If you found a duffle bag filled with money, what would you do? That’s the question that drives the Korean film Beasts Clawing at Straws. The mystery crime-noir thriller is from first time director Kim Yong-hoon. On this Quick Take… Read More ›
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Psychological thriller “Archenemy” explores man’s superhero obsession, asking who is the real enemy of our heroes.
Writer/director Adam Egypt Mortimer is developing a very specific artistic aesthetic after only three full length features. The first, Another Kind of Hate (2015), appears to explore bullying with a supernatural bend. The second, Daniel Isn’t Real (2019), is an… Read More ›
For a period romance, “Ammonite” is too cold to generate heat.
Queer period romance films have had a bit of a kick as of late, and I have been very grateful for them thus far. Colette, The Handmaiden, Carol, The Favourite and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, among others, have… Read More ›
Documentary “Dear Santa” showcases the magic of the season and the people who keep it alive for others.
From the director of Batkid Begins (2015) and Pick of the Litter (2018) comes a joyous and heartfelt exploration of Operation Santa, an initiative within the U.S. Postal Service that works to answer letters of children and adults sent to… Read More ›
Return to Busan in the highly anticipated “Peninsula,” available on home video.
2016’s Train to Busan (Busanhaeng) is a marvel of a film. Directed by Yeon Sang-Ho and co-written with Park Joo-Suk, the story of a zombie outbreak in South Korea beautifully balances the emotional stakes (father-daughter) with the larger scope implications… Read More ›
Shudder’s “Porno” makes real that feeling where getting laid is a life-or-death proposition.
Look, if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that trying to find something to do as a family during the holidays is hard. You’ve got competing interests to manage, a variety of talents, and maybe even ages… Read More ›
Quick Take Review: “Mank.”
Director David Fincher brings to life a script originally written by his father, Jack. Mank explores the Oscar-winning writer of Citizen Kane, Herman Jacob Mankiewicz. In this Netflix film, we examine the vices, self-destructive behavior and uncanny ability of this alcoholic… Read More ›
“Ashens and the Polybius Heist” is going to steal your heart and little else.
Stuart Ashen joined YouTube in Feb 2006 and has developed a long history of comedy videos that are a mixture of gadget reviews, food reviews, and other assorted nonsense. This hustling multi-hyphenate has developed short form and long form narratives… Read More ›
Jackie Chan’s “Vanguard” offers the comedic martial arts spectacle you expect.
The simplest way to describe writer/director Stanley Tong’s (Rumble in the Bronx) latest film Vanguard is a mixture of the Fast & Furious, Mission: Impossible, and The Expendables series of films. You don’t even have to squint to see it… Read More ›
Dystopian drama “2067” is strongest when focused on character, not the intrigue of time travel.
Time travel movies are a tricky wicket. Use consistent rules and a clear narrative, you end up with Looper (2012). Explain things in in too wide manner which allows for numerous interpretations, you get Avengers: Endgame (2019). Create a rule… Read More ›
Don’t wait. “Run” toward Aneesh Chaganty’s latest psychological thriller.
You know when you have a friend who is smart, pretty, and generally good at everything, but has a significant other who constantly brings them down? And how you can’t imagine that someone with so much talent and potential could… Read More ›
“All Joking Aside” is a comedy-based coming-of-age story that needs a longer set.
Doing is inevitably harder than dreaming. You can want something, crave something, use positive affirmations to will something into existence, but still not get where you want to be. You may have all the right pieces and still remain far… Read More ›
“Chick Fight” is the female version of “Fight Club” that we never thought would happen.
It’s always great when a comedy tries to innovate itself. Sometimes you get an action comedy (The Rundown, Rush Hour, or Bad Boys) where, it definitely has heart, but it expands the potential of what a comedy has by displaying… Read More ›
The good intentions of dramatic thriller “Choir Girl” fall flat as the story devolves into a questionable savior fantasy.
Choir Girl sets up a story that begs to be told through pictures. Its protagonist, Eugene (Peter Flaherty), is a shy street photographer who hopes that his pictures will expose the hardships of everyday life in his neighborhood and, eventually,… Read More ›
Propelled by grief, haunted by loss, Johannes Nyholm’s repetitious “Koko-di Koko-da” is an unexpected ear worm of horror.
There is, in nature, an expectation of form and function. The seasons bring about growth and change as Earth undergoes a period of refreshment and blossoming before wilting and decaying, only to start it over again with the return of… Read More ›
15 years later director James McTeigue’s “V for Vendetta” remains a prescient exploration of the cost of fear.
It’s been 15 years since James McTeigue’s V for Vendetta hit theaters. Adapted from the Alan Moore/David Lloyd comic book miniseries, V for Vendetta took the Margaret Thatcher-era conservative versus anarchism themes and made them more contemporary for American audiences… Read More ›
Indie drama “Take Out Girl” delivers a thoughtful meal, not a dissatisfying snack. [Indie Memphis Film Festival]
There are many paths to success. Even one generation ago, that meant going to school, getting a job, and working there until retirement. On that path at that time, a single income was typically enough to provide for an average… Read More ›
Director Tali Yankelevich’s “My Darling Supermarket (Meu Querido Supermercado)” explores the macro and micro elements of a fractal existence. [Indie Memphis Film Festival]
Much of our lives are mundane. We wake, we eat, we work, we eat, we sleep, we wake. In a way, life is a recursive action, predictable and endless. Where many would see a paralyzing dread, director Tali Yankelevich sees… Read More ›
“Spell” lacks that special something to conjure a proper incantation.
Horror films about religion and spirituality are not hard to find, with films like The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, and The Omen being some of the highest-regarded horror films of all time. The issue with many of them is that they… Read More ›
Director Ja’Tovia Gary’s “The Giverny Document (Single Channel)” challenges its audience to consider the emotional weight of ignorance. [Indie Memphis Film Festival]
Artist Ja’Tovia Gary is a provocateur, a demonstrator, and a rebel. She uses her art as a means of proclaiming her space, her ideas, and her life as something of incredible value. None of this should be necessary, which appears… Read More ›