★★★★ Rarely does a film come with its own built-in mixtape, or carry the same feel-good whimsy as queer favorite, Heartstopper. Co-writer/story creator Josh O’Connor (The Crown, Challengers), I was not familiar with your game. Music aficionados will find plenty of familiar indie rock tunes to blast—Years & Years lead singer Olly Alexander helms the … Continue reading Inside Out 2024: Bonus Track
Film Review: Birder
★★★ Erotic thrillers are such a specific brand of genre picture, and few modern iterations come close to the gold standard established in the 90s. Birder, written by Amnon Lourie and directed by Nate Dushku, is perhaps the first of its kind, filtering through a queer lens of dark comedy and graphic sexual content. I … Continue reading Film Review: Birder
Cannes 2024: Block Pass
★★ Here we have the perfect example of a film that would make an exceptional short: Cannes selection, Block Pass. This often puzzling queer drama excels in acting and direction, yet lacks a cohesive vision from a script level. Why are we still reveling in queer torment and tragedy? Maybe it has simply been awhile … Continue reading Cannes 2024: Block Pass
TV Review: Interview with the Vampire – Season 2
After a surprisingly stellar debut season that came with the seal of late Anne Rice’s approval, Interview with the Vampire journeys to Paris as its gripping gothic romance bites into round two. That’s right, The Vampire Chronicles continues to have a chokehold over audiences in this queer-friendly version of the familiar tale. Creatively melding various … Continue reading TV Review: Interview with the Vampire – Season 2
CIFF 2024: Unspoken
★★★★ Coming-of-age LGBTQIA+ content will probably never go out of style at this point. Look no further than Cleveland International Film Festival's Unspoken, a special brand of queer feature peppered with Jewish cultural specificity. Writer/director Jeremy Borison, who came out at the age of nineteen, molds using pieces of his past. The unique perspective of … Continue reading CIFF 2024: Unspoken
CIFF 2024: A House is Not a Disco
★★★ It takes a hell of a hook to actually interest me in a non-traditional documentary feature, and A House is Not a Disco has exactly that. Admittedly, I was drawn to cover this project thanks to director Brian J. Smith's social media posts. Since Netflix's revolutionary series Sense8, I have followed Smith through his … Continue reading CIFF 2024: A House is Not a Disco
Overlook 2024: I Don’t Understand You
★★★★★ Ah yes, the good ol' days of the jet-black dark comedy tinged with horror. I Don't Understand You harkens back to the yesteryear of this unsung genre with aplomb, evoking underrated favorites such as So I Married an Axe Murderer and Drop Dead Gorgeous. Anyone who has ever taken a vacation in an unfamiliar … Continue reading Overlook 2024: I Don’t Understand You
TV Review: Chucky Season 3 – Part 2
With the first half of season three slicing through the White House back in October, it may feel like the extended wait to see Chucky's third outing conclude has dulled the blade ever-so-slighty. Damn you, pesky strikes! Lest viewers have any doubt, we should learn by now never to count out Don Mancini. Only he … Continue reading TV Review: Chucky Season 3 – Part 2
TV Review: Mary & George
Fresh off a banner year for Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White & Royal Blue, Bottoms) and Oscar-winner Julianne Moore (May December, Sharper), tantalizingly soapy STARZ series Mary & George arrives with plenty of fanfare. Set in 1612 and inspired by a non-fiction book, its tale of seduction, deceit, social climbing, and murder will satiate even the … Continue reading TV Review: Mary & George
BFI Flare 2024: Since the Last Time We Met
★★★★ When one shares a connection with that special someone, it may change over time, yet the feelings never fully dissipate. Even warped by outside factors, that spark still exists. Such is the case in BFI Flare entry, Since the Last Time We Met. A queer drama written and directed by Matias De Leis Correa, … Continue reading BFI Flare 2024: Since the Last Time We Met