FEATURED
Film Reviews
Film Review – After Yang
Writer/director Kogonada’s After Yang (2022) is a film of subtle, moving power. Its effect doesn’t make itself known right away but washes over us like a dream. Adapted from Alexander Weinstein’s short story “Saying Goodbye to Yang,” Kogonada’s sci-fi tale explores loss, grief, memory, family, and the invisible ties…
READ MOREFilm Review – Fresh
***Warning: This review contains minor spoilers*** Dating can be a stressful and embarrassing undertaking. There are the mundane, recycled questions (“Where are you from?” “What do you like to do?” “What are you into?”), dinners populated with eating and awkward silences, and the inevitable moment…
READ MOREFilm Review – No Exit
No Exit (2022) is the kind of thriller that sneaks up on you. The premise is familiar and it takes a while to get going. Once it does, we surprisingly get caught up in it. It doesn’t necessarily do anything new, but has enough style and…
READ MOREFilm Review – Hard Hit
Writer/director Changju Kim’s Hard Hit (2021) is a solid, throwback thriller. A remake of the Spanish film, Retribution (2015), this South Korean offering has the DNA of tense, location-specific action films of the past. Characters trapped in a vehicle wired with a bomb will call to mind the premise of Speed (1994).…
READ MOREFilm Review – Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)
The appeal of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) – and part of the reason it has had such a lasting legacy – was in how it embraced its luridness. With its grainy film stock, shocking violence, and guerilla-style approach, the film’s sole purpose was to disturb…
READ MOREFilm Review – Kimi
In 2013, director Steven Soderbergh announced that he would be taking a leave from filmmaking. Since then, he’s arguably been more prolific than ever, heading numerous movie, TV, and off-Broadway projects. Apparently, his short-lived hiatus only worked to spark his creativity. He’s one of the few filmmakers…
READ MOREFilm Review – I Want You Back
Misery loves company, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. That is the predicament our two central characters face in I Want You Back (2022). Directed by Jason Orley (cowritten by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger) this is a throwback romantic comedy that isn’t afraid to embrace its tropes. Twenty…
READ MOREFilm Review – Marry Me
The premise of Marry Me (2022) is utterly preposterous. Global music icon Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) and her fiancé Bastian (Maluma) plan to exchange vows during a lavish concert in front of their adoring fans. When Kat discovers Bastian has been unfaithful, she suffers what can only…
READ MORE