Last year was our first time covering Tribeca as press, albeit virtually due to the imminent danger of the pandemic. This year, we were grateful to able to attend in person, as it is the primary festival that we can easily attend given its location in our own backyard. We had the opportunity to cover our very first red carpets, including our first in-person interviews. We also sat down with the two leads of Blaze over Zoom, and attended several exciting events! Read on for our full rundown of festival coverage, as well as our personal ten favorite films from 2022’s Tribeca Film Festival!
Films
88
Full review at the link.
ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY
Full review at the link.
Attachment
For the majority of the runtime, writer/director Gabriel Bier Gislason’s new horror comedy Attachment does a terrific job of building up character and creeping, eerie tension. Leah (Ellie Kendrick) and Maja (Josephine Park) share a library meet-cute, and from there, the relationship seems to blossom nicely. Maja doesn’t act anymore beyond “the elf stuff,” and Leah seems to be an odd match for her. Leah is a Jewish academic from London, who lives with her obsessive mother. Weird amulets, exploration of Jewish folklore and one possession later, Attachment feels very different from what I had originally envisioned. The sparks never quite fly enough to make Leah and Maja a couple to root for. One can see each story beat coming from a mile away, but there is a comfort in the simplicity of this standard queer horror possession flick.
BILLION DOLLAR BABIES: THE TRUE STORY OF THE CABBAGE PATCH KIDS
Full review at the link.
THE BLACK PHONE
Full review at the link.
BLAZE
Full review at the link.
BLESSED BOYS
Full review at the link.
BREAKING THE ICE
The pool is incredibly small for lesbian sports films, so there isn’t really much in the way of the competition. Nevertheless, Breaking the Ice could have used a finer touch. It tells the story of stuffy perfectionist Mira, as her world is thrown into upheaval by the dementia of her grandfather and a spunky new girl on her hockey team named Theresa. Winning is everything, and as the captain of the team, Mira faces incredible mounting pressures that she may or may not be fully prepared for. She reconnects with her brother Paul, who comes back into the fray after she calls him out of the blue with news of their grandfather’s condition. Eventually, there’s a Macklemore lip sync, partying, an intense hockey finale, and an all-too-brief lesbian sex scene. Breaking the Ice feels like it never actually breaks through, content to scratch the surface and give merely a taste of what the audience will crave.
BROADWAY RISING
As an avid Broadway lover who was counting down the days when I could be back in the comforting seat of a theatre auditorium during the entire pandemic shutdown of 2020, Broadway Rising seems tailor-made to my interests. From a gripping opening, I was so excited to dive into the craziness of the closures, the seriousness of that initial first wave of covid-19, and an upsetting recap of legitimate headlines I remember reading myself as the news was coming out. However, there really isn’t much more to Broadway Rising beyond this. When the film dips its toes into the Black Lives Matter movement and other issues that sprung up during the pandemic, it is done in a way that that seems like filler fluff without anything of substance to say. Nick Cordero’s tragic story is captured wonderfully in this doc, and winds up being one of the most successful elements. The resilience of the Broadway community is a great message, but it isn’t underlined boldly enough. For much of the runtime, I was just left remembering the circumstances occurring, and of course that wild time with all the Zoom reunions and tribute concerts. At a certain point, there were so many of them happening I couldn’t even keep up! Sadly, the majority of Broadway Rising is simply catching up with extremely limited cast and crew, and how the pandemic personally affected them. If simply rehashing the early pandemic is what one is looking for, Broadway Rising may be the right doc for you.
Carajita
Full review at the link.
CHERRY
Full review at the link.
CORNER OFFICE
An opening credits sequence that gets quite literally typed onto the screen and a snowy, atmospheric setting establish the mood for a film I was hoping for great things from. Unfortunately, Corner Office was not able to live up to my lofty expectations. Jon Hamm is fantastic in his role here as the questionably obsessive lead. I had trouble figuring out the tone Corner Office was trying to achieve, and what it was ultimately trying to say seemed a jumbled mess. Orson (Hamm) has just started at a new job, and his desk is the only one without a divider. Haunted by visions of his coworker’s stack of papers overflowing onto his own workspace, Orson stumbles upon a place where maximum productivity may be possible. It is a random cushy private office, looking completely different than the dour openness of Orson’s desk. There is only one problem: Orson is the only one who can see it. With an outlandish premise, Corner Office should be crazier. Maybe one has to work in an office to truly “get it,” but the film’s dry humor did almost nothing for me.
