10
PARASITE Review
Parasite is a defiant piece of class critical cinema which features a director in obstinate control of his message, vision and artistry.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
10
6.5
FIRST LOVE Review
Settling comfortably into the familiar subject of a yakuza turf war, First Love sees eccentric director Miike delivering a standardized but darkly comedic action-crime odyssey.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
2.5
AUGGIE Review
Auggie broaches the issue of A.I. relationships with the diminutive, surface-level approach of a bad “Black Mirror” episode.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
9.5
Tiff 2019: KNIVES OUT Review
Knives Out is an intricate murder mystery that revels in delightful menace while constantly subverting your expectations.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7
Tiff 2019: DEERSKIN Review
Deerskin is one or two expertly told absurdist jokes whose repetition comes close to tedium.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
8
Tiff 2019: TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH Review
As a self-criticising exploration of travelogue shows and the internal biases that structure them, To the Ends of the Earth is an enlightening dialogue about being feeling lost in a foreign country.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
8
Tiff 2019: SAINT MAUD Review
Preying on the anxieties over religious zealotry, Saint Maud is an auspicious horror debut that burns with a quiet terror.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
8.5
ONE CUT OF THE DEAD Review
It is not everyday you walk away from a film and think the 30-minute, one-take aspect is the least interesting about it, but it is rings true for Ueda's layered horror comedy experience.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
4
WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE Review
While a middling, inoffensive family comedy may be its aim, Where’d You Go, Bernadette allows its divisive filmmaker to make some broad, uncomfortable statements on the nature of genius.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
6.5
THE FANATIC Review
Durst’s film shows a respectable ability to communicate what happens when the fantasy of celebrity breaks down on both sides of the spectrum.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7.5
Japan Cuts 2019: THE JOURNALIST Review
With a narrative that feels uncomfortably ripped from the headlines, The Journalist reinforces the need for a critical and independent media through the tense lens of a bureaucratic thriller.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
5.5
Japan Cuts 2019: THE MIRACLE OF CRYBABY SHOTTAN Review
The rise of Japanese chess enthusiast Shoji Segawa into the cutthroat professional world makes for some predictable yet crowd-pleasing fare.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
8
Japan Cuts 2019: MELANCHOLIC Review
Drifting through radical tonal shifts with ease, Melancholic is a quirky tale of murder and a quarter-life crisis that confidently hails a fresh directing talent.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
2.5
Japan Cuts 2019: JESUS Review
An exercise in baiting and switching, Jesus promises a quirky faith parable but delivers a sterile and derivative coming-of-age tale.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
4
JAPAN CUTS 2019: ERICA 38 Review
Erica 38 may be based on a true story, but that doesn’t stop it from being flaccid and tedious.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
9.5
Japan Cuts 2019: BULLET BALLET Review
Like an insane descent into the dreary streets of Tokyo’s gang-ruled underground, Shinya Tsukamoto’s Bullet Ballet is a landmark entry in Japan’s punk-film movement.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
