★★★★★ 2021 has been an exceedingly perfect year for modern musicals. We have already been gifted with the vibrant In the Heights and the emotionally rousing Dear Evan Hansen, and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is right around the corner! To my surprise, tick, tick…Boom! may be the cream of the crop. Featuring an awards … Continue reading Film Review: tick, tick…Boom!
Film Review: The Estate
★★★★ If Ryan Murphy made a psycho-sexual thriller, it would look something like James Kapner’s cutting and hilarious The Estate. Billed as a “true fable,” this campy, outrageous, and decidedly not-PC film touches on all the taboos. It gives Cruel Intentions vibes, only less weighty and more ridiculous. Social and cultural commentary in relation to … Continue reading Film Review: The Estate
Film Review: Blurred Lines
★★ Blurred Lines is a coming-of-age film that rarely hits anything new we haven’t seen before from the overexposed genre. It exists in a world where superior content is available right at your fingertips, so it remains frustrating when a movie like Blurred Lines can fumble so spectacularly despite an appealing premise. I think part … Continue reading Film Review: Blurred Lines
TIFF 2021 Wrap-Up
The Toronto International Film Festival, or TIFF for short, is one of the biggest film festivals in the world. This year, we covered the fest entirely virtually, save a few in-person NYC screenings. Even though we missed out on some big movies due to being inaccessible to United States press (including Award-winning Belfast, Dune, The … Continue reading TIFF 2021 Wrap-Up
TIFF 2021: Flee
★★★★★ Emotionally compelling, satisfying, and incredibly raw—Flee is all three of these things, which surprised me even more being that its very concept is unconventional and risky. Flee blends the worlds of animation and documentary into a film unlike any I have ever seen before. Amin’s story being told in this fashion makes for some … Continue reading TIFF 2021: Flee
Film Review: Sweetheart
★★★★ Nearly anyone can relate to feeling like an outsider. Sweetheart, fueled by a decidedly British outlook and flavor, reminded me of that awkward phase of my high school existence when I hadn’t quite figured out myself yet. AJ, or April (Nell Barlow) if you prefer, is the black sheep of her family. They constantly … Continue reading Film Review: Sweetheart
Film Review: This is the Night
★★★★ I was just as surprised as anyone to see the Blumhouse logo pop up before drama film, This is the Night. The brand most known for its indelible imprint on modern horror proves that it can do the coming-of-age dramedy just as skillfully. Writer/director James DeMonaco (creator of the already-iconic Purge franchise) takes the … Continue reading Film Review: This is the Night
TIFF 2021: The Eyes of Tammy Faye
★★★★★ Armed with minimal knowledge about the film itself, I headed into my viewing of biographical dramedy The Eyes of Tammy Faye ready to see Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield knock it out of the park. Chronicling the rise and fall of the most famous televangelist couple of all time, Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye … Continue reading TIFF 2021: The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Film Review: Shit & Champagne
★★★ Shit & Champagne is a movie that is completely critic-proof. Your enjoyment will rely largely on your ability to embrace the absurdity of the concept and high camp factor. It does exactly what it says on the tin—based on a stage production, Shit & Champagne charts the tumultuous life of runaway stripper Champagne (director/writer/lead … Continue reading Film Review: Shit & Champagne
FrightFest 2021: Pretty Boy
★★★★ Valentine’s Day slashers are in short supply—beyond My Bloody Valentine or 2001’s Valentine, there is not much else out there. While Pretty Boy may not be some masterpiece of modern cinema, it maintains a fun, ridiculous tone that permeates from every facet of the production. I was not aware that Pretty Boy was a … Continue reading FrightFest 2021: Pretty Boy