Kourosh Ahari’s psychological thriller, The Night, is a stellar example of a film that may not have the next best original ideas within its genre, but is so well done that it is nonetheless entertaining and worthwhile. Despite a handful… Read More ›
mystery
With strong performances, a compelling story, and a satisfying blend of romance and mystery, all “32 Weeks” needs is a better ending.
Sometimes, writers get a tad bit lazy with their narratives and throw in a character with amnesia as a cheap and easy way to wiggle themselves out of plot holes and avoid the extra work of coming up with a… Read More ›
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 ›
Supernatural thriller “Broil” is more of a low simmer.
Werewolves. Vampires. Zombies. Each of these monsters of the dark owe their origins to legends and myths, to a time before science when fear ran roughshod over reason. That part of ourselves remains present even now and yet we find… Read More ›
Expertly crafted in pieces, Korean mystery “Me and Me (사라진 시간)” does not combine to a satisfying whole. [Fantasia Film Festival]
When it comes to modern Korean horror (Parasite doesn’t count), there’s really a “before The Wailing” and “after The Wailing” period going on currently. Sure, there are still some fast-moving, breakneck horror being made in South Korea, but there has… Read More ›
WB Home Entertainment releases four adventurous catalogue titles in 4K UHD for the first time.
It’s showtime! Warner Brothers Home Entertainment is dropping not one, not two, but four new 4K UHD editions from their vast catalogue: Richard Donner’s The Goonies (1985), Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988), and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes:… Read More ›
“The Mortuary Collection” struggles to keep its stylistic balance, but it’s a fun, nostalgic ride. [Fantasia Film Festival]
The word “nightmarish” is one of those terms frequently thrown around when describing horror films. While the jump-scares, villains, and gore of the horror genre can certainly haunt us in our sleep, oftentimes, the plots of horror movies are quite… Read More ›
Remarkable crime thriller short “Baby Mine” requires intellectual participation and vulnerability from its audience.
When considering a short film such as director Nour Wazzi’s project Baby Mine, we are reminded that the cinematic potential of any project is not limited by its runtime or distribution range. This 20-minute narrative short possesses many of the… Read More ›
Unless you’re in the mood for incredible frustration, stay out of “The Room.”
In film criticism, there’s a guiding light that I try to stand by: review the film in front of you, not the film you wish you’d seen. That doesn’t mean that you can’t, don’t, or shouldn’t discuss a film’s failings…. Read More ›
Get down with an old school, kid-friendly whodunnit with “Hidden Orchard Mysteries: The Case of the Air B&B Robbery.”
When most think of indie films, they think of something like The Peanut Butter Falcon, Room, or Overcomer. They think of One Cut of the Dead or Tigers Are Not Afraid. They think of It Follows or Swiss Army Man…. Read More ›
Neo-western “The Quarry” plays by its own rules.
Adapted from Damon Galgut’s 1995 novel of the same name, director Scott Teems’s film The Quarry comes to you as a gritty, grim, and bleak Neo-Western thriller. With a screenplay co-written by Teems and Andrew Brotzman, this feature exemplifies shades… Read More ›
“Knives Out” is more than a whodunit. It’s the most fun you’ll have at the cinema.
There’s been a lot of trash tossed around on writer/director Rian Johnson since his Star Wars film hit theaters in 2017. It’s wonderful that audiences feel such ownership for a film series, but there comes a point where the community… Read More ›
Ambitious sci-fi thriller “The Fare” is now available on home video.
From director D.C. Hamilton and screenwriter Brinna Kelly, The Fare is a film that almost defies categorization. At times, if feels like a science-fiction mystery, with shocking and striking narrative shifts. At other points, it appears as a romantic dramedy,… Read More ›
Alice Waddington’s “Paradise Hills” uses a fairytale motif to demolish the chains of the patriarchy.
Throughout the centuries there’s been one constant: women get the short-end of everything. They’re expected to be virginal, yet sexual; wise, yet naïve; knowledgeable, yet silent. They are instructed through social norms on how to comport themselves publicly and privately…. Read More ›
Bolstered by strong performances, “The Wedding Guest” transforms a focused narrative into an engaging character piece.
Given his roles in Slumdog Millionaire, Chappie, and HBO’s The Newsroom, the last person audiences would picture as a methodical badass is Dev Patel. That’s bound to change after audiences get a glimpse of him in writer/director Michael Winterbottom’s The… Read More ›
Dark drama “Everybody Knows” focuses on character to create a compelling and beautiful film. [Film Fest 919]
Representing EoM as press, contributor Hunter Heilman attended the first annual Film Fest 919 in Raleigh, NC, to review several films that are either in limited release now or are yet to be released. For a filmmaker, at least from… Read More ›
“A Violent Man” is a crime thriller with surprising depth.
Athleticism and cinema go hand-in-hand. Whether it’s Harold Lloyd appearing to climb the side of a building in 1923’s Safety Last!, Sylvester Stallone in the Rocky series, or Dwayne Johnson in anything from the last 23 years, actors continuously find ways… Read More ›
Hallucinogenic nightmare “Braid” warps reality in the first feature from Mitzi Peirone.
There’s a moment in writer/director Mitzi Peirone’s Braid where you’re either all in or all out. When the mayhem’s rising, the blood flowing, and the veil of reality’s so thin it’s barely perceivable, a choice has to be made: embrace… Read More ›
Unraveling the Mystery of the Accountant
An alternate version of this review, originally published for CLTure, was posted on their site on October 14th, 2016. There is nothing better than watching an actor – any actor – melt into a roll so completely that you forget what you’re watching is mere shadow… Read More ›