This film is composed of black and white images from the somber depths of Manila’s Sta. Mesa district, which are juxtaposed in the railroad system that metaphorically connects the lives of each individual in the community. Captured by a single camera and a keen eye, each moving picture is accompanied by stories of grief, misery, hope and inspiration.
Shadow & Bone excels in natural story representation with powerful centering of culture. Jessie Mei Li stars as Alina Starkov, the feisty cartographer with kindness, innocence, and integrity, who comes to be revealed as the legendary summoner of light.
Darren Arronofsky focuses on diverse and heartbreaking stories about the human experience.
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.
This anti-love young adult movie includes mature topics and dialogue.
Gay representation is out there, but to portray a character who's gay as a big, happy brute is a rare treat.
This powerful story shines with poetic animation, an exploration of deeper truths, and the protagonist's complex search for identity.
