Cord Jefferson
☼ Born on 26 January 1982, in Tucson, Arizona, USA
BiographyCord Jefferson was born on January 26, 1982 in Tucson, Arizona, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for American Fiction (2023), The Good Place (2016) and Watchmen (2019).


In the role of director

Inland Empire – Premium Classics (18/01/2025)

The filmmaking world experienced a great loss this week as David Lynch passed away at 78. This ends a nearly six-decade-long career, with a weird and surreal filmography that included Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, the TV series Twin Peaks and its prequel film Fire Walk With Me, Wild at Heart, Lost Highway, and […]

The Last Showgirl (17/01/2025)

A Las Vegas showgirl has to deal with the imminent closure of her show in The Last Showgirl. Shelly Gardner (Pamela Anderson) is a 57-year-old Las Vegas showgirl, who has performed in the revue Le Razzle Dazzle for the past three decades and acts as a mother figure for the younger dancers Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) […]

Wolf Man (16/01/2025)

A man undergoes horrifying changes after he and his family are attacked by a creature near their remote Oregon farm in Wolf Man. Blake Lovell (Christopher Abbott) is a San Francisco man, who receives word that his long-missing father Grady (Sam Jaeger) has been declared dead. Blake convinces his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) to join […]

LLOYD KAUFMAN Spills the Tea on #SHAKESPEARESSHITSTORM! (15/01/2025)

Get ready to be shocked by what Lloyd Kaufman has to say about the new Troma film #ShakespearesShitstorm in this exclusive interview recorded virtually during the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival! Tune in to hear all the juicy details about his latest release, streaming on January 15, 2025 on Troma Now. Bumpers and Aside A.I. Voiceover […]

Better Man (13/01/2025)

Robbie Williams tells the story of his tumultuous career, characterized as an anthropomorphic chimpanzee, in Better Man. Growing up in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England, Robert Williams (Jonno Davies) dreams of being a performer like his absentee father Peter (Steve Pemberton). Robert gets his big break at 15 when he is chosen by manager Nigel Martin-Smith […]

Nickel Boys (13/01/2025)

Two young black men form a bond in a cruel reform school in Nickel Boys. Elwood Curtis (Ethan Herisse) is a young African-American man in 1962 in Tallahassee, Florida. He has a seemingly bright future when his high school teacher, Mr. Hill (Jimmie Fails), gets Elwood enrolled in a tuition-free accelerated study program at an […]

The Room Next Door (10/01/2025)

A woman receives a grave request from her cancer-diagnosed friend in The Room Next Door. Ingrid (Julianne Moore) is an autofiction novelist, who discovers that her old friend Martha (Tilda Swinton) has been diagnosed with Stage 3 cervical cancer. The two were close in their youth when they worked at the same magazine, but grew […]

Dinner in America (06/01/2025)

A fugitive punk rocker encounters a young woman, who happens to be the biggest fan of his band, in Dinner in America. After being kicked out of rehab, Simon (Kyle Gallner) is on the run from the police, due to his tendency of being a pyromaniac. Simon ends up crossing paths with Patty (Emily Skeggs), […]

Carry-On (01/01/2025)

A young TSA agent is blackmailed to allow a dangerous package past security in Carry-On. Ethan Kopek (Taron Egerton) is a young man working as a TSA agent at LAX. Worried about his future after his girlfriend Nora Parisi (Sofia Carson), who also works at LAX as the director of operations, announces that she is […]

The Brutalist (30/12/2024)

A Jewish Hungarian architect immigrates to the United States after the Second World War in The Brutalist. In 1947, Holocaust survivor László Tóth (Adrien Brody) emigrates from Budapest to Philadelphia, where he is taken in by his cousin Attila (Alessandro Nivola) and his wife Audrey (Emma Laird). While awaiting word of when his wife Erzsébet […]

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (29/12/2024)

Team Sonic has to deal with a new vengeful Hedgehog and dual Eggmen in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Escaping from a Guardian Units of Nations (G.U.N.) prison facility off the coast of Japan, after being held in suspended animation for 50 years, Shadow the Hedgehog (Keanu Reeves) has a thirst for revenge for the loss […]

Babygirl (23/12/2024)

A CEO enters into a submissive affair with her much younger intern in Babygirl. Romy Mathis (Nicole Kidman) is the CEO of a tech company, who is not fully satisfied sexually by her longtime husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas). Romy’s company hires a new young intern, Samuel (Harris Dickinson), who chooses Romy to be his mentor. […]

The Count of Monte Cristo (22/12/2024)

The classic novel by Alexandre Dumas receives an epic new adaptation with The Count of Monte Cristo. Young sailor Edmond Dantès (Pierre Niney) is promoted after risking his life to save a woman named Angèle (Adèle Simphal), against the orders of his captain Danglars (Patrick Mille). This promotion allows Edmond to propose to his love […]

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (21/12/2024)

An old enemy returns in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl. Wallace (Ben Whitehead) has been using his inventions to automate his daily life, much to the minor annoyance of Gromit. Wallace’s latest invention is the “Smart Gnome” Norbot (Reece Shearsmith), which becomes a surprise hit for Wallace due to Norbot’s exceptional gardening skills. This […]

Nosferatu (2024) (14/12/2024)

Robert Eggers reimagines F.W. Murnau’s German Expressionist adaptation of Dracula with Nosferatu. In 1838 in the German city of Wisborg, real estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is assigned by his employer Herr Knock (Simon McBurney) to visit the castle of Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), who plans to retire to a mansion in the city. […]

Queer (13/12/2024)

The novel by William S. Burroughs is adapted for the big screen with Queer. As a result of his drug addictions, writer William Lee (William Lee) has been living as an exile in 1950s Mexico City, frequenting the city’s gay bars and sharing tales of homosexual misadventures with his friend Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman). Lee […]

The End (13/12/2024)

A family’s existence within a fallout shelter is disrupted by the arrival of an outsider in The End. Following an apocalyptic event, a former Energy Tycoon (Michael Shannon) and his Wife (Tilda Swinton), descend into an underground bunker along with their Butler (Tim McInnerny), Doctor (Lennie James) and Friend (Bronagh Gallagher). The couple’s Son (George […]

A Complete Unknown (10/12/2024)

The early years of the career of Bob Dylan are recreated in A Complete Unknown. In 1961, enigmatic folk singer Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) travels to New York to visit his hero Woody Guthrie (Scoot McNairy), who’s hospitalized with a degenerative illness. It is at the hospital where Bob meets Peter Seeger (Edward Norton), who […]

The Girl with the Needle (07/12/2024)

A struggling woman in post-WWI Copenhagen is taken in by a confectioner running a side business taking unwanted babies in The Girl with the Needle. In the dying days of the first World War, seamstress Karoline (Vic Carmen Sonne) is suddenly evicted from the apartment she shared with her MIA husband Peter (Besir Zeciri). Karoline […]

Trailer Park Boys Presents Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties (05/12/2024)

Bubbles fulfills his dream of being a country music singer in Trailer Park Boys Presents Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties: The Bubbles and the Shitrockers Story. Bubbles (Mike Smith) is making a documentary about his burgeoning country music career, as he performs his cat-themed songs at an old folk’s home, in exchange for free […]

The Apartment – Premium Classics (02/12/2024)

This Review Will Contain SPOILERS The holiday season kicked off for TIFF Cinemateque with a special screening of the 4K restoration of Billy Wilder’s 1960 Oscar winning romantic comedy The Apartment. C.C. “Bud” Baxter (Jack Lemmon) is a worker for an insurance company, who often spends long nights at the office. Part of the reason […]

Flow (01/12/2024)

An unlikely group of animals gather on board a boat to protect themselves from a massive flood in Flow. A lone black cat scavenges around for food and ends up running away from a pack of dogs. However, the waters in the wilderness begin to rise and the animals rush to take shelter. The cat […]

Karl R. Hearne and Dale Dickey EXPOSE the Dark Side of Elder Revenge in THE G (29/11/2024)

Karl R. Hearne and Dale Dickey shed light on the dark side of elder revenge in THE G. Check out this exclusive interview from the Fantasia Film Festival 2024. The film is now playing across Canada, distributed by Level Film. The G Interview Time Codes 00:00 Introduction00:28 Karl R. Hearne on a Creating a Revenge […]

The Heirloom (29/11/2024)

A young couple have to adjust after adopting a rescued dog in The Heirloom. Eric (Ben Petrie) is a workaholic filmmaker, who gives in to the desires of her partner Allie (Grace Glowicki) to adopt a dog. The two drive to the airport to pick up the scared Whippet, Milly, who was flown in with […]

Jayro Bustamante EXPOSES the Hidden TRAGEDY of RITA (28/11/2024)

The dark fairy tale RITA is now available to stream on Shudder. We spoke to writer and director Jayro Bustamante about the film, which includes the real 2017 Guatemalan tragedy that inspired the narrative of the fantastical realism of this film. Jayro Bustamante Interview Time Codes 00:00 Introduction00:30 Jayro Bustamante on the 2017 Guatemalan Tragedy […]

September 5 (28/11/2024)

The ABC Sports Team provide live coverage of a hostage situation at the 1972 Munich Olympics in September 5. The 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany were the first to be broadcast live across the world via satellite. On September 5, 1972, Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro) is beginning his first day as Executive Producer of […]

Moana 2 (27/11/2024)

The Polynesian wayfinder gains a crew to try and break an island curse in Moana 2. Three years after restoring her people’s status as wayfinders, Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) finds a clue about other people living across the ocean. While performing a ceremony with her father Chief Tui (Temuera Morrison, Moana has a vision of her […]

Gladiator II (27/11/2024)

Ridley Scott returns to the Roman Colosseum with Gladiator II. It has been sixteen years since the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and his dream of making Rome a free republic has died under the rule of the twin Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger). Aurelius’ grandson Lucius (Paul Mescal) has been living […]

Creepy Bits Season 2 – Blood in the Snow 2024 (25/11/2024)

Creepy Bits Season 2 is a 10-episode chilling horror collection created by David J. Fernandes, that delves deep into the unknown, drawing inspiration from contemporary issues and venturing into uncharted territories of fear. Creepy Bits Season 2, Episode 1: The Massacurra Man – Directed by Adrian Bobb Hitman Jamie targets Leslie, the unassuming owner of […]

Scared Shitless! – Blood in the Snow 2024 (23/11/2024)

This Review Was Originally Published as Part of Our Coverage of the 2024 Fantasia Film Festival A plumber and his germophobe son discover a man-eating slug has invaded the septic system of an apartment complex in Scared Shitless!. Don (Steven Ogg) is the proprietor of Donahue Plumbing, who has been dealing with the fact that […]

The Silent Planet – Blood in the Snow 2024 (23/11/2024)

This Review Was Originally Published As Part of Our Coverage of Fantasia 2024 Two strangers on a prison planet discover that they may have a tragic connection in The Silent Planet. Theodore (Elias Koteas) is a terminally ill convict, serving an isolated sentence on a silent mining planet, whose memory of life on Earth has […]

Pins and Needles – Blood in the Snow 2024 (23/11/2024)

A diabetic grad student fights to survive a deadly cat and mouse game in Pins and Needles. Max (Chelsea Clark) is a biology grad student, who is driving home from a retreat with her friend Harold (Daniel Gravelle), though warning signs go off after Harold also offers a ride to the shady-looking Keith (Damian Romeo). […]

Invited – Blood in the Snow 2024 (22/11/2024)

A family is shocked to realize that the Zoom wedding they were invited to is a cult ritual in Invited. Linda (Martina Schabron) is a recovering alcoholic, who received a Zoom invite from her estranged daughter Jessica (Beáta Imre), who is suddenly getting married to her Russian boyfriend Adrik (Michael Lake). The call is joined […]

Self Driver – Blood in the Snow 2024 (21/11/2024)

A cash-strapped ride-share driver gets more than he bargained for when he’s recruited to use a new start-up app in Self Driver. D (Nathanael Chadwick) was recently laid off from his office job, and he has been struggling to make end’s meet using a ride-share app called VRMR. Nic (Adam Goldhammer), one of D’s passengers, […]

Hunting Matthew Nichols – Blood in the Snow 2024 (20/11/2024)

A woman makes a documentary about the search for her missing brother in Hunting Matthew Nichols. On October 31, 2001, 17-year-old Matthew Nichols and his friend Jordon Reimer disappeared after venturing into the Black Bear Forest, near the small town of Port Rupert on Vancouver Island. Over two decades later, Matthew’s younger sister Tara (Miranda […]

Wicked: Part One (20/11/2024)

The Tony Award-winning musical hits the big screen with Wicked: Part One. Due to being born with green skin, Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) has been subjected to much prejudice, particularly from her father Governor Thropp (Andy Nyman) of Munchkinland, who gives preferential treatment to Elphaba’s wheelchair-bound sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode). While accompanying Nessarose to Shiv […]

Dark Match – Blood in the Snow 2024 (18/11/2024)

This Review Was Originally Published as Part of Our Coverage of Fantasia 2024 The stars of a 1980s professional wrestling league find themselves part of a Satanic cult’s ritual in Dark Match. SAW is a ragtag 1988 wrestling league managed by Rusty Beans (Jonathan Cherry) and featuring a roster of stars that includes Mean Joe […]

Meet ACADEMY AWARD WINNING Animator ADAM ELLIOT and His Latest Masterpiece MEMOIR OF A SNAIL! (15/11/2024)

Meet Academy Award-winning animator Adam Elliot (Mary and Max, Harvie Krumpet) and learn about his latest stop-motion masterpiece Memoir of a Snail. Distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media, Memoir of a Snail is now playing. Don’t miss this exclusive interview with the talented animator! Adam Elliot Interview Time Codes 00:00 Introduction 00:21 Memoir of a […]

Memoir of a Snail (15/11/2024)

A lonely woman tells her life story to her pet snail in Memoir of a Snail. After the death of her last remaining friend friend Pinky (Jacki Weaver), Grace Pudel (Sarah Snook) goes into the garden and releases her longtime pet snail Sylvia. As Sylvia inches her way to her final destination, recounts her sad […]

The Piano Lesson (10/11/2024)

A family clashes over the fate of an heirloom piano in The Piano Lesson. On July 4, 1911, three brothers stole a piano from their former enslavers, though one of them, Boy Charles (Stephan James), died in a consequential fire. 25 years later, Boy Charles’ son Boy Willie (John David Washington) arrives with his friend […]

Blitz (10/11/2024)

A 9-year-old-old boy tries to make it home to his mother during the London bombings of World War II in Blitz. George (Elliott Heffernan) is a 9-year-old mixed race boy, who lives with his single mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) and her father Gerald (Paul Weller) during the World War II blitz, where London was bombed […]

Okie (08/11/2024)

A writer returns to his hometown and deals with the repercussions of using the people he knew as characters in his books in Okie. Louie Mulgrin (Scott Michael Foster) is a wealthy writer, who has returned to his rural hometown to collect some items from the house of his recently deceased father. Louis catches up […]

Bird (08/11/2024)

A 12-year-old Kent girl befriends an odd drifter in Bird. Bailey (Nykiya Adams) is a tomboyish 12-year-old living in Gravesend, North Kent with her chaotic father Bug (Barry Keoghan) and wayward brother Hunter (Jason Buda). As Bug is distracted by his upcoming wedding, Bailey meets Bird (Franz Rogowski), a mysterious man looking for his family. […]

A Real Pain (07/11/2024)

Two cousins go on a tour of Holocaust sites in Poland in A Real Pain. David Kaplan (Jesse Eisenberg) has taken some time off his busy work and family life to join his cousin Benji (Kieran Culkin) on a tour of Poland in memory of their recently deceased grandmother. The two join a tour group […]

Heretic (07/11/2024)

Two Mormon missionaries find themselves in a deadly game to prove their faith in Heretic. Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East) are two Mormon missionaries who visit the house of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant). At first, Mr. Reed seems to be an incredibly kind man, who entertains the girls with theological discussion, […]

Juror #2 (04/11/2024)

A recovering alcoholic called to juror duty realizes that he may be responsible for the crime being tried in Juror #2. Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) is a journalist and recovering alcoholic, whose wife Allison Crewson (Zoey Deutch) is in the final trimester of a high-risk pregnancy. Justin is called for jury duty in the trial […]

Levels (02/11/2024)

A man begins to question his reality after witnessing the apparent murder of his girlfriend in Levels. Joe (Peter Mooney) is a seemingly average man, who has recently begun dating Ash (Cara Gee). On a date, Ash is about to reveal a big secret about herself to Joe, when she is suddenly gunned down at […]

Spirit in the Blood (02/11/2024)

A group of teenage girls embrace their dark nature in the aftermath of a death in a secluded mountain community in Spirit in the Blood. Emerson Grimm (Summer H. Howell) is an outcast teenager, who has just moved to the highly religious mountain community of Saint Belvedere, where her father Julian (Greg Bryk) grew up. […]

Emilia Pérez (01/11/2024)

A cartel leader seeks a new beginning in Emilia Pérez. Rita Moro Castro (Zoe Saldaña) is a Mexico City Defense Attorney, who draws the attention of cartel boss Manitas Del Monte (Karla Sofía Gascón). Manitas wants Rita to help arrange gender reassignment surgery, so he can start a new life as his true self. Rita […]

Browse (27/10/2024)

Conclave (25/10/2024)

A conflicted Cardinal oversees a hotly contested election of a new Pope in Conclave. After the unexpected death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), dean of the College of Cardinals, prepares to oversee the highly secretive election ritual of the conclave. Several frontrunners emerge to take up the papacy, including the left-wing reformist Cardinal […]

Venom: The Last Dance (25/10/2024)

A fugitive Eddie Brock goes on one last adventure with the alien symbiote living inside him in Venom: The Last Dance. While vacationing in Mexico, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) discovers that he is a wanted fugitive for the apparent death of Detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham). However, Mulligan is still alive, having been saved at […]

The Beast Within (21/10/2024)

A 10-year-old girl learns her family’s dark secret in The Beast Within. Willow (Caoilinn Springall) is a 10-year-old girl living on a fortified compound with her father Noah (Kit Harington) and mother Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings). Willow begins to suspect something is up with her parents after a series of strange events, including her grandfather Waylon […]

Rumours – TIFF 2024 (18/10/2024)

The leaders of the G7 nations get lost in the woods while attempting to draft their provisional statement in Rumours. The leaders of the G7 nations convene at a rural German bogland estate to draft their annual statement to the world. Attending the summit are German Chancellor Hilda Ortmann (Cate Blanchett), Canadian Prime Minister Maxime […]

We Live in Time (17/10/2024)

The highs and lows of a young couple’s relationship are depicted non-linearly in We Live in Time. As he is finalizing the divorce from his failed marriage, Tobias (Andrew Garfield) ends up being hit by a car driven by Almut (Florence Pugh), a former figure skater turned Bavarian fusion chef. The two begin a passionate […]

Terrifier 3 (12/10/2024)

Art the Clown resumes his reign of terror during the holiday season in Terrifier 3. Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) has spent the last five years in psychiatric care to deal with the trauma of being one of the sole survivors, along with her brother Jonathan (Elliott Fullam), of the Miles County Massacre committed by the […]

Beyond The Chamber of Terror (11/10/2024)

This is an extended rewrite of our original review published as part of our coverage of the 2021 Blood in the Snow Film Festival A foul-mouthed vigilante targets the people who killed his family in Beyond The Chamber of Terror. Nash Caruthers (Timothy Paul McCarthy) is out for revenge against the Ackerman crime family, headed […]

Daddy’s Head (11/10/2024)

A grieving 12-year-old comes to believe that his dead father has returned in Daddy’s Head. Issac (Rupert Turnbull) is led by his stepmother Laura (Julia Brown) into a hospital to say goodbye to his father James (Charles Aitken), who was gravely injured in an automobile accident and is about to be taken off life support. […]

Don’t F**k with Ghosts (10/10/2024)

Two filmmakers have 30 days to shoot a definitive proof of the existence of ghosts in Don’t F**k with Ghosts. Stuart Stone and his brother-in-law Adam Rodness are tasked with making a documentary proving the existence of ghosts. The two board their Ghost Bus-Ter and make their way to the murder capital of Canada, Winnipeg. […]

The Apprentice (10/10/2024)

Donald Trump’s rise during the 1970s and 1980s is dramatized in The Apprentice. In the 1970s, Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) is a young real estate upstart working for his father Fred (Martin Donovan). After getting into an exclusive club, Trump catches the eye of cutthroat lawyer Ray Cohn (Jeremy Strong), who takes Trump under his […]

The Outrun (04/10/2024)

A recovering alcoholic returns home to a remote Scottish island in The Outrun. The life of 29-year-old Rona (Saoirse Ronan) has been derailed by her alcoholism, which destroyed both her career and relationship with her boyfriend Daynin (Paapa Essiedu). After undergoing 90 days of rehab, Rona returns home to the Orkney Islands of Scotland, where […]

Frankie Freako (04/10/2024)

This is an expanded rewrite of our original review published as part of our coverage of Fantasia 2024 A yuppie loser finds his home trashed by a trio of mischievous freaks in Frankie Freako. Conor (Conor Sweeney) is a yuppie office worker, whose boss Mr. Buechler (Adam Brooks) doesn’t believe his upcoming presentation is “spicy” […]

Saturday Night – TIFF 2024 (03/10/2024)

The final 90 minutes before the premiere episode of Saturday Night Live is dramatized in Saturday Night. It is October 11, 1975 and producer Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) is preparing for the launched of his new sketch comedy series on NBC. With the show yet to have a finalized script. network executive Dick Ebersol (Cooper […]

Joker: Folie À Deux (01/10/2024)

Arthur Fleck finds love as he is put on trial for his crimes in Joker: Folie À Deux. For the past two years, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) has been in the maximum security wing of Arkham State Hospital, subject to cruel and mocking treatment by the guards headed by Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson). While being […]

Sean Kelly Reviews Megalopolis (So You Don’t Have To) (30/09/2024)

In this review, Sean Kelly dives deep into Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, which he saw at TIFF 2024 and opens in wide release on September 27, 2024. Don’t miss his in-depth analysis, explaining how he saw Megalopolis so you don’t have to! Megalopolis Timecodes 00:00 Cold Open 00:10 Introduction 00:26 Megalopolis Plot Outline and Synopsis […]

A Different Man (28/09/2024)

A man with neurofibromatosis undergoes an experimental procedure to cure his disfigured appearance in A Different Man. Edward (Sebastian Stan) is an aspiring actor with neurofibromatosis, resulting in disfiguring tumours on his face. Edward lives a lonely life in an apartment complex, though he is treated with kindness by his new neighbour Ingrid (Renate Reinsve), […]

Die Alone (27/09/2024)

An amnesiac man is assisted by a survivalist woman to find his girlfriend in a post-apocalyptic world in Die Alone. Ethan (Douglas Smith) wakes up after a car accident with no memory, other than he was travelling with his girlfriend Emma (Kimberly-Sue Murray) to lay low at their cabin as a viral pandemic turns the […]

Lee (27/09/2024)

The story of war photographer Lee Miller is told in Lee. In 1977 at the Farleys Farmhouse, an elderly Lee Miller (Kate Winslet) talks to her son Anthony Penrose (Josh O’Connor) about her career as a photographer in World War II. The story begins in 1938 France where former model Lee is vacationing with her […]

The Wild Robot (27/09/2024)

A robot becomes a surrogate mother for a gosling on an uninhabited island in The Wild Robot. ROZZUM unit 7134 (Lupita Nyong’o), or Roz for short, is a helper robot that is shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. After learning to communicate with the local wildlife, Roz tries to find a task to complete, though most […]

Wolfs (24/09/2024)

Two competing cleaners reluctantly have to partner up for a job in Wolfs. District attorney Margaret (Amy Ryan) panics when the Kid (Austin Abrams) she brought up to her hotel room seemingly drops dead. In desperation, Margaret calls a cleaner (George Clooney) to help resolve this problem. However, Margaret’s Man is shocked by the arrival […]

Never Let Go (21/09/2024)

A mother tries to protect her sons from an evil spirit surrounding their home in Never Let Go. In a post-apocalyptic world, a single Mother (Halle Berry) has created strict rules to protect her twin sons Nolan (Percy Daggs IV) and Samuel (Anthony B. Jenkins) from the Evil surrounding their home. The most important of […]

The Substance (20/09/2024)

This is an expanded rewrite of the review originally published as part of our coverage of TIFF 2024 A has-been actress uses an experimental drug to become a better version of herself in The Substance. Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is a once-popular actress who has now been reduced to hosting the aerobics program Sparkle Your […]

The Invisibles (20/09/2024)

A man on the brink of an ending marriage finds out one day that he has disappeared from the real world in The Invisibles. Charlie (Tim Blake Nelson) is a man who is not only dealing with being turned down for a coveted promotion, but he is struggling with the aftermath of a personal tragedy […]

Homepage (18/09/2024)

Aberdeen – TIFF 2024 (17/09/2024)

A troubled First Nation woman struggles to rebuild her life in Aberdeen. Aberdeen (Gail Maurice) is a middle-aged woman from the Peguis First Nation in Manitoba, whose life has been reduced to sleeping on park benches in Winnipeg. While being arrested for public intoxication, Aberdeen loses her Indigenous identification and subsequently learns that her brother […]

The Life of Chuck – TIFF 2024 (16/09/2024)

During the end of the world, billboards begin appearing thanking an accountant for 39 great years in The Life of Chuck. Marty Anderson (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a schoolteacher whose classes begin to dwindle due to seemingly apocalyptic events in the world. Marty begins to see billboards and advertisements congratulating Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) on “39 […]

Hold Your Breath – TIFF 2024 (15/09/2024)

A mother in the Dust Bowl era of 1933 Oklaholma comes to believe a spirit from a ghost story is tormenting her family in Hold Your Breath. Margaret Bellum (Sarah Paulson) is left having to care for her daughters Rose (Amiah Miller) and Ollie (Alona Jane Robbins) in their isolated farm plauged by sandstorms, while […]

It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This – TIFF 2024 (15/09/2024)

A filmmaking couple experience strange experiences at the Duplex they bought in It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This. Nick Toti and Rachel Kempf are a couple who have spent decades together making DIY movies with their friend Christian. While scouting for a upcoming horror project called Homebody, Nick and Rachel end up buying a […]

The Shadow Strays – TIFF 2024 (14/09/2024)

A young member of an elite group of assassins goes rogue to save the son of her neighbour in The Shadow Strays. Codename 13 (Aurora Ribero) is the member of an elite group of mercenary assassins known as “Shadows.” 13 gets sloppy when she feels empathy on a mission in Japan and is instructed by her […]

Your Tomorrow – TIFF 2024 (13/09/2024)

The final year of Ontario Place before redevelopment is observed in Your Tomorrow. When it opened in 1972, the provincial park Ontario Place was envisioned as a mirror for Ontario’s people. However, due to mismanagement by the Ontario Government, the amusement park that operated on the site closed after the 2012 season. It is now […]

Presence – TIFF 2024 (13/09/2024)

The haunting of a family is shown from the point-of-view of the ghost in Presence. After an unknown presence silently moves through the rooms of an empty house, realtor Cece (Julia Fox) arrives to show the house to Rebekah (Lucy Liu), her husband Chris (Chris Sullivan) and their kids, Tyler (Eddy Maday) and Chloe (Callina Liang). […]

Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story – TIFF 2024 (12/09/2024)

The career or provacative Irish author Edna O’Brien is told in Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story. Through her books such as The Country Girls, The Lonely Girl, and A Pagan Place, Edna O’Brien’s writing was often considered obsene or indecent. Edna also shared a tumultuous marriage to the older writer Ernest Gébler, who […]

The Penguin Lessons – TIFF 2024 (12/09/2024)

An English teacher in Buenos Aires adopts a rescued penguin in The Penguin Lessons. In the year 1976, Tom Michel (Steve Coogan) arrives at Buenos Aires to begin a position at an English Boarding School. Despite the fact that Argentina is in the midst of a coup d’état, it is the policy of the headmaster […]

Dead Mail – TIFF 2024 (12/09/2024)

A kidnapped man desperately drops a note requesting help into a mailbox in Dead Mail. Josh (Sterling Macer Jr.), a kidnapped synthesizer engineer, crawls his way out of the house he is chained to and drops a call for help into the mailbox before his kidnapper and former business partner Trent (John Fleck) returns home. […]

You Are Not Alone – TIFF 2024 (12/09/2024)

A lonely Montreal man finds love right as he is targeted for abduction by aliens in You Are Not Alone. Since the end of his previous relationship, Léo (Pier-Luc Funk) has preferred being alone, working night shifts delivering pizzas from his family’s pizzeria. Things begin turning around when Léo meets Rita (Marianne Fortier), a sweet-natured […]

Matt and Mara – TIFF 2024 (12/09/2024)

Two old friends reunite in Matt and Mara. Mara (Deragh Campbell), a Toronto literary professor, is surprised one day to find her old friend Matt (Matt Johnson) waiting for her outside her classroom. Even though Mara is now married to musician Samir (Mounir Al Shami) and has a young daughter, she rekindles her friendship with […]

Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe – TIFF 2024 (11/09/2024)

The life and career of tenor Andrea Bocelli is revisited in Andrea Bocelli: Because I Believe. Andrea Bocelli was born in the Tuscan village of La Sterza and has been completely blind since the age of 12. However, this hasn’t stopped him from enjoying a three-decade music career that encompasses pop, rock, and opera. Framed […]

The Gesuidouz – TIFF 2024 (11/09/2024)

A horror-themed punk band are sent to a farm to record a hit song in The Gesuidouz. Hanako (Natsuko) is the leader of The Gesuidouz, a punk-rock band with lyrics using the titles of horror films. The band’s manager is frustrated that nobody knows that The Gesuidouz’s first album “Toxic Avengers Infinity War” exists and […]

The Shrouds – TIFF 2024 (11/09/2024)

A grieving man develops a burial shroud that allows him to observe the decaying body of his deceased wife in The Shrouds. Karsh (Vincent Cassell) has been grieving the death of his wife Becca (Diane Kruger), who died four years prior from cancer. Through his company GraveTech, Karsh has developed burial shrouds that can allow […]

Megalopolis – TIFF 2024 (11/09/2024)

An architect uses a powerful building material to create a Utopian city in Megalopolis. Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver) is the head of the design authority in the city of New Rome, who won a Nobel Prize for developing the infinitely malleable and miraculously strong building material megalon, which he has been using to reshape sections […]

The Assessment – TIFF 2024 (10/09/2024)

A couple undergo a weeklong series of tests that decides if they are appropriate to have a child in The Assessment. In a dystopian future with heavy population control, married couple Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Aaryan (Himesh Patel) have applied for a weeklong assessment to decide if they can become parents. They are greeted by their […]

Young Werther – TIFF 2024 (10/09/2024)

An idealistic man pine over an engaged woman in Young Werther. Werther (Douglas Booth) has arrived in Toronto on a pit stop before embarking on a trip to Europe. However, Werther ends up falling head-over-heels for Charlotte (Alison Pill) when he meets her in a bar and won’t even let the fact that she is […]

Measures for a Funeral – TIFF 2024 (09/09/2024)

A young woman researches the history of Canadian violinist Kathleen Parlow as a distraction of the imminant death of her mother in Measures for a Funeral. For her PhD thesis, Audrey Benac (Deragh Campbell) has been researching Kathleen Parlow, a Canadian violinist from the early 20th century, who has been lost to history. Audrey’s research […]

Ick – TIFF 2024 (08/09/2024)

A high school science teacher tries to save his students from a malevolent vine-like growth invading his small town in Ick. For two decades, the small town of Eastbrook has been encroached by a viscious vine-like growth nicknamed “The Ick,” though one of the only people concerned seems to be football star turned science teacher […]

Nightbitch – TIFF 2024 (08/09/2024)

A new mother begins to believe she is turning into a dog in Nightbitch. Mother (Amy Adams) has grown resentful of the fact that she gave up her art career to raise her 2-year-old son on her own, while her Husband (Scoot McNairy). Mother begins recieving heighted senses akin to that of a dog. After […]

The Fire Inside – TIFF 2024 (07/09/2024)

The story of Olympic boxer Claressa Shields is told in The First Inside. As a kid, Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny) snuck into the gym of volunteer boxing coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) eager to learn how to box. Jason takes Claressa under his wing and five years later, she is on her way to […]

Anora – TIFF 2024 (07/09/2024)

A New York sex worker spontaneously marries the son of a Russian oligarch, raising the ire of his family, in Anora. Anora (Mikey Madison), who prefers to go by the nickname Ani, is a sex worker who works in a New York City strip club. Due to her ability to speak Russian, Ani is introduced […]

Dead Talents Society – TIFF 2024 (07/09/2024)

A recently deceased teen has to learn how to commit hauntings or else disappear from reality in Dead Talents Society. The Rookie (Gingle Wang) is a teenage ghost who moves unseen through the afterlife with her friend Camilla (Pai Ching-I). However, the rookie soon discovers that she is in danger of being forgotten and disappearing […]

Daniela Forever – TIFF 2024 (07/09/2024)

A grieving man takes an experimental drug, which brings his dead girlfriend back to life through lucid dreams in Daniela Forever. Nick (Henry Golding) is a British DJ living in Madrid, who is in a depressed funk after his Italian girlfriend Daniela (Beatrice Grannò) is killed in a hit-and-run. Nick’s therapist Victoria (Nathalie Poza) refers […]

Seeds – TIFF 2024 (06/09/2024)

A Mohawk social media influencer has to prevent her family’s supply of seeds from being stolen from an evil conglomerate in Seeds. Ziggy (Kaniehtiio Horn) is a budding influencer sharing social media videos of native legends and ghost stories. Just after signing a promotional deal with the seed company Nature’s Oath, she is asked by […]

The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal – TIFF 2024 (06/09/2024)

The nearly four-decade long career of The Tragically Hip is told in an all-emcompassing docuseries in The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal. The Tragically Hip consisting of Gord Downie, Rob Baker, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois and Gord Sinclair were five alumni of KCVI high school in Kingston, Ontario. Signed to MCA records in the late-1980s, […]

The Substance – TIFF 2024 (06/09/2024)

A has-been actress uses an experimental drug to become a better version of herself in The Substance. Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) is a once-popular actress now reduced to hosting the aerobics program Sparkle Your Life. However, Elisabeth ends up being fired, on her birthday, by her chauvinistic boss Harvey (Dennis Quaid), who begins looking for […]

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (04/09/2024)

The ghost with the most returns after three decades in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Three decades after nearly being forced to marry Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton), Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) puts the her powers as a medium to use as the host of the paranormal TV series Ghost House, with her dating the show’s producer Rory (Justin Theroux). […]

Strange Darling (01/09/2024)

The final reign of terror of a serial killer is told in a non-linear fashion in Strange Darling. The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald) is being pursued down a rural stretch of road by the Demon (Kyle Gallner), who shoots at her with a shotgun. The Lady eventually takes shelter at the home of an eccentric doomsday […]

Out Come the Wolves (01/09/2024)

A hunting trip becomes a fight for survival following an attack by a pack of wolves in Out Come the Wolves. Sophie (Missy Peregrym) has brought her journalist fiance Nolan (Damon Runyan) up to her family’s cabin in the wilderness, as the latter is writing an article about the effects of hunting. With Sophie now […]

Interview with John Adams and Toby Poser About Hell Hole (23/08/2024)

I spoke via Zoom to John Adams and Toby Poser of Adams Family Films to talk about their new creature horror film Hell Hole, available to stream on August 23, 2024, on Shudder. Hell Hole Time Codes 00:00 Introduction 00:18 Clip from Hell Hole 02:12 Interview John Adams and Toby Poser on Hell Hole 02:22 […]

The Crow (22/08/2024)

A murdered man comes back to right the wrongs that were committed in The Crow. While serving time in a rehab facility, Eric Draven (Bill Skarsgård) meets and falls for Shelly Webster (FKA Twigs), who he helps escape from Marion (Laura Birn), a woman working for Vincent Roeg (Danny Huston), a crime lord who made […]

Good One (21/08/2024)

A teenage girl finds herself in the middle of a clash of egos between her father and his oldest friend in Good One. Sam (Lily Collias) is a 17-year-old girl accompanying her father Chris (James Le Gros) on a weekend camping trip. The two are joined by Chris’ oldest friend Matt (Danny McCarthy), who is […]

Hell Hole (21/08/2024)

A Serbian fracking team unearths a parasitic cephalopod in Hell Hole. An American fracking team led by Emily (Toby Poser) and John (John Adams) have begun drilling in the Serbian wilderness, much to the concern of local scientists Sofia (Olivera Peruničić) and Nikola (Aleksandar Trmčić). The team unearthed a 19th-century French soldier encased in some […]

Alien: Romulus (16/08/2024)

A group of friends trying to escape a mining colony encounter a derelict space station containing a terrifying threat in Alien: Romulus. Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) is an orphaned young woman living on the mining colony Jackson’s Star, who is disappointed to discover that the Weyland Yutani corporation increased her service quota, preventing her departure […]

Badlands – Premium Classics (09/08/2024)

As part of TIFF’s retrospective on Art Designer Jack Fisk, I watched Badlands, the 1973 debut feature from writer and director Terrence Malick. Holly Sargis (Sissy Spacek) is a 15-year-old girl living in the South Dakota town of Fort Dupree. One day she meets Kit Carruthers (Martin Sheen), a 25-year-old from the wrong side of […]

Borderlands (08/08/2024)

A bounty hunter returns to her home planet to find a special girl in Borderlands. Lilith (Cate Blanchett) is a disgruntled bounty hunter who is hired by powerful tech CEO Atlas (Edgar Ramírez) to recover his daughter Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), kidnapped by Crimson Raiders turncoat Roland (Kevin Hart). Lilith returns to her home planet […]

Fantasia 2024 – Dark Match World Premiere Featuring Chris Jericho (06/08/2024)

We were on-site in Montreal for the World Premiere of the Satanic Cult professional wrestling horror film Dark Match at the ‪2024 Fantasia Film Festival. We hit the red carpet to interview writer/director Lowell Dean and cast members Sara Canning, Ayisha Issa, Michael Eklund, and professional wrestling superstar Chris Jericho!

Kryptic – Fantasia 2024 (04/08/2024)

A woman explores her connection to a missing cryptozoologist in Kryptic. While on a hike through the British Columbia wilderness, Kay Hall (Chloe Pirrie) has an encounter with a mythical cryptid called a Sooka, emerging with no memories. Kay learns that she looks identical to Barb Valentine, a cryptozoologist who went missing on a search […]

From My Cold Dead Hands – Fantasia 2024 (04/08/2024)

A light is shone on United States Gun Culture using footage from thousands of YouTube videos in From My Cold Dead Hands. Framed by a video listing the reasons for being a gun owner, Spanish documentarian Javier Horcajada Fontecha compiles a YouTube mash-up about gun-toting Americans. This includes the best places to keep a gun, […]

FAQ – Fantasia 2024 (04/08/2024)

An overworked elementary school student is guided by the sentient bubbles of a batch of rice wine in FAQ. Kim Dong-Chun has immense pressure put on her by her parents, as she finds herself placed in university prep courses at a very young age. While on a school trip, Dong-Chun finds a bottle of rice […]

Me and My Victim – Fantasia 2024 (03/08/2024)

A Montreal video artist and New York poet reflect on their complicated relationship in Me and My Victim. Maurane is a Montreal-based multimedia artist specializing in video art and Billy Pedlow is a poet living in New York. The two met while Maurane was on a trip to New York and their story is told […]

House of Sayuri – Fantasia 2024 (03/08/2024)

A family moves into their dream house only to discover it is haunted by a vengeful spirit in House of Sayuri. Kamiki Akio (Kajihara Zen) moves his large family, consisting of his wife Masako, children Norio (Minamide Ryoka), Keiko (Morita Kokoro), and Shun (Inomata Ray), and parents Shozo (Kitaro) and Harue (Negishi Toshie), into a […]

The Instigators (03/08/2024)

Two Boston thieves find themselves on the run after a heist goes awry in The Instigators. Cash-strapped ex-Marine Roy (Matt Damon) is brought on, along with Cobby (Casey Affleck) and Scalvo (Jack Harlow) to do a heist for Mr. Besegai (Michael Stuhlbarg) and his associate Richie Dechico (Alfred Molina). Mr. Besegai wants the crew to […]

Trap (03/08/2024)

A serial killer learns that the FBI has set a trap for him at a concert in Trap. Cooper Adams (Josh Hartnett) is taking his teenage daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) to see her favourite pop star Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan). While at the concert venue, Cooper notices an increased police presence blocking all the […]

Darkest Miriam – Fantasia 2024 (02/08/2024)

A Toronto librarian’s sheltered existence is cracked open in Darkest Miriam. Miriam Gordon (Britt Lower) is a librarian at the Allen Gardens branch of the Toronto Public Libraries, whose daily routine involves reading to children, answering questions at the info desk, and filling out incident reports. However, a mystery arises at the library when Miriam […]

Steppenwolf – Fantasia 2024 (02/08/2024)

A traumatized woman joins forces with a psychotic former police officer to locate her kidnapped son in Steppenwolf. In a dystopian future, Kazakhstan has turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where lawlessness rules. Tamara (Anna Starchenko) is a despondent woman, so consumed by trauma that she can barely speak. She wanders into a police station and […]

The A-Frame – Fantasia 2024 (02/08/2024)

A woman desperately seeks a cure for her cancer from a quantum scientist in The A-Frame. Donna (Dana Namerode) has recently been diagnosed with bone cancer in her hand, joining a support group led by Linda (Laketa Caston) and befriending leukemia-diagnosed stand-up comedian Rishi (Nik Dodani). After her doctors tell her the only solution to […]

The Tenants – Fantasia 2024 (02/08/2024)

An office drone sublets his bathroom to an odd and eccentric couple in The Tenants. Shin Dong (Kim Dae Geon) lives a soulless existence in a near-future Seoul ravaged by pollution and overpopulation. When Shin is threatened with eviction, he decides the use the Wolwolse system, which allows tenants to sublet a portion of their […]

Kneecap (01/08/2024)

Belfast hoodlums form an Irish Gaelic rap group in Kneecap. Liam Óg “Mo Chara” Ó Hannaidh and Naoise “Móglaí Bap” Ó Cairealláin are two Belfast drug dealers, who insist on speaking the Irish language as taught to them by Naoise’s Irish Republican father Arlo (Michael Fassbender). While Liam is detained and questioned by Detective Ellis […]

Sing Sing (01/08/2024)

Prisoners rehabilitate themselves as members of a theatre program in Sing Sing. John “Divine G” Whitfield (Colman Domingo) is a prisoner at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and a founding member of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts theatre program at the prison. Before their latest production directed by Brent Buell (Paul Raci), the RTA brings on […]

Oddity (01/08/2024)

A blind woman seeks answers for her twin sister’s murder in Oddity. While renovating her newly acquired country house, Dani (Carolyn Bracken) is brutally murdered. The crime is pegged on Olin Boole (Tadhg Murphy), a one-eyed man recently discharged from a psychiatric hospital, where Dani’s husband Ted (Gwilym Lee) works as a doctor, with Olin […]

Out of the Shadow – Fantasia 2024 (31/07/2024)

A teenage girl becomes a karate-fighting vigilante and learns a secret about her mother’s past in Out of the Shadow. Chu Po (Larine Tang) is a teenager tired of being held down by her overprotective mother Ying (Kay Tse). As such, Po secretly begins receiving karate lessons from Madam Mo (Natalie Tong), using her skills […]

Dead Dead Full Dead – Fantasia 2024 (31/07/2024)

Two police officers are called in to investigate an increasingly complicated murder investigation in Dead Dead Full Dead. While on duty one night in Mumbi, detectives Balram (Yug Italiya) and Zubi (Monica Chaudhary) are called in to investigate a complaint by Basanti Bachhan (Flora Jacob), who witnessed her neighbour Rahul (Ashwin Mushran) kill his social […]

Baby Assassins: Nice Days (30/07/2024)

The teenage assassins are back for a third mission in Baby Assassins: Nice Days. Mahiro Fukagawa (Saori Izawa) and Chisato Sugimoto (Akari Takaishi) are on a working vacation in Miyazaki, with the plan being to celebrate Mahiro’s 20th birthday after killing their latest target. However, Mahiro and Chisato are beaten to the punch by highly […]

Cuckoo – Fantasia 2024 (30/07/2024)

This Review was Originally Published as Part of TIFF Next Wave 2024 A 17-year-old girl discovers something sinister at a resort in the German Alps in Cuckoo. 17-year-old Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) is forced to move with her father Luis (Marton Csokas), stepmother Beth (Jessica Henwick), and half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu) to the Resort Alpschatten in […]

Párvulos – Fantasia 2024 (29/07/2024)

Three brothers fight to survive in a post-apocalyptic world in Párvulos. Salvador (Farid Escalante Correa), Oliver (Leonardo Cervantes), and Benjamin (Mateo Ortega Casillas) are three brothers living in an isolated house in the wilderness. A viral outbreak has resulted in much of the population turning into violent zombies and the three brothers have to fight […]

Witchboard – Fantasia 2024 (28/07/2024)

A group of friends opening a restaurant in New Orleans unearth an ancient pendulum board in Witchboard. Emily (Madison Iseman) and her fiance Christian (Aaron Dominguez) are preparing to open a new Creole restaurant in the French Quarter of New Orleans. While picking mushrooms for the restaurant, Emily finds an old board, which she learns […]

The Dead Thing – Fantasia 2024 (28/07/2024)

A young woman learns a ghastly secret about the man she begins dating in The Dead Thing. Alex (Blu Hunt) is a young woman stuck in a dead-end job and an endless cycle of meaningless online dating connections. That all changes when she meets Kyle (Ben Smith-Petersen), whom Alex instantly develops chemistry with. However, when […]

Infinite Summer – Fantasia 2024 (28/07/2024)

Three friends have a transhumanist experience while on summer vacation in Infinite Summer. Mia (Teele Kaljuvee-O’Brock) is a young Estonian woman, who goes on summer vacation with her childhood friend Grete (Johanna-Aurelia Rosin), who has returned home after studying in London, bringing along her Canadian friend Sarah (Hannah Gross). While using an “Extreme Dating” app, […]

This Man – Fantasia 2024 (27/07/2024)

A series of deaths are tied to those who dream of an unusual man in This Man. A series of gruesome deaths have been piling up, with the connection between them visiting psychiatrists with reports that they dreamt of a strange man with a unibrow. This affliction soon affects Hana (Arisa Deguchi) and her husband […]

The Soul Eater – Fantasia 2024 (27/07/2024)

Two police officers tackle a grisly serial killer case tied to a local legend in The Soul Eater. Captain Franck De Roland (Paul Hamy) and Commander Elizabeth Guardanio (Virginie Ledoyen) both arrive in the village of Roquenoir on different cases. Franck is on the search for answers about missing children and Elizabeth has arrived to […]

The G – Fantasia 2024 (26/07/2024)

An elderly woman forced into a care home has to revisit her dark past to get revenge on those who wronged her in The G. Ann Hunter (Dale Dickey) is a woman in her 70s living alone with her ailing husband Chip (Greg Ellwand). While estranged from Chip’s son, Ann has a close relationship with […]

Deadpool & Wolverine (26/07/2024)

The merc with the mouth recruits a variant of Logan to help save his universe in Deadpool & Wolverine. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) has given up life as the mercenary Deadpool and now works as a used car salesman with Peter (Rob Delaney). A surprise birthday party for Wade is interrupted when he is taken […]

Rita – Fantasia 2024 (26/07/2024)

A 13-year-old girl joins a revolt against an abusive all-girls protective custody shelter in Rita. After fleeing from her abusive family, 13-year-old Rita (Giuliana Santa Cruz) and sent to a projective custody shelter. Rita stays in a ward, where the other girls, including Sulmy (Ángela Quevedo), Bebe (Alejandra Vásquez), and La Terca (Isabel Aldana), all […]

Frankie Freako – Fantasia 2024 (25/07/2024)

A yuppie loser finds his home trashed by a trio of mischievous freaks in Frankie Freako. Conor (Conor Sweeney) is a yuppie office worker, whose boss Mr. Buechler (Adam Brooks) doesn’t believe his upcoming presentation is “spicy” enough and even Conor’s wife Kristina (Kristy Wordsworth) believes him to be a bit “square.” When Kristina leaves […]

The Silent Planet – Fantasia 2024 (24/07/2024)

Two strangers on a prison planet discover that they may have a tragic connection in The Silent Planet. Theodore (Elias Koteas) is a terminally ill convict, serving an isolated sentence on a silent mining planet, whose memory of life on Earth has been steadily fading. Theodore’s isolated existence is disrupted by the arrival of a […]

The Chapel – Fantasia 2024 (24/07/2024)

A non-believing medium reluctantly helps a young girl develop her gift in The Chapel. Every Halloween, a Spanish village unseals its central chapel to commemorate a girl named Usoa taken by Plague Doctors in the middle of the Black Death. Emma (Maia Zaitegi) is a young girl, who has been working with local medium Ivana […]

Chainsaws Were Singing – Fantasia 2024 (24/07/2024)

A young man tries to save his girlfriend from a chainsaw-wielding maniac, all while singing about it, in Chainsaws Were Singing. Tom (Karl Ilves) is distraught when the new love of his life Maria (Laura Niils) is kidnapped by the chainsaw-wielding Killer (Martin Ruus), who has been terrorizing the countryside. Tom hitchhikes a ride with […]

Meanwhile on Earth (Pendant ce temps sur Terre) – Fantasia 2024 (23/07/2024)

A woman has to help an alien race to save her lost space brother in Meanwhile on Earth. Elsa Martens (Megan Northam) is a care home nurse, who is grieving for her astronaut brother Franck (Sebastien Pouderoux), who vanished without a trace while on a mission. One night, Elsa begins hearing Franck’s voice and learns […]

Vulcanizadora – Fantasia 2024 (23/07/2024)

Two best friends go on a self-destructive camping trip in Vulcanizadora. Derek (Joel Potrykus) and Marty (Joshua Burge) travel into the wilderness for a camping trip. The two films themselves lighting off bottle rockets and doing drunken campfire dances with glowsticks and Godsmack. However, as they get closer to their destination, the intention of this […]

Scared Shitless! – Fantasia 2024 (22/07/2024)

A plumber and his germophobe son discover a man-eating slug has invaded the septic system of an apartment complex in Scared Shitless!. Don (Steven Ogg) is the proprietor of Donahue Plumbing, who has been dealing with the fact that his son Sonny (Daniel Doheny) has been experiencing severe germophobia since the death of his mother. […]

Dark Match – Fantasia 2024 (22/07/2024)

The stars of a 1980s professional wrestling league find themselves part of a Satanic cult’s ritual in Dark Match. SAW is a ragtag 1988 wrestling league managed by Rusty Beans (Jonathan Cherry) and featuring a roster of stars that includes Mean Joe Lean (Steven Ogg), Lazarus Smashley (Leo Fafard), Enigma Jones (Mo Adan), Miss Behave […]

The Paragon – Fantasia 2024 (21/07/2024)

A former tennis star receives psychic training to locate the hit-and-run driver who ruined his life in The Paragon. Dutch (Benedict Wall) once had a seemingly perfect life as an aspiring tennis player, with his loving wife Emily (Jessica Grace Smith) and adopted drug-dealer brother Oates (Shadon Meredith). However, following a hit-and-run incident, where his […]

