‘People We Meet on Vacation’ Review: The Weight of Weirdness
“‘People We Meet on Vacation’ might just mark the beginning of a new golden age for romantic comedies, at least if sub-genre filmmakers can finally move past stale screenwriting tropes.”
Review: The Adams Family’s ‘Mother of Flies’
“‘Mother of Flies’ works as both an art piece and a successful horror movie overflowing with ooey gooey and creepy-crawly ickiness.”
‘Zodiac Killer Project’ Review: An Intellectual Slide to Sensationalism
“In ‘Zodiac Killer Project,’ Shackleton finds clarity via cinema by stripping the true crime phenomenon down to its core essentials, ugly as they may be.”
‘The Man in the White Van’ Review: Madison Wolfe Shines in Average PG-13 Thriller
“Like so many average thrillers, ‘The Man in the White Van’ commits more to narrative structure than a singular message that will keep audiences thinking after the fact.”
Hail ‘Krampus’: 10 Years of Michael Dougherty’s Festive Favorite
“‘Krampus’ is an outlier when it comes to festive horror and, in the decade since the movie’s release, nothing has threatened its throne.”
Review: Mike P. Nelson’s ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’
“Nelson’s ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’ redux is a masterclass in how to successfully reboot a franchise while paving a bloody path forward that is uniquely its own.”
Review: Josh Appignanesi’s ‘Colossal Wreck’
“Based on the novelistic nature of ‘Colossal Wreck,’ with all its rich philosophical meditations about ego and personal connections, Appignanesi’s growing filmography seems to be a cinematic vessel for meaningful change.”
Review: Ellen Rodnianski’s ‘American Baby’
“Conceptually, ‘American Baby’ would probably be more effective as an anthology series on a streaming service, as that would allow Rodniansky to investigate social factors that affect young women and men in different parts of America.”
Review: Kurtis David Harder’s ‘Influencers’
“‘Influencers’ does what all great horror sequels do: it ups the ante considerably, it increases the body count, the kills become much more elaborate and the writer-director organically deepens the already-established mythology.”
Review: Alan Berliner and Benita Raphan’s ‘Benita’
“‘Benita’ is more of a cinematic explainer than a rich psychological study.”
Building the New Queer Canon #9: Harry Lighton’s ‘Pillion’
“Look past the chastity cages, pup masks and Prince Albert piercings and you’ll find one of the most incisive, painfully relatable stories about modern queer romance to have arrived of late.”
Review: Jill Campbell’s ‘Beyond the Gaze: Jule Campbell’s Swimsuit Issue’
“‘Beyond the Gaze’ effectively links the past and present timelines to accentuate the subject’s commitment to her craft and models.”
Building the New Queer Canon #8: Siobhan McCarthy’s ‘She’s the He’
“‘She’s the He’ is a successful attempt at not just carving out a space for LGBTQ identity amidst the overbearingly heterosexual narrative tropes, but also bending those tropes so they can fit into a tale of trans awakening…”
Anatomy of a Scene: ‘When Comedy Went to School’ (Borscht Belt Film Fest)
“‘When Comedy Went to School’ is a must-see for not only American Jews, but also for anyone who appreciates the art of stand-up comedy.”
Borscht Belt Film Fest Review (Short): Joel Perez’s ‘Villa Encanto’
“‘Villa Encanto’ seems destined to be adapted into a feature.”
Review: Zeshaan Younus’ ‘I’ve Seen All I Need to See’
“Younus’ dialogue becomes a little flowery at times in ‘I’ve Seen All I Need to See,’ though the filmmaker stays consistent with his overall balance and spiritual themes, much like he does in ‘The Buildout.'”
Review: Kerstin Karlhuber’s ‘After All’
“Like many family films, ‘After All’ succeeds with its messaging and pushes too hard with moments of poignancy.”
Review: Piero Messina’s ‘Another End’
“There’s plenty of heart to be found within ‘Another End,’ but the clunky handling of a climactic twist sadly feels emotionally and philosophically empty.”
Twists, Turns, Frights and Some Personal Growth: ‘Goosebumps’ Still Rules at 10
“‘Goosebumps’ stands as further proof that there’s real demand for scary movies for kids…”
NYFF 2025 Review: Ulrich Köhler’s ‘Gavagai’
“‘Gavagai’ doesn’t break any new ground with its excavation of race in film and European art culture’s relationship to Africa, but Köhler interestingly addresses paradoxical problems within.”