
Aani Maani is a game popular among little children in Uttar Pradesh, played by turning around while reciting a popular rhyme. The circling motion is likened to that of the Sufi dervish. When the government announces a ban on beef, and the shutting down of slaughterhouses, it wreaks havoc in the family life of a lower middle class, Muslim kebab seller called Bhutto and sends his world spinning.
Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing is a gritty, darkly funny thrill ride through 1998 New York, with Austin Butler delivering a raw, magnetic turn as Hank Thompson—a washed-up ex-ballplayer turned bartender whose life implodes after cat-sitting for his punk neighbor drags him into a violent underworld of gangsters, crooked cops, and chaos. Brutal yet unexpectedly hilarious, the film blends noir grit with midnight-movie absurdity, proving Aronofsky can reinvent himself while Butler cements his status as a true movie star.
'Selena: The Series' loses sight of the story's heart: Selena herself.
Malignant is a roller coaster ride of slow-build scares, moments of wonderfully absurd camp, and explorations of autonomy.
We have a long way to go with LGBT representation in film, especially when it comes to LGBT characters of color and trans characters.
Escape The Field is a serviceable horror thriller. The characters are easier to remember as horror character tropes. As I wrote this review, I only remembered the characters by their tropes: #FinalGirl, #Everyman, #Badass, #MeanB*/SexyGirl, #Realist/BlackLesbian, and #TheNerd.