Chain Reactions. Directed by Alexandre O. Phillippe
Director Alexandre O. Phillippe (78/52, You Can Call Me Bill, Lynch/Oz) returns with Chain Reactions, a documentary exploring the influence of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre through the eyes of filmmakers and fans like Patton Oswalt, Takashi Miike, Alexandra Heller-Nichols, Stephen King, and Karyn Kusama. As with his previous work, it’s always a treat to watch legends gush over a film that shaped them, and Phillippe’s skillful use of archival footage, cinematic framing, and stylistic flair gives his documentary a distinct look. However, much like Lynch/Oz, it falls into a repetitive rhythm, with subjects echoing similar points to diminishing effect. The passion is real, the insights are sharp, but the format is wearing thin. Phillippe needs to shake things up. Still, Chain Reactions remains a compelling tribute to one of horror’s most lasting cultural imprints.
My Rating: B
BAR. Directed by Don Hardy
If you love cocktails, then BAR is for you. It follows five students at the Culinary Institute of America as they take on the BAR (Beverage Alcohol Resource) program, aiming to become top-tier mixologists. There’s something undeniably satisfying about watching culinary masters at work, and BAR leans into that hard. The craft is mesmerizing, the cinematography is lush, and the drinks look tasty, and this is coming from someone who doesn’t drink alcohol. That said, the students chosen feel more like demographic checkboxes than compelling characters, and the real draw ends up being the BAR instructors themselves, who are clearly the true masters here. Still, whether you’re a cocktail enthusiast or just drink like one, BAR has plenty to offer.
My Rating: B-
Viktor. Directed by Olivier Sarbil
Viktor isn’t your typical documentary about the war in Ukraine. Instead of focusing on soldiers in the trenches or the civilian toll, it centers on a deaf photojournalist named Viktor. He wants to fight for his country, but because of his disability, he’s seen as a liability and is repeatedly turned away by the military. Frustrated, he picks up a camera and turns to photojournalism as his way of contributing to the war effort. What follows is an intimate character study of a man struggling with the idea that being a warrior means being on the front lines, a belief shaped by his love of samurai films like Seven Samurai and Rashomon. For Viktor, taking photos becomes his form of resistance, his way of fighting for those he loves.
The cinematography is intimate, drenched in gorgeous black and white that gives every frame a haunting beauty. The staging is so precise and deliberate that the film almost borders on docufiction rather than pure documentary. But the real MVP here is the sound design. The war is heard as Viktor hears it: muffled, distant, disorienting. It’s a bold and effective choice. Overall, a strikingly unique portrayal of the war in Ukraine.
My Rating: B
The Chef & The Daruma. Directed by Mads K. Baekkevold
If you love sushi, you owe a lot to Chef Hidekazu Tojo, the man who brought Japanese cuisine to the West with his invention of the California Roll. Mads K. Baekkevold honors Tojo’s legacy in his debut feature documentary, The Chef & The Daruma, where we follow the chef through a day in his life as he prepares meals for his restaurant and reflects on his journey from Japan to Canada. Along the way, he shares stories of a recent trip to Japan and his early days in Vancouver, touching on the challenges of immigration and the deep importance of staying connected to your roots. As a subject-focused documentary, it plays things pretty by the book and drifts at times, but at its core, it’s a warm, thoughtful portrait of one of the most influential Japanese chefs of our time. If you love sushi, this one’s absolutely worth your time.
My Rating: B
Unclickable. Directed by Babis Makridis
Unclickable’s heart is in the right place as it tries to tackle the widespread crime of ad fraud, where scammers inflate ad metrics to create fake traffic, forcing advertisers to pay for clicks that never actually happened. It’s a genuinely important topic, and you can feel the passion behind the camera, but the film just doesn’t know how to handle its own subject. Instead of offering a clear breakdown of what ad fraud actually is, the documentary gets lost in vague generalizations and half-baked explanations. By the end, I was still left wondering how any of it actually works. Add in some smug interviews that talk down to the audience without offering real solutions, and the result is a muddled mess. If a documentary can’t explain its own topic or how to address it, then it’s not doing its job.
My Rating: C
Jean Cocteau. Directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland
Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland sets out to crack the enigma that is Jean Cocteau, the French poet, artist, playwright, actor, and filmmaker. Through archival footage and Cocteau’s own letters, she crafts a layered portrait of a man driven by relentless creativity. In just 90 minutes, she attempts to cover the full scope of his life, from his early days in Paris to his late-career filmmaking. But does she truly decode who Cocteau was? Not really, but that’s kind of the point. Even Cocteau probably didn’t have that answer, and 90 minutes isn’t nearly enough to unravel someone so complex. Still, the documentary is beautifully put together, and with Josh O’Connor’s elegant narration of Cocteau’s letters, Jean Cocteau is absolutely worth watching for fans of his work.
