On the Capitalist Realism of ‘The Box’
“‘The Box’ elevates the daily minutiae of capitalist cruelty into the science fiction moral framework of a ‘Twilight Zone’ yarn.”
Justin Micallef
Review: Alex Garland’s ‘Annihilation’
“‘Annihilation’ is far from indecipherable, as it counts on its ability to be understood.”
Review: Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Blade Runner 2049’
“If time has the power to render every structure and memory as null, then here are the moments that define humanity; here are the moments that we hope to remember.”
It’s Real to Me: On Gia Coppola’s Understanding of the Teenage Experience in ‘Palo Alto’
“Instead of skipping to the binary found at the beginning and end of the color swatch, ‘Palo Alto’ flushes every color in the middle, every emotion found in growing up.”
The Joke Is on Us: Rick Alverson’s ‘The Comedy’
“Audiences aren’t meant to hate Swanson, but to understand him and people like him, along with ourselves.”
Delay in the Reflection: On Richard Kelly’s Definition of a Post 9/11 World in ‘Southland Tales’
“To catch the eye of ‘Southland Tales’ is to look back on our past and future simultaneously, on the limitations of our technology and the humanity that screeches through it.”