2010s

THE MIRACLE SEASON: Feel-Good Biopic Hits Familiar Beats
THE MIRACLE SEASON: Feel-Good Biopic Hits Familiar Beats

With energetic sports play, a respect for its story and characters, and a slightly heavier final takeaway, The Miracle Season rises above the pitfalls that many feel-good biopics often fall into.

MY FRIEND DAHMER: Home is Where The Heart Is - A Murderino's Take
MY FRIEND DAHMER: Home is Where The Heart Is – A Murderino’s Take

As I flip through my senior year high school yearbook, I see the familiar faces…

SKID ROW MARATHON: Positively Life-Affirming Documentary Gem
SKID ROW MARATHON: Positively Life-Affirming Documentary Gem

It is always a breath of fresh air when a documentary like Skid Row Marathon comes along, which is so heartwarming and heartfelt that you can’t help but be moved emotionally.

Take Two: Rebellion And Evolution In Ridley Scott's ALIEN: COVENANT
Take Two: Rebellion And Evolution In Ridley Scott’s ALIEN: COVENANT

In the latest of our Take Two series, we tackle Alien: Covenant, the Ridley Scott thriller that tried to balance science fiction with philosophical intrigue.

CLAIRE’S CAMERA: The Compelling Unfamiliarity Of Hong’s Honesty
CLAIRE’S CAMERA: The Compelling Unfamiliarity Of Hong’s Honesty

Watching Claire’s Camera feels like watching a film being made right in front of you with director Hong laying bare his cinematic style in that he doesn’t know where he’s taking us, but he’s just as interested to find out.

WESTERN: The Man With No Home
WESTERN: The Man With No Home

Western is Valeska Grisebach’s homage to the classic genre, focusing on a group of German construction workers in Bulgaria while playing with themes of overt masculinity and identity.

WHERE IS KYRA: Michelle Pfeiffer's First Lead Role in Nine Years Doesn't Disappoint
WHERE IS KYRA: Michelle Pfeiffer’s First Lead Role In Nine Years Doesn’t Disappoint

With an outstanding return performance from Michelle Pfeiffer, Where is Kyra? may have been sitting on the shelf for a couple of years, but the passage of time hasn’t diluted the sense of thematic urgency.

GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI: Portrait Of The Artist As An Uncompromising Queen
GRACE JONES: BLOODLIGHT AND BAMI: Portrait Of The Artist As An Uncompromising Queen

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami highlights the unique life of the legendary singer, delving into her personal background and daily activities, and of course showcasing several of her mighty performances.

I KILL GIANTS: Low Budget Fantasy-Drama is Ambitious but Uneven
I KILL GIANTS: Low Budget Fantasy-Drama Is Ambitious But Uneven

Though grounded by a strong presence in the young Madison Wolfe, I Kill Giants is often too dreary to be truly engaging, and too under-realized to be an immersive escape into a fantastical world.

SFIFF Review: LES GARDIENNES: Patience Is A Virtue With This Molasses-Paced Chef D'Oeuvre
LES GARDIENNES: Patience Is A Virtue With This Molasses-Paced Chef D’Oeuvre

Les Gardiennes is another gracefully-directed film by Beauvois, and it gifts the audience with another perfect arrangement from Legrand, three gripping performances from Smet, Bay, and Bry, and plenty of eye-catching imagery to make up for its lagging pace.

SFIFF Review: SORRY TO BOTHER YOU: Purely Imaginative, Entirely Original, Wholly Entertaining
SFIFF Review: SORRY TO BOTHER YOU: Purely Imaginative, Entirely Original, Wholly Entertaining

Sorry To Bother You is an intelligent, batshit crazy satire that offers plenty of the theater of the absurd, a standout performance from Lakeith Stanfield, the most original script of the past two years, and plenty of laughs and food for thought.

TULLY: The Chronicles of a Full Time Mommy
TULLY: The Chronicles Of A Full Time Mommy

Tully is a return to form for both director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody, with this “hipster Mary Poppins” tale feeling like a thematic sequel to their beloved Juno.

SXSW Review: FIELD GUIDE TO EVIL: Loses Its Way, But Still Has Fun
SXSW Review: FIELD GUIDE TO EVIL: Loses Its Way, But Still Has Fun

Field Guide to Evil will likely please genre aficionados and horror buffs, but on the whole, its lack of tonal cohesion will leave others underwhelmed.

SFIFF Review: KODACHROME: Analog Vs Digital In This Road Trip Gem
SFIFF Review: KODACHROME: Analog Vs Digital In This Road Trip Gem

Appropriately and beautifully shot on 35mm celluloid by Raso, Kodachrome is a touching, hilarious, and contemplative gem of a film with three wildly meritorious performances by Harris, Sudeikis, and Olsen, and timely themes.

SFIFF Review: FIRST REFORMED: The ‘Taxi Driver’ Of The Millennial Generation

A trio of staggering performances by Hawke, Seyfried, and Cedric the Entertainer, a gripping story that mines our current sociopolitical landscape for philosophical fodder, and typically formidable writing make First Reformed a mandatory watch for everyone.