Queerly Ever After #48: JUST FRIENDS (2018)
Queerly Ever After #48: JUST FRIENDS (2018)

A fun, sexy, romantic comedy, Just Friends is a Dutch TV movie about two young men falling in love.

LISTEN TO THE UNIVERSE: A Traditional Competition Film, With Something Extra
LISTEN TO THE UNIVERSE: A Traditional Competition Film, With Something Extra

In its styles, structures, and personal relationships, Listen to the Universe does the rare feat of turning a competition against itself.

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER A Flawed Reimagining of a Feminist Classic
THE YELLOW WALLPAPER: A Flawed Reimagining of a Feminist Classic

Based on the 1892 Charlotte Perkins Gilman short story by the same name, The Yellow Wallpaper is a thriller that stumbles with uneven performances.

The Latest Podcast #139: Best Films of TIFF 2023
The Latest Podcast #27: Zack Snyder’s ‘Justice League’

Jesse and guest Hunter Heilman give their thoughts on the long-rumored 4-hour cut of Justice League.

MONDAY Trailer
MONDAY Trailer

A spark on a Friday can lead to a sizzling weekend fling, but what happens when you get to the inevitable Monday?

RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE S13E10 "Freaky Friday Queens": The Makeover Challenge Causes Any Icy, Spicy Shake-Up
RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE S13E10 “Freaky Friday Queens”: The Makeover Challenge Causes Any Icy, Spicy Shake-Up

Inspired by the film Freaky Friday, this week’s RuPaul’s Drag Race is all about the queens turning each other into their drag doppelgängers.

KEEP AN EYE OUT: Surrealist Murder Mystery Mayhem
KEEP AN EYE OUT: Surrealist Murder Mystery Mayhem

While Keep an Eye Out feels more like an extended comedy sketch than a feature film, it is definitely entertaining.

THE WINTER LAKE: A Grim, Well-Acted Irish Thriller
THE WINTER LAKE: A Grim, Well-Acted Irish Thriller

While underdeveloped and sluggish in approach, Phil Sheerin’s The Winter Lake is a sedate, rustic thriller examining familial complexities.

The film has a vibrant authenticity to it, and not just in the casting and locations — cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi gives Baltimore’s streets an oceanic sway and the conversations a realistic rhythm. And when we follow the Clique, engines rev, the riders lean back and lift, and we see them silhouetted against the sun, arms extended toward us, totally in the moment. Both Pug and Mouse talk about “going 12” like it’s the greatest sense of freedom you could achieve. It’s just you, the bike, and the road, and the only thing keeping you airborne is your innate talent and will to stay upright. The more expressionistic elements of Charm City Kings recall Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, a film that similarly blends realistic characters and dialogue with neon lighting, Nicholas Britell’s otherworldly music, and emotionally motivated camera movements and editing. That’s not accidental — Jenkins, alongside Kirk Sullivan and Chris Boyd, developed the story for Charm City Kings, while Sherman Payne, a TV writer known for his work on Shameless and Scream, wrote the script. The result is a story soaked with realism and augmented by stylistic flourishes and a poignant, subversive orchestral score from Alex Somers.
CHARM CITY KINGS: A Powerful Black Coming-of-Age Story

Charm City Kings is an expressionistic, powerful look at a neglected community that gets little attention on-screen.

Satyajit Ray - THE HERO at Berlinale
Satyajit Ray – THE HERO at Berlinale

Legend of the Berlindale Film Festival, Satyajit Ray’s award-winning 1966 Indian drama The Hero (Nayak) showcases the filmmaker’s talents.

ALLEN V. FARROW, Episode Two The Soon-Yi Affair
ALLEN V. FARROW, Episode Two: The Soon-Yi Affair

Episode two of Allen v. Farrow looks into Woody Allen’s affair and eventual marriage of his former partner Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter.

WILDFIRE: Irish Eyes No Longer Smile In Affecting Sibling Drama
WILDFIRE: Irish Eyes No Longer Smile In Affecting Sibling Drama

Wildfire is a commanding calling card for Brady, showcasing kitchen-sink realism and a powerful portrayal of sibling heartbreak.

Interview With Ricky Staub, Writer-Director Of CONCRETE COWBOY
CONCRETE COWBOY Trailer

A teenager discovers the world of urban horseback riding when he moves in with his estranged father in North Philadelphia.

Awkward Souls 50 Years Of Mike Leigh’s Bleak Moments
Awkward Souls: 50 Years Of Mike Leigh’s Bleak Moments

Back in 1971, Mike Leigh’s Bleak Moments showed the director’s take on the awkward moments that make humanity so complex and compelling.

Horrific Inquiry: LEPRECHAUN (1993)
Horrific Inquiry: LEPRECHAUN (1993)

Gold at the end of the rainbow, ancient magics, and leprechauns all to delight and even terrify. This was the goal of Mark Jones’ Leprechaun.