★★★★ Anytime executive producer Charlie Kaufman is involved in a production, even in the most minuscule of ways, one has to take notice. His films Anamolisa and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind rank amongst my favorites of all time, and this year's Orion and the Dark was a clear standout earlier this year. Now, … Continue reading Tribeca 2024: Darkest Miriam
Tribeca 2024: Presumed Innocent
Rarely are the television selections at Tribeca anything worth writing home about. In recent years, only FX's smash hit The Bear left any real mark on the industry as a whole. With Apple TV's mystery/crime adaptation Presumed Innocent and the pedigree of seasoned actor Jake Gyllenhaal, the television wing of this festival becomes revitalized in … Continue reading Tribeca 2024: Presumed Innocent
TV Review: Pretty Little Liars: Summer School
At this point, ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars is practically a footnote in the cheesy teen high school show pantheon. Slashers, however, are forever. Max's Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin birthed new life into the young adult series adaptation with a horror-heavy take on the material, and a fresh cast of diverse talent. Against all … Continue reading TV Review: Pretty Little Liars: Summer School
Film Review: Laced
★★★★ What is a more perfect time to watch a searing thriller set during a raging snowstorm? A wintry atmosphere engulfs both the audience and its characters in a sticky web of intrigue, secrets, and murder. Writer/director Kyle Butenhoff emulates the thrillers of the 90s in this endlessly entertaining chamber piece. At first, the complex … Continue reading Film Review: Laced
Film Review: Hayseed
★★★★ In the spirit of Knives Out and other modern whodunnits, indie flick Hayseed depicts an engaging treat that challenges viewers to actually pay attention. Writer/director/producer Travis Burgess embraces his obvious inspirations with a loving touch of admiration that permeates the film. The phrase “passion project” is maybe a tad bit overused, yet that perfectly … Continue reading Film Review: Hayseed
Film Review: The Marsh King’s Daughter
★★★★ (Written by Intern, Kali Coogan) Need to heal some deep childhood trauma? A rifle and the wilderness is surely the key to a solution in tense thriller The Marsh King's Daughter. Based on Karen Dionne's bestselling novel, the story delves into an intricate web of family dynamics, redemption, and a haunting specter of a … Continue reading Film Review: The Marsh King’s Daughter
Film Review: Susie Searches
★★★★ Kiersey Clemons leads a fun mystery/thriller in writer/director Sophie Kargman’s Susie Searches, based on her own 2020 short film. Similar to Tribeca favorite Poser, Susie Searches catalogues a struggling outsider as she goes to great lengths to help her podcast go viral. Of course, there are many more layers of nuance to what happens … Continue reading Film Review: Susie Searches
Film Review: They Cloned Tyrone
★★★ Weird, cerebral sci-fi-tinged movies are a dime a dozen. When they actually work (see: Get Out, The Stepford Wives, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), they can become instant-classics that carve themselves permanently into the pop culture mythos. They Cloned Tyrone has high aspirations, written and directed by Juel Taylor (Creed II, Space Jam: … Continue reading Film Review: They Cloned Tyrone
TV Review: The Afterparty – Season 2
The sophomore season of Apple TV’s hilarious murder mystery series, The Afterparty, has finally arrived, albeit with decidedly less bite. Prepare to shift from a high school reunion afterparty to a wedding afterparty—would the presence of another dead body really surprise anyone at this point? Returning from season 1 are a handful of familiar faces, … Continue reading TV Review: The Afterparty – Season 2
TV Review: The Crowded Room
Apple TV+ adds to an already stellar lineup (including The Afterparty, Servant, Black Bird, and Ted Lasso) with their new crime/mystery/thriller The Crowded Room. Starring an ensemble cast of rising talent, The Crowded Room is unique in the way it approaches how we view mental illness and trauma. Tom Holland delivers an acting masterclass that … Continue reading TV Review: The Crowded Room