TIFF Review: ‘Triangle of Sadness’ Is an “Eat the Rich” Satire That Cuts Deep

Triangle of Sadness Movie Review

Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness is a brilliant, wickedly funny dissection of ego, materialism, social hierarchy, and conventions. It’s a near-perfect satirical work with a fantastic ensemble cast that turns the tables on society’s upper class. In Östlund’s latest, greed is at the forefront. It leads to the downfall of

TIFF Review: Hirokazu Kore-Eda Hits You in the Heart Once Again With ‘Broker’

Broker Movie Review

Hirokazu Kore-eda knows how to touch us to our core, and he does once again with Broker. The Japanese director makes a seamless transition to South Korea with an empathetic and touching crowdpleaser about unconventional bonds that form under strange circumstances. It’s Kore-eda doing what he does best, with children

TIFF Review: ‘Holy Spider’ Is a Tough Watch but Impactfully Haunting and Relevant

Holy Spider Review

A woman bruised tucks her daughter into bed before applying makeup and high heels. This, along with her loose hijab, garners looks from every man she passes on the street. She’s a sex worker, and when she gets on the back of a man’s motorcycle, a camera close-up reveals inner

Review: ‘Pinocchio’ Fails to Validate Its Existence

PINOCCHIO Review

It would be hard to remake an animated classic and match the same level of praise and adoration as its predecessor. But it’s something that The Mouse House won’t stop trying to do with it its own work, taking out movies from the vault and picking at random which to

Review: ‘Orphan: First Kill’ Captures a Complete Picture of Esther in a Ridiculously Fun Package

Orphan First Kill Review

Esther is one of the horror genre’s best characters. Not even of just the past 13 years, but maybe even of all time. Children can be truly terrifying. Damien (The Omen), Regan (The Exorcist), Samara (The Ring), I could go on. But the twist of Orphan – her secret –

Review: ‘Spin Me Round’ Spoofs an Italian Family Dining Favorite

Spin Me Round Review

Did you know that Olive Garden has a culinary institute where the Italian-themed restaurant chain pays managers to go to Tuscany? I didn’t until I watched Jeff Baena’s Spin Me Round. In the film’s production notes, he speaks of coming across an article describing a retreat created by an Italian

Fantasia Review: ‘Next Exit’ Puts a Paranormal Spin on the Buddy Road Trip

Next Exit Movie Review

Ghosts have given the horror genre some of its best films. The Conjuring series, Poltergeist, and The Others, to name a few. The paranormal doesn’t only live within horror either. Comedies like Blithe Spirit and romance films like Ghost explore different sides to these mysterious entities. Mali Elfman’s debut feature,

Fantasia Review: ‘Vesper’ Is a Dystopian, Coming-Of-Age Story About Where We May Be Headed

Vesper Movie Review

  One of the best films showcased at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival is Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper’s Vesper. Set in what is described as the new dark ages, it’s a dystopian, coming-of-age story with immense heart and impressive, realistic world-building. In an unforgiving world, one young girl dreams

Review: ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Shows That Taika Waititi’s Old Routine Isn’t What Thor Needs

Thor Love and Thunder Review

There’s no doubt that Taika Waititi’s entrance into the MCU was the jolt that Thor’s story needed. The writer-director not only re-invigorated the Chris Hemsworth-led franchise but also brought new vigor to the studio with his unique style full of wacky humor and a flash of color. Thor: Love and

Review: ‘The Outfit’ Is a Surprising Gangster Hit

The Outfit Review

Graham Moore made a splash in Hollywood seemingly out of nowhere, winning the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for his first feature film writing credit, The Imitation Game. The eight-year-long absence perhaps gave the wrong idea that the “Oscar curse” can also apply to writers. But any thought of this will

“The Adam Project” Takes Us Back to Childhood Movie Nights With a Profound Message

