8
THE DONUT KING Review
The Donut King is a fascinating story of the promises (and blunt realities) of the American dream for one Cambodian refugee.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
8
5
HAUNTING OF THE MARY CELESTE Review
Compounded by its unoriginal story beats, the film comes out feeling uninspired, outside of its impressive direction.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
4
Reelworld 2020: WHITE ELEPHANT Review
White Elephant is a story of a teen’s diasporic identity told through paltry means and a lack of focus.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7.5
Japan Cuts 2020: BEYOND THE NIGHT Review
Beyond the Night offers an engaging, psychosexual tug-of-war that’s torn from the pages of Bergman.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
4
Japan Cuts 2020: FUKUSHIMA 50 Review
Fukushima 50 sees Japanese cinema address the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear disaster in the most direct manner to date. It does not go well.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7
Japan Cuts 2020: KINTA AND GINJI Review
A lo-fi, lackadaisical, existential odyssey through the forest that embraces its weirdness with an absurd edge.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
9
Japan Cuts 2020: LABYRINTH OF CINEMA Review
Nobuhiko Obayashi rounds out his career of wonderfully inventive filmmaking with an anti-war epic worthy of his legacy.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
9
Japan Cuts 2020: ON-GAKU: OUR SOUND Review
Three guys, making music, just vibing in the summer — On-Gaku: Our Sound is a whole mood of a movie that is quite unforgettable.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
8
Japan Cuts 2020: I -DOCUMENTARY OF THE JOURNALIST- Review
“The latest from controversial documentarian Tatusya Mori tackles freedom of the Japanese press in a dense, challenging manner.”
Isoko Mochizuki has been on the fast track to becoming akin to a “celebrity journalist” in the past few years. Her 2017 memoir The
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
6
Japan Cuts 2020: LIFE: UNTITLED Review
Taking a frank look at the state of sex work in Japan today, Life: Untitled is a virulent screed against exploitation too bitter for its own good.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
8
Japan Cuts 2020: SPECIAL ACTORS Review
Like a heist comedy from the 1980s, Special Actors shows director Ueda’s manically meta genre filmmaking still bears fruit.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
6
THE PAINTED BIRD Review
The Painted Bird is an unflinching, excessive tour de misery that is more numbing than poignant.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7.5
Japan Cuts 2020: EXTRO Review
A love letter to the little guys on the movie set, Extro thinks the world of the lowly extra.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
9.5
WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES Review
Packing excessive visual inventiveness and striking style into a tight, two-hour runtime, We Are Little Zombies is a joyously manic tragicomedy that needs to be seen to be believed.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
4
PARALLAX Review
Parallax is a mind-bending, science-fiction film that is relegated to the shallow end of the pool.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
9
BABYTEETH Review
A sharp and honest confrontation of teenage mortality, Babyteeth is a heartbreaking delight.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