DON’T MAKE ME GO
Full review at the link.
THE DROP
Full review at the link.
FAMILY DINNER
Full review at the link.
GOD SAVE THE QUEENS
Full review at the link.
GOOD GIRL JANE
Set in the fall of 2005, Good Girl Jane is a coming-of-age drama examining a teen’s downward spiral into drug addiction fueled by manipulation. Falling in with the wrong crowd is relatable, but at this point it has just been so done to death that I wished the film had more to say. A cute guy with an Irish accent (Patrick Gibson) catches Jane’s attention at a party, and afterward she will practically follow him to the ends of earth down the lines of a crack pipe. The acting is excellent, but Good Girl Jane lacks the raw power of other addiction dramas. One can see the grooming coming from a mile away, and Jane (Rain Spencer) eases into poor decision after poor decision, making her a middling character hard to empathize with. The film fails to break past the generic premise, instead being overall just okay.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE
Full review at the link.
HALFTIME
Depending on the level of love one has for Jennifer Lopez, Halftime is an essential look at the modern stage of this dedicated artist, actress, and inspirational Latina woman. As Lopez recalls major life milestones (including her first Golden Globe nomination for the underrated Selena!), the inception of her passion project Hustlers, and her journey to share the stage with Shakira at 2020’s Super Bowl, I was completely enthralled with the patience and commitment she displays. In the face of public ridicule, Lopez never seems to crumble or bow to her struggles. She refuses to let herself be defined by one thing, as she views success as the ability to constantly evolve her brand. A perfectionist at heart, Jennifer Lopez proves in Halftime that she has a heart of gold and a genuine sense of humor. She may still be Jenny from the block, but I will be damned if Lopez isn’t one impressive female icon for the ages.
HAZING
(Written by Intern, Megan Davis) Although I am not involved in greek life, I am no stranger to the rumors and stories of hazing that circulate on my campus. However, I don’t think much of it because I have never experienced nor seen it. Hazing, a documentary directed by Byron Hurt, brings to light the stories of those that have lost their lives to acts of hazing and, with the addition of the impactful stories of their families, allows one to see the warped reality presented across the media. Hearing from families of victims, those who experienced abuse as a part of a greek organization, and even those who perpetrated these acts was extremely moving, and serves as a poignant reminder that these cases are not isolated incidents. Hurt featured multitudes of real supplemental photos and videos of the events and people being discussed that, when interlaced with interviews and b-roll footage, supported the story greatly. I especially enjoyed the editing of the film. With so many moving elements, it is easy to feel as if one is watching a slideshow rather than a film, but I believe this documentary avoids that with ease.
JERRY AND MARGE GO LARGE
Full review at the link.
LAND OF GOLD
Full review at the link.
LEAVE NO TRACE
Full review at the link.
LYNCH/OZ
Full review at the link.
MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MARRIAGE
Full review at the link.
NAKED GARDENS
Naked Gardens is a documentary that delivers on the promise of the concept: it is quite simply just a doc about a nudist community called Sunsport Gardens. Prepare to see lots and lots of genitals, and embark on a surprising rift amongst the townsfolk. Should there be a nudity policy, or changes to the restrictions of nudity to appease parents? People who flock to these colonies for cheap living often do not even follow the rules, and seem to be in a way making a mockery of the place itself. Someone teach these children how to count! Weirdly enough, this felt so primitive to me in that we observe people nude simply going about their day-to-day living. Lounging about, cleaning bikes, and communally swimming without clothes on to me feels bizarre, but it is nice to see so many individuals be comfortable in their own skin. Perhaps this would have been terrific as a short; it feels dragged out by feature length standards.
