Andrea Thompson, author at Chicago Reader

an animated boy sits at a counter with a tea cup, next to a human-like figure with a giant nose

Review: The Boy and the Heron

by Andrea Thompson November 27, 2023November 28, 2023

The Boy and the Heron is a flawed, yet magical semi-autobiographical tale that spins gold out of our collective dreams and nightmares.

a symmetrical shot of two Black men sitting on the side of a wooden path through green trees

Film

Reeling returns

by Andrea Thompson September 20, 2023September 20, 2023

Reeling International Film Festival is back to showcase a dizzying array of LGBTQ+ content, from campy horror to historical documentaries.

a black-and-white image of a face with headphones on and mouth open covered in what looks like pulled video tape

Film

Hello CUFF

by Andrea Thompson September 5, 2023September 5, 2023

The Chicago Underground Film Festival is back, and the longest-running fest devoted to the subculture of movies has quite a variety of attractions.

a Black teen in a school uniform stares ahead

Film

Review: Perpetrator

by Andrea Thompson August 24, 2023September 25, 2023

A girl walking home alone is such a classic beginning for a horror film that it’s a trope (and title) in itself. This particular opening lends itself to endless continuations and explorations, and when you have a director like Jennifer Reeder, an old story can get retold like no other.

two young men hold hands in a museum full of sculptures and statues

Film

Review: Red, White & Royal Blue

by Andrea Thompson August 24, 2023September 25, 2023

Those who desire mere fluff will be satisfied, but the reason the book became a sensation in the first place was its real awareness of the risks it took to truly build a better world. This groundbreaking love story deserved better.

two young Black people sit or lean against a low concrete wall with their bikes under elevated train tracks

Film

Review: BAM!

by Andrea Thompson August 21, 2023September 25, 2023

There’s a refreshingly casual diversity that ensures BAM! isn’t only a love letter to Chicago, with many landmarks only natives will recognize, but also one of the best examples of what talented artists can achieve when they refuse to take making art itself for granted.

Film

Pride at the movies

by Andrea Thompson June 15, 2023June 15, 2023

Here’s a list of recommended titles, with an unapologetic slant toward films screening in Chicago theaters.

two men stand in front of hedges, one holding a tennis racket

Film

Review: About My Father

by Andrea Thompson May 25, 2023May 25, 2023

What’s more American for the 1 percent than smiling in the face of blood money while hiding behind a family name and claiming to have the same interests as the very people they most despise?

a young Indian woman in green and gold poses ready for a fight

Film

Review: Polite Society

by Andrea Thompson April 28, 2023May 1, 2023

Nida Manzoor is out to smash far more than a wedding in the action-packed, deeply feminist satire Polite Society.

Dracula and a sad-looking white man in a sweater

Film

Review: Renfield

by Andrea Thompson April 14, 2023April 14, 2023

Get ready, because there’s yet another new take on Dracula. But no need to brace yourself, because Renfield feels surprisingly fresh.

two animated cats and a dog talk against a bight flower-filled background

Film

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

by Andrea Thompson December 22, 2022December 20, 2022

Pick your fairy tale and you’ll find a reference, with astonishingly fun, creative action sequences in an animation style that owes more to anime than CGI.

a ragged Santa with a sledge hammer stands in front of a Christmas tree, with an armed Black woman off to the side

Film

Violent Night

by Andrea Thompson December 2, 2022December 2, 2022

Despite refusing to tip a few scales in the favor of those attempting to rob the rich to feed themselves, Violent Night still manages to conjure its own holiday miracle—the desire for a sequel in a market glutted with them.