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Sundance ‘25: ‘IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU’ – Rose Byrne is Remarkable in This Maternal Panic Attack of a Movie

Two hours of uncut existential dread and a career-best turn from Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You from writer-director Mary Bronstein is an uncomfortably intimate character study of a mother unraveling under the weight of her daughter’s medical issues and a gaping ceiling leak threatening to drown what’s left of her sanity. Byrne has long mastered the art of self-loathing and performative pleasantries (see her Apple TV+ series Physical for a masterclass), but she’s operating on another level here. As Linda, she’s barely holding together her personal and professional life in this cortisol-spiking, secondhand-stress-inducing domestic drama. Read More

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Sundance ‘25: ‘THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND’ A Crowd-Pleasing Folk Charmer

It’s been a decade since the folk duo McGwyer (Tom Basden) and Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) broke up. But if Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric, well-meaning, and possibly unhinged wealthy bachelor, has anything to do with it, their reunion is imminent. He’s determined to bring them together for one last performance—both as a personal passion project and a tribute to his late wife, their biggest fan. What follows is a funny, bittersweet, and deeply charming British comedy musical, powered by strong performances and even stronger music. Read More

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Sundance ’25: ‘OH HI! – A Rom-Com with a Body Count?

Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman are lovers on a seemingly idyllic upstate weekend outing in writer-director Sophie Brooks’ Oh Hi!. What begins as a disgustingly cute romantic getaway takes a sharp turn when the nature of their relationship is drawn into question. Despite their easy chemistry and rollicking sex life, Lerman’s Isaac insists on keeping things casual, while Gordon’s Iris yearns for the most meager crumbs of commitment. When he can’t even manage that, she makes a split-second decision to prove they’re meant to be together, though her methods are, let’s say, unconventional. Read More

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Sundance ’25: ‘THE UGLY STEPSISTER’ Gives Cinderella Story a Gruesome Facelift

The Ugly Stepsister has already earned a reputation around Park City as the horror movie in this year’s Midnight section…the one that made an audience member puke in the aisle. For horror enthusiasts, this is the theatrical equivalent of a Michelin star. You must see this movie, etched in regurgitation. For the first 80 or so minutes of Emilie Kristine Blichfeldt’s no-holds-barred retelling of Cinderella, I wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about. And then, the reason someone yakked became grotesquely clear. Read More

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Sundance ’25: Disquieting Stalker Thriller ‘LURKER’ Lets a Fox into the Henhouse

When an obsessive fan infiltrates the inner circle of his favorite up-and-coming pop star, Oliver (Archie Madekwe)—a single-name moniker à la Prince and Beyoncé—under the guise of being an unbiased outsider, an unsettling game of cat and mouse with far-reaching implications begins. Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) sleepwalks through a lackluster existence—working a dead-end retail job, mooching off his grandmother—until Oliver steps foot into his store. A surreptitious trap is sprung in real time. Read More

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Sundance ’25: ‘DIDN’T DIE’ Reimagines the Zombie Apocalypse as a Mumblecore Relationship Movie

There’s a certain irony to the fact that the zombie movie has been done to death. Enter writer-director Meera Menon, who reanimates the zombie apocalypse as a mumblecore dramedy to impressive effect. Menon’s ultra-low-budget debut feature film, Didn’t Die, is a snarky yet sincere vision of life after a mass extinction event, where the remainder of humankind has nothing better to do than host daily happy hours at home, sift through the detritus of civilization for its most useful scraps, and listen to a podcast about the end of the world in real time. Read More

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SIFF ‘24 Capsule Review: ‘SING SING’ Frees the Humanity Incarcerated Within

Based on the true story of the Sing Sing prison’s “Rehabilitation Through the Arts” program, Greg Kwedar’s sensitively-told American drama is a profound act of cinematic grace. Colman Domingo, in yet another towering performance, stars as Divine G, a wrongfully jailed playwright who works with the prison population to put on theatrical productions and find a semblance of peace – and themselves – through the process. Both life-affirming and quietly devastating, Sing Sing probes the nuances of the indomitable human spirit, in a place where autonomy is a lost luxury, adding authenticity in spades by casting real-life formerly incarcerated men like Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin and Sean San José. (A-)

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SIFF ‘24 Capsule Review: ‘BOB TREVINO LIKES IT’ Will Break Your Little Heart

When Lily’s (Barbie Ferreira) narcissistic father, Bob Trevino (French Stewart, unrecognizable in the role), cuts off contact with his lonely well-meaning daughter, she finds a “surrogate dad” online (John Leguizamo) who shares the same name. Their relationship blossoms into something profound and poignant, with each struggling with their own personal demons but overcoming them through kindness. A sincere and heartfelt tearjerker that’s deeply personal but a total crowdpleaser; intimate and warm though mired in abuse and loss; and economical and authentic while brimming with breakout talent in front of and behind the camera. Ferreira and Leguizamo broke my heart over and over again while French Stewart is absolutely insufferable (as he’s supposed to be). The fact that this movie about healing from abuse – where broken people chose to be good in the face of life’s greatest challenges – is rooted in writer-director Tracie Laymon’s own true story just underscores its deeply felt sincerity. Expect to be misty-eyed throughout. (A-)

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SIFF ‘24 Capsule Review: ‘IN A VIOLENT NATURE’ Sees Slashing As a Tireless Chore  

You’ve probably heard by now that the convention-shucking horror experiment In a Violent Nature is Friday the 13th from the POV of its hulking killer. The 93-minute indie slasher is as campy—and largely uninvolving—as that premise promises. The third-person killer cam shtick wears off quickly, especially since writer-director Chris Nash’s camerawork has two modes: lurking and swirling. There’s an excess of footage showing the killer stomping through the woods, punctuated by some gory practical kills, including a yoga execution that’s downright revelatory—but it serves zero tension and offers only the faintest hint of a story, with bits of lore doled out in the margins of the frame. Read More

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SIFF ‘24 Capsule Review: ‘ODDITY’ Brings Paranormal Scares

Damian McCarthy’s SXSW audience award winnerOddity sees a blind medium (Carolyn Bracken) strike out for revenge after her twin sister is brutally murdered. A twisty midnight movie from Ireland that effectively balances jump scares and tension within its unique premise of otherworldly vengeance and recompense, Oddity dolls out its narrative breadcrumbs at a healthy pace, making for an frighteningly edge-of-your-seat foray into the world of the paranormal. A stoic wooden mannequin that’s just hanging out in most frames amplifies Oddity‘s crafty blend of suspense and WTF energy. McCarthy’s darkly-lit supernatural world flirts with the familiar – creaking hinges, patient shots down shadowy hallways, sudden apparitions – but is complemented by real style and narrative verve. The performances verge on B-movie camp but McCarthy’s sinuous, sinister work makes this dark fiction amply dreary nonetheless, resulting in a midnight fright-fest that’s sure to delight horror aficionados craving a good scare . (B) Read More