Year: 2023 Running Time: 88 minutes Written and Directed by Jessica Kozak Actors: Kayla Foster, Sunita Mani, Kate Easton, Becca Q. Co, Danny Deferrari, Alyssa Abiera By Brian Skutle I don’t know if it’s just the films I’ve decided to focus on in my watching at the 2023 Atlanta Film Festival, but I don’t remember, in my now-five years of covering the festival, quite as … Continue reading Wilder Than Her: ATLFF 2023 Review
Year: 2022 Runtime: 107 minutes Director: Scott Mann Writers: Jonathan Frank, Scott Mann Actors: Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner, Mason Gooding, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jasper Cole, Darrell Dennis, Bamm Ericsen, Julia Pace Mitchell By Caelyn O’Reilly When I first saw the trailer for “Fall” I got so excited to see the latest entry in my favourite hyper-specific genre of film; thrillers about extremely competent women … Continue reading Review: Fall
We’re in the middle of nowhere with two women who seem to be fleeing somewhere and someone, as quickly as possible. The two women seem to know each other but they’re not particularly close. It’s as if their fates have been entwined because of their circumstances. The older of the two, Jillian (Malin Akerman) has a sense of authority to her. She’s clearly the one who has planned their escape, and is the most prepared and experienced for their journey in the barren landscape of the New Mexico desert. Blair (Lorenzo Izzo) on the other hand, is relying heavily on Jillian, placing all of her trust into the other woman. Quickly, we discover the reason for their night-time flight, they’re fleeing a cult known as “Skylight” which is run by the mysterious and ominous, Seth (Chris Messina). Continue reading The Aviary Review
Year: 2021 Runtime: 93 minutes Director: Claudia Llosa Writer: Claudia Llosa (screenplay), Samanta Schweblin (based on the novel by) Actors: Maria Valverde, Guillermina Sorribes Liotta, Dolores Fonzi, Emilio Vodanovich By Tom Moore The latest film from writer/director Claudia Llosa, an adaptation of Samanta Schweblin’s 2014 novel “Fever Dream”, is an impactful story of motherhood and environmental disaster that lives up to its name. “Fever Dream” … Continue reading Film Review: Fever Dream
Year: 2021 Runtime: 90 Minutes Director: Antoine Fuqua Writer(s): Nic Pizzolatto (screenplay), Gustav Moller (based on original by), Emil Nygaard Albertsen (based on original by) Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Riley Keough, Eli Goree, Ethan Hawke, Peter Sarsgaard Antoine Fuqua is quickly becoming a writer/director that needs no introduction with the high-level thrills he delivers with films like “Training Day,” “Southpaw”, and both “Equalizer” films, but his … Continue reading TIFF 2021 Review: The Guilty
effects, snappy pacing and genuinely engaging characters you wanted to see survive. It was perhaps lost in discussions of recent horror successes under the fawning praise for the Jordan Peeles and Ari Asters of the world, but it definitely deserves more attention. It ends with an extremely blatant bit of sequel bait, something that – done poorly – can seem obnoxiously self-assured or if attached to a complete bomb that never gets a follow-up, accidentally hilarious (hello, Dark Universe). But this film’s sequel hook was exciting and made me earnestly look forward to a potential second entry. And after the slight disappointment that was “Spiral” earlier this year, it made me look forward to this puzzle-heavy serialized horror sequel all the more. And unlike that film, “Escape Room: Tournament of Champions” largely delivers on its promise. Continue reading Review: Escape Room – Tournament of Champions
hundred million dollars. What kind of art could possibly command so much money? This is a riveting documentary about a lost painting, the machinations of the art community and how the extremely wealthy acquire and sometimes hide, the masterpieces of the world. Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival 2021: The Lost Leonardo
Kitamura is the kind of director that’s had his hands in a bunch of different properties and genres. He’s gone into the depths of bloody and brutal horror, been behind a Godzilla movie with “Godzilla: Final Wars”, taken on plenty of action flicks, and even did a live-action adaptation of “Lupin the 3rd”. He’s a director whose mark might be subtle, but it definitely doesn’t go unnoticed and it’s why it’s baffling how “The Doorman” ended up being so bland. The film’s story of a former Marine named Ali (Rose) becoming hotel doorman in New York City after a traumatic combat experience and being forced to protect a family after a group of thieves break into the hotel isn’t all that unfamiliar. Honestly, the whole idea of action stars protecting families has been seen in both adult action flicks like “The Transporter” series and family-friendly films like “The Pacifier”. “The Doorman” is the epidemy of these kind of films as it brings nothing to set itself apart. Continue reading NIGHTSTREAM Review: The Doorman
Being stuck on the shelf since it debuted at Toronto Film Festival back in 2018, Blumhouse has finally decided to let the latest film from writer/director Veena Sud, “The Lie”, loose through a multi-film deal with Amazon. The film, a remake of the German film “We Monsters”, follows parents Jay (Peter Sarsgaard) and Rebecca (Mireille Enos) as their love for their daughter Kayla (Joey King) after she makes a lethal mistake. “The Lie” is essentially the same kind of story we’ve seen in stuff like “Defending Jacob” – a teenager is suspected of doing something wrong, usually murder, and the parents are forced to do everything in their power to prove their innocence and keep them safe. It’s a test of how far parents are willing to go to protect their kids when they’re suspected of something that could put their entire life in jeopardy. Continue reading Film Review: The Lie
One of the strongest and most compelling elements of “Black Bear” is Plaza’s performance as she truly commands the screen with Allison’s controlling personality. She’s clearly comes with a purpose that she’s keeping hidden to herself and although she’s never exactly truthful with what she’s saying, Plaza constantly piques your curiosity just to keep you wondering what’s true and what’s not. Allison is also a huge provocateur, at least in the first half of the film, as she elevates issues between Blair and Gabe by throwing opinions out there and trying to back pedal out of it. Even for her causing a rift between these two likely for the sake of some dramatic inspiration, there’s still a distinct charm that Plaza brings to the character that keeps you invested and intrigued by everything she does. Continue reading NiGHTSTREAM Review: Black Bear
In Their Own League 