Arrow Video FrightFest Review: Franck Ribière’s ‘The Most Assassinated Woman in the World’
“‘The Most Assassinated Woman in the World’ is not, by my estimation, a horror film, but a film about horror spectatorship; the joy of discomfort.”
‘What Keeps You Alive’: A Gorgeous, Blood-Pumping Rumination on Betrayal
“Minihan’s tale is a moody, memorable work of art that dares its audience to meditate on the layers and anxieties of love and deceit.”
Wading Through the Western Expanse: The Myth-Busting Power of Andrew Haigh’s ‘Lean on Pete’
“‘Lean on Pete’ isn’t for me. It isn’t about me. But I needed it to wade through all the stories I’d ever heard that were supposed to be for me and about me.”
Arrow Video FrightFest Review: Pascal Laugier’s ‘Incident in a Ghostland’
“Both characters are lazy, ugly sketches of deviancy, leaning on ableist and transphobic stereotypes in the place of characterisation.”
Arrow Video FrightFest Review: Ezequiel Endelman and Leandro Montejano’s ‘Crystal Eyes’
“A loving tribute to the days of switchblades and shoulder pads, ‘Crystal Eyes’ gives credence to the giallo genre through its tongue-in-cheek absurdity and commitment to the transitory styles that defined its later years.”
A Matter of Style: Yasujirō Ozu Covers ‘Christopher Robin’
Michael J. Casey Imagines ‘Christopher Robin’ in the Style of Yasujirō Ozu
VV Shudder Selects: The Horrors of Friendship in ‘The Descent’
“While ‘The Descent’ is grounded in female friendship and showcases the power of women without the support of men, it also highlights the futility of teamwork in such a dire situation.”
VV Shudder Selects: ‘Heathers’ Is Timelier Than Ever Before
“Times have changed — Time’s Up, in fact — so why try to redo, or outdo, something that still resonates a whopping 30 years after its release, something that still feels timely and relevant? Jughead can keep the coat. ‘Heathers’ lives on.”
‘Cocote’: A Shapeless, Ambitious Debut with Fits of Beauty
“Despite not having much to glom onto, narratively, ‘Cocote’ is a blunt film, and your mileage may vary based on how receptive you are to de Los Santos Arias’ formalistic provocations…”
Gazing at ‘Red Sparrow’
“‘Red Sparrow’ is no feminist masterwork — far from it. However, in its depiction of a male world full of predators — a patriarchal system constructed to oppress, exploit and then discard women — perhaps it offers a valuable first step towards that badly needed change.”
An Undercooked Genre Stew: Marco Dutra and Juliana Rojas’ ‘Good Manners’
“‘Good Manners’ isn’t without its share of redeeming factors, to be sure, but Dutra and Rojas are simply hamstrung by their chosen medium, which pits an overabundance of ideas to a constricting runtime.”
‘Crazy Rich Asians’: A Charming Rom-Com About Asian Affirmation
“Directed with sensitivity by Jon M. Chu, ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ pokes fun at frivolity and the pretenses of the rich while letting loose with some lavish fun across vast picturesque landscapes.”
New Nightmares: ‘Freddy vs. Jason’ and the Meaning of Horror Movies
“‘Freddy vs. Jason’ is — like almost all horror movies — a signpost for the anxieties of an era, looking much like the prestige horror movies of today will look from the vantage point of the next decade.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Jeremy Carr on Sergei Eisenstein’s ‘Strike’
“As it’s applied to ‘Strike,’ Eisenstein’s methodology is generally simplified, with an occasional leaning toward crude hyperbole.”
Diary of a Vagabond: João Dumans and Affonso Uchoa’s ‘Araby’
“Uchoa and Dumans’ distanced, matter-of-fact portrayal of their vagabond renders ‘Araby’ an elusive and open film. It’s particulars aren’t always announced, because — as with Bresson — the text ask viewers to meet it where it stands.”
An Expedient Portrait: Robert Mullan’s ‘Mad to Be Normal’
“As a primer on Laing, ‘Mad to be Normal’ offers nothing substantive; there is little attempt to explicate Laing’s ideas, or to pursue how he formulated those ideas while working in Glasgow’s mental hospitals…”
‘Deep Blue Sea’ Is Still the Biggest, Baddest Shark Movie Since ‘Jaws’
“Unlike its modern genre contemporaries, ‘Deep Blue Sea’ takes itself seriously, creating genuine fear and tension from the characters’ perilous situation.”
This Is Not a Book Review: On William Brown’s ‘Non-Cinema: Global Digital Film-making and the Multitude’
Yoana Pavlova on William Brown’s ‘Non-Cinema: Global Digital Film-making and the Multitude’
You Gotta Act: The Wild Innocence of Melanie Griffith
“With her beauty– but more importantly, her natural ease and irresistible girlishness — Melanie Griffith presented a form of femininity ideally suited to a specific time of the late 1980s.”
Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes: Fashioning the Love Triangle in ‘The Philadelphia Story’
“‘The Philadelphia Story’ situated itself at a turning point in 20th century history, between the destitution of the Great Depression and the destruction of World War II (along with the following boom). It’s in this moment, one of not knowing where America would end up next, that the film exists…”