Anna Hints Receives Sundance Directing Award for ‘Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’
“Like so many of the best movies, ‘Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’ captures the universal in the specific.”
Review: Pete Ohs’ ‘Jethica’
“Ohs works with little in ‘Jethica’ and yet achieves something grandiose.”
Review: Elijah Bynum’s ‘Magazine Dreams’
“Too grim to signal the likelihood of mainstream box office success, Bynum’s latest will draw attention for the muscular (in all senses of the word) performance of the increasingly vital Majors.”
Review: Gabriel Bier Gislason’s ‘Attachment’
“Although ‘Attachment’ is undeniably a horror movie, it’s also a sensitively played queer romance and a dissection of the way certain women bind themselves to strict edicts as a kind of self-protection.”
IFFR Review: Harshad Nalawade’s ‘Follower’
“‘Follower’ is a significant film that allows audiences to mull over the reality of how easily we react and get triggered by contrarian dispositions.”
Video Sleuths Press Rewind in ‘Kim’s Video’
“‘Kim’s Video’ reminds viewers that there was something very special about browsing the shelves of shops both large and small.”
IFFR Review: Don Palathara’s ‘Family’
“Palathara once again proves that his voice is clearly one to be reckoned with.”
Review: Beth de Araújo’s Gripping ‘Soft & Quiet’
“The combination of real time chronology with the nauseating escalation toward violence makes ‘Soft & Quiet’ as powerful as it is difficult to watch.”
The Howling Winds of Reykjavík: Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s ‘Beautiful Beings’
“Guðmundsson’s attention to detail in ‘Beautiful Beings,’ both with the direction and script, suggests that he will become one of Iceland’s most exciting filmmakers.”
‘Corsage’: Marie Kreutzer and Vicky Krieps Revise History
“It becomes evident that the director’s preoccupation with Elisabeth ‘coming apart’ at the age of 40 is the key component of ‘Corsage’ that transcends time to become a commentary on any era.”
‘Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché’ Considers the Punk Legend from Her Daughter’s Perspective
“‘Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché’ is not a critical deconstruction of X-Ray Spex’s music, but enough time is spent and enough awesome performance footage is included to send newcomers in search of ‘Germfree Adolescents’ (1978) and more.”
‘The Eternal Daughter’: Another Fantastic Joanna Hogg/Tilda Swinton Collaboration
“‘The Eternal Daughter’ can be viewed independently from the pair of stories starring Swinton’s own daughter Honor Swinton Byrne, but the in-world connections provide an extra layer of enjoyment.”
Drop Around When You Need a Friend: ‘Ronnie’s’
“‘Ronnie’s’ takes me back to my early days in Hollywood, before I had Facebook and an iPhone, before I began forcing experiences and friendships rather than just letting them happen. What a feeling to transcend above what brings you down… to feel at home.”
‘Aftersun’: Charlotte Wells’ Debut Feature Is Among the Best of 2022
“Shimmering like a mirage that retreats and dematerializes the closer one gets, ‘Aftersun’ may just be the best movie of 2022.”
Singin’ in the Hurricane: Damien Chazelle Takes Us to Wild, Old Hollywood in ‘Babylon’
“‘Babylon’ goes big and refuses to be ignored, even if a much better, much shorter movie exists somewhere inside the messy sprawl.”
Review: Lorcan Finnegan’s ‘Nocebo’
“Lorcan Finnegan’s ‘Nocebo’ works as a companion piece to his previous feature, ‘Vivarium’ (2019), but doesn’t match the overall quality… though it is undeniably one of 2022’s great tickle movies.”
Review: Elvis Mitchell’s ‘Is That Black Enough for You?!?’
“If you can’t live without the movies, ‘Is That Black Enough for You?!?’ is one of the year’s essential experiences.”
Review: Antoine Fuqua’s ‘Emancipation’
“‘Emancipation’ packs more of a punch than other successful Apple dramas, such as ‘CODA’ and ‘Causeway,’ primarily because of a sharp script by William N. Collage and sensational lead performances by Smith and co-star Ben Foster.”
Interview: ‘Christmas Bloody Christmas’ Filmmaker Joe Begos
‘Christmas Bloody Christmas’ Interview: Joey Keogh discusses the 2022 Shudder movie with filmmaker Joe Begos.
Review: Joe Begos’ ‘Christmas Bloody Christmas’
“‘Christmas Bloody Christmas’ is on a bigger scale than virtually everything else Begos has done to date, with terrific stunts and locations, and it’s heartening to witness his continued growth.”