Toxic Masculinity in Rust Belt Cities - 'Minding the Gap'
An incredible documentary showcasing the difficulties of living in a crumbling Rust Belt city.

The son of businessman Vahram Stepanyan, Mark, runs over a man while intoxicated, an incident that becomes life-changing for all the film’s characters. To help his son avoid punishment, Vahram has Mark admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where he meets Sally, a young woman who has been living there for a long time, and falls in love with her. Determined to get Sally out of the hospital, Mark orchestrates their escape. The two set out to find Sally’s mother, but the journey proves difficult and is filled with challenging trials.
An incredible documentary showcasing the difficulties of living in a crumbling Rust Belt city.
"THANK YOU, Zach Creggar!" Back in 2022, this now established star in the horror film genre gave us the quirkily creepy, unexpectedly funny (at times!) cinematic gem that was "Barbarian". It felt like a cool breeze just washed over us as, for ONCE, the much traversed roads these films tend to go with got an upgrade of uniqueness without sacrificing the ambiance of uneasiness you desire.
As this critic continues to look back at some of this Summer's films I have taken in, I would be remiss if I didn't mention one of the most overall unsettling trends in Hollywood over the last several years.....sequels, reboots, and remakes. Look, I am all for seeing more than one film for certain originals that made a splash, ie: "Jurassic Park", "Pirates of the Caribbean", "Transformers", etc.
Written and directed by Eva Victor, who also plays Agnes, the main character, Sorry, Baby is slow and artsy, but extremely effective. It shows how the trauma developed after a sexual assault has a ripple effect and loudly echoes in the victim and her life for years after.
The assassins in Bullet Train are quirky, deadly, and diverse. Yet, they all seem to be some type of caricature. While the movie is fun and action-packed, it’s also packed with stereotypes that don’t make for the best representation.
Ultra-violent storytelling has never been my thing, but the issues with Scarface go beyond that. The film perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Latinx immigrants and uses gore and misogyny for shock value that never serves any purpose. The whole venture is frustratingly empty, and left me desiring something more.