One and Only (2023)

At first glance, “The Good Liar” is a respectable piece of fiction, starring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren. But underneath everything, the film expertly hones the unpredictability of deceit.

I write for a diversity-focused film review blog, so I’ll be honest: I really wanted to like Pretty Lethal. Starring Maddie Ziegler, Lana Condor, Iris Apatow, Avantika, and Millicent Simmonds, Amazon Prime’s new thriller seemed like it would be a girl power movie about dancers with a horror action twist. Sort of a Suspiria for teens. But with shallow and unlikeable characters, a confusing plot, an overreliance on violence, and cringey dialogue, any fun the movie started out with was quickly lost. What was left was a faint echo of greater horror movies about dancers made before. 

Intergenerational friendships and community can be so powerful, and this was a great example.

The July episode of Incluvie Movie Highlights provides 4 exciting films that have polarizing reviews! Special guest and Incluvie movie critic Daleyna joins in to discuss Mr Malcolm's List, a regency-era film set in England, starring leads of Indian and African heritage (Freida Pinto and Sope Dirisu), which is a first! Don't Make Me Go, starring an Asian and Blasian lead (John Cho and Mia Isaac), is a sincere film with a controversial ending! Don't worry, no spoilers. 1Up, about a team of female gamers led by Paris Berelc, who's half Asian, receives acclaim on Incluvie, but much hate everywhere else on the internet. And the feature film... is Nope ! One cohost thinks the film was imaginative, while the other cohost insists it was boring (but with good social commentary)! Who thought what? Tune in with your hosts: Cathy Yee and Hazel Bolivar!

It’s passionately protective of the women mentioned in the story or appearing on screen. Just like the article and the #MeToo movement, the film could help a trapped person find the courage to fight back.

When the world lost Chadwick Boseman on August 28, 2020, we all saw the impact of representation in film. Boseman was not only a Black superhero leading a Black cast in one of the most successful films in history; but his successes paved the way for more, long-overdue diversity in Hollywood.