STRAW 2025: A Mother’s Silence Was Louder Than a Siren
A haunting look at grief, survival, and a mother’s quiet collapse in a world that never gave her room to fall.

A haunting look at grief, survival, and a mother’s quiet collapse in a world that never gave her room to fall.
The film centers around two young women, Becca and Sam, who were once high school sweethearts until they reconnect in their town.
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.
I’m still trying to comprehend the psychological and moral implications of their fascination with each other, or why their almost written-in-the-stars depth of connection makes so much sense.
"Ladies First" has a fundamental misunderstanding of what's feminine because of the patriarchy and what women do because they genuinely enjoy it.
American Fiction is a genuinely entertaining film with a few lessons.