Review: Carlos López Estrada’s ‘Summertime’
“‘Summertime’ feels wrong-headed, even if its heart is in the right place.”
Review: M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Old’
“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”
Review: Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s ‘Kandisha’
“Bustillo and Maury are masters of the slow build, and so it goes in ‘Kandisha,’ which becomes incrementally nastier and gorier with each new victim the vengeful spirit eliminates…”
Review: Michael Sarnoski’s ‘Pig’
“A soulful lead performance and assured direction showcases Cage’s indelible ability to make the silly into the poignant.”
Emma Seligman’s ‘Shiva Baby’ and the Art of Comic Discomfort
“‘Shiva Baby’ is most certainly not a movie for those who get clammy and start to sweat at secondhand embarrassment.”
Cannes Film Festival Review: C.B Yi’s ‘Moneyboys’
“‘Moneyboys’ is a quietly accomplished debut, both a melancholic character drama and a grander study on simmering economic and cultural tensions, be they regional or generational.”
Cannes Film Festival Review: Kira Kovalenko’s ‘Unclenching the Fists’
“‘Unclenching the Fists’ is a haunting watch, but a substantial one; a movie that will move Kovalenko up to the next tier of filmmakers in the arthouse and festival circuit.”
Review: Joe Raffa’s ‘Downeast’
“Even though ‘Downeast’ suffers from thinly-written supporting characters, the lead performances keep the film above water.”
Review: François Ozon’s ‘Summer of 85’
“‘Summer of 85’ is a well-designed coming-of-age work that makes for a sentimental and sensual drama, even if it fails to meet its potential.”
Cannes Film Festival Review: Teodora Mihai’s ‘La Civil’
“‘La Civil’ excels as a character study of a woman putting herself in considerable danger to find her daughter — but when viewed as a crime procedural, the necessity of relying on various tropes does the film a disservice.”