Shelby Oaks – Fantasia 2024 (21/07/2024)

A woman refuses to give up hope looking for her missing YouTuber sister in Shelby Oaks. Riley Brennan (Sarah Durn) was the post of the popular ghost-hunting YouTube series Paranormal Paranoids. In 2008, Riley and her team went missing after investigating the ghost town of Shelby Oaks, Ohio, known for its supposedly haunted amusement park. […]

Carnage for Christmas – Fantasia 2024 (20/07/2024)

A transgender podcast returning home for the holidays reencounters her town’s legendary serial killer in Carnage for Christmas. Lola (Jeremy Moineau) is the successful co-host of a true-crime podcast who is travelling home for Christmas, to the small town of Purdan, for the first time since running away and transitioning. Lola stays with her sister […]

Bookworm – Fantasia 2024 (19/07/2024)

A pretentious 11-year-old goes on a camping trip with her illusionist camper in search of a reclusive panther in Bookworm. Mildred (Nell Fisher) is an 11-year-old New Zealand girl excited to go on a camping trip with her mother Zo (Morgana O’Reilly) to find proof of the mythical Caturbury Panther and collect a $50,000 reward. […]

2024 Fantasia International Film Festival (15/07/2024)

Fantasia 2024 Interviews Fantasia 2024 – Selection 2024 Fantasia 2024 – Cheval Noir Fantasia 2024 – Documentaries from the Edge Fantasia 2024 – Fantasia Underground Fantasia 2024 – Septentrion Shadows

True Lies – Premium Classics (15/07/2024)

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the release of James Cameron’s 1994 action-comedy True Lies. Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a covert spy going on missions with his team of Albert Gibson (Tom Arnold) and Faisil (Grant Heslov). On his latest mission, Harry tails art dealer Juno Skinner (Tia Carrere), who has ties with the […]

The Bikeriders (14/07/2024)

The young woman recalls her experiences with a Chicago area motorcycle club in The Bikeriders. In 1973, Kathy Bauer (Jodie Comer) gives an interview to Danny Lyon (Mike Faist), about what happened to the Chicago-based Vandals Motorcycle Club, which Lyons previously followed as a young photographer. Kathy first encountered the club, founded by Johnny Davis […]

First Hand Account from MaXXXine Background Performer Renews Allegations Against Mia Goth (10/07/2024)

Back in January, it was first reported by TMZ that Mia Goth, director Ti West, and distributor A24 were all defendants in a lawsuit filed by a background actor on MaXXXine, alleging that Goth intentionally kicked him in the head while he was playing a corpse during a nighttime shoot. In the lead-up to the […]

Longlegs (10/07/2024)

A young female FBI agent is assigned to track a Satanic serial killer in Longlegs. Agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) is a young FBI agent with a strong intuition and possible psychic abilities. As a result of her unique abilities, her superior Agent Carter (Blair Underwood) assigns her to a serial killer case the FBI […]

MaXXXine (06/07/2024)

A serial killer stalks Hollywood in MaXXXine. Six years after being the sole survivor of the massacre in Texas, adult film star Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) plans to crossover into the mainstream by being cast in the horror film The Puritan II, directed by Elizabeth Bender (Elizabeth Debicki). However, Maxine is tracked down by Louisiana […]

Ten Picks from the 2024 Fantasia Film Festival (05/07/2024)

The 2024 edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is less than two weeks away. This morning, tickets went on sale for this year’s selection of films. As such, I thought I would list, in chronological order, ten of the films that I am most interested in seeing during the week that I will be […]

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (04/07/2024)

Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills to help out his estranged daughter in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is still working the streets of Detroit, much to the chagrin of his friend and Deputy Chief Jeffrey Friedman (Paul Reiser), who announces his retirement to cover for Axel’s latest screw-up. Jeffrey encourages […]

Despicable Me 4 (03/07/2024)

Gru and his family are forced into witness protection in Despicable Me 4. Gru (Steve Carell) is in danger when his newly caught archnemesis Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell), a flamboyant human-cockroach hybrid, escapes from prison and vows revenge with his girlfriend Valentina (Sofía Vergara). Anti-Villain League head Silas Ramsbottom (Steven Coogan) relocates Gru, his […]

Beverly Hills Cop III – Premium Classics (03/07/2024)

Our marathon of the original Beverly Hills Cop trilogy concludes with the third film from 1994 directed by John Landis. Detroit detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is preparing to raid a car theft ring, observed by Inspector G. Douglas Todd (Gil Hill). However, Axel arrives to find a group of machine gun-toting men and in […]

Beverly Hills Cop II – Premium Classics (02/07/2024)

Our marathon of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise continues with the second entry released in 1987, directed by Tony Scott. Beverly Hills Police Department Captain Andrew Bogomil (Ronny Cox) is shot and gravely injured by assassin Karla Fry (Brigitte Nielsen), while investigating a series of high-value robberies called the Alphabet Crimes. When he finds out […]

Beverly Hills Cop – Premium Classics (01/07/2024)

In advance of the Netflix release of the fourth film, this week we are doing a special marathon of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise, beginning with the original 1984 film directed by Martin Brest. Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is a streetwise Detroit detective, whose childhood friend Michael “Mikey” Tandino is murdered soon after coming to […]

Daddio (27/06/2024)

A taxi driver and his passenger have a conversation about the relationships in their lives in Daddio. As his final fare of the night, taxi driver Clark (Sean Penn) picks up Girlie (Dakota Johnson), who is returning home to New York after a two-week trip visiting family in Oklahoma. As Clark makes the drive from […]

Kinds of Kindness (27/06/2024)

Yorgos Lanthimos directs a triptych fable in Kinds of Kindness. In The Death of R.M.F., Robert (Jesse Plemons) refuses to do a task for his friend and benefactor Raymond (Willem Dafoe) and his wife Vivian (Margaret Qualley). This results in Raymond cutting off Robert, resulting in his life falling apart, including losing his wife Sarah […]

Physical Media Recommendations – Pride Week Edition (25/06/2024)

With Pride occuring this week in Toronto, today’s group of recommendations deal with recent releases that have 2SLGBTQ+ themes. At the top of the list is the recent Criterion Collection release of the Wachowski’s debut film Bound. Some of the other selections I chose include the LGBTQ wresting documentary Out in the Ring, the horror-adjacent […]

Robot Dreams (22/06/2024)

A budding friendship develops between a dog and a robot in 1980s New York City in Robot Dreams. Living an isolated existence in his New York City apartment, Dog orders for himself an Amica 2000 robot. Dog and Robot become fast friends, exploring the city to the sounds of Earth, Wind, & Fire’s “September.” However, […]

The Exorcism (21/06/2024)

An actor recovering from his addictions experiences disruptive behaviour as he shoots a demonic possession film in The Exorcism. Anthony Miller (Russell Crowe) is a down-on-his-luck actor recovering from a drug and alcohol addiction that has left him in an estranged relationship with his daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins). Anthony is hired by director Peter (Adam […]

Thelma (20/06/2024)

A 93-year-old woman goes on a vengeful journey after she’s conned out of $10,000 in Thelma. Thelma Post (June Squibb) is a 93-year-old woman still getting used to living on her own following the death of her husband two years earlier, often receiving help for menial tasks from her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger). Thelma gets […]

Inside Out 2 (17/06/2024)

More complex emotions are introduced as Riley hits puberty in Inside Out 2. Inside the mind of Riley (Kensington Tallman), the emotions of Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale) and Disgust (Liza Lapira) have perfected their balance, with Joy using Riley’s best memories to create her sense of self. […]

Bad Boys: Ride or Die (10/06/2024)

The Miami detectives find themselves fugitives while they try to clear the name of their departed captain in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Veteran Miami detective Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) finally ties the knot by marrying his physical therapist Christine (Melanie Liburd). However, during the reception, Mike’s partner Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) has a near-fatal […]

The Watchers (07/06/2024)

An American woman finds herself trapped in supernatural woods in the Irish countryside in The Watchers. Mina (Dakota Fanning) is an American woman living in Ireland, plagued by guilt over the accidental death of her mother she was responsible for as a child. Mina is tasked by her boss at the pet shop she works […]

Exhuma (07/06/2024)

A renowned shaman and revered geomancer encounters an ancient evil while cleansing a supernatural affliction for a wealthy family in Exhuma. Shaman Lee Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and her protege Bong Gil (Lee Do-hyun) are hired by the wealthy US-based businessman Park Ji Yong (Kim Jae-cheol) to cure a mysterious affliction on his newborn son. Hwa-rim […]

Handling the Undead (03/06/2024)

A freak electromagnetic pulse in Oslo results in the recently deceased awakening, affecting three families in Handling the Undead. On a dreary summer’s day in Oslo, a freak electromagnetic event passes through the city causing massive migraines in the living and causing the bodies of the recently deceased to awaken. This includes the son of […]

Chuck Chuck Baby – Inside Out 2024 (30/05/2024)

The world of an employee of a chicken packing factory turns upside down with the return of her old friend and love interest in Chuck Chuck Baby. Helen (Louise Brealey) is a woman in North Wales working in a chicken packing factory, with half of her wages going to her ex-husband Gary (Celyn Jones). Despite […]

Hit Man (29/05/2024)

A college professor moonlighting as an undercover contract killer ends up falling for one of his clients in Hit Man. Gary Johnson (Glen Powell) is a divorced college professor living an isolated life with his two cats. Gary moonlights for the police department, working as tech support for an undercover sting operation meant to catch […]

In a Violent Nature (24/05/2024)

A supernatural killer goes on a brutal rampage after a gold medallion is taken from the ruins of an only fire tower in In a Violent Nature. At the ruins of an old fire tower in the woods of White Pines, the naive Troy (Liam Leone) takes a golden locket hanging from the structure, despite […]

Babes (24/05/2024)

The relationship between lifelong friends is tested after one of them gets pregnant after a one-night stand in Babes. After helping her childhood best friend Dawn (Michele Buteau) with the birth of her second child, Eden (Ilana Glazer) meets charming stranger Claude (Stephan James) on the subway ride home. The two end up having an […]

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (24/05/2024)

The backstory of the wasteland Imperator is told in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. As a child, Furiosa (Alyla Browne) is kidnapped from the Green Place of Many Mothers in the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Furiosa is taken to the camp of the Warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and her mother Mary Jo Bassa (Charlee Fraser). Furiosa is […]

I Saw the TV Glow (20/05/2024)

Two friends begin to question their reality after their favourite television show is cancelled in I Saw the TV Glow. In 1996, isolated seventh grader Owen (Ian Foreman) meets lesbian ninth grader Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine). The two end up bonding over their mutual love of a young adult horror series called The Pink Opaque, following […]

Get Ready To Laugh: Chatting With Mike Cheslik About His Crazy Adventures With Hundreds Of Beavers (18/05/2024)

To coincide with the film’s release onto VOD, we spoke via Zoom to Mike Cheslik, the co-writer and director of the slapstick silent film Hundreds of Beavers. We talk about the film’s successful festival and roadshow run, upcoming projects for him and his collaborator Ryland Brickson Cole Trews, and a mutual love for releasing films […]

Catch The Wave: Interview With Caitlyn Sponheimer On Wild Goat Surf! (15/05/2024)

We spoke via Zoom with Caitlyn Sponheimer, the writer, director, producer, and co-star of the coming-of-age drama Wild Goat Surf, now playing in limited release, distributed by Vortex Media. Wild Goat Surf Synopsis Set in a rundown Penticton, Okanagan Valley RV park during the summer of 2003, Goat, a surfing-obsessed, thirteen-year-old skater girl, navigates the […]

Trailer – Wicked: Part One (15/05/2024)

The first full trailer has dropped for Wicked: Part One, marketed as just Wicked. The film is an adaptation of the 2003 Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, loosely based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which is in turn based […]

The Click Trap (12/05/2024)

The dark side of digital advertising is exposed in The Click Trap. Tech giants such as Google and Facebook have effectively turned themselves into advertising companies, by tracking users around the web and sharing relevant ads. However, there is a dark side to this digital advertising model, as advertisers inadvertently find themselves funding misinformation or […]

Le Mans 55: The Unauthorized Investigation – Hot Docs 2024 (12/05/2024)

French filmmaker Emmanuel Reyé investigates the worst accident in the history of motor racing, which took the lives of two of his uncles in Le Mans 55: The Unauthorized Investigation. On June 11, 1955, during the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, the Mercedes driven by French driver Pierre Levegh crashed into the stands, killing […]

Daughter of Genghis – Hot Docs 2024 (12/05/2024)

A Mongolian woman splits her time being a mother and a member of a Nationalist gang in Daughter of Genghis. Gerel Byamba is a Mongolian woman, who leads an all-woman Nationalist gang, specifically fighting against prostitution, in a quest for Mongolian purity. However, during the day, Gerel is mother to her young son Temuulen. When […]

Immortals – Hot Docs 2024 (12/05/2024)

The lives of the youth of Baghdad following the 2019 protests are explored in Immortals. Today in Iraq, 60% of the country is under the age of 25. Milo is locked in her house by her father for participating in the 2019 revolution and she ends up sneaking out dressed in her brother’s clothes and […]

Challengers (10/05/2024)

Three tennis aces have a love triangle relationship over a multi-year period in Challengers. Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) is a past his prime Tennis superstar preparing for the 2019 US Open while recovering from an injury. Art’s wife and coach, retired tennis ace Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), enters him as a wild card into a Challenger […]

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (10/05/2024)

A young chimpanzee tries to save his clan from a tyrannical ruler in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Many generations after the time of Caesar, Noa (Owen Teague) is a young member of the Eagle Clan, a tribe of chimpanzees, who breed and train eagles. While searching for eggs for an upcoming ceremony, […]

Union – Hot Docs 2024 (09/05/2024)

Current and former Amazon employees try to unionize at a Staton Island fulfillment centre in Union. Chris Smalls is a former employee of Amazon’s JFK-8 FullFilment Centre on Staton Island, who is the founder and president of the proposed Amazon Labour Union. Positioning himself at a tent by the bus stop, he tries to acquire […]

Whatever It Takes – Hot Docs 2024 (09/05/2024)

An e-commerce blogger is targeted by an aggressive cyber-stalker in Whatever It Takes. For over 25 years Natick, Massachusetts resident Ina Steiner and her husband David operated the blog EcommerceBytes, advising sellers using e-commerce platforms such as eBay. However, beginning in the summer of 2019, Ina and David would begin receiving treats on Twitter from […]

Invisible People – Hot Docs 2024 (09/05/2024)

The Japanese dance form of Butoh is explored in Invisible People. Butoh is a contemporary Japanese dance that flows between revolt, eroticism, trance, prayer, ancestral experience, and physical anonymity. Yoshito Ohno is the son of Butoh founder Kazuo Ohno, who runs a dance studio known as “the Church of Butoh.” Many of Yoshito’s students describe […]

Grand Theft Hamlet – Hot Docs 2024 (09/05/2024)

British actors try to stage a full production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the world of Grand Theft Auto Online in Grand Theft Hamlet. Unable to find acting roles during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sam and Mark spend their time playing Grand Theft Auto Online. While running from the in-game police, Sam stumbles upon and Vinewood […]

Wilfred Buck – Hot Docs 2024 (08/05/2024)

A Cree survivor of colonial trauma finds solace in his passion for the stars in Wilfred Buck. Wilfred Buck had a traumatic upbringing, with his siblings being victims of the Sixties Scoop and his mother dying on the streets of Winnipeg. Today, Wilfred Buck is an astronomer and educator passionate about the stars. Wilfred Buck […]

Red Fever – Hot Docs (08/05/2024)

Cree photographer and filmmaker Neil Diamond traces the Indigenous influence on Western culture and identity in Red Fever. Neil Diamond is a Cree photographer and filmmaker, but he doesn’t meet people’s stereotypical expectations about Native people. Diamond explores the history of Indigenous culture has been appropriated into Western society, in areas such as fashion, sports, […]

A Mother Apart – Hot Docs 2024 (08/05/2024)

LGBTQ poet Staceyann Chin has spent decades trying to reconcile the abandonment by her mother in A Mother Apart. When Staceyann Chin was a 9-year-old in Jamaica, her mother Hazel for a new life in Montreal. Now a lesbian beat poet, Staceyann is still trying to cope with this abandonment while trying to be a […]

Hot Docs 2024 Interview: Ilse Moreno on The Canadian Dream (07/05/2024)

At the 2024 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, we sat down with Mexican-Canadian filmmaker Ilse Moreno to speak about her short documentary The Canadian Dream. The 9-minute-long short had its World Premiere as part of the Hot Docs 2024 Shorts Program 1. The film is based on an interview with Ilse’s father Alberto Moreno […]

Singing Back the Buffalo – Hot Docs 2024 (07/05/2024)

The First Nations of North America band together to repatriate buffalo to their territories in Singing Back the Buffalo. In 2014, Blackfoot Elder Leroy Little Bear introduced a treaty with First Nations to reintroduce buffalo to their lands, restoring the interdependency between humans, buffalo, and the land. Over the next decade, herds of buffalo are […]

The Ride Ahead – Hot Docs 2024 (07/05/2024)

A young man with a GNAO1 Neurodevelopmental Disorder documents his own experiences living as someone with a disability in The Ride Ahead. Samuel Habib grew up with symptoms of cerebral palsy and epilepsy as a result of having a GNAO1 Neurodevelopmental Disorder. Despite his challenges, Samuel yearns to someday be able to live without the […]

My Dad’s Tapes – Hot Docs 2024 (06/05/2024)

A young man tries to reconcile his father’s death with the help of old home movie recordings in My Dad’s Tapes. On August 9, 2006, Leonard Watson dropped off his 8-year-old son Kurtis at summer camp and promptly disappeared, only to be found dead a month later of an apparent suicide. 14 years after his […]

This Is Going to Be Big – Hot Docs 2024 (06/05/2024)

Four neurodiverse teens in Victoria, Australia prepare to participate in the school musical in This is Going to Be Big. At Macedon Ranges Specialist School in Victoria, Australia, music teacher Darcy Nolan and drama teacher Lori Nichols are preparing to put on their bi-annual school music, with this year’s script being The Time Travelling Trio, […]

Yintah – Hot Docs 2024 (06/05/2024)

Members of the Wet’suwet’en nation fight for the sovereignty of their unceded territory in Yinah. The Wet’suwet’en hold 22,000 km² of unceded territory on the west coast of Turtle Island. The Wet’suwet’en have been fighting for over a decade against the efforts of the Canadian Government to build the Coastal Gaslink oil pipeline through their […]

Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (05/05/2024)

Martin Scorsese hosts a look back at the partnership between British filmmaker Michael Powell and Hungarian screenwriter Emeric Pressburger in Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger. Martin Scorsese fostered his love of film by watching British productions that were aired on American TV. His favourites were from “Production of the Archers,” the […]

Michel Gondry, Do It Yourself (04/05/2024)

The career of filmmaker Michel Gondry is looked back upon in Michel Gondry, Do It Yourself. Beginning as the drummer for the band Oui Oui, Michel Gondry became an influential music video director for artists such as Björk, Daft Punk, the White Stripes and the Chemical Brothers. Moving into feature films in the mid-2000s, Michel […]

Secret Mall Apartment – Hot Docs 2024 (04/05/2024)

In 2003, a group of 8 artists lived in an underutilized space in a Providence, Road Island mall in Secret Mall Apartment. The Providence Place Pall was built in the late-1990s as part of a revitalization effort for the city. A consequence of this gentrification was the demolition of Fort Thunder, an old mill building […]

Disco’s Revenge – Hot Docs 2024 (03/05/2024)

The history and continued influence of disco is examined in Disco’s Revenge. Beginning in underground nightclubs following the 1969 Stonewall riots, disco grew from a niche within the LGBTQ and African American communities to a commercially exploited, and publicly derided, trend throughout the 1970s. Despite disco being declared dead at a 1979 rally put on […]

The Fall Guy (03/05/2024)

A stuntman has to try and locate the missing star of his ex-girlfriend’s film in The Fall Guy. Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is one of the best stuntmen in the business, often working a double for action superstar Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). After being injured in a stunt gone wrong, Colt departs into a life […]

Pelikan Blue (02/05/2024)

Animated reenactments are used to tell the story of a train ticket forgery operation in 1990s Budapest in Pelikan Blue. Ákos (Norman Lévai), Petya (Kornél Tegyi), and Laci (Ágoston Kenéz) are three friends in 1990s Budapest, who share a common goal of wanting to travel, despite being unable to afford the expensive train tickets. The […]

Me, Michael and I – Hot Docs 2024 (02/05/2024)

A 25-year-old Quebecois man is willing to do anything to become the best Michael Jackson impersonator in Me, Michael and I. Freddy Duffour is a 25-year-old man from Quebec who has been obsessed with Michael Jackson since he was 16 years old. Already having had multiple plastic surgeries to look like the King of Pop, […]

Hot Docs 2024 Interview: Patricia Franquesa on My Sextortion Diary (01/05/2024)

At the 2024 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, I met with director and subject Patricia Franquesa to speak about her film My Sextortion Diary, which had its Canadian Premiere at the festival. Before listening, please note that the film’s topic involves being blackmailed over stolen personal photos, so listener discretion is advised.

So This Is Christmas – Hot Docs 2024 (30/04/2024)

A small Irish village has an unfortunate relationship with Christmas in So This is Christmas. It is late November in a quiet Irish town and it’ll soon be time for the most wonderful time of the year with everyone being of good cheer. However, this will not be the case for at least five of […]

Lost in the Shuffle – Hot Docs 2024 (29/04/2024)

Magician Shawn Farquhar pieces together a 500-year-old murder case hidden within a deck of playing cards in Lost in the Shuffle. Two time world champion magcian Shawn Farquhar like performing card tricks, which tell a story. One such story is how the King of Hearts, typically known as the “Suicide King,” is actually depicting the […]

Black Box Diaries – Hot Docs 2024 (29/04/2024)

A Japanese journalist investigates her own sexual assault in Black Box Diaries. In May 2017, Shiori Ito goes public about how she was raped by Yamaguchi, the Washington cheif of the Tokyo Broadcast System. Shiori’s goal is to get a criminal case reopened after an arrest was halted, presumably due to Yamaguchi’s friendship with Japanese […]

Fly – Hot Docs 2024 (29/04/2024)

Three couples share their love of BASE jumping in Fly. Beginning as an outlaw act, BASE jumping has become known as one of the most extreme sports. Jimmy and Marta of Moab, Utah are two of the pioneers of this death-defying hobby and they lead a group that also includes couple Scotty and Julia. Meanwhile […]

American Cats: The Good, the Bad, and the Cuddly – Hot Docs 2024 (29/04/2024)

British-American comedian Amy Hoggart (Full Frontal with Samantha Bee) investigates the lobbying efforts to keep the declawing of cats legal in American Cats: The Good, the Bad, and the Cuddly. There are 94 million cats in the United States, some of whom become celebrities, such as the world’s most famous cat Nala. Nala’s veterinarian is […]

The Strike – Hot Docs 2024 (28/04/2024)

Prisoners go on a mass hunger strike to protest keeping people in solitary confinement for decades in The Strike. Pelican Bay State Prison’s Security Housing Unit was opened in 1989 and was designed to house of the worst of the worst in solitary confinement. However, some of these prisoners, like Jack Morris, ended up spending […]

Love Machina (28/04/2024)

A couple develops an A.I. robot in the hope that their love transcends their lives in Love Machina. Martine and Bina Rothblatt are the founders of the Teresim Movement Foundation. Inspired by Octavia Butler’s book series Earthseed, the couple hired Bruce Duncan to create a mindfile in 2006. This provided to basis for Bina48, a […]

Eno – Hot Docs 2024 (28/04/2024)

Generative AI is used to construct a documentary about electronic music artist Brian Eno in real-time with Eno. Brian Eno is best known as a founding member of Roxy Music, a creator of ambient music, and a producer of Talking Heads, U2, and Peter Gabriel. Director Gary Hustwit incorporates over 500 hours of new and […]

My Sextortion Diary – Hot Docs 2024 (27/04/2024)

Director Patricia Franquesa documents her own experience of being blackmailed over stolen private photos in My Sextortion Diary. While on a business trip in May 2019, Pati’s laptop was stolen while she had lunch with her ex during a business trip to Madrid. Two months later, she discovers that the laptop was hacked and that […]

Never Look Away – Hot Docs 2024 (27/04/2024)

Lucy Lawless directs this biography of New Zealand-born CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth in Never Look Away. Margaret Moth was the first female camera operator from television in New Zealand, who began working for CNN in 1990. Beginning with coverage of Desert Storm in Kuwait, Moth approached covering war with fearlessness. Even after getting shot by […]

Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story – Hot Docs 2024 (27/04/2024)

The nearly forgotten story of one of pop music’s first black trans performers is told in Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story. In the 1960s Jackie Shane was a groundbreaking R&B star, before disappearing from the public eye in 1971. After her nieces Andrenee Majors and Vonnie Moore inherit her belongings and find her […]

Teaches of Peaches – Hot Docs 2024 (27/04/2024)

The provocative electro-punk artist goes on tour for the 20th anniversary of her debut album in Teaches of Peaches. Toronto-born Merrill Nisker, better known by her stage name Peaches, is preparing to go on tour to mark the 20th anniversary of her 2000 debut album “The Teaches of Peaches.” Featuring songs created using beats from […]

Luther: Never Too Much – Hot Docs 2024 (26/04/2024)

The life and career of Luther Vandross are looked back upon in Luther: Never Too Much. Luther Vandross grew up in the Brox with a love of music and in his younger years became part of the Apollo Theatre house band Listen to My Brother, which would go on to appear on the first episodes […]

Humane (26/04/2024)

An estranged family has to choose which one of them has to enlist in a government Euthanasia program in Humane. A catastrophic global ecological collapse has given humanity one year to reduce the Earth’s population. Retired newsman Charles York (Peter Gallagher) invites his children Jared (Jay Baruchel), Noah (Sebastian Chacon), Ashley (Alanna Bale), and Rachel […]

Riddle of Fire (22/04/2024)

Three friends find themselves on a wilderness adventure on a quest to acquire a blueberry pie in Riddle of Fire. Hazel A’Dale (Charlie Stover), his younger brother Jodie (Skyler Peters), and their friend Alice (Phoebe Ferro) make up Three Immortal Reptiles, a prepubescent dirtbike gang, betting up to mischief and petty crimes in Ribbon, Wyoming. […]

Irena’s Vow (19/04/2024)

A Polish nurse shelters a group of Jews while working as a housekeeper for a S.S. Major in Irena’s Vow. Irena Gut Opdyke (Sophie Nélisse) is training to be a nurse in 1939 when the Germans invade and she ends up working in a factory for Officer Kruger (Marcel Sabat). Irene is hired by Major […]

Abigail (19/04/2024)

A group of criminals discovers that the 12-year-old ballerina they kidnapped is a bloodthirsty vampire in Abigail. A gang of criminals consisting of Joey (Melissa Barrera), Frank (Dan Stevens), Sammy (Kathryn Newton), Peter (Kevin Durand), Rickles (William Catlett), and Dean (Angus Cloud) are hired by Lambert (Giancarlo Esposito) to kidnap 12-year-old ballerina Abigail (Alisha Weir) […]

Interviewing Director Kim Albright About With Love and a Major Organ. (18/04/2024)

With Love and A Major Organ is the debut feature film from director Kim Albright. The film is written by Julia Lederer, based on her stage play, and is set in a world where hearts are made of inanimate objects and people suppress emotions to escape into technology, the story shares the travails of a […]

Wicked Little Letters (16/04/2024)

A seaside English town is thrown into chaos as neighbours feud over potty-mouthed letters in Wicked Little Letters. Inspired by a true story from the 1920s, Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) is a deeply conservative woman living with her disapproving father Edward (Timothy Spall) and mother Victoria (Gemma Jones) in the seaside town of Littlehampton. Edith […]

Cuckoo – TIFF Next Wave 2024 (13/04/2024)

A 17-year-old girl discovers something sinister at a resort in the German Alps in Cuckoo. 17-year-old Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) is forced to move with her father Luis (Marton Csokas), stepmother Beth (Jessica Henwick), and half-sister Alma (Mila Lieu) to the Resort Alpschatten in the German Alps run by Mr. König (Dan Stevens). Gretchen finds out […]

The First Omen (12/04/2024)

A young nun learns of a plot to birth the antichrist in The First Omen. In 1971 Rome, American novitiate Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) arrives at the behest of Cardinal Lawrence (Bill Nighy) to work at the Vizzardeli Orphanage run by Sister Silva (Sônia Braga). Margaret is drawn to troubled teen Carlita (Nicole Sorace), […]

The Greatest Hits (12/04/2024)

A grieving woman finds herself pulled into the past, as a new love interest enters in the present in The Greatest Hits. For the past two years, Harriet (Lucy Boynton) has been unable to let go of the memory of her boyfriend Max (David Corenswet), who died in a car accident. The reason for this […]

Sting (11/04/2024)

A 12-year-old girl’s pet spider rapidly transforms into a giant flesh-eating monster in Sting. Charlotte (Alyla Browne) is a rebellious 12-year-old living in a New York City apartment complex with her mother Heather (Penelope Mitchell), stepfather Ethan (Ryan Corr), and baby brother Liam. Ethan has trouble connecting with Charlotte, save for the comic book they […]

Civil War (08/04/2024)

A group of journalists try to make their way through a country at war to attempt to interview the president in Civil War. After the President of the United States (Nick Offerman) threw the country in disarray the Florida Alliance and Western Forces of Texas and California split off from the country and declared war […]

Monkey Man (04/04/2024)

A man with suppressed rage seeks vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother in Monkey Man. Kid (Dev Patel) is a man in the Indian city of Yatana, who ekes out a living getting beat out wearing a gorilla mask in an underground fight club run by Tiger (Sharlto Copley). Kid is tormented […]

The Burning Season – Canadian Film Fest 2024 (24/03/2024)

A passionate affair begins between two friends who shared a traumatic event in The Burning Season. Alena (Sara Canning) and her husband Tom (Joe Pingue) arrive at the Luna Lake Resort for the wedding of their longtime friends JB (Jonas Chernick) and Poppy (Tanisha Thammavongsa). However, disaster strikes during the reception when JB, high on […]

WaaPaKe (Tomorrow) – Canadian Film Fest 2024 (24/03/2024)

A family copes with the generational trauma of being residential school survivors in WaaPaKe (Tomorrow). Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin is a member of the Attawapiskat First Nation, whose mother Rita is a residential school survivor. Jules interviews Rita and her eldest son Asivak, along with Joseph of the Kwantlen First Nation and Maisie of the […]

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (23/03/2024)

The Ghostbusters are back in New York City and face off against an icy new threat in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Having reestablished themselves at their base in New York City thanks to philanthropist, and former member, Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd), Callie Spengler (Carrie Coon), and her teenage kids Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) […]

Valley of Exile – Canadian Film Fest 2024 (22/03/2024)

Two Syrian sisters try to start a new life in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in Valley of Exile. In 2013, at the start of the Syrian war, sisters Rima (Maria Hassan) and Nour (Hala Hosni) fled their home in Homs to the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. The sisters find themselves locked out of the apartment arranged […]

Wild Goat Surf – Canadian Film Fest 2024 (22/03/2024)

A teenage girl dreams of surfing from an Okanagan RV Park in Wild Goat Surf. Rell Anderson (Shayelin Martin), who prefers going by the nickname “Goat,” is a 13-year-old skater girl, living at an RV Park in the Okanagan town of Penticton. While her mother Jane (Caitlyn Sponheimer) works multiple jobs to save money for […]

William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill (22/03/2024)

William Shatner reflects on his life and career in William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill. Now in his 90s, William Shatner sits down to reflect on his life growing up in Montreal and his career as an actor, most famously as Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek. Shatner also reflects on what type […]

With Love and a Major Organ – Canadian Film Fest 2024 (22/03/2024)

The Review Was Originally Published as Part of My Coverage of Fantasia 2023 A lonely woman gives her heart to the man of her dreams in With Love and a Major Organ. In the not-so-distant future, every aspect of people’s lives is controlled by an app called LifeZapp, which consequently makes most people devoid of […]

Place of Bones – Canadian Film Fest 2024 (21/03/2024)

A widow and her daughter have a standoff against a gang of ruthless outlaws in Place of Bones. In 1876, Pandora Meadows (Heather Graham) lives with her daughter Hester (Brielle Robillard) on their isolated ranch 95 miles from the nearest town. One day, Hester discovers the gravely injured body of Calhoun (Corin Nemec), a bank […]

Hailey Rose – Canadian Film Fest 2024 (21/03/2024)

A young woman is tricked into returning to his estranged family in Nova Scotia in Hailey Rose. A decade ago, Hailey (Em Haine) left her home in Nova Scotia after her mother Olga (Kari Matchett) blamed Hailey for the sudden death of her father Roger (Billy MacLellan). One day, Hailey receives a frantic call from […]

Doubles – Canadian Film Fest 2024 (19/03/2024)

A Trinidadian street vendor travels to Toronto and reluctantly reconnects with his estranged father in Doubles. Dhani (Sanjiv Boodhu) is not happy with his life in Trinidad, having inherited the doubles stand from his father Ragbir (Errol Sitahal), who moved to Canada and never returned. When Dhani’s mother Sumintra (Leela Sitahal) is robbed at the […]

Love Lies Bleeding (15/03/2024)

Our review of Love Lies Bleeding, directed by Rose Glass, starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov and Dave Franco.

Hey, Viktor! (15/03/2024)

A former child actor tries to make a sequel to a film he had a bit part in Hey, Viktor!. Cody Lightning is living off the fact that he had a bit part in the 1998 film Smoke Signals, playing the child version of Adam Beach’s protagonist Victor Joseph. Cody hopes to produce a sequel […]

Love Lies Bleeding (14/03/2024)

A gym manager falls for a bodybuilder in Love Lies Bleeding. Lou (Kristen Stewart) is a manager of a gym trying to escape her past relationship with her gun smuggler father, and beetle enthusiast, Lou Sr. (Ed Harris). Despite her estrangement from her father, Lou still maintains a relationship with her sister Beth (Jena Malone), […]

Oppenheimer Wins Big at Oscars (11/03/2024)

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer was the big winner at the 96th Academy Awards, winning 7 of its 13 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor for Cillian Murphy and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr. The runner-up was Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, which won four Oscars. This includes a surprise Best Actress win […]

Crowdfund This: Steven Kostanski’s Deathstalker (08/03/2024)

A new Kickstarter campaign has launched for a new film reboot of the 1983 sword and sorcery epic Deathstalker. The film will be directed by Steven Kostanski (Manborg, The Void, PG – Psycho Goreman) and is set to star actor and stuntman Daniel Bernhardt (John Wick, The Matrix Reloaded). The film will also be Executive […]

Kung Fu Panda 4 (07/03/2024)

The Dragon Warrior has to find a successor while trying to stop a shape-shifting sorcerous in Kung Fu Panda 4. Po (Jack Black) discovers from his master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) that the time has come for Po to ascend to the role of the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace and find a successor […]

Io Capitano (06/03/2024)

Two cousins from Dakar try to make the difficult journey to Italy in Io Capitano. Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall) are two impoverished teenage cousins in Dakar, Senegal. Hoping to escape to a presumably better life, the two set out on the dangerous journey across Africa to Lybia, hoping to secure passage across […]

Dune: Part Two (06/03/2024)

Join Sean Kelly as he reviews Dune: Part Two in this non-spoiler video. Find out if the highly anticipated sequel lives up to the hype! From the acting to the special effects to the overall story, Sean shares his thoughts on this highly anticipated film. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the Dune franchise or […]

Dune: Part Two (01/03/2024)

Paul Atreides joins the Fremen people to get revenge against the House of Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two. After the fall of House Atreides on Arrakis, the result of a joint attack by the forces of Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken). Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother Lady Jessica […]

Drive-Away Dolls (29/02/2024)

Two lesbian friends on a road trip accidentally take an important package wanted by a group of criminals in Drive-Away Dolls. A group of criminals led by The Cheif (Colman Domingo), intercepts a very important briefcase from nervous collector Santos (Pedro Pascal) and prepares to have his goons Arliss (Joey Slotnick) and Flint (C.J. Wilson) […]

20 Days In Mariupol (25/02/2024)

Ukrainian members of the associated press find themselves besieged in the city of Mariupol during the first month of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 20 Days in Mariupol. Pulitzer Prize-winning video journalist Mstyslav Chernov filmed the devastation in the Southern Ukrainian city of Mariupol during Russia’s invasion of the country in February and March 2022. […]

Suze (23/02/2024)

A divorcee finds herself having to take care of her daughter’s heartbroken ex-boyfriend in Suze. Susan (Michaela Watkins) is a lonely divorcee, who is having a tough time adapting to the fact that he daughter Brooke (Sara Waisglass) has moved away to Montreal for university. However, Susan receives a frantic call from Brooke saying that […]

2024 Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Documentary (22/02/2024)

The Oscar-nominated short Films in the documentary category tackle a wide range of subjects, all with an average running time of about half an hour. This year’s nominees tackle everything from economic justice to censorship in schools to an appreciation of music. There’s even a personal interest doc about two grandmothers. Nǎi Nai and Wài […]

Monolith (20/02/2024)

A podcaster uncovers a conspiracy surrounding a mysterious black brick in Monolith. A disgraced journalist, credited only as The Interviewer (Lily Sullivan), has resorted to being the host of a conspiracy podcast called Beyond Believable. After receiving an anonymous e-mail, The Interviewer gets into contact with both Floramae (Ling Cooper Tang) and art collector Klaus […]

Bobi Wine: The People’s President (20/02/2024)

A musician turned politician runs against Uganda’s decades-long president in Bobi Wine: The People’s President. Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, better known as Bobi Wine, is a popular Ugandan musician and activist. Bobi Wine is an MP when the Ugandan government votes to remove age limits from the constitution, allowing President Yoweri Museveni to continue holding an […]

Perfect Days (18/02/2024)

A Tokyo janitor goes through his daily routine of cleaning toilets with a smile on his face in Perfect Days. Hirayama (Koji Yakusho) goes through the same routine daily as he cleans the various public toilets around Tokyo. He is often joined by his slacker co-worker Takashi (Tokio Emoto), who is more concerned with his […]

2024 Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Live-Action (18/02/2024)

Short films are traditionally an outlet for up-and-coming filmmakers to develop their craft. However, three out of five of the 2024 Oscar-nominated short films feature established stars and filmmakers, including David Oyelowo (Selma), Britney Snow (Pitch Perfect, X), and of course a star-studded Roald Dahl adaptation by Wes Anderson (Asteroid City, The Grand Budapest Hotel). […]

2024 Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Animated (17/02/2024)

While animation is typically viewed as a children’s medium, the 2024 Oscar-nominated short Films in the animation category take on decidedly more mature subject matter. The five nominated short films deal with subject matters, such as conservative dress codes, the Holocaust, suggestions of sexual violence, a death row inmate, and war. It is only one […]

The Taste of Things (16/02/2024)

A romance blossoms between a cook and the gourmet she worked for the past twenty years in The Taste of Things. Set in 1885 France, Eugénie Chatagne (Juliette Binoche) has been working for gourmet Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel), cooking exquisite meals for Dodin’s friends. Though the latter has rebuffed multiple marriage proposals, Dodin and Eugénie […]

Four Daughters (16/02/2024)

A Tunisian woman and her two youngest daughters tell their story with the help of actors playing the two eldest daughters in Four Daughters. Olfa Hamrouni is a Tunisian woman, whose two eldest daughters Ghofrane and Rahma disappeared in 2015 when they were 16 and 15 years old respectively. With her youngest daughters Eya and […]

To Kill a Tiger (13/02/2024)

A farmer seeks justice for the gang rape of his 13-year-old daughter in To Kill a Tiger. One night in Jharkhand, India, a 13-year-old girl is raped by three men. However, when her rice farmer father Ranjit reported the incident to police, they instead suggested that his daughter just marry one of the rapists. Ranjit […]

Lisa Frankenstein (12/02/2024)

A teenage outcast falls for a reanimated corpse in Lisa Frankenstein. Set in 1989, Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton) is a shy teenager still reeling from her mother’s murder. Lisa’s father Dale (Joe Chrest) has since remarried the incredibly cruel nurse Janet (Carla Gugino), though her daughter Taffy (Liza Soberano) tries to get Lisa to come […]

The Eternal Memory (08/02/2024)

A Chilean journalist struggles to hold onto his identity as he suffers from Alzheimer’s in The Eternal Memory. Augusto Góngora was one of the most important journalists in Chile, covering important events in the country’s history. In the late 1990s, he began a relationship with Paulina Urrutia, a well-known actress who became Chile’s first Minster […]

Argylle (01/02/2024)

A popular spy novelist discovers that her new novel might not exactly be fiction in Argylle. Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is the author of a successful series of spy novels about Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill) and his partners Wyatt (John Cena) and Keira (Ariana DeBose). Elly suffers from writer’s block coming up with the […]

The Queen of My Dreams – TIFF Canada’s Top Ten 2023 (28/01/2024)

After the sudden death of her father, the Canadian daughter of a Pakistani immigrant learns that she is not all that different from her mother in The Queen of My Dreams. Azra (Amrit Kaur) used to idolize her mother Mariam (Nimra Bucha), with the two sharing a love of the 1969 Bollywood film Aradhana. However, […]

Tautuktavuk (What We See) – TIFF Canada’s Top Ten 2023 (27/01/2024)

Two sisters reconcile past trauma during the COVID-19 pandemic in Tautuktavuk (What We See). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Saqpinak (Carol Kunnuk), who lives in Igloolik, regularly has Zoom conversations with her younger sister Uyarak (Lucy Tulugarjuk) in Montreal. Uyarak has been dealing with a past traumatic event that resulted in her having to leave Nunavut. With […]

Solo – TIFF Canada’s Top Ten 2023 (27/01/2024)

A Montreal Drag Queen deals with self-esteem issues in his personal and professional life in Solo. Simon (Théodore Pellerin) is a makeup artist by day, who performs in Montreal’s drag scene at night. Things seem to be looking up for Simon, as he falls for new drag artist Olivier (Félix Maritaud), who recently moved to […]

Last Night at Terrace Lanes (19/01/2024)

A teenager seeks the help of her estranged father after a death cult sieges a bowling alley in Last Night at Terrace Lanes. Going on what she believes to be a date with Tess (Mia Rae Roberts), Kennedy (Francesca Capaldi) is shocked not only by the unexpected arrival of Tess’ boyfriend Pete (Lucas Sanchez) and […]

The Teachers’ Lounge (19/01/2024)

A young junior high school teacher faces unexpected repercussions after accusing a co-worker of theft in The Teachers’ Lounge. Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch) is a new teacher at a German junior high, where the faculty is currently investigating a series of thefts from the Teachers’ Lounge. After a Muslim student in her class is made […]

Destroy All Neighbors (17/01/2024)

An aspiring prog-rock musician faces a rising body count after confronting his grotesque new neighbour in Destroy All Neighbors. William Brown (Jonah Ray) is a recording engineer and aspiring musician, trying to finish his prog-rock magnum opus in the apartment she shares with his girlfriend Emily (Kiran Deol). However, William faces a roadblock with the […]

Mean Girls (2024) (14/01/2024)

The Broadway musical based on the 2004 teen comedy is adapted for the big screen in Mean Girls. Cady Heron (Angourie Rice) has recently returned to the United States after living in Kenya with her mother (Jenna Fischer) and is enrolled in North Shore High School. Cady quickly befriends outcasts Janis ‘Imi’ike (Auli’i Cravalho) and […]

The Last Emperor (13/01/2024)

Last night I got to cross another film off the list of films that won the Oscar for Best Picture when I attended a screening of a 4K restoration of Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1987 historical epic The Last Emperor. The story begins in 1950, with the former emperor Pu Yi (John Lone) as a political prisoner […]

Freud’s Last Session (12/01/2024)

Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis debate the existence of God on the eve of World War II in Freud’s Last Session. On September 3, 1939, England declared war against Germany. Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud (Anthony Hopkins) has recently fled from Vienna to London, though he is slowly dying from mouth cancer, which constantly worries his daughter […]

The Beekeeper (11/01/2024)

A retired black-ops assassin seeks revenge against a predatory phishing ring in The Beekeeper. Adam Clay (Jason Statham) has been living a quiet life working as a beekeeper on the farm of Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad). However, Eloise falls victim to a computer phishing scam, which empties her accounts, including over $2 million in charity […]

Ferrari (09/01/2024)

The future of the Ferrari S.p.A. sportscar manufacturer depends on the results of a treacherous 1000-mile race in Ferrari. In 1957, Enzo Ferrari (Adam Driver) is preparing his team, including drivers Alfonso de Portago (Gabriel Leone) and Piero Taruffi (Patrick Dempsey), to race in the 1000-mile-long Mille Miglia. In the lead-up to the race, Enzo […]

Saltburn (06/01/2024)

An Oxford University student spends the summer with his classmate’s eccentric upper-class family in Saltburn. Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is a scholarship student at Oxford University in the mid-2000s. Oliver befriends Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), a popular student, who takes sympathy over Oliver’s stories of his troubled home life. In the summer of 2007, Felix […]

Night Swim (05/01/2024)

A family discovers that the pool at their new house is haunted by an evil spirit in Night Swim. Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) is a baseball player, whose career is cut short by a diagnosis of secondary progressive MS. Ray convinces his wife Eve (Kerry Condon) to move in with their children Izzy (Amélie Hoeferle) […]

Star Wars Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Says it’s “About Time” There Was a Female Director in the Franchise (03/01/2024)

As a film franchise, Star Wars has been on hiatus since the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in 2019. Several film projects went in and out of development in the years since, while Star Wars continued through various Disney+ series, such as The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka. In a project that […]

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (30/12/2023)

The King of Atlantis reluctantly teams up with his half-brother to take on a powerful new foe in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. As the King of Atlantis, Aquaman, Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), divides his time as the ruler of the underwater kingdom and living a domestic life with his Queen Mera (Amber Heard), along […]

The Zone of Interest (30/12/2023)

The commandant of Auschwitz lives with his family right next to the atrocities going on inside the concentration camp in The Zone of Interest. Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel) is the commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp, who lives with his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) and five children at an estate that borders the fence of […]

Anselm (22/12/2023)

Wim Wenders uses 3D to document the work of German artist Anselm Kiefer in Anselm. Over his career of more than five decades, Anselm Kiefer has become known for his large-scale paintings and sculptures, many of which provide commentary on Germany’s dark past. With the help of archival interviews and reenactments, featuring Wim Wenders’ young […]

The Iron Claw (21/12/2023)

The story of the Von Erich family of professional wrestling is told in The Iron Claw. Kevin (Zac Efron), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), David (Harris Dickinson), and Mike (Stanley Simons) are the sons of legendary Texa wrestler-turned-promotor Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany). Kevin wrestles for his father’s World Class Championship Wrestling promotion, where he is […]

Wonka (17/12/2023)

The origins of the world-famous chocolatier are told in Wonka. Willy Wonka (Timothée Chalamet) at the Galeries Gourmet to fulfil his dream of being a world-famous chocolatier, which he shared with his late mother (Sally Hawkins). However, Wonka quickly finds the Galeries Gourmet is ruled by the Chocolate Cartel of Arthur Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Gerald […]

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire (16/12/2023)

A former soldier joins the rebellion against the Motherworld in Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire. After crashlanding on the planet Veldt, former Imperium soldier Kara (Sofia Boutella) has been taken in by a peaceful farming community. However, the solitude is disrupted by the arrival of the Imperium Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed […]

Toronto After Dark 2023 Interview – Matthias Hoene on The Last Exit (16/12/2023)

I spoke to director Matthias Hoene about his film The Last Exit (aka Little Bone Lodge), which screened as part of the 2023 Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Get Night Theme by Rob Kelly and over 1M + mainstream tracks here https://go.lickd.co/ Music License ID: Peaol7lBzWK

Toronto After Dark 2023 Interview – Robert Hloz on Restore Point (16/12/2023)

We spoke to Czech writer-director Robert Hloz about his science fiction film Restore Point, which screened as part of the 2023 Toronto After Dark Film Festival. Get Sci-Fi Rise by Igor Dvorkin, Duncan Pittock, Ellie Kidd and over 1M + mainstream tracks here https://go.lickd.co/Music License ID: xdG6NVEdGXg

Poor Things (14/12/2023)

The creation of a mad scientist learns what it means to be a woman in Poor Things. Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) is a mad scientist who hires his student Max McCandless (Ramy Youssef) to observe the progress of his “daughter” Bella (Emma Stone). Max soon comes to realize that Bella is not a normal […]

Godzilla Minus One (11/12/2023)

The legendary kaiju franchise is rebooted for its 70th anniversary with Gozilla Minus One. In the dying days of World War II, kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) feigns technical issues and lands on Odo Island for repairs. However, the island is attacked by large dinosaur-like creatures described by the locals as “Godzilla,” with Shikishima […]

Eileen (11/12/2023)

A secretary’s relationship with her new coworker at a correctional facility turns sinister in Eileen. Eileen Dunlop (Thomasin McKenzie) is a young woman working as a secretary at a correctional facility for teenage boys in 1960s Massachusetts. At home, Eileen has to deal with her alcoholic father Jim (Shea Whigham), the retired police chief, who […]

Unfriending (09/12/2023)

A group of friends hold an intervention and try to get the social outcast of the bunch to commit suicide in Unfriending. Blake (Sean Meldrum) and May (Simone Jetsun) have invited their friends Barclay (Michael Pearson), Radia (Jenna Vittoria), Giselle (Rachelle Lauzon), and Darby (Honor Spencer) for a very special dinner party. The friend group […]

Leave the World Behind (08/12/2023)

Two families must deal with the repercussions of an apocalyptic cyber attack in Leave the World Behind. Amanda Sandford (Julia Roberts) spontaneously decides to book a weekend getaway at a Long Island beach house with her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke) and two children Rose (Farrah Mackenzie) and Archie (Charlie Evans). However, in the middle of […]

The Abyss: Special Edition (07/12/2023)

On the eve of the film’s 35th anniversary, a 4K restoration of the special edition of James Cameron’s The Abyss returned to theatres for one night. After the nuclear submarine USS Montana Cayman Trough, deepsea oil driller Bud Brigman (Ed Harris) and his experimental rig Deep Core are requisitioned by a team of Navy SEALS […]

Dream Scenario (06/12/2023)

A college professor randomly begins appearing in people’s dreams in Dream Scenario. Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage) is a mild-mannered biology professor, who discovers that random people have begun dreaming about him, ranging from his students to total strangers. Despite some concerns about the unwanted attention by his wife Janet (Julianne Nicholson) and daughters Hannah (Jessica […]

299 Queen Street West (02/12/2023)

The history and impact of “The Nation’s Music Station” MuchMusic is explored in 299 Queen Street West. MuchMusic was launched in 1984 as a Canadian counterpart of MTV in the United States. The station was the brainchild of CityTV founder Moses Znaimer, with the VJs hosting in open-concept street-level environments at the ChumCity Building at […]

Maestro (01/12/2023)

The life and marriage of conductor Leonard Bernstein is revisited in Maestro. In 1943, 25-year-old Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) made his conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic, setting himself to be one of the first great American conductors. Despite being a gay man, Leonard falls for Costa Rican-Chilean actress Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan), a […]

My Animal – Blood in the Snow 2023 (29/11/2023)

