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
7.5
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
HOST Review
In recent years, we’ve seen the found-footage mechanic slowly but effectively branch off into another method of delivering low-res, DIY-style storytelling in the form of ScreenLife, the brainchild of director Timur Bekmambetov, in which movies are created entirely on computer, phone and
Posted by: Adam Patterson
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
5
THE FIGHT Review
It’s not that we want to drastically change the way we view the ACLU, we just want to zoom in closer to see the flaws and to know that, like their lawyers, the organization is complicated and human.
Posted by: Amanda-Marie Howard
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
6.5
BLACK MAGIC FOR WHITE BOYS Review
Those who are fans of Tukel’s previous efforts will find themselves in familiar territory here and will likely enjoy what they see.
Posted by: Adam Patterson
7.5
SCHEME BIRDS Review
A beautifully shot, often heartbreaking slice-of-life tale that quickly pulls the viewer in with its captivating lead, who we just want to see turn out okay by the end.
Posted by: Adam Patterson
