Foreign
Film Review – Cracked
The Thai horror film Cracked (2022) creates effective creepiness with limited resources. Utilizing a small cast and a few locations, director Surapong Ploensang (who co-writes with Orunusa Donsawai and Pun Homchuen) evokes mood with relative ease. While the overall narrative is thin in terms of story and character, the craftsmanship on display…
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Film Review – R.M.N.
The title of R.M.N. (2022) loosely translates to “Magnetic Resonance Imaging,” or “M.R.I.” This is a not-so-subtle clue from Romanian writer/director Cristian Mungiu over his intentions. Just as he did with his Palme D’or winning 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007), Mungiu takes a small, enclosed narrative and uses…
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Film Review – One Fine Morning
For many, life is not made up of big sweeping moments, but of small intimate struggles. Going to work, making money, taking care of our loved ones – these are the responsibilities that make up our daily existence. But the small things can eventually build…
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Film Review – Hidden Blade
There are few films that evoke atmosphere and mood as well as Er Cheng’s Hidden Blade (2023). A spy thriller set in Japanese-occupied China during the height of WWII, the tone and visuals have such rich textures that every frame looks like an oil painting. Compositions place characters…
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Film Review – No Bears
Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi has never been the type to bend to authority. His work – which takes a humanistic approach to life in Iran – has been labeled as propaganda by the government. This has led to numerous legal battles. This Is Not a Film (2011) was…
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Film Review – All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) begins with a powerful opening sequence. We open on a field of dead German soldiers, victims of WWI trench warfare. We see the bodies transported to a mass grave, but the journey doesn’t stop there. The camera follows their…
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Film Review – Decision to Leave
If there is one thing to expect from South Korean director Park Chan-wook, it’s the unexpected. From The Vengeance Trilogy, Thirst (2009), Stoker (2013), and The Handmaiden (2016), Park is a master of keeping us on our toes. Even when we have a familiarity with his set up, he has a knack for…
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Film Review – Athena
When it comes to pure kinetic energy, few have matched the size and scope of Athena (2022). This is a propulsive, muscular film, exploding out of the gate with high octane action. Director Romain Gavras (who cowrites with Elias Belkeddar and Ladj Ly) has crafted a story that feels urgent in every…
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