An outcast teenager tries to balance their new love with their darkest secret in My Animal. Heather (Bobbi Salvör Menuez) is an aspiring hockey goalie, who is cursed by the fact that their father Henry (Stephen McHattie) is a werewolf and passed this trait down to Heather and their younger brothers Cooper (Charles F. Halpenny) […]

The Hyperborean – Blood in the Snow 2023 (29/11/2023)

A whiskey tycoon and his family uncover a long-buried laser-blasting ice mummy in The Hyperborean. Hollis Cameron (Tony Burgess) calls his children Diana (Liv Collins) and her husband Ian (Michael Masurkevitch), Rex (Ry Barrett) and his influencer partner Lovie (Jessica Vano), and Aldous (Jonathan Craig) over the weekend to discuss the future the Cameron Whiskey […]

Tales from the Rez – Blood in the Snow 2023 (29/11/2023)

Six stories based on Blackfoot urban legends are told in Tales from the Rez. Elder Uncle Randolf (Charles Duck Chief) introduces a series of chilling tales based around the Blackfoot reservation. In “Queen’s Hotel,” recovered alcoholic Eddie (Eugene Brave Rock) tries to save the soul of his brother Jacob (Shane Ghostkeeper) from a dark cowboy […]

Romi – Blood in the Snow 2023 (28/11/2023)

A troubled woman is sent to housesit in a house run by a sinister A.I. in Romi. After being part of a hit-and-run accident, Maddie Keys (Alexa Barajas) is sent by her senator mother to housesit in a smart home owned by Hertig (Pavel Kríz), controlled by an advanced AI named Romi (Jocelyn Chugg). The […]

Walking Supply – Blood in the Snow 2023 (28/11/2023)

Escapees from a Russian prison camp have to fend for survival in the wilderness in Walking Supply. Henry (James McDougall) is part of a group of American office workers kidnapped in St. Petersburg, Russia and sent to work in a Siberian Gulag. Henry’s skills as an electrical engineer make him useful to his captors and […]

The Last Video Store – Blood in the Snow 2023 (26/11/2023)

A woman accidentally brings a cursed VHS tape to one of the last remaining video rental stores in The Last Video Store. Owned and operated by Kevin (Kevin Martin), Blaster Video is located in the basement of an alley and is home to over 3000 titles on VHS. Nyla (Yaayaa Adams) arrives at the store […]

Purgatory Jack – Blood in the Snow 2023 (23/11/2023)

A pop singer seeks the help of a private detective to locate her mother in purgatory in Purgatory Jack. After a suicide attempt, pop star Viv Vacious (Alexandra Beaton) finds herself in the decrepit land of Purgatory, where lost souls wander and barter for spare body parts from the likes of Flo (Emily Alatalo) and […]

Last County – Blood in the Snow 2023 (23/11/2023)

An alcoholic woman has to deal with home-invading drug dealers and crooked cops in Last County. Abby Gardner (Kaelen Ohm) has separated from her husband Brian (Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll), due to her alcoholism, and she has relocated to her family’s house near a small town. Without warning, Abby is taken hostage by drug dealer Bennett (Gord […]

Thanksgiving (19/11/2023)

An axe-wielding killer dressed as a pilgrim terrorizes the town of Plymouth, Massachusetts during the Thanksgiving holiday in Thanksgiving. On one fateful Thanksgiving night, Thomas Wright (Rick Hoffman) decides to open his RightMart superstore early for a Black Friday sale. As crowds father in front of the store, a group of teens are let in […]

May December (17/11/2023)

The arrival of an actress researching for a role reignites the trauma of a scandalous love affair in May December. Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) is a famous actress who has just arrived in a small island community in Savannah, Georgia. Elizabeth is researching to play Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) in an upcoming film project. 25 […]

Next Goal Wins (16/11/2023)

A down-on-his-luck soccer manager is hired to coach the American Samoa national team in Next Goal Wins. Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) is a temperamental Dutch-American soccer coach who is sent by American Soccer Federation head Alex Magnussen (Will Arnett) to coach the American Somoa National Team, a move recommended by Thomas’ ex-wife Gail (Elisabeth Moss). […]

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (14/11/2023)

The future President of Panem mentors and falls for a tribute of the tenth annual Hunger Games in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. In the years since the Dark Days, Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) lives in squalor with his cousin Tigris (Hunter Schafer) and Grandma’am (Fionnula Flanagan). Coriolanus is hoping to […]

Priscilla (11/11/2023)

The story of the tumultuous relationship between Priscilla Beaulieu and Elvis Presley is told in Priscilla. In 1959, 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) is living in Germany with her stepfather Captain Beaulieu (Ari Cohen) and mother Ann (Dagmara Dominczyk). Priscilla is invited to a party hosted by an army cadet and rock and roll superstar […]

The Marvels (10/11/2023)

Captain Marvel has to stop an intergalactic threat while having her powers entwined with two others in The Marvels. After acquiring one-half of the Quantum Bands, the new leader of the Kree, Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), has been using it to tear apart jump points in space. While investigating one such jump point, Carol Danvers (Bree […]

Fingernails (04/11/2023)

A teacher takes a job at an institute preparing couples for a love compatibility test in Fingernails. A new test has gained popularity, which tests the compatibility of couples by scanning their fingernails. Anna (Jessie Buckley) and her boyfriend Ryan (Jeremy Allen White) are one of the lucky couples who scored 100% on the test. […]

The Holdovers – TIFF 2023 (02/11/2023)

A cantankerous professor at a boarding school is left to watch those left behind during the Christmas holidays in The Holdovers. Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is one of the longest-tenured professors at the Barton Boarding School. As punishment for his strict methods, Paul must stay behind during the 1971 Christmas holidays to look after the […]

Anatomy of a Fall (02/11/2023)

A German author is indicted for the death of her husband in Anatomy of a Fall. Sandra Voyter (Sandra Hüller) is a successful German-born novelist living with her husband Samuel Maleski (Samuel Theis) and their visually impaired son Daniel (Milo Machado Graner) at an isolated chalet in the French Alps. One day, Daniel comes home […]

Canadian Shorts After Dark – Toronto After Dark 2023 (30/10/2023)

Here are our capsule reviews of the Canadian Shorts After Dark line-up. Canadian Shorts After Dark Showcase Night Drives: Campfire in the Sky Co-workers gossip about their latest camping trip, and one gets decidedly weird. Created with rotoscoped animation, this short, which is part of a more extensive series, is all about the matter-of-fact way […]

The Killer (26/10/2023)

An assassin goes to tie up loose ends after a botched job in The Killer. Waiting from an empty office in Paris, The Killer (Michael Fassbender) patiently waits for the opportunity to eliminate his target. However, as fate would have it, The Killer misses his shot, and his employers now make him the target. As […]

Five Nights at Freddy’s (26/10/2023)

The popular series of survival horror video games hit the big screen with Five Nights at Freddy’s. Mike (Josh Hutcherson) is a troubled man who desperately needs a job, or else he will lose the guardianship of his ten-year-old sister Abby (Piper Rubio) to his cruel aunt Jane (Mary Stuart Masterson). Career counsellor Steve Raglan […]

Killers of the Flower Moon (25/10/2023)

A man and his Osage wife are at the centre of a series of murders in 1920s Oklahoma in Killers of the Flower Moon. After oil was found on their Oklahoma reservation, the Osage people became wealthy from the development that happened in the county. After returning from the First World War, Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo […]

Dicks: The Musical – TIFF 2023 (24/10/2023)

Two identical twin salesmen try to reunite their divorced parents in Dicks: The Musical. Craig (Josh Sharp) and Trevor (Aaron Jackson) are two bitter rival salesmen competing to be the top seller for their girl boss, Gloria (Megan Thee Stallion). However, when they discover that they have the same birthday and matching lockets, Craig and […]

It’s a Wonderful Knife – Toronto After Dark (24/10/2023)

A young woman traumatized by a Christmas Eve serial killer wishes she was never born in It’s a Wonderful Knife. A knife-wielding killer dressed as a snow angel on Christmas Eve terrorizes the town of Angel Falls. The killer, who turns out to be local developer Henry Waters (Justin Long), is killed by Winnie Carruthers […]

Lovely, Dark, and Deep – Toronto After Dark 2023 (24/10/2023)

A National Park ranger experiences unsettling supernatural events in the wilderness in Love, Dark, and Deep. Ranger Lennon (Georgina Campbell) has just received her dream assignment of being stationed in the backcountry of Arvores National Park. Staying at an isolated cabin in the wilderness, Lennon is left alone, except with daily check-ins with the other […]

Suitable Flesh – Toronto After Dark 2023 (22/10/2023)

A psychiatrist switches bodies with one of her patients in Suitable Flesh. Elizabeth Derby (Heather Graham) is a psychiatrist who is approached in her office by Asa Waite (Judah Lewis), who wants her help to save him from his father, Ephraim (Bruce Davison). Elizabeth is shocked when Asa suddenly changes personalities in front of her […]

The Deep Dark (Gueules Noires) – Toronto After Dark 2023 (22/10/2023)

A team of French miners uncover an ancient evil in a hidden tomb in The Deep Dark. Roland Neville (Samuel Le Bihan) is the leader of a team of coal miners in 1956 France, which includes Louis (Thomas Solivérès), Miguel (Diego Martín), Polo (Marc Riso), Santini (Bruno Sanches), and Morocon newcomer Amir (Amir El Kacem). […]

Founder’s Day – Toronto After Dark 2023 (21/10/2023)

A small town amid a mayoral election is terrorized by a judge-dressed killer in Founder’s Day. While amid its tricentennial anniversary, the small town of Fairwood is amid a bitter mayoral election between incumbent Blair Gladwell (Amy Hargreaves) and her opponent Harold Faulkner (Jayce Bartok). Allison Chambers (Naomi Grace) is terrorized to see her girlfriend […]

Daniel’s Gotta Die – Toronto After Dark 2023 (21/10/2023)

The greedy children of a millionaire plan to kill their younger brother for his share of the inheritance. Daniel Powell (Joel David Moore) is the youngest child of millionaire Edward James Powell (Iggy Pop). Daniel, who just got engaged to marry Emily (Chantel Riley), meets his father on his deathbed and expresses the desire to […]

The Pidgeon Tunnel – TIFF 2023 (20/10/2023)

Errol Morris gives the final interview to David Cornwell, a.k.a. spy novelist John le Carré, in The Pidgeon Tunnel. At one time, David Cornwell worked for the spy agencies MI5 and MI5, where he was invited to dupe other people. These experiences fueled his writing career under the pseudonym John le Carré, whose famous works […]

UFO Sweden – Toronto After Dark 2023 (20/10/2023)

A rebellious teenager seeks the help of a UFO society to locate her missing father in UFO Sweden. For the past eight years, Denise (Inez Dahl Torhaug) has been in foster care under the watchful eye of sympathetic police officer Tomi (Sara Shirpey) after her ufologist father, Uno (Oscar Töringe), disappears while following a lead. […]

The Last Exit – Toronto After Dark 2023 (19/10/2023)

Two criminals take shelter from a storm on a farm that holds its share of secrets in The Last Exit. Ruth (Joely Richardson) lives an isolated existence on a farm with her teenage daughter Maisy (Sadie Soverall) and her comatose Pa (Roger Ajogbe). During a raging storm, the family is greeted by the frantic knocking […]

Restore Point – Toronto After Dark 2023 (18/10/2023)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of the 2023 Fantasia Film Festival In a world without death, a detective tries to solve a murder committed by a terrorist group in Restore Point. In 1948 Prague, the population is able to be restored from death by digital back-ups stored by the Institute […]

Late Night with the Devil – Toronto After Dark 2023 (18/10/2023)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of the 2023 Fantasia Film Festival A Halloween night episode of a late-night talk show goes horribly wrong in Late Night with the Devil. Night Owls with Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) was a once-thriving 1970s late-night talk show, which begins tanking in the ratings of […]

Mister Organ (17/10/2023)

Journalist David Ferrier enters a cat-and-mouse game with a cunning con man in Mister Organ. In 2016, New Zealand journalist David Ferrier began covering clamping incidents at Bashford Antiques in Auckland, where the owner, Jillian Bashford-Evans, would have a man clamp the cars who illegally parked at the store, charging exorbitant fees to release the […]

Foe (16/10/2023)

The relationship of a young married couple is forever changed by a stranger’s proposition in Foe. In the near future, Henrietta (Saoirse Ronan) and her husband, Junior (Paul Mescal), live an isolated existence on the latter’s family farm. Late one night, the couple is visited by Terrance (Aaron Pierre), who informs Junior that he has […]

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (14/10/2023)

Taylor Swift’s career-encompassing Eras Tour is presented in an epic new concert film in Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. Filmed during three shows at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Taylor Swift performs a show encompassing songs from each of her ten albums. Each of these different eras encompasses the different musical styles Swift explored during […]

Luke Higginson on Relax, I’m from the Future (08/10/2023)

To coincide with the theatrical release of his sci-fi comedy RELAX, I’M FROM THE FUTURE, which won Best Feature Film at the 2022 Blood in the Snow Film Festival, I Zoomed in with the writer/director Luke Higginson to talk about the film. Get Mysterons by David O’Brien and over 1M + mainstream tracks here https://go.lickd.co/Music […]

The Royal Hotel (07/10/2023)

Two US backpackers take a job at a bar in the Australian outback with a very unruly male clientele in The Royal Hotel. Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) are two Americans backpacking in Australia, who are forced to take a job placement when they run out of money. The two are assigned to […]

When Evil Lurks – TIFF 2023 (06/10/2023)

Two brothers unwittingly unleash a demonic force in When Evil Lurks. After hearing gunshots in the woods and discovering grisly human remains, Pedro (Ezequiel Rodríguez) and Jimi (Demián Salomón) discover the rotten and possessed man Uriel in a nearby farmhouse. With the help of landowner Ruiz (Luis Ziembrowski), the brothers drive off to remove the […]

Strange Way of Life (06/10/2023)

Two former lovers apart for 25 years reunite under unfortunate circumstances in Strange Way of Life. Silva (Pedro Pascal) rides from his ranch to the town of Bitter Creek, where he is reunited with Sheriff Jake (Ethan Hawke). The two haven’t seen each other for 25 years, since they were young gunslingers and secret lovers […]

The Exorcist: Believer (05/10/2023)

Two 13-year-old girls return possessed after going missing in the woods in The Exorcist: Believer. Victor Fielding (Leslie Odom Jr.) is the single father to 13-year-old Angela (Lidya Jewett), whose birth cost her mother’s life. Angela goes after school to hang out with her friend Katherine (Olivia Marcum), however, they disappear in the woods and […]

Fair Play (02/10/2023)

The relationship between two hedge fund managers is affected when one gets a promotion in Fair Play. For the past two years, Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) has been in a relationship with Luke (Alden Ehrenreich), her coworker at the Wall Street firm One Crest Capital, which they must keep secret due to it being against company […]

The Creator (02/10/2023)

A rogue soldier escorts an advanced AI child in The Creator. The West has gone to war against advanced AI following the destination of an atomic bomb in Las Angeles. Joshua Taylor (John David Washington) worked as an undercover agent in New Asia, where ended up marrying Maya Fey-Taylor (Gemma Chan), who has a connection […]

I Told You So – TIFF 2023 (01/10/2023)

The interconnected stories of multiple people in Rome during a heatwave are told in I Told You So. It is January, yet Rome is engulfed in an unseasonal heatwave. During this blistering hot day, Gianna (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi) reignites her obsession with her ex-best friend Pupa (Valeria Golino), an aging porn star. Gianna is dependent […]

Stop Making Sense: 2023 Remaster (01/10/2023)

A24 presents a 4K restoration to mark the 40th anniversary of Talking Heads’ iconic concert film with Stop Making Sense: 2023 Remaster. At the peak of their career, in support of their 1983 album “Speaking in Tongues,” the core members of Talking Heads, David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison, are joined by […]

Seagrass – TIFF 2023 (30/09/2023)

A Japanese-Canadian woman’s relationship with her family is forever changed while at an island self-development retreat in Seagrass. Judith (Ally Maki) travels with her husband Steve (Luke Roberts) and children Stephanie (Nyha Huang Breitkreuz) and Emmy (Remy Marthaller) to a self-development retreat on a remote island in the Pacific. While attending group therapy sessions on […]

Hell of a Summer – TIFF 2023 (30/09/2023)

Camp counsellors are offed one-by-one by a devil mask-wearing killer in Hell of a Summer. Jason (Fred Hechinger) is a 24-year-old arriving for his eighth year as a counsellor at Camp Pineway. Jason is by far the most senior of those coming for the Counsellor Weekend, including Jason’s friend Claire (Abby Quinn), new counsellors Chris […]

Saw X (27/09/2023)

The Jigsaw killer seeks vengeance against those running a fraudulent cancer clinic in Mexico in Saw X. John Kramer (Tobin Bell), aka the notorious Jigsaw killer, is given at most a year to live from his brain cancer. One day, John comes across fellow cancer patient Henry Kessler (Michael Beach) and sees that he is […]

The Contestant – TIFF 2023 (27/09/2023)

The participants of a late-1990s Japanese reality series look back on their experience in The Contestant. In 1998, Nasubi was chosen to participate in producer Toshio Tsuchiya’s spinoff of his hit show Denpa Shonen, called Denpa Shonen: A Life in Prizes. Nasubi was forced to strip naked before being locked in a small apartment. His […]

Sorry/Not Sorry – TIFF 2023 (27/09/2023)

Louis C.K.’s sexual misconduct revelations are examined in Sorry/Not Sorry. At his peak, Louis C.K. was one of the biggest comedians in the world, though there were always rumours about the way he acted around women. Finally, a New York Times expose from 2017 revealed accusations of sexual misconduct from five women, many of whom […]

Sisterhood – TIFF 2023 (26/09/2023)

Three teenage friends attract outcry after the video of an assault is posted online in Sisterhood. Amina (Léah Aubert), Djeneba (Médina Diarra), and Zineb (Salma Takaline) are three lifelong friends from varying social backgrounds. At a party, Amina ends up filming Zineb receiving unwanted sexual advances from Zakaria (Oscar Al Hafiane), the best friend of […]

Sleep – TIFF 2023 (26/09/2023)

A young woman starts to believe her husband’s sleeping disorder might be something more sinister in Sleep. Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi) awakens one night to see her husband Hyun-su (Lee Sun-kyun) sitting on the end of the bed. Hyun-su utters the words “Someone is inside” before going to sleep. Soon, Hyun-su begins scratching himself while sleeping […]

Working Class Goes to Hell – TIFF 2023 (25/09/2023)

Factory workers to dark forces to fight back against the corrupt forces in their small town in Working Class Goes to Hell. A rural Balkan town is still reeling after a factory fire five years ago that claimed the lives of nine workers. Ceca (Tamara Krcunovic) is the leader of an association of surviving workers […]

No One Will Save You (24/09/2023)

A young woman dealing with personal traumas tries to survive an alien invasion in No One Will Save You. Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever) is a young woman living a withdrawn existence in her childhood home. Brynn wakes up one night to discover something has entered her house. She is shocked to discover that this is the […]

Dumb Money (24/09/2023)

The story behind the 2021 GameStop short squeeze is told in Dumb Money. Keith Gill (Paul Dano) is an amateur financial analyst, who posts about his stock investments on his YouTube channel Roaring Kitty and on the Reddit forum r/WallStreetBets. Keith makes a huge investment in GameStop stock, which is being short-sold by hedge fund […]

Boy Kills World – TIFF 2023 (23/09/2023)

A deaf and mute boy is trained for vengeance against a murderous family in Boy Kills World. The world has become a dystopian wasteland thanks to the yearly culling put on by Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen) and her family, including sister Melanie Van Der Koy (Michelle Dockery) and her husband Gideon (Sharlto Copley), […]

NAGA – TIFF 2023 (22/09/2023)

A young woman stranded in the desert has to make it out in time to be picked up by her strict father in NAGA. Sarah (Adwa Bader) is a young Saudi woman dropped off at the market in Riyadh, who is given strict instructions by her father (Khalid Bin Shaddad) to be ready for pickup […]

TIFF 2023 Red Carpet Interviews – American Fiction World Premiere – People’s Choice Award Winner (21/09/2023)

We spoke to writer and director Cord Jefferson on the TIFF 2023 red carpet for the World Premiere of American Fiction, which would go on to win the TIFF 2023 People’s Choice Award.

Expend4bles (21/09/2023)

The elite team of mercenaries fight to prevent the start of World War III in Expend4bles. The Expendables mercenary team consisting of Barney Ross (Sylvester Stalone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture), and new members Easy Day (Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson) and Galan (Jacob Scipio) are assigned by their […]

The Boy and the Heron – TIFF 2023 (21/09/2023)

A teenage boy is guided by a grey heron to search for his missing stepmother in The Boy and the Heron. After previously losing his mother to a fire, Mahito Maki (Soma Santoki) travels to the countryside with his father Shoichi (Takuya Kimura) to live with Shoichi’s pregnant fiance Natsuko (Yoshino Kimura). Mahito encounters a […]

A Haunting in Venice (20/09/2023)

A Halloween séance ends in murder in A Haunting in Venice. Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) has retired from murder investigations and is now living in solitude in Venice. However, Poirot is visited by his old friend, mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey), who invites Poirot to join her at a Halloween party hosted by palazzo […]

The Critic – TIFF 2023 (16/09/2023)

A veteran theatre critic concocts a blackmail scheme involving a young starlet in The Critic. Jimmy Erskine (Ian McKellen) is the longtime drama critic for The Daily Chronicle, recently inherited by David Brooke (Mark Strong). David wants to restore The Chronicle to being London’s most-read family newspaper and earmarks Jimmy for the chopping block, both […]

Mademoiselle Kenopsia – TIFF 2023 (14/09/2023)

A lone woman watches over large empty spaces in Mademoiselle Kenopsia. Mademoiselle Kenopsia (Larissa Corriveau) occupies a sliver of space in a large unknown building, occasionally taking phone calls from her distant supervisor. She is mostly alone, except for random encounters such as a mysterious woman (Evelyne de la Chenelière) monologuing about cigarettes or an […]

Wildcat – TIFF 2023 (13/09/2023)

Ethan Hawke directs his daughter Maya in a biopic about author Flannery O’Connor in Wildcat. Flannery O’Connor (Maya Hawke) is a deeply Catholic aspiring writer from New York of the 1950s. While travelling to Kentucky to visit her mother Regina (Laura Linney), Flannery is diagnosed with Lupus, a condition that previously took the life of her […]

Evil Does Not Exist – TIFF 2023 (13/09/2023)

Life in a quiet farming village is disrupted by urban developers planning to build a “glamping” site in Evil Does Not Exist. Takumi (Hitoshi Omika) is a jack-of-all-trades living with his eight-year-old daughter Hana (Ryuji Kosaka) in a small village in a heavily forested village outside of Tokyo. The serenity of the village is disrupted […]

Aggro Dr1ft – TIFF 2023 (13/09/2023)

A Miami hitman battles metaphorical and literal demons in Aggro Dr1ft. In a dystopian and infrared world, the world’s greatest assassin Bo (Jordi Mollà) traverses the underworld of Miami, while being haunted by a giant demon. For his latest job, Bo is assigned to take off the head of the hulking crime lord Toto. Aggro […]

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person – TIFF 2023 (12/09/2023)

A teenage vampire finds herself unwilling to kill humans for their blood in Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person. Sasha (Sara Montpetit) is a 68-year-old “teenage” vampire, who finds herself feeling more empathy towards humans than seeing them as food. One night Sasha encounters suicidal teenager Paul (Félix-Antoine Bénard), who is completely willing to be […]

Seven Veils – TIFF 2023 (11/09/2023)

A young opera director’s personal trauma transfers over into her production of Salome in Seven Veils. Jeanine (Amanda Seyfried) is a young theatre director tasked by the Canadian Opera Company with remounting a production of Richard Strauss’ biblical opera Salome, previously produced by her recently deceased mentor Charles. As Jeanine deals with her recent separation […]

Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe – TIFF 2023 (10/09/2023)

The life and career of Ernie “Mr. Dressup” Combs are revisited in Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe. Born in Maine, Ernie Combs moved to Toronto in 1962 to work with Fred Rogers on the original CBC version of MisteRogers. After Rogers returned to the United States, CBC built a new show around Ernie Combs, […]

The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed – TIFF 2023 (09/09/2023)

A 30-something woman balances her life with her multiple BDSM relationships in The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed. During the day, Ann (Joanna Arnow) works an increasingly directionless job at a real estate company or gets together with her Jewish family. However, at night, partakes in master/slave relationships with multiple partners, […]

Woman of the Hour – TIFF 2023 (09/09/2023)

A contestant on The Dating Game turns out to be a woman-killing serial killer in Woman of the Hour. Cheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick) is a struggling actress in 1978 Hollywood. Cheryl’s agent gets her a role as the main contestant on The Dating Game, a cheesy match-making game show hosted by Ed Burke (Tony Hale), […]

American Fiction – TIFF 2023 (09/09/2023)

An African-American author’s satirical novel becomes a sudden and unexpected hit in American Fiction. Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright) is an author and English professor, who is placed on a leave of absence after a confrontation with an overtly politically correct student. In addition, Monk is informed by his literary agent Arthur (John Ortiz) that […]

KILL – TIFF 2023 (09/09/2023)

A pair of commandos fight back against a gang of 40 bandits on an Indian passenger train in KILL. Amrit (Lakshya) is a Captain in the Indian army, who boards a train bound for New Dehli to halt the arranged marriage of his love Tulika (Tanya Maniktala). However, the train is also boarded by a […]

Passages (24/08/2023)

A gay filmmaker causes strife in his marriage when he begins an affair with a woman in Passages. Tomas Freiburg (Franz Rogowski) is a German-born filmmaker living in Paris with his English printer husband Martin (Ben Whishaw). After Martin leaves early from the wrap party of Tomas’ latest film, the latter ends up hooking up […]

The YouTube Effect (20/08/2023)

The evolution of YouTube into one of the most ubiquitous and powerful media platforms in the world is explored in The YouTube Effect. YouTube was founded in 2005 by former PayPal employees Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim as a way for people to stream and share videos on the web easily. Following some […]

Bottoms (18/08/2023)

Two high school outcasts start a self-defence club to hook up with the cheerleaders they have crushes on in Bottoms. PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) are best friends, who are outcasts at their high school and harbour unrequited crushes for school cheerleaders Brittany (Kaia Gerber) and Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) respectively. Following a […]

Haunted Mansion (17/08/2023)

A grieving tour guide helps a single mother rid herself of the ghosts haunting her new home in Haunted Mansion. Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield) is a former astrophysicist, who has been giving ghost tours in New Orleans since the tragic death of his wife. Ben is recruited by Father Kent (Owen Wilson) to visit the […]

Strays (17/08/2023)

A newly stray dog decides to seek revenge against his former owner in Strays. Reggie (Will Ferrell) is a naive Border Terrier in a neglectful relationship with his owner Doug (Will Forte). Reggie ends up being abandoned in a city ally, where he ends up befriending street-smart Boston Terrier Bug (Jamie Foxx), who teaches him […]

Satan Wants You – Hot Docs 2023 interview with filmmakers Sean Horlor and Steve J. Adams (11/08/2023)

Following the Canadian premiere of their horror documentary Satan Wants You at this year’s Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, I had the chance to speak with filmmakers Sean Horlor and Steve J. Adams about the film. The film recently went on to screen at the Fantasia Film Festival and today the film is opening […]

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (10/08/2023)

A doomed ship carries deadly cargo in The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Clemens (Corey Hawkins) is a British doctor stranded in Romania, who secures passage aboard the Detetmer helmed by Captain Eliot (Liam Cunningham) and his first mate Wojchek (David Dastmalchian). Part of the Demeter’s cargo on its voyage to London is fifty unmarked […]

Fantasia 2023 – The Sacrifice Game World Premiere Interview with Co-Writer and Director Jenn Wexler (09/08/2023)

After the World Premiere of her sophomore feature The Sacrifice Game, I interviewed co-writer and director Jenn Wexler about her inspirations for the film. Check out our previous interview with Jenn Wexler for 2018’s The Ranger

Fantasia 2023 – Where the Devil Roams World Premiere Interview with The Adams Family. (09/08/2023)

Following the World Premiere of their third feature Where The Devil Roams at the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival, I spoke with the filmmaking family of John Adams, Toby Poser, Zelda Adams, and Lulu Adams. The discussion tackled the influences of the film and the pros and cons of directing horror films as a family.

Fantasia 2023 – Raging Grace Canadian Premiere Interview with Writer and Director Paris Zarcilla. (08/08/2023)

I interviewed Paris Zarcilla about his debut feature film Raging Grace, which had its Canadian premiere as part of the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival. I talk about his inspirations behind the film and the themes involving immigrant labour.

Fantasia 2023 – Blackout World Premiere Interview with Writer and Director Larry Fessenden (08/08/2023)

Following its World Premiere on the opening night of Fantasia 2023, I spoke to indie horror icon Larry Fessenden about his werewolf film Blackout, rounding out his “monster trilogy” that also includes Fessenden’s 1997 vampire film Habit and his 2019 Frankenstein variant Depraved. In addition to talking about Larry Fessenden’s werewolf influences, the discussion also […]

Aporia – Fantasia 2023 (08/08/2023)

A grieving woman uses a time-bending machine to return her dead husband in Aporia. Sophie (Judy Greer) is having trouble returning to everyday life after her husband Mal (Edi Gathegi) is killed by a drunk driver, which includes an estranged relationship with their teenage daughter Riley (Faithe Herman). However, Sophie learns from Mal’s physicist best […]

The Visitor from the Future – Fantasia 2023 (07/08/2023)

A ragtag group of time travellers try to protect the Earth from nuclear disaster in The Visitor from the Future. Gilbert Alibert (Arnaud Ducret) is on the verge of signing a deal to take over the Axomako Nuclear Plant, much to the protest of his environmentalist daughter Alice (Enya Baroux). Breaking into her father’s house […]

Hippo – Fantasia 2023 (07/08/2023)

A teenager who grew up in a sheltered existence with his mother and step-sister becomes increasingly protective and paranoid in Hippo. Adam (Kimball Farley), aka Hippo, is a young man who grew up in an incredibly sheltered existence with his mother Ethel (Eliza Roberts) and adopted Hungarian sister Buttercup (Lilla Kizlinger). Addicted to the video […]

Booger – Fantasia 2023 (07/08/2023)

After the death of her best friend, a woman obsesses over their missing cat in Booger. Anna (Grace Glowicki) is a young woman grieving the death of her best friend Izzy (Sofia Dobrushin). While cleaning, Anna is bitten by Izzy’s grumpy cat Booger, who proceeds to jump out the window. To the concern of her […]

Marry My Dead Body – Fantasia 2023 (07/08/2023)

A homophobic police detective finds himself “ghost married” to a gay man who died in a hit-and-run in Marry My Dead Body. Wu Ming-Han (Greg Han Hsu) is a homophobic police detective working with his partner Lin Tzu-Ching (Gingle Wang) to bring down drug lord Lin Hsiao-Yuan (Chen-Nan Tsai). While chasing a suspect, Wu picks […]

Tiger Stripes – Fantasia 2023 (07/08/2023)

A 12-year-old Malaysian girl undergoes immense changes after hitting puberty in Tiger Stripes. Zaffan (Zafreen Zairizal) is a student at a Muslim all-girls school in Malaysia, who often ends up breaking the rules when hanging out with her friends Farah (Deena Ezral) and Mariam (Piqa). When Zaffan has her period one night, the resulting changes […]

Sometimes I Think About Dying – Fantasia 2023 (06/08/2023)

A quiet office worker with thoughts on death begins dating her outgoing new coworker in Sometimes I Think About Dying. Fran (Daisy Ridley) is an office worker in a sleepy coastal town, who keeps to herself while thinking of various ways she can die. Fran becomes acquainted with her new coworker Robert (Dave Merheje), an […]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (06/08/2023)

The Ninja Turtles have to fight back against an army of mutants in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Leonardo (Nicolas Cantu), Donatello (Micah Abbey), Michelangelo (Shamon Brown Jr.), and Raphael (Brady Noon) have spent the last fifteen years living in the sewers with their father and master Splinter (Jackie Chan). After helping out aspiring […]

Stay Online – Fantasia 2023 (05/08/2023)

A woman volunteering in the fight against the Russian invasion of Ukraine helps a boy to locate his missing parents in Stay Online. Katya (Liza Zaitseva) is a volunteer from Kyiv assisting her brother Vitya (Oleksandr Rudynskyi) with installing GPS software on a laptop that once belonged to a man named Andriy Fetsenko (Roman Liakh). […]

#Manhole – Fantasia 2023 (05/08/2023)

A man who falls down a manhole on the night before his wedding seeks the help of social media to escape in #Manhole. Shunsuke Kawamura (Yûto Nakajima) is a successful real estate broker who attends a surprise bachelor’s party on the night before his wedding, orchestrated by his co-worker Etsurô Kase (Kento Nagayama). On this […]

New Normal – Fantasia 2023 (04/08/2023)

Six stories detail the violence and chaos in Seoul in New Normal. In Chapter 1: M, Hyun-jung (Choi Ji-woo) has to deal with an invasive inspector. In Chapter 2: Do the Right Thing, a boy helps a wheelchair-bound woman get home. In Chapter 3: Dressed to Kill, Hyun-su (Lee Yu-mi) is on an online date […]

Ride On – Fantasia 2023 (04/08/2023)

An aging stuntman tries to retain ownership of his beloved horse in Ride On. Luo (Jackie Chan) is a past-his-prime stuntman who spends most of his days on his ranch with his prized horse Red Hare, who is in danger of being claimed by a bankruptcy court. Luo seeks the help of his estranged daughter […]

Vincent Must Die – Fantasia 2023 (04/08/2023)

A man discovers that everyone he makes eye contact with tries to violently kill him in Vincent Must Die. Vincent Borel (Karim Leklou) is an office worker who is suddenly by an intern. These attacks soon repeat and Vincent soon learns from a stranger nicknamed Joachim DB (Michaël Perez) that these incidents aren’t isolated and […]

The Roundup: No Way Out (03/08/2023)

The hart-hitting police sergeant is back for another round in The Roundup: No Way Out. Sergeant Ma Seok-do (Don Lee) is investigating a murder that seems to be tied to a recently reported drug known as Hiper. The drug is traced to corrupt cop Joo Seong-Cheol (Jun-hyuk Lee), who has been working with the Yakuza […]

What You Wish For – Fantasia 2023 (03/08/2023)

A chef running from gambling debts gets more than he bargained for when he takes over for his friend in cooking an exclusive dinner in What You Wish For. Ryan Mosley (Nick Stahl) is a talented chef who escapes to Latin America and stays at the place of his friend Jack (Brian Groh) while finding […]

Late Night with the Devil – Fantasia 2023 (03/08/2023)

A Halloween night episode of a late-night talk show goes horribly wrong in Late Night with the Devil. Night Owls with Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian) was a once-thriving 1970s late-night talk show, which begins tanking in the ratings of Delroy’s wife Madeleine’s (Georgina Haig) death from cancer. Hoping to make a mark during sweeps week, […]

Hundreds of Beavers – Fantasia 2023 (02/08/2023)

A drunken applejack salesman has to rebuild his fortune by becoming the world’s greatest fur trapper in Hundreds of Beavers. Jack Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) is an applejack salesman who finds his business destroyed by invading swarms of beavers. Left freezing in the wilderness, Jack has to build himself back up and catch various […]

Satan Wants You – Fantasia 2023 (31/07/2023)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of the 2023 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival The story of a woman and a psychiatrist whose book helped kick off the 1980s Satanic Panic is told in Satan Wants You. In 1976, Michelle Smith visited Dr. Laurence Pazder in Victoria, British Columbia. During […]

With Love and a Major Organ – Fantasia 2023 (30/07/2023)

A lonely woman literally gives her heart to the man of her dreams in With Love and a Major Organ. In the not-so-distant future, every aspect of people’s life is controlled by an app called LifeZapp, which consequently makes most people devoid of authentic emotional connections. Anabel (Anna Maguire) is an aspiring artist working for […]

Baby Assassins 2 Babies – Fantasia 2023 (30/07/2023)

The teenage assassins are back and have met their match in Baby Assassins 2 Babies. Now full time assassins, Chisato (Takaishi Akari) and Mahiro (Izawa Saori) are surprised to find they have outstanding bills for a gym membership they only used once. While at the bank to pay these fees, the two teenage assassins ends […]

Home Invasion – Fantasia 2023 (30/07/2023)

The history of the doorbell and its ties to home surveillance are explored in Home Invasion. Graeme Arnfield presents a cinematic essay on the evolution of the doorbell from its inception to the development of the Ring door-bot in more recent years. The film also makes some deviations talking about how D.W. Griffith paved the […]

The Sacrifice Game – Fantasia 2023 (29/07/2023)

A group left behind at their boarding school during Christmas Eve are terrorized by a gang of serial killers planning to conduct a demonic ritual in The Sacrifice Games. Samantha (Madison Baines) and Clara (Georgia Acken) are two students at the Blackvale School for Girls, who have been left behind for the 1971 Christmas holidays […]

Where the Devil Roams – Fantasia 2023 (28/07/2023)

A family of murderous carnies travel the circuit in Depression-era American in Where the Devil Roams. Maggie (Toby Poser), Seven (John Adams) and Eve (Zelda Adams) are family of travelling performers, barely making due in the dying carnival circuit. The family makes stops along the way looking for food and shelter, often resulting in bloodshed. […]

Devils – Fantasia 2023 (27/07/2023)

A homicide detective finds his body switched with a sadistic serial killer in Devils. Jae-hwan (Oh Dae-hwan) has spent the last two years on the trailer of the sadistic serial killer Jin-hyuk (Kim Sang-yoon), who along with his three accomplices have been killing and dismembering women for dark web snuff films. Jae-Han finally tracks Jin-hyuk […]

Femme – Fantasia 2023 (27/07/2023)

A drag queen victimized by a homophobic attack seeks vengeance against one of his attackers in Femme. Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) is a London man who performs in drag shows as Aphrodite Banks. While going into a store to buy cigarettes in full make-up, Jules ends up being viciously beaten by a group of thugs including […]

Insomniacs After School – Fantasia 2023 (26/07/2023)

Two sleep-deprived high school students connect with each other in their school’s observatory in Insomniacs After School. Ganta Nakami (Daiken Okudaira) suffers from nightly insomnia, which causes him to take naps while attending school. When asked to acquire a stepladder from his school’s observatory-turned-storage room, Nakami finds his classmate Isaki Magari (Nana Mori), who also […]

Raging Grace – Fantasia 2023 (26/07/2023)

A Filipino housekeeper and single mother about her new employer and her dying uncle in Raging Grace. Joy (Max Eigenmann) is an undocumented Filipino immigrant in London who is working as a housekeeper to earn enough money to pay for citizenship for herself and her young daughter Grace (Jaeden Paige Boadilla). Joy is asked to […]

Restore Point – Fantasia 2023 (25/07/2023)

In a world without death, a detective tries to solve a murder committed by a terrorist group in Restore Point. In 1948 Prague, the population is able to be restored from death by digital back-ups stored by the Institute of Restoration run by Rohan (Karel Dobrý). Emma Trochinowska (Andrea Mohylová) is a detective investigating the […]

The Primevals – Fantasia 2023 (25/07/2023)

A stop-motion adventure nearly five decades in the making comes to fruition with The Primevals. Sherpas in the Himalayas have killed a creature that seems to be the mythical Yeti. When the specimen is acquired by Dr. Claire Collier (Juliet Mills), her former student Matt Connor (Richard Joseph Paul) wants to lead an expedition to […]

Talk to Me – Fantasia 2023 (24/07/2023)

A group of teens get more than they bargained for when they attend possession parties featuring a haunted embalmed hand in Talk to Me. Unable to handle the grief over her mother’s death, Mia (Sophie Wilde) has been staying at the house of her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen), who live with her younger brother […]

The Becomers – Fantasia 2023 (23/07/2023)

Bodysnatching aliens try to make a home for each other on planet Earth in The Becomers. An alien forced to evacuate their planet lands on Earth and takes the form of first Francesca (Isabel Alamin) and later Carol (Molly Plunk). “Carol” is eventually reunited with their lover, who takes the form of Carol’s husband George […]

Sympathy for the Devil – Fantasia 2023 (23/07/2023)

A mild-mannered driver finds himself taken hostage by an unhinged passenger in Sympathy for the Devil. David (Joel Kinnaman) is racing to the hospital to be with his wife who is in labour. However, when he arrives, he is greeted by a gun-toting man (Nicholas Cage) dressed all in red, who gets into David’s car. […]

Oppenheimer (23/07/2023)

The story of the man who created the atomic bomb is told in Oppenheimer. As a young man, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) was responsible for helping bring the study of quantum physics to the United States. This results in Oppenheimer being recruited by General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) to lead the Manhattan Project and […]

Barbie (22/07/2023)

The signature doll from Mattel hits the big screen with Barbie. In Barbieland, Barbie (Margot Robbie) lives a perfect existence with President Barbie (Issa Rae), author Barbie (Alexandra Shipp), physicist Barbie (Emma Mackey), and doctor Barbie (Hari Nef). Barbie is the unrequited object of affection of Ken (Ryan Gosling), who has to compete with Ken […]

Blackout – Fantasia 2023 (21/07/2023)

A painter has to deal with the fact that he is a werewolf in Blackout. Charley Barrett (Alex Hurt) is a local painter in a small town in upstate New York, who many months ago separated from his ex Sharon (Addison Timlin) and is in frequent public battles with local developer, and Sharon’s father, Jack […]

God is a Bullet (18/07/2023)

An escaped cult member helps a police officer locate his kidnapped daughter in God is a Bullet. One Christmas, desk jockey police officer Bob Hightower (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is distraught to discover his ex-wife murdered and his teenage daughter Gabi (Chloe Guy) kidnapped by a Satanic cult led by the sadistic Cyrus (Karl Glusman). Bob is […]

Who Killed Maggie Moore(s)? (18/07/2023)

A small-town sheriff investigates the murders of two women with the same name in Who Killed Maggie Moore(s)? Jordan Sanders (Jon Hamm) is a small-town police chief investigating the murder of a woman named Maggie Moore (Louisa Krause), whose burnt remains were found in her car. Accompanied by his always-joking Deputy Reddy (Nick Mohammed), Jordan […]

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (17/07/2023)

The IMF team races to prevent control of a sentient A.I. from falling into the wrong hands in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. A powerful artificial intelligent program known as The Entity becomes sentient and infiltrates the major defence, military systems, and intelligence networks of the world. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is given […]

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (17/07/2023)

Audio recording of our review of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One

Insidious: The Red Door (08/07/2023)

The Lambert Family returns to travel into The Further once more in Insidious: The Red Door. It has been a decade since Josh Lambert (Patrick Wilson) and his son Dalton (Ty Simpkins) was hypnotized to forget their ability to astral project into the supernatural realm known as The Further. Josh is now divorced from his […]

Insidious: The Red Door (08/07/2023)

Audio recording of our review of Insidious: The Red Door

Joy Ride (06/07/2023)

Four Asian-American women go on a journey across Asia to locate one of their birth mothers in Joy Ride. Audrey (Ashley Park) is an Asian woman who was adopted as a baby by white American parents. As Audrey leaves on a business trip to Beijing, her childhood best friend Lolo (Sherry Cola) suggests that they […]

Joy Ride (06/07/2023)

Audio recording of our review of Joy Ride

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (02/07/2023)

The famed archeologist goes on one last adventure in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. On the date of his retirement in 1969, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is reunited with his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) for the first time in nearly two decades. Shaw is looking for information about Archimedes’ Dial, a relic […]

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (02/07/2023)

An audio recording of our review of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

No Hard Feelings (23/06/2023)

A cash-strapped woman takes a job to seduce an awkward teenager in No Hard Feelings. Maddie Barker (Jennifer Lawrence) is a 32-year-old Uber driver and bartender in Montauk, New York, who is on the verge of losing her mother’s house, due to rising property taxes. After her car is towed away by ex-boyfriend Gary (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), […]

No Hard Feelings (23/06/2023)

An audio recording of our review of No Hard Feelings

Asteroid City (22/06/2023)

The attendees of a youth astronomy convention find themselves quarantined after an encounter with aliens in Asteroid City. Asteroid City is a small desert town known for being the site of the arid plains meteorite. Many Junior Stargazers and their parents descend upon the town for Asteroid Day, including photographer and recent widower Augie Steenbeck […]

Asteroid City (22/06/2023)

An audio recording of our review of Asteroid City

The Flash (19/06/2023)

The superfast superhero inadvertently disrupts the timeline in The Flash. Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) is a forensic investigator, who as The Flash is a member of the Justice League led by Batman (Ben Affleck). Barry is distraught that he is missing a vital piece of evidence to exonerate his father Henry (Ron Livingston) for the […]

The Flash (19/06/2023)

An audio recording of our review of The Flash.

