2020

VITALINA VARELA: It Always Ends This Way
VITALINA VARELA: It Always Ends This Way

Vitalina Varela is a visually stunning film submerged in regret, remorse, anger, and in some ways a faint light of hope.

COWBOYS: A Contemporary Western That Draws From Empathy & Parental Love
COWBOYS: A Contemporary Western That Draws From Empathy & Parental Love

Cowboys is Anna Kerrigan’s delicate and modestly subversive take on the Western, in which a father violates his parole and pulls his son away from an unpleasant upbringing.

CIRCUS OF BOOKS: Gay Culture In West Hollywood
CIRCUS OF BOOKS: Gay Culture In West Hollywood

Circus of Books packs so much heart and warmth that only the coldest of souls would fail to be moved by it come the end credits.

DEERSKIN: Bizarre Comedy Blends Character Study & Grotesque Violence
DEERSKIN: Bizarre Comedy Blends Character Study & Grotesque Violence

Even if you admire Deerskin’s audacity, its sudden and puzzling conclusion leaves much to be desired.

BAD EDUCATION: A Captivating Look At Greed & Perception
BAD EDUCATION: A Captivating Look At Greed & Perception

Bad Education is not just a great true story account, but also an excellently crafted and complex one, complete with phenomenal performances.

EL FATHER PLAYS HIMSELF: A Raw and Vulnerable Documentary that is Not to Be Missed
EL FATHER PLAYS HIMSELF: A Raw & Vulnerable Documentary That Is Not To Be Missed

There is a catharsis In El Father Plays Himself that is achieved through witnessing truth, witnessing the process – one that is not easily forgotten.

ENDINGS, BEGINNINGS: A Melancholic Mess
ENDINGS, BEGINNINGS: A Melancholic Mess

Endings, Beginnings seems to be an illuminating experience for the actors involved, but an aimless drag for audiences watching.

THE FLOOD: More Of A Drip Than A Flood
THE FLOOD: More Of A Drip Than A Flood

Although it seems to promise an unvarnished view of a topical issue, ultimately The Flood’s refusal to pick a side robs it of any real purpose.

FULLY REALIZED HUMANS: A Fairly Realized Take On Parenthood & Identity
FULLY REALIZED HUMANS: A Fairly Realized Take On Parenthood & Identity

Anchored by Joshua Leonard and Jess Weixler’s infectious chemistry and offbeat script, Fully Realized Humans inherits enough wit to make it a journey worth embarking on.

TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG: A History Of Violence
TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG: A History Of Violence

True History of the Kelly Gang wants us to sympathize with a murderer who suffered great trauma from birth to death. It’s unfortunate that the film’s most critical moments fall flat.

LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE Season 1: Motherhood And Privileges Set Suburban Life On Fire
LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE Season 1: Motherhood & Privilege Set Suburban Life On Fire

From its aggressive ambitions to tackle a lot of things to its unsubtle and heavy-handed melodrama approach, Little Fires Everywhere obviously suffers from most of it.

HOW FAR IS HOME: Welcoming School In An Unwelcoming Country
HOW FAR IS HOME: Welcoming School In An Unwelcoming Country

How Far Is Home is a well-made documentary short film with good food for thought that doesn’t quite stick the landing.

STRAY DOLLS: A Slick Crime Drama Examines Trump's America
STRAY DOLLS: A Slick Crime Drama Examines Trump’s America

With strong performances by the young cast, and beautiful cinematography, Stray Dolls is an intriguing crime drama with an important insight into a forgotten part of American society.

RESISTANCE: Well-Intentioned But Ill-Focused
RESISTANCE: Well-Intentioned But Ill-Focused

Resistance is a film that struggles to find its footing, though Eisenberg is always there to break its fall – for better or worse.

THE PALE HORSE Miniseries: More "Midsommar" Than "Midsomer Murders"
THE PALE HORSE Miniseries: More “Midsommar” Than “Midsomer Murders”

Agatha Christie’s The Pale Horse, though not quite a detective story, seems designed to test the genre’s rules, and also my patience.