Trigger Warning: Agitator contains sequences of graphic violence and sexual assault that may be difficult for sensitive viewers. It’s a rather tall order to not expect a yakuza film with title Agitator to not … well, agitate you. But such… Read More ›
Sadao Nakajima’s Japanese Godfather Trilogy is a collection of three yakuza films made between 1977 and 1978 based on the true story of Japan’s largest crime syndicate. Taking some inspiration (both thematically and visually) from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 gangster… Read More ›
Adapting a work properly requires a confluence of events. It’s more than just translating one media into another as you need someone who understands the context of the source, who gets what it means to be moved to a new… Read More ›
At a point in the director interview for their film, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes), co-directors Maïlys Vallade (The Lighthouse Keeper) and Liane-Cho Han (Voodoo) discuss the Japanese belief that children under… Read More ›
Originally made for television, Lynne Littman’s 1983 film Testament takes a human, grounded approach to the sensationalized topic of nuclear devastation. Based on the short story “The Last Testament” by Carol Amen, Testament is as prevalent today (given recent world… Read More ›
Bradley Cooper (The Hangover; Nightmare Alley) has been acting since the late ‘90s, but it wasn’t until 2018 that he decided to try his hand at filmmaking. His first feature film, a remake of A Star is Born, stars Cooper… Read More ›
Since Scott Cawthorn’s horror survival game Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNaF) released in 2011, a fan base has arisen around the murderous animatronics and the new security guards whom try to make it through their shifts. Including the initial outing,… Read More ›
Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao (The Eternals; Nomadland; The Rider) is a singular voice in filmmaking. Her work focuses on a naturalistic approach, making her films’ environments characters in their own rights. Some viewers could find that as nothing more than… Read More ›
By the time of his passing in 2020, filmmaker Nobuhiko Ôbayashi had directed nearly 80 films, features and shorts, with his most recent, Labyrinth of Cinema, released in 2019. It would be his feature debut, House (1977), that would make… Read More ›
“Sly fox, dumb bunny.” Just when you think that storytellers have mined all they can from the odd couple trope, co-writers Jared Bush (Encanto) and Phil Johnston (Wreck-It Ralph series) found a way to invigorate the concept by not only… Read More ›
What do Gilda Radner (Saturday Night Live), Gene Wilder (Young Frankenstein), and Sidney Poitier (Sneakers) have in common? Well, outside of arguably being three of the best to ever do it, Poitier directed the two aforementioned comedy legends (after directing… Read More ›
Song Sung Blue stands as one of the most grounded and quietly affecting performances in Hugh Jackman’s career, a surprising turn for an actor often associated with larger-than-life characters and blockbuster spectacle. Here, he strips away the bravado and theatricality… Read More ›
I arrived in the city of Winston-Salem last year at the same time as A Little Prayer, one of the best films of 2025, and a film about the people here. It was a real local sensation, going on an… Read More ›
Suspect is definitely a product of the 1980s and, in some ways, that’s part of its charm. The film boasts an impressive cast led by Cher (Moonstruck), Dennis Quaid (The Substance), and a very committed Liam Neeson (The Naked Gun),… Read More ›
Crime and comedy often go hand-in-hand due to the ridiculousness of a given situation. Watching two high-octane cars pull a massive safe through the streets of Rio? Hilarious. Betting as to whether Yen (Qin Shaobo) shorts it? Gold. Declaring that… Read More ›
Prior to 2024, Oz Perkins was a somewhat niche indie filmmaker who had already built a nice little fanbase thanks to his early films The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015), which follows a young girl who may or may not be possessed… Read More ›
While it’s safe to presume that political ideologies have often led to disagreements and hard lines between classmates, colleagues, and family members to the point that countless stories will feature “black sheep” liberal relatives in conservative families or conservative characters… Read More ›
It feels safe to say that capitalism had a solid run, but needs to step down. At this point, there’s nothing in this world that doesn’t feel commodified to the point that ethical consumption, let alone ethical existence, is an… Read More ›
“… make you feel like family is who we include, rather than we were assigned to.” – Actor Brendan Fraser discussing Rental Family. The world can feel like a cruel and unforgiving place that isolates you at every opportunity. That… Read More ›
Writer/director Dan Trachtenberg’s feature film debut, 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), not only helped reenergize the Cloverfield franchise, it established the filmmaker as one to watch. He’s since been handed the reigns to three different Predator-related projects and each one, unique… Read More ›