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Douglas Davidson

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

Douglas is a Matthews, NC-based writer who enjoys using his geekdom in the pursuit of understanding and analyzing film. He is the founder of film review site Elements of Madness, member of three critics groups, and co-host of podcast The Cine-Men.

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
The Last Picture Shows (2026) 3.5/5 EDIT “... a melancholic exploration of film exhibition through the American West past and present, highlighting the shrinking grandeur of the theatrical experience and the few who guard the last remaining picture houses.” – Elements of Madness May 7, 2026 Full Review White Zombie (1932) 77% EDIT “... it affords the opportunity for analysis and discussion beyond reevaluation and toward understanding why the standards of old only serve to harm and continue to harm.” – Elements of Madness May 4, 2026 Full Review The Travel Companion (2025) 90% 3.5/5 EDIT “... isn’t flashy and is a touch more specific to the creative world (specifically filmmaking) than may seem accessible, yet Wood and Mallis still create an atmosphere in which audiences can recognize something within themselves ...” – Elements of Madness Apr 29, 2026 Full Review The Saviors (2026) 65% 4/5 EDIT “... asks important questions regarding the strangers we let into our homes, the truths we keep from ourselves, and the inevitability of humanity’s capability for violence when aspirational action is viewed as soft.” – Elements of Madness Apr 28, 2026 Full Review Habit (1996) 76% EDIT “... just as connected to New York City, the compulsions that exist within Sam still coursing through the city streets, its veins pulsing with untapped potential and individuals just one electric moment away from the best or worst moment of their lives.” – Elements of Madness Apr 25, 2026 Full Review The History of Sound (2025) 69% 2.5/5 EDIT “... our lives are built by the sounds around us. Hermanus does capture this with his film and our hearts do ache for the love that will not be; it’s just a shame that everything else within the tale isn’t something we care to linger within, as well.” – Elements of Madness Apr 23, 2026 Full Review Mercy (2026) 25% 2/5 EDIT “... appears to make a statement in favor of the surveillance state and extra-judiciary processes while actively avoiding the obvious failures of such a system, especially when it relies on A.I. for data processing.” – Elements of Madness Apr 22, 2026 Full Review Romancing in Thin Air (2012) EDIT “... should come off as ridiculous melodrama, yet, because the actors commit to the truth in which they exist, it all feels sincere to the viewing audience, thereby charming us even as the proverbial hits keep coming to them.” – Elements of Madness Apr 21, 2026 Full Review New Group (2025) 4/5 EDIT “... a hilariously unsettling look at the ways in which society is broken due to the various systems it employs to raise up the few and control the masses. None of which are as terrible as the notion of groups.” – Elements of Madness Apr 14, 2026 Full Review The Phantom (1996) 45% EDIT “As much as a broken civilization requires a vigilante bagman like Batman or Punisher, societies also need Phantom and Superman to remember that light can shine wherever we desire as long as we possess the constitution to maintain it.” – Elements of Madness Apr 13, 2026 Full Review Normal (2025) 76% 4/5 EDIT “... NORMAL appears like the kind of setup we’ve seen between the actor/writer already; however, joy of joys, not only is this a fresh tale, it’s a hilarious joyride of pure bonkers chaos whose fuse, once lit, can’t be stopped until credits roll.” – Elements of Madness Apr 13, 2026 Full Review Chili Finger (2026) 80% 4/5 EDIT “... borrows from real life as it presents a tale in which escalation is the same as survival and survival is testament number one.” – Elements of Madness Apr 11, 2026 Full Review Mārama (2025) 100% 4/5 EDIT “Filled with isolating atmosphere and justifiable seething rage, "Mārama" borrows from the real pain of past tragedies; however, rather than offer typical horror, Stappard instead provides satisfying revenge.” – Elements of Madness Apr 10, 2026 Full Review The Running Man (1987) 59% EDIT “At 39 years old, the notions of the film remain strangely timely, even if the specifics within the script didn’t age as well.” – Elements of Madness Apr 10, 2026 Full Review Tai Chi Zero (2012) 63% EDIT “Using a narrative framework from the wuxia subgenre and the language of comics and video games, TAI CHI ZERO is a tale of old world versus modernity both on the page and in execution, proving that their mixture is often an explosive delight for audiences.” – Elements of Madness Apr 9, 2026 Full Review The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) 86% 4.5/5 EDIT “Even as we observe Fastvold’s recreation of events, the sensation of lessons not yet learned comes to the forefront.” – Elements of Madness Apr 9, 2026 Full Review And Her Body Was Never Found (2026) 4.5/5 EDIT “... an absolute marvel and exhilarating addition to the meta cinema-cum-found footage subgenre of darkly comic thrillers as Banks and Cohen bend reality to their needs, taking audiences on a ride wherein one thing is certain: hell is other people.” – Elements of Madness Apr 8, 2026 Full Review Imposters (2026) 100% 3.5/5 EDIT “... Phillips explores through a sci-fi thriller vehicle in which authenticity is tantamount to perception based entirely on the lies we tell and the truths we hide in order to fabricate an idyllic life.” – Elements of Madness Apr 7, 2026 Full Review Dead Deer High (2026) 2.5/5 EDIT “Though it’s well-intentioned as it seeks to highlight the importance of art and community for the process of healing, DEAD DEER HIGH struggles as it attempts to balance theme and character.” – Elements of Madness Apr 2, 2026 Full Review The Blade (1995) EDIT “It doesn’t diminish those that came before and certainly not those that have released since, but it does inspire audiences to re-evaluate the way in which wuxia tales create confinement in their reinterpretation ...” – Elements of Madness Mar 31, 2026 Full Review Campeón Gabacho (2026) 4.5/5 EDIT “... the magic of "Campeón Gabacho" is less about what’s real and what’s not, and more about how something we do, see, or say makes ourselves and those around us feel.” – Elements of Madness Mar 30, 2026 Full Review Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026) 74% 3.5/5 EDIT “Filled with a game cast of actors ready to slice, shoot, and explode their prey and a dual-set of protagonists played by established Scream Queens, HERE I COME is a promise of bloody good times that gets delivered.” – Elements of Madness Mar 27, 2026 Full Review Sakuran (2006) 75% EDIT “A film like SAKURAN feels rebellious because of the way the script and direction center its protagonist and her needs over those of the voyeuristic audience ...” – Elements of Madness Mar 24, 2026 Full Review RZA's One Spoon of Chocolate (2025) 38% 4/5 EDIT “Utilizing a varied cinematography style and powered by provocative narrative beats ... is a raw, grotesque, and often hard to stomach satirical thriller for the ways in which the highest highs of broken logic start to appear plausible in the real world.” – Elements of Madness Mar 21, 2026 Full Review Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (2025) 98% 4/5 EDIT “... grabbed audiences with its beauty and charm, capturing the conflicting experience of being small with gentleness and empathy while exploring the difficulty of existing in a world filled with heartbreak.” – Elements of Madness Mar 20, 2026 Full Review
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