★★★★ Canadian survival thriller Someone’s Daughter may seem on the surface to be a typical stuck-in-the-wilderness flick. However, in the vein of Sam Raimi’s excellent Send Help, this film has much more on its mind. After a riveting cold open that leaves the kidnapper dead, two unlikely people must work together to make it off … Continue reading Fantasia 2026: Someone’s Daughter
Genres
Fantasia 2026: No Rest for the Wicked
★★★★★ A moody, atmospheric gay love story set against the backdrop of a gorgeous fishing town? Count me in! No Rest for the Wicked is akin to Call Me By Your Name in the visuals department, even if the focal point is a love story even more tragic. The couple seems doomed from the moment … Continue reading Fantasia 2026: No Rest for the Wicked
Fantasia 2026: Zsazsa Zaturnnah vs the Amazonistas of Planet X
★★★★ For campy ridiculousness and queer joy, it doesn't get much better than preposterously-named Zsazsa Zaturnnah vs the Amazonistas of Planet X. Based on the Filipino sensation, this gem was a blast from start to finish, supercharged with a specific energy that I’ve only tasted from seasons of Drag Race Philippines. These characters, the super … Continue reading Fantasia 2026: Zsazsa Zaturnnah vs the Amazonistas of Planet X
Film Review: Her Private Hell
★★★★★ Iconic director Nicolas Winding Refn took a decade-long hiatus from filmmaking, viewing Her Private Hell as his cinematic resurrection. Sparked by a literal experience where he died and was brought back to life, Refn has handcrafted a movie fully immersed in atmosphere and spectacle. That’s right: Her Private Hell totally rules. Part giallo slasher, … Continue reading Film Review: Her Private Hell
Theater Review: A Walk on the Moon
Based on the rather obscure 1999 film of the same name, A Walk on the Moon distills the movie’s energy, then recalibrates it into a riveting musical with powerhouse vocals. Its concept seems deceptively small scale: a bored housewife starts a wild affair with a blouse salesman in the heat of summer. Yet, the book … Continue reading Theater Review: A Walk on the Moon
Fantasia 2026: Blaise
★★★★ French gem Blaise is a joyous, laugh-out-loud funny delight. It's these kind of strange indie films that really mark the medium as all-encompassing. Those who think animation is strictly a cartoon for kids are missing out. A memorable oddity that embraces being different, much like its lovable protagonist, Blaise balances cringe comedy and political … Continue reading Fantasia 2026: Blaise
Film Review: Heartstopper Forever
★★★★★ Back in 2022, an absolutely adorable LGBT series debuted that became a cultural smash, buoyed by the vibrant source material of Alice Oseman's graphic novels of the same name. Heartstopper made instant stars out of its two leads, both notably queer actors playing these queer roles to bring a rare level of authenticity to … Continue reading Film Review: Heartstopper Forever
TV Review: Lucky – Season 1
Crime thriller Lucky, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, totally lives up to the prestige quality of many Apple TV titles. In fact, the series is so well-written that it could conceivably become a long running staple on the streaming platform despite being billed as a limited miniseries. Collecting an entire A-list ensemble—including genre mainstay Timothy Olyphant, major … Continue reading TV Review: Lucky – Season 1
Film Review: Moana (2026)
★★ Disney's latest live-action remake arrives in theaters just ten years after the original Moana, making it one of the studio's most baffling reduxes yet. With countless animated classics still waiting for the live-action treatment—including Hercules and Tangled—why was Moana deemed worthy? Where is Aladdin 2? The original isn't old enough to inspire much nostalgia. … Continue reading Film Review: Moana (2026)
Five Must-See Films at 2026’s Fantasia International Film Festival
It's 2026, and another exciting year for the annual Fantasia International Film Festival! Check out my five picks for must-see titles after the jump… BLACK ZOMBIE In a bid to recontextualize the modern zombie—and to provide a historically accurate history of its derivation—Black Zombie may appear at first glance as a traditional genre documentary. Instead, this … Continue reading Five Must-See Films at 2026’s Fantasia International Film Festival