Popular reviews

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  Review by Marian ★★★½

  every time bette davis plays a straight up bitch i get 10% gayer and my parents lose more hope

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  Review by Rick Burin ★★★★★ 20

  *SOME SPOILERS*

  We need to go beyond the canon. The established canon. The regimented canon. The Empire canon of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Back to the Future, Alien, Aliens, peak era Spielberg, Blade Runner, The Shawshank Redemption and a handful of headline old movies: Singin’ in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz and Metropolis. The Sight and Sound canon that centres on Vertigo, Ikiru and – for some reason that I can’t quite fathom – suddenly Man with a Movie Camera. The Cahiers canon, lauding Godard and Truffaut’s pet films, from underwhelming sex Westerns like Rancho Notorious and Johnny Guitar, to selected Hawks films and the lesser work of Frank Tashlin.

  Between the monoliths and the re-evaluated misfires…

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  Review by Patrick Willems ★★★½ 1

  This movie is basically old-timey Succession (it even has a Cousin Greg)

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  Review by russman ★★★★

  Teresa Wright has no luck with uncles

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  Review by AbandonChimp ★★★½

  Hellman seems to want it both ways here: dunking on the racists stupid enough to say the quiet parts out loud, while also relegating all Black characters to servile window dressing roles.

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  Review by Peter Labuza ★★★★ 1

  Sometimes the case for filmmakers of the Hollywood era, the trashier their material can reveal the details of their directing when there's less to pay attention to in terms of narrative. It can be difficult to appreciate the directing qualities of Best Years Of Our Lives given the beauty of the script, but this southern fried melodrama has a lack of complexity in the characters that suddenly becomes complex through its direction. Wyler doesn't move the camera that much, but when he does he always pushes the dynamics toward various reveals and economics that exploit the deep focus frame, and a lot of the ways Wyler shoots the house's vertical spaces reminded me of what Welles would do on Ambersons…

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  Review by Jake Alda Coffey ★★★★★ 3

  What if I told you I consider this one of the most underrated movies of the 20th century? It’s even better than I remember it being! The Little Foxes was nominated for best picture in 1941 alongside other classics like Citizen Cane, The Maltese Falcon, Suspicion, Sergeant York and Here Comes Mr. Jordan, all of which famously lost to How Green Was My Valley. Bette Davis has played some mean characters in her career, but her role as Regina might be the meanest of them all! I love how menacing she is in this. What a great, underrated gem. 

  Top 300 Movies 
  William Wyler Ranked 

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  Review by sakana1 ★★★★ 30

  Spoilers in the first and last paragraphs.

  Released in the same year as The Maltese Falcon, a film many argue launched the classic noir period, The Little Foxes could well be considered a classic of the genre, too, had cinematographer Gregg Toland been aided by the lighting he had in, say, Citizen Kane, or The Grapes of Wrath. Or, at the very least, Regina Hubbard Giddens would be considered a legendary femme fatale. Just picture her, sitting in a murky room, her face cut into ribbons by the shadow of Venetian blinds that leave a band of light across her bright, dangerous eyes, as she listens to her husband fighting for life on the ground behind her, trapped in the shadows.

  The sense…

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  Review by Sam ★ 5

  I am a massive fan of William Wyler and Bette Davis is one of my favorite classic actresses so this should’ve been a dream but instead it was sluggish and dreadful to sit through as it felt like a business meeting with no interesting drama or emotionally compelling characters. Whether it’s the scenes that feel as if they’re a filmed stage play or scenes that showcase uninteresting family dynamics, I couldn’t help but feel both massively bored and curious as to how the product of such talent working together is this dull. 

  You could ask if Bette was at least entertaining but unfortunately she takes a juicy role with so many opportunities to bring catharsis, enthusiasm or deliciously dark moments…

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  Review by nora ★★★★ 8

  i was waaaaay too delighted when richard carlson smacked icky creepy dan duryea with the back of his hand then with the front of his hand then with multiple hands then fully punched him in the jaw. i watched it 4 times.

  bette davis is (unsurprisingly) great in peak unapologetic bitch mode but teresa wright's performance is what really stood out to me. her arc is wholly believable because she can play both a sweet and naive girl as well as a young woman who is disillusioned by the mother who she blindly trusted for her entire life. so basically this is to say that i'm gonna finally get around to THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES very soon.

  (1941 completed!)

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  Review by Christian Ha ★★★★

  The Little Foxes feels like a film ahead of its time, delivering a scathing portrayal of greed, ambition, and moral corruption. The characters, particularly the conniving Hubbard siblings, are unapologetically ruthless in their pursuit of wealth and power, showcasing a level of cold-hearted calculation that feels shockingly modern. The lack of remorse or redemption in their actions makes their characters fascinatingly dark and compelling to watch.

  I thought the film was great, with its sharp dialogue and layered performances, particularly from Bette Davis. She embodies an icy, calculated determination that dominates every scene she's in, making her one of the most memorable anti-heroines of classic cinema.

  Unfortunately, I had to replay the ending because I fell asleep after a long,…

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  Review by Karl ★★★★½ 6

  Bette Davis as Regina is an absolute beast in this scathing tale of greed at the turn of the 21st century in the deep South (filmed in Louisiana). With slavery no longer legally optional what's a corrupt family to do? Conspire and scheme to maximize profits regardless of who it hurts. Luckily there's light within said family in the form of Alexandra (Teresa Wright) who up until a pivotal moment has obeyed her mother Regina unquestioningly. Another member with a conscience is father Herbert who is nearing death. He is not about to go along with Regina and her brothers scheme.

  Unfortunately the themes of The Little Foxes hasn't aged a bit but on the plus side neither has the…