Christopher Orr

Christopher Orr is a senior editor and principal film critic at The Atlantic. He has written on movies for The New Republic, LA Weekly, Salon, The New York Sun, and others, and has worked as an editor for numerous publications.

'Warm Bodies': A Heartfelt Zombie Love Story

'Warm Bodies': A Heartfelt Zombie Love Story

Sure, the premise is creepy, but Nicholas Hoult brings life to an undead role. More »

J.J. Abrams Directing the New 'Star Wars': Exciting or Terrifying?

J.J. Abrams Directing the New 'Star Wars': Exciting or Terrifying?

So long as his 'Star Trek' affiliation doesn't annihilate the known universe, there's reason for optimism. More »

How Broken is Mark Wahlberg's Box-Office Bomb 'Broken City'?

How Broken is Mark Wahlberg's Box-Office Bomb 'Broken City'?

So broken that it takes a diagram to untangle it More »

The Extravagant Melodrama of 'Les Miserables'

The Extravagant Melodrama of 'Les Miserables'

The performances in Tom Hooper's adaptation of the musical impress, then enter overkill territory. More »

Why 'Zero Dark Thirty' Is the Best Film of the Year

Why 'Zero Dark Thirty' Is the Best Film of the Year

Director Kathryn Bigelow's latest is a cinematic tour de force, but one open to moral questions. More »

The Best Movies of 2012

The Best Movies of 2012

The Atlantic's film critic picks the year's 10 best titles—and doles out some less-conventional awards. More »

The Oversized Ambitions of 'The Hobbit'

The Oversized Ambitions of 'The Hobbit'

Orcs! Battles! Backstory! At nearly three hours, the first installment of Peter Jackson's new Tolkien trilogy has too much of nearly everything. More »

'Killing Them Softly': Stylish but Slight

'Killing Them Softly': Stylish but Slight

Andrew Dominik's new film is most notable for reminding us of the crime-genre contributions of George V. Higgins. More »

'Rise of the Guardians': A Children's Fable Reimagined as Superhero Flick

'Rise of the Guardians': A Children's Fable Reimagined as Superhero Flick

The peculiar yet delightful hybrid may just be the best animated movie of the year. More »

'Silver Linings Playbook': A Clear-Headed Comedy About Mental Illness

'Silver Linings Playbook': A Clear-Headed Comedy About Mental Illness

David O. Russell's exceptional new film showcases the emerging talents of stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. More »

'Skyfall': James Bond Rises Again, Spectacularly

'Skyfall': James Bond Rises Again, Spectacularly

Daniel Craig's third outing cements the notion that there's still life left in 007. MGM For fans of the Bond canon (and I count myself one), the stakes for the newest installment, Skyfall, are sky high. The film is the third starring Daniel Craig—by any reasonable assessment a better Bond than any since Sean Connery—and as such it possesses a kind of deciding-vote quality over the two that preceded it. The first, Casino Royale, was not merely 007's… More »

The Subtle Eloquence of 'Lincoln'

The Subtle Eloquence of 'Lincoln'

Daniel Day-Lewis mesmerizes as the Great Emancipator in Steven Spielberg's political portrait. More »

'Wreck-It Ralph' Aims for Pixar ... and Misses

'Wreck-It Ralph' Aims for Pixar ... and Misses

Despite a sharp conceit, the new Disney feature gets lost in its own plot twists. More »

'The Sessions': A Grownup Movie About Sex

'The Sessions': A Grownup Movie About Sex

In an extraordinary performance, John Hawkes takes us inside the mind of a disabled man attempting to lose his virginity. More »

The Earthly Disappointments of 'Cloud Atlas'

The Earthly Disappointments of 'Cloud Atlas'

A hokey, unfaithful, and yet surprisingly watchable adaptation of David Mitchell's nove More »

The Wasted Potential of 'Smashed'

The Wasted Potential of 'Smashed'

Despite a strong central performance by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, the Sundance favorite can't escape its message-movie feel. More »

Why Wes Anderson's Movie About Kids Feels So Grown-Up

Why Wes Anderson's Movie About Kids Feels So Grown-Up

'Moonrise Kingdom,' out this week on DVD, plays on Wes Anderson's continuing fascination with the dissonance between children and adults. More »

'Seven Psychopaths' Is Crazy Good

'Seven Psychopaths' Is Crazy Good

The latest film by the writer-director of 'In Bruges' may be the sharpest subversion of the crime genre since 'Pulp Fiction.' More »

Why You Should Have Gone (and Should Still Go) to See 'Frankenweenie'

Why You Should Have Gone (and Should Still Go) to See 'Frankenweenie'

Tim Burton's latest is his best in nearly two decades. More »

'Rock of Ages,' in Which Only the Aging Stars Rocked

'Rock of Ages,' in Which Only the Aging Stars Rocked

Adam Shankman's rock-musical farce could have worked if its younger stars had been in on the joke. More »

The Biggest Story in Photos

Picking up the Pieces After the Tornado in Moore, Oklahoma

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