Nolan Russell

Passionate writer specializing in the sports & entertainment industries

Featured Articles

Explore a featured selection of my writing work below.
Letterboxd •

A ★★★★★ review of Avengers: Endgame (2019)

As a fan of the MCU since the first Iron Man came out when I was 8 years old, I am admittedly biased. However, this film deserves respect, as it had to fulfill an incredibly difficult task: offering a satisfying conclusion to the previous 21 movies in the series, while also serving as a direct sequel to Infinity War, all while being a compelling film in its own right. And I'm happy to report Endgame fulfilled that task better then I imagined possible.

It's certainly not a flawless film, but it'
Letterboxd •

A ★★★★★ review of Parasite (2019)

Parasite is a technical masterpiece, combining stunning visuals and cinematography, with masterful set design, outstanding performances, and remarkable direction from Bong Joon-Ho. This film dives deep into issues of class and explores this theme without turning the rich and poor characters into cliches. It's also a surprisingly funny film, with some great banter between characters and some incredibly witty dialogue.

The first half is a phenomenal comedy/social-satire, while the second half qui
Letterboxd •

A ★★★★★ review of Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Taika Waititi is one of the most unique directors working today, and always delivers something original and entertaining. I love his dry sense of humour, and am a big fan of all 5 of his films that I have seen (What We Do In The Shadows, Boy, Hunt For The Wilderpeople, and Thor: Ragnarok are the others).

The film does an exceptional job of balancing comedy with serious dramatic moments and was much more emotional than I expected. The performances are great, Roman Griffin Davis is terrific in th
Letterboxd •

A ★★★★½ review of Uncut Gems (2019)

Uncut Gems is relentless. It's a fast-paced, anxiety-inducing film with no let-up the whole way through. It's an extremely tense, but equally engaging movie that you can't keep your eyes off of. You truly feel like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders when the tension is finally released in the movie's climax.

The Safdie Brothers' direction is masterful, aided by outstanding cinematography that relies heavily on extreme close-ups and constant motion. Additionally, the characters con
Letterboxd •

A ★★★★★ review of Knives Out (2019)

I am generally not a huge fan of the murder-mystery genre, as they are often either too predictable or too nonsensical (i.e. in an attempt to be unpredictable, the story becomes too elaborate and illogical). I am pleased to say that Knives Out is neither predictable nor nonsensical, finding the perfect balance between having twists and unexpected moments, yet maintaining credibility that the events are actually plausible.

It is also very original, letting the audience in on way more information
Letterboxd •

A ★★★★½ review of Marriage Story (2019)

Bolstered by the remarkable performances from Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, Marriage Story is one of the most compelling films of the year. It is emotional and heartbreaking, yet truly enthralling. The characters are extremely well-written and portrayed, causing them to feel like real people. Despite generally having little interest in stories of this nature, I was mesmerized the whole way through.

The only thing holding it back from 5 stars, is that it's not a movie I'm interested in rew
Letterboxd •

A ★★★★★ review of 1917 (2019)

1917 is an incredible technical achievement. The filmmaking is top-notch, with striking visuals, a masterful score, and incredible attention to detail to build an authentic World War 1 setting. Easily the most impressive component of the film is Roger Deakins' remarkable cinematography. I was genuinely astonished with the cinematography, as it's hard to imagine how difficult it would have been to pull of some of the shots in this movie. It's designed to feel like one continuous shot, which resul
Letterboxd •

A ★★★★½ review of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019)

This might be the least "Tarantino" style movie that he has made, much less violent (with one scene as a notable exception) and more light-hearted than his other films. Nonetheless, it still has a lot his classic tropes, such as the memorable witty dialogue, outstanding soundtracks, and originality.

Admittedly, I wasn't as fond of this film the first time I watched it - I struggled to get fully invested because there was no clear plot and I kept waiting for a story to emerge but it never did. H