My Fiancé and I stubbled across the 2014 series Fargo and, intrigued by the description, we played the first episode. My interest is often peaked when a movie or tv series is based on a true story so I was immediately invested when the episode started with these words onscreen: “This is a true story. […]
Portrait of a Lady on Fire, from director Céline Sciamma, tells the story of Marianne (Noémie Merlant), a painter living in eighteenth century France who is tasked with painting a portrait of Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), a woman who is to be married off soon. Initially painting her in secret, Marianne develops a close bond with […]
Given Hollywood’s history of racism and financial motivations, how much progress can we expect? Plus: a list of excellent films by Black directors.
The 92nd Academy Awards had many strong contenders for best animated short. But which Oscar nominated short wins for diversity and inclusion?
If you’re missing the freedom of travel, explore the world via these international films that put their gorgeous settings in the spotlight.
For Memorial Day this year, you might want to enjoy a change of pace from the usual collection of WW1, WW2, and Vietnam War movies in order to focus on more contemporary military conflicts. Mine (2016, Netflix), is definitely contemporary, but it’s far from Saving Private Ryan caliber. The movie’s premise is quite engaging: after […]
Game Over (2019, Netflix) is one of those rare horrors treats that’s as creative and interesting as it is fun to watch. Psychology blends with the supernatural and a dash of slasher-flick to create a full-bodied thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing up to the very end. The film’s […]
Don’t be fooled by the movie’s title: there’s nothing lascivious about the horror anthology XX (2017, Netflix). Women wrote and directed each segment of XX, including the creepy stop-motion animation opening credits and interstitials by Sofia Carrillo. Men may dominate the horror genre, but women’s pain — both individual and collective — provides a bottomless […]
A.K.A. White Men Being Gross Finishing Tiger King on Netflix can feel like a letdown. What do you watch for the rest of the quarantine? How do you find more things to binge? What about your needs? Other documentaries feel so tame after the dumpster fire flamboyance of Tiger King. There seems to be no […]
On April 1st, a new CBS comedy premiered that pleasantly surprised me. Produced by Chuck Lorre Productions, United States of Al manages to claim a spot on the Incluvie radar, follow the tried-and-true formula of the evening sitcom lineup, and, therefore, appeal to the masses. United States of Al is a weekly thirty-minute comedy that […]
TW: Sexual Assault, Mental Illness, Body Horror // Minor Spoilers Below Rose Glass’ directorial debut, Saint Maud, explores the term “god complex” to an extreme. The film follows Maud, a young nurse who has recently been “saved” by God (through Catholicism) and believes she has a bigger purpose for it. She tries to implement her […]
Heartfelt and moving, Netflix’s documentary A Secret Love (2020) shows the 72 year love story of two women. Director Chris Bolan, great-nephew to Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel, tells the story of his great-aunts and their love and devotion to each other. The story that the film tells is tender, and it’s incredibly sweet to […]
A messy millennial in an on-and-off relationship with liminal job prospects has been a saturated archetype since Lena Dunham stretched it to its limit for 5 years in her series Girls. It has been haphazardly recreated in many character study-esque television series and tries to worm its way in as b-plots in coming-of-age films. Occasionally […]
TW: Sexual Assault, Body Horror, Animal Violence // Spoilers below There is no more delicate a topic to portray than sexual assault and, because of its heaviness, it seldom gets the attention and discussion it deserves. However, when it is represented in some capacity, it is usually in an explicit and exploitative way that is […]
Sidney Lumit’s Dog Day Afternoon (1975), based on a true story, opens with several wholesome shots of urban America à la A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945), but fifty years later. After seeing a boy play baseball, a dog rifle through trash, and a boat pull up to a loading dock, you might think you’re […]
Like millions around the world, I’ve been waiting four years for the renowned #SnyderCut. I’ll never forget sitting in the theater on opening night, witnessing a CGI mouth on Henry Cavill’s face about five seconds into Justice League. That’s a thing of nightmares if I must say. Anyways, right then and there, I knew I […]
“Abominable” is an exciting story for children and a great step forward for positive Asian representation.
“Hustlers” returns power to groups that are traditionally deprived of it: women, the working class, and sex workers.
Fiction doesn’t have to be the model for how our real-life pandemic plays out. Here’s how we can avoid the dangers shown in “Contagion.”
“Godzilla vs. Kong” is all style and very little substance. It’s also the most fun I’ve had in months.
Le Bonheur (Happiness) is the third feature film from the late and great Agnès Varda. Released in 1965, the film follows François, a man who seemingly has it all—he’s happily married to his wife, Thérèse, and has two children who he loves deeply. François’ life takes a turn, however, when he meets Émilie, a post […]