The Boogeyman (17/06/2023)

A family is tormented by a closet-hiding monster in The Boogeyman. Sisters Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer Harper (Vivien Lyra Blair) are in grief after the death of their mother in a car accident, a subject that their therapist father Will (Chris Messina) tries to ignore. One day, will is visited by a highly disturbed […]

The Boogeyman (17/06/2023)

An audio recording of our review of The Boogeyman

Past Lives (17/06/2023)

Two Korean childhood sweethearts are reunited after more than two decades apart in Past Lives. As children, Na Young (Moon Seung-ah) and Hae Sung (Seung Min Yim) are inseparable, before Na Young’s family decides to immigrate from South Korea to Toronto. 12 years passed and the now re-named Nora (Seung Min Yim) is working as […]

The Wrath of Becky (16/06/2023)

The now-orphaned sociopathic teenager sets herself out to save her dog from an ultra-right-wing terrorist cell in The Wrath of Becky. It has been two years since now-16-year-old Becky (Lulu Wilson) survived an attack by a gang of neo-Nazis that claimed the life of her father. Becky has since escaped from multiple foster homes and […]

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (10/06/2023)

The Autobots join forces with the Maximals to save the planet Earth in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. In 1994 Brooklyn, Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos) resorts to carjacking to support his family, but the car he ends up breaking into turns out to be the Autobot Mirage (Pete Davidson), who is called into action by […]

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (05/06/2023)

Miles Morales discovers a society of Spider-Men whose job is to protect the multiverse in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. It has been sixteen months since Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) became the Spider-Man of Brooklyn on Earth-1610 and he has been missing the multiversal Spider-Men he befriended, particularly Gwen Stacey (Hailee Steinfeld) and Peter B. Parker […]

Parasite Lady (02/06/2023)

A seductive vampire stalks victims in a carnival in Parasite Lady. Miranda (Arrielle Edwards) is a vampire who awakens daily in a seedy nearby and seeks out victims from a nearby carnival. However, Miranda encounters Catherine (Ali Chappell), whom she desires to be more than just a victim. However, this goes against the wishes of […]

The Machine (31/05/2023)

Comedian Bert Kreischer’s past encounter with the Russian mafia comes back to haunt him in The Machine. Bert Kreischer has made a career out of recounting when his younger self (Jimmy Tatro) became involved with the Russian mafia while on a college trip to Russia, which ended with him assisting in robbing a train. However, […]

The American Gladiators Documentary – Hot Docs 2023 (30/05/2023)

The rise and fall of the 1990s “Crash TV” series is told in The American Gladiators Documentary. One of the earliest reality TV series, The American Gladiators, was a part sport, part game show, pitting amateur athletes against the titular gladiators. The show began in 1989 as the brainchild of former Elvis impersonator Johnny C. […]

Movies Index (25/05/2023)

This is the master movies index of all the films mentioned on Sean Kelly on Movies. The movies index is automatically generated from the movie tag added to reviews and posts. For an easier search experience, it is recommended that you instead use one of our review indexes, organized by year. Sean Kelly on Movies […]

Rowdy Girl – Hot Docs 2023 (21/05/2023)

Former cattle ranchers transform their farm into an animal sanctuary in Rowdy Girl. Renee King-Sonnen is an animal lover who convinced her husband, Tommy, to turn vegan and convert their Texas Cattle Ranch into an animal sanctuary for farm animals. Now Renee runs a Rancher Advocacy Program to help farms transition from animal agriculture to […]

Hong Kong Mixtape – Hot Docs 2023 (21/05/2023)

The work of Hong Kong’s artists and activists is made illegal by China in Hong Kong Mixtape. Due to its years as a British colony, Hong Kong has typically been more progressive than communist mainland China. However, that began to change when China regained control of the city and began to police it with its […]

Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story – Hot Docs 2023 (21/05/2023)

The Dalkurd Football Club strives to be the first Kurdish team to play at the highest level in Europe in Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story. The Kurdish people are the largest state without a country, with Kurdistan being comprised of regions of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Formed by Kurdish refugees living in Sweden, the Dalkurd […]

Beau is Afraid (18/05/2023)

An anxiety-ridden man tries to make it home for his mother’s funeral in Beau is Afraid. Beau Wassermann (Joaquin Phoenix) is a middle-aged man who lives on his own, often afraid to venture out into the world around him. Beau regularly visits his therapist (Stephen McKinley Henderson) to talk about his anxieties, often involving his […]

Fast X (17/05/2023)

It is the beginning of the end of The Fast Saga with Fast X. While enjoying family life with Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) and his son Little Brian (Leo Abelo Perry), Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) is visited by a bloody Cipher (Charlize Theron). The Cipher’s criminal organization was hostility taken over by Dante Reyes (Jason […]

Smoke Sauna Sisterhood – Hot Docs 2023 (16/05/2023)

A group of women bare their souls in an Estonian smoke sauna in Smoke Sauna Sisterhood. In Southern Estonia, a group of women gather in a traditional smoke sauna to cleanse themselves. Each of the women tells their own personal stories, with subjects ranging from having breast cancer, coming out as lesbian, and being a […]

Stephen Curry: Underrated – Hot Docs 2023 (16/05/2023)

The rise of NBA star Stephen Curry is told in Stephen Curry: Underrated. In November 2021, Stephen Curry, point guard of the Golden State Warriors, beat the record previously held by Ray Allen for the most 3-pointers made in NBA history. However, Curry had to fight for his position, as he spent his entire career […]

BlackBerry (14/05/2023)

The story of the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone is told in BlackBerry. Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) are business partners in the upstart Waterloo, Ontario, technology company Research In Motion. The two make a pitch to Harvard-educated businessman Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) of Sutherland-Schultz Ltd for their […]

The Deepest Breath – Hot Docs 2023 (12/05/2023)

An Italian woman attempts to break the world record for the incredibly dangerous sport of freediving in The Deepest Breath. Freediving is an extreme sport where swimmers try to descend to the deepest depths in a single breath. Alessia Zecchini is an Italian woman following in the footsteps of the world’s greatest freediver Natalia Molchanova. […]

Undertaker for Life! – Hot Docs 2023 (12/05/2023)

The life of morticians is shown in a very tongue-in-cheek fashion in Undertaker for Life! If the world didn’t need undertakers, the people would be pretty happy. Director Georges Hannan tackles the taboo profession of preparing the dead for burial with earnestness and humour. This includes comparing embalming to changing the transmission on a car […]

The Man Who Stole Einstein’s Brain – Hot Docs 2023 (11/05/2023)

A pathologist spends decades with Albert Einstein’s brain in his possession in The Man Who Stole Einstein’s Brain. Dr. Thomas Stoltz Harvey was the chief pathologist of Princeton Hospital, who performed the autopsy on Albert Einstein following the scientist’s death in April 1955. During the autopsy, Harvey decides to take Einstein’s brain from the corpses, […]

Time Bomb Y2K – Hot Docs 2023 (11/05/2023)

The timeline of Y2K concerns and paranoia is revisited in Time Bomb Y2K. In the mid-1990s, there was an explosion in information technology and the level that we corrected. However, with this interconnectivity came the fear of the “Millenium Big,” first brought to attention by Canadian computer engineer Peter de Jager, who expressed concerns about […]

Unwelcome (10/05/2023)

A London couple moves to a rural Irish village and learns that malevolent goblins occupy the woods behind their garden in Unwelcome. After surviving an attack by thugs in their London apartment, pregnant Maya (Hannah John-Kamen) and her husband Jamie (Douglas Booth) move to a rural Irish village, where Jamie has inherited the house of […]

Confessions of a Good Samaritan – Hot Docs 2023 (09/05/2023)

Filmmaker Penny Lane documents her experience donating her kidney to a complete stranger in Confessions of a Good Samaritan. Once considered taboo by the medical professions, altruistic or “good samaritan” donations involve living people deciding to donate one of their vital organs to give to a complete stranger. Penny Lane is preparing to make such […]

Praying for Armageddon – Hot Docs 2023 (09/05/2023)

The religious right’s influence on U.S. politics and the country’s relations with Israel are explored in Praying for Armageddon. In the United States, fundamentalist evangelical Christian Zionists believe that every word of the bible is literally true and that the apocalypse would start with the second coming of Jesus Chris and true believers being raptured […]

Empress of Darkness (08/05/2023)

A lone warrior goes on a quest to save the world from darkness in Empress of Darkness. Once, there was a Kingdom of Light with an Empress whose powers controlled the cosmos. However, she was slain, and Lord Graxus and his Evil Horde plunged the world into darkness. However, a lone follower, Alpha, escapes from […]

Is There Anybody Out There? – Hot Docs 2023 (08/05/2023)

A woman born with a rare physical disability tries to find other people like her while combating ableism in society in Is There Anybody Out There? Ella Glendining was born without hip joints, and very small femurs, and Ella’s disability is so rare that there aren’t even proper statistics. Ella joins various online groups to […]

Total Trust – Hot Docs 2023 (07/05/2023)

China’s status as an authoritative surveillance state is exposed in Total Trust. Using the latest technologies, such as facial recognition technology and even COVID health checks, the communist government of China can enact authoritative control over its citizens. Several Chinese citizens document their horrifying experiences with the Chinese surveillance states. The central story comes from […]

Black Barbie: A Documentary – Hot Docs 2023 (06/05/2023)

The little-known history of Black Barbie is told in Black Barbie: A Documentary. For decades the image of Barbie was that of a slim white girl with long blonde hair. However, Lagueria Davis learns through her aunt Beulah Mae Mitchell, a former Mattel employee, that a special Black Barbie was released in 1980 and has […]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (05/05/2023)

The Guardians of the Galaxy go on one final mission together in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Guardians of the Galaxy have established their headquarters in the colony of Knowhere, where Peter Quill, aka Starlord (Chris Pratt), has entered a depressed funk due to the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldana). However, Knowhere is […]

July Talk: Love Lives Here – Hot Docs 2023 (04/05/2023)

The indie rock band July Talk puts on a concert at a drive-in during the COVID-19 pandemic in July Talk: Love Lives Here. The band July Talk, led by Leah Fay Goldstein and Peter Dreimanis, is forced to cancel their upcoming tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a contingency, the band plans to perform […]

Shannon Alexander Tackles a Real-Life Case of Paranormal Activity in It’s Coming – Hot Docs 2023 (03/05/2023)

The horror documentary It’s Coming had its world premiere as part of the Nightvision program as part of the 2023 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival. Shot, directed, produced, and edited by Shannon Alexander, the film follows Ashley Roland and her kids experiencing some paranormal activity in their Brooklyn apartment. Speaking on the phone with […]

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie – Hot Docs 2023 (02/05/2023)

Michael J. Fox reminisces about his career and the struggles of three decades of having Parkinson’s in Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. Born in Edmonton, Alberta and raised in Burnaby, British Columbia, Michael J. Fox developed the acting bug at a young age, getting cast in his first role in the 1978 CBC sitcom […]

Blix Not Bombs – Hot Docs 2023 (01/05/2023)

The man responsible for ensuring there were no Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq is interviewed two decades after the Iraq War in Blix Not Bombs. Hans Blix is a Swedish Diplomat assigned by the United Nations Security Council to perform weapons inspections in Iraq to ensure that the country was not harbouring Weapons of […]

It’s Coming – Hot Docs 2023 (30/04/2023)

Read Our Interview with Director Shannon Alexander A Brooklyn family hopes to rid themselves of the malevolent spirits haunting them in It’s Coming. Ashley Roland is a mother of five and has been sensitive to supernatural entities since she was 11. After returning to her family’s ancestral Brooklyn apartment, Ashley and her kids witness strange […]

Coven – Hot Docs 2023 (29/04/2023)

Three millennial women identify as present-day witches in Coven. Over the generations, the concept of witches has evolved from a patriarchal fear of strong women to a religious form of spiritualism that is embraced. Three Toronto-based women have embraced Wiccan teachings in their own ways. Laura is a solitary witch who traces her ancestry to […]

Satan Wants You – Hot Docs 2023 (28/04/2023)

The story of a woman and a psychiatrist whose book helped kick off the 1980s Satanic Panic is told in Satan Wants You. In 1976, Michelle Smith visited Dr. Laurence Pazder in Victoria, British Columbia. During their sessions, Dr. Pazder supposedly uncovers repressed memories from Michelle’s childhood in the 1950s. She believes that she was […]

You Were My First Boyfriend – Hot Docs 2023 (28/04/2023)

A woman recreates the memories from her adolescence in You Were My First Boyfriend. After attending her high school reunion, filmmaker Cecilia Aldarondo became interested in recreating her memories from her teenage years in the 1990s. Cecilia stars in various recreations from her adolescence by hiring actors to play her teenage friends and classmates. This […]

Subterranean – Hot Docs 2023 (27/04/2023)

Two teams of cavers set out to break the records for the longest and deepest caves in Canada in Subterranean. Two groups of hobbyist cavers are on the verge of breaking two major records. Katie Graham and her team explore the Bisaro Anima cave in the Rocky Mountains, only 0.5 metres away from being declared […]

Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun – Hot Docs 2023 (27/04/2023)

A young Siksika woman follows her dreams of becoming an Indian relay rider in Aitamaako’tamisskapi Natosi: Before the Sun. Logan Red Crow is a teenage Siksika woman who lives on her family’s ranch in Blackfoot Territory. Logan has been racing horses since she was 15, and she is preparing for one of the most dangerous […]

Someone Lives Here – Hot Docs 2023 (27/04/2023)

A Toronto carpenter builds tiny homeless shelters amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Someone Lives Here. As Toronto’s homeless population rose throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Toronto carpenter Khaleel Seivwright took it upon himself in the fall of 2020 to create tiny shelters that he would leave for the homeless in Toronto parks. While the public championed […]

Food and Country – Hot Docs 2023 (26/04/2023)

The COVID-19 pandemic exposes the broken food system in the United States in Food and Country. Mass agriculture in the United States is based on how cheap food can be produced. As the COVID-19 pandemic takes hold, farmers are expected to continue planting as if everything is returning to normal. New York Times food critic […]

Love to Love You, Donna Summer – Hot Docs 2023 (26/04/2023)

The career of “Queen of Disco” Donna Summer is revisited in Love to Love You, Donna Summer. Raised as part of a family of gospel singers, Donna Summer first became known for her “20 Minutes of Love” 1975 orgasmic dance hit “Love to Love You, Baby.” This and her 1977 hit collaboration with Giorgio Moroder, […]

Twice Colonized – Hot Docs 2023 (26/04/2023)

Inuit lawyer Aaju Peter embarks on a journey to reclaim her language and culture in Twice Colonized. Aaju Peter has made it her lifelong fight to campaign for the rights of Inuit people, particularly against opposition to the Inuit’s hunting of seals. After her son suddenly dies of suicide, Aaju embarks on a journey to […]

Renfield (24/04/2023)

The servant of Count Dracula fights for his independence in Renfield. For decades Robert Montagu Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has been the familiar for Count Dracula (Nicolas Cage), with his primary task being locating victims for his master. Following Dracula’s latest defeat, Renfield relocates to an abandoned hospital in New Orleans. He nurses his master back […]

Evil Dead Rise (23/04/2023)

Demonic forces terrorize a family in a dilapidated apartment complex in Evil Dead Rise. Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) is a single mother living with her children Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), and Kassie (Nell Fisher) in an old Los Angeles apartment complex that is slated for demolition. The family is visited by Ellie’s sister Beth […]

Air (20/04/2023)

The floundering Nike basketball decision hopes to recruit star prospect Michael Jordon for a new line of shoes in Air. In 1984, Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) is a talent scout for the endangered basketball division of Nike, headed by Howard White (Chris Tucker), which also includes Marketing VP Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman). The division was […]

Quasi (19/04/2023)

Broken Lizard presents a tale from medieval France with Quasi. Quasi (Steve Lemme) is a lonely hunchback who works in the torture chamber of King Guy (Jay Chandrasekhar) with his best friend Duchamp (Kevin Heffernan), where they stretch aspiring chef Michel (Erik Stolhanske) on the torture rack. Ahead of Pope Cornelius’ (Paul Soter) visit, Quasi […]

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (04/04/2023)

The Nintendo stars hit the big screen in a new animated adventure in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are two Italian brothers running a plumbing business in Brooklyn. While trying to fix a broken water main, the Mario Bros. gets sucked into an old pipe in the sewers. […]

Retrograde – Canadian Film Fest 2023 (02/04/2023)

A neurotic woman becomes obsessed with a traffic citation she receives in Retrograde. While helping her new roommate Gabrielle (Sofia Banzhaf), move into the house she shares with Rose (Bessie Cheng), Molly (Molly Reisman) ends up being pulled over and receiving a traffic ticket. Molly believes that the ticket was given to her in error, […]

Bloom – Canadian Film Fest 2023 (02/04/2023)

The contrast between teenage girls’ real and online lives is explored in Bloom. In the modern age, teenagers often find it easier to communicate with people online than in person. Three groups of teenage girls are followed as their lives on and offline are contested. Bloom Synopsis Bloom is a social-media-focused documentary directed by Fanie […]

Golden Delicious – Canadian Film Fest 2023 (01/04/2023)

A Chinese-Canadian high school student tries to figure out his identity in Golden Delicious. Jake (Cardi Wong) is a teenager who is under a lot of pressure from both his basketball-loving father, George (Ryan Mah) and social media-influencer girlfriend, Valerie (Parmiss Sehat), to meet their expectations for Jake. Things change with the arrival of Jake’s […]

How to Get My Parents to Divorce – Canadian Film Fest 2023 (01/04/2023)

A 12-year-old girl tries to find a way to force her always-fighting parents to divorce in How to Get My Parents to Divorce. Justine (Charlotte St-Martin) is a sixth grader who is tired of her parents, Julie (Isabelle Blais) and Martin (Pierre-Luc Brillant), fighting all the time. With her friends Charlie Fortier (Charlie Fortier) and […]

Bystanders – Canadian Film Fest 2023 (30/03/2023)

Six lifelong friends have to decide the course of action after one of them makes a horrible confession in Bystanders. Sisters Lily (Deborah Castrilli) and Ayda (Marlee Sansom) arrive at their family’s cabin for an annual getaway with their lifelong friends Zeke (Cavell Holland), Sophia (Katelyn McCulloch), Kyle (Peter Sarty), and Justin (Taylor Olson). At […]

When Time Got Louder – Canadian Film Fest 2023 (30/03/2023)

A young woman has to choose between her new life in college and the well-being of her autistic brother in When Time Got Louder. Abbie Peterson (Willow Shields) has a very close relationship with her younger brother Kayden (Jonathan Simao), who has non-verbal autism. This causes a problem as Abbie leaves for college in California, […]

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (29/03/2023)

A thief forms a team to rescue his daughter from the man who betrayed him in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine) is a bard turned thief imprisoned with barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez) for two years after a heist goes wrong. Upon escape, Edgin learns he was betrayed by con […]

Babysitter – Canadian Film Fest 2023 (29/03/2023)

A man hoping to cure himself of his sexist mindset hires a nanny eager to please in Babysitter. While at an MMA fight with friends, a drunken Cédric (Patrick Hivon) goes viral after he embraces reporter Chantal Tremblay (Eve Duranceau) on live television. After a scandalous newspaper article written by Cédric’s brother Jean-Michel (Steve Laplante), […]

Streams Flow from a River – Canadian Film Fest 2023 (28/03/2023)

The estranged children of a Chinese couple are trapped by a snowstorm and forced to confront the events that tore them apart in Streams Flow from a River. Loretta Chow (Danielle Ayow) and her brother Henry (Liam Ma) return to the rural Alberta town where they grew up after being told by their mother, Diana […]

John Wick: Chapter 4 (23/03/2023)

The assassin’s hunt for revenge climaxes in John Wick: Chapter 4. After being betrayed by his friend Winston (Ian McShane) and left for dead in the care of the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne), John Wick (Keanu Reeves) recovers and continues his quest for vengeance against the High Table. The Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsg?rd) […]

Inside (17/03/2023)

An art thief is trapped in an art collector’s penthouse in Inside. Nemo (Willem Dafoe) is a high-end art thief who breaks into the penthouse apartment of a private collector to steal some priceless works from the collection. However, the alarm malfunctions during his escape, and Nemo finds himself trapped in the penthouse. With limited […]

Scream VI (10/03/2023)

This Review is Spoiler-Free Ghostface returns in the Big Apple in Scream VI. One year after the latest attacks in Woodsboro, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) and her sister Tara (Jenna Ortega) have moved to New York City along with fellow survivors Mindy Meeks-Martin (Jasmin Savoy Brown) and her twin brother Chad (Mason Gooding). Sam struggles […]

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (09/03/2023)

Photographer Nan Goldin fights the Sackler family’s role in the opioid crisis in All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. Nan Goldin is a renowned photographer known for her work with L.G.B.T.Q. subcultures and her ongoing slideshow exhibition, “The Ballad of Sexual Dependency.” In 2017, Goldin founded the advocacy group P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now) to […]

To Leslie (07/03/2023)

An alcoholic woman who squandered her lottery winnings receives a second chance from a kind-hearted motel manager in To Leslie. Leslie “Lee” Rowlands (Andrea Riseborough) is a West Texas woman who won $190,000 in the lottery but squandered the money to support her substance abuse problem. Six years later, Leslie is on the verge of […]

Creed III (06/03/2023)

Adonis Creed is forced to confront his past in Creed III. After retiring on top after beating his old rival Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew) for the undisputed championship in South Africa, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) retires as an active boxer and focuses on training and promoting at his gym along with Tony “Little Duke” […]

The Quiet Girl (05/03/2023)

A neglected girl stays with foster parents in rural Ireland throughout the summer of 1981 in The Quiet Girl. Cáit (Catherine Clinch) is a soft-spoken nine-year-old girl who is neglected in her impoverished household by her mom (Kate Nic Chonaonaigh) and dad (Michael Patric). Cáit is sent away to stay with cousin Eibhlín Cinnsealach (Carrie […]

Queens of the Qing Dynasty (03/03/2023)

A neurodiverse teen forms an unlikely connection with a queer student from Shanghai in Queens of the Qing Dynasty. Star (Sarah Walker) has been admitted to the hospital after an apparent suicide attempt. An (Ziyin Zheng), a student from Shanghai volunteering at the hospital, is assigned to look after Star throughout her recovery. The asexual […]

Cocaine Bear (23/02/2023)

A bear goes on a rampage in a National Park after ingesting cocaine in Cocaine Bear. Multiple duffle bags containing cocaine are dumped out of a plane into the Chattahoochee National Forest right before the drug runner dies while trying to skydive. St. Louis drug lord Sydney White (Ray Liotta) sends his song Eddie (Alden […]

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (17/02/2023)

A fearsome new villain is introduced in the quantum realm in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is enjoying the celebrity given to him after helping to save the world as part of The Avengers. Scott is trying to make up for lost time with his daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton) while he […]

All Quiet on the Western Front (10/02/2023)

A platoon of German soldiers fights to survive in the trenches during the First World War in All Quiet on the Western Front. Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) enlists in the Imperial German Army in 1917, along with his friends Albert Kropp (Aaron Hilmer), Franz Müller (Moritz Klaus) and Ludwig Behm (Adrian Grünewald). The friends are […]

Tár (09/02/2023)

An acclaimed conductor’s career is affected by her allegedly predatory behaviour in Tár. Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is a highly acclaimed female composer and conductor working with the Berlin Philharmonic on an upcoming live recording of Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. With her busy schedule, Tár relies on her assistant Francesca (Noémie Merlant) and the support of […]

Knock at the Cabin (03/02/2023)

A family finds themselves terrorized by four individuals claiming to be trying to stop the apocalypse in Knock at the Cabin. Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) are on vacation at a cabin in the woods with their adopted daughter Wen (Kristen Cui). However, their solitude is disrupted by the arrival of Leonard (Dave […]

Infinity Pool (01/02/2023)

A novelist discovers the dark secret of the country he is vacationing in Infinity Pool. James Foster (Alexander Skarsgård) is a novelist suffering from writer’s block who is on vacation with his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) in the island country of La Tolqa. James meets a fan named Gabi Bauer (Mia Goth), who asks James […]

Riceboy Sleeps – TIFF Canada’s Top Ten 2022 (28/01/2023)

A Korean immigrant tries to provide a good life for her son in Riceboy Sleeps. So-Young (Choi Seung-yoon) is a Korean woman who moves to Canada to raise her son Dong-Hyun (Dohyun Noel Hwang) after the death of her husband. However, Dong-Hyun has trouble adjusting to life in Canada, being bullied at school, with the […]

Cette Maison – TIFF Canada’s Top Ten 2022 (28/01/2023)

Filmmaker Miryam Charles dramatizes what it could’ve been like if her murdered cousin was still alive in Cette Maison. Tessa (Schelby Jean-Baptiste) was born in 1994 in Stamford and died in 2008 in Bridgeport. The daughter of Haitian immigrant Valeska (Florence Blain Mbaye), Tessa’s life before and after her death is told in a series […]

Brother – TIFF Canada’s Top Ten 2022 (27/01/2023)

The bond between two brothers in 1990s Scarborough is examined in Brother. Michael (Lamar Johnson) grew up with his older brother Francis (Aaron Pierre) looking after him, while their mother Ruth (Marsha Stephanie Blake) worked late nights. In 2001, Michael lives on his own with a mentally broken Ruth when he is reunited with his […]

Kids vs Aliens (25/01/2023)

Warring siblings team together to fight back against an alien invasion in Kids vs Aliens. Gary (Dominic Mariche) and his friends Jack (Asher Grayson Percival) and Miles (Ben Tector) like creating wrestling-themed science fiction films with the reluctant assistance of Gary’s older sister Samantha (Phoebe Rex). However, a rift grows between Gary and Samantha when […]

Missing (22/01/2023)

A teenager tries to locate her mother after she vanishes on vacation in Missing. June (Storm Reid) is an 18-year-old left on her own after her mother, Grace (Nia Long), goes on a vacation to Columbia with her new boyfriend, Kevin (Ken Leung). However, Grace doesn’t show up at the airport on the day she […]

Plane (22/01/2023)

An airline pilot crash-lands his plane and is forced to team with a prisoner to rescue his passengers and crew in Plane. Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) is a commercial airline pilot who is forced to land after being struck by lightning in the middle of a storm. After landing, Torrance and his crew realize they […]

Aftersun (22/01/2023)

A father and daughter go on a vacation together in Turkey in Aftersun. Calum (Paul Mescal) is a 30-year-old separated man who goes on a holiday in Turkey with his 11-year-old daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio). The two cherish their time together, even though there is something off about Calum’s behaviour. Many years later, an Adult […]

Skinamarink (14/01/2023)

Two young children are alone in their house with a fearsome entity in Skinamarink. Kevin (Lucas Paul) and Kaylee (Dali Rose Tetreault) wake up in their home at night to find their mom (Jaime Hill) and dad (Ross Paul) have gone missing. The children also find that all the windows and doors of the house […]

The Pale Blue Eye (07/01/2023)

A detective enlists the help of a young Edgar Allen Poe to investigate a series of murders in The Pale Blue Eye. In 1830 West Point, New York, retired veteran detective Augustus Landor (Christian Bale) is called to the United States Military Academy, where he is tasked by the superiors Captain Hitchcock (Simon McBurney) and […]

M3GAN (06/01/2023)

A robotics engineer creates a doll with advanced A.I. for her grieving niece in M3GAN. Gemma (Allison Williams) is an engineer for the toy company Funki, best known for their Purrpetual Pets line. Gemma receives some bad news when her sister and brother-in-law are killed in a car accident, and Gemma is made the caregiver […]

Babylon (03/01/2023)

The rise and fall of three individuals during a turning point in Hollywood is told in Babylon. Manny Torres (Diego Calva) is a Mexican immigrant who works as an assistant at a debaucherous party at Kinoscope studio executive Don Wallach’s (Jeff Garlin) mansion. At the party, Manny comes across aspiring New Jersey actress Nellie LaRoy […]

The Whale (22/12/2022)

A morbidly obese man tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter in The Whale. Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is a homosexual English professor who ballooned in weight after the tragic death of his partner. After having a near-fatal heart attack, Charlie is told by his nurse and friend Liz (Hong Chau) that he will die […]

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (21/12/2022)

The legendary hero loses confidence when he finds himself down to his last life in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. After his latest adventure, Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) finds himself on the wrong side of a falling bell. Informed that he is now down to his last life, Puss decides it is time […]

The Loneliest Boy in the World (21/12/2022)

A recently orphaned teenager creates a replacement family consisting of recently deceased corpses in The Loneliest Boy in the World. Oliver (Max Harwood) grew up under the incredibly sheltered care of his mother (Carol Anne Watts), who died in a freak accident the previous year. While psychiatrist Julius (Evan Ross) wants to commit Oliver to […]

The Eternal Daughter (16/12/2022)

A screenwriter struggling with writer’s block travels to a remote inn with her elderly mother in The Eternal Daughter. Julie Hart (Tilda Swinton) travels with her elderly mother, Rosalind (also Swinton), to an isolated manor that was once their family home but is now operating as an inn. Accompanied only by the Receptionist (Carly-Sophia Davies) […]

Avatar: The Way of Water (16/12/2022)

We return to the world of Pandora in Avatar: The Way of Water. It has been 13 years since Jake Sulley (Sam Worthington) was permanently transferred into his Navi Avatar and became the leader of the Omaticaya along with his mate Neytiri (Zoe Saldana). Together they have three biological children, Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Lo’ak (Britain […]

White Noise (13/12/2022)

A family tries to deal with the aftermath of an “Airborne Toxic Event” in White Noise. Jack Gladney (Adam Driver) is a college professor living with his fourth wife, Babette (Greta Gerwig) and their four children. The lives of the family change when a railway tank car crashes outside of town, releasing an unknown toxin […]

Empire of Light – TIFF 2022 (09/12/2022)

A cinema manager connects with her new employee in Empire of Light. Hilary (Olivia Colman) is the duty manager of the Empire Cinema, located in a 1980s English coastal town. Steven (Micheal Ward) is a new employee hired at the cinema, which also includes the manager Donald Ellis (Colin Firth), who is engaged in an […]

RRR (06/12/2022)

The lives of two Indian revolutionaries cross paths in RRR. In 1920 during the British Raj, Govoner Scott Buxton (Ray Stevenson) and his wife Catherine (Alison Doody) forcibly abduct a young girl named Malli (Twinkle Sharma) from the Gond tribe in Adilabad. Malli’s brother Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) travels to Delhi to rescue […]

Bones and All (04/12/2022)

Disclaimer: My thoughts on Bones and All are based on the content of this work of fiction and do not support nor condone the act of cannibalism A teenage girl battling cannibalistic urges goes on a cross-country trip to locate her birth mother in Bones and All. Maren Yearly (Taylor Russell) is a teenager whose […]

Curse of Aurore – Blood in the Snow 2022 (03/12/2022)

Three American filmmakers get more than they bargained for when investigating a ghost story in rural Quebec in Curse of Aurore. Casey Nolan, the host of the YouTube series Mind Seed TV, plays a video off a thumb drive found in a Dark Web mystery box. On it is footage shot by American filmmakers Aaron […]

Violent Night (02/12/2022)

Santa Claus digs into his dark side to save a family from a group of mercenaries in Violent Night. Jason Lightstone (Alex Hassell) is a man from a wealthy family who is accompanied by his daughter Trudy (Leah Brady) and estranged wife Linda (Alexis Louder) to a holiday gathering at the estate of Jason’s mother […]

Follow Her – Blood in the Snow 2022 (30/11/2022)

A woman who runs a hidden video channel exposing classified scams finds herself the target of a twisted revenge fantasy in Follow Her. Jess Peters (Dani Barker) is a woman who runs a web series called “Classified Crazies” on the video social media site Live Hive. She secretly films and exposes men who post classified […]

The Breach – Blood in the Snow 2022 (29/11/2022)

A small-town police officer’s last case has him investigating a gruesome murder in The Breach. John Hawkins (Allan Hawco) is the police chief of the tiny town of Lone Crow, who takes one last case before transferring to the big city when a canoe carrying the grisly remains of local scientist Cole Parsons (Adam Kenneth […]

Dark Nature – Blood in the Snow 2022 (26/11/2022)

A group of women on a healing retreat confront the monsters of the past in Dark Nature. Still traumatized after escaping an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Derek (Daniel Arnold), Joy (Hannah Anderson) is convinced by her friend Carmen (Madison Walsh) to go on a retreat for trauma survivors led by Dr. Carol Dunnley (Kyra […]

The Devil Comes at Night – Blood in the Snow 2022 (25/11/2022)

Disclosure: This review is based on a Rough Cut screener of The Devil Comes at Night, so any technical limitations have been ignored A washed-up boxer finds himself trapped in a house surrounded by a demonic cult in The Devil Comes at Night. Incoherent following a bar fight, Ben (Ryan Allen) is dropped off at […]

Control – Blood in the Snow 2022 (24/11/2022)

A woman finds herself in a cell and is forced to do a series of tests to save her daughter in Control. Eileen (Sara Mitich) wakes in an empty cell with no memory of who she is. A voice (Karen LeBlanc) instructs Eileen to complete a series of tests or else her daughter Eve (Evie […]

Shifted – Blood in the Snow 2022 (24/11/2022)

A group of neighbours taking shelter from murderous creatures have to deal with a killer among them in Shifted. An unknown outbreak has turned humans into bloodthirsty creatures. Derek Monroe (Derek Lackenbauer), Becka Thomas (Victoria Dunsmore), Jimmy Tenneson (Brian Otto), Cindy Dawson (Alyssa Anne Blasak), Frankie Bernard Isaacs (Zach Parsons), and Lauren Goode (Alyssa Schermel) […]

L’Inhumain – Blood in the Snow 2022 (23/11/2022)

A neurosurgeon whose life is falling apart finds himself forced to return home to confront the past in L’Inhumain. Mathieu Cote (Samian) is a gifted neurosurgeon whose life begins to fall apart when he is put on leave for a substance abuse issue, followed by his wife Julie (Véronique Beaudet) leaving him after discovering an […]

Cult Hero – Blood in the Snow 2022 (23/11/2022)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Fantasia 2022 A disgraced reality TV star is recruited to save a real estate agent’s husband from a death cult in Cult Hero. Kallie Jones (Liv Collins) is a real estate agent in Owen Sound distressed about losing clients to Cynthia Doyle (Jessica Vano) […]

Influencer – Blood in the Snow 2022 (22/11/2022)

A social media star’s new friendship while vacationing in Thailand takes a dark turn in Influencer. Madison (Emily Tennant) is a famous social media influencer on vacation in Thailand who is distraught over the absence of her boyfriend and manager, Ryan (Rory J. Saper). Madison ends up meeting CW (Cassandra Naud), who helps Madison to […]

The Protector – Blood in the Snow 2022 (22/11/2022)

A young woman recently released from juvenile detention believes a powerful God targets her in The Protector. Evelyn (Chelsea Clark) is a juvenile delinquent on probation release in the town of Wilfrid under the care of Dr. Flora (Rebecca Jenkins). On her 21st birthday, Evelyn is gifted a book speaking of the powerful Indian God […]

Relax, I’m From the Future – Blood in the Snow 2022 (22/11/2022)

The review was originally published as part of my coverage of Fantasia 2022 A time traveller from the future tries to make the world a better place in Relax, I’m From the Future. Casper (Rhys Darby) is a man from an unspecified time in the future who arrives in the present day and sets forth […]

Polaris – Blood in the Snow 2022 (21/11/2022)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Fantasia 2022 A young girl raised by a polar bear in a frozen post-apocalyptic world has to escape from a band of marauders in Polaris. It is 2144, and Sumi (Viva Lee) is a young girl who roams the snowbound wasteland with her polar […]

The Menu (17/11/2022)

A fine dining experience turns sinister in The Menu. Margot Mills (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a young woman who joins her new boyfriend Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) on a trip to a coastal island in the Pacific Northwest to dine at the exclusive restaurant Hawthorne, run by esteemed Chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). The restaurant only allows […]

The Young Arsonists – TIFF 2022 (15/11/2022)

A group of troubled teenage friends squat in an old farmhouse in The Young Arsonists. Nicole Fergison (Maddy Martin) is a teenage girl who is still reeling from the recent death of her brother Shemus (Kyle Meagher). With her friend Veronica (Jenna Warren), the victim of frequent abuse by her father, Nicole begins squatting in […]

The Happiest Man in the World – TIFF 2022 (15/11/2022)

A matchmaking event brings back traumatic memories for a middle-aged woman after she learns the truth about the man she was paired up with in The Happiest Man in the World. Asja (Jelena Kordić Kuret) is a legal advisor from Sarajevo who attends a blind dating event, where she is paired with banker Zoran (Adnan […]

Paris Memories – TIFF 2022 (15/11/2022)

The survivor of a terrorist attack struggles to remember the events in Paris Memories. Mia (Virginie Efira) is a radio translator caught up in a mass shooting in a Paris bistro. Mia survives the attack but cannot remember how the events played out. She begins attending a support group for survivors, where she meets Thomas […]

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (14/11/2022)

Guillermo del Toro co-directed a new stop-motion version of the classic story with Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. Distraught over the death of his young son Carlo, wood-carver Geppetto (David Bradley) carves a pine tree into a puppet made in Carlo’s likeness before collapsing into a drunken stupor. Feeling sympathy for the grieving man, a Wood […]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (12/11/2022)

The mourning kingdom of Wakanda faces a threat coming from the oceans in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. One year after King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) suddenly died of an unexpected illness, his mother, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), resumed her previous role as the ruler of Wakanda. At the same time, his guilt-ridden sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) […]

Satan’s Slaves: Communion (06/11/2022)

Terror returns for the Suwono family in Satan’s Slaves: Communion. Four years after the incident that forced them to flee their home, Rini Suwono (Tara Basro) is living in an isolated apartment block in Jakarta with her father Bahri (Bront Palarae) and younger brothers Toni (Endy Arfian) and Bondi (Nasar Anuz). Shortly before the start […]

Black Adam (31/10/2022)

A 5000-year-old meta-human is awakened in Black Adam. The country of Kahndaq is under oppression by the Intergang, and resistance fighter Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) hopes to change all that by unearthing the Crown of Sabbac. However, when Intergang ambushes Adrianna, she reads an incantation that frees Teth-Adam (Dwayne Johnson), long believed to be the […]

Decision to Leave (30/10/2022)

A detective investigating a man’s death begins to fall for the victim’s wife in Decision to Leave. Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) is an insomniac middle-aged detective in an unhappy marriage who investigates the death of a man who fell off a mountain while climbing. Despite no signs of foul play, the man’s Chinese wife, Seo-rae (Tang […]

Wendell & Wild – TIFF 2022 (28/10/2022)

Two scheming demons seek the help of a 13-year-old girl to escape the underworld in Wendell & Wild. Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Jordon Peele) are two demon brothers relegated to grooming their father, Buffalo Belzer (Ving Rhames), ruler of the Scream Faire. The demons get their chance to escape when Kat Elliot (Lyric Ross), […]

Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues – TIFF 2022 (28/10/2022)

Audio diaries help to dispel the myths about jazz legend Louis Armstrong in Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues. Known for his trumpeting and deep, raspy voice, Louis Armstrong was viewed by many as the Prime Minister of the world of jazz. However, Louis Armstrong was never public about his opinions or politics, resulting in a […]

Prey for the Devil – TADFF 2022 (28/10/2022)

A nun with a troubled past learns about the rite of exorcism in Prey for the Devil. Sister Ann (Jacqueline Byers) has taken residency in a school for exorcists run by Father Quinn (Colin Salmon). Working with Dr. Peters (Virginia Madsen) in the school’s psyche ward, Ann has to help ensure that those suspected of […]

Terrifier 2 (26/10/2022)

Art the Clown returns to continue his reign of terror in Terrifier 2. One year after the Halloween night massacre that took the lives of nine people and left the sole survivor Victoria Heyes (Samantha Scaffidi), horribly disfigured, Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) is resurrected by a supernatural force. He continues his indiscriminate killing […]

Here for Blood – TADFF 2022 (24/10/2022)

A professional wrestler babysitting in place of his girlfriend has to deal with a demonic cult in Here for Blood. Phoebe (Joelle Farrow) has to study for an exam, so she asks her pro-wrestler boyfriend, Tom O’Bannon (Shawn Roberts), to go in her place to babysit Grace (Maya Misaljevic) for yuppie couple Barb (Tara Spencer-Nairn) […]

Living with Chucky – TADFF 2022 (24/10/2022)

The history of the Child’s Play franchise is revisited by someone who grew up around the killer doll in Living with Chucky. As the daughter of Tony Gardner, the head puppeteer since Seed of Chucky, Kyra Elise Gardner has grown up around the killer doll known as Chucky. Kyra sets out to talk to her […]

Evil Eye (Mal de Ojo) – TADFF 2022 (23/10/2022)

A teenage girl and her sick little sister stay at the house of their possible witch of a grandmother in Evil Eye. Nala (Paola Miguel) is a 13-year-old girl who lives in scorn at the attention given by her parents Rebecca (Samantha Castillo) and Guillermo (Arap Bethke), towards Nala’s terminally ill younger sister Luna (Ivanna […]

Freaks Out – TADFF 2022 (23/10/2022)

A troupe of circus freaks fight back against a Nazi showman in Freaks Out. Matilde (Aurora Giovinazzo), Fulvio (Claudio Santamaria), Cencio (Pietro Castellitto), and Mario (Giancarlo Martini) are four superpowered performers for the Half Penny Circus run by Israel (Giorgio Tirabassi) in 1943 Rome. When a bombing mid-performance destroys the circus, Israel goes off on […]

Day Zero – TADFF (22/10/2022)

An elite soldier tries to save his family during the start of the zombie apocalypse in Day Zero. Emon (Brandon Vera) is a former special forces soldier who has spent the last eight years in prison and is desperate to reunite with his wife Sheryl (Mary Jean Lastimosa) and deaf daughter Jane (Freya Fury Montierro). […]

MexZombies – TADFF 2022 (22/10/2022)

A group of teenagers try to save their neighbourhood from the zombie apocalypse in MexZombies. Tavo (Iñaki Godoy) is a Mexican teenager who sneaks into a gated community to both spy on his crush Ana (Roberta Damián) and hang out with his cinephile best friend Joseph, aka Cronos (Marcelo Barcelo). However, some inept gangsters test […]

The Lair – TADFF (21/10/2022)

A Royal Air Force pilot is shot down over Afghanistan and encounters a secret Soviet bunker containing monstrous creatures in The Lair. Lt. Kate Sinclair (Charlotte Kirk) is shot down by insurgents flying over Afghanistan. Sinclair flees from the insurgents into an abandoned bunker but soon finds monstrous beings in status who awaken during the […]

Something in the Dirt – TADFF 2022 (21/10/2022)

Two neighbours decide to make a documentary about the paranormal events happening in their apartment building in Something in the Dirt. Levi Danube (Justin Benson) moves into a Los Angeles apartment block as a temporary crash pad before he leaves the city. He quickly meets his divorced neighbour John Daniels (Aaron Moorhead), who helps Levi […]

V/H/S/99 – TIFF22 (20/10/2022)

The turn of the millennium is the theme in the latest chapter of the anthology series V/H/S/99. In Shredding, a group of misfits aspire to reach the same greatness as their favourite band, Bitch Cat, who were trampled to death by fans. In Suicide Bid, a young woman is dared to spend the night in […]

H4Z4RD – TADFF 2022 (20/10/2022)

Two brothers take a seemingly simple job that turns into a life-or-death race in H4Z4RD. Noah Hazard (Dimitri ‘Vegas’ Thivaios) considers himself the best driver in Antwerp behind the wheel of his prized gold Lexus. After dropping off his daughter Zita (Mila Rooms), Noah promises his girlfriend Lea (Jennifer Heylen) that he’ll pick Zita up […]

Dark Glasses (14/10/2022)

An orphaned Chinese boy guides a blind prostitute to track a serial killer in Dark Glasses. Diana (Ilenia Pastorelli) is a prostitute blinded in a car accident while being pursued by a serial killer who has been targeting call girls in Rome. Collateral damage in the accident is a young Chinese boy named Chin (Andrea […]

Halloween Ends (14/10/2022)

Laurie Strode prepares for a final showdown with The Shape in Halloween Ends. Four years have passed since Michael Myers (James Jude Courtney) returned to terrorize the town of Haddonfield, and the town hasn’t been the same since. With Myers having vanished, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has been trying to rebuild her life with […]

See How They Run (12/10/2022)

A police inspector and rookie police constable investigate a murder after the 100th performance of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” in See How They Run. Leo Köpernick (Adrien Brody) is a sleazy American film director hired by producer John Woolf (Reece Shearsmith) to direct a film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” which just celebrated the […]

Blind Ambition (09/10/2022)

A team of Zimbabwean refugees living in South Africa participate in the World Blind Wine Tasting Championships in Blind Ambition. Over the decades, many have been forced to flee from Zimbabwe due to economic mismanagement and corruption. Joseph, Pardon, Tinashe and Marlvin are four Zimbabwean refugees who have decided to do the unthinkable and form […]

Project Wolf Hunting (08/10/2022)

An escape attempt by a group of dangerous criminals aboard a cargo ship goes awry when they unleash something much more sinister in Project Wolf Hunting. A group of dangerous criminals, including tattooed gang leader Park Jong-doo (Seo In-guk) and unassuming murderer Lee Do-il (Jang Dong-yoon), is brought aboard a cargo ship extraditing them from […]

Triangle of Sadness – TIFF 2022 (06/10/2022)

A luxury cruise goes horribly awry in Triangle of Sadness. Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean) are two models in a highly volatile relationship who embark on a luxury cruise. Crew leader Paula (Vicki Berlin) tries to ensure the passengers are happy, while The Captain (Woody Harrelson) spends most of the trip in a […]

Smile (04/10/2022)

A supernatural being torments a psychiatrist after she witnesses a traumatic event in Smile. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) is a psychiatrist in the psych ward of a hospital who meets with Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey), a Ph.D. student who claims to be tormented by a being that takes the form of people smiling at her. […]

The Greatest Beer Run Ever – TIFF 2022 (30/09/2022)

A New Yorker sneaks into the Vietnam War to deliver beers to his friends in The Greatest Beer Run Ever. John “Chickie” Donohue (Zac Efron) is a Marine Corps veteran and merchant seaman in 1967 Inwood, New York. While Chickie’s out drinking with friends, barkeep The Colonel (Bill Murray) expresses disgust at anti-Vietnam demonstrations in […]

Bros – TIFF 2022 (30/09/2022)

An LGBTQ+ podcaster begins a relationship with a guy written off as guy-candy in Bros. Bobby Leiber (Billy Eichner) is the host of the popular podcast “The 11th Brick at Stonewall,” and he is part of the committee that is planning to open the National LGTBQ+ History Museum in New York City. While out clubbing, […]

Hawa – TIFF 2022 (29/09/2022)

A young albino girl hopes to be adopted by Michelle Obama in Hawa. Hawa (Sania Halifa) is a 15-year-old afro-sporting albino girl who lives with her grandmother Maminata (Oumou Sangaré), who is not expected to live long. When Hawa finds out that Michelle Obama is in Paris for four days as part of a book […]

Stellar – TIFF 2022 (29/09/2022)

Two indigenous individuals find love as apocalyptic events rage outside a Nothern Ontario bar in Stellar. She (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) and He (Braeden Clarke) enter a bar shortly before various natural disasters happen outside in their Northern Ontario town. Accompanied by the lone Bartender (Rossif Sutherland) and various eclectic visitors, She and He develop a connection […]

Thunder – TIFF 2022 (28/09/2022)

A young nun has a sexual awakening after her sister’s death in Thunder. Elisabeth (Lilith Grasmug) is a 17-year-old nun on the verge of taking her vows when she is called home by the news that her sister Innocente (Léa Gigon) has died. Elizabeth learns that Innocente gained a reputation as a spawn of Satan […]

Venus – TIFF 2022 (28/09/2022)

A woman on the run from gangsters encounters cosmic horrors in an apartment block in Venus. Lucía (Ester Expósito) is a nightclub dancer who steals a bag full of drugs from her mafia employers. Lucía heads to the Venus apartment complex, where she hides out with her estranged sister Rocío (Ángela Cremonte) and niece Alba […]

Butcher’s Crossing – TIFF 2022 (27/09/2022)

A naive young man joins a grizzled veteran on a Buffalo hunt in Butcher’s Crossing. Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger) is a Harvard dropout who travels to the town of Butcher’s Crossing, Kansas hoping to join in on the booming market for Buffalo pelts. After questioning local trader JD McDonald (Paul Raci), Will comes across Miller […]

Wildflower – TIFF 2022 (27/09/2022)

A teenager in a coma reflects on growing up with intellectually disabled parents in Wildflower. After an unknown accident, Bea (Kiernan Shipka) is rushed to the hospital, where she remains in a coma. While unconscious, Bea reflects on her time growing up under the parentage of Derek (Dash Mihok) and Sharon (Samantha Hyde), both of […]

Saint Omer – TIFF 2022 (26/09/2022)

A pregnant novelist confronts her traumas while observing a court case involving infanticide in Saint Omer. Rama (Kayije Kagame) is a young, pregnant novelist who attends the trial of Laurence Coly (Guslagie Malanga) at the Saint-Omer Criminal Court as inspiration for her upcoming book about the ancient Medea myth. However, hearing Laurence’s case involving killing […]

Theatre of Thought – TIFF 2022 (26/09/2022)

Werner Herzog explores the inner workings of the human mind in Theatre of Thought. How the mind works is still one of the greatest mysteries of science. Werner Herzog speaks to many scientists researching how thoughts are created and how they can be manipulated using technology. We have surpassed the point in the documentaries of […]

Nanny – TIFF 2022 (26/09/2022)

A Senegalese caregiver has water-bound nightmares involving her child in Nanny. Aisha (Anna Diop) is a recent immigrant from Senegal who takes a job as a nanny for a wealthy New York couple, Amy (Michelle Monaghan) and Adam (Morgan Spector). Taking care of the couple’s young daughter Rose (Rose Decker), Aisha hopes to earn enough […]

Blonde (25/09/2022)

A fictionalized version of the life of Marilyn Monroe is told in Blonde. As a child, Norma Jeane Mortenson was traumatized by the mental breakdown of her mother, Gladys Baker (Julianne Nicholson), leaving Norma to pine for the father she never knew. A decade later, Norma (Ana de Armas) is on the rise as blonde […]

The End of Sex – TIFF 2022 (23/09/2022)

A married couple tries everything to reignite their sexual chemistry in The End of Sex. With their kids having gone away to camp for a week, Emma (Emily Hampshire) and Josh (Jonas Chernick) decide to “make some sex” but find that their decade-long marriage has resulted in them becoming stagnant in the bedroom. As the […]

I Like Movies – TIFF 2022 (23/09/2022)

A teenage cinephile works at his local video store to try and earn money to attend film school in I Like Movies. Lawrence Kweller (Isaiah Lehtinen) is a 17-year-old high school senior in Burlington who is steadfast about attending the NYU Tisch School of the Arts to learn filmmaking. Lawrence takes a part-time job at […]

Barbarian (22/09/2022)

A woman’s Airbnb rental hides a dark secret in Barbarian. Tess Marshall (Georgina Campbell) has travelled to Detroit for work, and she arrives at the house she rented through Airbnb to find that it is already occupied by Keith (Bill Skarsgård). With Tess unable to find alternative accommodation for the night, she reluctantly accepts Keith’s […]

Clerks III (22/09/2022)

The directionless convenience store workers decide to make a movie about their lives in Clerks III. Dante Hicks (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal Graves (Jeff Anderson) are still working in the Quick Stop Convenience Store as they approach their 50s. However, Randal is forced to reflect on his life when he has a near-fatal heart attack. […]

Viking – TIFF 2022 (21/09/2022)

A man becomes part of a behavioural research teaming observing and replicating the first crewed mission to Mars in Viking. David (Steve Laplante) is a man chosen by the Viking Society to take part in a simulation replicating the first human-crewed Mars mission currently in progress. David becomes the Earth-bound surrogate for crew member Thomas […]

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – TIFF 2022 (21/09/2022)

Benoit Blanc is back for a new case in Greece in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) breaks out of his COVD-19 pandemic boredom when he receives an invitation to join governor Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), tech executive Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), fashion designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) and her […]

Roost – TIFF 2022 (21/09/2022)

A teenager meets an older man online who turns out to have a history with her mother in Roost. Anna (Grace Van Dien) is a 17-year-old teenager who has been exchanging online flirtations with Eric (Kyle Gallner), a much older man from across the country. Anna is surprised when Eric tracks her down to meet […]

Women Talking – TIFF 2022 (20/09/2022)

The women of an isolated religious community meet to decide their future in Women Talking. When multiple accounts of sexual abuse are uncovered within their Mennonite colony, a group of women, including Ona (Rooney Mara), Salome (Claire Foy), Mariche (Jessie Buckley), Scarface Janz (Frances McDormand), Agata (Judith Ivey), and Greta (Sheila McCarthy) meet in a […]

The Banshees of Inisherin – TIFF 2022 (20/09/2022)

Two lifelong friends inexplicably begin feuding in The Banshees of Inisherin. In 1923, on the island of Inisherin, just off Ireland’s west coast, Pádraic (Collin Farrell) visits the home of his best friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson) for their daily trip to the pub. However, Pádraic is shocked to find Colm ignoring him and is later […]

The Fabelmans – TIFF 2022 (20/09/2022)

A young man pursues a career in filmmaking as his family life disintegrates in The Fabelmans. Since being taken to see The Greatest Show on Earth as a child, Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) has had a growing love of filmmaking. Excused as a hobby by his computer engineer father, Burt (Paul Dano), Sammy finds support […]

The Blackening – TIFF 2022 (20/09/2022)

A group of friends at a cabin for Juneteenth find themselves in the middle of the ultimate horror scenario in The Blackening. Lisa (Antoinette Robertson), Dewayne (Dewayne Perkins), Nnamdi (Sinqua Walls), Allison (Grace Byers), Shanika (X Mayo), King (Melvin Gregg), Clifton (Jermaine Fowler), Morgan (Yvonne Orji), and Shawn (Jay Pharoah) are a group of friends […]

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – TIFF 2022 (20/09/2022)

The absolutely true story of “Weird Al” Yankovic is told in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Growing up seeking the approval of his father Nick (Toby Huss) and a love of polka secretly supported by his mother Mary (Julianne Nicholson), Al Yankovic (Daniel Radcliffe) dreams of having a music career where he can change to […]

Moonage Daydream – TIFF 2022 (19/09/2022)

Filmmaker Brett Morgen (Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck) presents a kaleidoscopic retelling of the career of David Bowie with Moonage Daydream. With unfettered access to Bowie’s archives, Morgan uses rare interviews and performances to create an unconventional journal through his 1970s glam rock heyday to his commercial success in the 1980s and his more experimental […]

The Woman King – TIFF 2022 (19/09/2022)

The general of a West African royal army leads the fight against an oppressive empire in league with slavers in The Woman King. In 1823 West Africa, the Kingdom of Dahomey, led by King Ghezo (John Boyega), is projected by the Agojie, an all-female military regiment led by General Nanisca (Viola Davis). Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) […]

Pearl – TIFF 2022 (19/09/2022)

The backstory of the villain of X is told in Pearl. Set during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, Pearl (Mia Goth) is a farmgirl with dreams of being a star, though she is held down by her strict German mother, Ruth (Tandi Wright). While in town, Pearl visits the local moviehouse and befriends its seductive […]

How to Blow Up a Pipeline – TIFF 2022 (18/09/2022)

Environmental activists plan to disrupt an oil pipeline in How to Blow Up a Pipeline. Orphaned after a freak heatwave claimed her mother’s life, Xochitl (Ariela Barer) sets a plan to destroy an oil pipeline in Texas. She is joined in this effort by Shawn (Marcus Scribner), Theo (Sasha Lane), Michael (Forrest Goodluck), Alisha (Jayme […]

Nightalk – TIFF 2022 (16/09/2022)

A police detective goes undercover an a phone-sex app to catch a killer in Nightalk. Brenda (Ashley Bryant) is the lead investigator of a murder case where a woman was found strangled in her apartment. Brenda discovers that was a regular user of a phone-sex app called Nightalk and Brenda goes undercover to see if […]

The People’s Joker – TIFF 2022 (15/09/2022)

Update (9/16/2022): Since I wrote this review, Vera Drew posted a tweet clarifying the whole situation: This is a review of a film that will never be seen again, at least not in the form it premiered as part of Midnight Madness at the Toronto International Film Festival. Mere hours after the premiere, it was […]

Broker – TIFF 2022 (14/09/2022)

A pair of human traffickers are joined by an unwanted baby’s mother to find new parents to sell it to in Broker. So-young (Lee Ji-eun) is a young mother who drops her baby off at a box at the Busan Family Church, who is then intercepted by church worker Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won) and laundry-owner Sang-hyun […]

Sick – TIFF 2022 (12/09/2022)

Two friends on a self-isolation trip during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic find themselves pursued by a knife-wielding killer in Sick. Parker (Gideon Adlon) is a COVID-denying teenager who decides to self-isolate at her family’s cabin, accompanied by her best friend Miri (Bethlehem Million). However, it isn’t long until a knife-wielding attacker disrupts […]

Sanctuary – TIFF 2022 (12/09/2022)

A hotel heir’s attempt to fire his dominatrix leads to a vicious battle of the sexes in Sanctuary. Hal Porterfield (Christopher Abbott) is on the cusp of taking over his late father’s hotel empire. He has one final session with his regular dominatrix Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), before letting her know that he will no longer […]

The Swearing Jar – TIFF 2022 (11/09/2022)