The Adam Project Review

Knowing, Super 8, Zathura, E.T., The Last Mimzy. These are all sci-fi titles I loved as a child. Sure, some of them are probably not that good. I don’t remember them well, admittedly, but what I do remember is watching them all with my mom. Witnessing a narrative about something unimaginable not only found

Sundance Review: “Am I OK?” Superbly Highlights Why There is No Such Thing as Coming Out Too Late

Am I Ok? Sundance

Whether to close friends or relatives, coming out is one of the most difficult events in a person's life. Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, a real-life married couple of actors, explore platonic female friendship in their directorial debut and emphasize that each and every person's coming out is important, regardless of age. Lucy (Dakota

Sundance Review: Rebecca Hall Is A Force Of Nature In ‘Resurrection’

Resurrection Sundance Review

Writer-director Andrew Semans is no stranger to tackling real fears. In his first feature, Nancy, Please, he plays on the anxiety of moving out for the first time and ending up with a psycho roommate. Ten years later in Resurrection, the fears are much darker. Mothers fear that they won’t

Sundance Review: ‘After Yang’ Is A Transcendent Tale Of Connection And Identity

After Yang Review

Nothing has been more serene than witnessing Kogonada’s artistic journey. Despite only having two feature films under his belt, it’s already clear that he will one day be considered as one of the greatest cinematic auteurs of the 21st Century. In his latest film, After Yang – based on the short story, Saying

Sundance Review: Aubrey Plaza is Criminally Good in Heist Drama, “Emily the Criminal”

Emily the Criminal movie

Living in the United States of America, everyone discusses one topic sooner or later: student debt and its massive ramifications in adulthood. In John Patton Ford's brilliant heist drama Emily the Criminal, the audience gets to see what happens when you throw your morals out the window and do whatever it takes to

Sundance Review: ‘Fresh’ Is a Biting Allegory With a Potent Aftertaste

Fresh Movie 2022

Fresh hearkens back to films like American Psycho but directs its edge to the millennial and Gen Z experience of online dating. Swiping left and right is a daily ritual for most who end up wasting their time with so many boring people on bad dates. The lens of director

Sundance Review: ‘Call Jane’ Is an Engaging Drama About a Vital Fight

Call Jane Review

The year 1968 saw an America in upheaval as political storms swept the nation along with the eruption of youthful protest, and the civil rights movement suffered the loss of Martin Luther King Jr. Most protests may have been loud, but others were not. On the heels of Roe V.

‘The 355’ May Be Formulaic But It Kicks Ass

The 355 Movie Review

Simon Kinberg’s debut feature as director, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, was polarizing for both critics and fans. His latest film, The 355, will sadly be marked by similar results. In trying to be its own “girl power” Jason Bourne, its screenplay sticks to a by-the-number formula. The film’s leads travel the world, attend a

‘Matrix Resurrections’ is A Nostalgic Ode to The Franchise That Connects Older and Younger Generations

Matrix Resurrections Review

As the credits roll at the end of The Matrix Resurrections, we notice a quote Lana Wachowski included as a dedication for her deceased parents - "Love Is The Genesis Of Everything." This is a perfect quote to summarize the franchise's fourth installment that changed the sci-fi genre and opened the

‘Nightmare Alley’ Sees Guillermo del Toro Travel to the Darkest Depths of Human Wickedness

Nightmare Alley 2021 Review

Edmund Goulding’s Nightmare Alley, now considered among the finest noir films, was met with mixed reviews and was a box office flop. The New York Times called it a film that “traverses distasteful dramatic ground and only rarely does it achieve any substance as entertainment.” It was adapted at a

‘Being the Ricardos’ Examines the Complex Relationship Behind One of TV’s Greatest Shows

Being the Ricardos Review

During the Golden Age of Television, a half-hour domestic comedy titled, I Love Lucy, was one of America’s most popular television shows. A record-breaking number of viewers tuned in to watch the hilarious antics of America’s funniest and most beloved TV couple, Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, each week; however, the