“Dangerous Lies” is as Predictable as Can be
The film may be a thriller, but I wasn’t thrilled by it. If anything, I was bored and annoyed.

In a mountainous region in an Asian backwater banana republic, it is said that the descendents of all those buried in its earth will be blessed with fantastic fortune and good health. However, if a special ceremony is not performed on the grounds, then the luck will only last for 24 years. A trio of Chinese Americans decide to venture into these mountains hoping to change their luck; Anna Wong (Moon Lee) is an executive facing a corporate meltdown, Wisely (Chin Ka-Lok) is dying of brain cancer, and UCLA Prof. Chang (Tsui Siu-Ming) is an expert in feng shui. Tin can potentate General Nguen (Yuen Wah) also has designs on the grounds -- hoping to turn his third world, fourth rate country into a superpower. Along the way, the three heroes fall in with a group of local rebels, including the high-kicking Nguen Van Vong (Sibelle Hu).
The film may be a thriller, but I wasn’t thrilled by it. If anything, I was bored and annoyed.
Praising Black representation and condemning the power structures that suppress it, a mother delivers an impassioned speech to her distant son.
Shakti’ is a survival guide for women all over the world.
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, though its feminism may be unintentional, cannot exist without its focus on women reclaiming power. The movie is feminist by definition, even if Amirpour didn’t write it with that in mind. A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is mesmerizing, poetic, and stunning, both for its portrayal of feminist ideas and its powerful story that is both horrific and subtly romantic at once.
Gretel & Hansel falters due to its razor thin story and lack of characterization. It loses sight of horror’s key rule: In order to create an effective tale, characters and emotions must be emphasized.
The film's Incluvie rating is off the charts. It features Black, Muslim, queer, trans humans whose moms hold them up, fight for them, and love them for who they are...making anything possible.