“In ‘I Love You Forever,’ David and Kalani have their fingers firmly on the pulse of the current zeitgeist, injecting a much-needed youthful zest into a well-worn genre with an artful eye and incisive wit.”
“What sets ‘Invader’ apart from more conventional stalker horror films is its feverish aesthetic that owes more to the manic energy of 1970s and 80s exploitation cinema than modern genre trends.”
“Love on Trial’s opening two acts integrate personal drama into a subtly scathing social critique, but Fukada’s narrative loses power when the heroine must contend with the dark price of fame.”
“Michael Casey and Paddy Murphy’s ‘Lulu and the Electric Dreamboat’ is a winsome coming-of-age film with surgical wit.”
“‘I Only Rest in the Storm’ is a succinctly angry film in large part because Pinho knows it doesn’t offer a reassuring explanation about its myriad themes.”
“‘The Heirloom’ doesn’t follow a conventional climactic structure, and its brittle, dry humor and abstract tone may not appeal to everyone. However, Petrie’s inventive vision is admirable…”
“By the end of Carroll’s frustrating and stylistically unambitious film, it seems that there was a deeper, more interesting story just out of reach.”
“‘Swing Bout’ doesn’t establish enough of a backstory for any of the key players for them to register beyond the individual performances…”
“Perhaps if ‘Crawdaddy’ played into the idea of an unremarkably ordinary man becoming a sex symbol for comedy, the sillier tone elsewhere wouldn’t feel as disparate from the rest.”
“‘Vulcanizadora’ is an astonishing coming-of-age tale for adults-in-crisis.”
“Unapologetically queer, sexy, messy and celebratory all at once, by refusing to conform to mainstream norms and instead leaning into the chaos, ‘Queens of Drama’ is utterly transcendent.”
“It’s a shame that the conversations ‘The Fishing Place’ will provoke just might be far more substantial than anything within the film itself.”
“‘Manucure 24/24’ betrays the formula of so many short film productions, as the filmmakers fully embrace the task at hand with a vibrant color palette, a catchy needle-drop and an always-relevant feminist message.”
“‘Liquor Bank’ is a fine example of economical indie filmmaking.”
“‘Thank You Very Much’ separates itself from previous Kaufman documentaries in the way the director directly confronts the correlation between an artist’s childhood trauma and creative outlook as an adult.”
“‘Control Freak’ is a timely example of a modern horror film that doesn’t resonate with general audiences but appeals to worldwide film critics through its performances and overall quality.”
“‘Seven Veils’ wears its heart on its sleeve like a John Cassavetes drama, and teases the audience like an M. Night Shyamalan thriller.”
“Using striking, elemental images, ‘The Return’ taps into the ancient power of Homer’s epic story.”
“The secret weapon of ‘Baby Assassins: Nice Days,’ as with the other franchise films, is Mahiro and Chisato’s chemistry.”
“‘Step Back, Doors Closing’ is essential viewing for Gen Z movie lovers, Washington D.C. natives and anyone who remains entranced by Linklater’s ‘Before Sunrise.'”