Sebastián Lelio’s ‘The Wonder’ Trashes History
What we have with The Wonder is a film that begins by discussing a historical crime and ends up committing one – or at least the narrative equivalent.
mystery
David Duchovny’s Mystery Novella ‘The Reservoir’ Drifts Between Fact and Hallucination
David Duchovny’s novella The Reservoir drifts into the murky depths of the fever dream state of isolation and dislocation.
‘The Pale Blue Eye’ Looks Upon the Poe You Didn’t Know
Scott Cooper’s The Pale Blue Eye has Edgar Allan Poe (Harry Melling) making an unconventional partner to Christian Bale’s 1830s sleuth.
Why Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’ Mirrors Today’s Social Media Age
In its exploration of themes like paranoia, voyeurism, and loneliness, Hitchcock’s Rear Window strikes a familiar chord with the social media climate we live in today.
The Revulsion Should Not Be Televised: On ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities’
H.P. Lovecraft’s masterful method of telling a horror story eludes “Pickman’s Model” and “The Dreams in the Witch House” from Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities.
Argentine Noir ‘El Vampiro Negro’ Will Have You Swooning
Argentine noir El Vampiro Negro is a visual mastery of Expressionist nightmare with a bravura style that makes film buffs of the high studio era swoon.
‘Miss Sherlock’ Homages Sherlock Holmes with an Androgynous Twist
The television show Miss Sherlock bends and twists the conventional Japanese character into something that fills the world of Sherlock Holmes.
What Was Paramount Smoking When It Released ‘Murder at the Vanities’?
There are wild numbers in the raunchy pre-code 1934 musical Murder at the Vanities but “Sweet Marijuana” really stirred up the uptights. Paramount shrugged.
‘Devil in a Blue Dress’ Is Among Neo-Noir’s Finest Films
Denzel Washington’s voiceover in neo-noir Devil in a Blue Dress is an equal mix of deadpan charm and wide-eyed innocence, which textures and nuances his performance.
Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Severance’ Paints Sublime and Subversive Art
More than just corporate propaganda, the subversive artworks in Severance hold a strange place in Lumon Industries’ ideological fabric.
‘Charade’ after 60 Years: A Crossroad Film For Its Golden Age Stars
When you need a break from today’s harsh realities, you need a film like the 1963 comedy/mystery/romance ‘Charade’, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.
Horror Film ‘The Empty Man’ Unmasks Internet Age Nihilism
David Prior’s 2020 horror film The Empty Man taps into a form of nihilism that might be taking over the world via social media.
