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Film Review: ‘Breeder’ is a Moody and Weird Horror Effort That Keeps You Guessing
When a horror movie does something different, it gets a lot of credit from yours truly. Big or small, a fright flick with something on its mind, as well as an unusual way of executing things, they get some leeway from me. With Breeder, it’s a strong enough film to not have to be graded […] More
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SCAD Savannah Film Festival Review: ‘Fatherland’ is a Showcase for Efficient Storytelling and Also Sandra Hüller’s Talents
There’s an efficiency and economy of storytelling that Paweł Pawlikowski possesses which few of his contemporaries do. For example, this is his sixth feature and he’s yet to make a film that’s 90 minutes long. His longest movie to date is 88 minutes, which says something about how he can capture his story, as well […] More
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Film Review: ‘Clayface’ Has Gore Galore and a Hard R Take on the Underrated Batman Villain
I’ve wanted to see the character of Clayface on the big screen ever since I first saw the Batman villain show up in 1992 on Batman: The Animated Series. The idea of a Clayface film always seemed very hard to pull off and do right, yet hope remained. Then, when Mike Flanagan was pitching his […] More
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Film Review: ‘Wildwood’ is a Gorgeous Handcrafted Epic
It is absolutely mind-boggling to me that Laika is able to do what they do. Stop-motion animation is so difficult, so expensive, and so time consuming, anyone who is able to complete a project deserves my deepest respect. At the same time, as impressive as Laika’s visuals always are, I don’t always fully connect with […] More
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Film Review: ‘Wicker’ is a Wonderful Surprise That’s Equal Parts Hilarious, Horny, Romantic, and Savage
I love when a film surprises me. Sometimes, it’s a matter of quality. Other times, it’s a movie that completely wasn’t on my radar. With Wicker, it’s a little of column A and a little of column B. I’d completely forgotten that the flick played a the Sundance Film Festival, especially as it mostly was […] More
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Film Review: ‘Whalefall’ is a Survival Thriller with Big Emotions
It can be forgiven for someone to do a double take when told the premise of Whalefall. After all, it’s such a big idea, one that can easily come off as silly, that a serious survival thriller sounds less likely than a comedy. Given the presence of co-writer/director Brian Duffield, I suspected he’d be able […] More
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Film Review: Margaret Qualley Has Never Been Better in the Deeply Moving Drama ‘Love of Your Life’
It’s a real pleasure to watch a cast be perfectly utilized, no one more so than lead Margaret Qualley, who’s never been better than she is here. Love of Your Life is more than just a showcase for Qualley’s talents, without question, but it’s impossible not to be blown away by her work in this […] More
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Film Review: ‘Clean Hands’ Gives Zach Braff a Chance to Stretch and Esther McGregor a Real Showcase
There’s a lot of ways to tackle tragic true stories. Sometimes, the sharper edges are shaved off in order to make for a more palatable experience. Other times, it’s all about capturing the darkness and grit of the situation. Clean Hands finds a middle ground that keeps a fairly dark film from being unwatchable in […] More
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Film Review: ‘Ray Gunn’ is a Visually Rich and Surprisingly Effective Science Fiction Neo Noir from Brad Bird
It has taken literally decades for Brad Bird to make Ray Gunn. First developed by Bird in the 1990s, even before The Iron Giant, the animated film is finally coming out this year, having bounced around in Bird’s mind for most of his professional life. You see that immediately, too, as the movie is densely […] More
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NYFF Film Review: Ava DuVernay Has An Urgent Message and Warning to Share With ‘14th’
When Ava DuVernay explored the history of racial inequality in the United States through the prison industrial complex in 13th, it marked a bold move towards documentary filmmaking for the director. DuVernay is still known for narrative works, but her latest film, 14th, is another documentary, this time following up her prior one with an […] More
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Film Review: ‘Animals’ is a Dark and Twisty Thriller from Ben Affleck
I’ve long said that a film helmed by Ben Affleck runs like a machine. The actor turned multi-hyphenate, when he steps behind the camera, just knows how to pace his movies in a way that some never figure out. With Animals, Affleck is not just returning more to his crime thriller roots, when he debuted […] More
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Film Review: ‘Tenzing’ Tells an Old Fashioned Story in an Effectively Traditional Manner
The traditional dramatic biopic is becoming less and less the norm for the genre. More and more, filmmakers are seeking to tackle biographical cinema in new ways, hoping to stave off the staleness that has been creeping in over the years. With Tenzing, the execution of this biopic is effective, if traditional, yet what sets […] More
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