Germany

TEHRAN TABOO: A Courageous And Sympathetic Exploration of Inequality In Contemporary Iran
TEHRAN TABOO: A Sympathetic Exploration Of Inequality In Contemporary Iran

Rotoscoping hasn’t really been used in this way before. True, this feature from German-Iranian animator…

THE SERPENT’S EGG: Misfire in Exile or Post-German Expressionist Curio?
THE SERPENT’S EGG: Misfire In Exile Or Post-German Expressionist Curio?

We take a retrospective look at Ingmar Bergman’s The Serpent’s Egg, which many view as a misfire from the director, but could be seen more favorably through another light.

TRANSIT & The Petzold Gaze
TRANSIT & The Petzold Gaze

Transit finds Christian Petzold on the same end of the telescope as his previous films, but looking through a more sophisticated, evolved tool with a wider view of the medium.

The Beginner’s Guide: New German Cinema
The Beginner’s Guide: New German Cinema

We discuss five films that epitomize the New German Cinema and provide an accessible entryway into one of the most intriguing movements in cinema history.

OUR HOUSE: Unassuming Horror is in the Middle of the Road Territory
OUR HOUSE: Unassuming Horror Is In The Middle Of The Road Territory

Lacking the dirsired jump scares and trust in itself, Our House is a film that will now be stuck in limbo, too tame for modern horror audiences and not emotionally satisfying enough for others.

THE CAPTAIN: Nihilism Rules In Brutal World War II Drama
THE CAPTAIN: Nihilism Rules In Brutal World War II Drama

The Captain is the kind of project that suffers from an identity crisis, never deciding what it wants to say or how seriously it should take itself.

CASTING: Fassbinder's Legacy Lives On In This Spirited German Film
CASTING: Fassbinder’s Legacy Lives On In This Spirited German Film

Casting, director Nicholas Wackerbarth’s meta tribute to Fassbinder’s 70’s masterpiece The Bitter Tears of Petra Van Kant, is a fantastically cringeworthy comedy in the same vein as Toni Erdmann.

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.

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.

IN THE FADE: Diane Kruger’s Descent Into Darkness
IN THE FADE: Diane Kruger’s Descent Into Darkness

Diane Kruger carries In the Fade on her leather-clad shoulders and ensures that you’ll walk away from the film feeling absolutely rattled.

MANIFESTO: Best Left As An Art Installation
MANIFESTO: Best Left As An Art Installation

Manifesto, based on an art exhibit, contains an incredible multi-role performance by Cate Blanchett, but it doesn’t add up to a coherent film.

KAMIKAZE 1989: A Fitting Farewell To Fassbinder
KAMIKAZE 1989: A Fitting Farewell To Fassbinder

Now streaming on Sundance Now is Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s final film, Kamikaze 1989. While mostly nonsensical, it’s a joy to watch.

FRIEND REQUEST: Report As Spam
FRIEND REQUEST: Report As Spam

After spending three years in post-production purgatory, Friend Request arrives in US cinemas – and is certainly not worth the wait.

The Beginner's Guide: German Expressionism
The Beginner’s Guide: German Expressionism

Begun in the years surrounding World War I, German Expressionism brought to the screen a sense of their society’s darkness & despair.

AMNESIA: A Compellingly Quiet Take On A Party Island
AMNESIA: A Compellingly Quiet Take On A Party Island

Amnesia follows Jo and Martha, who have come to the island of Ibiza for different reasons, and form an unlikely but heartwarming friendship.