Yara (2021): An Unfocused True Crime Narrative
The trouble with Yara (2021) is that in its attempt to tell the whole story, it struggles to tell a consistently engaging story.

WUMING was a peaceful and tranquil town famous for its excellent 'fengshui' that bred outstanding personalities. Back in te QING dynasty, a famous official was buried here with a grandiose tomb built and two pieces of priceless jade ducks placed as burial accompaniment. In fact, there were numerous rich, famous people and countless jewelries and valuebles were buried in the graveyard and so cases of tomb thefts happened occasionally. As stories of ghosts and vampires began to spread around, the townsfolk rarely went out during the nights.
The trouble with Yara (2021) is that in its attempt to tell the whole story, it struggles to tell a consistently engaging story.
Pressure is an unambiguously great movie, lead by convincing performances, a well-crafted script, good direction, and at least some social awareness.
It’s almost the end of the first month of 2021, and just over a week since the U.S. saw a new president take office. In light of the occasion, some of us highlighted our favorite political films below!
This list was made with the intention of celebrating comedic craft and a love of seeing more women of colour and newcomers on the scene.
Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing is a gritty, darkly funny thrill ride through 1998 New York, with Austin Butler delivering a raw, magnetic turn as Hank Thompson—a washed-up ex-ballplayer turned bartender whose life implodes after cat-sitting for his punk neighbor drags him into a violent underworld of gangsters, crooked cops, and chaos. Brutal yet unexpectedly hilarious, the film blends noir grit with midnight-movie absurdity, proving Aronofsky can reinvent himself while Butler cements his status as a true movie star.