An Eye for an Eye
An Eye for an Eye is an eye-opening documentary about the brutality of Sharia Law in modern Iran. Years after killing her abusive husband in self-defense, Tahereh now faces execution, unless she can pay the diya, or blood money, demanded by her abuser’s family. With the clock ticking and public sympathy wearing thin, her son Mohsen is thrust into a desperate race to save his mother’s life.
Directing duo Tanaz Eshaghian and Farzad Jafari frame the film like a courtroom drama, plunging us into the moral maze their subjects must navigate. We witness not just the emotional toll on Tahereh’s family, but the terrifying inner workings of a justice system warped by religious law. Laws that make it nearly impossible for women to defend themselves from violent men. The footage the filmmakers captured is often jaw-dropping: from an Imam casually contradicting himself, to the victim’s family refusing to acknowledge they raised an abusive, drug-addicted POS.
But for all its urgency and access, the film has one glaring issue: it should’ve been a short. Clocking in over 80 minutes, An Eye for an Eye spins its wheels far too often, circling the same emotional beats, chasing narrative dead-ends, and wandering off on tangents that ultimately add nothing. The runtime feels padded, as if the filmmakers were determined to hit the feature-length mark whether the story justified it or not. A lean, focused 40-minute short would’ve packed a stronger punch and done justice to the gravity of the subject. That said, An Eye for an Eye is still an important, powerful watch. But it would’ve been a much better film if it had known when to stop.
My Rating: B
Take the Money and Run
I remember when the art piece Take the Money and Run blew up. The two blank canvases that were supposed to have money attached to them, only for the artist to literally take the cash and disappear, was a hilarious bit of performative art. But now that the dust has settled and Jens Haaning has been forced to pay the museum back for the money he technically stole, it’s time to actually reflect on the piece and its meaning, as explored in Ole Juncker’s documentary Take the Money and Run. The film dives into some genuinely interesting questions around artistic ownership, media influence, and how we define originality, authenticity, and art in today’s world. But honestly, given its subject, this doesn’t feel like the strongest documentary to tackle those themes.
For those unfamiliar: Haaning was commissioned by a Danish museum to create two canvases featuring real money, loaned by the museum as a visual statement about low wages in Denmark. Instead, he delivered two blank canvases, kept the money, and called that the art. Bold? Yes. Legally murky? Also yes. He didn’t just subvert expectations, he outright broke his contract and walked off with the funds, reportedly using the money to buy a house. So yeah, when you break it down, this probably isn’t the ideal case study for a deep exploration of art and ownership. That said, it’s still a bizarre and fascinating moment in contemporary art history, if only as a cautionary tale about why you probably shouldn’t hand artists a bag of cash with no strings attached.
My Rating: B-
Billy Idol Should be Dead
I’ve always loved jamming out to Billy Idol. For someone as iconic as he is, it’s honestly wild that no one’s made a documentary about him, until now. Billy Idol Should Be Dead is a pretty standard music doc that covers the life and times of one of British punk rock’s most legendary figures. Over the course of two hours, it walks us through his rise to fame, his battles with addiction, his near-fatal motorcycle crash, and his eventual rediscovery of music.
It doesn’t break any new ground in terms of structure or approach, aside from a few standout animated sequences and some surprisingly raw, vulnerable moments from Billy himself. But what it lacks in innovation, it makes up for with heart. Between the restored archival footage, the infectious energy of the people around him, and, of course, that killer soundtrack, Billy Idol Should Be Dead ends up being a must-watch, not just for diehard fans, but for anyone who loves a good rock doc.
My Rating: B
The Sixth Borough
The Sixth Borough is a documentary that dives into the early days of rap and hip-hop on Long Island during the ’70s and ’80s. Through a mix of archival performance footage, newspaper clippings, and interviews with the pioneers who helped shape the movement, The Sixth Borough offers an in-depth look at the rise of hip-hop in Black suburbia. While the documentary doesn’t do anything particularly groundbreaking, it’s still a fascinating watch. The subjects are engaging, and the restored footage is absolutely stunning. A must-watch for fans of hip-hop and anyone who loves a good music doc.
My Rating: B
Nobu
Nobu is a fairly standard culinary documentary about one of the most influential Japanese chefs in recent memory, Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa. He walks us through his life, his culinary inspirations, and how he became the chef who helped bring Japanese cuisine to America. But for a documentary about food, there’s a surprising lack of, well… cooking.
Instead of letting us watch Nobu in action, the film feels scattered, unsure of where to put its focus. One part of it plays like a biography, with Nobu recounting his journey from the comfort of his $10+ million mansion. Another part dives into his business empire, featuring his many restaurants and luxury hotels. Often while he’s lounging on his private jet. And then there’s the smallest part, unfortunately: actual footage of Nobu cooking or mentoring in the kitchen.
The key to a solid subject doc is having a clear, focused vision, and Nobu just doesn’t have that. With multiple false endings that make you check your watch, and a serious lack of culinary artistry in what’s supposed to be a food doc, this one ends up feeling more like a branded profile piece than something truly insightful. Disappointing, especially when the subject had so much potential.
My Rating: C
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