And yet, a documentary series can’t be judged on intention alone. Simien assembles an impressive roster of talking heads (academics, stars, directors, and producers) to talk about the history of Hollywood from a Black perspective. His thesis is sound—Black people are imperative to Hollywood’s existence—and the joy he injects into the subject is pure. But … Read more
Focusing in particular on St. Joseph’s Mission in Williams Lake, BC, Canada (closed in 1981), the documentary pieces together the testimony of former students and anthropological investigators to unearth the damning details of the violent systematic oppression that was allowed to inflict trauma and death upon a century of generations of their community. What ensues … Read more
To qualify for the program, the fathers have to complete a 10-week program to strengthen their fathering skills, which means sharing some painful experiences, regrets, and fears. One man says it is the first time he has ever been in an environment where men talk about feelings. As the title indicates, Patton and co-director Natalie … Read more
The two main characters are Leonard Lambert (Iain Glen)—a soft-spoken widower who lives on a farm with his daughter Johanna (Emma Dupont) and his son Adrien (James Downie)—and a German army officer, Lt. Laurentz (Joe Anderson). On top of his obvious psychological problems (including psychosis, a hair-trigger temper, and alcoholism), Laurentz is a world-class scumbag villain, the kind you … Read more
Still, deeply committed performances from Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens keep us hanging on, at least for a while. Both actors are doing extremely different things here, and that friction creates both humor and tension from the get-go. As he has in films as disparate as “The Guest,” “Abigail,” and “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story … Read more
Cate Blanchett (who made this before “TAR” and before Roth made “Thanksgiving” to give you some idea how long it’s been gathering dust) stars as Lilith, one of the beloved Vault Hunters from the video game that has made the jump from console to screen. In this version, Lilith is a bounty hunter, approached one night … Read more
What happened, though? “Good One” is intriguing in its disinterest in explanations. The film’s refusal to “satisfy” an audience with easy explanations or even cathartic moments pulls you into its atmosphere, dragging you into the weird dynamic which grows more claustrophobic by the moment. Sam has her period and keeps leaving the path to put … Read more
This is of course not the last we see of Ryle. He just happens to be the brother of Allysa (Jenny Slate), the quirky rich and bored housewife Lily hires to help her run the Cottagecore florist shop of her dreams. Although Lily repeatedly insists that she just wants to be friends, Ryle pursues her, … Read more
On his quest for the bestselling debut novel, Max takes on the persona and name of Sebastian – which also gives this movie its title – to go undercover as a sex worker in search of stories to tell. He learns the new digital sex work landscape, meets clients of all kinds, and flits from … Read more
This isn’t the first time Hammer has put a gender-swapped spin on the acclaimed Robert Louis Stevenson story – see 1971’s “Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde,” in which a serum transformed a male Henry Jekyll into a libidinous female alter ego. But “Chicken” director Joe Stephenson and screenwriter Dan Kelly-Mulhern have re-adapted the story into a low-fi … Read more