Dora and the Fantastical Creatures (2023)

Dramatic Horror!!! Wait, what?? Did you say "dramatic horror"?? IS there such a thing?? I mean, TRULY. Well, if San Francisco-based, Pakistani-born independent filmmaker Dr. Hassan Zee and this film critic have anything to say about it, there IS such a beast as experienced through the director's newest feature film set to officially debut October 4th in the City by the Bay. Folks, indie film will always be a bastion of experimentation and originality, and this film for me fits that bill.

He’s a nine-time Oscar host and a revered comedy legend. He’s an up-and-coming comedy star who was a voice in the biggest animated movie of all time. So what happens when these two are forced to work together?

This emotional, frightening, and dreamlike story examines the ways actresses are exploited in the name of art.

Darren Arronofsky focuses on diverse and heartbreaking stories about the human experience.

Even without the messaging, Mercy does not hold up as a movie. It's sloppily done and the mystery doesn’t tie together at the end.