New Directors/New Films Festival review: In ‘Short Vacation,’ the end of the world is just the beginning
If you knew that the number of photos you could take on your phone on any given day was limited, and that instead of deleting... Read More
Film Festivals
New Directors/New Films Festival Review: ‘All Light, Everywhere’ teaches us how to see
Theo Anthony’s experimental documentary All Light, Everywhere confronts you with images you might not want to see: An inside look at someone’s sinewy optic nerve;... Read More
Film Review: ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ is a personal, pulse-pounding adventure
Kumandra, the setting of Raya and the Last Dragon, is fictional, but it is also not. It is not on any map, but one can... Read More
Amplify! Film Fest review: Viggo Mortensen’s directorial debut ‘Falling’ is misguided and reductive
It’s truly remarkable just how much Viggo Mortensen has mellowed out over time. After reinventing himself as a darling of the gritty arthouse following the... Read More
NEWFEST Reviews: ‘Cowboys,’ ‘Rūrangi,’ ‘The Strong Ones,’ and ‘Tahara’
In her second dispatch of NewFest, Sara Clements reviews Cowboys, Rūrangi, The Strong Ones and Tahara. Don’t miss her first round of reviews of Dating... Read More
NEWFEST Reviews: ‘Dating Amber,’ ‘Forgotten Roads,’ ‘ Monsoon,’ ‘ Two of Us,’ and ‘Uncle Frank’
David Freyne’s Dating Amber takes gays back to high school. A charming comedy of a relatable experience where sex is on everyone’s mind and where... Read More
AFI FEST Review: The brilliant ‘Belushi’ captures a complicated artist by those who knew him best
One of the biggest problems with fame, I would imagine, is the sense that, because everyone knows who you are, they think they know you.... Read More
AFI FEST Review: ‘Sound of Metal’ is thunderous
Writer/director Darius Marder’s new film, The Sound of Metal, explores, quite beautifully and somewhat elegiacally, how losing all control of your life can be the... Read More
AFI FEST Review: ‘Whirlybird’ is a fascinating chronicle of the birth of breaking news
I live in Los Angeles, and I can tell you two things are ubiquitous: helicopters and an insatiable appetite for live news. If you don’t... Read More
AFI FEST Review: ‘I’m Your Woman’ flips the script on your dad’s mob drama
Hollywood, despite its recent struggles, still remains at the forefront of the movement to push through more opportunities for women and minorities. With that push... Read More
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’ 
Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal to Reunite for ‘Hold On To Your Angels’ from Benh Zeitlin