A Tragic Antihero: Judy
Renee Zellweger shines in this Judy Garland biopic, which highlights the pain and loneliness that so many famous women endure.

From the billowing gauze of The Meatloaf Suite to the twinkling lights on The Kem & Amber terrace, every detail of Silky Hotel has been designed with obsessive care by romance gurus Jim and Barbara. This is the only hotel where you'll find the original tent peg from Brokeback Mountain and the air is infused with the delicate aroma of oysters. Prepare to smell the love. But Silky Hotel is in trouble. Guests don't turn up like they used to, and unbeknownst to Jim, the debt collectors are closing in. In a last-ditch effort to save Silky's, Barbara takes a punt on an advert from the local paper: 'TV SHOW WANTS THE WORLD'S MOST ROMANTIC HOTEL.' When flashy producer Coral arrives, Jim and Barbara must wrangle their motley crew of staff to ensure they make it onto TV. If they fail, it'll be check-out time at Silky Hotel - for good.
Renee Zellweger shines in this Judy Garland biopic, which highlights the pain and loneliness that so many famous women endure.
Him is visually stunning—all concrete cathedrals and bone-rattling impact shots that look like a nightmare highlight reel. Marlon Wayans is magnetic as this legendary quarterback who's basically selling salvation with a smile that never quite reaches his eyes. But the story keeps running in circles: more tests, more cryptic pep talks, more ritualistic drills. The sports-as-religion metaphor beats you over the head when subtlety would've been more effective. The middle drags, and that finale chooses spectacle over substance. It's undeniably stylish, but left me cold. Also worth noting: despite the Monkeypaw connection, this isn't actually a Jordan Peele film—he didn't write or direct.
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'Midnight at the Paradise' premieres tomorrow at Toronto's Paradise Theatre! I had the pleasure to sit down with Vanessa Matsui to discuss the making of this film.
It: Welcome to Derry proves you can have rich representation, real humanity, and still fully enjoy Pennywise terrifying kids in sewers.
This documentary moves chronologically through Black representation in horror films, revealing the genre's connections to Black history.