★★★ Falling in tone somewhere between Wes Anderson and 80s Jim Henson, A24’s fantasy-themed curiosity, The Legend of Ochi, has all the ingredients for an instant classic. A whimsical score that evokes nostalgia and timeless charm, stellar creature design that utilizes only practical effects, stunning cinematography that transports viewers to the faraway island of Carpathia … Continue reading NYICFF 2025: The Legend of Ochi
Film Review: Saturday Night
★★★★★ Even more casual viewers of NBC’s Saturday Night Live can acknowledge the peaks and valleys of the long-running program. Between sketch comedy, the weekend update, a musical guest, celebrity host, and clever asides, the format has become a norm of television. By this point, on the cusp of ringing in its 50th birthday, the … Continue reading Film Review: Saturday Night
Film Review: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
★★★★★ In the thirty-six years that have passed since the release of 1988's masterful dark comedy/horror flick Beetlejuice, not only has the cinema landscape changed entirely, but so has director Tim Burton's filmmaking style and technique. How would a decades-later sequel even work, considering the majority of those containing a massive gap between entries almost … Continue reading Film Review: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Film Review: Kinds of Kindness
★★ Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos often flirts with pretentious vibes and niche indie cliche; up until his newest, Kinds of Kindness, that delicate balance would mostly work. This strangely constructed set of unconnected stories recycles the same actors, failing to live up to the promise of an intriguing first installment. Neverthless, we do we get … Continue reading Film Review: Kinds of Kindness
Film Review: The Northman
★★★★★ Visionary director Robert Eggers established a name in making cerebral, divisive horror with just two films. Both The Witch and The Lighthouse are fantastic in their own unique ways, but in my opinion, The Northman is his indisputable masterpiece. While this one does not fall among the horror genre, the visual influence and atmospheric … Continue reading Film Review: The Northman
Film Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home
★★★★★ Easily the largest film event of 2021, Spider-Man: No Way Home explodes into theaters just in time for the holiday season. Every single live-action Spider-Man since the 2002 Tobey Maguire has been a memorable theater experience, and this one was no exception. Minutes before the showing was about to commence, my packed theater was … Continue reading Film Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home
Film Review: Siberia
★ Willem Dafoe has a storied history of making what you would classify as ‘unconventional’ movies. His filmography, which includes mainstream selections like Spider-Man, is also host to the stunning-but-strange The Lighthouse (a personal favorite) and the violent, brazenly bizarre Antichrist. Siberia, the new highly symbolic dream-exploration drama, is—bar none—the most frustrating and baffling film … Continue reading Film Review: Siberia