William Bibbiani is a professional film critic and member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), the Critics Choice Association (CCA) and GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics. He has written film criticism for over 20 years and written for The Wrap since 2019. He is a frequent guest on KCRW’s Press Play with Madeline Brand. He also co-hosts The Critically Acclaimed Network, a series of podcasts dedicated to new, classic and cult film and TV reviews and retrospectives. His commentary tracks and essays can be found on Blu-ray special editions for films released by Arrow Video, Shout! Factory and Umbrella Entertainment. You can follow him on BlueSky (and various other social medias).
Experience:
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‘The Lion King’ Film Review: Impressive Technical Mastery Drains the Life From the Original
Jon Favreau’s remake looks incredibly literal, but the digital animal performers lack the facial expressions and body movement to tell the story
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‘The Art of Self-Defense’ Film Review: Jesse Eisenberg Yearns for Confidence in Brilliant Dark Comedy
Riley Stearns’ indie about insecure adults and the sensei who exploits them is bold and unsettling
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‘Anna’ Film Review: Luc Besson Repurposes His Own ‘La Femme Nikita,’ But Hey, the Wigs Look Great
Supermodel-turned-actress Sasha Luss gives a star turn in a tired thriller that feels dreadfully familiar
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All 8 ‘Child’s Play’ Movies Ranked, Worst to Best (Photos)
Where does the 2019 remake fare against the previous adventures of homicidal doll Chucky?
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‘The Spy Behind Home Plate’ Film Review: Documentary Recounts Moe Berg’s Improbably True Life Story
Baseball, brilliance and espionage (but not sexuality) all surface as topics in Aviva Kempner’s fascinating biography
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‘Men in Black International’ Film Review: Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson Outcharm a By-the-Numbers Script
This franchise has decided that 2019 is when it should stop having something to say about immigration, but hey, it looks cool and it’s fun
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‘Funan’ Film Review: Bleakly Powerful Animated Film Captures Real-Life Historical Horror
Two parents try to survive, and to reunite their family, under the Khmer Rouge in this effective and hauntingly minimalist feature
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‘Dark Phoenix’ Film Review: X-Men Saga Wraps Up With Overly Familiar, Mediocre Sequel
It’s not as bad as “The Last Stand,” although it does recycle many of that film’s plot points
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‘Domino’ Film Review: Brian De Palma Half-Heartedly Directs Terrorism Thriller
You can sense the auteur perking up with his bad guys shoot their own violent propaganda, but this is otherwise a snooze
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‘Aladdin’ (2019) Film Review: Guy Ritchie Delivers Chintzy Live-Action Remake With Will Smith
Seemingly set in a sanitized corner of Adventureland, the real fantasy offered here is getting to be in Will Smith’s entourage
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‘The Professor and the Madman’ Film Review: Mel Gibson and Sean Penn Lack Definition in OED Biopic
The book about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary thrilled readers, but this screen adaptation is listed under “boring”
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‘Tolkien’ Film Review: Laughable Biopic Indulges in Infinite Great-Artist Clichés
Nicholas Hoult is set adrift in a film seemingly more interested in Tolkien as a spawner of blockbusters than as a man of letters
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‘Meeting Gorbachev’ Film Review: Werner Herzog Gets Up Close and Personal With Former Soviet Leader
Herzog and André Singer’s film is no definitive historical portrait, but it is an intimate one
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‘Penguins’ Film Review: Ed Helms Narrates a Plucky Pygoscelis in Disneynature’s Latest Doc
Sun Valley 2019: The Adélie penguin is smaller than his flightless cousins but makes for an engaging subject in this new Disney nature doc
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‘Master Z: Ip Man Legacy’ Film Review: Michelle Yeoh and Dave Bautista Kick It in Gorgeous, Muddled Martial-Arts Tale
Barely a sequel to the prior “Ip Man” movies, this pulpy crime tale still delivers the action and a gloriously artificial Hong Kong
