The story of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is smaller in scope than its predecessor’s. Nia DaCosta uses this to her advantage, crafting an intense film that transports you into its hellish setting. Duran Duran-loving Dr. Kelson is a role Ralph Fiennes was born to play. Jack O’Connell delivers an even more reprehensible villain […]
Goodbye June
Kate Winslet’s directorial debut Goodby June, written by her son Joe Anders, covers similar territory to Azazel Jacobs’ His Three Daughters. I loved how they were able to infuse laugh-out-loud moments into a gloomy atmosphere in the beginning. As the film progresses, it leans more into drama than comedy and never quite reaches the heights […]
Eternity
Romantic films that include love triangles are nothing new, but we seem to be getting better ones after Challengers. Eternity takes its cues from Defending Your Life and other afterlife films, yet feels fresh thanks to its imaginative script. Elizabeth Olsen, Callum Turner, and Miles Teller share wonderful chemistry. Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early […]
Alpha
I’m happy to report that I actually liked Julia Ducournau‘s Alpha after making the long trip to AMC Bay Plaza in The Bronx, where it is having its awards qualifying run this week. At least some of the mixed reviews out of Cannes must have been due to the sky-high expectations after Titane. This is […]
Left-Handed Girl
Shih-Ching Tsou’s delightful Left-Handed Girl instantly became a favorite. If you’re a fan of co-writer Sean Baker, you can pinpoint the parts that are likely his contribution, but this is a women’s story and distinctly Tsou’s own film. Janel Tsai, Ma Shih-yuan, and the adorable young actress Nina Yeh portray these three-dimensional characters brilliantly. It […]
Urchin
Urchin is a very impressive feature directorial debut with a brilliant central performance from Frank Dillane. Harris Dickinson and his team make excellent use of colors, light, and zoom all the while telling a compelling story of poverty and self destruction with surreal touches. It was nice to hear Desireless’ Voyage Voyage again after Compartment […]
One Battle After Another
Others were not exaggerating. With its impeccable script, humor, performances, and visuals, One Battle After Another is easily the best film I have seen this year. Chase Infiniti, Sean Penn, DiCaprio, and Teyana Taylor stand out among an all-around exceptional cast. It’s hard to overstate Jonny Greenwood’s contribution to the film through his incredible score. […]
Together – Fantasia 2025
Michael Shanks’ TOGETHER is an absolutely insane body horror movie that puts Alison Brie and Dave Franco’s natural chemistry to excellent use. It makes you laugh, jump out of your seat, and reassess your perspective on intimate relationships while grossing you out every step of the way. The effects look fantastic, and the film was […]
Life After
After winning the Directing Award in U.S. Documentary section of Sundance 2022 with his self-portrait I Didn’t See You There, Reid Davenport was back at the festival this year with the eye-opening LIFE AFTER, which explores the right to die laws for people with disabilities in Canada and U.S. Davenport starts the film with a […]
Oh, Hi! – Tribeca 2025
Sophie Brooks’ Oh, Hi! has a lower-stakes, comedic Misery scenario going on and is an entertaining hour and a half thanks to Molly Parker, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan, and John Reynolds. Just like a slasher, it might make you shout “What are you doing?” to Lerman’s character at times. There are no big dramatic turns […]