Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch does not quite reach the heights of her 2018 film Can You Ever Forgive Me?, but Amy Adams’ committed performance and its unique take on the struggles of motherhood makes it a pleasurable watch. Despite the unusual premise, the script feels authentic and full of empathy all the way through. In a […]
Queer
Nothing better than a prolific director who doesn’t disappoint. Luca Guadagnino continues his streak of exceptional films with QUEER. Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, and Lesley Manville slay their parts. In a year full of visually striking films, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom’s cinematography still stands out. The film features another intense score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and […]
Lake George
Give me a good neo-noir any day and I’ll eat it up. In Jeffrey Reiner’s LAKE GEORGE, now in theaters, ex-convict Shea Whigham has to kill his boss’ girlfriend Carrie Coon if he wants to stay alive. Together they make for a very entertaining duo and Coon especially shines as this firecracker of a character. […]
Omni Loop
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 […]