“It’s a delight to watch Stork think in ‘Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time.’ Her cogitations are signaled by the darting actions of her piercing blue eyes, the slight flex of an eyebrow or the raising of a subtle and pursed smirk.”
“When viewed as a character study, ‘Made You Look’ is the rare art documentary that has a re-watchable quality.”
“The foregrounding of Mohamedou’s experiences and perspective — and, by extension, all those subjected to Guantánamo’s purpose — is the fuel in The Mauritanian’s engine.”
“Good onscreen chemistry between Jena Malone and Pablo Schreiber lifts the filmmaker’s debut feature out of traps set by occasionally mundane dialogue and predictable complications.”
“Swab’s personal experience bleeds into every frame of ‘Body Brokers,’ making it a taxing watch at times, but its true power lies in the details…”
“In ‘PVT Chat,’ the half-baked attempts to create thematic through lines and symbolism prove to be the greatest flaws.”
“Given that ‘Dara of Jasenovac’ is the first Serbian film to cover the camps, the implicit didacticism would actually be more welcomed if it did its job and taught viewers something.”
“Despite Stalking Chernobyl’s clear position on the dangers of expanding nuclear power, Lee does not shrink from the otherworldly allure that draws so many to Chernobyl and Pripyat.”
“‘Saint Maud’ proves, once again, that horror, and particularly indie horror, provides the opportunity for first timers to take real risks.”
“‘Prime Time’ is at its most energetic and engaging during the early scenes; a setup familiar enough for any viewer of Sidney Lumet’s ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ or the many films he inspired.”
“‘Land’ is positioned as an exploration of grief and survivor’s guilt — a crowded celluloid space – but the lack of distinctive figures renders Wright’s film picturesque but fallow.”
“‘Tove’ is a tribute to all creatives who pursue their passion projects, and applauds those who are able to break free from bindings.”
“‘Sator’ is a slow burn, and the payoff for waiting around will not suit everybody. Like ‘Blair Witch,’ it requires your full attention to really make an impact — half-watching while scrolling through Twitter won’t cut it.”
Greg Carlson Reviews Rodney Ascher’s ‘A Glitch in the Matrix’
“Only 37 years old, Alberdi is a dynamic figure in documentary studies and practice.”
“‘Mayday’ is the filmic equivalent of an answer to a distress call, letting those in need simply know that it’s there.”
“‘John and the Hole’ may be too frustratingly vague to really connect, but it seems to challenge its audience from a place of urgency…”
“‘The Reckoning’ makes a sharp point about the complicity of women, or more accurately white women, in the destruction of other women.”
“‘As We Like It’ is a film that makes many unique moments out of its childish buffoonery, and it’s lifted, like its characters, into a class of its own.”
“Making a gothic horror story about the creation of a gothic horror story is a worthy and potentially enlightening idea, but Unkel fumbles the ball at every turn with ‘A Nightmare Wakes.'”
