Omni Loop, which had its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival earlier this year, takes its name from a train line in Miami. It is also a time loop movie. Faced with her impending death due to a black hole growing inside of her body, scientist Zoya Lowe, played by Mary-Louise Parker, keeps taking a […]
Cuckoo – Fantasia 2024
Tilman Singer’s CUCKOO is a creepy, bonkers horror movie in a year full of good ones. Hunter Schafer is wonderfully vulnerable as a teenager, who just lost her mother. Dan Stevens is a hoot as the goofy, fiendish German hotel owner. The sound and production designs are exceptional. If you can get past parts of […]
The Beast Within – Fantasia 2024
Alexander J. Farrell’s THE BEAST WITHIN with Kit Harington, Ashleigh Cummings, James Cosmo, and Caoilinn Springall blends werewolf horror with domestic drama and doesn’t quite get it right on either front. The lack of genuine scares will likely disappoint some and others might get frustrated that the familial conflicts are never explored beyond the surface. […]
Dandelion
Nicole Riegel’s DANDELION is the story of a struggling musician, played compellingly by KiKi Layne, and has fine songs from The National members and Taylor Swift collaborators Aaron and Bryce Dessner. The romance involving Thomas Doherty’s character is moving and full of chemistry and there are striking 16mm landscape shots of South Dakota. Riegel’s debut […]
Crossing – Tribeca 2024
Levan Akin’s CROSSING feels like a warm hug, not unlike the ones we observe in the film. Filmed on the streets of Istanbul with the participation of its trans community, it takes us on a journey with the most unusual duo you’re likely to encounter in any film this year. Mzia Arabuli and newcomers Lucas […]
Kinds of Kindness
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness is three deliciously strange and darkly funny films rolled into one. The whole cast is top notch, but the film mostly belongs to Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone. Happy to see Lanthimos going back to his roots after several grand scale projects. The photos are from the AMC Lincoln Square […]
The Bikeriders
Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders is a sort of Goodfellas with bikers and a good dose of toxic masculinity. I loved the performances, soundtrack, and the overall feel. Comer shines and her accent is brilliant. Butler and Tom Hardy channel James Dean and Brando. The photos are from the Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn Q&A with Austin Butler […]
Daddio – Tribeca 2024
Christy Hall’s Daddio is a very candid, revelatory, and surprisingly enthralling conversation between a passenger and a cab driver on a ride from JFK to Manhattan. It has a lot of laughs and some tears. Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn are both superb. Sony Pictures Classics is releasing it in theaters on June 28. Photos […]
Skywalkers: A Live Story – Tribeca 2024
I don’t like heights, but love watching films about them like Man On Wire, The Walk, and Free Solo. SKYWALKERS: A LOVE STORY is another nerve-racking one that made me shout multiple times. It is gorgeously filmed and has a lovely romance at its center. It will be in IMAX theaters on July 12 and will […]
Between The Temples – Tribeca 2024
Its cast led by the great Carol Kane and Jason Schwartzman, and Sean Price Williams’ beautiful 16mm cinematography make Nathan Silver’s BETWEEN THE TEMPLES worth watching. That said it was underwhelming for me as it did not have as many laughs as I had expected and it went on for too long. Sony Pictures Classics […]