‘Unbreakable’ and the Horror of Superheroes
“As a recurring visual motif in ‘Unbreakable’ illustrates, sometimes all it takes to do something new is by turning things upside down and gaining a different perspective.”
VVoices: Best M. Night Shyamalan Film
VVoices #7: Vague Visages Contributors on the Best M. Night Shyamalan Film
Soundtracks of Cinema: ‘Dancing on Glass’
‘Dancing on Glass’ Soundtrack: A Vague Visages guide for every featured song in Jota Linares’ 2022 Netflix movie.
Review: M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Old’
“While ‘Old’ never quite fully connects emotionally, the themes inherent in the story help lend the movie the depth it doesn’t get from the performances”
Know the Cast: ‘Brazen’
‘Brazen’ Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every main performer and character in Monika Mitchell’s 2022 Netflix movie.
Know the Cast: ‘Elves’
‘Elves’ Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every main performer and character in Stefan Jaworski’s Danish Netflix series.
The Fear of Losing Faith: On M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Signs’
“Yes, the alien scenes in ‘Signs’ remain startling and scary 17 years later, but it’s the film’s depiction of what happens to people who lose faith that truly resonates and terrifies.”
Know the Cast: ‘The Village’
Know the Cast: A Vague Visages Guide for M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Village’
‘Glass’ Is a Superhero Movie for People Who Like Analyzing Superhero Movies
“Where DC trades in grim realism and Marvel does the whole snarky, joke-a-minute thing, the Shyamalanverse is a flavor all its own, a world where superheroes exist, but they don’t wear capes and their lives are usually pretty awful.”
Sundance Review: Rebecca Hall’s ‘Passing’
“‘Passing’ may be too ambiguous an experience for some, yet the way it reveals and conceals at the same time feels not just like a perfect encapsulation of its subject, but also underlines Hall’s emergence as a filmmaker to watch.”
Sundance Review: Zoe Lister-Jones and Daryl Wein’s ‘How It Ends’
“While ‘How It Ends’ acts as a cathartic experience for all of us still in the throes of the COVID-19 crisis, its character study will allow it to remain relevant once this pandemic is (hopefully) settled.”
Sundance Review: John Patton Ford’s ‘Emily the Criminal’
“‘Emily the Criminal’ is the most vibrant crime movie to come along since 2019’s ‘Uncut Gems.'”
Sundance Review: Riley Stearns’ ‘Dual’
“While Stearns’ comedy is frequently dark and sardonic, ‘Dual’ is a bit warmer and more spiritual than the average satire, which is surprising given its subject matter.”
Review: Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’
“Those who’ve come to love del Toro for his auteurist elements may be put off by ‘Nightmare Alley’ — it’s recognizably his film, yet it jettisons the presence of a supernatural element as well as twists the usual empathy found in his movies toward darker ends.”
Know the Cast: ‘Home Sweet Home Alone’
‘Home Sweet Home Alone’ Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every main performer and character in Dan Mazer’s 2021 Disney+ movie.
Review: Martin Wilson’s ‘Great White’
“‘Great White’ may not be a groundbreaking or unique film, but it’s made with respect, and that deserves to be reciprocated.”
Know the Cast: ’21 Jump Street’
21 Jump Street Cast: A Vague Visages guide for every main performer and character in the 2012 movie (now streaming on Netflix).
Review: Edgar Wright’s ‘Last Night in Soho’
“The multifaceted, nuanced quality of music is vital to ‘Last Night in Soho,’ in which people aren’t so easily defined.”
Review: ‘V/H/S/94’
“‘V/H/S/94’ is a thoroughly decent installment despite its relatively slight nature. It’s a film which invites the audience to have a lot of fun but keeps an air of spooky credibility intact…”
TIFF Review: Anita Rocha da Silveira’s ‘Medusa’
“‘Medusa’ is so overstuffed that it can’t find a way to tie its myriad conflicting tones together…”