NUDE TUESDAY
Laura (Jackie van Beek) and Bruno (Damon Herriman) have lost the sexual spark in their relationship. After being gifted invites to an exclusive couple’s retreat, they get way more than they bargained for thanks to the incorrigible methods of Bjorg (Jemaine Clement). Nude Tuesday is basically just sex-forward couples therapy. This Aussie comedy misses the mark a bit by limiting audience connection to Laura and Bruno to only surface-level comedy asides. Nothing about this relationship feels real or authentic, with every moment wallowing in silliness or exaggeration. I would hesitate to say Nude Tuesday is actually a bad movie; rather, it does little to distinguish itself or break through to becoming memorable. A plethora of streaming options for better comedies means Nude Tuesday could easily get lost in the shuffle.
PINK MOON
Full review at the link.
ROUNDING
Rounding is a film I was very much looking forward to at the festival, especially as it is one of the few horror titles out of this year’s lineup. Chronicling a traumatized resident who relocated to Greenville for his second year to recuperate, Rounding should have been an easy home run. For starters, Namir Smallwood as lead James gives a captivating performance that immediately sucks one into its orbit. At first, his journey of learning hits similar dramatic beats of nearly any major medical drama. Due to the haunting of his past, the narrative gets wobbly with visions, nightmares, floating girls, and bizarre pig-nosed created with flames on their heads. Nasty body horror is briefly glimpsed before dissipating entirely. The ending gives little closure, and elicits merely a shrug, leaving the viewer pondering why they even chose to watch it in the first place.
Roving Woman
Full review at the link.
SPACE ODDITY
Full review at the link.
TIU
I am a pretty casual listener of the band Of Monsters and Men, and admittedly they have some absolute bangers like “Little Talks” and “Dirty Paws.” I was excited to see a title at Tribeca that would celebrate the band in the form of a music documentary; when I noticed Tiu‘s runtime was a mere 48 minutes, however, I was left both puzzled and bewildered. I tried to hide my disappointment as the film played out, basically in a collection of song rehearsals and sharing memories. In the end, the soothing sounds and beautiful lyrics won me over, even if the whole thing is simply fluff. There is little insight into the band beyond them functioning as a chosen family, so I think this one may be strictly for avid fans of the band.
THREE HEADED BEAST
A whirlwind relationship between two men and one woman has potential to be milked for maximum dramatic impact. See: the amazing 2003 erotic drama The Dreamers as reference, along with the countless movies since then that have handled ménage à trois. Sadly, this Tribeca drama falls into the category of a major miss. Three Headed Beast is an almost entirely dialogue-free experience, which may help or hinder one’s enjoyment going in with this knowledge. For me, I was left scratching my head at some of the filmmaking choices. Clocking in shy of an hour and a half, this is one supremely short movie—being that it is comprised almost strictly of unglamorous sex sequences rather than the progression of any brand of story or character growth, the film’s length is another puzzling addition. This feels like more of a pretentious student film than a movie proper. Three separate panels convey the everyday lives of a younger man (Cody Shook) and the 8-year-strong bisexual couple at the center (Jacob Schatz, Dani Hurtado). The one time I laughed was when writers/directors Fernando Andres and Tyler Rugh show the couple out and about, working, exercising, and thriving, as the cute queer slumbers.
TWO SISTERS AND A HUSBAND
Full review at the link.
VENGEANCE
The latest in a long line of podcast-inspired mysteries similar to Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, Vengeance tells a searing and deeply funny tale of doing whatever it takes to unearth a story. BJ Novak’s Vengeance collects a phenomenal ensemble cast that mesh in an indescribably fluid way. When Ben’s casual hookup shows up dead of a suspected overdose, her shaken brother, Ty (Boyd Holbrook, Narcos, The Cursed), begs Ben (BJ Novak, The Office) to come to her funeral. Ty is convinced that Abilene, who allegedly “never touched so much as an Advil” has actually been murdered, and wants Ben to stick around in Texas to help bring the bastard down. Ben views this as a perfect window to his podcast, and begrudgingly agrees at the service of a great story. Before his very eyes, Ben becomes deeply knit into Abilene’s welcoming (and very Southern) family. As he gets closer to unearthing the truth, a target forms squarely on his back. Holbrook’s Ty had our theatre audience howling in laughter, with the Shaw family feeling like a genuine unit. An engaging mystery pairs against dark humor harmoniously. Furthermore, Ashton Kutcher and Issa Rae shine as a layered music producer and Ben’s podcast producer, respectively. Dialogue is sharp and silly, and if a Fritos pie sounds like a good time, BJ Novak has one covered.
