Two days shy of its second anniversary, Pitchfork Media’s stylish online film site The Dissolve has shut down, leaving some of the most avid critical voices in Chicago without a platform.

The Dissolve was founded by Keith Phipps, who previously edited The A.V. Club, its editor Scott Tobias was film editor at The A.V. Club, and yes, Phipps appears to have done a good job of bringing ...