★★★ (Written by Intern, Megan Davis) Butterfly Vision is a story not for the faint of heart, sullied by below-average execution. 29-year-old Ukrainian aerial reconnaissance expert Lilia (Marharyta Burkovska) returns home after being held prisoner by Russian separatists. In this time, she is raped by one of her captors and learns upon her return that … Continue reading Cannes 2022: Butterfly Vision
Film Review: Dinner in America
★★★★★ Dinner in America is a twisted rom-com brimming with originality and dark humor. What begins at one extreme is constantly flipped on its head, as messages about reveling in being a punk-rock-loser speak volumes. Crude and aggressive, the brand of comedy here will be off-putting to some—this viewer, however, fell in love with the … Continue reading Film Review: Dinner in America
TV Review: Stranger Things 4, Volume 1
I remain in awe of the massive, ever-growing fanbase for Netflix’s Stranger Things—from a sleeper hit in 2016 to emerging as one of the streamer’s finest offerings, this a horror/sci-fi success story unlike any other. The third season was my favorite so far, evolving into a campier, large-scale 80s horror extravaganza. Thanks to the worldwide … Continue reading TV Review: Stranger Things 4, Volume 1
Cannes 2022: The Worst Ones (Les Pires)
★★★ (Written by Intern, Megan Davis) How a film can simultaneously do too much and not enough is beyond me, but that is the exact feeling I got when watching The Worst Ones, also known as Les Pires. This French drama focuses on a group of street kids chosen to star in a movie, while … Continue reading Cannes 2022: The Worst Ones (Les Pires)
Film Review: Top Gun: Maverick
★★★★★ Fresh off a first viewing of 1986’s seminal classic, Top Gun, I went into this sequel with little knowledge about the actual plot this time around. Would it tread similar ground in portraying a group of elite fighter pilots in training mode? I had a plethora of questions, most primary of which was, why … Continue reading Film Review: Top Gun: Maverick
TV Review: Clark
Putting aside my own personal curiosities about the origins of the term “Stockholm syndrome,” Netflix’s new Swedish dramedy series, Clark, caught my attention primarily for one reason only: Bill Skarsgård. I still remember when Skarsgård originally really wowed me, which also happened to be the first time I ever saw him in anything. One of … Continue reading TV Review: Clark
Film Review: Mascarpone
★★★★ LGBTQ+ content continues to be churned out at a rapid pace, often to the point where quantity has not been matched with quality. Mascarpone posits all the delights of a coming-of-age dramedy, proving that even at age 30, it is still possible to find oneself. Filmed in just three weeks in Rome, this Italian … Continue reading Film Review: Mascarpone
Sunscreen 2022: Icon
★★★ Icon is a decidedly different brand of romance/drama. While the story itself is nothing we have not seen before, the passion and talent assembled behind the camera is clear as day. Writer/director Tony Ahedo crafts his feature film debut into a vibrant coming-of-age indie. The film is partially a romance, and deals with how … Continue reading Sunscreen 2022: Icon
TV Review: Ozark – Season 4 Part 2
I came to the party very late for Ozark, Netflix’s critically-acclaimed drama that has frequently been compared to the likes of Breaking Bad. I only first watched all previous episodes of the series this year, and found them both compelling and shocking. Par for the course with several television dramas, Ozark’s final season was split … Continue reading TV Review: Ozark – Season 4 Part 2
OUTshine 2022: The Swimmer
★★★★ Some of the most intriguing LGBT films are coming from outside of the United States. In what may be a first for Israeli cinema, gay-tinged feature The Swimmer explodes with homoerotic energy and gorgeously-photographed bodies. I knew I was in for something special when the credits began with closeup shots of a razor shaving … Continue reading OUTshine 2022: The Swimmer