★★★★ Director Rob Savage, responsible for Shudder’s 2020 breakout horror hit Host, is back with a vengeance in his found footage followup, Dashcam. This time around, Savage channels the manic energy of Evil Dead and the REC series for a bloody and bizarre feast for the senses. The introduction takes its time plunging us into … Continue reading TIFF 2021: Dashcam
TIFF 2021: The Wheel
★★★ (Written by Allison Brown) Few films offer such an emotional impact as TIFF's un-love story, The Wheel, directed by Steve Pink. Although I have never been married, I can imagine the weight this work would carry for anyone struggling in a complicated marriage or going through a divorce. Amber Midthunder as Albee and Bethany … Continue reading TIFF 2021: The Wheel
TIFF 2021: Music Box: Jagged
★★★★ As a music documentary, I think it is already obvious if one will find enjoyment in this new feature on iconic songwriter, Alanis Morissette. Like all of the best docs, we chart Morissette’s comprehensive rise from a faux-pop singer to an influential girl-power songwriter. The documentary gives one a glimpse into the headspace of … Continue reading TIFF 2021: Music Box: Jagged
Film Review: Best Sellers
★★★ Best Sellers is a quirky dramedy seen plenty of times before. Michael Caine plays famous retired author Harris Shaw, while Aubrey Plaza is an ambitious young publisher named Lucy. Lucy needs the popularity of Shaw to reignite interest in her publishing company, but Shaw certainly is not about to make things easy… Both lead … Continue reading Film Review: Best Sellers
Film Review: Blue Bayou
★★★★ (Written by Allison Brown) As a big fan of Alicia Vikander, I have been looking forward to Blue Bayou for some time, initially for months in anticipation of the original June 25th release date. Once it was announced for Cannes, the movie was pushed back without much clarity. I was so glad to finally … Continue reading Film Review: Blue Bayou
TIFF 2021: Encounter
★★★ The newest film from Amazon Studios comes in the form of sci-fi tinged Encounter, from director Michael Pearce. Plucking three lead performances all of Pakistani background, Encounter gets more right than wrong in general. However, I could not help feeling let down by certain elements of the storyline as they unfolded. The potential brimming … Continue reading TIFF 2021: Encounter
TIFF 2021: You Are Not My Mother
★★★★ Weird behavior is one thing, but what course of action would you take if your mother quite literally was someone else? Perhaps the most appropriately-named movie of the year, You Are Not My Mother is an eerie Irish horror film from debut feature writer/director Kate Dolan. The flavor of horror is difficult to pinpoint—occasionally … Continue reading TIFF 2021: You Are Not My Mother
TIFF 2021: The Mad Women’s Ball
★★★★ The Mad Women’s Ball, set in 1885, is a French thriller whose closest thematic bond is 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Based on the book by Victoria Mas, the film is a fictional account of wronged women and unjust horrors, as they are placed in asylums against their will. In this case, … Continue reading TIFF 2021: The Mad Women’s Ball
TIFF 2021: Lo Invisible
★★★ (Written by Allison Brown) Lo Invisible is a singular portrayal of how upper-class families neglect their relatives afflicted with postpartum depression. It is a rich study of the tender relationships an individual can form with “the help” while growing up under a sheltered life, and juxtaposes the duality of luxury with familial disinterest. Anahí … Continue reading TIFF 2021: Lo Invisible
TIFF 2021: Inexorable
★★★★ (Written by Allison Brown) Merriam-Webster defines Inexorable as “not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped.” This film from director Fabrice du Welz certainly fits the bill, leaving the audience constantly on edge once the true story begins to unfold, and providing a roster of inexorable characters. I can’t believe I almost skipped this one; … Continue reading TIFF 2021: Inexorable