Review: Gil Kenan’s ‘Poltergeist’
“This Poltergeist is an efficient, amiably entertaining riff on an established thrill ride, but the film does little to spook long-term.”
Review: Collin Schiffli’s ‘Animals’
“Crossing the boundaries of reality, Animals tackles drug abuse from an insider’s perspective by inviting the audience to share in an experience so uniquely alienating, it is impossible to fully comprehend.”
Review: Thomas Cailley’s ‘Love at First Fight’
“A multiple award winner at the Director’s Fortnight sidebar of Cannes last year, Les combattants, the charming feature debut of director Thomas Cailley, finally arrives in North America under the name Love at First Fight, an unfortunate pun that does a disservice to a romantic comedy that’s much more interesting than its new title may suggest.”
Review: Bradley King’s ‘Time Lapse’
“Apprehensively approaching its subject from a fresh, interesting angle, Time Lapse never quite fulfills the lofty goals it has for itself.”
Review: John Maclean’s ‘Slow West’
A fresh, vibrant Western revival, Slow “West uses the tropes of the genre to its advantage, delivering a unique tale about searching for love in all the wrong places.”
Review: George Miller’s ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’
“Surpassing expectations and delivering a heaping dose of electrifying visuals, Mad Max: Fury Road is what all blockbuster action movies should strive to be.”
Review: Henry Hobson’s ‘Maggie’
“A film that deals more with heady emotional concepts than surviving a viral apocalypse, Maggie is the perfect actor’s showcase for a man long thought to have given up drama.”
VOD Review: ‘I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story’
“From his humble beginnings, to the years he spent in awe of the great Jim Henson, every noteworthy aspect of the performer’s life is meticulously documented to paint the portrait of a great man with an even greater legacy.”
Review: Olivier Assayas’ ‘Clouds of Sils Maria’
“An Olivier Assayas film in which an artist reflects on their own creative past in a new light — there must be something in the air at Sils Maria.”
Review: Thomas Vinterberg’s ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’
“Far from the Madding Crowd is a uniquely intimate adaptation in its focus on accumulating small moments and emotions to provide spark to its characters.”
Review: Alex Garland’s ‘Ex Machina’
“A commanding first directorial effort from Alex Garland, Ex Machina is the product of a perfectly-tuned collaborative endeavor, much like the mind of its artificial centerpiece.”
Review: Daniel Espinosa’s ‘Child 44’
“A Kafka-esque condemnation of Stalin’s government ham-handedly plopped into a John le Carré spy thriller, Child 44 is ambiguous cinematic fluff.”
Review: Noah Baumbach’s ‘While We’re Young’
“A plethora of likable characters and tidy wrap-ups diminish the artistic potential of While We’re Young, as Baumbach doesn’t compromise the film’s abilities as a general crowdpleaser.”
Review: Don Hertzfeldt’s ‘World of Tomorrow’
“A deeply impactful film (regardless of length or medium), Hertzfeldt’s World of Tomorrow has a penetrating gift for resplendent empathy — solidifying itself as a shining star of 2015, and one of the finest films of the decade.”
VOD Review: Ryan Gosling’s ‘Lost River’
“Like a pilfered, Fabergé egg, Ryan Gosling’s freshman effort, Lost River, is a sight to behold but completely hollow beneath its bejeweled veneer.”
VOD Review: Lone Scherfig’s ‘The Riot Club’
“A somewhat uneven protest of English nobility and a denouncement of nepotic privilege, The Riot Club’s message is a redundant one: unchecked, inherited wealth leads to problems.”
Ambitious and Flawed: Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s ‘Spring’
“At a certain point, and you’ll know when, the dialogue takes a dramatic turn; it’s almost as if Benson decided to use every pre-production joke centered around a most obvious plot point.”
Review: Riley Stearns’ ‘Faults’
“Surprisingly, director Stearns spends little time navigating the physical world of ‘Faults’; he takes a minimalist approach and produces a game of psychological chess.”
Review: Rafaël Ouellet’s ‘Gurov and Anna’
“‘Gurov and Anna’ toys with perceptions and ultimately gives into both cynicism and brutality. While not for the faint of heart, Ouellet’s film offers a pointed portrait of obsession and ego…”
Review: David Cronenberg’s ‘Maps to the Stars’
“While Cronenberg’s visuals and Bruce Wagner’s dialogue left me speechless early on, the pacing and tone of the final half inspired a couple face-palms. Even so, Cronenberg has plenty to say with Maps to the Stars, and the film’s best moments are powerful.”