Sweet, Satisfying and Sex-Positive: ‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno’ at 10
“‘Zack and Miri Make a Porno’ is a lot like a modern ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ for broke 30-somethings rather than wealthy, super-hot business types.”
Review: Rebekah and David Ian McKendry’s ‘All the Creatures Were Stirring’
“Whether ‘All the Creatures Were Stirring’ becomes a festive must-watch remains to be seen, but there’s enough to enjoy for it to be a part of horror fans’ yearly rotation.”
ArteKino Festival 2018 Review: Peter Monsaert’s ‘Flemish Heaven’
“If ‘Flemish Heaven’ isn’t exactly positive about sex work, the flick at least isn’t negative either or, crucially, judgmental about the reasons a woman might decide to sleep with men for money. It’s still a step in the right direction for representation.”
Review: Paul Hyett’s ‘Peripheral’
“Even when too much stuff is being thrown at the screen, it’s hard not to admire ‘Peripheral’ for trying.”
Review: David Gordon Green’s ‘Halloween’
“‘Halloween’ might be funny, but it’s also the nastiest, most violent entry in the series yet.”
Review: Joseph Kahn’s ‘Bodied’
“‘Bodied’ is a blisteringly urgent and inescapably topical meditation on race, class and identity; the kind of movie that could only be told with the panache and in-your-face directness of Kahn.”
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.”
Review: Debra Granik’s ‘Leave No Trace’
“‘Leave No Trace’ finds its tension in the growing gap between father and daughter as Tom’s worldview widens while Will’s closes in.”
Review: Coralie Fargeat’s ‘Revenge’
“‘Revenge’ is not quietly revolutionary. It makes its message quite clear. Loud, brash, neon-colored and shot like a music video, the flick is unabashedly cool.”
Review: Lynne Ramsay’s ‘You Were Never Really Here’
“Ramsay and Phoenix eloquently communicate the trappings of depression, and how it grips the sufferer.”
Review: Paco Plaza’s ‘Verónica’
“The shrieking masses are right on the money for once. Plaza’s tale of teen possession is powerfully scary.”
Review: Joachim Trier’s ‘Thelma’
“It’s an odd little film, more melancholy and plaintive than outright scary or troubling, that slowly crawls under your skin.”
Ten Years Later, Adam Green’s Cult Slasher ‘Hatchet’ Still Cuts
“It’s rare to find a movie that pays homage to the good ol’ days while also paving its own way, but ‘Hatchet’ is that.”
The Power of Suggestion in Ben Young’s ‘Hounds Of Love’
“‘Hounds of Love’ makes an intriguing case for suggestion in place of an all-out, sensationalized show.”
‘It Comes at Night’ and the Trouble with Horror Movies That Don’t Fit Into a Genre-Specific Box
“The genius of ‘It Comes at Night’ is that its monsters are, for the most part, human.”