‘Whitetail’ Review: From Nanouk Leopold’s Frustratingly Imbalanced Irish Drama Emerges a Star-Making Performance from Natasha O’Keeffe [C+] CIFF
There’s nothing like seeing a star-making performance. Natasha O’Keeffe is a face that will be mostly familiar to those who watch British television, thanks to... Read More
Film Festivals
‘Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk’ Review: Palestinian Doc is a Stunning Chronicle of Finding Hope in the Darkest of Realities [A-] CIFF
On October 10 of this year, a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel went into effect, ostensibly putting an end to two years of bloodshed, in... Read More
‘A Little Prayer’ Review: Angus MacLachlan’s Gentle Family Drama Finds Beauty in the Seemingly Unremarkable [B] | Chicago Critics Film Festival
It’s been said that life doesn’t always make sense until examined in retrospect. The idea of waiting until a later point in one’s existence to... Read More
‘Hot Milk’ Review: Emma Mackey Blazes Through Choppy Mother-Daughter Portrait [C] | BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
There’s a moment in Hot Milk that looks like a dream: a young woman is floating in the cyan-blue sea under the Spanish sun. It’s... Read More
‘The Wise Guy’ Review: VHS Flourishes and Idolisation of 20th Century Gangster Films Elevate Generic Coming-of-Age Story | Belfast Film Festival
As we get further and further away from the technology of the past, filmmakers who interacted with it in their childhood are placing it central... Read More
‘Separated’ Review: Errol Morris Hasn’t Forgotten Trump’s Immigration Policy Cruelty and Neither Should We | Chicago International Film Festival
It’s tough for feature-length documentaries to always be on the cutting edge of topicality. The very nature of film production means that most documentaries will... Read More
‘Small Things Like These’ Review: Cillian Murphy is a Quiet Powerhouse in Aloof Drama from ‘Peaky Blinders’ Helmer Tim Mielants | Chicago International Film Festival
Cillian Murphy is the kind of actor that most directors would kill to have leading their film. His face alone makes for a compelling screen... Read More
‘Baby’ Review: Marcelo Caetano’s Underdeveloped Queer Coming of Age Story Never Fully Blooms | Chicago International Film Festival
The queer coming-of-age story has seemingly taken over the LGBT film landscape. Nearly every film festival presents a small handful of movies that focus on... Read More
2024 Middleburg Film Festival Diary Days 3 and 4: Isabella Rossellini Talks ‘Conclave;’ Coffee and Contenders, plus ‘Nightbitch,’ ‘The Room Next Door’
I kicked off day three of the Middleburg Film Festival at one of this year’s most compelling venues: the Conversation with Colman Domingo and Clarence... Read More
2024 Middleburg Film Festival Diary Days 1 and 2: ‘Blitz,’ ‘The Brutalist,’ ‘Memoir of a Snail,’ ‘Better Man’
The Middleburg Film Festival is set against the picturesque backdrop of historic Virginia. The 12th edition of this wonderful event is taking place this weekend... Read More
Director Watch Podcast Ep. 153: ‘Memento’ (Christopher Nolan, 2001) 
2026 San Francisco International Film Festival Reviews: ‘The World of Love,’ ‘A Sad and Beautiful World,’ ‘Nuisance Bear,’ ‘One in a Million’ (SFFILM) 
2027 Oscar Predictions: SUPPORTING ACTOR (May) 
Interview: Boots Riley on Collecting an Eclectic Cast and How ‘I Love Boosters’ is Like Richard Scarry’s ‘Busy, Busy Town’