A Bear, a Boy and a Dog (1921)

The actions that Verity confesses to are tragic.  But the way to prevent those actions isn’t to force the related emotions into the shadows. 

A 3D animated film centered on chasing fame in the humble stomping grounds of middle school. Unfortunately, while the protagonist dreams big, the plot falls short and fails to capture even a semblance of diversity.

These confines won’t really encourage you to read the film as a metaphor for the nerve-inducing experience we’ve all been through over the last year, however — and in the interest of maintaining your dignity, you probably shouldn’t. While the sociopolitical commentary may have worked for the similarly-themed Buried (2010), in which we find Ryan Reynolds on his own buried alive in the Middle East, but this futuristic take on the premise is best left as a piece of distracting entertainment. Nevertheless, the atmosphere is no less suffocating, literally and dramatically.

Overall, 18 Presents feels more like a soap opera than a drama, and I feel bad for saying that since the concept is based off a tragic story (even though it’s loosely). I’m sure other people will find this film emotional for them, but as for me, it’s bland and forgettable.

Highlighting the many ways in which AFF 2023 illustrated that the queer experience is not a monolithic one.

That gut-wrenching feeling you have while watching it is okay but needed, and you, the viewer, will be okay.