WE MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD
(Written by Intern, Vuong Hoang) We Might As Well Be Dead, with its intriguing and mysterious dystopian premise and distinctively structuralist visual aesthetic, seemed right up my alley. How can one deny a quirky, conceptual drama about a dystopian future that doubles as a social commentary on our equally dystopian present? Unfortunately this film’s form tries and utterly fails to generate enough substance to keep one grounded in its world. Don’t get me wrong, it is beautiful to look at. The slightly cold, pastel tones and framing devices such as windows, doors and parallel lines make for a unique visual identity that evokes an indescribable eeriness. The soundtrack also deserves a mention for its effectiveness in enhancing the absurdity, especially the bedroom pop number during the festival scene. With that said, where I think We Might As Well Be Dead tragically falls short is tension: why are people so afraid of the outside? Why are these house communities so life-sustainingly important in this dystopian world? The audience is given neither an answer to these questions, nor enough subtextual clues to come to our own conclusions. This becomes an issue when most of the dramatic tension relies on everyone’s supposed fear of the outside. There is an insightful commentary on themes of paranoia, gated communities, and outsideness to be dug into here, but the lack of meaningful tension makes it difficult, for me at least, to really engage with the intellectual and thematic explorations the film presents.
A WOUNDED FAWN
A Wounded Fawn, another horror selection at Tribeca, was rightfully one of my most anticipated. With Josh Ruben as one of the leads, and Jakob’s Wife director Travis Stevens behind the camera, where could one go wrong? In my opinion, A Wounded Fawn evokes Sundance’s Fresh and recent cult-movie The Long Night, but feels like a lesser version of both films. Museum curator Meredith (Sarah Lind) is seeing a new mystery man named Bruce (Ruben), and the time has come for a cute getaway alone together at a secluded cabin. What could possibly go wrong? The answer is everything of course, and I wish I wasn’t just talking about the life of Meredith. Conflicting tonal inconsistencies bog down the oft-impressive eerie visuals, which is definitely a major disappointment. A Wounded Fawn in three words would be as follows: pretentious, cerebral, annoying.
THE YEAR BETWEEN
Living with bipolar disorder is a daily struggle. With my own brother being diagnosed, I have a bit of experience with having a family member going through this, so it was with this insight in mind that I set out to watch The Year Between. Freshly kicked out of school and a bridge burned with her roommate, Clem (Alex Heller, who also wrote and directs) moves back in her parents’ home. They already used Clem’s own room for office space, so she will have to make do with staying in the basement. However, her behavior is wildly unpredictable. At first, Clem is managing alright as she adjusts to the correct medicine cocktail and starts her new job at Big Deals. After meeting a volatile young man who reignites a prescription pill addiction, Clem takes a turn for the worst as her family struggles to understand where she is coming from. What follows is a rather predictable story of reform, which is serviceable but does little in the way of originality. Clem’s parents, played by J. Smith-Cameron and Steve Buscemi, are lovable and committed to helping Clem. I wish we saw more of siblings portrayed by Wyatt Oleff and Emily Robinson. I found Clem to be so frustrating, and at times hard to watch. Ultimately, The Year Between is a perfectly fine dramedy that does its job.
YOU CAN LIVE FOREVER
Full review at the link.
Television
THE BEAR
Full review at the link.
Josh’s Ten Favorite Films
Allison’s Ten Favorite Films
With such a breadth of incredible films on the pipeline, it was a wonder we were able to screen as many as we did in such a short length of time. I have no doubt in my mind that several of these titles may end up on our year-end best movies list! We cannot wait to cover the festival and attend once again in 2023! For more information on the fest, head over to the official Tribeca Film Festival website.