse, sports legacy, and domestic issues should be plenty of narrative meat on the bone, but Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine leaves plenty…
icecream4freaks.com
October 1, 2025 at 2:16 PM
One Battle After Another is great if you love Sean Penn, and is also great if you hate Sean Penn
September 28, 2025 at 6:21 AM
A reminder that Aaron Sorkin is not a good director and I have zero hope he will figure it out this time around
September 26, 2025 at 6:34 PM
In 2025:

500 movies watched
66 films from 2025
363 first-time watches
On pace for 678
letterboxd.com/nebisben/yea...
Ben’s 2025 to date
Ben’s 2025 to date
letterboxd.com
September 26, 2025 at 3:02 PM
September 24, 2025 at 4:52 PM
This is easily the best film I've seen this year, and I would be shocked if something can come along to top it. It's pretty undeniable.

My review of One Battle After Another (5.0/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/09/24/r...
Review: “One Battle After Another” is a Modern American Classic
Director Paul Thomas Anderson has nothing more to prove, but that doesn’t stop him from making another bonafide masterpiece. With One Battle After Another, he is able to deliver a timely, fre…
icecream4freaks.com
September 24, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Let's finish up Oscar Blindspots for 1975!

1975 is considered one of the best Oscar lineups in history, but some of those below-the-line contenders deserve some attention (while others decidedly don't).

Oscar Blindspots: The Rest of 1975 at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/09/22/o...
Oscar Blindspots: The Rest of 1975
1975 is considered one of the best Oscar lineups in history, but some of those below-the-line contenders deserve some attention (while others decidedly don’t). Let’s take a look at the …
icecream4freaks.com
September 22, 2025 at 3:00 PM
This film is a huge disappointment. Though not without merit, a committed cast can only do so much with this nothing of a script that has nothing to say about anything in particular.

My review of Him (2.0/5.0) at IceCream4Freaks
icecream4freaks.com/2025/09/19/r...
Review: “Him” is Visually Arresting but Thematically Empty
For a film with a definitive visual flair and committed performances, Justin Tipping’s Him has ample opportunity to have a thematic identity, but instead decides to devolve into a half-baked …
icecream4freaks.com
September 19, 2025 at 4:57 PM