Bill Gunn’s ‘Personal Problems’ Is a Milestone in American Indie Filmmaking
With its rough framing, shaky handheld shots, and available light, Bill Gunn’s Personal Problems anticipates the documentary aesthetic of 21st-century vérité-lite TV shows.
Film Review
Ridley Scott’s Low-Key ‘The Dog Stars’ Hides in Plain Sight
A welcome departure for Ridley Scott, slow and contemplative, The Dog Stars is a nuanced work of social commentary disguised as a survivalist film.
Hirokazu Koreeda’s ‘Sheep in the Box’ Embraces AI Unquestioningly
Hirokazu Koreeda’s unsettling Sheep in the Box confuses love with imitation and embraces AI unquestioningly.
‘Late Fame’ Is Wise to the Poetic Side of Life
Part mash note to Downtown Bohemia, part love letter to New York City, Late Fame is rich with poetic touchstones.
Triptych Drama ‘D’ici là’ Is a Finely Judged Collection of Stories
Sarah Leonor’s triptych drama D’ici la is an exercise in humility, emphasizing nature’s sensuality beneath the weight of the human footprint.
‘Disclosure Day’ Alludes to Societal Anxieties New and Old
By making a private company the antagonist, Disclosure Day subverts the fear that government oppression is the biggest threat to individual freedom.
‘Evil Dead Burn’ Has a Twisted Touch of Artfulness
Director Sébastien Vaniček, cinematographer Philip Lozano, and editor Maxime Caro bring much-appreciated visual artistry to the grotesquerie of Evil Dead Burn.
Claude Sautet Forged an Admirable Path in Character-Study Drama
Many of Claude Sautet’s films were pointed comments on how even the most assured families can be the victims of upheaval when cultural codes are challenged.
Food Movie ‘Mistura’ Seasons Peruvian Identity Too Lightly
Ricardo de Montreuil’s historical melodrama, Mistura, celebrates Peru’s culinary plurality while sidelining those who sustain it.
‘Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains’ Remains Punk Cinema’s Most Recognizable Signpost
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains built the scaffold on which more successful films about women in punk rock would scale grander heights.
‘Hunger’ Summons the Ghosts of Cinema’s Past
Imanol Ortiz López’s 2D animated short film, Hunger is a captivating tale of horror about two parents who decide what to do about their crying baby.
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head’s Quasi-Horror, Proto-Noir, Anti-War Message
The Man Who Reclaimed His Head belongs to its early 1930s era, when the last war and the next one were on everyone’s minds, and public rhetoric often jousted between talk of warmongers, preparedness, and pacifism.