A woman deal with the complexities of love and relationships in The Swearing Jar. Carey (Adelaide Clemens) finds herself reluctantly falling for bookstore clerk Owen (Douglas Smith). However, the problem is that Carey is still deeply in love with her husband Simon (Patrick J. Adams). The couple seems happy as Carey announces that she is […]

Emily – TIFF 2022 (11/09/2022)

The all-to-short life story of the author of “Wuthering Heights” is told in Emily. Emily Jane Brontë (Emma Mackey) is the second-youngest daughter of an Anglican priest in 19th-century England. Berated by her older sister Charlotte (Alexandra Dowling) for being the strange one in the family, Emily takes solace in her brother Branwell (Fionn Whitehead), […]

Sisu – TIFF 2022 (10/09/2022)

A lone prospector tries to protect his stash of gold from a group of Nazis in Sisu. In 1945 Finland, at the tail end of World War II, former soldier Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila) strikes it big when he uncovers a large deposit of gold. While on his way to bring the gold back to […]

The Lost King – TIFF 2022 (09/09/2022)

An amateur historian seeks to spread the truth about King Richard III in The Lost King. Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins) is a middle-aged woman at a crossroads, who one night takes her kids to a production of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” while her separated husband John (Steve Coogan) goes out on a date. Philippa begins to […]

El Agua (The Water) – TIFF 2022 (09/09/2022)

A teenage girl in a remote Spanish village becomes preoccupied with a local legend in El Agua (The Water). Ana (Luna Pamies) in a teenage girl in a small village in south-Eastern Spain, who lives with her bartender mother Isabella (Bárbara Lennie) and grandmother (Nieve De Medina). Ana recently started dating José (Alberto Olmo), the […]

The Inspection – TIFF 2022 (09/09/2022)

A young gay man joins the marines to gain acceptance from his estranged mother in The Inspection. Ellis French (Jeremy Pope) has been living on the streets since he was 16 due to his mother, Inez (Gabrielle Union) disowning him for being gay. To win back his mother’s love, French enlists in the marines and […]

Three Thousand Years of Longing (31/08/2022)

A lonely scholar uncovers a Djinn who proceeds to tell her his life story in Three Thousand Years of Longing. Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) is a British scholar content with her isolated lifestyle, though she occasionally finds herself plagued by visions of fantastical beings. While in Istanbul, giving a lecture, Alithea purchases a glass bottle […]

Beast (19/08/2022)

A father and his daughters are trapped in the African Savanna by a vicious lion in Beast. Dr. Nate Samuels (Idris Elba) has travelled with his daughters Meredith (Iyana Halley) and Norah (Leah Jeffries) to a wildlife reserve in the African Savanna, near where Nate’s late wife grew up. While shown the reserve by friend […]

Orphan: First Kill (19/08/2022)

The origins of Esther are explored in Orphan: First Kill. Leena Klammer (Isabelle Fuhrman) is a 31-year-old Estonian woman with a gland disorder that halted her growth at age 10. A seasoned grifter, Leena has been locked away in the Saarne Institute after killing a family that took her in. However, Leena ends up escaping […]

Baby Assassins (17/08/2022)

Teenage assassins run afoul of the Yakuza in Baby Assassins. Chisato (Takaishi Akari) and Mahiro (Izawa Saori) are a pair of high schoolers who work as highly trained assassins. Upon graduation, their handler tells Chisato and Mahiro that they have to move in together and get part-time jobs to better integrate with society. In addition […]

Naked (15/08/2022)

The TIFF Bell Lightbox presented a new 4K restoration of 1993’s Naked, the breakthrough film for both director Mike Leigh and star David Thewlis. Johnny (Thewlis) flees Manchester after committing a sexual assault and ends up crashing at the London flat of his ex-girlfriend Louise (Lesley Sharp), where he quickly seduces her roommate Sophie (Katrin […]

Bodies Bodies Bodies (14/08/2022)

A party game goes horribly wrong in Bodies Bodies Bodies. Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) and her new girlfriend Bee (Maria Bakalova) travel to the mansion of Sophie’s best friend David (Pete Davidson) to crash a “hurricane party” that also includes David’s girlfriend Emma (Chase Sui Wonders), podcaster Alice (Rachel Sennott) and her older boyfriend Greg (Lee […]

Prey (13/08/2022)

A lone Comanche woman faces off against an alien Predator in Prey. In 1719 in the Great Plains, Naru (Amber Midthunder) is a young Comanche woman who desires to be a hunter, despite having been trained by her tribe as a healer. Naru decides to accompany her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers) to locate an injured […]

Bullet Train (06/08/2022)

A simple “snatch and grab” job becomes complicated in Bullet Train. Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is a former assassin plagued by bad luck who is asked by his handler Maria Beetle (Sandra Bullock) to come back to work for a simple “snatch and grab” job of stealing a briefcase from a Japanese Bullet Train travelling from […]

Legions – Fantasia 2022 (01/08/2022)

An elderly shaman seeks to save his estranged daughter from demonic forces in Legions. Antonio Poyju (Germán De Silva) was once a powerful shaman and mediary between worlds. However, he now finds himself admitted to a mental hospital, where his fellow patients are putting on a play based on Antonio’s life story. However, when a […]

Megalomaniac – Fantasia 2022 (01/08/2022)

Two siblings follow in the footsteps of their serial killer father in Megalomaniac. Martha (Eline Schumacher) and Felix (Benjamin Ramon) are the offspring of “The Butcher,” a serial killer who terrorized Belgium in 1997. While Felix seems to be following in his father’s footsteps by kidnapping and killing women, Martha tries to work a regular […]

Deadstream – Fantasia 2022 (31/07/2022)

A controversial livestreamer sets out to spend a night alone in a haunted house in Deadstream. Shawn Ruddy (Joseph Winter) is the controversial host of the “Wrath of Shawn” live stream, who has just returned online after an incident that cost him his sponsors. To bounce back, Shawn decides to spend a night in the […]

Cult Hero – Fantasia 2022 (30/07/2022)

A disgraced reality TV star is recruited to save a real estate agent’s husband from a death cult in Cult Hero. Kallie Jones (Liv Collins) is a real estate agent in Owen Sound distressed about losing clients to Cynthia Doyle (Jessica Vano) and the poor state of her marriage with Brad (Justin Bott). To help […]

House of Darkness – Fantasia 2022 (29/07/2022)

The man drives a woman home to her secluded estate in House of Darkness. After meeting in a bar, Hap (Justin Long) drives Mina (Kate Bosworth) to her isolated castle-like home. Hap accompanies Mina inside for a drink and seems confident that he will get lucky. However, it soon turns out that Hap finds himself […]

Glorious – Fantasia 2022 (29/07/2022)

A heartbroken man receives a cosmic offer in a rest-stop washroom in Glorious. Wes (Ryan Kwanten) is driving off after a heartbreaking split with his girlfriend Brenda (Sylvia Grace Crim). Stopping off at a rest stop, Wes goes on an all-night bender, entering the dirty washroom the following day to vomit. While in the toilet, […]

Swallowed – Fantasia 2022 (29/07/2022)

A drug-smuggling job goes awry in Swallowed. Benjamin (Cooper Koch) and Dom (Jose Colon) are out dancing before Benjamin travels to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a porn star. However, on the way, Dom stops off and meets Alice (Jena Malone) for a job smuggling drugs over the US/Canada border, with the main […]

On the Line – Fantasia 2022 (28/07/2022)

An ex-police officer infiltrates the voice phishing ring that took everything from him in On the Line. Han Seo-Joon (Byun Yo-han) is working on a construction site when his wife is the victim of a phishing scam that empties everything from their bank account. Han soon learns that everyone on the site was a victim […]

The Roundup – Fantasia 2022 (28/07/2022)

The Beast Cop returns in The Roundup. Detective Ma Seok-do (Don Lee) travels to Vietnam with Captain Jeon Il-man (Choi Gwi-hwa) travel to Vietnam to repatriate a captured criminal back to Korea. However, Ma discovers that a madman named Kang Hae-sang (Son Seok-koo) has been kidnapping and killing Korean tourists. When Kang travels to Korea […]

Next Door – Fantasia 2022 (28/07/2022)

An aspiring police officer wakes up after a night of heavy drinking next to an apparent corpse in Next Door. Chan-woo (Oh Dong-min) has been working hard preparing for his police exam when he goes out drinking with friends. The following day, Chan-woo finds himself in the apartment of his noisy neighbours, with an apparent […]

Lynch/Oz – Fantasia 2022 (27/07/2022)

The connection between the films of David Lynch and his obsession with The Wizard of Oz is explored in Lynch/Oz. The Wizard of Oz is considered the quintessential American fairytale and has been an obsession of David Lynch throughout his career. From direct homages, such as the appearance of Glynda in 1990’s Wild at Heart, […]

Chorokbam – Fantasia 2022 (26/07/2022)

The life of a family begins to crumble in Chorokbam. On a green-tinted night, an elderly security guard (Lee Tae-hoon) finds a cat hanging from a piece of playground equipment. This bad omen sets the stage for the downfall of the guard and his family, which includes fights with his wife (Kim Min-kyung) about the […]

The Artifice Girl – Fantasia 2022 (24/07/2022)

An online vigilante create an advanced artificial intelligence to track down online predators. Gareth (Franklin Ritch) is a software developer and former VFX technician who is brought in for questioning by agents Dena Helms (Sinda Nichols) and Amos McCullough (David Girard), due to them finding photos of a young girl named Cherry (Tatum Matthews) on […]

The Pez Outlaw – Fantasia 2022 (23/07/2022)

A man recounts his time smuggling rare Pez dispensers from Europe in The Pez Outlaw. In the 1990s, Steve Glew was working a dead-end job a a machinist, while maintaining a side hobby of collecting cereal boxes. However, Steve would find his true calling when he discovered there was a lucrative collector’s market for rare […]

Country Gold – Fantasia 2022 (22/07/2022)

A rising country music star spends an evening in Nashville with one of his heroes in Country Gold. Troyal (Mickey Reece) is an up-and-coming country star from Oklahoma, who receives an invite from his idol George Jones (Ben Hall) to come and hang out in Nashville. Upon arriving, Troyal learns that George intends to cryogenically […]

NOPE (22/07/2022)

The owners of a horse ranch try to capture proof of a UFO in the area in NOPE. OJ Haywood (Daniel Kaluuya) is the owner of the Haywood Hollywood Horse ranch, who has been struggling to make ends meets after the sudden unexplained death of his father Otis Haywood Sr. (Keith David) six months earlier. […]

Relax, I’m From the Future – Fantasia 2022 (21/07/2022)

A time traveller from the future tries to make the world a better place in Relax, I’m From the Future. Casper (Rhys Darby) is a man from an unspecified time in the future, who arrives in the present day and sets forth a plan in motion, with the assistance of Holly (Gabrielle Graham). A key […]

The Harbinger – Fantasia 2022 (21/07/2022)

A woman goes to help her friend suffering from terrible nightmares in The Harbinger. Monique (Gabby Beans) has been isolating in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic with her brother and father, but is forced to leave her bubble when she is called by her old friend Mavis (Emily Davis). Mavis has been suffering from […]

Hypochondriac – Fantasia 2022 (20/07/2022)

A man begins to have a mental breakdown after he is contacted by his estranged mother in Hypochondriac. When he was 12 years old, Will (Zach Villa) was nearly strangled to death by his mother (Marlene Forte), before she was admitted to a psych ward. 18 years later, Will is working at an upscale pottery […]

Sissy – Fantasia 2022 (20/07/2022)

A social media influencer experiences repressed trauma after being invited to a bachelorette getaway by her childhood best friend in Sissy. Cecilia (Aisha Dee) has turned her traumatic childhood bullying experiences into a highly successful role as a social media influencer promoting mental health awareness. At the store, Cecilia runs into her childhood best friend […]

Next Exit – Fantasia 2022 (19/07/2022)

Two strangers go on a road trip to participate in an afterlife study in Next Exit. Dr. Stevenson (Karen Gillan) of the Life Beyond Institute has made a breakthrough proving that ghosts exist and can be scientifically observed, though this discovery has resulted in an increase in the number of murders and suicides. Rose (Katie […]

Moloch – Fantasia 2022 (19/07/2022)

An isolated community in the Netherlands is haunted by an ancient curse in Moloch. Betriek (Sallie Harmsen) live at an isolated house in the Dutch countryside surrounded by a peat bog. It is in the bog where an ancient corpse of a woman is discovered, which attracts a team of archeologists lead by Jonas (Alexandre […]

The Elderly – Fantasia 2022 (17/07/2022)

Paranormal events surround an elderly man with dementia in The Elderly. The world of Manuel (Zorion Eguileor) falls apart after Rosa, his wife of fifty years suddenly commits suicide. Despite the objections of his wife Lena (Irene Anula), Manuel’s son Mario (Gustavo Salmerón) decides to take in his father to live with them and Mario’s […]

Popran – Fantasia 2022 (17/07/2022)

The owner of a popular manga app chases after his sentient appendage in Popran. Tagami Tatsuya (Yoji Minagawa) is the highly successful CEO of Japan’s top Manga-reading app, though he has reached the top at the cost of his personal connections. One morning, following a one night stand, Tagami awakens to find that his ”popran“ […]

Coupez! (Final Cut) – Fantasia 2022 (16/07/2022)

Oscar-winning filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius directs a meta remake of the hit Japanese zombie-comedy One Cut of the Dead with Coupez! (Final Cut). Remi (Romain Duris) is a struggling filmmaker trying to support his wife Nadia (Bérénice Bejo) and daughter Romi (Simone Hazanavicius). Remi is given the opportunity to adapt a single-take zombie film that was […]

Special Delivery – Fantasia 2022 (15/07/2022)

A professional getaway driver has to protect a child from a corrupt police captain in Special Delivery. Jung Eun-ha (Park So-dam) is an incredibly skilled driver for “Special Delivery” courier service run by Baek Sa-jang (Kim Eui-sung), which will transport everything that the regular post won’t. Eun-ha is assigned to pick-up disgraced baseball player Kim […]

Polaris – Fantasia 2022 (15/07/2022)

A young girl raised by a polar bear in a frozen post-apocalyptic world has to escape from a band of marauders in Polaris. It is the year 2144 an Sumi (Viva Lee) is a young girl who roams the snowbound wasteland with her polar bear mother Mula. However, Sumi is separated from Mula following attack […]

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (13/07/2022)

A sentient shell enlists the help of a filmmaker to find his family in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. Marcel (Jenny Slate) is a talking mollusk shell wearing pink sneakers who is discovered living in a house with her grandmother Connie (Isabella Rossellini) by filmmaker Dean (Dean Fleischer-Camp). Dean records a series of interviews […]

Thor: Love and Thunder (11/07/2022)

The God of Thunder is reunited with his ex-girlfriend to face off against a new threat in Thor: Love and Thunder. After spending some time travelling with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) returns to Earth to protect New Asgard from an attack by Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who ends up […]

Minions: The Rise of Gru (30/06/2022)

The little yellow henchmen help their new boss become the world’s greatest supervillain in Minions: The Rise of Gru. Gru (Steve Carell) is a 113/4-year-old aspiring supervillain and the latest boss of the Minions (Pierre Coffin). Gru receives his most significant opportunity when he gets the chance to interview for a recently vacated position on […]

Flux Gourmet (28/06/2022)

A group of “sonic caterers” go into residences at a remote artistic institution in Flux Gourmet. Elle di Elle (Fatma Mohamed), Billy Rubin (Asa Butterfield), and Lamina Propria (Ariane Labed) are a trio of performance artists who take residence at a culinary art institute run by Jan Stevens (Gwendoline Christie). The residency is being documented […]

The Man from Toronto (23/06/2022)

A loser of a man is mistaken for an infamous assassin in The Man from Toronto. Teddy Jackson (Kevin Hart) is an aspiring fitness instructor who decides to rent a cabin in Onancock, Virginia, to celebrate the birthday of his wife Lori (Jasmine Mathews). However, Teddy accidentally ends up at the wrong place and is […]

The Black Phone (23/06/2022)

A teenager kidnapped by a serial killer receives phone calls from the ghosts of the killer’s victims in The Black Phone. Finney (Mason Thames) is a 13-year-old boy who is bullied at school and subjected at home to violent outbursts by his alcoholic father, Terrance (Jeremy Davies). One day, Finney is taken after school by […]

Elvis (23/06/2022)

Baz Luhrmann directs a biopic of the King of Rock and Roll with Elvis. Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) is a former carnie, who has moved into the music business managing country singer Hank Snow (David Wenham). Hank’s son Jimmie Rodgers (Kodi Smit-McPhee) brings to Parker’s attention Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), a new young signee […]

The Witch Part 2: The Other One (21/06/2022)

The sole survivor of a raid on a research facility hides out with a pair of civilians in The Witch Part 2: The Other One. A mysterious girl Cynthia (Shin Si-ah), emerges as the sole survivor of a raid on a research facility involved in the top secret Witch Program, which developed superpowered psychic assassins. […]

Lightyear (18/06/2022)

The story of the Space Ranger who inspired the toy is told in Lightyear. Buzz Lightyear (Chris Evans) is a Space Ranger of Star Command who travels to the planet of T’Kani Prime with his commanding officer and friend Alisha Hawthorne (Uzo Aduba), discovering relatively quickly that the planet is quite hostile. However, the exploration […]

Jurassic World: Dominion (16/06/2022)

Dinosaurs roam the Earth as a new global threat arises in Jurassic World: Dominion. Following the events that resulted in dinosaurs freely roaming the planet, Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) have been living in seclusion with their adoptive daughter Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon), the cloned granddaughter of Jurassic Park co-founder […]

Out in the Ring – Inside Out 2022 (04/06/2022)

Full Disclosure: I’m friends with director Ry Levey and contributed to this film’s crowdfunding campaign The history of LGBTQIA+ representation in pro wrestling is explored in Out in the Ring. It can be argued that there has always been a homoerotic element to the world of professional wrestling. However, queer representation in sports entertainment has […]

DASHCAM (03/06/2022)

A freestyling musician’s Livestream takes an unexpected turn in DASHCAM. Annie Hardy is the host of BandCar, the internet’s number one improvised music show in a moving vehicle, where she streams her freestyle raps from her car, all while laughing off the COVID-19 pandemic. On a trip to England, Annie steals the phone and car […]

Crimes of the Future (03/06/2022)

David Cronenberg makes his return to body horror in Crimes of the Future. Sometime in the future, humanity has evolved to the point where they can no longer feel pain, which has resulted in body mutilations becoming a perverse form of performance art. Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen) is one such performance artist, who regularly performs […]

Row 19 (31/05/2022)

A young doctor fears the return of her childhood nightmare in Row 19. Twenty years ago, Katerina (Svetlana Ivanova) was the sole survivor of a horrific plane crash. Boarding a redeye flight with her daughter Diana (Marta Timofeeva), Katerina is shocked when the fellow passengers on the flight begin dying unexplained deaths. These deaths lead […]

Top Gun: Maverick (29/05/2022)

We return to the naval flight academy after three decades in Top Gun: Maverick. Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Tom Cruise) has never ranked past Captain and has only remained in the Navy due to the influence of Adm. Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky (Val Kilmer). Following a supersonic flight test, which Maverick performs against the orders of Radm. […]

Interview: Ali Chappell on Verified (28/05/2022)

Last year, actress Ali Chappell (Necropolis: Legion, Girl with a Straight Razor) made the transition into filmmaking by writing and directing her debut short film Verified. The film focuses on a social media influencer named Nicky (Arrielle Edwards), who undergoes some horrifying changes when she is attacked in the street. The short premiered in October […]

Underneath: An Anthology of Terror – TISH 2022 (28/05/2022)

A man finds his mind poisoned by five tales in Underneath: An Anthology of Terror. Convinced that the cracks in his basement may be a breach into Hell, a man (Brent Baird) is subjected to the revelation of five tales that slowly break his mind. In Chapter One: 6 AM, Daniel (Nicholas Koy Santillo) is […]

Pleasure (24/05/2022)

A young Swedish woman travels to Los Angeles in the hopes of making it in the adult entertainment industry in Pleasure. Linnéa (Sofia Kappel) is a 20-year-old Swedish woman, who comes to Los Angeles and begins working in the pornographic industry under the name “Bella Cherry.” Bella quickly befriends her roommate Joy (Revika Reustle) and […]

Men (22/05/2022)

A recently widowed woman is tormented during a vacation to the English countryside in Men. Harper Marlowe (Jessie Buckley) has gone on vacation to the English countryside to recover from the recent suicide of her husband James (Paapa Essiedu). Arriving in the village of Coston, Harper is greeted by her friendly landlord Geoffrey (Rory Kinnear), […]

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (22/05/2022)

The stars of the 1990s Disney Afternoon animated series reunite for a new adventure in Chip ‘n Dale: Recuse Rangers. Thirty years ago, lifelong friends Chip (John Mulaney) and Dale (Andy Samberg) had a big break with their hit TV series named after them, though they went their separate ways when Dale decided to pursue […]

Petite Maman (14/05/2022)

An eight-year-old girl makes a new friend in the woods surrounding her mother’s childhood home in Petite Maman. After the death of her grandmother, eight-year-old Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) travels with her mother (Nina Meurisse) and father (Stéphane Varupenne) to clean out the former’s childhood home. While venturing into the woods surrounding the house, Nelly meets […]

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (13/05/2022)

A new threat emerges that threatens the multiverse in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. When an interdimensional threat arrives in New York City, Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) comes into contact with America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a young woman with the ability to travel between universes. This sets the stage for a battle […]

Firestarter (13/05/2022)

A young girl with the telekinetic ability to start fires goes on the run with her father in Firestarter. When they were younger, Andy McGee (Zac Efron) and his wife Vicky (Sydney Lemmon) were subjects of a drug trial conducted by Dr. Joseph Wanless (Kurtwood Smith), which gave them telepathic and telekinetic abilities respectively. These […]

The Thief Collector – Hot Docs 2022 (12/05/2022)

The criminal exploits of a New England couple are revealed in The Thief Collector. In 2017, while claiming material for his antique store from the estate of Rita and Jerry Alter in Cliff, New Mexico, Dave Van Auker finds a painting behind their bedroom door, which turns out to be Willem de Kooning’s painting “Woman-Ochre,” […]

Mija – Hot Docs 2022 (12/05/2022)

Two Mexican-American women try to make it in the music industry and support their families in Mija. Doris Muñoz is the daughter of Mexican immigrants, who is working as a manager in the music industry, while also trying to acquire green cards for her parents. When Doris loses her primary client, she finds Jacks Haupt, […]

Still Working 9 to 5 – Hot Docs 2022 (12/05/2022)

The filmmakers and stars of the film 9 to 5 reminisce on how it remains relevant 40 years later in Still Working 9 to 5. When it was released in 1980, the film 9 to 5 used satirical comedy to tell a story about women in the workplace. More than 40 years after the release […]

My Old School – Hot Docs 2022 (12/05/2022)

Alan Cumming stands in for a legendary student of Glasgow’s Bearsden Academy in My Old School. In 1993, a new student named Brandon Lee enrolled in Bearsden Academy, a posh high school in the rich end of Glasgow. Claiming to be a Canadian, who moved in with his grandmother after the death of his opera […]

Pleistocene Park – Hot Docs 2022 (12/05/2022)

A Russian geophysicist creates a wildlife preserve in an attempt to reserve the effects of climate change in Pleistocene Park. Sergey Zimov and his son Nikita have been gathering large woolly animals and placing them in a preserve in Siberia, in an effort to recreate the Mammoth steppe ecosystem, to slow down the melting permafrost. […]

Boycott – Hot Docs 2022 (12/05/2022)

Individuals fight against laws banning boycotts against Israel in Boycott. Over the past six years, 33 states have passed laws preventing boycotts against Israel. In response, a number of individuals are going to court to argue that these laws are unconstitutional. These plaintiffs include Alan Leveritt, the publisher of The Arkansas Times newspaper, who is […]

Sexual Healing – Hot Docs 2022 (11/05/2022)

A middle-aged disabled woman seeks out her first meaningful sexual experience in Sexual Healing. Evaliene is a 53-year-old woman, who has only had a functional relationship with her body. Seeking to change that, Evaliene decides to explore her sexuality by wearing lingerie and buying sex toys. However, the biggest move comes when she decides to […]

Shooting War – Hot Docs 2022 (11/05/2022)

Photojournalists speak of the toll of photographing on the frontlines in Shooting War. The Globe and Mail have brought together nine war photojournalists to speak about their experiences, including iconic Vietnam photographer Tim Page, four-time Pulitzer Prize winner Carol Guzy, and National Geographic photographer David Guttenfelder. Along with psychiatrist Anthony Feinstein, these photographers talk about […]

Bucolic – Hot Docs 2022 (11/05/2022)

Two women live isolated from the world on their farm in Bucolic. 65-year-old Danusia and her 35-year-old daughter Basia live in isolation from the rest of the world on their farm on the outskirts of a village in central Poland. Danusia and Basia live in turn with rhythm and laws of nature, among animals and […]

2nd Chance – Hot Docs 2022 (11/05/2022)

The rise and fall of the man who invented the modern bulletproof vest are explored in 2nd Chance. A former pizzeria owner, Richard Davis would invent what would become the modern bulletproof vest, with him shooting himself to prove its effectiveness. This would lead to him founding Second Chance, which would become the number one […]

We Feed People – Hot Docs 2022 (11/05/2022)

Ron Howard directs a look into José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen organization in We Feed People. First becoming known as a celebrity chef, Spanish chef José Andrés put his culinary skills to humanitarian use by founding his organization World Central Kitchen. The organization’s goal is to provide disaster relief by making meals for at least […]

The Art of Silence – Hot Docs 2022 (10/05/2022)

The life and career of the legendary mime Marcel Marceau are revisited in The Art of Silence. For decades, Marcel Marceau wowed audiences as his stage persona of the tragicomic clown “Bip,” becoming the world’s most famous mime. However, few would be aware of Marcel Marceau’s own tragic backstory, as his Jewish father was killed […]

The Quiet Epidemic – Hot Docs 2022 (10/05/2022)

The controversy surrounding Lyme disease is explored in The Quiet Epidemic. Since it was first discovered in 1975, the common belief about Lyme disease is that it is a non-chronic condition that can just be treated with antibiotics. However, there is much evidence to suggest that this is not the case and doctors and activists […]

Okay! (The ASD Band Film) – Hot Docs 2022 (10/05/2022)

First Runner-Up: Rogers Audience Award A rock band made up of young people on the autistic spectrum prepare for their first album and performance in Okay! (The ASD Band Film). Rawan Tuffaha (vocals), Jackson D. Begley (vocals/guitar), Spenser Murray (drums), and Ron Adea (keyboards) are four individuals on the autistic spectrum, who have come together […]

Eternal Spring – Hot Docs 2022 (10/05/2022)

Winner: Rogers Audience Award Animated reenactments tell the story of a group of activists hijacking the TV signal in China in Eternal Spring. In March 2002, members of the Buddist spiritual group Falun Gong hacked the signal of the state TV station in Changchun City, in response to the Chinese government banning the practice and […]

Nothing Compares – Hot Docs 2022 (07/05/2022)

The turbulent first five years of the career of Sinéad O’Connor are reframed through a feminist lens in Nothing Compares. Growing up in Ireland with an incredibly abusive mother, Sinéad O’Connor entered the world of music as a form of therapy. Despite shaving her head to rebel against being a musical commodity, Sinéad would end […]

TikTok, Boom (07/05/2022)

The impact of the social media app TikTok is explored in TikTok, Boom. Developed by the Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok has become the social media app that has resonated the most with Gen-Z. Comprised of high quality vertical video content and a complex algorithm, it is incredibly easy for someone to go viral on the […]

Girl Gang – Hot Docs 2022 (07/05/2022)

A German teenager aspires to be a successful social media influencer in Girl Gang. Leonie is a 14 year old in Berlin, who is growing in popularity has a social media influencer. Managed by her parents Andy and Sani, Leonie has to stick to a strict posting schedule and promote the brands who pay her. […]

The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks – Hot Docs 2022 (05/05/2022)

The members of the iconic and groundbreaking comedy troupe reminisce about their 40 year career in The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks. The Kids in the Hall were formed in the early 1980s when Calgary comedy duo Bruce McCulloch and Mark McKinney joined up with Toronto’s Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald to form a […]

The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales – Hot Docs 2022 (05/05/2022)

Abigail Disney takes a deep dive into the wage inequality plaguing the company that bears her family’s name in The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales. The workers at Walt Disneyland in Anaheim are struggling to live on their measly $15/hour minimum wage, while CEO Bob Iger makes 800 times that much. Abigail Disney and […]

The Talented Mr. Rosenberg – Hot Docs 2022 (04/05/2022)

One of the most infamous grifters in Toronto tries to tell his side of the story in The Talented Mr. Rosenberg. Nicknamed “The Yorkville Swindler” by the media, Albert Rosenberg has been a con artist for decades, being charged for crimes that spread from Monte Carlo to New York and Austria to Toronto. Now in […]

Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened to Bernie Langille – Hot Docs 2022 (04/05/2022)

A man tried to find out how his grandfather died in Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened to Bernie Langille. Bernie Langille is a man who never met his namesake grandfather, who died under mysterious circumstances in 1968, 15 years before Bernie was even born. One day Bernie feels compelled to find out what […]

Band – Hot Docs 2022 (04/05/2022)

An all-woman art rock band gives themselves a year to hit it big in Band. Iceland’s Post Performance Blues Band is a mix of electronic music and performance art consisting of the trio of Álfrún Örnólfsdóttir, Hrefna Lind Lárusdóttir, and Saga Sigurðardóttir. First getting together in art school, the PPBB has grown tired of playing […]

Atomic Hope: Inside the Pro Nuclear Movement – Hot Docs 2022 (03/05/2022)

A group of activists try to advocate about the benefits of nuclear energy in Atomic Hope: Inside of Pro Nuclear Movement. Fossil fuel currently accounts for 83% of global energy use and the demand is expected to double or triple over the next century. With renewal sources of energy such as wind or solar being […]

Silent Beauty – Hot Docs 2022 (03/05/2022)

Trigger Warning: This film deals with sexual abuse A woman and her family come to terms with their history of sexual abuse in Silent Beauty. When Jasmin Mara López sees a photo of her niece with her grandfather, it results in painful memories come flooding back. This results in Jasmin deciding to come forward about […]

Dio: Dreamers Never Die – Hot Docs 2022 (03/05/2022)

The life and career of heavy metal pioneer Ronnie James Dio are revisited in Dio: Dreamers Never Die. Born Ronald James Padavona the career of Ronnie James Dio spans the entire history of rock music, beginning with the 1960s band Ronnie Dio and the Red Caps later renamed the Prophets. After fronting the hard rock […]

Once Upon a Time in Uganda – Hot Docs 2022 (02/05/2022)

The rise of Wakaliwood is documented in Once Upon a Time in Uganda. Living in Wakaliga, the slum of the Ugandan capital city of Kampala, brickmaker Isaac Nabwana has started to develop a following for the ultra-low budget action films he has produced for his company Ramon Film Productions. When the trailer for Isaac’s film […]

Framing Agnes – Hot Docs 2022 (01/05/2022)

A UCLA study about sex disorders from the 1950s and 1960s is reenacted in the style of a talk show in Framing Agnes. Using never-before-seen transcripts from the archive of Dr. Harold Garfinkel, filmmaker Chase Joynt sets out to recreate Garfinkel’s interviews with gender non-conforming individuals. Garfinkel’s key subject was Agnes (Zackary Drucker), who would […]

Sam Now – Hot Docs 2022 (01/05/2022)

25 years’ worth of home movies is used to tell the story of a young man’s search for his mother in Sam Now. Since he was a teenager, Reed Harkness would film his young half-brother Sam, beginning with simple home movies shot with a VHS camcorder and evolving to more polished Super-8 productions. However, these […]

Scrap – Hot Docs 2022 (01/05/2022)

Explore the various ways junk is reutilized in Scrap. When everyday objects reach the end of their lifespan, they are discarded and are left to decay for decades. However, in many ways, old objects become much more unique than when they were new and people around the world have utilized ways to bring new life […]

Make People Better – Hot Docs 2022 (30/04/2022)

A Chinese geneticist goes missing after developing the world’s first genetically-modified humans in Make People Better. In 2018, Chinese scientist Dr. He “JK” Jiankui made headlines when it was revealed he genetically modified two newborn twins named Lulu and Nana to be immune to HIV. The backlash was swift and JK was taken into custody. […]

We’re All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel) – Hot Docs 2022 (30/04/2022)

Actor Jay Baruchel hosts a docuseries exploring various apocalyptic scenarios in We’re All Gonna Die (Even Jay Baruchel). There are many ways for humanity to come to an end and Jay Baruchel has made it his mission to explore which one has the greatest chance of ever happening. Over the course of this six-part series, […]

Into the Weeds: Dewayne “Lee” Johnson vs. Monsanto Company – Hot Docs 2022 (29/04/2022)

A former groundskeeper suffering from non-Hodgkins lymphoma sues the producer of the world’s most popular brand of weedkiller in Into the Weeds: Dewayne “Lee” Johnson vs. Monsanto Company. As a groundskeeper, Dewayne “Lee” Johnson routinely used Ranger Pro, the commercial-grade variant of Roundup, the world’s most popular brand of weed-killer developed by the Monsanto company. […]

Paris, 13th District (22/04/2022)

The intersecting relationships between three residents of a Paris neighbourhood are explored in Paris, 13th District. Émilie Wong (Lucie Zhang) is a young college graduate living in an apartment in the Les Olympiades complex belonging to her terminally ill grandmother. Looking for a roommate, Émilie meets high school teacher Camille Germain (Makita Samba) and the […]

The Northman (18/04/2022)

A Viking prince seeks revenge against his murderous uncle in The Northman. In AD 895, Viking King Aurvandil War-Raven (Ethan Hawke) returns home from battle to his Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman) and young son Amleth. Shortly after participating in a coming-of-age ceremony for Amleth conducted by Heimir the Fool (Willem Dafoe), Aurvandil is betrayed and […]

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (18/04/2022)

Nicolas Cage plays himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. A shell of his former self, Nick Cage (Nicolas Cage) is struggling to find film roles and is considered a disappointment by his ex-wife Olivia (Sharon Horgan) and teenage daughter Addy (Lily Mo Sheen). Cage’s agent Richard Fink (Neil Patrick Harris) offers a job […]

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (17/04/2022)

Various allies of Dumbledore go on a mission to prevent the dark wizard Grindelwald from rising to power in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. In 1932, Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) sets a plan into motion that asserts himself in the election for the head of the International Confederation of Wizards, after the organization acquits […]

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (13/04/2022)

Sonic teams with a new ally to face foes old and new in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Left on his own while Tom Wachowski (James Marsden) and his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter) travel to Hawaii for the wedding of Maddie’s sister Rachel (Natasha Rothwell) to Randall (Shemar Moore), Sonic the Hedgehog (Ben Schwartz) is shocked […]

¡VIVA MAESTRO! (08/04/2022)

The career of superstar conductor Gustavo Dudamel is affected by social unrest in Venezuela in ¡VIVA MAESTRO!. Venezuelan-born conductor Gustavo Dudamel set the music world on storm when he was appointed music director of the Simón Bolívar National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela at the age of 18 and has also been music and artistic director […]

Ambulance (08/04/2022)

Two brothers hijack an ambulance after a bank heist goes awry in Ambulance. William James Sharp (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is a military veteran, who is desperate for money to pay for cancer surgery for his wife Amy (Moses Ingram). Desperate, Will goes to his adoptive brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal) for help and ends up being […]

Learn to Swim (03/04/2022)

A talented jazz musician is tormented by a tragic romance in Learn to Swim. Dezi (Thomas Antony Olajide) is a saxophone player for a jazz band, who has recently moved into a new apartment, cutting himself off from his bandmates and former life. Suffering from a painful jaw infection that inhibits his playing, Dezi begins […]

Everything Everywhere All at Once (03/04/2022)

A Chinese immigrant woman goes on an adventure through the multiverse in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) is a Chinese owner of a struggling laundromat, who is undergoing a tax audit while her marriage to her husband Waymond (Ke Huy Quan) begins to crumble. In addition, Evelyn’s disapproving father Gong Gong […]

You Won’t Be Alone (01/04/2022)

A young shape-shifting witch tries to live a normal human life in an isolated mountain village in You Won’t Be Alone. Nevena (Sara Klimoska) is a teenager in 19th century Macedonia, who is kidnapped by the “Wolf Eateress” Old Maid Maria (Anamaria Marinca). Nevena is turned into a follow Wolf Eateress, which is a shape-shifting […]

The Long Rider – Canadian Film Fest 2022 (29/03/2022)

A man sets off to ride from Canada to Brazil on horseback in The Long Rider. Filipe Masetti Leite is a young Brazilian-Canadian man who grew up with a love of riding horses. One of Filipe’s dreams is to follow in the footsteps of long riders of the past, who travel a thousand miles or […]

Ashgrove – Canadian Film Fest 2022 (26/03/2022)

A scientist trying to save humanity has to confront her troubled marriage in Ashgrove. In the not so distant future, a viral pandemic has made the world’s water supply toxic to humans and Dr. Jennifer Ashgrove (Amanda Brugel) is the scientist closest to finding a solution. However, the stress of the job becomes too much […]

CODA (24/03/2022)

A Child of Deaf Adults aspires to pursue a singing career in CODA. Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing member of an all-deaf family that includes her fisherman father Frank (Troy Kotsur), mother Jackie (Marlee Matlin), and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant). One day, Ruby decides to pursue her love of singing and […]

Tehranto – Canadian Film Fest 2022 (22/03/2022)

Two students from very different Persian backgrounds begin a complicated relationship in Tehranto. Sharon Moridi (Mo Zeighami) is young woman, who has had a very westernized upbringing by Iranian-immigrant parents Fred (Ali Badshah) and Tessa (Mahsa Ghorbankarimi), complete with Sharon using a westernized form of her real name Shirin. Sharon is also being groomed by […]

Deep Water (19/03/2022)

A unhappily married man becomes a suspect in the disappearances of his promiscuous wife’s lovers in Deep Water. Vic (Ben Affleck) and Melinda (Ana de Armas) are a unhappily married couple, who are avoiding divorce with an arrangement that allows Melinda to see various lovers on the side. This results in a seething jealously in […]

(19/03/2022)

An adult film crew get more than they bargained for at the farm where they are making their film in X. Wayne Gilroy (Martin Henderson) is a sleazy entrepreneur in 1979 Texas, who is producing a pornographic film starring his girlfriend Maxine Minx (Mia Goth), as well as Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) and Jackson Hole (Scott […]

After Yang (17/03/2022)

A family enters a mournful state after their android helper breaks down in After Yang. Jake (Colin Farrell) and Kyra (Jodie Turner-Smith) are a couple who acquired an android named Yang (Justin H. Min) to be a sibling for their adopted daughter Mika (Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja), in order to help her connect with her Chinese […]

The Batman (03/03/2022)

The saga of the Dark Knight is rebooted as a brooding noir mystery with The Batman. For the last two years, reclusive millionaire Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) has been enacting vigilante justice as The Batman and he found an alley in Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright). Batman’s biggest challenge arises when a serial killer named […]

Studio 666 (27/02/2022)

The Foo Fighters encounter a demonic presence in the creepy mansion where they are recording their tenth album in Studio 666. The Foo Fighters consisting of Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, and Rami Jaffee are under pressure from their manager Jeremy Shill (Jeff Garlin) to deliver their tenth studio album, […]

Uncharted (24/02/2022)

The popular Naughty Dog video game series hits the big screen with Uncharted. Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is a bartender and petty thief, who is recruited by Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg), a treasure hunter who once worked with Nathan’s long-lost brother Sam (Rudy Pankow). Sully wants Nathan’s help to locate a stash of gold […]

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) (19/02/2022)

The 1974 proto-slasher gets the legacy sequel treatment with Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Entrepreneurs Melody (Sarah Yarkin) and Dante (Jacob Latimore) travel along with Melody’s sister Lila (Elsie Fisher) and Dante’s girlfriend Ruth (Nell Hudson) to the remote Texas town of Harlow, with the intentions of auctioning off the predominantly abandoned buildings. However, Melody and Dante […]

Death on the Nile (13/02/2022)

Hercule Poirot is called upon to investigate a murder on a cruise ship in the Nile river in Death on the Nile. While vacationing in Egypt, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) comes across his old friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) and his mother Euphemia (Annette Bening). Bouc invites Poirot to join him at the wedding of wealthy […]

King Richard (12/02/2022)

The story of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams is told from the perspective of their ever-believing father in King Richard. Richard Williams (Will Smith) lives in Compton, California with his wife Brandy (Aunjanue Ellis), three step-daughters, and two daughters Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton). From the very beginning, Richard believed that Venus […]

The Worst Person in the World (11/02/2022)

A young woman unable to commit to one thing has her romantic feeling divided between two men in The Worst Person in the World. Julie (Renate Reinsve) is a young woman on the cusp of turning 30, who has juggled many career aspirations, before deciding to be an aspiring photographer, with her working at a […]

West Side Story (2021) (09/02/2022)

Steven Spielberg directs a new big-screen adaptation of the acclaimed stage musical with West Side Story. In 1957 Manhattan, the street gangs of the caucasian Jets and Puerto Rican Sharks fight for control of San Juan Hill on Manhattan’s West Side. The gang leaders of Riff (Mike Faist) and Bernardo (David Alvarez) are ready to […]

Drive My Car (06/02/2022)

A renowned theatre actor opens up about his wife’s death as he is driven around Hiroshima in Drive My Car. Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is a veteran actor who has a unique relationship with his screenwriter wife Oto (Reika Kirishima). One day Otto suddenly dies, leaving Yasuke without closure about the state of their marriage. […]

The Long Night (03/02/2022)

A woman searching for her parents gets more than she bargained for in The Long Night. Having grown up in foster care with no idea where she’s come from, Grace (Scout Taylor-Compton) gets a lead about where she can find her birth parents. Grace heads off with her boyfriend Jack (Nolan Gerard Funk) to an […]

Scream (2022) (01/02/2022)

The legacy characters return to assist a new generation terrorized by the Ghostface killer in Scream. It has been a decade since 2011’s Scream 4 marked the first attempt to revive the franchise, which was originally supposed to end with 2000’s Scream 3. In that time, director Wes Craven passed away from brain cancer in […]

Girl with a Straight Razor (11/01/2022)

A woman goes about at night killing people with a straight razor in Girl with a Straight Razor. Dressed all in red with a straight razor in hand, a woman (Ali Chappell) prowls during the night looking for victims to feed her blade. However, the woman finds herself haunted by both memories of her past […]

The Tender Bar (08/01/2022)

An aspiring writer grows up taking advice from his bartender uncle in The Tender Bar. As a kid, JR (Daniel Ranieri) accompanied his single mom (Lily Rabe) to live at the home of his Grandpa (Christopher Lloyd) on Long Island. It is there JR is taken under the wing of his Uncle Charlie (Ben Affleck), […]

Being the Ricardos (07/01/2022)

Drama develops on the set of the sitcom I Love Lucy in Being the Ricardos. Starring the real-life married couple of Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem), the sitcom I Love Lucy became a huge hit when it began airing in the early 1950s. However, while in the middle of taping the […]

The Tragedy of Macbeth (27/12/2021)

Joel Coen goes solo with this stylized adaptation of the play by William Shakespeare with The Tragedy of Macbeth. Following a victory on the battlefield, Thane of Glamis Macbeth (Denzel Washington) and his cohort Banquo (Bertie Carvel) are greeted by Three Witches (Kathryn Hunter), who tell Macbeth that he will be the next King of […]

Licorice Pizza (24/12/2021)

A teenager becomes enamoured with an older woman during the summer of 1973 in Licorice Pizza. While in line for school photos 15-year-old Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) strikes up a conversation with 25-year-old photography assistant Alana Kane (Alana Haim). Despite their ten-year age difference, Gary ends up asking Alana out and the two begin a […]

The Matrix Resurrections (22/12/2021)

Neo and Trinity are found alive and well where it all began in The Matrix Resurrections. Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is seemingly alive and well as an incredibly successful game designer, but he is plagued by dreams and deja vu when he encounters a woman named Tiffany (Carrie-Anne Moss) in a cafe. While he is […]

The King’s Man (22/12/2021)

The origins of the super-secret spy agency are shown in The King’s Man. Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) is a war veteran and aristocrat, who does not want his son Conrad (Harris Dickinson) to get involved when the actions of a shadowy organization lead to the start of a Great War. However, Conrad soon learns that […]

Sing 2 (22/12/2021)

A reclusive rock star is needed for the opening of a new show in Sing 2. Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) and his musical stage company of Rosita Brown (Reese Witherspoon), Ash Spinosa (Scarlett Johansson), Johnny Serafinowicz (Taron Egerton), Meena Jones (Tori Kelly), and Gunter Schwartz (Nick Kroll) travel to Red Shore City to pitch a […]

Spider-Man: No Way Home (19/12/2021)

Spider-Man and Doctor Strange inadvertently open up the multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The world of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) turns upside down after J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) publicly reveals a video, where Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) reveals Peter’s secret identity as Spider-Man and frames him for Mysterio’s own death. This turns the world […]

Nightmare Alley (15/12/2021)

A drifter joins a carnival and becomes a skilled mentalist in Nightmare Alley. On the run from his past, Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) comes across a travelling carnival and is given work by its proprietor Clem Hoately (Willem Dafoe). Working as part of a psychic act of Zeena (Toni Collette) and Pete Krumbein (David Strathairn), […]

Benedetta (12/12/2021)

A 17th-century nun enters into a forbidden relationship with another member of her convent in Benedetta. Benedetta Carlini (Virginie Efira) is an extremely devout young woman, who as a child was admitted into a convent run by Sister Felicita (Charlotte Rampling). Benedetta has repeated versions of Jesus and she comes to be viewed as saintly […]

Don’t Look Up (10/12/2021)

Two astronomers try to warn the world about a comet on route to impact with Earth in Don’t Look Up. Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) is an astronomy grad student, who discovers a comet in the trajectory of Earth. When her professor Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) discovers that the comet is on route to collide […]

Nefarious (07/12/2021)

A young man becomes involved with the criminal activities of his new girlfriend’s brother and attracts something much darker in Nefarious. Mark (Kevoy Williams) is a young man in Kingston, Jamaica who breaks things off with his girlfriend Keisha (Calicia Robinson) to be with Natasha (Ana-Stassia McLeish). However, this relationship comes with a price, as […]

The Beatles: Get Back (01/12/2021)

Peter Jackson restores the 1969 documentary footage of The Beatles recording their album “Let It Be” in The Beatles: Get Back. In January 1969, The Beatles began work on an album with the working title of “Get Back,” with the original plan being to write and perform 14 songs in front of an audience as […]

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (29/11/2021)

The popular video game series receives a rebooted adaptation with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario) has returned to the near-isolated town of Raccoon City to try to get help from her brother Chris (Robbie Amell) exposing the experiments of the Umbrella Corporation, headed by William Birkin (Neal McDonough). Chris shrugs […]

The Family – Blood in the Snow 2021 (24/11/2021)

The children of a deeply religious family begin to doubt the teachings of their parents in The Family. Caleb (Benjamin Charles Watson), Abigail (Jenna Warren), and Evelyn (Yasmin MacKay) are members of a rural family unit run under the script religious guidance of their Father (Nigel Bennett) and Mother (Toni Ellwand). Things begin to change […]

House of Gucci (24/11/2021)

A woman marries into the powerful fashion dynasty in House of Gucci. Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) is a young woman working at her father’s trucking company, who at a party meets Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), the son of Rodolfo Gucci (Jeremy Irons), who co-owns the Gucci fashion house with his brother Aldo (Al Pacino). Despite […]

Woodland Grey – Blood in the Snow 2021 (23/11/2021)

A man and woman are forced to co-exist in woods harbouring a haunting secret in Woodland Grey. William (Ryan Blakely) is a man living a solitary life in the woods, who ends up saving Emily (Jenny Raven), who is found unconscious in the woods. William and Emily share an apprehensive co-existence, which goes awry when […]

Flee the Light – Blood in the Snow 2021 (22/11/2021)

Two sisters try to ward off a demon that hunts in the light in Flee the Light. Andra (Annie Tuma) is worried about the well-being of her sister Delfi (Ariana Marquis), who has been showing signs of mental illness. However, Delfi comes to believe that she and Andra are part of a coven of witches […]

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (21/11/2021)

Two siblings discover the legacy of their grandfather in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Evicted from her apartment, Callie (Carrie Coon) travels to Summerville, Oklahoma with her 15-year-old son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and 12-year-old daughter Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and move into a farm owned by Callie’s estranged father, who recently passed away. After finding a ghost trap under […]

The Chamber of Terror – Blood in the Snow 2021 (21/11/2021)

A foul-mouthed vigilante targets the people who killed his family in The Chamber of Terror. Nash Caruthers (Timothy Paul McCarthy) is out for revenge against the Ackerman crime family, headed by sadistic patriarch Russell (Robert Nolan), and he quickly dispatches his first target in the form of Russell’s son Tyler (Seth O’Shea). As retribution, Caruthers […]

Peppergrass – Blood in the Snow 2021 (20/11/2021)

A pregnant restauranteur goes into the wilderness to acquire a rare truffle in Peppergrass. Eula Baek (Chantelle Han) has inherited a restaurant named “Peppergrass” from her grandfather and is in need of truffles in order to save her business during the pandemic. Along with her bartender Morris Weiss (Charles Boyland), Eula drives into the wilderness […]

Vicious Fun – Blood in the Snow 2021 (18/11/2021)

Note: This is a capsule version of my previously published review A horror film critic accidentally finds himself at a support group for serial killers in Vicious Fun. Joel (Evan Marsh) is a young horror film critic in 1983 Minnesota, who writes for a magazine called “Vicious Fanatics,” while secretly harbouring a crush for his roommate […]

InBetween Girl – Reel Asian 2021 (17/11/2021)

A mixed-race teenager begins a secret relationship with the popular boy at her school, following her parents’ divorce in InBetween Girl. Angie Chen (Emma Galbraith) is a teenage girl in Galveston, Texas, born to Chinese father Fai (KaiChow Lau) and white American mother Veronica (Liz Waters). In the aftermath of her parents’ sudden divorce, Angie […]

The Power of the Dog (17/11/2021)

A coldhearted rancher has an antagonistic relationship with his brother’s new wife and her son in The Power of the Dog. Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a cowboy in 1925 Montana, who owns a ranch with his brother George (Jesse Plemons). While on the range, the brothers stop for dinner at an establishment run by […]

Three Sisters – Reel Asian 2021 (16/11/2021)

Three Korean sisters in different social-economic situations come together for their father’s birthday in Three Sisters. Jeon Miyeon (Moon So-ri) is a woman with a seemingly perfect life as a happily married choirmaster. On the other hand, Miyeon’s younger sister Mi-Ok (Yoon-ju Jang) is a barely functioning alcoholic and their older sister Hee-sook (Kim Sun-young) […]

Islands – Reel Asian 2021 (12/11/2021)

A middle-aged Filipino man fears for the future after the death of his mother in Islands. Joshua (Joshua) is a Filipino-born man on the cusp of 50, who still lives at home with his parents Alma (Vangie Alcasid) and Reynaldo (Esteban Comilang), who believe that the incredibly shy Joshua will never follow in the footsteps […]

tick, tick…BOOM! (11/11/2021)

