“Master” Explores Old Ideas in a New Setting
Racism is horror. This is the idea behind creative masterpieces such as Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” and Bernard Rose’s “Candyman”…
Reviews
New Directors/New Films April 20–May 1
A major international hotel chain some years ago positioned its appeal to travelers as “the best surprise is no surprise.”…
New Box Office Record for China’s 2022 Spring Festival: Another Batch of History-Breaking Films
Lunar New Year is a traditional Spring festival in China, and also a prime time for movie-watching. People often spend…
“Hi, Mom” and “Mama”: Dedicated to Every Ordinary but Great Mother
In his short story collection “Puck of Pook’s Hill,” Rudyard Kipling said, “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he…
Blast from The Not-So-Distant Past: Krystin Ver Linden’s “Alice”
Inspired by actual events, Krystin Ver Linden premiered her directorial debut, “Alice,” at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. The film…
New Year, New Queer: Am I OK?
Courtney Gardner reviews Tig Notaro’s directorial debut, “Am I OK?,” with a focus on how the friendship between Lucy (Dakota Johnson) and Jane (Sonoya Mizuno) changes after Lucy comes out in her thirties.
“The Green Knight”: A Beautiful Tale of Exercises in Futility
Based on the medieval poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” Director David Lowery retells the story of Gawain, the…
How “The Fallout” Does Mental Health Right
“The Fallout” (2021), Megan Park’s feature directorial debut, explores the emotional impact of a school shooting on high schoolers and…
Seeing Agnes: Chase Joynt Reframes an Iconic Folk Hero
“Framing Agnes” (2022), Chase Joynt’s directorial feature debut, offers the audience a critique of the media’s portrayal of transgender and gender-nonconforming communities. Joynt’s movie is the result of a collaborative process, one that was recognized by two NEXT awards at Sundance.