Review: Clint Eastwood’s ‘Juror #2’
“‘Juror #2’ is one of the finer cinematic works of 2024.”
Review: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ ‘Heretic’
“‘Heretic’ is the thinking man’s dumb horror movie of the year.”
Review: Thom Zimny’s ‘Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’
“‘Road Diary’ is intimate and illuminating, revealing the E Street Band’s brilliance and how they function like a well-oiled machine, with Springsteen as the engine that guides them.”
London Film Festival Review: Andrea Arnold’s ‘Bird’
“There is an intriguing idea that Arnold weaves throughout ‘Bird,’ one that flows naturally from Bailey’s isolation.”
London Film Festival Review: Marielle Heller’s ‘Nightbitch’
“‘Nightbitch’ is all empty message and no provocation, its few shots of a fully transformed protagonist shocking only because of how little effort was made beyond giving Adams some contact lenses…”
London Film Festival Review: Mike Leigh’s ‘Hard Truths’
“For my money, Jean-Baptiste gives one of the strongest performances in Leigh’s oeuvre, afforded the space to go ‘big’ in ‘Hard Truths’ without ever feeling like she’s commanding a self-aggrandizing actor’s showcase.”
London Film Festival Review: Sean Baker’s ‘Anora’
“‘Anora’ excels by digging beneath the protagonist’s sparkling demeanor while unearthing the grit beneath each sequin.”
Review: John McDermott’s ‘Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision’
“With ‘Electric Lady Studios,’ McDermott artfully explores intriguing stories about hard-working music professionals who experienced first-hand what it was like to make a dream come true.”
Review: Jason Miller’s ‘Not Not Jazz’
“Miller’s documentary will likely bore viewers who are unfamiliar with Medeski Martin & Wood, but ‘Not Not Jazz’ is still a worthy tribute to what makes the band members such singular musicians.”
Review: Steven Kostanski’s ‘Frankie Freako’
“‘Frankie Freako’ is deliriously silly and wholesomely entertaining, and so genuine in its profound lack of depth or meaning — it’s a refreshing antidote to all the dreaded “elevated horror” offerings.”
Review: Damian Mc Carthy’s ‘Oddity’
“‘Oddity’ is the scariest movie of the year.”
Review: Jonathan Smith’s ‘Guy Friends’
“The main issue with ‘Guy Friends’ is that the film hinges on Jariwala’s performance, which is heavy on histrionics and lacking in truth.”
Review: Natalie Erika James’ ‘Apartment 7A’
“Natalie Erika James manages to follow a near-identical narrative formula to ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ but without the sense of genuine danger. A story that should retain its prescience is rendered nothing more than nostalgia bait.”
Review: Antonia Bogdanovich’s ‘Sleep No More’
“‘Sleep No More’ remains a mishmash of clichés, genres and lackluster ideas.”
Review: Pascal Plante’s ‘Red Rooms’
“Perhaps Plante wasn’t sure how to end ‘Red Rooms’ without veering into sensationalism, which is commendable, but it doesn’t solve the problem of crafting an intriguing reason for why Kelly-Anne is so driven.”
Review: Coralie Fargeat’s ‘The Substance’
“‘The Substance’ feels weirdly outdated, despite the writer-director’s many provocative attempts to demonstrate how misogyny and ageism play out in contemporary media.”
TIFF Review: David Cronenberg’s ‘The Shrouds’
“Much of what makes ‘The Shrouds’ equally interesting and irritating is that Cronenberg seems to see conspiracy, confusion and competing dialogue as something impenetrable.”
TIFF Review: Raoul Peck’s ‘Ernest Cole: Lost and Found’
“The refreshing clarity of Peck’s style in ‘Ernest Cole: Lost and Found’ often feels like a drawback in the way that it disrupts the emotional weight of voice and visual form.”
Review: Abhilash Shetty’s ‘Naale Rajaa Koli Majaa’
“With ‘Naale Rajaa Koli Majaa,’ Shetty gracefully explores the peculiarities of human relationships and the ironies of daily life in India, wherein the contemporary urban existence often stands at a crossroads with ancient traditions.”
TIFF Review: Mati Diop’s ‘Dahomey’
“It’s quite remarkable how Diop captures the collective view of a West African country through her debate sequences in ‘Dahomey.'”