Review: Ben Hozie’s ‘PVT Chat’
“In ‘PVT Chat,’ the half-baked attempts to create thematic through lines and symbolism prove to be the greatest flaws.”
Review: Predrag Antonijevic’s ‘Dara of Jasenovac’
“Given that ‘Dara of Jasenovac’ is the first Serbian film to cover the camps, the implicit didacticism would actually be more welcomed if it did its job and taught viewers something.”
Review: Iara Lee’s ‘Stalking Chernobyl: Exploration After Apocalypse’
“Despite Stalking Chernobyl’s clear position on the dangers of expanding nuclear power, Lee does not shrink from the otherworldly allure that draws so many to Chernobyl and Pripyat.”
Review: Rose Glass’ ‘Saint Maud’
“‘Saint Maud’ proves, once again, that horror, and particularly indie horror, provides the opportunity for first timers to take real risks.”
Interview with ‘Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors’ Screenwriter Apurva Asrani
Dipankar Sarkar Interviews ‘Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors’ Screenwriter Apurva Asrani
Sundance Review: Jakub Piatek’s ‘Prime Time’
“‘Prime Time’ is at its most energetic and engaging during the early scenes; a setup familiar enough for any viewer of Sidney Lumet’s ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ or the many films he inspired.”
Sundance Review: Robin Wright’s ‘Land’
“‘Land’ is positioned as an exploration of grief and survivor’s guilt — a crowded celluloid space – but the lack of distinctive figures renders Wright’s film picturesque but fallow.”
Pandemic-Era Prophecies of Godfrey Reggio’s ‘Koyaanisqatsi’
“Nearly 40 years after its release, ‘Koyaanisqatsi’ continues to send signals.”
Göteborg Film Festival Review: Zaida Bergroth’s ‘Tove’
“‘Tove’ is a tribute to all creatives who pursue their passion projects, and applauds those who are able to break free from bindings.”
Review: Jordan Graham’s ‘Sator’
“‘Sator’ is a slow burn, and the payoff for waiting around will not suit everybody. Like ‘Blair Witch,’ it requires your full attention to really make an impact — half-watching while scrolling through Twitter won’t cut it.”
Considering Reality: Rodney Ascher’s ‘A Glitch in the Matrix’
Greg Carlson Reviews Rodney Ascher’s ‘A Glitch in the Matrix’
Review: Matie Alberdi’s ‘The Mole Agent’
“Only 37 years old, Alberdi is a dynamic figure in documentary studies and practice.”
Sundance Review: Karen Cinorre’s ‘Mayday’
“‘Mayday’ is the filmic equivalent of an answer to a distress call, letting those in need simply know that it’s there.”
Sundance 2021 Review: Pascual Sisto’s ‘John and the Hole’
“‘John and the Hole’ may be too frustratingly vague to really connect, but it seems to challenge its audience from a place of urgency…”
Review: Neil Marshall’s ‘The Reckoning’
“‘The Reckoning’ makes a sharp point about the complicity of women, or more accurately white women, in the destruction of other women.”
IFFR Review: Hung-I Chen and Muni Wei’s ‘As We Like It’
“‘As We Like It’ is a film that makes many unique moments out of its childish buffoonery, and it’s lifted, like its characters, into a class of its own.”
Review: Nora Unkel’s ‘A Nightmare Wakes’
“Making a gothic horror story about the creation of a gothic horror story is a worthy and potentially enlightening idea, but Unkel fumbles the ball at every turn with ‘A Nightmare Wakes.'”
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: Ben Wheatley’s ‘In the Earth’
“The most surprising thing about ‘In the Earth’ may be just how much of a return it is to the pitch black humour that characterised Wheatley’s earliest films.”
IFFR Review: Anders Thomas Jensen’s ‘Riders of Justice’
“By the time ‘Riders of Justice’ ramps up its stakes, the final showdown hardly seems to matter as much as the gang’s presence.”