“In ‘Nitram,’ even the simplest domestic scenes inside the Bryant family home seem to have had the light and life sucked from them. And even in the film’s gentlest moments, Kurzel never lets the audience forget the film’s hopeless destination.”
“‘The Long Walk,’ the latest from Mattie Do — Laos’ first and, so far, only female director — understands that for time travel to make sense, all one has to do is present it as is. For Do, it’s a feeling more than a fact.”
“Throughout ‘Fresh,’ Cave shows a sophisticated command of the screw-turning suspense in the material and the milieu.”
“The Adams Family continues to evolve as a DIY filmmaking unit… In 10 years, ‘Hellbender’ will probably be viewed as the hit before THE HIT.”
“‘King Knight’ isn’t terribly substantial overall, with much of the central premise built on being weird for weird’s sake.”
“By dint of the fact that ‘Rimini’ showcases such a vast gulf between performance and direction, Seidl’s return to fictional filmmaking is, if nothing else, hugely interesting.”
“‘Cosmic Dawn’ isn’t a bad film, it’s just not better than anything that’s already been made by the filmmaking team of Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij (‘Sound of My Voice’, ‘The East,’ ‘The OA’).”
“The lighthearted slice-of-life storytelling in ‘Girl Picture’ gives viewers a healthy sampling of what Haapasalo has to offer and, ultimately, a fulfilling and effervescent exploration of teenage sexuality.”
“Stigter’s direction transforms ‘Three Minutes: A Lengthening’ into so much more than a historical lesson on atrocity and genocide.”
“‘Ferroequinology’ is a magical piece of self-reflexive work that arguably reveals more about the documentarian than its subjects.”
“Cruz has forged a lasting partnership with Pedro Almodóvar, and ‘Parallel Mothers’ — their seventh movie together — is arguably the most satisfying collaboration.”
“More moralistic viewers might question if ‘The Last Ride of the Wolves’ is in reality glamorizing these men, but I think Di Michele is a couple of steps ahead, both embracing that glamorization and distancing the audience from it.”
“‘Emily the Criminal’ is the most vibrant crime movie to come along since 2019’s ‘Uncut Gems.'”
“An old-fashioned tale given a wonderfully disgusting makeover, ‘Hatching’ is a promising feature debut from Bergholm.”
“While Stearns’ comedy is frequently dark and sardonic, ‘Dual’ is a bit warmer and more spiritual than the average satire, which is surprising given its subject matter.”
“‘The Last Tycoons’ is a helpful guide for the multi-tasking cinephile who wants to better understand French cinematic movements, such as La Nouvelle Vague, and the industry as a whole.”
“‘Living’ translates wonderfully to post-war Britain, but it never gives the audience time to explore the full depths of sadness like Kurosawa’s source material.”
“Dosa, like Wes Anderson in ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,’ seizes on the stylish allure of entrepreneurship in ‘Fire of Love.'”
“Considering that religious fundamentalists continue to persecute gay people, it’s shortsighted to present a story like ‘The Last Thing Mary Saw’ with such little concern for the current real-life ramifications of being queer.”
“‘Scream’ conjures up a fast-moving, razor-sharp, viciously violent and sufficiently surprising modern slasher of which Craven himself would be proud.”
