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Queer
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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By turns sexy, heartbreaking, and extraordinarily trippy, the film mutates in front of our eyes in its exploration of this strange, strange thing called love... Queer is a triumph.
Posted Sep 03, 2024
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The Room Next Door
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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Fans can breathe a sigh of relief that that rare mix of intelligence and unabashed emotions which makes [Pedro Almodóvar's] films so special didn’t get lost in translation here. The Room Next Door enchants.
Posted Sep 03, 2024
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Saturday Night
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Saturday Night is a whirlwind of a film and a resounding triumph of stellar writing, acting, editing, and directing. It is absolutely hilarious and a thrilling experience.
Posted Sep 02, 2024
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The End
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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The story’s message, which feels like a tired rehash of themes we’ve been inundated with recently, fails to make any sort of impact. Unfortunately, the film just didn’t resonate on any level.
Posted Sep 02, 2024
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A Real Pain
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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A Real Pain is a beautifully crafted emotional journey cloaked in sharp, witty humor. I adored this film and cannot wait to see it again.
Posted Sep 02, 2024
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Nickel Boys
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Nickel Boys is undeniably unique, and avant-garde filmmaking often elicits mixed reactions. The film’s grandiose stylistic choices overshadowed the compelling story, resulting in a work that ultimately felt like it prioritized style over substance.
Posted Sep 02, 2024
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Conclave
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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The parallels between the papal election and our own American Presidential elections are striking, making Conclave a film that may resonate with the zeitgeist more powerfully than any other this year.
Posted Sep 02, 2024
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Piece By Piece
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Piece by Piece is so full of love – a thunderstorm of electrifying colors brimming with infectious energy. It delivers uplifting messages: trust in yourself, work diligently, spread joy, and venture into new horizons.
Posted Sep 02, 2024
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The Brutalist
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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Nothing could have prepared us for The Brutalist, a film so layered in meaning, staggering in craftsmanship and -- despite its length and book-like structure -- so magically uncluttered, you feel like you’re watching a classic.
Posted Sep 01, 2024
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Three Friends
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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A rewarding, if not downright cathartic watch for all who have suffered for love.
Posted Aug 31, 2024
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Babygirl
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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With un-moralistic candor and plenty of zest, Reijn made an insightful, exciting film that eschews cheap payoff at every turn
Posted Aug 31, 2024
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Maria
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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Bless Larraín for continuing to give complex, fascinating women the unconventional, individually tailored cinematic treatment that they deserve.
Posted Aug 29, 2024
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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After a series of massive Disney misfires, [Tim Burton]’s got his creative juices flowing again by going back to his roots. All the ghosts and undead corpses notwithstanding, nothing he’s put out has felt so wildly alive in a long time.
Posted Aug 28, 2024
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Trap
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Supporters praise Trap’s tongue-in-cheek humor, claiming that’s what makes it work. But as my mom used to remind me of the proverbial lesson: two wrongs don’t make a right, similarly, an intentionally bad movie is still just a bad movie.
Posted Aug 21, 2024
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Alien: Romulus
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Galo Olivares cinematography is stunning, using light and shadow to create moments of eerie beauty. Combined with Naaman Marshall’s meticulously crafted set pieces, Alvarez and his team masterfully recapture the mood and atmosphere of the original classic
Posted Aug 21, 2024
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Daughters
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Although the film occasionally glosses over the serious reasons for these men’s incarceration, it powerfully highlights the effects of growing up without a father.
Posted Aug 21, 2024
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Sing Sing
(2023)
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Mark Johnson
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Sing Sing gradually works its way under your skin and into your heart, becoming one of the year’s most touching and reaffirming films.
Posted Aug 21, 2024
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Abigail
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Dan Stevens’ performance brought a shred of excitement to the film, but overall, Abigail tried too hard to be funny and felt inconsistent in tone throughout.
Posted Jul 29, 2024
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A Quiet Place: Day One
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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While anchored by strong performances from Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn, Day One brought nothing new to the franchise and relied too heavily on jump scares.
Posted Jul 29, 2024
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Longlegs
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Perkins’ tightly wound script builds tension and suspense – the main ingredients of pure horror – in a way that is rare today. He takes his time to create a suffocating atmosphere of impending doom.
Posted Jul 29, 2024
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Deadpool & Wolverine
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Like its prior two entries, the audacious humor and gratuitous violence is front and center. But after a while, the laughs die down and the humor becomes a bit tedious.
Posted Jul 29, 2024
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Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Costner does a terrific job setting up the beauty & courage of post-Civil War America before unveiling the brutal reality that came with settling an already inhabited nation. Horizon is a remarkable achievement and a reminder of Costner’s enduring legacy.
Posted Jul 29, 2024
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Sorry/Not Sorry
(2023)
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Megan McLachlan
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What’s most illuminating about this documentary isn’t what C.K. did—which is both disgusting and degrading to the victims and himself—but what people around him didn’t do.
Posted Jul 26, 2024
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Janet Planet
(2023)
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Joey Moser
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Baker’s film is a tender lullaby with wry humor and sharp observations.
