2020

THE WINTER LAKE: A Grim, Well-Acted Irish Thriller
THE WINTER LAKE: A Grim, Well-Acted Irish Thriller

While underdeveloped and sluggish in approach, Phil Sheerin’s The Winter Lake is a sedate, rustic thriller examining familial complexities.

The film has a vibrant authenticity to it, and not just in the casting and locations — cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi gives Baltimore’s streets an oceanic sway and the conversations a realistic rhythm. And when we follow the Clique, engines rev, the riders lean back and lift, and we see them silhouetted against the sun, arms extended toward us, totally in the moment. Both Pug and Mouse talk about “going 12” like it’s the greatest sense of freedom you could achieve. It’s just you, the bike, and the road, and the only thing keeping you airborne is your innate talent and will to stay upright. The more expressionistic elements of Charm City Kings recall Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, a film that similarly blends realistic characters and dialogue with neon lighting, Nicholas Britell’s otherworldly music, and emotionally motivated camera movements and editing. That’s not accidental — Jenkins, alongside Kirk Sullivan and Chris Boyd, developed the story for Charm City Kings, while Sherman Payne, a TV writer known for his work on Shameless and Scream, wrote the script. The result is a story soaked with realism and augmented by stylistic flourishes and a poignant, subversive orchestral score from Alex Somers.
CHARM CITY KINGS: A Powerful Black Coming-of-Age Story

Charm City Kings is an expressionistic, powerful look at a neglected community that gets little attention on-screen.

WILDFIRE: Irish Eyes No Longer Smile In Affecting Sibling Drama
WILDFIRE: Irish Eyes No Longer Smile In Affecting Sibling Drama

Wildfire is a commanding calling card for Brady, showcasing kitchen-sink realism and a powerful portrayal of sibling heartbreak.

RED POST ON ESCHER STREET: The World Is Your Stage. Are You At Its Center?
RED POST ON ESCHER STREET: The World Is Your Stage. Are You At Its Center?

It embodies the theory of a movie’s intricate parts, and bit players function initially as individualistic entities that coalesce into a collective.

TURBULENT SKIES A Suspenseful Dutch Miniseries about Aviation
TURBULENT SKIES: A Suspenseful Dutch Miniseries About Aviation

Dutch television series Turbulent Skies takes to the air as it looks at the lives of Anthony Fokker and Albert Plesman, two pioneers of aviation.

DEAR COMRADES: A Political Moment, Filtered And Paved
DEAR COMRADES: A Political Moment, Filtered And Paved

While the details and historical recreations are impeccable, Andrei Konchalovsky’s Dear Comrades! remains emotionally unmoving.

COME TRUE: Atmospheric Dream-Centric Horror With An Underwhelming Ending
COME TRUE: Atmospheric Dream-Centric Horror With An Underwhelming Ending

Come True is a visually stunning and beautifully directed film, but its twisty plot sometimes goes too far.

STRAY: A Heartfelt Examination Of Cohabitation
STRAY: A Heartfelt Examination Of Cohabitation

A deeply philosophical film, it loses much of its impact when the cameras stop rolling.

Interviews With Writer/Director Jill Gevargizian & Star Najarra Townsend For THE STYLIST
THE STYLIST: A Haunting, Stunning Debut

The Stylist has everything one can want from a horror film; a talented female lead, lots of chills and bloody enticements, and a wickedly impressive style.

Glasgow Film Festival 2021: DA CAPO
Glasgow Film Festival 2021: DA CAPO

A contender for feel-good film of the year, De Capo follows a musician returning home, where he’s torn between his music and the kids he inspires.

Glasgow Film Festival 2021: SHORTA
Glasgow Film Festival 2021: SHORTA

Shorta is a timely and thrilling actioner with its plot of police brutality and ultimately its message an important one to hear.

Glasgow Film Festival 2021: RIDERS OF JUSTICE
Glasgow Film Festival 2021: RIDERS OF JUSTICE

Underneath all the comedy and action are moments of real heart and pathos, Riders of Justice manages to balance its brand of pitch-black humour and gore.

I CARE A LOT: Rosamund Pike Is Strikingly Salacious
I CARE A LOT: Rosamund Pike Is Strikingly Salacious

I Care A Lot suffers from a tonal shift, is still prevalent enough that the film is entertaining and enlightening all the way through.

THE NIGHT: Dawn Can Not Come Soon Enough
THE NIGHT: Dawn Can Not Come Soon Enough

With a lack of investment in its central character and a lackluster execution, The Night is a film not likely to see the dawn.

Sex, Drugs and Bicycles Review
SEX, DRUGS & BICYCLES: Seeing America through the Netherlands

Sex, Drugs & Bicycles allows us Americans to consider cruelties within our system that we have come to accept as the status quo.