“‘In Water’ is a slight and tiny whisp of a film in which very little happens and the most memorable facet is the out-of-focus anti-style. But in the context of a film festival, in the context of Hong’s career, the 2023 movie feels amusingly brilliant…”
“Despite the variety of practical effects that routinely merit enthusiastic ‘Fangoria’ profiles, ‘Cocaine Bear’ lumbers along in lazy circles.”
“Through sheer technical editing brilliance that sculpts a world that is both recognizable and strange, Soda Jerk created a truly weird and engaging reflection of the uncanny valley that was the Trump era.”
“At its best, ‘Infinity Pool’ is astounding stuff, and one hopes Cronenberg senior is rightfully proud. But yet it is marred — not entirely, but enough — by a muddy texture at the sides, a failure of imagination and a cheap ethnic exoticism…”
“Lapia’s dynamic debut creates a powerful ode to escapism through its technical simplicity.”
“‘Ocean Boy’ peaks during superb acting changes from Hemsworth and King, both of whom sell a sense of existential despair and appreciation for life’s gifts.”
“Like so many of the best movies, ‘Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’ captures the universal in the specific.”
“Ohs works with little in ‘Jethica’ and yet achieves something grandiose.”
“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.”
“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.”
“‘Follower’ is a significant film that allows audiences to mull over the reality of how easily we react and get triggered by contrarian dispositions.”
“‘Kim’s Video’ reminds viewers that there was something very special about browsing the shelves of shops both large and small.”
“Palathara once again proves that his voice is clearly one to be reckoned with.”
“The combination of real time chronology with the nauseating escalation toward violence makes ‘Soft & Quiet’ as powerful as it is difficult to watch.”
“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.”
“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’ 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’ 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.”
“‘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.”
“Shimmering like a mirage that retreats and dematerializes the closer one gets, ‘Aftersun’ may just be the best movie of 2022.”