romance

BETTER DAYS: A Brutally Candid Chinese Drama About Bullying
BETTER DAYS: A Brutally Candid Chinese Drama About Bullying

Better Days is a mostly earnest drama that plods through bullying, academic stress, murder and tragedy, retaining a fittingly bleak and dolorous tone.

THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD SEASON 2: A F***ing Solemn But Inessential Addition
THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD SEASON 2: A F***ing Solemn But Inessential Addition

Not as impactful or satisfying as its daring predecessor, The End of the F***ing World is not the end of the world, but it’s not a crucial send-off either.

EARTHQUAKE BIRD: Psychological Thriller Starts Off Strong But Veers Off Balance

Earthquake Bird is likely to be but a blip in the filmography of both its stars and director.

LAST CHRISTMAS: A Merry Little Misfire
LAST CHRISTMAS: A Merry Little Misfire

With the talent both behind the camera and in front of it, one would expect more thank a glorified Hallmark film from Last Christmas.

Queerly Ever After #13: REGARDING BILLY (2005)

Regarding Billy is the kind of movie you watch if you enjoy formulaic holiday films, but you’d like your Hallmark cheese with a dash of gay.

BIG MOUTH Season 3: The Experience Of Puberty In A Larger Social Context
BIG MOUTH Season 3: The Experience Of Puberty In A Larger Social Context

Big Mouth Season 3 continues in the show’s tradition of blunt honesty with a dash of humor, while not being without flaws.

THE KING: A Netflix Snoozer
THE KING: A Netflix Snoozer

While it does contain so interesting moments to keep you attention, The King is not worthy starting in the first place.

Queerly Ever After #12: BOYS (Jongens) (2014)

Boys takes a well-worn story of self-acceptance and turns it into a beautiful piece of internal struggle.

VITA & VIRGINIA: A Dissapointing Emotional Conundrum
VITA & VIRGINIA: A Dissapointing Emotional Conundrum

An insufferable venture that completely misses the mark, despite the strong material, Vita & Virginia is nothing short of a disaster.

BIG MOUTH Season 3: Like Its Characters, The Show Is Growing Up & Making Mistakes Along The Way
BIG MOUTH Season 3: Like Its Characters, The Show Is Growing Up & Making Mistakes Along The Way

Mirroring the problematic characters it depicts, Big Mouth is a bit of a disjointed mess, hilarious at times and problematic at others.

Queerly Ever After #11: BACK SOON (2007)
Queerly Ever After #11: BACK SOON (2007)

Back Soon is certainly an enjoyable bad movie, but for any bold statements on sexual fluidity you’re better off watching something else.

FIRST LOVE: Miike Mayhem Strikes Again
FIRST LOVE: Miike Mayhem Strikes Again

Stylish, savage and supremely funny, First Love is the shock of adrenaline the action genre needs and deserves.

PHILOPHOBIA: Juggling The Competing Affections of Love, Leisure, and Potent Drama
PHILOPHOBIA: Juggling The Competing Affections Of Love, Leisure & Potent Drama

Philophobia is a film where words are meant to have stories unto their own with connotations and nuggets of meaning buried within.

Queerly Ever After #10: ALL OVER ME (1997)
Queerly Ever After #10: ALL OVER ME (1997)

In this week’s Queerly Ever After, Amanda Jane Stern considers the 1997 film All Over Me, a coming-of-age story about the relationship between two girls.

WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS: A Prescient Examination of Post-War Japan
WHEN A WOMAN ASCENDS THE STAIRS: A Prescient Examination Of Post-War Japan

Far from being moth-balled and prosaic, When a Woman Ascends The Stairs beats with the most devastating of lifebloods.