Review: Olivia Wilde’s ‘Don’t Worry Darling’
“‘Don’t Worry Darling’ is neither a masterpiece nor a failure (I prefer Wilde’s warmer ‘Booksmart’), but it has definitely made the shortlist as one of the year’s most talked-about films.”
TIFF Review: Cristian Mungiu’s ‘R.M.N.’
“The bleak and restless nature of ‘R.M.N.’ is manifest in Tudor Vladimir Panduru’s cinematography.”
‘Anonymous Club’: A Gift from the Rock Gods
“Cohen poignantly investigates the anxieties of an untraditional rocker who is expected to fulfill traditional industry duties.”
TIFF Review: Darren Aronofsky’s ‘The Whale’
“Fraser keeps Charlie’s fully formed humanity at the forefront of ‘The Whale,’ despite various filmmaking decisions that could flatten his character into a saccharine pity case.”
Review: Agnieszka Smoczynska’s ‘The Silent Twins’
“‘The Silent Twins’ plugs away without the urgency or rising stakes that would invite viewers to identify with the special world inhabited by the female protagonists.”
Make Your Own Kind of Music (Even If Nobody Else Sings Along)
“‘Do Revenge’ may not appeal to 40-somethings who grew up with ‘Reality Bites’ or ‘American Pie,’ but the character dynamics will indeed resonate with younger moviegoers who care more about individualism and transparency than reductive identity politics.”
Review: Christian Tafdrup’s ‘Speak No Evil’
“‘Speak No Evil’ is a horror-comedy of manners, and the performances are solid throughout, particularly from the children, but the movie’s cynical, meaningless and utterly contrived conclusion feels like a cheat after everything that’s come before.”
‘Neptune Frost’: Anisia Uzeyman and Saul Williams Project the Future
“‘Neptune Frost’ challenges and frustrates, and often leaves one wishing for more clarity. But it is filled with poetry, and it understands the importance of projecting an alternative to our reality.”
Review: Eva Vitija’s ‘Loving Highsmith’
“‘Loving Highsmith’ is like a carefully curated Instagram account — it tells part of the story and avoids the messy stuff.”
Rich Man, Poor Man: Keith Maitland’s ‘Dear Mr. Brody’
“Maitland’s sense of graphic design and visual organization are chief pleasures of ‘Dear Mr. Brody.'”
Review: Bertrand Mandico’s ‘After Blue’
“‘After Blue’ isn’t completely impenetrable, and it is lovely to look at, but if there’s a strong feminist statement being made — underneath the flagrant nudity and sexual escapades — it’s buried pretty deep.”
Review: Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler’s ‘Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America’
“Directors Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler blend creative visual storytelling with keen legal and historical acumen to transform Jeffery Robinson’s potent stage lecture into one of the most vital documentaries of the year.”
Review: Philipp Virus’ ‘Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr.’
“Director Philipp Reichenheim (who also uses the handle Philipp Virus) compiles a serviceable primer on the wall of sound produced by one of the seminal power trios of 1980s independent/DIY music.”
Review: Audrey Diwan’s ‘Happening’
“‘Happening’ will remind viewers of Eliza Hittman’s ‘Never Rarely Sometimes Always’ for the way in which both films present the practical challenges faced by women seeking abortion care.”
‘Nope’: Jordan Peele Goes West in Imaginative Genre Mash-Up
“One of the most refreshing dimensions of ‘Nope’ resides in Peele’s willingness to trust viewers to follow him into unexpected territory.”
Practical Magic for the Family: Jacob Estes’ ‘He’s Watching’
“‘He’s Watching’ is a practical and efficient horror film in the style of Rob Savage’s ‘Host’ (2020), but its brilliance lies in Estes’ subversive funhouse mirror approach.”
Review: Adam Christian Clark’s ‘Diary of a Spy’
“‘Diary of a Spy’ mostly keeps viewers in the dark; it’s unclear what makes the main characters tick. Anna and Camden are Dostoevskian figures in spirit, from a different tale, who seem lost in time.”
Review: Sophie Hyde’s ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’
“Hyde’s handling of the material, confirmed by her tone and the setting, should not be condemned for something it is decidedly not.”
There Are No Stupid Questions
“‘Ruth Stone’s Vast Library of the Female Mind’ is an inspiring excavation of the subject’s subconscious; a trip that shouldn’t be avoided by off-the-grid creatives.”
Review: Cooper Raiff’s ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’
“I think Raiff is a legitimate addition to the broad group of artists identified with the New Sincerity trend as popularized by David Foster Wallace and Jim Collins.”