“In today’s world of carefully crafted film industry personas, ‘Searching for Mr. Rugoff’ stands out with its character study about an art house fanatic who embraced the beautiful chaos of being a curious cinephile.”
“Williams’ reliance on violence doesn’t transgress in ‘Bull,’ it merely toes the line. Imagine what he could do if he really let himself go.”
“Like any work of surrealism, one is likely to get more out of ‘Hotel Poseidon’ based on how much one puts into it.”
“There’s a strong message at the heart of ‘6:45,’ in terms of accountability and psychological trauma, but the film seems derivative of genre predecessors and unfocused as a whole.”
“‘It’s a Summer Film!’ has a genuine emotional core, which layers each wild twist into another heartrending moment.”
“Though ‘Annette’ has moments of visual splendor and transcendence, the underutilization of its stars and irritating music make the movie a disappointing return for Carax.”
“The Green Knight’s impactful imagery and intensity outweigh its sometimes overly cryptic metaphors, allowing for quality entertainment.”
“One of the most enjoyable aspects of ‘No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics’ is evident again and again in the close-knit support shared among the ‘elder statespeople.'”
“By wrestling with questions of identity, politics and home in a bewitching fashion, ‘Stillwater’ refuses to belittle and judge its characters, and challenges viewers to do the same.”
“‘Summertime’ feels wrong-headed, even if its heart is in the right place.”
“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”
“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…”
“A soulful lead performance and assured direction showcases Cage’s indelible ability to make the silly into the poignant.”
“‘Shiva Baby’ is most certainly not a movie for those who get clammy and start to sweat at secondhand embarrassment.”
“‘Moneyboys’ is the first of a planned thematic trilogy from Yi, which is good news — this is the kind of promising debut that will make audiences eager to see what he does next.”
“‘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.”
“Even though ‘Downeast’ suffers from thinly-written supporting characters, the lead performances keep the film above water.”
“‘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.”
“‘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.”
“Shortland brings her keen feature filmmaking chops to ‘Black Widow’ as a welcome addition to the talented pool of storytellers who can match the Kevin Feige house style without any significant artistic compromise.”