★★★★★ Cannibalism, Sebastian Stan, and… dance breaks? Welcome to Sundance’s Fresh, the debut feature film from director Mimi Cave and screenwriter Lauryn Kahn. Part thrilling horror, part dark comedy, Fresh exists in a special space. Commentary on the state of modern dating is cleverly executed, while projecting its own unique sensibilities on the viewer. For … Continue reading Sundance 2022: Fresh
Sundance 2022: Emily the Criminal
★★★★ Our final film of the virtual 2022 Sundance Film Festival, dark crime thriller Emily the Criminal, thankfully closes out our festival experience with a big taser-injected bang! The always-reliable Aubrey Plaza plays Emily, the titular character, a woman whose past continues to cause problems. Convicted of aggravated assault back in 2015, Emily’s record follows … Continue reading Sundance 2022: Emily the Criminal
TV Review: Pam & Tommy
As a child of the 90s, it was virtually impossible to not hear word of a mysterious and legendary sex tape that took the world by storm. Hulu’s new miniseries, Pam & Tommy, sheds some light on virtually all facets of this tape—the tender filming, born out of love then sealed inside a safe; the … Continue reading TV Review: Pam & Tommy
TV Review: The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Described by Netflix as a “dark comedy thriller,” the preposterously titled, The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window is one of the most ridiculous mystery shows to emerge in quite some time. With Kristen Bell at its center (who is no stranger to mysteries considering her tenure on … Continue reading TV Review: The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window
Sundance 2022: Palm Trees and Power Lines
★★★ Palm Trees and Power Lines, like last year’s You Mean Everything to Me, puts coercive control in its crosshairs. If the thought of a 34-year-old man getting with a 17-year-old girl makes your stomach churn, just wait until the final act, when the film approaches a whole new level of uncomfortable. Lily McInerny and … Continue reading Sundance 2022: Palm Trees and Power Lines
Film Review: A Taste of Hunger
★★★ A Taste of Hunger goes for the culinary jugular as a searing drama, seasoned with sprinkles of eroticism. An overly simplistic plot about two budding restauranteurs striving for Michelin star status is the perfect backdrop for stunning performances from Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Katrine Greis-Rosenthal. Though the movie is more about the relationship than the … Continue reading Film Review: A Taste of Hunger
Sundance 2022: Cha Cha Real Smooth
★★★★★ How refreshing that even in the year 2022, a romantic dramedy can come along, still managing to feel every bit as fresh and fluffy as that genre’s output in the 90s. What was once hailed as dying cinema in the early 2000s had a resurgence over the last few years. Many would attribute this … Continue reading Sundance 2022: Cha Cha Real Smooth
Sundance 2022: Master
★★★★ The second racially-charged Amazon Studios release at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, Master is potent, twisty psychological horror. Led by a terrific cast, including Regina Hall and Zoe Renee, this slick slow-burn builds up a tangible atmosphere of racism and intensity. The darkness of the film’s thematic thrust may make audience members uncomfortable. For … Continue reading Sundance 2022: Master
Sundance 2022: Happening
★★★★ (Written by Allison Brown) Happening, natively titled L'événement, piqued my interest when it was chosen for Venice last year, and was only furthered when the film took home the festival’s prestigious Golden Lion. The feminist drama is adapted from a novel by Annie Ernaux, which details her personal endeavor to terminate an unwanted pregnancy … Continue reading Sundance 2022: Happening
Sundance 2022: Speak No Evil
★★★ Speak No Evil is bleak, potent horror that evokes feel-bad classics like Funny Games and Wolf Creek. Picked up by Shudder ahead of its debut at the Sundance Film Festival, this crazy little film is a slow-burn indie with a mind of its own. The haunting images of the movie’s final moments will no … Continue reading Sundance 2022: Speak No Evil