My Rating: B
Suburban Fury. Directed by Robinson Devor
Sara Jane Moore is only the second woman in U.S. history to attempt an assassination on a sitting president, her target being Gerald Ford in 1975. But since that failed attempt, she’s never really had a chance to tell her side of the story, until now. Suburban Fury is a one-subject documentary, giving Moore the full stage to recount her life, from FBI informant to would-be assassin.
The film’s greatest strength and also its biggest weakness is Moore herself. At over 90 years old, she’s sharp, intimidating, and undeniably fascinating. Her aggression and wit dominate the screen, and it’s wild just how mentally present she is at her age. But that same aggression makes her a tough subject to sit with. Even after nearly 50 years, she shows no real remorse for her actions. And while she claims to regret the attempt, any pushback is met with immediate hostility. At one point, she even lashes out at the director for asking her to show some kind of regret. Making her the sole voice in the film is a bold move, but without anyone to challenge her narrative, the documentary ends up feeling one-sided and, frankly, frustrating.
That said, the film does shine in its use of restored archival footage. The glimpses into 1970s San Francisco activism are stunning and incredibly well-preserved. In concept, Suburban Fury is a compelling idea but in execution, it’s more exasperating than enlightening.
My Rating: C+
Seeds. Directed by Brittany Shyne
Seeds is an intimate, beautifully shot documentary that follows a group of Black farmers in the rural American South. Filmed entirely in black and white, it captures their daily lives. Whether harvesting radishes, wheat, and beans, or sharing quiet conversations through car windows, Seeds blur the line between documentary and fiction. The film pulses with urgency as these farmers fight to keep land their families have tended for over a century. That desperation comes through not only in the subjects but in the filmmaking itself, revealing how isolated they are and how much they rely on their tight-knit community. Though it occasionally drifts, the film’s heart remains firmly with its subjects.
However, Seeds stumbles with a major flaw: it accuses white farmers of easily securing funds while Black farmers struggle to get government subsidies. With no white farmer to add their perspective, the film feels one sided. Farmers, regardless of creed, are struggling because of government red tape and lack of government subsidies. And this issue is not just in America, but farmers across the world are struggling. In today’s divisive climate, including a white farmer’s voice would have grounded the film’s message and promoted unity rather than division. Overall, Seeds is a masterfully crafted, visually striking documentary shining a vital light on Black farmers’ struggles. It’s not perfect, but it’s certainly timely.
My Rating: B
The Balconettes. Directed by Noémie Merlant
The Balconettes was not the film I expected from French writer, actor, and director Noémie Merlant. It’s unhinged in the best way possible. Set during a sweltering summer in Marseille, we follow a trio of friends caught in a violent, terrifying affair. Merlant’s directorial vision is bold, striking a near-perfect balance between wild, batshit-crazy energy and sharp political commentary. While it veers off the rails here and there, The Balconettes is an undeniably fun ride for anyone willing to buckle in.
My Rating: B
Everybody Loves Touda. Directed by Nabil Ayouch
Everybody Loves Touda has its heart in the right place, but it stumbles under the weight of an underdeveloped story packed with the worst tropes of its genre. We follow Touda (Nisrin Erradi) as she chases her dream of becoming a Sheikha, a traditional Moroccan singer in Casablanca. Hoping to bring fame, fortune, and a better life for her deaf son. Yet, local customs stand firmly in her way.
From that synopsis, you can probably guess exactly where the film goes and it hits every beat you’d expect, almost predictably so. The foundation for something special is there, and the film makes an effort to push beyond the usual tropes, but its narrative and side characters are too thinly sketched to truly engage. Despite Nisrin Erradi’s magnetic presence, she can’t save this undercooked story. In the end, I’m left mourning what Everybody Loves Touda could have been.
My Rating: C+
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Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass. Directed by Timothy and Stephen Quay
Even after sitting with Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass, I still can’t quite put into words what I think of it. It’s not a film you describe, but one you experience. Adapted from Polish literary titan Bruno Schulz, it follows Józef, a young man traveling to a sanatorium in the Carpathian Mountains to visit his dying father. But what he finds is anything but ordinary. You might expect a straightforward drama with surreal touches, but this film is anything but. It’s a surreal, atmospheric nightmare soaked in gothic fantasy, brought to life with stop-motion animation unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s definitely a film worth experiencing, though it’s not for everyone. Leaning heavily into mood over plot, it will frustrate some viewers. But if you’re into strange, haunting vibes, Sanatorium is made for you..
My Rating: I Don’t Know
Shepherds. Directed by Sophie Deraspe
Set against the stunning backdrop of the French Alps, Shepherds follows Mathya (Felix-Antoine Duval), a burnt-out corporate worker who leaves city life behind to become a shepherd in rural France. But he quickly realizes that the reality is far tougher than he imagined. Director Sophie Deraspe walks a delicate line, offering a sharp commentary on how romanticized traditional lifestyles often overlook the harsh realities, while also capturing the genuine allure that draws so many back to those roots. Deraspe strikes an almost perfect balance in this beautiful, intimate drama about rediscovery. With standout performances from Duval and Solène Rigot, Shepherds is minimalist filmmaking at its finest.
My Rating: B
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