Lin-Manuel Miranda directs this film adaptation of the autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson with tick, tick…BOOM! Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield) is a struggling musical theatre writer on the cusp on his 30th birthday, who has been developing the dystopian sci-fi rock musical Superbia for the past eight years. Jon has finally been given the chance […]

Belfast (11/11/2021)

The beginning of The Troubles in Northern Ireland is shown from the point of view of a young child living with his middle-class Protestant family in Belfast. Nine-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill) lives in a working-class neighbourhood in North Belfast with his Ma (Caitriona Balfe), older brother Will (Lewis McAskie), and grandparents Granny (Judi Dench) and […]

Codename: Nagasaki – Reel Asian 2021 (11/11/2021)

A Japanese man living in Norway decides to seek out his Japanese mother in Codename: Nagasaki. Marius Lunde is a Japanese-born man, who moved to Norway as a kid and makes films together with his friend Fredrik S. Hana. Marius decides to go back and Japan and search for his birth mother, whom he hasn’t […]

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes – Reel Asian 2021 (10/11/2021)

A cafe owner discovers he has the ability to communicate with himself two minutes into the future in Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes. Kato (Kazunori Tosa) is the owner of a cafe, who arrives home at his upstairs apartment to discover a version of himself communicating from the cafe’s computer monitor two minutes into the […]

Finch (08/11/2021)

A man in a post-apocalyptic world builds a robot companion in Finch. Finch Weinberg (Tom Hanks) is one of the few survivors of a solar flare, which destroyed the ozone layer, resulted in uninhabitable levels of ultraviolet radiation. Finch spends his days scavenging the ruins of St. Louis while coming home at night to take […]

Eternals (07/11/2021)

A race of immortal cosmic beings reunites to save the Earth in Eternals. In 5000 BC, the Eternals consisting of Sersi (Gemma Chan), Ikaris (Richard Madden), Thena (Angelina Jolie), Ajak (Salma Hayek), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), Sprite (Lia McHugh), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Druig (Barry Keoghan), and Gilgamesh (Don Lee) were sent to […]

Spencer (06/11/2021)

Diana, Princess of Wales, contemplates her future with the Royal Family during a tumultuous Christmas in Spencer. The Royal Family has gathered at Sandringham House for the 1991 Christmas holiday. Getting lost on her way over Diana (Kristen Stewart), in the midst of very public marital issues with Prince Charles (Jack Farthing), is the last […]

Funhouse – Blood in the Snow 2021 (01/11/2021)

A group of 8 C-list celebrities find themselves on a reality show, where they are literally fighting for their lives in Funhouse. Kasper Nordin (Valter Skarsgård) is a man trying to recover from his very public marriage to popstar Darla Drake (Kylee Bush), and he reluctantly accepts a spot on the online reality show Furcas’ […]

Motherly – Blood in the Snow 2021 (30/10/2021)

A woman and her daughter find their home invaded by a vengeful couple in Motherly. Kate (Lora Burke) is a woman living in an isolated farmhouse with her daughter Beth (Tessa Kozma). The two are under witness protection, under the supervision of police officer Hal (Colin Paradine), following the murder of a young girl, for […]

Mass (30/10/2021)

Two couples meet in a church basement to discuss the aftermath of a violent tragedy in Mass. Jay (Jason Isaacs) and his wife Gail (Martha Plimpton) arrive at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Hailey, Idaho. Greeted by church employee Judy (Breeda Wool), they are led down to a meeting room set up in the church […]

Tin Can – Blood in the Snow 2021 (29/10/2021)

A parasitologist is kidnapped and placed in a life-suspension chamber in Tin Can. There is a fungal outbreak known as Coral raging in Eastern Canada and Fret (Anna Hopkins) is a leading parasitologist looking for a cure. However, Fret is suddenly attacked and she wakes up in a life-suspension chamber, surrounded by people in the same […]

The Righteous – Blood in the Snow 2021 (29/10/2021)

A former priest feels like is paying for past sins after the arrival of a mysterious stranger in The Righteous. Frederic Mason (Henry Czerny) is a man who left the priesthood many years ago after meeting his wife Ethel (Mimi Kuzyk). Tragedy recently struck Frederick and Ethel when they lost their daughter, who they had adopted […]

Don’t Say Its Name – Blood in the Snow 2021 (29/10/2021)

An indigenous community is tormented by a vengeful spirit in Don’t Say Its Name. Peace officer Mary Stonechild (Madison Walsh) is called in after local activist Kharis Redwater (Sheena Kaine) is killed in a hit and run, which absolutely devastates her mother Mary Lynn (Carla Fox). Shortly afterwards, a number of people begin turning up […]

Last Night in Soho (28/10/2021)

A fashion student is haunted by memories of an aspiring singer from the 1960s in Last Night in Soho. Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) is a 1960s-obsessed young woman from the English countryside, who is accepted into the London College of Fashion. Unhappy with the living situation at her dorm, Eloise decides to rent a room in London’s […]

Antlers (28/10/2021)

A school teacher in a small Oregon town becomes concerned about the well-being of one of her students in Antlers. Julia Meadows (Keri Russell) is a middle-school teacher, who has recently moved back to her Oregon hometown, where she lives with her sheriff brother Paul (Jesse Plemons). Julia becomes concerned about one of her students […]

The Harder They Fall (28/10/2021)

An outlaw seeks revenge against the gunslinger who killed his parents in The Harder They Fall. Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) is the leader of a gang that includes Bill Pickett (Edi Gathegi), Jim Beckwourth (R.J. Cyler), and his ex-love Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz). Nat learns that his enemy Rufus Buck (Idris Elba), who murdered Nat’s […]

Bergman Island (26/10/2021)

A filmmaker couple travel to the island where Ingmar Bergman lived and made his films in Bergman Island. Chris (Vicky Krieps) and Tony (Tim Roth) are a couple, who travel to the Baltic island of Fårö, where Ingmar Bergman lived and made his most well-known films. Both Chris and Tony are filmmakers, with the latter […]

Dune: Part One (24/10/2021)

A new adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel hits the big screen with Dune: Part One. In 10191 A.G., Duke Leto I (Oscar Isaac) of House Atreides is assigned by the Emperor to the desert planet of Arrakis to takeover harvesting of the precious substance melange, also known as “spice.” Leto’s son Paul (Timothée […]

The French Dispatch (21/10/2021)

Wes Anderson presents us with an obituary, travel guide, and 3 featured articles from a fiction magazine in The French Dispatch. Arthur Howitzer, Jr. (Bill Murray) was found dead of an apparent heart attack while preparing the final issue of his magazine “The French Dispatch,” a supplement of the Liberty Kansas Evening Sun, detailing life […]

The Free Fall – Toronto After Dark 2021 (16/10/2021)

A woman wakes from a coma to a life that is unfamiliar to her in The Free Fall. After witnessing a murder-suicide involving her parents, Sara (Andrea Londo) goes into a coma after supposedly slitting her wrists in the bathtub. She wakes up sometime later and is greeted by Nick (Shawn Ashmore), a man claiming […]

Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break – Toronto After Dark 2021 (16/10/2021)

A middle-aged thrift store employee vows to seek revenge on those who wronged him in Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break. Paul Dood (Tom Meeten) is an aspiring performer, who is working hard to audition for a talent competition run by social media star Jack Tapp (Kevin Bishop). However, thanks to a miscommunication, Paul panics when […]

Super Z – Toronto After Dark 2021 (15/10/2021)

Five genetically-enhanced zombies live together as a family in the forest in Super Z. At a sinister laboratory known as “The Purgatory” a mad scientist (Jean-François Gallotte) performs viral experiments for The CEO (Jacques Boudet), leading to the creation of a family of four zombies: Gertre (Johan Libéreau), Stephana (Julien Courbey), Marcelline (Audrey Giacomini), and […]

Nightshooters – Toronto After Dark 2021 (15/10/2021)

A guerrilla film crew has to fight for their survival when they witness a mob murder in Nightshooters. Marshall Keane (Adam McNab) is the director of a no-budget zombie film, shooting in an abandoned building with a ragtag crew that includes cinematographer Jenn (Kaitlyn Riordan), sound recordist Oddbod (Nicky Evans), special effects expert Ellie (Rosanna […]

Halloween Kills (14/10/2021)

The people of Haddonfield stand up against the continued threat of Michael Myers in Halloween Kills. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has left The Shape (James Jude Courtney) for dead in the burning remains of her compound and escapes with her daughter Karen (Judy Greer) and granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak). However, Michael Myers survives the […]

Post Mortem – Toronto After Dark 2021 (14/10/2021)

A photographer travels with a young girl to a haunted village in Post Mortem. Tomás (Viktor Klem) survived a near-death experience at the end of the First World War, who now works as part of a sideshow, taking post mortem photographs of corpses with their loved ones. The sideshow catches the attention of Anne (Fruzsina […]

Ditched – Toronto After Dark 2021 (14/10/2021)

A group consisting of paramedics, police officers, and criminals are targeted in the woods following an ambulance crash in Ditched. Melina (Marika Sila) is a paramedic, who comes to following an ambulance with a cloudy memory about what happened. The only other person conscious is Franson (Kris Loranger), who is tied to a gurney and […]

Seobok – Toronto After Dark 2021 (13/10/2021)

This Review Originally Published As Part of Our Coverage of Fantasia 2021 An ex-intelligence agent is tasked with transporting the world’s first human clone in Seobok. Min Ki-Hun (Gong Yoo) is a former intelligence agent currently suffering from a terminal brain tumor. Ki-Hun is tracked down by his old boss Chief Ahn (Jo Woo-jin), who […]

King Knight – Toronto After Dark 2021 (13/10/2021)

This Review Originally Published As Part of Our Coverage of Fantasia 2021 The life of the high priest of a coven is thrown into turmoil when his past catches up with him in King Knight. Thorn (Matthew Gray Gubler) is the leader of a coven of witches along with his life partner Willow (Angela Sarafyan). Thorn’s […]

The Rescue (12/10/2021)

A group of recreational cave divers assist with an operation to save a Thai soccer team stuck in a cave in The Rescue. In 2018, the arrival of monsoon rains trapped twelve boys and their soccer coach in a flooded cave in Northern Thailand. A huge operation begins to first locate and rescue the missing soccer team […]

Alien on Stage – Toronto After Dark 2021 (12/10/2021)

This Review Originally Published As Part of Our Coverage of Fantasia 2021 A group of bus drivers from Wimborne, Dorset in the UK put on an amateur stage production of Ridley Scott’s Alien in Alien on Stage. Paranoid Dramatics is an amateur theatre group consisting of Dorset Bus Drivers. In a departure from the group’s usual family […]

Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It – Toronto After Dark 2021 (12/10/2021)

This Review Originally Published As Part of Our Coverage of Fantasia 2021 A trio of friends on a fishing trip get mixed up with a group of gangsters and a one-eyed serial killer in Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It. Dastan (Daniar Alshinov) is a man desperately in need of a break from the nagging of his […]

Lamb (08/10/2021)

Two farmers care for a unique newborn lamb like their own child in Lamb. Maria (Noomi Rapace) and Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guðnason) are a married couple who live on a sheep farm in the mountains of Iceland. As the sheep give birth to their lambs in the spring, one is born with very unique traits and […]

Seance (06/10/2021)

As part of our October HorrorFest, we will be posting new reviews of relatively recent horror films during the month of October Members of an all-girls school are targeted by a malevolent entity in Seance. Camille Meadows (Suki Waterhouse) is a new student at the prestigious Edelvine Academy for Girls, who received admission following the tragic […]

Bingo Hell (03/10/2021)

As part of our October HorrorFest, we will be posting new reviews of relatively recent horror films during the month of October A small community’s bingo hall gets taken over by a sinister force in Bingo Hell. Oak Springs is a small community undergoing gentrification, which annoys lifelong resident Lupita (Adriana Barraza), who leads a group of […]

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (03/10/2021)

A new deadly symbiote arises in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) has been learning to co-exist with the alien symbiote Venom, who lives within him. Eddie is tasked by Detective Mulligan (Stephen Graham) to interview death row inmate Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), in an attempt to get clues to the graves of […]

The Addams Family 2 (01/10/2021)

The kooky and creepy family goes on a cross-country vacation in The Addams Family 2. Wednesday Addams (Chloë Grace Moretz) wins big her school’s science fair, receiving praise from its holographic benefactor Cyrus Strange (Bill Hader), but she is embarrassed by the presence of her parents Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia (Charlize Theron) and her […]

No Time to Die (29/09/2021)

A retired James Bond is pulled back into action by a new global threat in No Time to Die. James Bond (Daniel Craig) has left MI6 for a life in Italy with Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), though a sudden attack by the criminal organization SPECTRE, somehow run from behind bars by Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), […]

Dear Evan Hansen (23/09/2021)

A weird, anxious, and depressed teenager gains notoriety after he’s mistaken as the best friend of a classmate who commits suicide in Dear Evan Hansen. Evan Hansen (Ben Platt) is a lonely teenager, whose mother Heidi (Julianne Moore) is never home due to work. Even is assigned by his psychiatrist to write letters to himself to […]

After Blue (Dirty Paradise) – TIFF21 (19/09/2021)

On a planet occupied entirely by women, a mother and daughter are sent to assassinate a dangerous criminal in After Blue (Dirty Paradise). Far into the future, humanity has left Earth for the planet After Blue, with the male population dying off early on. Roxy (Paula Luna), nicknamed Toxic by the village girls, is a lonely […]

Medusa – TIFF21 (19/09/2021)

Female members of an evangelist Christian church violently try to convert other women to their ways in Medusa. Mari (Mariana Oliveira) and her best friend Michele (Lara Tremouroux) are members of an evangelist Christian temple in Brazil, who sing as part of “Treasures of the Lord” choir, while at night don white masks and stalk sinful […]

Becoming Cousteau – TIFF21 (19/09/2021)

The life and career of the famous underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau is revisited in Becoming Cousteau. Jacques-Yves Cousteau began his fascination with the underwater world going freediving with his friends Philippe Tailliez and Frédéric Dumas in the 1940s French riviera, with the three helping to develop a breathing regulator that helped to negate the need for […]

Mr. Kneff (30th Anniversary Kafka Re-edit) (18/09/2021)

One of the special events of the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival was a screening of a “Surprise New Film” by director Steven Soderbergh. As many predicted beforehand, this “new” film ended up being a re-edited version of Soderbergh’s 1991 sophomore film Kafka, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and is a film […]

Wolf – TIFF21 (18/09/2021)

A young man with Species Identity Disorder is sent to a clinic with controversial methods in Wolf. Jacob (George MacKay) is a teenager who believes himself to be a wolf, who is admitted to a clinic meant to cure those with similar species dysphoria. While Dr. Angelie (Eileen Walsh) uses very optimistic methods in her therapy […]

Ste. Anne – TIFF21 (17/09/2021)

A Métis woman returns home after a multi-year absence in Ste. Anne. Following a four-year absence, Renee (Rhayne Vermette) unexpectedly returns to her young daughter Athene (Isabelle d’Eschambault), who has been raised up until this point by Renee’s brother Modeste (Jack Theis) and his wife Elenore (Valerie Marion). This sudden return causes tension in this […]

Saloum – TIFF21 (17/09/2021)

A group of mercenaries end taking refuge in a mysterious region of Senegal in Saloum. Guinea-Bissau’s coup d’état of 2003, the mercenary group Bangui’s Hyenas consisting of Chaka (Yann Gael), Rafa (Roger Sallah), and Minuit (Mentor Ba), extract cartel member Felix (Renaud Farah) and his cargo of gold and drugs, with the group boarding a plane […]

Zalava – TIFF21 (16/09/2021)

Reports of demonic possession send a remote village into near-hysteria in Zalava. Masoud (Navid Pourfaraj) is a Gendarmerie sergeant, who does not believe in the reports of demonic possession from the nearby gypsy village of Zalava, to the point where he confiscates the villagers’ firearms, which indirectly leads to a tragic death. Relieved of his […]

Silent Land – TIFF21 (16/09/2021)

The horrible accident mars a Polish couple’s Italian vacation in Silent Land. Adam (Dobromir Dymecki) and Anna (Agnieszka Zulewska) are a bourgeois Polish couple, who arrive at their vacation home near an Italian island town. One of the first things that the couple notices is that the house’s pool is empty and their landlord Fabio (Marcello […]

Dug Dug – TIFF21 (16/09/2021)

The inhabitants of a small Indian village begin to worship the motorcycle of a recently deceased man in Dug Dug. While riding his motorcycle through the Indian countryside, local drunk Thakur (Altaf Khan) crashes near a billboard for a magician and is promptly bisected by a passing truck. Thakur’s motorcycle is recovered by the three local […]

Flee – TIFF21 (15/09/2021)

A refugee tells his story about how he fled Afghanistan and ended up in Denmark in Flee. Danish filmmaker Jonas Poher Rasmussen interviews his friend Amin Nawabi about his life growing up in Afghanistan and how he had to flee with his family to escape the growing war and turmoil. Ending up in Russia, Amil […]

OUT OF SYNC – TIFF21 (15/09/2021)

A sound designer’s life falls into chaos when a delay develops between her vision and hearing in OUT OF SYNC. Sound designer and foley artist C. (Marta Nieto) starts to notice a delay between her vision and hearing, which begins to affect her work, as noticed by her co-workers Iván (Miki Esparbé) and Aurora (Cris Iglesias). […]

Malignant (14/09/2021)

A woman finds that she has a psychic bond with a supernatural serial killer in Malignant. Madison Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis) is a woman who is hospitalized after an apparent home invasion results in the brutal death of Madison’s abusive husband and the loss of her unborn child. Comforted by her sister Sydney Lake (Maddie Hasson), […]

Nobody Has to Know – TIFF21 (13/09/2021)

A secret romance is reignited between a farmer’s daughter and an amnesiac farmhand in Nobody Has to Know. Phil (Bouli Lanners) is a Belgian man working as a farmhand for Scottish farmer Angus (Julian Glover). Phil suddenly has a stroke in the middle of the field, though he recovers, albeit with temporary amnesia. Phil is assisted […]

Oscar Peterson: Black+White – TIFF21 (13/09/2021)

Tribute is paid to one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time in Oscar Peterson: Black+White. Born in Montreal in 1925, Oscar Peterson first rose to prominence in the 1940s and would soon be simply described as the best jazz pianist in the world, with his ability to play at incredibly high tempos. Highlights […]

You Are Not My Mother – TIFF21 (13/09/2021)

A teenage girl becomes disturbed by the sudden change in the personality of her mother in You Are Not My Mother. Char (Hazel Doupe) is a North Dublin teenager, whose depressed mother Angela (Carolyn Bracken) suddenly vanishes, worrying Char, her grandfather Rita (Ingrid Craigie), and uncle Aaron (Paul Reid). However, Angela suddenly reappears in the […]

Quickening – TIFF21 (12/09/2021)

A Pakistani Canadian teenager deals with family turmoil and heartbreak in Quickening. Sheila (Arooj Azeem) is a young woman from a Pakistani family, who has fallen in love with a white classmate at her university named Eden (Quinn Underwood). However, Sheila chooses not to reveal this information to her parents Aliya (Bushra Ashir Azeem) and Azeem […]

The Middle Man – TIFF21 (12/09/2021)

A small-town man gets a job to be the bearer of bad news in The Middle Man. Frank Farelli (Pål Sverre Hagen) enters the town hall of Karmack to be interviewed by The Commission of The Sherrif (Paul Gross), The Doctor (Don McKellar), and The Pastor (Nicolas Bro). The job Frank is interviewing for is […]

A Banquet – TIFF21 (12/09/2021)

A woman becomes concerned after her oldest daughter suddenly stops eating in A Banquet. Holly (Sienna Guillory) is a woman who lives along with her two teenage daughters Betsy (Jessica Alexander) and Isabelle (Ruby Stokes). After encountering a blood-red moon while at a party, Betsy suddenly loses her desire to eat and comes to believe that […]

DASHCAM – TIFF21 (12/09/2021)

A freestyling musician’s Livestream takes an unexpected turn in DASHCAM. Annie Hardy is the host of BandCar, the internet’s number one improvised music show in a moving vehicle, where she streams her freestyle raps from her car, all while laughing off the COVID-19 pandemic. On a trip to England, Annie steals the phone and car […]

Earwig – TIFF21 (11/09/2021)

A man takes care of a girl with ice for teeth in Earwig. Albert Scellinc (Paul Hilton) is the caretaker for 10-year-old Mia (Romane Hemelaers), who regularly has to be given dentures made out of ice. Albert regularly receives phone calls asking for updates on Mia and he is told that he has 13 takes to prepare […]

As In Heaven – TIFF21 (11/09/2021)

A young woman’s faith is challenged over the course of a tragic night in As In Heaven. Lise (Flora Ofelia Hofmann Lindahl) is the oldest child living on a 19th-century farm, who is preparing to go away to school, a choice supported by Lise’s mother Anna (Ida Cæcilie Rasmussen), but not so much by her absentee […]

Last Night in Soho – TIFF21 (11/09/2021)

A fashion student is haunted by memories of an aspiring singer from the 1960s in Last Night in Soho. Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) is a 1960s-obsessed young woman from the English countryside, who is accepted into the London College of Fashion. Unhappy with the living situation at her dorm, Eloise decides to rent a room in London’s […]

Titane – TIFF21 (11/09/2021)

A woman with an obsession with cars poses as the missing son of a fire captain in Titane. As a child, Alexia (Agathe Rousselle) got into a car accident, resulting in a titanium plate being implanted in her skull. This leads to an unnatural connection to cars, which she uses to great success as a gyrating […]

Comala – TIFF21 (11/09/2021)

A filmmaker seeks the truth about how his father came to be a hitman in Comala. Gian Cassini was shocked to read about the 2010 assassination of El Jimmy, a small-time hitman in Tijuana since the murdered hitman was his own estranged father. This prompts Gian to speak to his family members, including mother Eloisa, half-sister […]

Kicking Blood – TIFF21 (10/09/2021)

A vampire takes in a suicidal alcoholic in Kicking Blood. Anna (Alanna Bale) is a vampire, who works during the day as a librarian with her elderly co-worker Bernice (Rosemary Dunsmore), while at night she hunts for blood with fellow vampires Boris (Benjamin Sutherland) and Nina (Ella Jonas Farlinger). One night, Anna comes across suicidal alcoholic […]

Mlungu Wam (Good Madam) – TIFF21 (10/09/2021)

A woman and her daughter move into the home of her estranged servant mother in Mlungu Wam (Good Madam). After the death of her grandmother, Tsidi (Chumisa Cosa), and her young daughter Winnie (Kamvalethu Jonas Raziya), move into an extravagant house where Tsidi’s estranged mother Mavis (Nosipho Mtebe) works as a servant for her bedridden Madam […]

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (07/09/2021)

A young man must confront his legacy as the heir of a group of martial arts assassins in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Xu Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) is a young Chinese man trying to escape his past as the son of Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), the leader of a group of assassins, […]

Candyman (26/08/2021)

The legend returns for a new generation in Candyman. Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is an artist living in Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood with his gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris). After hearing an urban legend from Brianna’s brother Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) about a graduate student named Helen Lyle who seemingly went crazy, Anthony becomes interested […]

Demonic (26/08/2021)

A woman uses a virtual simulation to learn the horrifying truth about her murderous mother in Demonic. Carly (Carly Pope) is a woman who has repeated nightmares involving her mother Angela (Nathalie Boltt), who was imprisoned two decades earlier for murder. Carly is contacted by her estranged best friend Martin (Chris William Martin), who tells her […]

King Car – Fantasia 2021 (25/08/2021)

A young man with the ability to talk to cars helps with the creation of a new sentient fleet in King Car. Since he was a kid, Uno (Luciano Pedro Jr.) has had the ability to talk to cars, though he decided to suppress this gift after an accident resulting in the death of his mother. […]

Baby, Don’t Cry – Fantasia 2021 (25/08/2021)

A Chinese immigrant between a powder-keg romance with a skid-row punk in Baby, Don’t Cry. Baby (Zita Bai) is a 17-year-old Chinese immigrant in Seattle, who has a troubled home life with her mentally ill mother (Helen Sun), which she escapes by shooting home movies. One day Baby confronts 20-year-old drug dealer Fox (Vas Provatakis), in […]

Seobok – Fantasia 2021 (24/08/2021)

An ex-intelligence agent is tasked with transporting the world’s first human clone in Seobok. Min Ki-Hun (Gong Yoo) is a former intelligence agent currently suffering from a terminal brain tumor. Ki-Hun is tracked down by his old boss Chief Ahn (Jo Woo-jin), who wants Ki-Hun to do one last job for “the company.” Sent to […]

Ultrasound – Fantasia 2021 (24/08/2021)

A strange nighttime encounter kickstarts a life-altering chain of events in Ultrasound. On his way home from a friend’s wedding, Glen (Vincent Kartheiser) has car trouble and seeks help at the house of the unusual married couple of Art (Bob Stephenson) and Cyndi (Chelsea Lopez) and the night ends with Glen being convinced by Art to […]

On the 3rd Day – Fantasia 2021 (23/08/2021)

A woman mysteriously resurfaces three days after a car accident in On the 3rd Day. Cecilia Amato (Mariana Anghileri) has set off on a trip with her young son Martin (Octavio Belmonte) but ends up in an accident, where her car is struck by Enrique (Gerardo Romano). Three days later, Cecilia is found in a daze […]

Mad God – Fantasia 2021 (22/08/2021)

Stop-motion master Phil Tippett presents his three decades in development magnum opus with Mad God. In a Miltonesque world of monsters, mad scientists, and war pigs, an intrepid special agent travels on a special mission. Along the way, he passes through a landscape of corruption and decay, with plenty of horrors on the road ahead. Throughout […]

The Sadness – Fantasia 2021 (21/08/2021)

A viral pandemic turns people into violent and depraved maniacs in The Sadness. In Taiwan, there is concern over the spread of the Alvin virus, which sports similar characteristics to rabies, however, the government excuses it as being no more serious than the flu. Jim (Berant Zhu) and Kat (Regina Lei) are a couple who get […]

Prisoners of the Ghostland – Fantasia 2021 (20/08/2021)

A criminal is tasked with recovering a girl from a dangerous wasteland in Prisoners of the Ghostland. Hero (Nicolas Cage) is an American criminal, who was caught after performing a botched bank robbery, with his trigger-happy partner Psycho (Nick Cassavetes), in the Japanese village of Samurai Town. Sometime later, Hero is brought in front of Samurai […]

Ghosting Gloria – Fantasia 2021 (20/08/2021)

A lonely woman ends up having a passionate affair with the ghost haunting her apartment in Ghosting Gloria. Gloria (Stefania Tortorella) is a bookstore employee, who is in desperate need of getting laid, at least according to her co-worker Sandra (Nenan Pelenur). In addition, Gloria is finding it difficult to sleep in her apartment, due to […]

All the Moons – Fantasia 2021 (19/08/2021)

An orphaned girl turned into a vampire must fend for herself in 19th century Spain in All the Moons. At the end of the Third Carlist War in 1876, an orphanage is attacked and a young girl (Haizea Carneros) is mortally wounded. She is saved by a woman (Itziar Ituño), who heals the girl but the […]

Martyrs Lane – Fantasia 2021 (19/08/2021)

A girl is instructed to do nightly tasks by a ghost in Martyrs Lane. Leah (Denise Gough) is a 10-year-old living in a vicarage with her family. Out of morbid curiosity, Leah takes her mother Sarah’s (Denise Gough) locket to find that it contains a golden lock of hair, which goes flying outside of Leah’s window. […]

The Night House (19/08/2021)

A recently widowed woman starts to believe her late husband is haunting her in The Night House. Beth (Rebecca Hall) is a schoolteacher with a history of depression, who is currently reeling from the very sudden and unexpected suicide of her husband Owen (Evan Jonigkeit). Beth is supported in her grief by her friend Claire (Evan […]

Free Guy (19/08/2021)

A bank teller finds out that he is part of a video game in Free Guy. Guy (Ryan Reynolds) is an extremely optimistic bank teller living in Free City, completely oblivious to the wanton carnage happening around the city, including the daily bank robberies experienced by both himself and his security guard friend Buddy (Lil Rel […]

Don’t Say Its Name – Fantasia 2021 (18/08/2021)

An indigenous community is tormented by a vengeful spirit in Don’t Say Its Name. Peace officer Mary Stonechild (Madison Walsh) is called in after local activist Kharis Redwater (Sheena Kaine) is killed in a hit and run, which absolutely devastates her mother Mary Lynn (Carla Fox). Shortly afterwards, a number of people begin turning up […]

Glasshouse – Fantasia 2021 (17/08/2021)

The sheltered life of a family in a plague-ridden world is interrupted by the arrival of a mysterious stranger in Glasshouse. Bee (Jessica Alexander), Evie (Anja Taljaard), and Daisy (Kitty Harris) are three sisters living with their Mother (Adrienne Pearce) and brother Gabe (Brent Vermeulen) in a glass building, sheltering themselves from a dementia-inducing toxin […]

Annette (16/08/2021)

Warning: This Review Will Contain Some Spoilers The torrid love affair between a comedian and opera singer leads to the birth of a very gifted child in Annette. Henry McHenry (Adam Driver) is a highly provocative stand-up comedian who is in a high-profile relationship with rising opera singer Ann Defrasnoux (Marion Cotillard). The couple quickly gets […]

The Righteous – Fantasia 2021 (15/08/2021)

A former priest feels like is paying for past sins after the arrival of a mysterious stranger in The Righteous. Frederic Mason (Henry Czerny) is a man who left the priesthood many years ago after meeting his wife Ethel (Mimi Kuzyk). Tragedy recently struck Frederick and Ethel when they lost their daughter, who they had adopted […]

Hellbender – Fantasia 2021 (14/08/2021)

A teenager isolated from the world by her mother discovers her family’s ties to witchcraft in Hellbender. Since she was 5 years old, Izzy (Zelda Adams) has lived an isolated life in the Catskill Mountains with her mother (Toby Poser), whom she regularly jams with as part of their rock duo H6LLB6ND6R. However, Izzy begins to […]

Don’t Breathe 2 (13/08/2021)

The Blind Man with the lethal skills returns in Don’t Breathe 2. Eight years after the events of the original, blind army veteran Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang) has settled into a quiet life with his 11-year-old adoptive daughter Phoenix (Madelyn Grace) at his house in the Detroit suburbs. Following a supply drop from Norman’s army ranger […]

Tin Can – Fantasia 2021 (13/08/2021)

A parasitologist is kidnapped and placed in a life-suspension chamber in Tin Can. There is a fungal outbreak known as Coral raging in Eastern Canada and Fret (Anna Hopkins) is a leading parasitologist looking for a cure. However, Fret is suddenly attacked and she wakes up in a life-suspension chamber, surrounded by people in the same […]

Respect (12/08/2021)

The life and career of Aretha Franklin are told in Respect. Ever since childhood, Aretha Franklin (Jennifer Hudson) was dressed with an extremely gifted singing voice, though she was not satisfied with the choices of her minister father C.L. Franklin (Forest Whitaker). Aretha ends up marrying Ted White (Marlon Wayans), who also becomes her manager, […]

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes – Fantasia 2021 (12/08/2021)

A cafe owner discovers he has the ability to communicate with himself two minutes into the future in Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes. Kato (Kazunori Tosa) is the owner of a cafe, who arrives home at his upstairs apartment to discover a version of himself communicating from the cafe’s computer monitor two minutes into the […]

Strawberry Mansion – Fantasia 2021 (11/08/2021)

A dream auditor gets caught up in the fantastical world of his latest client in Strawberry Mansion. James Preble (Kentucker Alder) is a dream auditor for the government, whose job is to tax items seen in recorded dreams. James arrives at the house of the eccentric Arabella Isadora (Penny Fuller), who has over 2000 dreams stored […]

Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It – Fantasia 2021 (11/08/2021)

A trio of friends on a fishing trip get mixed up with a group of gangsters and a one-eyed serial killer in Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It. Dastan (Daniar Alshinov) is a man desperately in need of a break from the nagging of his pregnant wife Zhanna (Asel Kaliyeva), so he spontaneously decides to go on […]

Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched: A History Of Folk Horror – Fantasia 2021 (10/08/2021)

The history of the folk horror subgenre is explored in Woodlands Dark And Days Bewitched: A History Of Folk Horror. The combination of folklore with the horror genre has been done since practically the start of cinema, with some of the earliest examples being silent films such as Häxan (1922) and Puritan Passions (1923). However, […]

King Knight – Fantasia 2021 (08/08/2021)

The life of the high priest of a coven is thrown into turmoil when his past catches up with him in King Knight. Thorn (Matthew Gray Gubler) is the leader of a coven of witches along with his life partner Willow (Angela Sarafyan). Thorn’s non-conformist, pagan lifestyle is thrown into chaos when Willow finds an e-mail […]

The Suicide Squad (06/08/2021)

The black-ops team of supervillains goes on a deadly mission on the South American island of Corto Maltese in The Suicide Squad. Task Force X, nicknamed by many as The Suicide Squad, is a squad of inmates from Belle Reve penitentiary, recruiting by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), with the promise of a 10-year sentence reduction if […]

Alien on Stage – Fantasia 2021 (06/08/2021)

A group of bus drivers from Wimborne, Dorset in the UK put on an amateur stage production of Ridley Scott’s Alien in Alien on Stage. Paranoid Dramatics is an amateur theatre group consisting of Dorset Bus Drivers. In a departure from the group’s usual family pantomimes, scriptwriter Luc decides to write an adaptation of the film Alien, spurred […]

Agnes – Fantasia 2021 (05/08/2021)

A priest is called in to investigate an apparent demonic possession at a convent in Agnes. Father Donaghue (Ben Hall) is a disaffected priest, who is called upon to perform the rite of exorcism on Sister Agnes (Hayley McFarland) of the Santa Teresa convent. Father Donaghue travels to the convent with his neophyte Benjamin (Jake Horowitz) […]

Pig (05/08/2021)

A truffle hunting hermit confronts his past after the kidnapping of his beloved Truffle Pig in Pig. Robin Feld (Nicolas Cage) is a man living on his own in a cabin in the Oregan woods accompanied only by his pet pig, with whom he hunts truffles in the woods that he gives to aspiring restaurant supplier […]

The Green Knight (01/08/2021)

The 14th-century Arthurian poem is adapted for the big screening with The Green Knight. Sir Gawain (Dev Patel) is an aspiring knight and the nephew of King Arthur (Sean Harris), who is often found drunk in a brothel with his lover Essel (Alicia Vikander), reprimanded for doing so by his mother (Sarita Choudhury). Gawain joins the […]

Stillwater (29/07/2021)

An Oklahoma oil worker travels to France to help his imprisoned daughter in Stillwater. Bill Baker (Matt Damon) is a roughneck oil driller from the town of Stillwater, Oklahoma, who travels to Marseille, France to visit his daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin), who has been in prison for the last five years for the murder of her […]

Old (22/07/2021)

A family discovers that they are rapidly aging on a secluded beach in Old. Guy (Gael García Bernal) and Prisca (Vicky Krieps) have traveled to the isolated Anamika Resort with their young children Maddox and Trent. After being impressed by the resort’s hospitality, the family is recommended that they visit a nearby isolated beach by the […]

F9: The Fast Saga (19/07/2021)

Justin Lin returns to direct the ninth entry of this long-running franchise with F9: The Fast Saga. Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) has been spending the last few years living a quiet and reclusive life with his wife Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez ) and young son Brian. However, Dom and Letty are visited by their old team […]

Black Widow (16/07/2021)

The former Russian assassin confronts her past in Black Widow. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) is on the run for violating the Sokovia Accords. While in hiding, Natasha suddenly finds herself attacked by the masked assassin Taskmaster, who was after a package sent to her by sister-figure Yelena Belova (Florence […]

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (16/07/2021)

UPDATE: Since I originally wrote this review, it has come to my attention that director Morgan Neville utilized A.I. technology to recreate Anthony Bourdain’s voice for the film’s narration. This, of course, raises some serious ethical concerns and it does recontextualize the documentary somewhat. However, my original thoughts on the film remain unedited below. The […]

Fear Street Part 3: 1666 (16/07/2021)

Note: This review will include some SPOILERS for both Part 1 and Part 2 The trilogy reaches its conclusion by showing the origins of the curse of Shadyside in Fear Street Part 3: 1666. Sarah Fier (Kiana Madeira) lives in the 17th-century town of Union with her brother Henry (Benjamin Flores Jr.) and father George (Randy Havens). […]

Fear Street Part 2: 1978 (07/07/2021)

Note: This review will include some SPOILERS for Fear Street Part 1: 1994 The saga of the curse of Shadyside travels back in time to a killing spree at a summer camp in Fear Street Part 2: 1978. With her girlfriend Sam Fraser (Olivia Scott Welch) having been possessed by the revengeful spirit of Sarah Fier, […]

The Tomorrow War (02/07/2021)

People from today are sent to fight an alien threat three decades in the future in The Tomorrow War. In December of 2022, the world is shocked when soldiers from the year 2051 arrive asking for help to fight back an alien threat known as Whitespikes, which have almost completely decimated humanity. For Green Beret turned […]

Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised) (02/07/2021)

The forgotten “Black Woodstock” is revisited in Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised). From June 29th to August 24th in the summer of 1969, a predominantly black crowd of 300,000 descended upon Mount Morris Park in Harlem for six Sundays, as part of the Harlem Cultural Festival, which featured performances from […]

Fear Street Part 1: 1994 (02/07/2021)

A group of teenagers accidentally unleash an ancient evil in Fear Street Part 1: 1994. The town of Shadyside has a long history of serial killers, leading to it being nicknamed “Killer Captial USA,” unlike the neighbouring town of Sunnyvale, which has gone three decades without violent crime. Tragedy strikes the town again following a massacre […]

Vicious Fun (29/06/2021)

A horror film critic accidentally finds himself at a support group for serial killers in Vicious Fun. Joel (Evan Marsh) is a young horror film critic in 1983 Minnesota, who writes for a magazine called “Vicious Fanatics,” while secretly harbouring a crush for his roommate Sarah (Alexa Rose Steele). In an elaborate attempt to win her […]

The Winter Lake (22/06/2021)

A troubled teenager accidentally uncovers a dark secret involving his neighbour in The Winter Lake. Tom (Anson Boon) has recently moved with his mother Elaine (Charlie Murphy) to his great-grandfather’s farmhouse in the Irish countryside. Elaine holds a disdain for Tom, whose violent behaviour was the catalyst for their moving out of the city, with Tom […]

The Amusement Park (09/06/2021)

A “lost” film by George A. Romero is restored and finally released 46 years after its completion with The Amusement Park. An optimistic elderly man (Lincoln Maazel) spends a day at an amusement park. However, this fairground turns out to be a living metaphor for the way society ignores and mistreats the older population. The man […]

Spiral: From the Book of Saw (01/06/2021)

A detective tracks down a new serial killer following in the footsteps of the infamous Jigsaw killer in Spiral: From the Book of Saw. Detective Zeke Banks (Chris Rock) is an officer for the Metro Police, disdained by his colleagues for turning in his corrupt partner and being the son of the retired Cheif Marcus Banks […]

Caveat (31/05/2021)

A lone drifter accepts a job to look after a psychologically troubled woman in Caveat. Issac (Jonathan French), a drifter suffering from memory loss, is offered a job by his landlord Barret (Ben Caplan) to look after his niece Olga (Leila Sykes) for five days, offering to pay Issac $200 a day. Issac arrives at the […]

Skull: The Mask (27/05/2021)

A skull-shaped mask unearthed in the Amazon harbours a vengeful spirit in Skull: The Mask. At an archaeological dig in the Amazon, Galvani Volta (Guta Ruiz) acquires a skull mask, a Pre-Columbian artifact, which reportedly contains the spirit of Anhangá, the executioner of the god Tahawantinsupay. The mask is wanted by shady Sao Paulo museum curator […]

Moby Doc (27/05/2021)

The life and career of the electronic music pioneer are told in surrealist fashion in Moby Doc. Richard Melville Hall, better known by his stage name of Moby, was in 1965 in Harlem, New York. Suffering from an unhappy childhood and taking solace in the family pets, Moby learned from an early age that while […]

Army of the Dead (23/05/2021)

A group of mercenaries head into zombie-infested Las Vegas to rob $200 million in Army of the Dead. Following a zombie outbreak that infects most of the city, Las Vegas is placed under quarantine and is set to be destroyed by a nuclear strike. Former mercenary Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) is approached by casino owner Bly […]

Oxygen (12/05/2021)

A woman wakes up a cryogenic pod with no memory of how she got there in Oxygen. Elizabeth Hansen (Mélanie Laurent) wakes up in a panic tied to a bed in a strange chamber of sorts. She is greeted by the Medical Interface Liason Operator or M.I.L.O. (Mathieu Amalric), who informs her that she is in […]

I’m Wanita – Hot Docs 2021 (08/05/2021)

Australia’s “Queen of Honky Tonk” sets off to fulfil her dream of recording in Nashville in I’m Wanita. Wanita is a 47-year-old country music singer based in Tamworth, Australia, who has been spending the past 25 years trying to fulfil her dream of being a star like her idol Loretta Lynn. With the help of her […]

Someone Like Me – Hot Docs 2021 (08/05/2021)

A group of 11 LQBTQ+ Vancouverites sponsor a refugee from Uganda in Someone Like Me. Canada is the only country in the world with legislation in place to allow LGBTQ refugees from around the globe into the country. Rainbow Refugee is a private sponsorship group in Vancouver, which is currently sponsoring Drake, a queer refugee […]

The Return: Life After ISIS – Hot Docs 2021 (07/05/2021)

Thousands of women who left their countries to join ISIS find themselves in limbo at a Syrian detention camp in The Return: Life After ISIS. Spurred on by propaganda videos promising a utopia for Muslims, thousands of radicalized teenage women left their Western countries and travelled to Syria as ISIS recruits. However, after arriving in […]

Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm – Hot Docs 2021 (07/05/2021)

A small farm in Wales gets converted into one of the first residential recording studios in Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm. Fifty years ago, brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward decided to convert their family farm outside of the town of Monmouth in Wales into a recording studio. The stables and pig sheds were equipped with […]

Subjects of Desire – Hot Docs 2021 – Hot Docs 2021 (06/05/2021)

The stereotypes surrounding black women and the definition of beauty are explored in Subjects of Desire. The year 2019 was a watershed moment, where the winners of the Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, and Miss America winners were all black women. This goes against the stereotypes that were perpetrated for decades, […]

A Once and Future Peace – Hot Docs 2021 (06/05/2021)

The indigenous custom of peace-circles are used to helped troubled youth in A Once and Future Peace. The concept of people sitting around and talking in circles has been around in every civilization. Harold Gatensby (Dahka T’lingit) and Judge Barry Stuart decided to adopt the longstanding T’lingit tradition of peace circles into the juvenile court. […]

Magaluf Ghost Town – Hot Docs 2021 (05/05/2021)

The residents of a seaside Spanish town reflect on its status as a hedonistic tourist destination in Magaluf Ghost Town. Magaluf is a town located on the Spanish island of Mallorca, the economy of which is solely driven by the British tourists, who embark on the town every summer. Filmmaker Miguel Ángel Blanca follows Magaluf residents […]

Mau – Hot Docs 2021 (05/05/2021)

Bruce Mau presents his philosophy about the world of design in Mau. Over the course of his career, Bruce Mau has come to be known as not only one of the Earth’s great designers, but also one of the world’s great thinkers. Believing that you have the power to redesign your life, Mau shares his key […]

FANNY: The Right to Rock – Hot Docs 2021 (04/05/2021)

Underrepresented female rock pioneers prepare to make a comeback in FANNY: The Right to Rock. FANNY is a band formed in the late-1960s by Filipino-American sisters Jene and June Millington, along with a rotating line-up that included drummers Brie Darling and Alice de Buhr, keyboardist Nickey Barclay, and guitarist Patti Quatro. The band was one of […]

WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn – Hot Docs 2021 (04/05/2021)

The rise and fall of WeWork CEO Adam Neumann is recounted in WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn. When it was founded in 2010, Adam Neumann described his shared workspace company WeWork as the world’s first “physical social network.” Preferring to call themselves a technology company over real estate, the estimated […]

Dark Blossom – Hot Docs 2021 (03/05/2021)

The evolving relationship of three Goth friends in a small town in Denmark in Dark Blossom. Josephine is a 20-year-old living in a small town, who has embraced Goth culture with her friends Nightmare, a gay, half-Pakistani musician and Jay, a pensive Christian with a skyscraping mohawk. Together, the three share their love of darkness […]

Bank Job – Hot Docs 2021 (03/05/2021)

A mischievous filmmaking duo creates their own currency and bank with the lofty goal of eliminating debut in Bank Job. Debt forms the backbone of a financial system, where credit issuers don’t want us to pay off our balances. Part of the reasoning for this comes from the fact that 97% of all money is […]

Dead Man’s Switch: A Crypto Mystery – Hot Docs 2021 (02/05/2021)

The mysterious rise and fall of the largest Bitcoin exchange in Canada is examined in Dead Man’s Switch: A Crypto Mystery. Founded in 2013 by Gerald Cotten and Michael Patryn, QuadrigaCX quickly grew to become the largest exchange of Bitcoin in Canada. However, it is revealed in early 2019 that Cotton suddenly died while in India […]

Lady Buds – Hot Docs 2021 (02/05/2021)

Six female Cannabis cultivators and entrepreneurs struggle to survive, following the legalization of recreational marijuana in California in Lady Buds. The passing of Proposition 64 in California resulted in Cannabis becoming legal for recreational is. This allowed many involved in the Cannabis industry to try and legitimize their businesses, including second-generation cultivator Chiah Rodriques, retired […]

Audible – Hot Docs 2021 (02/05/2021)

Members of a deaf high school football team head towards homecoming coming to terms with the loss of a close friend in Audible. Amaree McKenstry-Hall became deaf when he received meningitis as a child and he is currently a member of the championship football team at the Maryland School for the Deaf. After a heartbreaking […]

Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy – Hot Docs 2021 (01/05/2021)

The substance-use crisis and drug-poisoning epidemic among the Kainai First Nation in southern Alberta is explored in Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy. Since 2014, the opioid crisis has cost hundreds of lives to members of the Kainai First Nation, which is on top of the ongoing issue of alcoholism and other substance abuse crises. Filmmaker […]

Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest – Hot Docs 2021 (30/04/2021)

A veteran gamer attempts to play for 100 hours in a single stretch in Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest. Kim “Cannon Arm” Købke is a Danish man, who has been an avid player of arcade games since 1977. Kim regularly gathers with his friends at the Bip Bip Bar and plays his game of […]

The Face of Anonymous – Hot Docs 2021 (30/04/2021)

Commander X of the hacktivist group Anonymous tells his story in The Face of Anonymous. One day novelist Ian Thornton struck up a conversation with a homeless man on the streets of Toronto, who turned out to be Christopher Mark Doyon, aka “Commander X” of the hacktivist group Anonymous. Now living in political asylum in Mexico, […]

Viral – Hot Docs 2021 (30/04/2021)

The COVID-19 pandemic is depicted through the social media vlogs of 7 members of Generation Z in Viral. Now in their early 20s, the members of Generation Z is the first one to grow up with social media. Seven YouTubers begin 2020 like any other year, including Nathaniel (@Nathaniel Drew), who had just moved to Paris, […]

Playing with Sharks – Hot Docs 2021 (29/04/2021)

The story of marine conservationist Valerie May Taylor is told in Playing with Sharks. Australian-born Valerie Taylor began her career as a champion spearfisher, before having a change of heart and began to focus on marine conservation with her husband Ron Taylor. Together, Valerie and Ron made underwater documentaries to try and destigmatize the fears of […]

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street – Hot Docs 2021 (29/04/2021)

Take a look behind-the-scenes in the creation of one of the longest-running children’s television series in Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street. The brainchild of Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, co-founders of the Children’s Television Workshop, Sesame Street was created in 1968 as counter-programming for children’s television shows that at the time were focused […]

The Sparks Brothers – Hot Docs 2021 (29/04/2021)

Edgar Wrights guides us down the highly influential, yet criminally underlooked career of the band Sparks in The Sparks Brothers. Described as “the best British group to come out of America,” Sparks was formed in 1967 Los Angeles, under the original name HalfNelson, lead by brothers Ron and Russell Mael. Over the course of their five-decade-long […]

A.rtificial I.mmortality – Hot Docs 2021 (29/04/2021)

The growing Transhumanist movement is examined in A.rtificial I.mmortality. Humanity has been trying to fight death since the beginning of our existence and there is a growing movement of transhumanists, who believe that the future of humanity lies in artificial intelligence, in the form of eternal digital selves. Filmmaker Ann Shin explores this possibility and […]

Sean Kelly Interviews – Cody Calahan and Chad Archibald on The Oak Room (27/04/2021)

Today sees the release of the northern gothic thriller The Oak Room by Black Fawn Distribution, which makes it an opportune time to release the interview I conducted with director/producer Cody Calahan and producer Chad Archibald after the film played as part of the 2020 Fantasia Film Festival. Apologies in advance for the audio quality, […]

Judas and the Black Messiah (25/04/2021)

A petty criminal in sent by the FBI to infiltrate the Black Panther Party in Judas and the Black Messiah. William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) is a small-time criminal, who is caught attempting to hijack a car while pretending to be a federal officer. FBI Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) approaches William and offers to drop […]

Mortal Kombat (25/04/2021)

The popular fighting video games receive a new film adaptation in Mortal Kombat. Cole Young (Lewis Tan) is a past-his-prime MMA fighter, who learns from Major Jax Briggs (Mehcad Brooks) that the dragon-shaped birthmark on his chest makes him chosen to participate in an ancient tournament called Mortal Kombat. Pursued by Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), sent […]

Trial of the Chicago 7 (24/04/2021)

A group of peaceful protestors are placed on trial in the aftermath of riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in The Trial of the Chicago 7. During the Democratic National Convention in the summer of 1968, thousands of protestors gather in Chicago to protest the Vietnam War, which turns into a violent clash with the […]

Nomadland (11/04/2021)

A woman begins living out of her van after the loss of her job and husband in Nomadland. Following the 2011 closure of the US Gypsum plant in Empire, Nevada, along with the death of her husband, Fern (Frances McDormand) decides to adopt the nomad lifestyle, which includes living out of her van and driving cross-country […]

The Father (03/04/2021)

A man with worsening dementia is taken in by his daughter in The Father. Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) is an elderly man suffering from the effects of dementia, who moves in with his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) after he has a falling out with his live-in nurse. However, the move is not easy on Anthony, who […]

Happily (27/03/2021)

A happily married couple’s relationship is tested by the arrival of a mysterious stranger in Happily. Tom (Joel McHale) and Janet (Kerry Bishé) have been extremely happily married for 14 years, which includes an extremely active sex life that comes off as an annoyance to their friends, which consist of fellow couples Karen (Natalie Zea) and […]

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (23/03/2021)

Zack Snyder’s Justice League is being reviewed as an independent entity from the theatrical cut. For my original thoughts, you can check out my original review from November 2017. A little background, for the uninformed: In May 2017, while his Justice League film was beginning post-production, Zack Snyder decided to step down as director, following the […]

Minari (17/03/2021)

