★★★★ Starting the year off with a standard romantic tearjerker would be easy enough, but director Julia Stiles makes Wish You Were Here into a must-see event. The strength of its characters and messaging follows a similar path to The Fault in Our Stars and Me Before You—in other words, fans of romantic dramedies will … Continue reading Film Review: Wish You Were Here
Film Review: The Sacrifice Game
★★★★ Christmas horror meets home invasion and satanic ritualistic sacrifice in writer/director/producer Jenn Wexler’s off-the-wall The Sacrifice Game. After bouncing from festival to festival while building buzz amongst the genre community, this fun flick somehow still lives up to the hype. Set in the early 70s in the wake of the Manson Family murders, The … Continue reading Film Review: The Sacrifice Game
Film Review: The Royal Treatment
★★★★ Mena Massoud captured my heart in 2019’s magical Aladdin live-action remake, perfectly embodying his animated counterpart. In the years since, I have followed his career from Hulu actioner Reprisal to a captivating guest spot in FOX’s 9-1-1: Lone Star. I did not realize just how much I was missing Mena in a lead role … Continue reading Film Review: The Royal Treatment
VIFF 2021: Lamya’s Poem
★★★★ Lamya’s Poem is an animated treasure inspired by the works of 13th century poet, Jalaladin Muhammad Rumi. This cleverly scripted classic 2D-animation weaves together the story of a modern Syrian child fleering war against Rumi’s personal tale of his hometown being overrun by the Mongols. The two storylines flow harmoniously together, complimenting each tale … Continue reading VIFF 2021: Lamya’s Poem