Latest Reviews
Latest Reviews for films currently in theaters, on streaming, or screening at a film festival
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The film “Tenzing” portrays Tenzing Norgay’s significant role in the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition, moving beyond clichés with its immersive storytelling. Despite a formulaic first half, it captures the harsh conditions climbers faced and successfully highlights Norgay’s contributions, reminding viewers that the Everest ascent was a shared achievement rather than solely Sir Edmund Hillary’s.
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The film adaptation of Prima Facie, though aligned with the original play’s critique of the legal system, fails to capture its emotional depth. Despite Cynthia Erivo’s strong performance, the film suffers from uninspired direction and a lack of ambition, delivering its important message in a blunt manner that detracts from its impact, resulting in disappointment.
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Eugene Kotlyarenko’s Vintage Violence aims to blend social media influencers with Yakuza themes but falters due to a poor script and unlikable characters. Despite notable performances from Cole Sprouse and Kiko Mizuhara, the film delivers little excitement and ultimately disappoints with its tame approach to violence.
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“Digger,” directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and starring Tom Cruise, is a bold satire on billionaire culture and environmental crises. Despite being criticized and struggling at the box office, the film’s angry commentary and unique approach challenge audiences to confront their complicity in societal issues. Its artistic execution may eventually earn it retrospective appreciation.
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Verity is the kind of trashy thriller that could have been genuinely entertaining if it fully embraced its ridiculousness. Unfortunately, Dakota Johnson’s lifeless performance drags the film through an agonizingly dull first three-quarters, leaving Anne Hathaway’s gloriously campy performance and the increasingly absurd final act to arrive far too late.
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Alpha Gang is the kind of wonderfully strange movie that reminds you why movies are supposed to be fun. The Zellner Brothers deliver a campy, offbeat sci-fi comedy about alien bikers, human emotion, ’50s music, and a messenger hawk, with a stacked ensemble fully embracing the film’s ridiculous premise.
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Possible Love, directed by Lee Chang-dong, explores the complexities of class and empathy through the interactions of two married couples. As one couple navigates financial struggles and trauma from job loss, a wealthy documentary filmmaker’s involvement exacerbates hidden tensions. The film incisively examines the thin line between understanding and exploitation in portraying life experiences.
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Mike Leigh’s film Tender Loving Care, likely his final work due to illness, portrays social worker Amy’s struggle to care for her father, Geoff, as he shows signs of dementia. Blending humor with heartbreak, the film evolves from a slow start into a poignant exploration of family, aging, and community support.
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Paolo Strippoli’s The Spiral puts a vicious twist on the classic deal-with-the-devil story. When a desperate mother makes a supernatural bargain to save her daughter, each choice brings increasingly horrifying consequences. Disturbing, mean-spirited, and psychologically intense, this unsettling horror film explores just how far a parent might go for family.
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Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime takes a disturbing look at To Catch a Predator, examining how the pursuit of justice can become a spectacle of ego, power, and moral superiority. With Robert Pattinson delivering a compelling performance as Chris Hansen, the film transforms the controversial series into an unsettling psychological thriller.