From the creators of the legendary fantasy epic Game of Thrones comes… a character-based sci-fi thriller? While David Benioff and D.B. Weiss may not necessarily be the first names that spring to mind concerning aliens, they nevertheless make a bold entrance into the genre with gripping 3 Body Problem. Based on a massive trilogy of … Continue reading SXSW 2024: 3 Body Problem
SXSW 2024: Natatorium
★★★★ (Written by Intern, Shaun E) Icelandic writer/director Helena Stefansdottir arrives at SXSW with Natatorium, a dark drama/thriller that peers through the murky waters of family trauma. Mysteries and secrets deep within a family’s elegant mansion unfold through powerful acting and appealing cinematography. Intrigue is effectively garnered throughout without drowning in muddled confusion. Dreamy and … Continue reading SXSW 2024: Natatorium
SXSW 2024: Backspot
★★★ Pushing one’s body to the limit has been the subject of many a film, especially when it comes to sports. In this regard, queer co-writer/director D.W. Waterson’s Backspot probably will not deliver anything new for the majority of people. Yet, its bold depiction of one character’s utter commitment to her craft will mirror the … Continue reading SXSW 2024: Backspot
SXSW 2023 Wrap-Up
Despite being a strictly in-person festival for the first time in years, Allison and I managed to catch quite a few movies from the 2023 SXSW Film Festival slate! There were many highs and lows throughout the week of the fest, and as per usual, we are here to share our full coverage. After the … Continue reading SXSW 2023 Wrap-Up
SXSW 2023: Beef
A24 and Netflix finely season their newest collaboration: dark dramedy Beef, a searing depiction of road rage taken to its most outrageous extreme. Showrunner/writer/creator Lee Sung Jin wrings masterful performances from both Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, both of whom have never been better. Throughout a ten-episode run, Beef builds up an increasingly tense atmosphere, … Continue reading SXSW 2023: Beef
SXSW 2023: Northern Comfort
★★★ Northern Comfort ramps up the fear of flying to dizzying, darkly comedic heights in the morally questionable, occasionally successful new flick from co-writer/director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson. Who doesn’t love a good yarn about a collection of strangers forced into a difficult scenario against their will? While the film may not be brimming with surprises, … Continue reading SXSW 2023: Northern Comfort
SXSW 2023: Tetris
★★★★ Taron Egerton could read the phone book, and the project would be a must-see for this viewer. After first catching my eye in subversive spy comedy Kingsman: The Secret Service, Egerton has continued to deliver phenomenal performances. He was particularly show-stopping as Elton John in 2019’s phenomenal musical, Rocketman. Now, Egerton plays video game … Continue reading SXSW 2023: Tetris
SXSW 2023: I Used to Be Funny
★★ One of the more anticipated entries at this year’s SXSW Film Festival was I Used to Be Funny, the newest Rachel Sennott vehicle that I assumed would be a dramedy/mystery mixture. I loved Rachel in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, where her awkward humor blended perfectly into her ditzy, self-obsessed character’s personality. Hoping for more range … Continue reading SXSW 2023: I Used to Be Funny
SXSW 2023: Peak Season
★★★★ (Written by Intern, Wyatt Frantz) Peak Season is a beautifully meditative sophomore film from Henry Loevner and Steven Kanter that displays how the Midwest and life's fleeting relationships can be a beautiful thing. Using cinematic minimalism and the Wyoming mountaintops to their advantage, a new light is shone on the “city folk meets country … Continue reading SXSW 2023: Peak Season
SXSW 2023: Appendage
★★★★ One woman’s inner turmoil becomes a shit-talking outer tumor that grows and grows in writer/director Anna Zlokovic’s cringey little blast of fun, Appendage. The short film of the same name, which played 2022’s Sundance and became part of Hulu’s Bite Size Halloween, was a lean, focused piece that perfectly executed its obvious depiction of … Continue reading SXSW 2023: Appendage