Netflix’s ‘Close’ Succeeds in Crafting Authentic Female Characters
“The vibrant and explosive opening credits sequence sets the tone for an action-packed story that truly feels real and allows women to feel empowered.”
‘The Village’: A Slow Burner Fueled by Power Lies
“‘The Village’ is indeed a fantastic movie, and one that deserves more credit. That is the twist that actually matters.”
A Bright Shadow: The Color Red in Nicolas Roeg’s ‘Don’t Look Now’
“Red as warning, as love, as danger, as violence, as prophecy, as passion, as occult mystery: all of these and more are conveyed in the director’s use of the color throughout this story of loss, grief and obsession.”
What Makes a Man: Wounded Masculinity in William Lustig’s ‘Maniac’ Cycle
“In its own histrionic way, the ‘Maniac’ cycle presages a wave of reaction that would draw its power from the patriarchal fear of dispossession.”
A Cinematic Colossus: Interview with ‘The Flower’ Director Mariano Llinás
Pablo Staricco Cadenazzi Interviews Argentinian Director Mariano Llinás About ‘The Flower’
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms: On Transcendental Style and Paul Schrader’s ‘First Reformed’
“The power of ‘First Reformed’ is rooted in Schrader’s ability to take a number of clear forbearers — Bresson, Dreyer, Pialat — and twist them into a style that feels wholly unique and rooted in a personal set of values and obsessions.”
Love Me or Kill Me: Sex, Death and Desire in Yann Gonzalez’s ‘Knife + Heart’
“Sex and death may be inseparable, but, to the commune of queers and pornographers of ‘Knife + Heart,’ so are sex and life.”
‘Hospitality’ Review: Emmanuelle Chriqui Needs More Thriller Roles
“Chriqui proves that she’s ready for the next phase in her career, whether it’s in westerns or thrillers. Take heed, Quentin Tarantino.”
You Reap What You Sow: Jules Dassin’s ‘Thieves’ Highway’
“It is an under-appreciated and distinctly un-American work, due in large part to its simplicity and realism, its unconventional romantic leads, its sympathy for immigrant workers and its anti-capitalist overtones.”
House Heist: Steve McQueen’s Stylish ‘Widows’
“For many, McQueen’s stylishness will help excuse the rubbery plot holes, lapses in logic and farfetched surprises that might lead some to wonder how ‘Widows’ might have unfolded as a leaner, tighter operation.”
Interview with ‘Cam’ Filmmakers Isa Mazzei and Daniel Goldhaber
Zach Vasquez Interviews ‘Cam’ Filmmakers Isa Mazzei and Daniel Goldhaber
Survivor’s Guilt: The Continuity of ‘Halloween H20: 20 Years Later’
“Regardless of how one chooses to view it, H20’s legacy will always have Laurie/Keri’s character and Curtis’ performance in its favor.”
In Real Life: ‘Slender Man’ and the Clash of Media
“Just as the internet unleashed the Slenderman, it is culpable in bringing forth another seductive monster who uses this technology to warp minds and sow division…”
Review: David Gordon Green’s ‘Halloween’
“‘Halloween’ might be funny, but it’s also the nastiest, most violent entry in the series yet.”
Brooklyn Horror Film Festival Review: Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei’s ‘Cam’
“‘Cam’ is an uncomfortable watch, despite its absolutely dazzling visuals and outstanding production design.”
Empathy Through Voyeurism: ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’ Review
“Goddard delineates his film from its influences by focusing almost exclusively on character. Rather than a story filled with twists and turns and manipulation of the audience, ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’ presents each character’s story as a solo vignette, before tying it into the overarching drama.”
VV Shudder Selects: Using the Camera to Confront the Male Gaze in ‘Revenge’
“Fargeat is almost saying, ‘well, if you want to look at her, you must look at her no matter her condition.’ It is a grotesque way of calling out the male gaze, but it is an effective one.”
TIFF 2018 Review: Neil Jordan’s ‘Greta’
“Greta’s biggest asset is that it’s a film that relishes in its own absurdity.”
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.”