Category: Film Festivals

Bullet Train has got nothing on Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s KILL, an Indian action film taking place on a moving train that is so brutal and unflinching, it crosses over into horror territory.  The non-stop action starts pretty early on. We get the title card at the 45-minute mark and then it kicks into an even […]

In Nigerian horror THE WEEKEND from director Daniel Oriahi, Nikya convinces her fiancé Luke to introduce her to his family over a weekend visit, which will not go well for her.  It has echoes of Jordan Peele’s Get Out and in-laws that will make yours look like saints. Despite a few bumps here and there, […]

There is a lot to like in Joel Potrykus’ VULCANIZADORA if you’re a fan of the offbeat. Two middle aged friends go hiking in a Michigan forest to carry out a pact and not surprisingly things don’t go as planned.  Potrykus is a polarizing director and if you like his films, you’re likely to love […]

Alonso Ruizpalacios’ LA COCINA with Raúl Briones, Rooney Mara, and an all-around first-rate cast takes place in the kitchen of a Times Square restaurant.  Chaotic by design with long takes and splendid black and white photography, it’s a film about hierarchy and just plain anger. I feel like I got to know quite a few […]

In HUNTERS ON A WHITE FIELD, three alpha males take a weekend hunting trip to a cabin in the woods. When all the animals disappear, the trip turns into a battle royale.  First time director Sarah Gyllenstierna builds up the tension slowly with strong imagery and an unsettling score by frequent Joachim Trier collaborator Ola […]

Colombian director Carlos Vargas’ debut ERA OCULTA – HIDDEN ERA is a snapshot of the lives of Phambi, a struggling Rastafari painter, and his two feminist friends in Mozambique.  We observe him creating and trying to sell his paintings in order to put together the money for his son’s school. We also follow sisters Paula […]

Even though director Justin Anderson is British, SWIMMING HOME with Christopher Abbott, Mackenzie Davis, and Ariane Labed is set in Greece and has clearly been influenced by the Greek Weird Wave.  It is a hard to decipher film that will linger in your mind due to its attractive setting and the vast amount of nudity […]

Julian Glander’s colorful 3D-animated musical BOYS GO TO JUPITER about a Florida teenager hustling to make $5,000 will appeal to those with an appetite for quirk.  I found it pleasant and amusing for the most part despite the comedy and the songs being hit or miss. Julio Torres, Elsie Fisher, Sarah Sherman, Janeane Garofalo, Tavi […]