★★★★ Clean tells a gripping, slow-burn tale punctuated by brutal bursts of violence through the gritty filter of noir. Clean (played by Oscar Winner Adrien Brody) is just a simple garbage man, but he is stained. “No matter how hard I try, I can’t wash away the past,” Clean opines during the opening scene. The … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: Clean
Tribeca 2021: Settlers
★★★ Picked up by IFC Midnight ahead of its premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, Settlers is a peculiar futuristic drama, written and directed by Wyatt Rockefeller. While its gritty world is savagely engrossing, I longed for it to dig deeper into its dystopian setting. In failing to expand its scope, Settlers doesn’t quite … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: Settlers
Tribeca 2021: Ultrasound
★★★★ Smartly scripted and puzzle-box intricate, Ultrasound is one of the most complex and mind-boggling movies to play at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. After he runs over a set of carefully-laid nails in the road, Glen (Angel, Mad Men’s Vincent Kartheiser) takes refuge at the home of a strange married couple. With his tires … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: Ultrasound
Tribeca 2021: Werewolves Within
★★★★ Horror comedy, when done right, is splendid and harmonious. Werewolves Within (from Scare Me actor/director Josh Ruben) feels like someone put Cursed and Knives Out into a blender—the black humor is well-structured, and the ensemble a fulfilling collection of character actors. It is a clever whodunnit with a wolfy, razor-sharp twist. The film starts … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: Werewolves Within
Tribeca 2021: Pray Away
★★★★ For those unfamiliar with conversion therapy, Netflix documentary Pray Away, executive produced by Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum, wastes no time filling you in. The opening text describes it as “the attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity” via religious leader, licensed counselor, or peer support group. It is a practice … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: Pray Away
Tribeca 2021: The Novice
★★★★ Writer/director Lauren Hadaway’s dour, waterlogged thriller The Novice is driven by Isabelle Fuhrman’s explosive performance as obsessive rower Alex. It is a tense and enthralling debut feature, brimming with harsh imagery and fully-forming Alex’s troubled character. While I expected a bigger crescendo of dramatic release at the end, this is an impeccably directed and … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: The Novice
Tribeca 2021: No Man of God
★★★ Serial killers are all the rage these days. Similar to Netflix’s dark drama series Mindhunter, director Amber Sealy and writer Kit Lesser (Sinister) present No Man of God, which examines charismatic murderer Ted Bundy (Luke Kirby in an uncanny portrayal) through interviews and analysis amongst the creation of FBI profiling. The true crime film … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: No Man of God
Tribeca 2021: No Future
★★★ No Future is one of the more interesting dramas on the 2021 Tribeca Film slate. Led by a trio of great performances from Charlie Heaton, Catherine Keener, and Rosa Salazar, writer/director duo Andrew Irvine and Mark Smoot craft a film that tackles addiction, grief, and relapse. While the simplistic script takes few chances on … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: No Future
Tribeca 2021: Love Spreads
★★ If a band struggling to work through writer’s block sounds like your idea of a good time, Tribeca’s Love Spreads might scratch your musically-inclined itch. The quirky dramedy charts successful band Glass Heart as they go on a 5 week retreat at Rockfield Studios to record their all-important sophomore album. Arguing over song compositions, … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: Love Spreads
Tribeca 2021: Dating & New York
★★★★ Once Upon a Time in New York City… thus begins the creative and quirky romantic comedy, Dating & New York. Narrated by doorman Cole, (Jerry Ferrara, who I knew as Entourage’s Turtle), we are plunged into the waters of the modern dating world via the latest app, MeetCute. Curly-haired cutie Milo (Jaboukie Young-White), who … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: Dating & New York