Deirdre Crimmins

Deirdre Crimmins

Senior Critic
Deirdre Crimmins is Chicago-based freelance film critic and a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association. She contributes regularly to Rue Morgue magazine, previously she wrote for both High Def Digest and Birth.Movies.Death. Though a lifelong horror film fan, she also loves a good musical or screwball comedy when the mood strikes.

Articles by Deirdre Crimmins:


  • February 9, 2022
    Slamdance 2022: Therapy Dogs Review

    High school is an intense time. Not just because it is the cliff between childhood and adult responsibilities, and not just because it is a time in your life when you are completely surrounded by peers who are all absolutely saturated in a chemistry set’s worth of hormones, but also because everything suddenly feels like […]

  • April 20, 2021
    SFFILM 2021 REVIEW: Supercool

    The golden age of teenage hijinks movies has not passed. From Booksmart to Blockers and even Good Boys and The Prom the tradition of wedging adolescent yearning into calamitous evenings has never been stronger. But for every American Pie there are a dozen sub-par American Pie rips offs. Supercool might have a capable cast and […]

  • April 16, 2021
    SFFILM 2021 Review: Cryptozoo

    Borrowing cinematic tricks from established films and genres, Cryptozoo is a mostly successful adventure with the lesser known creatures of mythology. The animated feature comes from filmmaker Dash Shaw. His previous film, 2016’s My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea, is whimsical and funny, and not afraid of its own absurdity or affection for […]

  • March 30, 2021
    SXSW 2021: Swan Song Review

    Balancing reflection with honesty is a struggle for people, as well as for film. How well do we remember our own lives, and what good does it do us to remember the pain? Swan Song does not ask that question exactly, but it does play fast and loose with reality. And why shouldn’t it? The […]

  • March 3, 2021
    The Sinners Review: Reaching But Not Grasping

    With a large cast, plenty of intersecting storylines, and a heavy dose of religious motifs, The Sinners is a lot to take on for any first feature film. Director and co-writer Courtney Paige does her best to spin all of this into a high school thriller à la Agatha Christie, however the overall experience of […]

  • November 10, 2020
    Cup of Cheer Review: Deck the Halls With Parody

    Every year for nearly a decade it has felt like we are approaching the limit of Holiday cheer saturation. But then, just as the calendar turns a corner from October to November, we can see on the horizon that there are still some untread corners of humanity left to douse in merriment and spiced wine. […]

  • October 6, 2020
    Possessor Review: Where Is My Mind?

    A high-concept tale of futuristic assassins and brain implantation might sound slick and flashy, though it need not be. Possessor is that very movie, but it is personal and emotional, and questions the boundaries of self, all while sitting in a nest of speculation. The film begins with an assassination. However, unlike your run of […]

  • October 2, 2020
    Hosts Review: I’m Dreaming of a Weak Christmas

    HostsHosts has done good ideas and a couple solid scenes, but ultimately it suffers the fate of a confusing mythology and a lack of focus. Written and directed by Adam Leader and Richard Oakes, Hosts is a Christmas horror. It starts with Jack (Neal Ward) running into friend Michael (Frank Jakeman) who also happens to […]

  • October 2, 2020
    Shelf Help: Spooky Spookies

    Whether you believe time has meaning or not, it is now October. The spookiest time of the year. But that beloved haunting feeling might need a little coaxing, even in ideal conditions. Fear not! We are here to help you get into the swing of the season. Today our Shelfers share: What helps you get […]

  • October 1, 2020
    Scare Me Review: You Have Never Seen A Fireside Chat Like This

    Putting a writer in a cabin in the woods is a more classic setup for a horror film than starting a joke with “Knock, knock.” But Scare Me is different. It is smart, scary, and not quite like anything we have seen before. The loose premise for the film is Fred ( played by writer/ […]

  • September 30, 2020
    Death Of Me Review: Dude, Where Is My Passport?

    Not all horror films are great, but plenty are good. Death Of Me is not ever going to enter the upper echelons of the genre, but it does present a fun enough way to spend 94 minutes. The story is a bit like a folk horror centered Dude, Where’s My Car?. Married couple Christine and […]

  • September 28, 2020
    The Antenna Review: Watered Down Contempt

    Distopias with heavy-handed governments were one of the first things dreamed of by science fiction after the industrial revolution. Metropolis, 1984, and, We collectively looked to Big Brother (and originated that phrase) as the big bad guy. The Antenna tries to carry that torch, but fails to have much to add to the conversation. The […]

  • September 27, 2020
    Shortcut Review: One Helluva Monster

    Shortcut is just the kind of jumpy spooky horror film we need to kick off this year’s season of Halloween. The film begins on a school bus with only a few kids and their driver. When they come across a bunch of logs in the road they are forced to turn around and take a […]

  • September 21, 2020
    Oldenburg Film Festival Review: Buck Alamo

    Buck Alamo is a simple tale of a man looking back at his life and trying to fight off death. Death for Buck Alamo (Sonny Carl Davis), the singing cowboy, is inevitable. Not only is the voice of Death (Bruce Dern) used as a voiceover throughout the film, but his doctor has told him in […]