Trigger Warning: The opening sequence features flashing lights and quick-cut imagery that may be triggering for photosensitive individuals. “DESTINY! DESTINY! NO ESCAPING THAT FOR ME!” – Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) in Young Frankenstein. In storytelling, there are two pretty… Read More ›
SXSW
Meet Me at the Movies: Time for a Samara Weaving Double Feature!
On a recent episode of Meet Me at the Movies, I joined Noel T. Manning to discuss a few of my favorite SXSW 2026 titles. Since you can only cover so many well in one episode, I returned to talk… Read More ›
Meet Me at the Movies: SXSW 2026 Breakouts & Hidden Gems
SXSW 2026 ran from March 12th – 18th, 2026 and I had the pleasure of covering the festival once more. Accompanied by EoM Contributors Justin Waldman and AJ Friar, we screened 24 films and provided reviews for each. Out of… Read More ›
“Seekers of Infinite Love” provides little payoff for enduring a road trip with an estranged family of adults. [SXSW]
What were to happen if someone took the concept of losing a loved one, made it a road trip family drama comedy about deprogramming them, and applied it to a suicide cult? Well, for starters, it would be a cringe-inducing… Read More ›
“The Man with the Big Hat” mirrors the style of its focal point, Steven Fromholz. [SXSW]
Documentarian Austin Sayre’s The Man with the Big Hat reintroduces audiences to the independent legend of country music, Steven Fromholz, name that, for many, has lived just outside the mainstream despite a songwriting legacy that quietly shaped the genre. Having… Read More ›
Caleb Phillips’s sci-fi thriller “Imposters” demonstrates the cost of living an inauthentic life. [SXSW]
“Victims; aren’t we all?” – Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) in The Crow (1990) The beauty and horror of life is that there’re many different ways to look at a situation. Because of this, whether it’s a massive life event or… Read More ›
A Conversation with “Chili Finger” cinematographer Cristina Dunlap. [SXSW]
In this discussion on EoM Presents, Thomas Manning talks with cinematographer Cristina Dunlap about Chili Finger, which recently had its world premiere at SXSW. Dunlap breaks down the process of balancing a very calculated approach to cinematography within a chaotic narrative. Directed by Edd Benda and… Read More ›
High school drama “Dead Deer High” misplaces its focus in examining the wake of school violence. [SXSW]
Trigger Warning: The subject matter within Dead Deer High centers on the aftermath of a school shooting. While a great deal of care is given to ensuring little feels melodramatic, the material may still be difficult for sensitive viewers. As… Read More ›
“Pizza Movie” satisfies as the next generational stoner comedy. [SXSW]
Every generation needs a stoner comedy that is so outlandishly insane and dumb yet brilliant that it stands the test of time by being ridiculous and entertaining. The early 2000s had both Dude, Where’s My Car? (2000) and Harold and… Read More ›
“Mallory’s Ghost” fails to take full form past the trope of a haunting past. [SXSW]
There’re plenty of ideas and concepts that are intriguing and thought provoking in Mallory’s Ghost, having its world premiere in the Competition section of SXSW Film & TV Festival 2026, but not all of them land. Nick Canellakis (Talent Has… Read More ›
Jonás Cuarón’s novel adaptation “Campeón Gabacho” exalts the power of hope and community at a time we need it most. [SXSW]
Despite all the arguments for America First ideology as a way to preserve the United States with the ideology formed on a basis of Christian Nationalism, it’s a belief system that cannot stand in the wake of actual data and… Read More ›
“Sinner Supper Club” delivers exactly what it promises. [SXSW]
The logline for Sinner Supper Club gives a rough idea for the movie. It’s “an improvised gay mumblecore ghost story shot on an iPhone in six days,” and I think that prepares audiences for exactly what they’re getting themselves into…. Read More ›
“Crash Land” embraces the messy improv of life. [SXSW]
Crash Land can easily be pitched as Jackass with a ton of heart, but that shorthand barely scratches the surface of what makes the film resonate. Beneath its chaotic, stunt-driven exterior lies a surprisingly tender coming-of-age story that uses absurdity,… Read More ›
Jenna MacMillan’s feature directorial debut “The Snake” is powered by the charismatic performance of its lead. [SXSW]
Have you ever watched It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and wondered to yourself what would happen to the gang if they didn’t have each other? Well, if you have, and your particular interest laid with what would happen to Sweet… Read More ›
Horror dramedy “Bagworm” takes audiences into the perceptions of the infected and addled mind of a wayward man. [SXSW]
There are movies that try to bend reality and change the way we see the world, and director Oliver Bernsen (Connective Tissue) and writer Henry Bernsen (When We Get to Heaven) certainly try to hammer down that misconception and what… Read More ›
Meta thriller “And Her Body Was Never Found” is not #relationshipgoals, but it is a dynamic and cruel feature film directorial debut. [SXSW]
“L’enfer, c’est les autres.” – Jean-Paul Sartre in No Exit. Making movies is a large endeavor. Outside of the requirement for a creative idea, you also need the time to cultivate it, the financing to fund it, and the team… Read More ›
“Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero” is a timeline of a vigilante from concept to present day. [SXSW]
If you’ve never heard of Phoenix Jones, there’re possibly two reasons as to why: you weren’t chronically online during his rise to fame and the timeline of events that followed, and you don’t know every MMA fighter to ever compete…. Read More ›
Stella Markert’s tragicomic “Thanks for Nothing” invites audience to embrace anarchy and themselves. [SXSW]
“So many bright lights, they cast a shadow, but can I speak? Well, is it hard understanding, I’m incomplete? A life that’s so demanding I get so weak A love that’s so demanding I can’t speak …” – From “Famous… Read More ›
“Plantman & Blondie” commits fully to the absurdity for a wild and fun time. [SXSW]
Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film is destined to be one of this year’s breakout cult classics to emerge from the SXSW Film & TV Festival 2026. An offbeat comedy about friendship, purpose, and trying to grow something real… Read More ›
Horror comedy “Fifteen” proudly owns its full identity as its leads attempt to find theirs. [SXSW]
Growing up is hell. I can only fathom being a girl is that much more hellacious as that’s an entirely different game and strategy on how to fit in, be popular, and make friends. None of it is easy, all… Read More ›