7.5
Creative filmmakers have proven multiple times over that one doesn’t need a big budget to craft a mind-bendingly entertaining time-travel film, with titles like Primer and Timecrimes showing audiences that you can still have a narratively complex science-fiction story without dropping $100
9
It’s a Summer Film! is a loving testament to the indomitable spirit of young cinephiles that overwhelms with charm.
7.5
Office Royale is a delightful sendup of manga tropes that delivers on its promise of absurd clerical action.
6.5
Possession films are a dime a dozen these days, with most of them failing to bring anything new or interesting to the table, but Christopher Alender’s The Old Ways proves to be the exception to the rule. Set in a remote Mexican
5
You Can’t Kill Meme is an enigmatic look into the insidious ways meme culture developed after the 2016 election which proves too arbitrary in its focus.
6
It was just last year that I wrote about the zany manga adaptation Kakegurui (translating to “compulsive gambler”), which screened at Montreal’s Fantasia Festival. A year later the zaniness is back with Kakegurui Part
8.5
#Blue_Whale is a refreshingly grounded approach to the screenlife film that terrifies due to its credible inventiveness.
7
Wonderful Paradise throws everything at the wall, and even what doesn’t stick is still bizarrely fascinating.
5
I’m loving the recent uptick in positive representation of indigenous peoples in the media, with films like Blood Quantum and shows like Reservation Dogs reminding us that the native plight is still very real and that those living on reservations are still
5.5
Shunji Iwai’s pseudo-kaiju film proves we still have yet to crack the enigma and nuances of pandemic filmmaking.
7.5
Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist offers an informed and affectionate tribute to one of anime’s overlooked masters.
5.5
If we peeled back some of the superficial aspects and shock value, maybe we would feel like we know Ema.
8.5
Edson Oda’s feature film debut is an arresting contemplation on life. One cannot sit through the film without questioning their values, prejudices and behavior, and reflecting on the triumphs and tribulations they have endured. Through content that incites introspection, Oda challenges the
4
Andrew Gaynord’s dark comedy about distrust and paranoia, All My Friends Hate Me, pits a birthday boy against his supposed friends as they gather for a weekend retreat in a posh manor. Unfortunately, the proceedings prove redundant as everyone involved is pretty
7
Playing out like the rowing equivalent of Whiplash, Lauren Hadaway’s intense, frantic and constantly energetic The Novice is an overwhelming but fascinating look at obsession. Isabelle Fuhrman plays Alex Dall, a college freshman who decides she wants to join the novice crew
4.5
Exuding the same artsy vibes of its recent indie folk horror brethren, Jonathan Cuartas’ My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To is an ultra lo-fi,slow-burn thriller that, while visually appealing, lacks a bit in its overall narrative.
