“Rosman builds to a powerful resolution and ideal ending moment in ‘New Life,’ using gore and traditional methods to escalate the tension, and then pulls the rug away from the audience — a reminder of who’s in control, a tease of what’s to come.”
“‘Strangler vs. Strangler’ is somewhere between the avant-garde and the absurd: a perfect description of Belgrade itself.”
“There’s more to love than hate in ‘Abigail’ — from the insanely over-the-top violence to the fresh take on vampire mythology — and most of the dangling threads pay off in a pacy, satisfying manner.”
“My TCM Fest weekend, packed full of classic movies, was not only a fun experience in April 2024, but it made me feel hopeful that film preservation is alive and well, and that these beloved — if occasionally dusty — pictures aren’t going anywhere.”
“A film designed as a long-form music video doesn’t need heavy exposition to reach its ultimate truth, as ‘Challengers’ communicates the most important facts through sound design, reaction shots and shared character moments.”
‘Pratfall’ Interview: Joey Keogh discusses the 2023 movie with actor Joshua Burge.
“Despite the contemporary references to ISIS and the ongoing refugee crisis, there’s nothing particularly timely about ‘The Veil,’ and any relevant social commentary is incidental.”
“Tynan DeLong’s ‘Dad & Step-Dad’ finds comedic gold in awkward silence and silly stare-downs.”
‘Aattam’ Interview: Dipankar Sarkar discusses the 2023 movie with filmmaker Anand Ekarshi.
“Unfortunately, it takes about 90 minutes for ‘Irena’s Vow’ to find its aesthetic and narrative groove.”
“‘La Chimera’ will hopefully inspire movie lovers of all ages to learn more about not only Italian cinema, but also the specificities of regional (and rural) Italian culture.”
“The spatial detail in ‘Five Deadly Venoms,’ aided by Chang’s sharp sense of timing, helped the film become a surprisingly labyrinthine vision of camaraderie in the face of corruption and power.”
“‘Civil War’ is a lot smarter than meets the eye, and the film is far more incisive in its cultural critique than its director’s simplistic interview comments may make it seem.”
“At six episodes, ‘Parish’ isn’t quite satisfying. It’s hard to say if it’s too long or not long enough. Maybe it’s the muggy American gothic New Orleans locations that made me err on the side of wishing it were longer.”
“‘In the Land of Saints and Sinners’ truly sings during its quietest moments.”
“What ‘The First Omen’ lacks in innovation it makes up for in boldness, pushing familiar supernatural genre tropes about the secret relationship between the Church and the Devil to ideological extremes.”
“‘Project Dorothy’ has nothing meaningful to say about the lingering AI threat to humanity.”
“Part of the film’s effectiveness lies in the iceberg-style storytelling, which respects the audience’s intelligence by showing and addressing crime scene evidence without detailing the grisly specifics.”
“‘Dagr’ isn’t a bad found footage movie, and it has its moments of fun, yet Butler-Hart’s film doesn’t sustain the promise of its opening scenes.”
“Queerness that isn’t defined by its queerness is always a green flag, but what makes ‘Silver Haze’ an enriching addition to the lesbian canon of cinema is its rugged ties to the British working class.”