drama

SFIFF Review: KODACHROME: Analog Vs Digital In This Road Trip Gem
SFIFF Review: KODACHROME: Analog Vs Digital In This Road Trip Gem

Appropriately and beautifully shot on 35mm celluloid by Raso, Kodachrome is a touching, hilarious, and contemplative gem of a film with three wildly meritorious performances by Harris, Sudeikis, and Olsen, and timely themes.

SFIFF Review: FIRST REFORMED: The ‘Taxi Driver’ Of The Millennial Generation

A trio of staggering performances by Hawke, Seyfried, and Cedric the Entertainer, a gripping story that mines our current sociopolitical landscape for philosophical fodder, and typically formidable writing make First Reformed a mandatory watch for everyone.

OUTSIDE IN: The Human Spirit Confined
OUTSIDE IN: The Human Spirit Confined

Bolstered by the quiet compassion that has always been her strong suit, Lynn Shelton has turned in another stunning independent feature with Outside In that no one who enjoys the quieter side of life should miss.

GHOST STORIES: Is 'Good Enough' Good Enough?
GHOST STORIES: Is ‘Good Enough’ Good Enough?

Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson’s adaptation of their hit stage play Ghost Stories is a serviceable British horror – but with so many recent gems in the genre, is being “serviceable” enough to justify its existence?

SFIFF Review: TULLY: Reitman, Cody, & Theron Win Big Again

With the help of Theron and Davis’ magnetic chemistry, Cody and Reitman’s synergy, and an intricate yet touching story about motherhood, Tully perfectly blends comedy and drama, creating a powerful, tender meditation on societal stigmas.

VERONICA: A Typical Demonic Possession Film with a Surprising Heart
VERONICA: A Typical Demonic Possession Film With A Surprising Heart

Despite a tendency to overdo it when it comes to the scares themselves, Paco Plaza’s Veronica contains enough focus on character and symbolism to be an effective demonic possession horror.

A GENTLE CREATURE: A Mean-Spirited Look At Corruption In Russian Society

A Gentle Creature is a divisive film, too exaggerated to be a realistic condemnation of the corrupt bureaucracy it seeks to lampoon.

THE RIDER: Chloé Zhao's Haunting Masterpiece (SFIFF Review)
SFIFF Review – THE RIDER: Chloé Zhao’s Haunting Masterpiece

Director Chloe Zhao follows up her debut film with an outstanding sophomore feature, The Rider, that in a just world would see her get an Oscar nomination for her impactful direction.

DAUGHTER OF THE NILE: An Underseen Drama Is Winningly Restored
DAUGHTER OF THE NILE: An Underseen Drama Is Winningly Restored

Daughter of the Nile is a prime example of the underseen gems that we are privileged to finally have access to thanks to distributors like the Cohen Film Collection. You might have to dig a little deeper to find them, but when you do, you are rewarded with something special.

BEAUTY AND THE DOGS: Brave Performances And Bravura Storytelling
BEAUTY AND THE DOGS: Brave Performances & Bravura Storytelling

Told in just nine powerful takes, this harrowing legal drama from director Kaouther Ben Hania uncompromisingly depicts one woman’s search for justice following a sexual assault in a corrupt, patriarchal society.

MIDNIGHT SUN: For Those Intent On A Sob

Based on a real-life and serious disease, Midnight Sun, though with initial potential, is ultimately too heavy-handed and clichéd to be an effective romantic drama.

SUBMISSION: The Personal Becomes Political

Though with timely themes of inappropriate romance and sexuality, Submission sadly lacks the insight and perspective to become a movie that represents “now.”

FAMILY: Taylor Schilling Gets Her Freak On In Charming Comedy
SXSW Review: FAMILY: Laura Steinel’s Debut Clowns Around With Stereotypes

It was absolutely inspiring to see so much strong female content at SXSW Conference and Festivals, and Family, the debut feature by Laura Steinel, was no exception.

AN ORDINARY MAN: Silberling At The Top Of His Game
AN ORDINARY MAN: Silberling At The Top Of His Game

Despite An Ordinary Man’s ultra slow pace, it contains a superb score, Silberings’s minimalistic story and grand direction, and Kingsley and Hilmar’s respective tour-de-forces, sharpening in tuning slowly towards a gripping climax.

FLOWER: Zoey Deutch Blossoms as a Teen Vigilante
FLOWER: Zoey Deutch Blossoms As A Teen Vigilante

While tiptoeing on the line of empowering and exploitative, Flower is an unconventional teen film for a new generation that finds its true strength in in its leading lady Zoey Deutch.