A Korean family struggles to make ends meet after starting a farm in Arkansas in Minari. Jacob Yi (Steven Yeun) is a Korean immigrant, who has just moved from California to Arkansas with his wife Monica (Yeri Han) and young children David (Alan S. Kim) and Anne (Noel Kate Cho). Jacob hopes to make a better […]

Coming 2 America (08/03/2021)

Prince Akeem of Zamunda returns to America after discovering he has a son in Coming 2 America. Three decades after travelling to America and meeting the love of his life Lisa (Shari Headley), Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) is summoned to the deathbed of his father King Jaffe Joffer (James Earl Jones), who reveals a secret kept […]

Anne at 13,000 ft (19/02/2021)

A young woman has deep struggles with her work and personal life in Anne at 13,000 ft. Anne (Deragh Campbell) is a woman who works at a daycare, who often finds herself at odds with her co-workers since Anne tends to play with the kids more than supervise them. After going skydiving for the bachelorette […]

Falling (07/02/2021)

A man has to care for his deeply cruel and homophobic dementia-suffering father in Falling. John Peterson (Viggo Mortensen) is a gay man, who brings his father Willis (Lance Henriksen), who is suffering from the early signs of dementia, to John’s home in California with his husband Eric (Terry Chen) and daughter Monica (Gabby Velis). […]

The Dig (31/01/2021)

A self-taught archeologist is hired by a landowner to excavate large burial mounds in The Dig. Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan) is a landowner in 1939 Suffolk, who hires local self-taught excavator Basil Brown (Ralph Fiennes) to take a look at the large burial mounds on her estate in Sutton Hoo. Digging primarily on his own with […]

The Queen of Black Magic (28/01/2021)

A family is tormented by a supernatural threat at a rural orphanage in The Queen of Black Magic. Hanif (Ario Bayu) travels with his wife Nadya (Hannah Al Rashid) and children Dina (Adhisty Zara), Haqi (Muzakki Ramdhan), and Sandi (Ari Irham) to the orphanage where Hanif was raised as a kid by Mr. Bandi (Yayu A.W. […]

Sean Kelly Interviews – Steven Kostanski on Psycho Goreman (26/01/2021)

It’s a rare weekly episode of the Sean Kelly on Movies podcast as we feature an interview with Steven Kostanski about his film PG – Psycho Goreman! Affiliate Links Watch Psycho Goreman — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/skonmovies/message This is a public episode. If youd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get […]

News of the World (23/01/2021)

A travelling newsreader takes in an orphaned girl in News of the World. Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks) is a former member of the Confederate Infantry, who now makes a living travelling from town to town and reading the newspaper headlines to the paying public. One day while travelling between towns, Jefferson comes across […]

PG – Psycho Goreman (22/01/2021)

The ultimate evil in the universe meets its match in the form of a temperamental little girl in PG – Psycho Goreman. Mimi (Nita-Josee Hanna) and Luke (Owen Myre) are siblings, who after a competitive game of crazy ball, dig a hole in their backyard and find a mysterious glowing gem, which Mimi takes for […]

Sean Kelly Interviews – Justin McConnell on Clapboard Jungle (19/01/2021)

It’s our first episode of 2021 and we have for you an interview with Justin McConnell and his documentary Clapboard Jungle, which will be hitting VOD platforms today. Affiliate Links Rent/Purchase Clapboard Jungle — Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/skonmovies/message This is a public episode. If youd like to discuss this with other subscribers or […]

Clapboard Jungle (19/01/2021)

Full Disclosure: I have personally known Justin McConnell since 2012 and I was an Indiegogo contributor for this documentary Filmmaker Justin McConnell uses his own experiences as a jumping-off point for a discussion on how the independent film business works in Clapboard Jungle. It has been Justin McConnell’s dream of breaking into the film business since […]

Wonder Woman 1984 (17/01/2021)

We revisit the Amazon princess, as she faces a new threat in 1980s American in Wonder Woman 1984. 66 years after her adventures during the First World War, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) has taken residence in Washington D.C., where she works at the Smithsonian Institution, while secretly fighting crime as Wonder Woman. At the Smithsonian, Diana […]

Bright Hill Road (12/01/2021)

A woman faces her demons while staying at an isolated hotel in Bright Hill Road. Marcy (Siobhan Williams) is an HR rep with a drinking problem, who is put on leave from her job after her drunken negligence indirectly leads to a mass shooting by a recently fired employee. Marcy decided to drive cross-country to visit […]

Black Bear (10/01/2021)

A filmmaker confronts her demons at a rural retreat in Black Bear. Alison (Aubrey Plaza) is a filmmaker suffering from writer’s block, who rents a room at an isolated cabin owned by Gabe (Christopher Abbott) and his pregnant girlfriend Blair (Sarah Gadon). While hoping to find inspiration for her next film, Alison gets to know her […]

Promising Young Woman (09/01/2021)

A woman seeks vengeance against predatory men in Promising Young Woman. Cassie Thomas (Carey Mulligan) is a 30-year-old med school dropout, who still lives at home with her parents and works in a coffee shop. At night, Cassie makes it a habit to go to clubs and confront the men who try to take advantage […]

Death to 2020 (30/12/2020)

Black Mirror creators Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones presents this satirical look at the previous year in Death to 2020. The year 2020 started with the threat of World War III and ended with an election, all with the cloud of a global pandemic hanging over it. A number of so-called experts breakdown the year […]

Soul (27/12/2020)

The near-death experience of a musician results in him reevaluating the purpose of his life in Soul. Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) is an aspiring jazz pianist, who considers his current position as a middle-school music teacher to be a dead end. However, Joe receives a huge opportunity when he gets a gig to play with […]

Another Round (21/12/2020)

A group of friends perform an experiment about how consuming alcohol can be beneficial to their lives in Another Round. Martin (Mads Mikkelsen), Tommy (Thomas Bo Larsen), Peter (Lars Ranthe), and Nikolaj (Magnus Millang) are four teacher friends from Copenhagen. While out to dinner to celebrate Nikolaj’s 40th birthday, the group begins discussing the theories […]

Freaky (07/12/2020)

A teenage girl finds herself body-swapped with a serial killer in Freaky. Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) is a bullied high school student, whose only true confidants are her friends Nyla (Celeste O’Connor) and Josh (Misha Osherovich). One night while waiting to be picked up after a football game, Millie becomes the next target for the […]

Mank (06/12/2020)

The events that lead to the writing of the screenplay for Citizen Kane are dramatized in Mank. Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) is a washed-up, alcoholic screenwriter who is hired in 1940 by RKO to write a screenplay for Orson Welles (Tom Burke). Put up in a secluded house while recovering from a broken leg, […]

Sound of Metal (20/11/2020)

A heavy metal drummer struggles with the fact that he is going deaf in Sound of Metal. Ruben (Riz Ahmed) and Lou (Olivia Cooke) are a couple who tour together as part of a heavy metal band. One day Ruben gets an immense ringing in his ears and after going to a doctor he learns […]

Hail to the Deadites – Blood in the Snow 2020 (31/10/2020)

The cult fandom of the Evil Dead franchise is explored in Hail to the Deadites. In the decades since its 1981, Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead and its sequels have developed a rabid fanbase who want to connect with anyone and everyone connected to the franchise. Filmmaker Steve Villeneuve travels the horror convention circuit, talking […]

Anything for Jackson – Blood in the Snow 2020 (28/10/2020)

A couple attempts a Satanic ritual to bring back their deceased grandson in Anything for Jackson. Audrey (Sheila McCarthy) and Henry (Julian Richings) Walsh are a couple who are willing to do anything to bring back their two-year-old grandson Jackson, who was killed along with their daughter in a car accident. To achieve this, they […]

Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm (22/10/2020)

Sacha Baron Cohen unleashes his Kazakhstani news reporter on more unsuspecting Americans in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bride to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. Fourteen years after his first trip to America, Borat Sagdiyev (Sacha Baron Cohen) finds himself an embarrassment to his country of Kazakhstan. As a […]

Harpoon – HORROR Review (09/10/2020)

The dark secrets of three friends stranded on a yacht are exposed in Harpoon. Jonah (Munro Chambers) finds himself beaten in a jealous rage by his best friend Richard (Christopher Gray), who accuses Jonah of having an affair with his girlfriend Sasha (Emily Tyra). However, it turns out to be a misunderstanding, as Richard misread […]

The Crazies – Premium HORROR Classics (06/10/2020)

With the world still gripped in the real-life horror of the COVID-19 pandemic, I thought it would be fitting to watch George A. Romero’s 1973 infection-themed horror film The Crazies. The small town of Evans City, Pennsylvania is plunged into martial law when a plane carrying bioweapon in the form of a virus code-named “Trixie,” […]

On the Rocks (05/10/2020)

A woman enlists the help of her playboy father to uncover the truth of her husband’s infidelity in One the Rocks. Laura (Rashida Jones) is a struggling writer, who begins to suspect that her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) might be having an affair with his assistant Fiona (Jessica Henwick) on his many business trips. To […]

Interview: Brandon Cronenberg on Possessor (03/10/2020)

Possessor is the sophomore feature film from writer/director Brandon Cronenberg, who is of course the son of legendary Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg. With both Possessor and its predecessor 2012’s Antiviral, Brandon Cronenberg is both following in his father’s body horror footsteps, while also trying to eke out his own voice as a filmmaker. During a […]

Possessor (01/10/2020)

A corporate assassin begins to literally lose her mind in Possessor. Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) is a woman who works for a company that uses mind implant technology to transfer Vos’ consciousness into a host body, which is then used to perform high profile assassinations, all under the watchful eye of her handler Girder (Jennifer […]

Kajillionaire (25/09/2020)

The daughter of a pair of grifters finds her world turned upside down after the arrival of a new accomplice in Kajillionaire. Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) is a socially awkward 26-year-old woman, whose only real lessons from her parents Robert (Richard Jenkins) and Theresa (Debra Winger) was how to swindle, scam, and steal at […]

Rustic Oracle (18/09/2020)

An 8-year-old Mohawk girl tries to understand her older sister’s sudden disappearance in Rustic Oracle. Ivy (Lake Delisle) is an 8-year-old girl in a small Mohawk community, who has a close relationship with her teenage sister Heather (McKenzie Deer Robinson). One day, Heather doesn’t pick up Ivy after school and their mother Susan (Carmen Moore) […]

The New Mutants (11/09/2020)

Five young mutants encounter their greatest fears in an isolated hospital in The New Mutants. Danielle Moonstar (Blu Hunt) is a 16-year old Cheyenne woman, who wakes up in a hospital for new mutants run by Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga). Danielle joins Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams), Illyana Rasputin (Anya Taylor-Joy), Sam Guthrie (Charlie Heaton), […]

Bill & Ted Face the Music (05/09/2020)

The Wyld Stallyns go on one final time-traveling adventure in Bill & Ted Face the Music. It has been more than three decades since Bill S. Preston, Esq (Alex Winter) and Ted “Theodore” Logan (Keanu Reeves) were prophecized to write a song that unites the world, however their band Wyle Stallyns has been on a […]

For the Sake of Vicious (02/09/2020)

A nurse and a vengeful father try to survive a Halloween night home invasion in For the Sake of Vicious. Romina (Lora Burke) is a single mother and nurse, who returns home one Halloween night and finds that it was broken into by Chris (Nick Smyth), who has a hostage in the form of Romina’s […]

Minor Premise (02/09/2020)

A scientist ends up with his consciousness split into separate personalities in Minor Premise. Ethan (Sathya Sridharan) is a neuroscientist, who is under immense pressure by Malcolm (Dana Ashbrook) to complete the work of Ethan’s late father in creating a device to control human consciousness. Using himself as a guinea pig, Ethan has discovered that […]

Savage State (02/09/2020)

A French family struggle for survival during the American Civil War in Savage State. In the midst of the American Civil War in 1863 Missouri, French colonists Edmund (Bruno Todeschini), his wife Madeleine (Constance Dollé), freed slave Layla (Armelle Abibou) and daughters Abigaëlle (Maryne Bertieaux), Justine (Déborah François), and Esther (Alice Isaaz) seek safe passage […]

Bring Me Home (02/09/2020)

A woman desperately tries to recover his missing son in Bring Me Home. Jung-Yeon (Lee Young-ae) has spent the last six years looking for her missing son Yoon-su. Soon after her husband dies in tragic car crash, Jung-Yeon receives a lead about a boy matching Yoon-su’s description and the Mansun Fishing Spot. Jung-Yeon arrives to […]

Jumbo (02/09/2020)

A shy and awkward young woman falls in love with an amusement park ride in Jumbo. Jeanne (Noémie Merlant) is an awkward young woman, who works nights at her local amusement park. One night Jeanne is amazed when one of the park’s rides, which she nicknamed “Jumbo,” comes to life before her eyes, with Jeanne […]

The Five Rules of Success (02/09/2020)

A recently paroled man tries to rebuild his life in The Five Years of Success. Freshly released from prison, X (Santiago Segura) has committed himself to live on the straight and narrow and making a success of himself. With his parole officer Emma (Isidora Goreshter) watching his every move, X quickly finds a job at […]

Anything for Jackson (02/09/2020)

A couple attempts a Satanic ritual to bring back their deceased grandson in Anything for Jackson. Audrey (Sheila McCarthy) and Henry (Julian Richings) Walsh are a couple who are willing to do anything to bring back their two-year-old grandson Jackson, who was killed along with their daughter in a car accident. To achieve this, they […]

Undergods (01/09/2020)

Take a journey through Europe in decline in Undergods. Street scavengers K (Johann Myers) and Z (Géza Röhrig) load dead bodies into their truck in a plague-ridden city and tell each other stories about their routines. This includes Ron (Michael Gould) and Ruth (Hayley Carmichael), a couple in a loveless marriage who enters into a […]

Sanzaru (01/09/2020)

A Filipina nurse encounters supernatural entities at the house of the woman she’s caring for in Sanzaru. Evelyn (Aina Dumlao) is a young Filipina woman, who has just started a job as a live-in nurse for dementia suffering Dena (Jayne Taini). Evelyn has also come into the care of her nephew Amos (Jon Viktor Corpuz), […]

Come True (31/08/2020)

A teenager gets more than she bargins for when she participates in a sleep study in Come True. Sarah (Julia Sarah Stone) is an 18-year-old plauged with nightmares, who decides to participate in a university sleep study headed up by Jeremy (Landon Liboiron). Things initially start off well, but Sarah’s nightmares begin to get worse […]

#ShakespearesShitstorm (30/08/2020)

The folks at Troma Entertainment return with a new film lampooning the bard in #ShakespearesShitstorm. Elonzo “Big Al” King (Abraham Sparrow) is the head of the pharmaceutical Avanbard Incorporated, who is planning to launch his new drug “Safespacia” aimed at Millenials suffering from “entitlementia.” While on a cruise to celebrate the launch, the staff of […]

Tenet (29/08/2020)

A CIA agent becomes involved with an organization intent on stopping time inverting weapons in Tenet. The Protagonist (John David Washington) is a CIA agent, who after surviving a botched undercover operation in Kyiv is recruited into a top-secret organization known only by the code name “Tenet.” The Protagonist learns of the existence of weapons […]

The Dark & The Wicked (29/08/2020)

Two siblings experience strange occurrences at the farm of their dying father in The Dark & The Wicked. Louise (Marin Ireland) and her brother Michael ((Michael Abbott Jr) put their lives on hold to return the farm of their mother (Julie Oliver-Touchstone) and father (Michael Zagst), the latter of whom is on his deathbed. However, […]

The Block Island Sound (29/08/2020)

Something terrifying is happening off the coast of a remote fishing town in The Block Island Sound. Harry Lynch (Chris Sheffield) is a man who becomes concerned when his fisherman father Tom (Neville Archambault) begins acting rather strangely. However, Harry’s concern increases when Tom vanishes overnight and he and his sister Audry (Michaela McManus) fear […]

The Columnist (28/08/2020)

A female journalist decides to take bloody vengeance against online trolls in The Columnist. Femke Boot (Katja Herbers) is the writer of a newspaper column, who is the victim of relentless and vile criticism via social media. Despite being advised by fellow writer and boyfriend Steven Dood (Bram van der Kelen) to “never read the […]

A Mermaid in Paris (28/08/2020)

A cabaret singer encounters a mermaid washed up in the City of Lights in A Mermaid in Paris. Gaspard Snow (Nicolas Duvauchelle) is the primary singer at the Flowerburger, a cabaret club run by his family, which has fallen on hard times. One night, Gaspard encounters an injured mermaid named Lula (Marilyn Lima), who has […]

Kriya (27/08/2020)

A man finds himself thrust into the funeral ritual for the father a woman he just picked up in a bar in Kriya. Neel (Noble Luke) is a nightclub DJ, who picks up a woman named Sitara (Navjot Randhawa) following a set. He ends up following her home to find Sitara’s mother Tara Devi (Avantika […]

Bleed with Me (27/08/2020)

A young woman develops suspicions about her friend during a trip to a cabin in Bleed with Me. Rowan (Lee Marshall) is a shy and awkward woman, who accompanies her co-worker and best friend Emily (Lauren Beatty) on a trip to a cabin with Emily’s boyfriend Brendan (Aris Tyros). Things come off to a rocky […]

Unearth (26/08/2020)

The farms of two families are affected by a fracking operation in Unearth. George (Marc Blucas) is a mechanic undergoing hard financial times and is unable to provide for his daughter Heather (Rachel McKeon) and Kim (Brooke Sorenson), the latter of whom has a young infant. George lives next door to Kathryn Dolan (Adrienne Barbeau), […]

Marygoround (26/08/2020)

A 50 year old woman has a sexual awakening in Marygoround. Mary (Grazyna Misiorowska) is a grocery story worker, who has started to go through menopause, which she begins take hormone treatments for. That, combined with the sudden visit of her niece Helena (Helena Sujecka) results in in the still virginal Mary having an increased […]

The Oak Room – Fantasia 2020 (25/08/2020)

A young man tells a story about an incident at a bar in The Oak Room. On a snowy night, while closing his bar, Paul (Peter Outerbridge) inexplicably visited by Steve (RJ Mitte), who has been drifting for three years and owes a huge debt. While waiting until it’s time to collect, Steve decides to […]

You Cannot Kill David Arquette (25/08/2020)

David Arquette tries to redeem himself to the world of professional wrestling in You Cannot Kill David Arquette. In 2000, while promoting the film Ready to Rumble, David Arquette was infamously booked to win the WCW World Championship. This move ended up infuriating the wrestling world and stalling Arquette’s acting career. Nearly two decades later, […]

Detention (24/08/2020)

Students at a boarding school wake up in a dark purgatory in Detention. It is 1962 and Taiwan is under martial law, where anyone caught with books containing Communist or left-wing thoughts were banned and those caught with them were punishable by death. Wei Chong-Ting (Jing-Hua Tseng) is a student at Greenwood High School and […]

Lucky (24/08/2020)

A self-help author is tormented on a nightly business by a home-invading killer in Lucky. May Ryer (Brea Grant) is a notable self-help author, whose latest book hasn’t been selling as well as her first. One night. May discovers a masked invader at her house and her husband Ted (Dhruv Uday Singh) matter-of-factly mentions that […]

Slaxx (24/08/2020)

The staff of a department store is terrorized by sentient killer blue jeans in Slaxx. The hip department store Canadian Cotton Clothiers is preparing for their Monday Madness sale and the launch of their new self-adjusting Super Shaper jeans. Libby (Romane Denis) is freshly hired by store manager Craig (Brett Donahue) and joins other staff […]

12 Hour Shift (23/08/2020)

A nurse finds herself in the middle of an organ harvesting operation gone wrong in 12 Hour Shift. Set in 1999 Arkansas, Mandy (Angela Bettis) is a nurse preparing to work a double shift. Aside from stealing drugs from her patients, Mandy is involved in an organ harvesting operation with her co-worker Karen (Nikea Gamby-Turner) […]

The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw (23/08/2020)

A rural community suspects one of their own of witchcraft in The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw. In 1973, a protestant village of mostly Irish immigrants have been suffering from many tragic afflictions. The only exception is Agatha Earnshaw (Catherine Walker), who owns the only prosperous farm in the area. Agatha also has a teenage daughter […]

Class Action Park (22/08/2020)

The legend of the most dangerous amusement park of all time is recounted in Class Action Park. Gene Mulvihill is a former Wall Street tycoon, who in 1979 opened up Action Park in the small town of Vernon, New Jersey. With no regard for conventional rules, Mulvihill populated this water park with some of the […]

Yummy (22/08/2020)

A zombie outbreak occurs at a plastic surgery hospital in Yummy. Alison (Maaike Neuville) is a very self-conscious woman, who travels with her mother Oksana (Taeke Nicolai) and boyfriend Michael (Bart Hollanders) to Klinika Krawczyk in order to receive a breast reduction operation from Dr. Krawczyk (Eric Godon). However, the test subjects of a “rejuvenation […]

Hunted (22/08/2020)

A woman runs from a predatory man in the woods in Hunted. Eve (Lucie Debay) is a French actress who meets a seemingly charming Man (Arieh Worthalter) in a bar, who helps her to fend off a guy trying to pick her up. However, it soon turn out that this stranger is a sexual predator, […]

The Undertaker’s Home (22/08/2020)

A family fights to survive a demonic presence in the funeral home where they live in The Undertaker’s Home. Bernardo (Luís Machín), wife Estella (Celeste Gerez) and stepdaughter Irina (Camila Vaccarini) all live together in Bernardo’s funeral home, which is also home to a number of spirits that haunt them a night. However, the nightly […]

PVT Chat (22/08/2020)

A loner becomes obsessed with the webcam model he chats with every night in PVT Chat. Jack (Peter Vack) is a young man living in a grungy New York City apartment, who spends his days playing online Blackjack and his nights chatting with webcam models. His favourite model is San Francisco dominatrix Scarlet (Julia Fox) […]

Climate of the Hunter (21/08/2020)

Two sisters compete for the attentions of a man who may or may not be a vampire in Climate of the Hunter. Alma (Ginger Gilmartin) is a somewhat mentally unstable woman currently staying at the family cabin with her sister Elizabeth (Mary Buss). They are soon joined by their old childhood friend Wesley (Ben Hall), […]

Special Actors (21/08/2020)

Two brothers join a special acting agency to take down a cult in Special Actors. Kazuto (Kazuto Osawa) has aspirations to become an actor but has a problem of frequently fainting while under stress. One day Kazuto is reunited with his younger brother Hiroki (Hiroki Kono), who introduces Kazuto to the “Special Actors” agency, which […]

The Reckoning (20/08/2020)

A newly widowed woman in a plague-ridden 17th century English village finds herself accused of witchcraft in The Reckoning. Grace Haverstock (Charlotte Kirk) is a woman in 1665 England, who is mourning the death of her husband Joseph (Joe Anderson), who has hung himself after contracting the great plague, leaving Grace alone with her infant […]

2011 (20/08/2020)

An isolated film editor is tormented by his mysterious neighbour in 2011. The Tenant from 2011 (Émile Schneider) is a young film editor currently working on a feature film The Burning Flesh for independent director Hugo (Hugolin Chevrette). However, the tenant begins to fall into his anxieties through recurring nightmares and the actions of his […]

Hail to the Deadites (19/08/2020)

The cult fandom of the Evil Dead franchise is explored in Hail to the Deadites. In the decades since its 1981, Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead and its sequels have developed a rabid fanbase who want to connect with anyone and everyone connected to the franchise. Filmmaker Steve Villeneuve travels the horror convention circuit, talking […]

Fried Barry (18/08/2020)

A heroin junkie gets his mind literally fried after he is abducted by aliens in Fried Barry. Barry (Gary Green) is heroin abducted lowlife in Cape Town, who walks out on his wife Suz (Chanelle de Jager) shortly before he goes on a drug bender and gets abducted by aliens, who take control of his […]

Clapboard Jungle (18/08/2020)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of the 2020 Canadian Film Fest Full Disclosure: I have personally known Justin McConnell since 2012 and I was an Indiegogo contributor for this documentary Filmmaker Justin McConnell uses his own experiences as a jumping-off point for a discussion on how the independent film business works […]

The Mortuary Collection (18/08/2020)

A grim mortician tells macabre stories to a prospective young protege in The Mortuary Collection. Montgomery Dark (Clancy Brown) is the resident mortician at the Raven’s End Mortuary, where every corpse tells a story. After a funeral service, Montgomery meets a young drifter named Sam (Caitlin Fisher), who is interested in the open position at […]

Unhinged (16/08/2020)

A single mother finds herself pursued and tormented by a road raging madman in Unhinged. Rachel Hunter (Caren Pistorius) is a young woman currently going through a divorce, who finds herself stuck in traffic while driving her son Kyle (Gabriel Bateman) to school. Along the way, Rachel has an altercation with a man (Russell Crowe), […]

Things I Do for Money (12/08/2020)

Two Japanese-Canadian cello-playing brothers find themselves entangled in the Hamilton crime scene in Things I Do for Money. Eli Yaguchi (Theodor Aoki) is a seventeen-year-old aspiring cellist, who is busy practicing for an all-important recital. However, Eli has to deal with the lack of interest from his older brother Nick (Maximilian Aoki), who works at […]

You Should Have Left (11/08/2020)

A troubled man and his family encounter strange occurrences at their Welsh vacation home in You Should Have Left. Theo Conroy (Kevin Bacon) is a former banker, who plagued by nightmares and the lingering fallout from a past event. Theo decides to go on a vacation to Wales with his much younger actress wife Susana […]

She Dies Tomorrow (09/08/2020)

A young woman comes to believe that she is going to die tomorrow and spreads this belief to others in She Dies Tomorrow. Amy (Kate Lyn Sheil) is a young woman who has developed a very sudden and inexplicable belief that she is going to die the next day. The worries Amy’s friend Jane (Jane […]

Train to Busan presents Peninsula (08/08/2020)

Four years after the incident on the Train to Busan, survivors return to the zombie-infected Korean Peninsula. Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won) is a Marine captain who is forced to abandon his sister and nephew while escaping zombie-infected, much to the chagrin of his brother-in-law Chul-min (Kim Do-yoon). Four years later, Jung-seok is struggling to get by […]

Host (02/08/2020)

A group of friends Zoom conversation is disrupted by a demonic entity in Host. Haley (Haley), Jemma (Jemma Moore), Emma (Emma Louise Webb), Radina (Radina Drandova), Caroline (Caroline Ward), and Teddy (Edward Linard) are six friends under lockdown, who have gathered for their weekly Zoom conversation. On this particular Zoom meeting, the friends have decided […]

Bloodshot (02/08/2020)

A slain soldier is brought back as a near-invincible killing machine in Bloodshot. Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel) is a US marine, who finds himself and his wife Gina (Talulah Riley) kidnapped by a group of mercenaries lead by Martin Axe (Toby Kebbell), who ends up killing them both. However, Ray later wakes up in the […]

Random Acts of Violence (31/07/2020)

The creator of a horror comic finds out that a serial killer is copying his work in Random Acts of Violence. Todd Walkley (Jesse Williams) is the creator of “Slasherman,” the number one R-rated comic, which is inspired from the I90 serial killer from three decades prior. Struggling to find an ending for the final […]

Target Number One (Most Wanted) (24/07/2020)

An investigative journalist digs into the story of a Canadian arrested in Thailand during a drug bust gone wrong in Target Number One. Victor Malarek (Josh Hartnett) is an investigative reporter in 1989 Toronto, who decides to write a drug bust that recently happened in Thailand, which has resulted in Canadian citizen Daniel Léger (Antoine-Olivier […]

Impetigore (23/07/2020)

A young woman and her friend travel to a remote village to find out the sinister secrets of her family in Impetigore. Maya (Tara Basro) is a young woman, who is left shaken after being attacked by a machete-wielding madman while working in a tollbooth. Soon afterward, Maya discovers old photos that suggest that she […]

From the Vine (20/07/2020)

A downtrodden CEO seeks a new start at his family’s vineyard in Italy in From the Vine. Marco Gentile (Joe Pantoliano) is the recently-promoted CEO of the Santius Automotive company, who becomes disillusioned with his position after the board turns down his commitment to lessen the company’s environmental impacts. Taking a leave of absence from […]

First Cow (12/07/2020)

A cook and a Chinese immigrant begin a successful business with the help of a wealthy landowner’s milking cow in First Cow. Cookie Figowitz (John Magaro) is a loner who has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory. It is there that is becomes acquainted with King-Lu (Orion Lee), a […]

Volition (10/07/2020)

A small time criminal with clairvoyant powers tries to changes his fate when he has a vision of his own death in Volition. Since he was a kid, James (Adrian Glynn McMorran) has had the ability to see events before they happened. James’ visions are useful to to local criminal Ray (John Cassini), who wants […]

The Beach House (07/07/2020)

A couple’s romantic getaway is disrupted the arrival of an older couple in The Beach House. Randal (Noah Le Gros) arrives with his girlfriend Emily (Liana Liberato) at his family’s beachfront property to reconnect with each other. However, it isn’t long until they discover that the house is also being occupied by Mitch (Jake Weber) […]

Hamilton (06/07/2020)

Disney presents a filmed performance of the Tony Award-winning musical with Hamilton. Inspired by the 2004 biography by Ron Chernow, the musical is a reworked story of the life of Alexander Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda), who was one of the founding fathers of the United States alongside George Washington (George Washington) and Thomas Jefferson (Daveed Diggs), […]

Premium Classics: Do the Right Thing (30/06/2020)

With Black Lives Matter being a major topic of conversation over the last month or so, I thought I would finally watch Spike Lee’s 1989 breakthrough film Do the Right Thing. Set on an extremely hot day in the neighbourhood of Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Mookie (Lee) begins his workday as a pizza delivery boy for Sal […]

Hammer (29/06/2020)

A small-time criminal receives help from his father after a botched drug deal in Hammer. Desperate for money, Chris Davis (Mark O’Brien) arranges a high-price drug deal with Adams (Ben Cotton) and his girlfriend Lori (Dayle McLeod). However, an attempt by Chris to doublecross Adams goes sour and Lori ends up being shot, while Chris […]

Trouble (23/06/2020)

A filmmaker seeks to reconnect with her estranged Northern Irish father in Trouble. Mariah Garnett travels to Vienna to meet her father David, who she hasn’t seen since she was two years old. Growing up in Belfast at the height of The Troubles, David was the subject of a 1971 BBC news story, solely for […]

You Don’t Nomi (17/06/2020)

The cult appeal of the film Showgirls is explored in You Don’t Nomi. Upon its release in 1995, Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls was universally bashed by critics and swept the Razzie Awards. However, in the 25 years since its release, Showgirls began to be embraced for its “so bad its good” campiness, developing a cult following […]

The Rest of Us (16/06/2020)

Two pairs of mothers and daughters learn to cope with one another following a death in The Rest of Us. Cami (Heather Graham) and her teenage daughter Aster (Sophie Nélisse) are shocked to learn that Cami’s ex-husband has suddenly passed away following a heart attack. Soon afterwards, Cami finds out that her ex’s new wife […]

The Dakota Entrapment Tapes (15/06/2020)

A college student is forced to become a confidential informant for law enforcement in The Dakota Entrapment Tapes. In May 2014, 20-year-old college student Andrew Sadek is reported missing and is found dead two months later. In the ensuing investigation, it is discovered that Andrew found himself in the middle of an aggressive war of […]

The King of Staten Island (15/06/2020)

A basement-dwelling aspiring tattoo artist begins to take the first steps towards a meaningful life in The King of Staten Island. Scott Carlin (Pete Davidson) is a 24-year-old high school dropout, who lives in the basement of his mother Margie (Marisa Tomei) and has aspirations about being a tattoo artist. Life becomes complicated for Scott […]

Eddy’s Kingdom (09/06/2020)

“Canada’s First Terrorist” tells his side of the story in Eddy’s Kingdom. Eddy Haymour immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in the 1950s and found success as an entrepreneur. Acquiring Rattlesnake Island in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Eddy’s ultimate dream was to open a theme park called Moroccan Shadou. However, Eddy was accused of […]

Judy & Punch (09/06/2020)

A husband and wife puppeteer duo try to resurrect their marionette show in Judy & Punch. In the small anarchic town of Seaside (located nowhere near the sea), Professor Punch (Damon Herriman) and his wife Judy (Mia Wasikowska) find that their marionette show is a hit with the locals, thanks primarily to Judy’s superior puppetry […]

Becky (07/06/2020)

A teenage girl fights back against a gang of neo-nazis in Becky. Becky (Lulu Wilson) is a bullied high school student, who has a strained relationship with her father Jeff (Joel McHale) after the death of Becky’s mother. During a trip to the family cottage, Becky is not happy to find out that they have […]

Shoot to Marry (06/06/2020)

A lonely and heartbroken man uses the filming of a documentary to meet women in Shoot to Marry. Steve Markle is a middle-aged man, who becomes extremely heartbroken when his longtime girlfriend Amy breaks up with him after he proposes to her during Christmas. Desperate to meet the true love of his life, Steve begins […]

The 8th (05/06/2020)

Ireland prepares for a referendum to repeal a controversial anti-abortion law in The 8th. In 1983, the people of Ireland voted to add the 8th Amendment to the constitution stating that the unborn have equal rights to life as its mother, which effectively makes abortion illegal in the country. 35 years later, activist Ailbhe Smyth leads […]

Clapboard Jungle (04/06/2020)

Full Disclosure: I have personally known Justin McConnell since 2012 and I was an Indiegogo contributor for this documentary Filmmaker Justin McConnell uses his own experiences as a jumping-off point for a discussion on how the independent film business works in Clapboard Jungle. It has been Justin McConnell’s dream of breaking into the film business since […]

Hazy Little Thing (04/06/2020)

Friends of a writer suffering from depression stage an intervention in the form of a surprise birthday gathering in Hazy Little Thing. Billie (Erin Margurite Carter) is the author of a semi-autobiographical novel, who has been suffering from writer’s block and depression alone at her large house. After making a troublesome social media post suggesting a […]

Coded Bias (04/06/2020)

The biases present in machine learning algorithms are examined in Coded Bias. While working on a project in the MIT Media Lab, computer scientist Joy Buolamwini discovered that facial-recognition software was unable to identify her face, as an African-American female, unless she put on a white mask. Upon further examination, Joy learns that the training […]

#Blessed (04/06/2020)

An evangelical church in Toronto develops a connection with millennials in #Blessed. C3 is an Evangelical church that began in Australia and has grown to 500 churches around the world. The Toronto branch of C3 was formed by Pastor Sam and his wife Jenn in 2013 and over the last number of years the congregation has […]

Shut Up Sona (03/06/2020)

An Indian pop singer finds herself subject to a misogynistic backlash in Shut Up Sona. Sona Mohapatra is an Indian pop singer, who gets into trouble when she receives a letter accusing her of insulting Islamic Sufi practices by wearing “objectionable, body revealing, obscene apparels” in a music video of her singing an 800-year-old song […]

Stateless (03/06/2020)

Winner—Hot Docs Special Jury Prize – Canadian Feature Documentary Those of Haitian descent within the Dominican Republic find themselves stripped of their citizenship in Stateless. Since colonial rule, there have been racial tensions between the nations of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, both of which share the island of Hispaniola. In 2013, the Dominican Constitutional Court […]

The Vast of Night (01/06/2020)

Two teenagers investigate a strange noise broadcasting over the radio in their small town in The Vast of Night. One night sometime in the 1950s, while most of the population of the town of Cayuga, New Mexico is attending the high school basketball game, 16-year-old switchboard operator Fay Crocker (Sierra McCormick) notices a strange sound playing […]

A Thousand Cuts (30/05/2020)

A Filipino journalist faces immense backlash for herself and her outlet, in response to her criticism of the President of the Philippines in A Thousand Cuts. Maria Ressa is the co-founder of the Filipino news website Rappler which has been the victim of constant online harassment, as well as lawsuits and arrest warrants brought about by […]

I Love You I Miss You I Hope I See You Before I Die (30/05/2020)

A mother of two shares a house with ten others in I Love You I Miss You I Hope I See You Before I Die. Betty Boykin is a young mother of two living below the poverty line in suburban Colorado Springs. Betty shares a house with ten other people, including Betty’s young daughter Jade […]

Queen of the Morning Calm (29/05/2020)

A Toronto sex worker hopes for a better life for her and her daughter in Queen of the Morning Calm. Debra (Tina Jung) is a 29-year-old Korean-Canadian, who has been working as a stripper while she finishes her studies to become an accountant. However, life is hard for Debra, since she has to care for her […]

Daddy (28/05/2020)

A former anthropologist reflects on his life as a stay at home father in Daddy. Brendan Cooney is a former anthropologist and journalist, who moved to Copenhagen after meeting and marrying his wife Ida. Unable to find a job due to the inability to speak Danish, Brendan settles for a life a stay-at-home father to his […]

Love & Stuff (28/05/2020)

Filmmaker Judith Helfand turns the camera on herself and her efforts to become a mother, while still mourning the loss of her own in Love & Stuff. After her mother, Florence dies of cancer, Judith Helfand finds the grieving process difficult and ends up hoarding boxes of her mother’s belongings in Judith’s cramped apartment. However, seven […]

There’s No Place Like This Place, Anyplace (27/05/2020)

The redevelopment of Mirvish Villages kicks off a discussion about gentrification in the city of Toronto in There’s No Place Like This Place, Anyplace. After being a fixture at the corner of Bloor and Bathurst for over 75 years, David Mirvish makes the decision to sell his father’s landmark department store “Honest Ed’s” to Vancouver condo […]

Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist (27/05/2020)

Filmmaker William Friedkin talks in-depth about the making of his most well-known film in Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist. According to William Friedkin, everything has to do with the mystery of fate or faith. Friedkin tackled the latter for his 1973 adaptation of the novel by William Peter Blatty, which the filmmaker tried […]

iHuman (27/05/2020)

Various scientists look towards the future of Artificial Intelligence and what it means for the future of humanity in iHuman. Stephen Hawking once said that success in the creation of A.I. might end up being the biggest event in human history, though it might also be its last. A number of experts, including the “father of […]

They Call Me Dr. Miami (26/05/2020)

Hot Docs at Home is a Selection of Films from the Postponed 2020 Edition of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival That Will Air Thursdays in April and May on CBC, Documentary Channel, and CBC Gem A Miami plastic surgeon becomes a social media sensation in They Call Me Dr. Miami. Dr. Michael Salzhauer is the […]

The Trip to Greece (25/05/2020)

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon head to Greece for their fourth culinary adventure in The Trip to Greece. Marking a decade of culinary excursions, Steve and Rob set off to follow the path of Odysseus in Greece for an Observer article, this time written by Rob instead of the career-focused Steve. However, during the trip, Steve […]

A Perfect Plan (23/05/2020)

A group of four career criminals are forced to plan a diamond heist in A Perfect Plan. Kate (Kathleen Munroe) wakes to find herself liked in a basement with Irishman Rowan (Michael Hough), Mexican woman Magdalene (Gia Sandhu), and smart guy Grayson (William Forsythe), all of whom happen to have a criminal background. It turns out […]

Alone Across the Arctic (22/05/2020)

An explorer documents his 4000km solo trek across Canada’s arctic wilderness in Alone Across the Arctic. Adam Shoalts is a wilderness explorer and author, who on May 13, 2017 sets of on journey alone across the Canadian arctic. Beginning his journey along the Dempster Highway in the Yukon, Adam prepares to travel an estimated 4000 km […]

Influence (21/05/2020)

Hot Docs at Home is a Selection of Films from the Postponed 2020 Edition of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival That Will Air Thursdays in April and May on CBC, Documentary Channel, and CBC Gem The rise and fall of one of the world’s biggest public relations agencies are told in Influence. Bell Pottinger […]

Meat the Future (15/05/2020)

Hot Docs at Home is a Selection of Films from the Postponed 2020 Edition of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival That Will Air Thursdays in April and May on CBC, Documentary Channel, and CBC Gem A company prepares to introduce “clean meat” to the marketplace in Meat the Future. Memphis Meats is a company, co-founded […]

Finding Sally (30/04/2020)

Hot Docs at Home is a Selection of Films from the Postponed 2020 Edition of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival That Will Air Thursdays in April and May on CBC, Documentary Channel, and CBC Gem A filmmaker learns of the hidden story of her long-lost aunt in Finding Sally. After moving from Canada to Ethiopia, […]

Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art (17/04/2020)

Hot Docs at Home is a Selection of Films from the Postponed 2020 Edition of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival That Will Air Thursdays in April and May on CBC, Documentary Channel, and CBC Gem One of the biggest art forgery cases in US history is broken down in Made You Look: A True […]

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness (17/04/2020)

The feud between an eccentric zookeeper and an animal rights activist leads to a murder plot in Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness. Joseph Schreibvogel, known primarily by his stage name of Joe Exotic, is the eccentric owner of the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park in Wynnewood, Oklahoma. For years, Joe Exotic has been in a […]

Bacurau (06/04/2020)

The population of a small Brazillian village has to deal with a group of armed mercenaries in Bacurau. Teresa (Bárbara Colen) returns home to Bacurau, a small village in the Brazilian sertão, to mourn the death of her grandmother and the town matriarch Carmelita. In the days following the funeral, the members of the village […]

Canadian Strain (04/04/2020)

A pot dealer struggles to make a living after cannabis is made legal in Canadian Strain. Anne Banting (Jess Salgueiro) is feeling major mixed feelings about the upcoming legalization of cannabis in Canada since even though it is something she fought for, it leaves her profession as a drug dealer null and void. Anne explores […]

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (03/04/2020)

A teenage girl from rural Pennsylvania travels with her cousin to New York City to deal with an unwanted pregnancy in Never Rarely Sometimes Always. Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) is a 17-year-old girl living in a small town in rural Pennsylvania. Autumn begins to suspect that she may be pregnant, a fact that she confirms when she […]

James vs. His Future Self (03/04/2020)

A time-travel obsessed scientist is visited by an older version of himself in James vs. His Future Self. James (Jonas Chernick) is a scientist who spends all day trying to figure out time travel, hoping to impress his boss Dr. Edna Rowley (Frances Conroy). Ignoring everyone in his life except his sister Meredith (Tommie-Amber Pirie) […]

Resistance (01/04/2020)

An aspiring actor joins a resistance group seeking to save the lives of Jewish orphans during World War II in Resistance. Marcel Mangel (Jesse Eisenberg) is a young man in Strasbourg, France, who works in his father’s butcher shop during the day, while at night aspires to become a mime. One day, Marcel is recruited to […]

Vivarium (27/03/2020)

A couple finds themselves trapped in a suburban neighbourhood in Vivarium. Gemma (Imogen Poots) and Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) are a young couple looking to buy a home. They come across an odd realtor named Martin (Jonathan Aris), who convinces the couple to take a good at a house in a new housing development called Yonder, […]

To Live to Sing (24/03/2020)

A traditional opera troupe faces the demolition of their theatre in To Love to Sing. Zhao Li (Xiaoli Zhao) is the manager of a small Sichuan Opera troupe operating at a small theatre in a rural village on the outskirts of Chengdu, China, of which Zhao Li’s young niece Dan Dan (Guidan Gan) is the star […]

The Internet of Everything (22/03/2020)

Documentarian Brett Gaylor examines out the increasingly connected world in The Internet of Everything. There was a time when the internet seemed like a fun and new way to connect together humanity. However, that all began to change when technology companies evolved into giant corporations, who are looking into new ways to connect the world […]

Phoenix, Oregon (20/03/2020)

An aspiring graphic novel artist joins a business venture to reopen the local bowling alley in Phoenix, Oregon. Bobby Hoffman (James LeGros) is a middle-aged divorcee, who struggles to finish his autobiographical graphic novel, while working a dead-end bartending job for egotistical Kyle (Diedrich Bader), along with his longtime friend and chef Carlos (Jesse Borrego). One […]

Premium Classics: Desperately Seeking Susan (16/03/2020)

After days of self-isolation due to COVID-19, I was seeking a light film to watch to escape from what was going on in the outside world. Thankfully, the Criterion Channel currently has a number of films from director Susan Seidelman, including the 1985 comedy Desperately Seeking Susan, which was the acting debut for Madonna, whose […]

The Hunt (12/03/2020)

Twelve strangers awaken in an isolated area to find that they are being hunted for sport in The Hunt. A group of people awaken to find themselves bound in an open field. It isn’t long until shots begin firing and some of the group recognize their situation as the infamous “Manor-gate,” where “Liberal elites” kidnap and […]

Onward (09/03/2020)

Two Elvish brothers go on a quest to complete a spell that will bring back their father in Onward. Over the generations, fantastic creatures have forgotten about magic in exchange for the conveniences of the modern world. On his 16th birthday, Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) and his older brother Barley (Chris Pratt) receive a gift from […]

The Jesus Rolls (28/02/2020)

John Turturro writes and directs a new adventure for his character from The Big Lebowski in The Jesus Rolls. Jesus Quintana (Turturro) is released from a stint in prison and greeted by his good friend Petey (Bobby Cannavale). It isn’t long until Jesus decides to steal a sports car owned by hotheaded hairdresser Paul Dominique (Jon Hamm), […]

The Invisible Man (27/02/2020)

A woman believes that she is being tormented by her now-invisible abusive ex in The Invisible Man. One night, Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) decides to pack up and leave her abusive husband Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), who also happens to be a well-known optics researcher. Traumatized by her ordeal, Cecilia stays at the home of her […]

The Lodge (23/02/2020)

This review may contain SPOILERS A soon-to-be stepmother finds herself stranded at a cabin with her fiance’s two children in The Lodge. Still grieving the sudden suicide of their mother Laura (Alicia Silverstone), 17-year-old Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and 12-year-old Mia (Lia McHugh) are dismayed to learn that their father Richard (Richard Armitage) plans on marrying his young […]

Space & Time (22/02/2020)

Full Disclosure: I was classmates at York University with both Space & Time‘s writer/director Shawn Gerrard and producer Cameron MacLaren A longtime couple begins to find their paths drifting apart in Space & Time. As they celebrate their anniversary, Sean (Steven Yaffee) and Siobhan (Victoria Kucher) contemplate the existence of alternate versions of themselves with the […]

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (20/02/2020)

A young artist develops a romantic connection with the woman she was hired to paint a portrait of in Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is a young painter, who travels to an island in eighteenth-century Brittany, where she is hired by La Comtesse (Valeria Golino) to paint a portrait of her […]

Sonic the Hedgehog (18/02/2020)

The Sega mascot heads to the big screen with Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is a blue alien hedgehog, who is forced to leave his home planet since his superhuman ability to run at supersonic speeds makes him the target of those who want to take his power. Sonic has spent the last decade hiding […]

Downhill (13/02/2020)

A man’s act of cowardice during an avalanche causes tensions with his wife in Downhill. Billie (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Pete (Will Ferrell) are a couple who have gone on a ski trip to Austria with their two kids, as a way for Pete to get over the recent death of his father. However, tensions quickly rise […]

The Assistant (13/02/2020)

The young assistant of a film producer becomes increasingly aware of the toxic environment she finds herself in The Assistant. Jane (Julia Garner) is a recent college graduate, who has been working for the last five years as an assistant in a film producer’s office, with the ambitions of someday becoming a producer herself. Throughout one […]

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (09/02/2020)

A group of female vigilantes team up against a Gotham City crimelord in Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Despondent after breaking up with the Joker, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) goes on a bender before declaring her emancipating of the clown prince of crime by blowing up the Ace Chemicals plant. […]

Rabid (01/02/2020)

The Soska Sisters reimagine the original David Cronenberg classic with Rabid. Rose (Laura Vandervoort) is a meek assistant to fashion designer Gunter (Mackenzie Gray), who shows little attention to Rose’s designs. Going to a party with photographer Brad (Benjamin Hollingsworth), Rose ends up feeling humiliated when she finds out that the date was arranged for by […]

Bliss (30/01/2020)

A struggling artist is introduced to a drug that gets her creative juices flowing, while also introducing some vampiric side-effects. Dezzy (Dora Madison) is a young woman, who has been struggling to finish a painting for an upcoming gallery show, while also having to deal with her nagging landlord, unreliable agent, and her freeloading boyfriend […]

The Gentlemen (26/01/2020)

Guy Ritchie returns with his first gangster film in over a decade with The Gentlemen. One day Raymond (Charlie Hunnam) is visited by private investigator Fletcher (Hugh Grant), who details his plans to blackmail Raymond’s boss Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey), an American immigrant, who has created a highly successful marijuana dealing operation in the UK. Mickey […]

Bad Boys for Life (18/01/2020)

The bad boy Miami detectives return for one last ride in Bad Boys for Life. Detective Lieutenants Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) have been partners in the Miami police department for over 25 years, though Marcus is considering retirement following the birth of his grandson. Meanwhile, Mexican cartel leader Isabel Aretas (Kate […]

Underwater (14/01/2020)

The crew of a drilling operation 7 miles under the ocean struggle to survive following a crippling earthquake in Underwater. Norah Price (Kristen Stewart) is a mechanical engineer in the Kepler 822 Station located at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. A sudden earthquake causes immense damage to the station, which is doomed to implode […]

Little Women (07/01/2020)

Greta Gerwig writes and directs this new adaptation of the classic novel with Little Women. The March sisters of Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh), and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) grew up together with their mother Marmee (Laura Dern), while their father (Bob Odenkirk) fights in the Civil War. Of the four, Jo […]

Uncut Gems (02/01/2020)

A jeweller with a gambling addiction hopes to score big with a rare gem in Uncut Gems. Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) is the owner of a jewelry store in New York’s diamond district, who owes a lot of money in gambling debts, particularly to his brother-in-law Arno (Eric Bogosian), who sends a couple of enforcers […]

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (20/12/2019)

The Resistance makes its last stand against the First Order in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. As the war between the Resistance and the First Order rages on, it is discovered that the long thought deceased Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) has returned and has been secretly controlling the First Order from the Sith homeworld […]

1917 (20/12/2019)

Two soldiers during the First World War are sent to stop their fellow soldiers from walking into a trap in 1917. In the spring of 1917 in the midst of the First World War, Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay) are taken to speak with General Erinmore (Colin Firth), who […]

Bombshell (19/12/2019)

The story behind the 2016 Fox News scandal is told in Bombshell. Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron) is one of the top anchors at Fox News, who had just recovered from a year of public ridicule by Presidential candidate Donald Trump when fellow Fox News host Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) finds herself suddenly fired. Immediately afterwards, […]

Antigone (15/12/2019)

A teenage woman sacrifices her freedom to save her brother in Antigone. Antigone (Nahéma Ricci) is the youngest child of an immigrant family living in Montreal, who fled to Canada with their grandmother Ménécée (Rachida Oussaada) following the murder of Antigone’s parents. Despite being a Grade A student and a budding relationship with Hémon (Antoine […]

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (08/12/2019)

A troubled investigative journalist is assigned to write a profile on Mr. Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. In 1998, Lloyd Vogel (Lloyd Vogel) is assigned by his editor at “Esquire” magazine to write a profile on children’s television host Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) for an upcoming piece about heroes. Lloyd has been […]

The Two Popes (01/12/2019)

The contrasting ideologies between Pope Benedict XVI and his successor Pope Francis are examined in The Two Popes. Following the death of John Paul II in 2005, conservative German Cardinal Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger (Anthony Hopkins) is elected the new leader of the Catholic Church as Pope Benedict XVI. Fast forward to 2012 and the Catholic […]

Marriage Story (30/11/2019)

