Body horror is a fascinating subgenre and one that tends to make a lot of people particularly squeamish. With films like The Fly (1986), about a scientist who becomes a human fly hybrid, and Crimes of the Future (2022), where… Read More ›
English
David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds” is an ambitious personal project from a master of body horror that crumples under confusing messaging. [TIFF]
When we think of directors who are famous for what they’ve done in a specific genre, it’s weird to see a movie from them that is so enriched by their personal life and feels like an incredibly personable film. That… Read More ›
Coming-of-age film “Bird” captures the drama of needing to grow up too soon. [TIFF]
In what could be described as a movie that lives in the same spiritual world as Daina Oniunas-Pusić’s Tuesday (2023), Andrea Arnold’s Bird, similar in vibes and tonal elements in storytelling, focuses on coming-of-age and growing up faster than needed… Read More ›
“The Shadow Strays” delivers on all aspects anticipated in filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto’s latest bloody crime action thriller. [TIFF]
If you’ve never heard of the name Timo Tjahjanto (The Night Comes for Us; The Big 4) then there is something you need to fix, immediately. One of the most exciting directors to exist today, he never misses and continues… Read More ›
Blockbuster Bets: “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1” misses the zeitgeist.
Why do once-beloved directors fall out of favor with the public, even when they feel that they have grown as artists? Welcome back to Blockbuster Bets, an Elements of Madness series exploring one of 2024’s biggest stories: the directors, established… Read More ›
Set sail with 88 Film’s 4K UHD remaster of the Jackie Chan-created “Project A” Collection.
Stuntman-turned-Actor Jackie Chan has been the lead of some of martial arts cinema’s most beloved films, including Meals on Wheels (1984), Police Story (1985), and Rumble in the Bronx (1995), which don’t even include the films made after his crossover… Read More ›
Writer/director Joseph Sims-Dennett’s new film, “Baal,” demonstrates a mastery of cinema’s visual language even if the resolution does not. [Beyond Fest]
Trigger Warning: There is a sequence in the climax of the film with extensive cross-cutting that may be disturbing for photosensitive viewers. There are some films which, from the start, communicate to the audience that what they’re about to witness… Read More ›
Steven Kostanski delivers another ‘80s-set comedy horror in “Frankie Freako.”
From the director of “The Veggie Masher” from V/H/S/94 (2021), Canadian sci-fi horror The Void (2016), and one of the best campy monster movies, PG: Psycho Goreman (2020), comes a movie that feels directly ripped out of the 1980s in… Read More ›
Jean Luc Herbulot’s action thriller “Zero” is a high-octane ride hiding a geo-political gut punch. [Beyond Fest]
In 2021, writer/director Jean Luc Herbulot released his supernatural thriller Saloum, and it made a mark on anyone who saw it. The story is of three mercs whose plan goes awry, yet places them exactly where they need to be… Read More ›
“Late Night with the Devil” possesses the goods in a compelling home release.
In early 2024, before horror hounds were aware we would be treated with one of the better years for horror films in recent memory, this little gem came out and set the bar, which, now in the back half of… Read More ›
Road trip dramedy “Bookworm” rewards the strong of heart and spirit with adventure. [Fantastic Fest]
Odd couple stories are the bread-and-butter of comedy. Putting mismatched people in situations (regular or irregular) is a breeding ground for hilarity as the two’s friction slowly grinds until it flares up. Add in estranged parentage with a little bit… Read More ›
Thanks to The Criterion Collection, “All of Us Strangers” receives a proper physical release.
We live in a world, it seems, where every single thing anyone ever does gets criticized and argued about no matter how absolutely fantastic and incredible things are. No matter what a company or someone does, there’s always going to… Read More ›
Tragic, whimsical romance “Daniela Forever” perfectly doses audiences with Nacho Vigalondo’s trademark story-telling. [TIFF]
Have you heard of writer/director Nacho Vigalondo? If you haven’t, you’re truly missing out. While he’s certainly not new to the scene, he has cemented himself as a force to be reckoned with when it comes to weird, insane, crazy… Read More ›
Sean Wang’s effective and heartwarming film about growing up in the age of peak-internet, “Dìdi (弟弟)” comes home on digital.
At first glance (or first trailer), Sean Wang’s directorial debut Dìdi (弟弟) (Chinese for “younger brother”) may seem like an empty rehash of other contemporary coming-of-age films like mid90s (2018) or Eighth Grade (2018), but to my surprise, there is… Read More ›
José Lourenço’s feature debut “Young Werther” will charm most audiences, rom-com or otherwise. [TIFF]
It is not an unfair statement to say that I am fond of the romantic comedy genre; it hits a sweet spot for my personal taste and certainly can be charming and enjoyable even if it is far-fetched and schlocky…. Read More ›
Drama “Really Happy Someday” captures how the process of becoming your true self is far from linear. [TIFF]
Having been a fan of musical theatre practically my entire life, I can only assume the trepidations, hardships, and sheer determination and power one needs to go through being a live performer and dealing with the day-to-day challenges. There is… Read More ›
Check out “Mr. K” any time you like, but you can never leave. [TIFF]
Remember actors who were in some of your favourite movies growing up or who are part of your core memory and you casually think whatever happened to them? Ever think that way about Crispin Glover (9; Charlie’s Angels)? If yes,… Read More ›
Apocalyptic musical “The End” is both chaotic and balanced to mixed results. [TIFF]
Musicals about the apocalypse or the end of the world are certainly not new territory, but they all succeed to various mileage. While there is no world where a Mad Max-type movie is going to put to song, Joshua Oppenheimer’s… Read More ›
Actor Kaniehtiio Horn establishes herself as a fierce writer and director in her debut feature “Seeds.” [TIFF]
Directing and writing your first feature is certainly a daunting task, but to also star in the vehicle, making yourself a triple threat, is certainly a large task. However, Kaniehtiio Horn (Possessor; Alice, Darling) not only decides to grab that… Read More ›
Sony Pictures Classics gives Tom Tykwer’s romantic thriller “Run Lola Run” its own 4K UHD release.
Before American audiences met Franka Potente as Marie, the accidental ally to amnesiac assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) in 2002, she portrayed a different type of “on-the-run” character: Lola. Absent intrigue of the spy sort, Potente’s Lola is a strong… Read More ›