“Perhaps David Cronenberg is owed another kind of reputation: that of a humanist filmmaker who observes and questions, who understands our pain and sorrow as well as our ambitions both intellectual and libidinous.”
“‘Emily the Criminal’ is the most vibrant crime movie to come along since 2019’s ‘Uncut Gems.'”
“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.”
“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.”
“‘Great White’ may not be a groundbreaking or unique film, but it’s made with respect, and that deserves to be reciprocated.”
“The multifaceted, nuanced quality of music is vital to ‘Last Night in Soho,’ in which people aren’t so easily defined.”
“‘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…”
“‘Medusa’ is so overstuffed that it can’t find a way to tie its myriad conflicting tones together…”
“‘Dashcam’ unintentionally reinforces the idea that protagonists must be likable in some fashion, even if depiction obviously doesn’t equal endorsement.”
“Hopefully, as the horror genre continues to grow and deepen, it won’t lose sight of itself as ‘Martyrs Lane’ sadly does.”
“Like any work of surrealism, one is likely to get more out of ‘Hotel Poseidon’ based on how much one puts into it.”
“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”
“It’s fitting that Donner leaves behind a body of work that champions open-mindedness, films that illustrate how everyone is deserving of understanding. With understanding, even the impossible has the potential to become possible.”
“Masculinity in Mann’s world is its own prison, a conundrum of duality, a question of what someone will stand for and the masks they may wear while striving for an identity.”
“The single element that carries ‘The Justice of Bunny King’ – as well as saves it during its spottier moments – is Davis, who gives a performance so good that it cements her as being in the top tier of film actors currently working.”
“If ‘Italian Studies’ is indeed a film about mental illness, with Alina suffering from a fugue state, Kirby’s performance is brilliantly subtle, as it never slides into showy grandstanding or Oscar-baiting dramatics.”
“‘Mark, Mary & Some Other People’ ultimately has little to say on the big, unwieldy ethical topics it brings up, but it successfully paints a picture of how cluttered and confused dating continues to be…”
Mannhunting #3 by Bill Bria (‘Ali,’ ‘The Insider’ and ‘Collateral’)
“‘The Amusement Park’ may not be Romero’s angriest film, but it’s one of his most deliberately disturbing…”
Mannhunting #2 by Bill Bria: “In Mann’s duality of man, cop and robber are, in Stevenson’s words, ‘radically both’ one and the same.”