Posted Jun 29, 2024
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Los Frikis
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Los Frikis offers a profoundly emotional journey, revealing new depths of Nilson and Schwartz’s artistry honed over the past five years. Their maturing sensibilities solidify their status as master storytellers.
Posted Jun 26, 2024
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Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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The film grapples with the question: what defines a hero? For Reeve, it was someone who found strength to persevere despite overwhelming obstacles. To me, it was simply Christopher Reeve.
Posted Jun 24, 2024
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Skywalkers: A Love Story
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Skywalkers: A Love Story is a thrilling film that also serves as one of the greatest modern love stories. Its a breathtaking and ballsy accomplishment that makes it a must-watch for both adrenaline junkies and hopeless romantics alike.
Posted Jun 24, 2024
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In the Summers
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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...this observational style becomes the film’s primary mode, leading to a narrative that lacks a strong plot or conclusive resolution.
Posted Jun 23, 2024
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Porcelain War
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Porcelain War masterfully illustrates the enduring power of art in the face of adversity...a testament to the indomitable spirit of those who refuse to surrender their humanity, even in the darkest of times.
Posted Jun 23, 2024
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Never Look Away
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Never Look Away is an inspirational testament of fierce determination and incomparable perseverance, and works as a satisfying eulogy to Moth’s indomitable spirit.
Posted Jun 23, 2024
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Ghostlight
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Ghostlight is a profoundly moving and masterfully crafted film that captured my heart from start to finish.
Posted Jun 23, 2024
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Good One
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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While I appreciate a gradual build-up in storytelling, the success of a slow burn hinges on an impactful payoff. Good One falls short in delivering that payoff – it ends in an anticlimactic manner that left me puzzled and questioning its purpose.
Posted Jun 23, 2024
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Between the Temples
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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The storyline occasionally felt unfocused and lacking in depth. Although I appreciated seeing Schwartzman in a leading role and Weinstein left a strong impression, Between the Temples felt like a missed opportunity in many respects.
Posted Jun 23, 2024
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Love Machina
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Sillen offers a refreshing perspective on AI, a topic often clouded by apprehension and uncertainty. Love Machina challenges viewers to embrace AI’s potential as a force for positive change rather than fear its advancement.
Posted Jun 23, 2024
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Thelma
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Thelma is a joy to watch. A genuine crowd-pleaser and a laugh riot. Sometimes, the simplicity of a film is its greatest strength.
Posted Jun 23, 2024
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Dìdi
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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Dìdi is a heartfelt portrayal of the chaotic awkwardness of adolescence with simplicity and effectiveness. Joan Chen is the heart and soul of the film as the weary but determined matriarch.
Posted Jun 23, 2024
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Inside Out 2
(2024)
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Mark Johnson
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In many ways, Kelsey Mann’s Inside Out 2 was significantly more emotionally resonant, profound, and insightful than its predecessor. I was pleasantly surprised by how deeply it moved me.
Posted Jun 23, 2024
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All We Imagine as Light
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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All We Imagine as Light dazzles with its lyrical, quietly moving dissection of womanhood and the immigrant experience in Mumbai today.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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Grand Tour
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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Hypnotically strange and beautiful, Grand Tour travels across borders of time and space, fiction and documentary, reality and dream, and ends on an appropriately poetic note.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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Caught by the Tides
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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Its free-flowing, image-driven form will no doubt alienate many viewers, but those willing to just let its singular cinematic language wash over them would be rewarded with something barely articulated yet quietly profound.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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Anora
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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Written and directed with an infectious, propulsive energy and featuring a star-making performance by Mikey Madison, it’s one wild joyride you don’t want to miss.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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The Apprentice
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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A sometimes funny, sometimes sobering character study that never veers into comedy/thriller territory.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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Armand
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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Some of its themes and plot devices feel déjà vu, but that doesn’t make this intense, strikingly stylistic first film any less impressive.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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The Substance
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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Relentless, thought-provoking and morbidly fun, The Substance is a new horror classic.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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Kinds of Kindness
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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Although Kinds of Kindness is much more malevolent in tone than say, Poor Things or The Favourite, Lanthimos still managed to craft LOL moments that catch you completely off guard.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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An Unfinished Film
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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A fascinating formal hybrid that deals with censorship, COVID and civil courage. It’s the work of a group of fearless artists that gives you rare insights into the challenges faced by creatives in China today.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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The Girl with the Needle
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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The historical drama provides a chilling, comprehensive account of the serial infanticides that happened in early 20th century Copenhagen. But I suspect a pared-down version would have made for a leaner, meaner period horror that works even better.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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Bird
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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Adams is a natural and a star, while Rogowski charms once again with the creation of yet another memorably unique character.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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Megalopolis
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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The film’s second half features gorgeously eloquent visual flourishes which make it increasingly clear that Coppola is addressing some big, essential ideas and the sheer scope of his ambition stuns.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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When The Light Breaks
(2024)
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Zhuo-Ning Su
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I think Rúnarsson’s screenplay falls a bit on the thin side even for a 82-min film. Having said that, I do like how the story organically turns into one about the two women and how it depicts this dynamic haunted by both rivalry and understanding.
Posted Jun 12, 2024
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