Review: Corbin Bernsen’s ‘Christian Mingle’
“Like a lot of reality television, ‘Christian Mingle’ is funny for hateful reasoning that displays damaging, scary facets of our culture.”
Review: Hong-jin Na’s ‘The Wailing’
“It’s a film that doesn’t so much scare as it harrows, boring deep into the psyche.”
Review: Laura Bispuri’s ‘Sworn Virgin’
“One problem with ‘Sworn Virgin’, particularly in its later stages, is a distinct lack of stakes.”
The Chicago Critics Film Festival Review: Patricia Rozema’s ‘Into the Forest’
“For a feminist attempt to show two women leaning on each other, ‘Into the Forest’ barely sketches them out.”
Review: Susanna White’s ‘Our Kind of Traitor’
“A solidly constructed sophomore feature from director Susanna White, ‘Our Kind of Traitor’ is a tight thriller that, while rarely excelling to any sort of transcendent heights, never really steps a foot wrong.”
Review: Jean-Marc Vallée’s ‘Demolition’
“Neatly tied resolutions and dime-a-dozen aphorisms feel as fleeting and immaterial as a television drama, while any lasting impression must be hard-fought and pried from between the lines of the script.”
Review: Jason Bateman’s ‘The Family Fang’
“Bateman brings the full force of his directorial ability to the film, finding beauty in every camera placement and character movement.”
IndieLisboa 2016 Review: José Barahona’s ‘I Was in Lisbon and Remembered You’
“Sometimes the most difficult kind of review to write is one for a film that’s full of good intentions; a film that’s never outright hateful or anything like that, but lacking or floundering when it comes to certain decisions at a script or direction level.”
Review: László Nemes’ ‘Son of Saul’
“Grappling with themes of self-preservation and mental stability amongst abject barbarity, ‘Son of Saul’ packs an emotional punch all its own, while seeking to convey the essence of an individual living in abhorrent chaos.”
Stranger With My Face Festival 2016: ‘Evolution’ and ‘The Love Witch’
“Horror and femininity run hand in hand.”
Review: Don Cheadle’s ‘Miles Ahead’
“In keeping with the tempo and improvisational flair of his subject, Don Cheadle has succeeded in breaking through the standard tediums of biographical film.”
Review: Ben Wheatley’s ‘High-Rise’
“‘High-Rise’ gazes without flinching at a cavalcade of violence without ever feeling like it’s truly stepped into the muck.”
Review: Mike Flanagan’s ‘Hush’
“‘Hush’ has some very interesting moving parts in what amounts to an average film.”
Tribeca Viewpoints: José Villalobos’ ‘The Charro of Toluquilla’
“‘The Charro of Toluquilla’ is definitely worth seeing, as Jaime is a character that you will not soon forget.”
Review: Jon Favreau’s ‘The Jungle Book’
“The Jungle Book is a fun, brisk and absolutely gorgeous achievement that honors the past while looking unflinchingly into the future.”
Review: Ariel Vromen’s ‘Criminal’
“Regretfully, ‘Criminal’ makes up for its lack of ideas with blood, guts and even more blood.”
Review: Gabriel Mascaro’s ‘Neon Bull’
“Humans and beasts share a primal bond as they occupy the land and the frame together. Mascaro thus internationalizes a strain of the French cinéma du corps as he weds it with the emerging art-house aesthetic of digital realism, crossing borders and species to create something extraordinary.”
Review: Marc Abraham’s ‘I Saw the Light’
“Abraham tells a tragic story but fails to shine a light on the genesis of Hank the man.”
Review: Mickey Keating’s ‘Darling’ (2015)
A Column by Q.V. Hough
Review: Robert Budreau’s ‘Born to Be Blue’
“Budreau is smart enough to illuminate the non-existent divide between the master performer and the man who sticks a needle in his arms, as Baker knows that he needs to stay clean to keep working, but only heroin can numb the pain.”