Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Critique.
A Letter to the One
The chair under the canvas awning of the little taverna was always mine, reserved by habit or by hope. I brought books I never finished and letters I never sent, watching the island life swirl and stall. Today, Nisyros shone in that syrupy Greek light, the kind that makes stone shimmer and even the old bicycles look romantic. A breeze stirred the napkin on my table, teasing at the promise of a new beginning.
By Diane Foster4 months ago in Critique
So I watched Allegiant (2016)
Allegiant, released in 2016, occupies a unique and unfortunate position in franchise history: it was designed as the penultimate chapter of the Divergent series, the first half of a split finale that would conclude with Ascendant. Instead, due to poor box office performance and audience apathy, it became the accidental endpoint of a franchise that never received proper closure. This dual identity—intended setup piece and unintentional finale—haunts every aspect of the film, resulting in a viewing experience that feels simultaneously incomplete and exhausting.
By Parsley Rose 4 months ago in Critique
I Sat Down and Watched Insurgent (2015)
Insurgent, the 2015 sequel to Divergent, arrives with the unenviable task of expanding upon a world that was already thinly constructed while advancing a story toward increasingly convoluted territory. Directed by Robert Schwentke (replacing Neil Burger from the first film), Insurgent represents both the best and worst tendencies of middle-chapter sequels: it's more visually ambitious and action-packed than its predecessor, yet it also feels narratively hollow, trading character development for spectacle and coherent world-building for escalating confusion. The result is a film that simultaneously improves upon and regresses from Divergent, creating a frustratingly inconsistent viewing experience.
By Parsley Rose 4 months ago in Critique
I Finally Sat Down and Watched Divergent (2014)
Divergent, directed by Neil Burger and released in 2014, arrived during the peak of the young adult dystopian film craze, following in the footsteps of The Hunger Games but struggling to establish its own distinct identity. Based on Veronica Roth's bestselling novel, the film presents an ambitious world where society is divided into five factions based on human virtues. While the movie demonstrates genuine strengths in certain areas, it ultimately delivers an uneven experience that both succeeds and stumbles in equal measure.
By Parsley Rose 4 months ago in Critique
Waiting for Godot
If you like modern theater, you may very well like this version of "Waiting For Godot" at The Hudson Theatre. Like "A Dolls House" at the same theater, Jamie Lloyd put "Godot" in the modern. Like Ibsen's "Doll House", Lloyd takes Beckett's play and brings it into today's times... no visible tree, only a large cone-like set (Soutra Gilmour). The set to me signify s endless time.
By Robert M Massimi. ( Broadway Bob).4 months ago in Critique
So I watched M3GAN 2.0 (2025)
M3GAN 2.0 (2025), directed by Gerard Johnstone, arrives with the challenging task of following up the surprise hit of 2023. Where the original film carved out a unique niche blending campy horror with surprising emotional depth and sharp social commentary on technology and parenting, the sequel makes a decisive shift in tone and genre that proves to be both its greatest strength and most significant weakness.
By Parsley Rose 4 months ago in Critique
A Holistic Approach to Restorative Justice
Restorative justice conferencing preceded by rehabilitative programming within an indeterminate sentencing model will reduce recidivism and victim satisfaction more than punitive measures alone, rehabilitation alone, or the combination of the two. Restorative justice is a rehabilitative approach that involves “conferencing” – a process that comprises stakeholders involved in a crime focusing on repairing the damage done in a manner that promotes empathy in the offender and trauma-healing in the victim. The proposed paradigm shift from retributive/punitive approaches to restorative justice can reduce recidivism rates while fostering social cohesion within a framework that emphasizes rehabilitative and goal-oriented sentencing and the healing of victim trauma. Prevailing criminal justice philosophy must dismiss dogmatic retributive justice approaches in favor of a multidisciplinary system that prioritizes reintegration and recidivism reduction as the primary goal of sentencing. Traditional justice philosophy tends to reject restorative justice as implicitly lenient on crime; however, the method enables proactive criminological insight, provides a mechanism to address the root cause of crime, and equips reintegration efforts with tools to prevent relapse. The limited research of the efficacy of restorative justice is promising, particularly in the case of Shem-Tov’s 2024 study of 143 youthful offenders convicted of medium impact felonies such as burglary and assault . The results showed a 44% decrease in recidivism probability within the first six months of release when compared to a control group who were exposed to standard sentencing models.
By Dustin Owens4 months ago in Critique
