4
Aside from being rather SEO unfriendly, the title of Chad Faust’s feature debut, Girl, refers to the nameless protagonist, a supposed stand-in for countless women throughout the country who have been abused, neglected and underestimated by the men in their lives. This
6
It may be almost as messy as the trucks heading back from the Yacht Club, but movies like this are a gateway into the nooks and crannies of our country and serve as a sociological time capsule of this time and place.
6
We’ve seen it before: would-be burglars get more than they bargained for when they decide to break into the wrong house. As clichéd an idea as it may be, it still manages to be one that is rife with opportunity, and Julius
8
Reminiscent of a Kung Fu version of Uncle Drew and even the recent Cobra Kai TV series, Quoc Bao Tran’s feature debut, The Paper Tigers, concerns the lives of three former Kung Fu prodigies who must overcome their past conflicts and now-middle-aged
2.5
Playing out like some kind of perverted fantasy rather than a deep rumination on obsession and addiction, Ben Hozie’s PVT Chat may mean well, but its misguided finale sets the wrong tone on a subject that’s becoming more relevant as more sex
6
Survival Skills works best in its final act, culminating in a dark, powerful finale that completely turned me around on it after a slow second act.
7.5
There are plenty of documentaries out there that discuss meme culture, but none so succinctly outline and break down the trajectory of a meme than Feels Good Man.
6
Continuing the long-standing trend of Japanese manga adaptations that center on a high school that specializes in some specific subject, Kakegurui is a high-energy farce about a posh private academy that’s composed of spoiled rich kids obsessed with gambling.
7.5
Although the anthology film has been a mainstay in the horror genre for decades, it’s been a few years since one truly captured the vibe of those classics like Creepshow, Tales From the Crypt or, one of my personal favorites, Tales From
5.5
Miyamoto Musashi is arguably the greatest fighter in Japanese history, thought to have won more than 60 duels. He also later developed a two-sword fencing style called nitō ichi-ryū.
Musashi was dubbed kensai or “sword saint,” and his legend continued to grow
7
Back in 2000, as part of a promotion for his latest film, Ready to Rumble, actor David Arquette did a collaboration with the WCW and ended up winning the World Heavyweight Championship. This was a controversial stunt that drew savage ire from
6
Class Action Park is a funny and at times tragic documentary that’s well made but could have used some more creative flourishes to better complement its subject matter.
2
Even the most ardent fans of Marshall’s work will have a hard time finding something to grasp onto with this one, which feels more like a vanity project for his girlfriend than the work of a unique and talented director.
8
In the last few years we’ve seen several movies that attempt to delve into the tricky social politics of the emerging gig economy, but none have been as pointed in their messaging as Lapsis, an alternate present sci-fi feature written and directed
5
There’s unfortunately just not enough here to recommend Centigrade over the horde of other containment thrillers.
6.5
The erotic thriller boom of the ’80s and ’90s seems like a perfect match for the often subversive Paul Schrader, and in 1990, he dove head first into the genre with The Comfort of Strangers. Adapted from Ian McEwan’s novel by famed
