Katie Rife

Freelance Writer

Katie Rife is a writer, critic, and film programmer based in Chicago. She was a staff writer for The A.V. Club from 2014-2022, and currently covers film and TV for outlets around the world. She also works as a film programmer for the Music Box Theatre and the Overlook Film Festival, an annual “celebration of all things horror” in New Orleans.

CONFUSING

Why Are So Many Famous People in This Bad Movie?

“Riff Raff” stars Jennifer Coolidge, Gabrielle Union, Pete Davidson, Bill Murray—the list goes on—but no one seems to be having any fun in this hit-man comedy.

Katie Rife

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

A ‘NCIS’ Virgin Watches—and Loves—Spinoff ‘NCIS: Origins’

There are 46 seasons across the “NCIS” franchise. We finally watch one. Mark Harmon (well, his voice) returns for a spinoff full of the good-cop clichés these shows are known for.

Katie Rife

A still from The Decameron showing Tony Hale as Sirisco, Karan Gill as Panfilo, Lou Gala as Neifile, Douggie McMeekin as Tindaro, Saoirse-Monica Jackson as Misia, Zosia Mamet as Pampinea, Tanya Reynolds as Licisca, and Amar Chadha-Patel as Dioneo.

THE PLAGUE IS BACK

‘The Decameron’: Sex, Class, and the Plague Get Netflix Spin

Zosia Mamet and Tony Hale star in a “Monty Python”-esque update on Giovanni Boccaccio's Italian story collection.

Katie Rife

BEHIND THE MOVIE

The Goriest Movie of the Year Almost Didn’t Get Made

Sometimes movies get a reputation for being “cursed.” Hearing the team behind “In a Violent Nature” tell stories from the set, it’s hard to argue it’s not one of them.

Katie Rife

A photo including Josh Brolin and Lili Taylor in the series Outer Range on Amazon Prime

SOPHOMORE SLUMP

Josh Brolin’s ‘Outer Range’ Is Best Used as Background Noise

The second season of the Prime Video sci-fi Western isn’t weird enough to justify its existence.

Katie Rife