Review: Michael Chaves’ ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’
“‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ fails to meet its potential as a thoughtful thriller that explores possession on both the supernatural and human front…”
Prano Bailey-Bond Visits Britain’s Video Nasty Era in ‘Censor’
“Had ‘Censor’ managed both Enid’s personal nightmare and wrestled more deliberately with some of the moral questions posed by the title, more viewers might have been inclined to initiate conversations about the horror genre’s traditions of transgression.”
You Must Be THIS OLD to Ride in George A. Romero’s ‘The Amusement Park’
“Romero’s movies have a workshop feel to them, which elevates the horror to a startlingly realistic terror as if it was being documented live.”
Review: Damian Mc Carthy’s ‘Caveat’
“Deeply unsettling and profoundly frightening, ‘Caveat’ is a remarkably assured debut for Mc Carthy and a real showcase for the talents of its small cast, particularly French as the tortured protagonist.”
Theo Anthony’s ‘All Light, Everywhere’ Contemplates the Role of the Camera in Policing
“‘All Light, Everywhere’ succeeds on the basis of Anthony’s editorial choices; the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, which by themselves constitute several chapters or mini-documentaries capable of dropping one’s jaw.”
Review: George A. Romero’s ‘The Amusement Park’
“‘The Amusement Park’ may not be Romero’s angriest film, but it’s one of his most deliberately disturbing…”
Review: John Krasinski’s ‘A Quiet Place Part II’
“‘A Quiet Place Part II’ depicts quietness as a strength, and the film’s release shows that the quietness of the past year can be resolved through the mutable, powerful sensibilities of cinema.”
Review: Robert Connolly’s ‘The Dry’
“‘The elements of ‘The Dry’ may be conventional, but the presentation, as well as Connolly’s attunement to very real concerns, still burns.”
Netflix Review: Zack Snyder’s ‘Army of the Dead’
“‘Army of the Dead’ is an algorithmic cleansing exhale in the wake of a whirlwind period in Snyder’s career. As a zombie movie, it’s a shallow, scattershot effort with interesting mythology ideas that don’t really go anywhere…”
Review: Pat Mills’ ‘The Retreat’
“While having gay leads is a refreshing inclusion in a genre that has historically excised or executed them, Mills’ movie is a toothless response to the ‘bury your gays’ trope.”
Review: Simon Barrett’s ‘Seance’
“Everything about ‘Seance’ is loudly, proudly feminine and female focused… if one didn’t know this was Barrett’s work, it could easily be mistaken for that of a female filmmaker, which is no small feat.”
Review: Gia Coppola’s ‘Mainstream’
“Coppola may generalize in ‘Mainstream,’ but her specifications are plenty insightful and perhaps truthful.”
Rose Glass Makes a Memorable Feature Debut with ‘Saint Maud’
“Sure, ‘Saint Maud’ can be called a horror film, but it is equally a psychological drama that gets a lot of mileage from a tried and true trope: the shifting power dynamics in a superior/subordinate relationship.”
Review: Julia von Heinz’s ‘And Tomorrow the Entire World’
“For all the activists’ fevered activity, ‘And Tomorrow the Entire World’ completely sidesteps the exploration of political ideas and ideology beyond the simple urge to thump Nazis or argue with racists.”
Netflix Review: Joe Wright’s ‘The Woman in the Window’
“While Wright’s stylized execution is impressive, ‘The Woman in the Window’ is a yarn that never fully grabs its audience by the jugular.”
Review: Ryan Kruger’s ‘Fried Barry’
“‘Fried Barry’ is busy and overstuffed, but it’s also an incredibly promising and deeply weird reinvention of the body invasion thriller; a strange, disorienting and ultimately rewarding experience.”
Netflix Review: Alexandre Aja’s ‘Oxygen’
“Oxygen’s relevance strikes like lightning in a year when time is measured less by Earth’s tilt and more by first wave, second wave, red phase, yellow phase; not by time passing daily, but by how much danger remains in the room.”
Review: Ben Sharrock’s ‘Limbo’
“Ben Sharrock’s entracing new film ‘Limbo’ is a perceptive and earnest work.”
Review: Rob Garver’s ‘What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael’
“Rob Garver’s ‘What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael’ is a worthwhile biography of a fascinating life led with purpose and conviction.”
Netflix Review: Anthony Mandler’s ‘Monster’
“‘Monster’ seems like it doesn’t trust itself to connect with viewers without over-explanation.”