Josh Bell

Josh Bell is a freelance writer and movie/TV critic based in Las Vegas who covers sci-fi cinema for Inverse with a weekly column recommending lesser-known films to watch online. He's the former film editor of Las Vegas Weekly and has written about movies and pop culture for Syfy Wire, Polygon, CBR, Film Racket, Crooked Marquee, and more. With comedian Jason Harris, he co-hosts the podcast Awesome Movie Year.

Culture

With 'Antiviral,' A New Cronenberg Legacy Was Born

Starting with his debut feature, Brandon Cronenberg proved to be the perfect heir to his dad's body-horror throne.

Retrospective

10 Years Ago, An Apocalyptic Comedy Predicted Lockdown Hostilities

If you or someone you know went squirrelly in 2020, this will look familiar.

Retrospective

35 Years Later, 'Beetlejuice' Still Makes Tim Burton’s Style Feel Fresh

The entire Burton empire can be traced back to this wonderfully morbid comedy.

Retrospective

25 Years Later, 'The Big Lebowski' is an Elegy for the ‘60s — and a Compelling Mystery

Both the Dude and The Big Lebowski contain multitudes.

Retrospective

'Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man' Was the 'Batman v Superman' of the 1940s

Two iconic monsters made a mediocre movie and created the cinematic universe.

Retrospective

Zombies Used to do More Than Eat Brains, and Wes Craven Showed Us How Scary Their Masters Could Be

Forget George Romero -- Craven's take on zombies recalls something more primal and real.

Last Call

Wednesday has become a smash hit, but it owes much of its success to its ‘90s predecessor

Apparently, you can’t tell an Addams Family story without a dance scene.

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How Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds made a shockingly good Alien ripoff

This take on the claassic is shamelessly derivative and totally thrilling.

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Sick of Marvel? This understated thriller provides a refreshing take on superheroes

This Blumhouse production perfectly combines superhero action, coming-of-age drama and, of course, street magic.

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Steven Soderbergh’s best thriller you’ve probably never heard of is streaming now on Netflix

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James Cameron already made the greatest sci-fi action sequel of all time

No matter how Avatar: The Way of Water turns out, this 1991 movie secured Cameron's place in cinema history.

Last Call

If you’re tired of sprawling superhero franchises, a Netflix indie has the antidote

Forget cinematic universes. Sit down for a fascinating and heartfelt standalone superhero story.

Retrospective

Ellen Ripley deserved better than Alien Resurrection

Retrospective

Steven Soderbergh’s only sci-fi movie is better than you remember

The filmmaking icon proved himself a master of any genre with this 2002 film.

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You need to watch the most thrilling Star Trek movie on HBO Max ASAP

Out of all the Trek movies, this one set the stage for the mix of sci-fi ideas and action thrills that has since defined the franchise.

Retrospective

25 years ago, Al Pacino made the wildest legal thriller of all time

This ludicrous 1997 film finds the perfect role for Al Pacino's scenery-chewing.

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Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah' is unlike any other biblical movie ever made

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You need to watch the grittiest dystopian movie of the century on Amazon Prime ASAP

Dredd provides a model that other comic book adaptations should follow.

Retrospective

15 years ago, Rob Zombie’s best slasher movie did the impossible

This 2007 horror remake endures while others have been justifiably forgotten.

Retrospective

50 years ago, the most underrated Planet of the Apes movie redefined the sci-fi franchise

This may be the most influential movie in the series.