The student news site of the University of Northern Iowa

Northern Iowan

The student news site of the University of Northern Iowa

Northern Iowan

The student news site of the University of Northern Iowa

Northern Iowan

NI film critic Hunter Friesen reviews “The Invisible Man,” the newest film from horror director/writer Leigh Whannell.

Friesen: ‘The Invisible Man’ is one to see

HUNTER FRIESEN Mar 5, 2020

“The Invisible Man” opens on a secluded waterfront mansion. Inside of it, Cecilia Kass is executing her plan to run away from her abusive boyfriend, Adrian. She successfully escapes, but not without...

NI Copy Editor and Opinion Writer Taylor Lien reviews the new NBC musical show, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist.

NBC’s ‘Zoey’ fails to find its tune

TAYLOR LIEN Feb 24, 2020

“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” has had an interesting life so far. The pilot aired originally on Jan. 7 as a special presentation to transition the weeks in between the holiday specials and the...

Sonic, voiced by Ben Schwartz, in "Sonic the Hedgehog ." [Paramount Pictures/Sega of America]

‘Sonic’ can’t outrun its problems

HUNTER FRIESEN Feb 20, 2020

It’s been almost a year now since we were exposed to the horror that came with the first trailer for “Sonic the Hedgehog.” The blue furball we loved as a kid was turned into a monster with human...

NI film critic Hunter Friesen recaps the 92nd Academy Awards, which took place on Sunday, Feb. 9.

Friesen: Oscars were predictable

HUNTER FRIESEN Feb 13, 2020

Well, it finally happened. After months of releases and campaigning, the 92nd Academy Awards took place this last Sunday, signaling the end of the 2019 movie season. Now that the dust has settled and the...

Film Critic Hunter Friesen makes his predictions for this Sunday’s 92nd Academy Awards in the categories of Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Leading Actor, Best Leading Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director and Best Motion Picture.

Academy Awards predictions

HUNTER FRIESEN Feb 6, 2020

Writer’s Note: There are dozens of precursor award shows leading up to the Oscars that factor heavily when making predictions for the races. Notable precursor awards are the Golden Globes, SAG, PGAs,...

NI film critic Hunter Friesen reviews “The Gentlemen,” directed, written and produced by Guy Ritchie. The film was released in the United States on Jan. 24 and received a 72 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating.

Ritchie returns home with stylish ‘Gentlemen’

HUNTER FRIESEN Jan 30, 2020

Like Wes Anderson, Tim Burton and Michael Bay, you can tell when a film is made by Guy Ritchie just by watching a few minutes of it. The British director has carried a sense of hyper stylization through...

NI Film Critic Hunter Friesen summarizes his top ten films of 2019, including “Uncut Gems”  and “The King.

Friesen’s top films of 2019

HUNTER FRIESEN Jan 23, 2020

Well, the year has passed and we can finally let out a sigh of relief. The only thing left to do now is to look ahead to fresh beginnings in the new year and decade. But before we do that, let’s take...

NI film critic Hunter Friesen reviews several films released over winter break, including Little Women and Cats.

Winter break film review roundup

HUNTER FRIESEN Jan 16, 2020

With the weather outside being so frightful and the movie theatre being so delightful, this past break was a perfect time to check out the new batch of holiday films. Of course, there was a certain space...

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson star in “Marriage Story,” directed by Noah Baumbach and released on Netflix on Nov. 6. The film received a 96 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating.

‘Marriage Story’ hits home with laughter and tears

HUNTER FRIESEN Dec 12, 2019

“Divorce is like a death without a body.” With nearly half of all marriages ending in divorce in America, this quote from Noah Baumbach’s new film now rings truer than ever. Debuting on Netflix,...

Martin Scorsese directs “The Irishman” starring Jo Pesci (left), Robert De Niro (right) and Al Pacino (not pictured). The film was released on Nov. 1 and received a 97 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating.

Scorsese crafts crime epic ‘Irishman’

HUNTER FRIESEN Dec 9, 2019

Sprawling 50 years and dozens of features, director Martin Scorsese has crafted one of the finest filmographies in cinematic history. Over the decades, there appear to be two sides to the revered auteur’s...

Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen star in the Bill Condon-directed thriller The Good Liar, released on Nov. 15. The film received a 65 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating.

McKellen vs Mirren in ‘Good Liar’

HUNTER FRIESEN Nov 21, 2019

London octogenarian Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) is a career con man, swindling from those less fortunate enough to fall into one of his schemes. One day, as part of an online dating scam he occasionally...

Seth Meyers

Meyers delivers laughs in ‘Lobby Baby’

GABRIELLE LEITNER, Art Director | [email protected] Nov 18, 2019

In his first Netflix special, Seth Meyers ditches his desk at Studio 8G in 30 Rock for the Pantages Theater in Minneapolis. Released on Nov. 5, the hour-long comedy special titled “Seth Meyers: Lobby...

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