The divorce of a young couple becomes increasingly less amicable in Marriage Story. After a decade of marriage, actress Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and theatre director Charlie (Adam Driver) have decided to split up. Cast in a new TV role, Nicole travels with her son Henry (Azhy Robertson) home to Los Angeles, staying with her mother […]

Knives Out (27/11/2019)

A famed private investigator looks into the mysterious death of a mystery writer in Knives Out. The morning after his 85th birthday, famed mystery writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead of an apparent suicide. Following the funeral, police Lieutenant Elliott (LaKeith Stanfield) and Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan) are joined by private investigator Benoit […]

Puppet Killer – Blood in the Snow 2019 (22/11/2019)

Review Updated: 11/24/2019 A group of high school students are stalked by a sentient killer puppet in Puppet Killer. As a kid, Jamie (Aleks Paunovic) was gifted a puppet named Simon by his mother, who also began an unhealthy family tradition of watching horror movies, until she tragically died of cancer. Shortly afterwards, Jamie’s stepmother […]

Necropolis: Legion (20/11/2019)

An occult writer awakens an evil vampiric sorceress in Necropolis: Legion. While in the middle of performing a very sexually charged Satanic ritual, the vampire sorceress Eva (Ali Chappell) is murdered by her reverend husband Maynard Gandy (Joseph Lopez) and sent to the netherworld. Many years later, occult writer Lisa (Augie Duke) travels to Maynard […]

Ford v Ferrari (20/11/2019)

The Ford Motor Company sets out to build a racecar that can beat Ferrari in Ford v Ferrari. In 1963, following a failed acquisition attempt, Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) commits himself to build a racecar that can beat Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Vice President Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) hires Carroll […]

Lady and the Tramp (17/11/2019)

A house dog finds love with a stray in Lady and the Tramp. Lady (Tessa Thompson) is a Cocker Spaniel living a happy life with her owners Jim Dear (Thomas Mann) and Darling (Kiersey Clemons) and neighbouring dogs Bloodhound Trusty (Sam Elliott) and Scottish Terrier Jock (Ashley Jensen). However, Lady’s idyllic life changes with the […]

We Are Little Zombies – Reel Asian 2019 (11/11/2019)

Four newly orphaned kids go on to become pop music sensations in We Are Little Zombies. Hikari, Ikuko, Ishi and Takemura are four 13-year-old children, whose parents have all recently died under different circumstances, ranging from a car crash to murder. Meeting at the crematorium, the four decide to band together and go on an […]

The Irishman (09/11/2019)

The true story of mob hitman Frank Sheeran is told in The Irishman. Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) is a World War II veteran, who worked as a driver of meat delivery trucks in 1950s Pennsylvania. This leads to Frank doing odd jobs for the mob and striking up a friendship with local crime boss […]

Doctor Sleep (09/11/2019)

The Shining receives a follow-up four decades later in Doctor Sleep. Traumatized by his childhood experience at the Overlook Hotel, Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) has become an alcoholic drifter still haunted by the ghosts of his past. However, Dan begins to rebuild his life when he settles into a small town and joins AA with […]

Terminator: Dark Fate (03/11/2019)

Sarah Connor returns in Terminator: Dark Fate. Even though she helped stop Judgement Day and the rise of Skynet, the life of Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) is struck by tragedy when one many T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) Terminators sent back finds and kills her son John. More than two decades later, a new threat emerges in […]

Enhanced – Toronto After Dark 2019 (25/10/2019)

A group of humans with superhuman abilities are hunted down by the Government organization that created them in Enhanced. Captain George Sheppard (George Tchortov) is the leader of a team tasked with apprehending a group of bioengineered killers, who have escaped from the facility where they were created. One of these individuals is Anna (Alanna […]

James vs. His Future Self – Toronto After Dark 2019 (19/10/2019)

A time-travel obsessed scientist is visited by an older version of himself in James vs. His Future Self. James (Jonas Chernick) is a scientist who spends all day trying to figure out time travel, hoping to impress his boss Dr. Edna Rowley (Frances Conroy). Ignoring everyone in his life except his sister Meredith (Tommie-Amber Pirie) […]

Zombieland: Double Tap (17/10/2019)

We catch up to the ragtag group of survivors a decade later in Zombieland: Double Tap. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) have spent ten years surviving together in the zombie-infested United States. However, when Columbus proposes to Wichita, she runs off with Little Rock, who in […]

Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (16/10/2019)

Jay and Silent Bob once again try to stop the production of a film about themselves in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. While on trial for a routine drug violation, Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) accidentally sign away the rights to their name and likeness to Saban Films. They soon learn from […]

Gemini Man (16/10/2019)

A retiring hitman finds himself hunted by his younger clone in Gemini Man. Henry Brogan (Will Smith) is an ageing government assassin, who has become disillusioned with killing and decides to retire. After retiring, Henry learns that the target of his final job was innocent. This knowledge makes Henry a target of the agency he […]

The Addams Family (10/10/2019)

The creepy and kooky family return for a new animated adventure in The Addams Family. Following their wedding, Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia Addams (Charlize Theron) are forced by torch-wielding villagers out of the old country and have to find a new place to call home. Arriving in New Jersey, Gomez and Morticia take shelter […]

Joker (06/10/2019)

An alternate history of the DC comics villain is told in Joker. Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a lonely man with mental health issues, who lives alone with his mother Penny (Frances Conroy) and dreams of being a popular standup comedian and appearance on a talk show hosted by Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro). During […]

Judy (01/10/2019)

The story of Judy Garland in the twilight of her career is told in Judy. Three decades after her breakthrough role in The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland (Renée Zellweger) is suffering from depression and substance abuse and is on the verge of losing custody of her two youngest kids to her ex-husband Sidney Luft […]

Ad Astra (23/09/2019)

An astronaut travels to the farthest reaches of the solar system to locate his long-lost father in Ad Astra. In the near future, humanity has set up colonies on the moon and Mars and have sent out missions to find signs of intelligent life in space. Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) is an astronaut following […]

Jojo Rabbit – TIFF19 (16/09/2019)

A Hitler Youth discovers that his mother has been sheltering a Jewish girl in Jojo Rabbit. Jojo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) is a ten-year-old member of the Hitler Youth, who imagines that he is best friends with Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). Injured in a grenade accident during training camp, Jojo is left to stay at […]

Crazy World – TIFF19 (15/09/2019)

Child kidnappers have to contend with the “Waka Stars” in Crazy World. The Tiger Mafia, lead by the diminutive Mr. Big, need to kidnap kids for a sacrifice. While the kids’ parents, which includes a commando gone crazy and Uganda’s best action cop Bruce U, try to stage a rescue, it is soon discovered that […]

First Love – TIFF19 (14/09/2019)

A young boxer and a call-girl find themselves caught up in the middle of a drug war between the Yakuza and a Chinese gang in First Love. Leo Katsuragi (Masataka Kubota) is an up and coming boxer, who receives the bad news that he has been diagnosed with a brain tumour. Having nothing to lose, […]

SYNCHRONIC – TIFF19 (14/09/2019)

Two New Orleans paramedics encounter a series of strange deaths connected to a mysterious designer drug in SYNCHRONIC. Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan) are two paramedics in New Orleans who come across a series of grisly drug-related deaths, with the common denominator being the presence of a synthetic drug called SYNCHRONIC. Things turn […]

TIFF19: Bad Education (13/09/2019)

A Long Island school district is rocked by the largest embezzlement scandal in history in Bad Education. Frank Tassone (Hugh Jackman) is the superintendent of the Roslyn School District in Long Island, who along with his assistant superintendent for business, Pam Gluckin (Allison Janney) have brought unprecedented prestige to the district. When it was discovered […]

Sorry We Missed You – TIFF19 (13/09/2019)

A working-class British family struggles to make ends meet in Sorry We Missed You. Having previously lost his home and job in the 2008 financial crash, Ricky (Kris Hitchen) starts a semi-freelance job with a delivery depot. Requiring a long financial deposit for his delivery van, Ricky’s wife Abbie (Debbie Honeywood) is forced to sell […]

Color Out of Space – TIFF19 (12/09/2019)

A New England family’s farm is infected by an alien organism in Color Out of Space. Nathan Gardner (Nicolas Cage) lives on an isolated farm with his wife Theresa (Joely Richardson) and children Lavinia (Madeleine Arthur), Benny (Brendan Meyer), and Jack (Julian Hilliard). One night a glowing pink meteor falls and crashes on the farm. […]

Gundala – TIFF19 (12/09/2019)

The popular Indonesia superhero hits the big screen in Gundala. Sancaka (Abimana Aryasatya) is a man who found himself alone as a child, after the death of his father and the disappearance of his mother. Working as a security guard, Sancaka discovers that he gains super-strength when his struck by lightning. When the disfigured crime […]

Anne at 13,000 ft – TIFF19 (10/09/2019)

A young woman has deep struggles with her work and personal life in Anne at 13,000 ft. Anne (Deragh Campbell) is a woman who works at a daycare, who often finds herself at odds with her co-workers since Anne tends to play with the kids more than supervise them. After going skydiving for the bachelorette […]

The Last Porno Show – TIFF19 (10/09/2019)

An aspiring method actor inherits his estranged father’s porno theatre in The Last Porno Show. Wayne (Nathanael Chadwick) is a struggling actor, who discovers with much apathy that his estranged father Al (Christian Aldo) has passed away and has left Wayne his rundown porno theatre. Initially set on quickly selling off the theatre, Wayne becomes […]

The Platform – TIFF19 (09/09/2019)

A man finds himself in a vertical prison in The Platform. Goreng (Iván Massagué) wakes up in The Pit, a “vertical self-management centre” made up of hundreds of floors, each featuring two inmates, whose only food source comes from a platform that lowers from floor to floor. Goreng’s cellmate Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor) quickly gives a […]

The Lighthouse – TIFF19 (07/09/2019)

Two lighthouse keepers slowly descend into madness in The Lighthouse. Set in the late 19th century, cantankerous lighthouse keeper Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) arrives at a remote New England island for a four-week term, along with his new underling Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson). Thomas operates the beacon of the lighthouse at night, while Winslow is […]

Clifton Hill – TIFF19 (06/09/2019)

A woman decides to investigate a 25-year-old kidnapping case in Clifton Hill. Following her mother’s death, Abby (Tuppence Middleton) returns home to Niagara Falls, where she is asked by her estranged sister Laure (Hannah Gross) to sign the documents finalizing the sale of the rundown Rainbow Inn to local developer Charlie Lake (Eric Johnson), whose […]

Blood Quantum – TIFF19 (06/09/2019)

The members of an isolated Mi’gmaq community find themselves immune to a zombie outbreak in Blood Quantum. Traylor (Michael Greyeyes) is the chief police officer of the Red Crow Indian Reservation in 1981, who along with his wife Joss (Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers) has to deal with the delinquent activities of his sons Lysol (Kiowa Gordon) and […]

IT Chapter Two (03/09/2019)

The now-adult Losers Club returns to Derry to finish what they started as kids in IT Chapter Two. It has been 27 years since the Losers Club faced off with the demonic clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) and most have moved away and forgotten their life in Derry. However, when horrific deaths begin to reoccur in […]

Ready or Not (21/08/2019)

A newlywed woman finds herself the target of her inlaw’s deadly game of “hide and seek” in Ready or Not. Grace (Samara Weaving) has just gotten married to Alex Le Domas (Mark O’Brien), the heir to a gaming empire. On her wedding night, Grace is told by Alex that she has to adhere to tradition […]

Good Boys (15/08/2019)

Three six graders try to recover a drone, so they can attend a party in Good Boys. Max (Jacob Tremblay), Lucas (Keith L. Williams), and Thor (Brady Noon) are three six grade best friends, who get excited when Max is invited by the cool kids to a kissing party, which gives Max the opportunity to […]

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (09/08/2019)

Guillermo del Toro produces a film adaptation of the popular book series of young adult horror stories in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Stella Nicholls (Zoe Margaret Colletti) is a teenage girl living with her father Roy (Dean Norris) in the small town of Mill Valley. Her only friends are Auggie Hilderbrandt (Gabriel […]

The Art of Self-Defense (03/08/2019)

A meek accountant joins an unorthodox karate dojo following a mugging in The Art of Self-Defense. Casey Davies (Jesse Eisenberg) is an accountant, who one night gets mugged and beaten by a group of bikers. Fearful about his safety, Casey signs up at a local karate dojo, run by a somewhat unorthodox Sensei (Alessandro Nivola). […]

Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw (01/08/2019)

The bitter rivals have to team together to save the world in Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw. Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) is called in by the CIA and forced to reluctantly team with his hated rival Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) to recover a killer virus that was supposed stolen by a rogue MI6 […]

Freaks (28/07/2019)

A young girl wants to escape from her father’s protective control in Freaks. Seven year old Chloe (Lexy Kolker) has spent her whole life living in hiding with her father Henry (Emile Hirsch), who warns her of the dangers outside. However, Chloe soon becomes fed up with her captivity and ventures outside, where she meets ice cream […]

Jessica Forever (28/07/2019)

A woman cares for a group of violent marauders in Jessica Forever. In a dystopian future society, orphans roam the world causing violence and mayhem. However, a group of orphans have been gathered together by the matriarchal Jessica (Aomi Muyock), who teaches them to be more kind and compassionate. Forever on the run from special forces drones, […]

Sadako (28/07/2019)

Hideo Nakata returns to direct the latest entry of the Ringu series with Sadako. Mayu Akikawa (Elaiza Ikeda) is a young doctor in a hospital, who develops an attachment with a mysterious young girl (Himeka Himejima), who is admitted into her ward. Meanwhile, Mayu’s video blogger brother Kazuma (Hiroya Shimizu) decides to make his latest […]

Phantom of Winnipeg (28/07/2019)

The unexpected cult success of Phantom of the Paradise in Winnipeg is explored in Phantom of Winnipeg. In 1974, Brian De Palma released his rock opera Phantom of the Paradise, starring William Finley, Jessica Harper, and Paul Williams, which was an undisputed box office bomb. However, this fact was lost on the population of Winnipeg, […]

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (28/07/2019)

Quentin Tarantino brings us back to 1969 Los Angeles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In February 1969, fading 1950s television star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) is struggling to find work for himself and his stuntman best friend Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), other than the various villain of the week roles on TV pilots. […]

Sean Kelly Interviews – Fantasia 2019 – Gigi Saul Guerrero on Culture Shock (27/07/2019)

In the second of my Fantasia 2019 interviews, I spoke to Mexican-Canadian filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero about her feature film debut Culture Shock, which had its International Premiere at the festival. Culture Shock was produced by Blumhouse Television for their Into the Dark anthology series on Hulu. Supported Links Watch Culture Shock on Hulu (U.S. […]

Extreme Job (27/07/2019)

An undercover narcotics team begins a sting operation inside a fried chicken restaurant in Extreme Job. Captain Ko (Ryu Seung-ryong) is the leader of a small ragtag team of narcotics detectives assigned to stakeout and take down a local drug kingpin. The perfect cover for the team arises when a nearby fried chicken restaurant goes […]

Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (26/07/2019)

A disgraced martial arts expert becomes entangled with Hong Kong’s criminal underwork in Master Z: Ip Man Legacy. Wing Chun expert, Cheung Tin Chi (Max Zhang) seeks to keep a low profile after being defeated by Ip Man. However, Cheung crosses paths with opium dealer Tso Sai Kit (Kevin Cheng), who continues to peddle drugs, […]

The Wrath (26/07/2019)

A wealthy Korean family is tormented by a vengeful spirit in The Wrath. The heirs of the family of Madame Shin are being killed off on their wedding way by the vengeful spirit of a woman. Ok-bun is a young beggar, who is married off to Shin’s youngest son, in a last-ditch effort to break […]

Culture Shock (25/07/2019)

A Mexican immigrant finds herself in an idealistic town that’s too good to be true in Culture Shock. Marisol (Martha Higareda) is a pregnant Mexican woman, who desires to immigrate to a better life in America. Marisol makes arrangements with Coyote (Sal Lopez) to be snuck over the border and is joined on her trip […]

Lake Michigan Monster (25/07/2019)

An eccentric sea captain seeks revenge against a sea monster occupying Lake Michigan in Lake Michigan Monster. Captain Seafield (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews) wants revenge against the monster that killed his father, which occupies Lake Michigan, one fathom from the coast of Lighthouse Island. Seafield assembles his team of weapons expert Sean Shaughnessy (Erick West), […]

Jade’s Asylum (24/07/2019)

A group at a mansion in Costa Rica are attacked by a group of forest-dwelling beings in Jade’s Asylum. While on a drug-fueled trip to a mansion in Costa Rica, Jade Williams (Morgan Kohan) leaves her boyfriend Toby in a jealous fit and is prepared to walk back to the airport. All the while, Jade […]

Sator (24/07/2019)

A man encounters a malevolent force in the woods in Sator. Adam (Gabe Nicholson) is a man who lives an isolated existence in a cabin in the woods, though he is occasionally visited by his brother Pete (Michael Daniel). The two men’s grandmother Nani (June Petersom) keeps talking about a being named Sator who gets […]

The Purity of Vengeance (22/07/2019)

Police detectives investigate a 12-year-old cold case somehow connected to a former girl’s home in The Purity of Vengence. Carl (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) and Assad (Fares Fares) are two Copenhagen detectives, who take on a grisly new case, as four mummified skeletons are discovered in a walled-off room of an apartment. After identifying the bodies, […]

Fantasia 2019: The Incredible Shrinking Wknd (21/07/2019)

A woman gets stuck in a time loop on a cottage trip with her friends in The Incredible Shrinking Wknd. Alma (Iria del Río) is a 30-year-old woman, who has come up for a weekend at the cottage with her boyfriend Pablo (Adam Quintero) and her friends Claudia (Irene Ruiz), Mark (Jimmy Castro), Sira (Nadia […]

Killerman (21/07/2019)

A criminal gets amnesia following a drug deal gone bad. Moe (Liam Hemsworth) and Skunk (Emory Cohen) are low-level money launderers working for Skunk’s uncle Perico (Zlatko Buric). Deciding to make some money on a side, Skunk decides to participate in a heroin deal with a local contact. However, the drug deal turns out to […]

The Lion King (21/07/2019)

The animated classic receives a photorealistic update with The Lion King. The son of Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Sarabi (Alfre Woodard), young Simba (JD McCrary) is destined to one day become the king of the Pride Lands. However, Mufasa’s jealous brother Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) plots to usurp the throne for his own, with the […]

The Prey (20/07/2019)

An undercover Chinese detective is placed in a Cambodian prison, where the corrupt warden hires men to hunt down the prisoners in The Prey. Xin (Gu Shangwei) is an undercover Chinese detective in Cambodia, who is arrested an placed in a prison run by a brutal warden (Vithaya Pansringarm). Xin is one of many prisoners […]

Fantasia 2019: Blood on Her Name (20/07/2019)

A woman struggles with guilt following an accidental killing in Blood on Her Name. In the aftermath of an apparent robbery gone wrong, Leigh Tiller (Bethany Anne Lind) is left with a dead body on the floor of her garage. Leigh’s initial response is to try and dispose of the body, but she becomes wracked […]

It Comes (20/07/2019)

A newlywed couple and their young daughter are targeted by an evil spirit in It Comes. Hideki (Satoshi Tsumabuki) and Kana (Haru Kuroki) are a happy newlywed couple, expecting the birth of their first child. However, two years after the birth of their daughter Chisa, Hideki and Kana are tormented by an evil spirit, who […]

The Wretched (20/07/2019)

A teenage boy begins to suspect that his neighbour has been replaced by a forest-dwelling witch in The Wretched. 17-year-old Ben (John-Paul Howard) travels to stay with his father Liam (Jamison Jones) for the summer, during which he takes a job at the local marina, where he meets Mallory (Piper Curda). Meanwhile, Liam’s neighbour Abbie […]

Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway (19/07/2019)

The mind of a CIA agent is trapped in a virus-infected virtual world in Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway. Special Agent DT Gagano (Daniel Tadesse) is a C.I.A. agent, who is ready to retire and open a pizzeria with his wife Malin (Gerda-Annette Allikas). However, Gagano accepts one last jump to join […]

No Mercy (19/07/2019)

A woman seeks bloody vengeance against those who abducted an assaulted her younger sister. Former martial arts champion Inae (Lee Si-young) is released from prison and is reunited with her teenage sister Eunhye (Park Se-wan). However, the reunion doesn’t last long, since Eunhye disappears the next day, after encountering bullies at her school. Inae goes […]

1BR (18/07/2019)

A young woman moves into an apartment complex with a dark secret in 1BR. Living in Los Angeles to get away from his estranged father, Sarah (Nicole Brydon Bloom) lucks into a one-bedroom at Asilo Del Mar Apartments. Greeted by the friendly manager Jerry (Taylor Nichols), Sarah quickly becomes acquainted with the neighbours, including man […]

Swallow (18/07/2019)

A young pregnant woman begins the habit of ingesting random objects in Swallow. Hunter (Haley Bennett) is a young woman who has a seemingly happy life with her husband Richie (Austin Stowell), who comes from a wealthy and successful family. Soon after moving into a new house, Hunter discovers that she is pregnant. It isn’t […]

Stare (18/07/2019)

A group of young people are affected a curse involving a ghost is abnormally large eyes in Stare. Within close proximity to each other Haruo’s brother Kazuto and Mizuki’s friend Kana both die of apparent heart attacks, except for the fact that their eyes exploded. Haruo and Mizuki team together to find out what happened […]

Fantasia 2019: DreadOut (18/07/2019)

A group of teens encounter a supernatural evil at an abandoned apartment complex in DreadOut. Linda (Caitlin Halderman) is a shy high school student, who is convinced by fellow students Beni (Irsyadillah), Jessica (Marsha Aruan), Erik (Jefri Nichol), Alex (Ciccio Manassero), and Dion (Susan Sameh) to join them on a nighttime trip to an abandoned […]

Mystery of the Night (17/07/2019)

A woman raised in a mystical forest experiences love and scorn for the first time in Mystery of the Night. In 1900 colonial Philippines, a pregnant Filipino woman is left for dead in an enchanted forest by Anselmo (Allan Paule), the mayor the nearby Spanish settlement, who soon ends up dead by the mystical beings […]

Idol (17/07/2019)

A grieving father wants answers about the events that lead to his son’s death in Idol. Councilor Koo Myung-hui is a candidate for governor, who returns home one day to find out that his son Johan was involved in a hit and run and brought the bloody body home with him. Koo convinces his son […]

BLOOD & FLESH – The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson (17/07/2019)

The life and tragic death of cult filmmaker Al Adamson are revisited in BLOOD & FLESH – The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson. As the son of silent movie star Denver Dixon, Al Adamson gained the filmmaker bug when he helped his father direct the 1961 western Halfway to Hell. Teaming with […]

Darlin’ (16/07/2019)

A feral teenager is sent to a Catholic orphanage to be rehabilitated in Darlin’. Late one night, the mute and feral teenager ((Lauryn Canny) is brought to a hospital by The Woman (Pollyanna McIntosh). Nicknamed “Darlin” based on the bracelet she wears, the girl is transferred to St. Philomena’s Catholic boarding school for girls, where […]

Paradise Hills (15/07/2019)

A young woman is forced to stay at an emotional healing centre in Paradise Hills. Uma (Emma Roberts) is forced to stay for two months at a healing centre run by The Dutchess (Milla Jovovich), before partaking in an arranged marriage with Son (Arnaud Valois). Befriending fellows girls Amarna (Eiza González), Chloe (Danielle Macdonald), and […]

Astronaut (15/07/2019)

A retired civil engineer enters a competition to be part of the first commercial flight into space in Astronaut. Angus Stewart (Richard Dreyfuss) is a 75-year-old man with heart problems, who has been living with his daughter Molly (Krista Bridges), her husband Jim (Lyriq Bent), and son Barney (Richie Lawrence). When a billionaire entrepreneur named […]

Come to Daddy (14/07/2019)

A young man has an awkward reunion with his estranged father in Come to Daddy. Norval (Elijah Wood) travels to the middle of nowhere to reunite with his long-estranged father (Stephen McHattie), from whom he has received a letter asking for help. However, things quickly fall off the rails between Norval and his father, the […]

Vivarium (13/07/2019)

A couple finds themselves trapped in a suburban neighbourhood in Vivarium. Gemma (Imogen Poots) and Tom (Jesse Eisenberg) are a young couple looking to buy a home. They come across an odd realtor named Martin (Jonathan Aris), who convinces the couple to take a good at a house in a new housing development called Yonder, […]

Little Monsters (13/07/2019)

A kindergarten class on a field trip has to survive a sudden zombie outbreak in Little Monsters. After being dumped by his girlfriend for not wanting kids, Dave (Alexander England) goes to live with his sister Tess (Kat Stewart) and five-year-old nephew Felix (Diesel La Torraca). After dropping Felix off at his kindergarten class, Dave […]

Midsommar (06/07/2019)

In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, a young woman joins her boyfriend and three others on a trip to a Swedish commune in Midsommar. Traumatized by the recent murder-suicide of her parents and sister, Dani (Florence Pugh) is invited by her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) to join his friends Mark (Will Poulter), Josh (William […]

Spider-Man: Far from Home (03/07/2019)

In the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, Peter Parker tries to focus on his school vacation in Spider-Man: Far from Home. Reeling from the recent death of his mentor Tony Stark, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is ready to take a break from being Spider-Man and focus on his upcoming class trip to Europe, where he hopes […]

Yesterday (27/06/2019)

An aspiring musician wakes up into a world that has never heard of The Beatles in Yesterday. Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is a struggling singer from the town of Clacton-on-Sea in the UK, who is ready to give up on his musical ambitions, despite the neverending support of his childhood friend and manager Ellie Appleton […]

Toy Story 4 (23/06/2019)

Woody and Buzz come back for one more adventure in Toy Story 4. With Andy having gone to college, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and all the other toys have been left in the care of pre-schooler Bonnie. However, Woody no longer finds himself as the favourite toy, spending much of playtime in […]

Watergate (17/06/2019)

The events leading up to the resignation of US President Richard Nixon is told in detail in Watergate. In 1972, five men broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex. This would soon erupt into a scandal, as a cover-up by the administration of Richard Nixon is exposed. Using transcripts of […]

The Dead Don’t Die (13/06/2019)

The police of a small town have to deal with the arrival of the zombie apocalypse in The Dead Don’t Die. It’s a routine day for Centerville police chief Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray) and his deputy Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver), as they pay a visit to Hermit Bob (Tom Waits) to ask him if he […]

Dark Phoenix (09/06/2019)

The X-Men have to face off against one of their own in Dark Phoenix. It is 1992 and Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and his X-Men team of Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Quicksilver (Evan Peters), and Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) have gained some level of […]

Booksmart (05/06/2019)

Two best friends set out to party before graduating high school in Booksmart. Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) are two best friends, who have spent their entire high school career focusing more on their studies than partying. However, after finding out that the party going students still got into good colleges, Molly wants […]

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (02/06/2019)

Humanity is threatened by the emergence of titans in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Five years after the mythical beast Godzilla helped stop the threat of the MUTOs, the crypto-zoological organization Monarch is under government scrutiny for keeping the truth about titans secret from the world. However, when ecoterrorist Alan Jonah (Charles Dance) kidnaps paleobiologist […]

Rocketman (31/05/2019)

The fantastical life and career of Elton John are told in Rocketman. As a child, Reginald Dwight (Taron Egerton) gained an interest in playing music, which was supported by his grandmother Ivy (Gemma Jones), tolerated by his apathetic mother Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard), and all but ignored by his unloving father Stanley (Steven Mackintosh). As […]

Ma (30/05/2019)

A group of friends befriend a middle-aged black woman with sinister intentions in Ma. Maggie (Diana Silvers) is a teenager, who has moved to small town, where her mother Erica (Juliette Lewis) grew up. At school, Maggie quickly befriends Haley (McKaley Miller), Andy (Corey Fogelmanis), Chaz (Gianni Paolo), and Darrell (Dante Brown), who invite Maggie […]

Aladdin (30/05/2019)

Guy Ritchie brings the kingdom of Agrabah to life in Aladdin. Aladdin (Mena Massoud) is a street rat, who dreams of a better life, especially after he meets and becomes infatuated with Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott), who lives a sheltered life in the palace and must only marry a prince. Aladdin is recruited by scheming […]

The Biggest Little Farm (23/05/2019)

A couple trades in life in the city to realize their dreams of running a farm in The Biggest Little Farm. John Chester is a wildlife filmmaker, who faces eviction from his Los Angeles apartment after they adopt a rescue dog named Todd. John and his food blogger wife Molly decided to take this opportunity […]

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (20/05/2019)

The hunter becomes the hunted in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. After committing an unsanctioned killing in the New York City Continental, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is declared “excommunicado” and a $14 million bounty is placed on his head by the High Table, though the Continental’s manager Winston (Ian McShane) gives John an hour […]

Hail Satan? (12/05/2019)

Disclaimer: This is an objective review of the 2019 documentary, directed by Penny Lane. Personally, Sean Kelly does not support or endorse Satanism or The Satanic Temple. The Satanic Temple campaigns for the recognition of religious plurality in the United States in Hail Satan?. Following in the footsteps of Anton Szandor LaVey’s original Church of […]

Pokemon Detective Pikachu (12/05/2019)

A young man enlists the help of a talking Pikachu to find out what happened to his father in Pokemon Detective Pikachu. Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) is an insurance salesman, with former dreams of being a Pokemon trainer, who learns that his estranged father Harry has apparently died in a car crash. Returning to his […]

The Hustle (09/05/2019)

Two con artists compete to scam an internet millionaire in The Hustle. Penny (Rebel Wilson) is a low-rent con artist, who has been relatively successful with scamming men through online dating. In the south of France, Penny meets Josephine (Anne Hathaway), who has taken the art of the con to a whole new level. Josephine […]

Long Shot (08/05/2019)

Sparks fly when an unemployed journalist is hired as a speechwriter for the Secretary of State in Long Shot. Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) is a journalist for a left-leaning publication, who is forced to quit his job after learning that the newspaper was acquired by wealthy mogul Parker Wembly (Andy Serkis). Joining his best friend […]

Trixie Mattell: Moving Parts (07/05/2019)

The growing celebrity of drag queen Trixie Mattell is documented in Trixie Mattell: Moving Parts. Trixie Mattell, aka Brian Firkus, is drag queen, comedian, and musician, who began to rise in popularity following her appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Despite losing on her first appearance on the show, Trixie teams up with fellow drag queen […]

Supreme Law (07/05/2019)

Various internet stars tell the story of the patriation of the Canadian constitution from different perspectives in Supreme Law. In the early 1980s, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau set to gain control of the Canadian constitution from Great Britain. The story of these events are told from different perspectives by internet stars Jus Reign (Prime Minister), […]

Butterfly (07/05/2019)

The first female Italian boxer to make the Olympics is left at a crossroads when her dreams are dashed in Butterfly. At only 18 years old, Irma “The Butterfly” Testa makes history when she becomes the first female to make the Italian Olympic boxing team. However, at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Testa […]

Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind (06/05/2019)

The life and career of the Canadian folk singer is revisited in Gordon Lightfoot: If You Can Read My Mind. Growing up in the Ontario city of Orillia, Gordon Lightfoot had his beginnings playing in the coffeehouses in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood. This would eventually lead to him signing with Warner Bros and becoming one of […]

Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies (06/05/2019)

The use of propaganda around the world is explored in Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies. From ancient cave paintings to the spread of fake news, propaganda has always been around to exploit your need to believe in something. This film takes a look at many forms of propaganda, ranging from films made during the […]

Acid Forest (06/05/2019)

Visitors to an ancient pine forest in Lithuania comment on the destruction caused by the local cormorant population in Acid Forest. Over the past couple of decades, cormorants have made their home in the Curonian Spit, with the bird’s acidic excrement having killed off the 200 year old pine trees in the area. Tourists come […]

The Magic Life of V (05/05/2019)

A young Finnish woman attends LARPing events to escape the traumatic events of her childhood in The Magic Life of V. Veera is a young woman from Finland, who is struggling to cope with childhood memories of her alcoholic father, while also caring for her mentally disabled brother Ville. As a means of escape, Veera […]

Midnight Family (05/05/2019)

The actions of a family-run private ambulance service in Mexico City is followed in Midnight Family. In Mexico City, there are fewer than 45 government run ambulances for a population of 9 million. This has resulted in a underground network of for-profit private ambulance companies with little or no training or certification. The Ochoa family […]

The Seer and the Unseen (05/05/2019)

An Icelandic seer tries to protect a lava rock formation in The Seer and the Unseen. According to the folklore of Iceland, seers are people with “second sight,” who can communicate with elves and other spirits that live among us. Ragnhildur “Ragga” Jónsdóttir is one such person, who has been told by her elf friends […]

The Hypnotist (05/05/2019)

The story of Finnish hypnotist Olliver Hawk is told in The Hypnotist. Olavi Hakasalo, better known by his stage name Olliver Hawk, was a hypnotist active in Finland during the 1960s and 1970s. At the same time, the country was run by President Urho Kekkonen, who was in office for 25 years. Hakasalo would frequently […]

XY Chelsea (05/05/2019)

A trans whisleblower becomes an activist upon her release from prison in XY Chelsea. Chelsea Manning is a former US Army intelligence analyst, who was charged with uploading over 750,000 documents pertaining to the Iraq War to Wikileaks. In addition, Chelsea decided to come out as a trans woman while she was in the middle […]

Hunting for Hedonia (04/05/2019)

The origins and modern reemergence of the process of deep brain stimulation is examined in Hunting for Hedonia. In the 1950s, Dr. Robert Galbraith Heath performed experiments in neuromodulation, trying to seek out the source of pleasure in the brain, also known as hedonia. However, Heath’s methods were shunned by the medical community and he […]

A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem (04/05/2019)

Former NFL cheerleaders launch lawsuits seeking equal payment in A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem. In 2014, two lawsuits were launched against NFL teams by former cheerleaders. In the first lawsuit Lacy, a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders, was contesting the fact that she had to work for an nine month season before being […]

Searching Eva (04/05/2019)

The life of a sex worker and blogger is followed over the course of three years in Searching Eva. Eva Collé is an Italian-born sex worker living in Berlin, who shares the experiences of her life on her blog. Eva’s constantly changing life is followed over the course of three years, following her through Berlin, […]

Shella Record: A Reggae Mystery (03/05/2019)

A Toronto-based record collector and artist tries to locate the woman who recorded an obscure reggae track in Shella Record: A Reggae Mystery. Chris Flanagan is an Australian born artist and record collector living in Toronto, who acquires a bootleg reggae collection named “Warzone.” Chris instantly becomes enamored with a track named “Jamaican Fruit of […]

The Corporate Coup D’état (03/05/2019)

The rise of corporatism in the United States is examined in The Corporate Coup D’état. Canadian political philosopher John Ralston Saul once wrote that “we are in the midst of a coup d’état in slow motion,” in regards to corporate interests influencing the government. However, it turns out that the coup was not in slow […]

One Child Nation (02/05/2019)

The longterm effects of China’s one-child policy are examined in One Child Nation. From 1979-2015, China tried to control its population by instilling a policy stating that families could only have one child. Growing up in China, fimmaker Nanfu Wang never thought twice about the policy and even felt embarrassed by the fact that she […]

Framing John DeLorean (02/05/2019)

The story of John DeLorean is told in a very meta fashion in Framing John DeLorean. Featuring a combination of documentary and a fictionalized narrative, John DeLorean (Alec Baldwin) was a auto engineer who hit it big at General Motors, when he helped to construct the Pontiac GTO. Living a playboy lifestyle, DeLorean married top […]

The Hottest August (01/05/2019)

Filmmaker Brett Story takes an observational look at life in New York City during the month of August 2017 in The Hottest August. In the summer of 2017, New York City was adjusting to to having Donald Trump in the White House and the ever-present threat of climate change. Various people are interviewed about their […]

Picture Character ???? ???? (01/05/2019)

The ever-increasing popularity of emojis are examined in ???? ???? (Picture Character). Created in 1997 by Shigetaka Kurita, emoji is translated from ???????? into “picture character.” While the original set of emojis had 176 characters, there are now over 1000, which are defined by the Unicode Consortium in Silicon Valley. Every year, countless people campaign […]

Toxic Beauty (30/04/2019)

The use of dangerous chemicals by the cosmetics industry is exposed in Toxic Beauty. Beauty products are a multi-billion dollar industry. However, cosmetic companies receive minimal government regulation, resulting in toxic chemicals being present within beauty products. Examples of this include the talc in baby powder being linked to ovarian cancer and the cosmetic preservative […]

Mystify: Michael Hutchence (30/04/2019)

The life and career of the late INXS frontman is revisited in Mystify: Michael Hutchence. In the mid-1980s, the Australian band INXS hit it big with their breakthrough 1987 album “Kick.” However, fame wasn’t as easy thing for frontman Michael Hutchence to handle. Featuring voice-over interviews with his INXS bandmates and ex-girlfriends, including Kylie Minogue […]

Willie (30/04/2019)

A grassroots campaign begins to get the first black NHL player into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Willie. In 1958, Willie O’Ree broke the NHL’s colour barrier when he was called up to play for the Boston Bruins. Despite their not being a day going by where he was the recipient of racist remarks, […]

Stieg Larsson: The Man Who Played with Fire (29/04/2019)

The story of the journalist best known for writing the “Millennium” trilogy of novels is told in Stieg Larsson: The Man Who Played with Fire. Released posthumously, Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium” series, beginning with “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” have gone on to sell ninety million copies worldwide. However, long before that, Larsson was a […]

Assholes: A Theory (28/04/2019)

The book by Aaron James forms the basis of this exploration of the concept of assholes in Assholes: A Theory. Aaron James is a professor of philosophy, who wrote the New York Times bestseller “Assholes: A Theory,” which describes assholes as people that allow themselves special advantages, an entrenched sense of entitlement, and immunizes themselves […]

Who Let the Dogs Out (28/04/2019)

One man uncovers the story behind the 1998 one hit wonder by the Baha Men in Who Let the Dogs Out. Ben Sisto is an artist, who considers himself the undisputed expert of the song “Who Let the Dogs Out.” After seeing a vague description on the song’s Wikipedia page, Ben decides to put into […]

nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up (28/04/2019)

The family of a murdered Cree man demand justice from the legal system in nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up. In 2016, Colten Boushie, a young Cree man from Saskatchewan, was killed by a gunshot to the head by a farmer named Gerald Stanley. Arguing that he shot Boushie in self-defense, Stanley ended up being acquitted […]

Ask Dr. Ruth (27/04/2019)

The life and career of sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer is told in Ask Dr. Ruth. Karola Ruth Siegel was born on June 4, 1928 in Wiesenfeld, Germany to Orthodox Jewish parents. During the Holocaust, Karola was sent to the Wartheim, Orphanage in Switzerland, where she remained throughout the second World War. Switching to her […]

Avengers: Endgame (27/04/2019)

The Avengers regroup for one final battle against Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. After suffering defeat at the hands of Thanos (Josh Brolin), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) are left in a […]

Memory – The Origins of Alien (26/04/2019)

The influences and history behind Ridley Scott’s Alien is told in Memory – The Origins of Alien. When it was produced in 1979, Alien was quite unlike any science fiction film being produced at the time. Part of this comes from the synergy between screenwriter Dan O’Bannon, conceptual artist H.R. Giger, and director Ridley Scott. […]

Because We Are Girls (26/04/2019)

Three sisters struggle to come to terms with the sexual abuse were victims of in childhood in Because We Are Girls. Salakshana, Kira and Jeeti Pooni are three daughters of Indian immigrants, who grew up in the small town on Williams Lake, British Columbia. When the three sisters were young girls, all three of them […]

Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project (26/04/2019)

A reclusive women kept a personal archive of TV footage captured over three decades in Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project. In her younger years, Marion Stokes was a communist radical, who at one point was spied on by the FBI. Beginning with the Nightline coverage of the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979, Marion begin to […]

The Pickup Game (25/04/2019)

The billion dollar industry of seduction is explored in The Pickup Game. In 1992, Ross Jeffries released his self-published seduction guide “How to Get Women in Bed.” This kickstarted an industry of self-described seduction gurus, who now generate over $1 billion a year teaching how to pick-up women. However, the question must be asked is […]

Dicktatorship (25/04/2019)

Two filmmakers examine the history of male chauvinistic behaviour in Italy in Dicktatorship. Throughout its history, Italian men have often been associated with the “Latin Lover” macho stereotype, with the country’s gender roles having been heavily influenced by Musolini. On the eve of their marriage, Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi explore and debate the origins […]

The World or Nothing (24/04/2019)

Filmmaker Ingrid Veninger make her non-fiction debut with this profile of twin Cuban dancers in The World or Nothing. Rubert and Rubildo Donatien Dinza are twin brother from Cuba, who make up the dancing duo Sensación Gemela. With professional opportunities for the two being non-existent in Cuba, Rubert and Rubildo have just recently relocated themselves […]

Our Godfather (24/04/2019)

The family of one the biggest Mafia turncoats speaks out in Our Godfather. In the mid-1980s Tommaso Buscetta broke the Mafia code of silence, when he became the first high ranking mob boss to turn against Cosa Nostra. Through his testimony, over 400 Mafiosi and he and his family went into hiding out of fear […]

Bellingcat – Truth in a Post-Truth World (24/04/2019)

Citizen journalists revalutionize the concept of online opensource investigation in Bellingcat – Truth in a Post-Truth World. Bellingcat is a collective of “citizen investigative journalists,” founded by Elliot Higgins in the UK. Featuring volunteer members from all across the world, Bellingcat uses social media to help with various investigations, ranging from the MH17 disaster to […]

Mr. Toilet: The World’s #2 Man (23/04/2019)

One man has made it his mission to ensure that everyone has access to proper sanitation in Mr. Toilet: The World’s #2 Man. Based on his experiences growing up in Singapore, Jack Sim knows first hand the agonies of not having access to proper toilets. As such, he has formed the World Toilet Organization, the […]

Buddy (23/04/2019)

The relationship between six guide dogs on their owners are explored in Buddy. Even though guide dogs are a necessary need of their owners, the connection that develops between the two are often deeper than any other relationship in their lives. Filmmaker Heddy Honigmann follows six guide dogs and what what they mean to their […]

The Rest (22/04/2019)

Artist and activist Ai Weiwei goes on the frontlines of the refugee crisis in Europe in The Rest. Refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, and other war torn nations have come to Europe seeking a new life. However, the refugees are refused asylum by France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Sweden, and Turkey are left unable to move forward […]

Human Nature (22/04/2019)

The people and science behind the “CRISPR Revolution” are explored in Human Nature. Since the 1970s, scientists have been experimenting with gene therapy. However, since this is a random process, the results of such experiments could not be controlled. However, with the discovery of CRISPR, it has become increasingly possible to manipulate human DNA to […]

Missing Link (21/04/2019)

An explorer helps a Sasquatch try to find his brethren in Missing Link. Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) is an explorer, who specializes in investigating mythical creatures, which results in him being scorned by a society of great men headed by Lord Piggot-Dunceby (Stephen Fry). Desperate to become accepted by the society, Lionel follows a […]

Long Day’s Journey Into Night (20/04/2019)

A man searches for a lost love in Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Luo Hongwu (Huang Jue) returns home to Kaili for his father’s funeral. While there, Luo decides to search for his old love Wan Qiwen (Tang Wei), who continues to haunt him. His search eventually leads him to a festival in a small […]

Her Smell (19/04/2019)

The future of a once-successful all-female punk band is threatened by the self-destructive behaviour of its lead singer in Her Smell. Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss) is the lead singer and guitarist of the punk rock band Something She, along with bassist Marielle Hell (Agyness Deyn) and drummer Ali van der Wolff (Gayle Rankin). While at […]

Hellboy (18/04/2019)

Neil Marshall reboots the adventures of the monster hunting hellspawn in Hellboy. Hellboy (David Harbour) is a hellspawn raised by Trevor Bruttenholm (Ian McShane) of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. While on assignment in England, Hellboy comes across a plan by the pig-like fairy Gruagach (Stephen Graham) to resurrect The Blood Queen Nimue […]

Shazam! (11/04/2019)

A teenage boy is imbued with magical powers that turns him into a superhero in Shazam!. Billy Batson (Asher Angel) is a teenage delinquent, who is sent to a group home run by Victor and Rosa Vazquez (Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans) and is introduced to his new foster siblings Freddy Freeman (Jack Dylan Grazer), […]

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (10/04/2019)

Terry Gilliam finally brings his long-in-development passion project to the big screen with The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Toby Grisoni (Adam Driver) is a washed up filmmaker, currently shooting commercials for an advertising agency run by The Boss (Stellan Skarsgård). Toby comes across a bootleg DVD of a film he made about Don Quixote […]

Pet Sematary (04/04/2019)

A family moves to a new house with a dark secret in the woods in Pet Sematary. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) is a doctor, who along with his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and children Ellie (Jeté Laurence) and Gage (Hugo and Lucas Lavoie), move into an isolated house in the woods outside of the small […]

Dumbo (31/03/2019)

Tim Burton directs a live-action re-imagining of the animated classic with Dumbo. Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) is an equestrian performer and widower, who has just returned from the First World War and is reunited with his kids Molly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) at the Medici Brothers Circus. However, the circus run by Max […]

This is North Preston (24/03/2019)

The population of the town of North Preston, Nova Scotia try to clear up their reputation as a haven of sex traffickers and drug dealers in This is North Preston. North Preston is a small community with a population of 4000, located outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The town is historically Canada’s largest black community, […]

Honey Bee (24/03/2019)

A teenage prostitute has to adjust to life with a new foster family in Honey Bee. Natalie (Julia Sarah Stone) is young woman working as a truck stop prostitute for her boyfriend/pimp Ryan (Steven Love), who has given her the nickname “Honey Bee.” One night, Natalie is arrested by undercover detective Walker (Maurice Dean Wint) […]

Genesis (23/03/2019)

Three young teenagers’ struggles with first love are examined in Genesis. Guillaume (Théodore Pellerin) is a student at an all-boys school in Montreal, who is starting to feel a homosexual attraction to his best friend Nicolas (Jules Roy Sicotte). Meanwhile Guillaume’s step-sister Charlotte (Noée Abita) begins dating an older college student named Théo (Maxime Dumontier), […]

Pond Life (22/03/2019)

Two couples get together for a party, which quickly goes down the tubes in Pond Life. Dick (Ryan Blakely) and Sandy (Jeanie Calleja) are a couple preparing for a party that will be attended by Sandy’s foster sister Daisy (Kerry McPherson) and her boyfriend Richard (Ryan McVittie). As the night wears on, secrets each person […]

Nowhere (22/03/2019)

A woman desperately tries to search for her missing daughter in Nowhere. Claire Porter (Kate Drummond) and her teenage daughter Sarah (Nell Verlaque) have just moved from Chicago to the small town of Mattawa, where Claire is the new high school vice principal. Claire quickly befriends Ruth Simmons (Rya Kihlstedt), the coach of the school’s […]

The Aftermath (22/03/2019)

The wife of a British colonel in post-war Germany develops a relationship with the owner of the house she’s living in The Aftermath. Five months after the end of the second World War in 1945, Rachael Morgan (Keira Knightley) travels to Hamburg to join her husband Lewis (Jason Clarke), who is a colonel helping to […]

Us (21/03/2019)

A vacationing family finds themselves terrorized by their doppelgangers in Us. Adelaide Wilson (Lupita Nyong’o) is a woman still affected by traumatic experience she went through as a child, where she came to face to face with someone who looked just like her. With her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and kids Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) […]

Creep Nation (21/03/2019)

A woman goes missing after staying at a short term rental in Creep Nation. Sofia Campbell (Liv Collins) returns home unexpectedly from Italy and asks to stay with her brother Aaron (Adam Seybold). After Adam tells her that he can’t take her in, Sofia instead decides to do a short term rental at a house […]

Nose to Tail (20/03/2019)

The head chef of a high end restaurant tries to hold it together during a very stressful day and night in Nose to Tail. Daniel (Aaron Abrams) is a talented, yet abrasive, chef at a Toronto restaurant, the future of which relies greatly on impressing an important diner coming that evening. Daniel takes out much […]

Red Rover (20/03/2019)

A man with no direction in his life decides to apply to be part of the first mission to Mars in Red Rover. Damon (Kristian Bruun) is a down on his luck geologist currently living in the basement of his ex-girlfriend Beatrice (Meghan Heffern), who is now living with her new yoga obsessed Australian boyfriend […]

Apollo 11 (17/03/2019)

Relive the 1969 moon landing in Apollo 11. On July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to begin their historic eight day mission to become the first men in land on the moon. With the help of newly discovered audio recordings and 65mm […]

Ghost Town Anthology (15/03/2019)

The population of a remote Quebec town is greatly affected by the death of a young man in Ghost Town Anthology. The remote village Irénée-les-Neiges, with a population of only 215, is left shaken by the death of a young man named Simon Dubé in a car accident. While Simon’s brother Jimmy (Robert Naylor) and […]

Leaving Neverland (13/03/2019)

Two men who are claiming to have been sexual abused as kids by Michael Jackson tell their story in Leaving Neverland. Wade Robson and Jimmy Safechuck are two men who befriended Michael Jackson when they were children. Through interviews between them and their family members, Robson and Safechuck tell their parallel stories of how their […]

Captain Marvel (10/03/2019)

One of the most powerful heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe makes her debut in Captain Marvel. Vers (Brie Larson) is a Kree warrior and a member of Starforce, lead by her mentor Yon-Rogg (Jude Law). The Starforce is sent on a mission to save one of their own from the Skrulls, a species of […]

The Panama Papers (08/03/2019)

The events surrounding one of the biggest data leaks in history is broken down in The Panama Papers. An anonymous source known only as John Doe contacts the media in 2015 and gives them access to 11.5 million documents leaked from the Panamanian law firm of Mossack Fonseca. The documents contain the records of countless […]

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (21/02/2019)

The adventures of Hiccup and his dragon Toothless conclude in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. A year after being made chieftain of Berk, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), along with Astrid (America Ferrera), Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig), and Tuffnut (Justin Rupple), have set it among themselves to rescue dragons from hunters and bring them back home […]

Fighting with My Family (21/02/2019)

The story of WWE superstar Paige and her wrestling family in England is told in Fighting with My Family. Saraya Knight (Florence Pugh) has been wrestling since the age of 13 for her family’s wrestling promotion World Association of Wrestling in Norwich, England, which is run by her father Ricky (Nick Frost) and mother Julia (Lena Headey) and […]

Alita: Battle Angel (17/02/2019)

Writer/producer James Cameron and director Robert Rodriguez brings the manga series to the big screen with Alita: Battle Angel. It is the year 2563 and an event known as “The Fall” has left Earth devastated, save for the wealthy sky city of Zalem, which floats above the desolate Iron City. While savaging parts is a scrapyard, Dr. […]

Everybody Knows (15/02/2019)

Suspicions build after a woman’s teenage daughter is kidnapped during a wedding in Everybody Knows. Laura (Penélope Cruz) has traveled home from Spain to Argentina to attend her sister’s wedding, bringer her two children in two. With Laura’s husband Alejandro (Ricardo Darín) unable to make the trip, she takes the time to catch up with her […]

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (14/02/2019)

The population of Bricksburg have to deal with alien invaders in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part. Five years after Taco Tuesday, repeated attacks by Duplo invaders have turned Bricksburg into “Apocalypseburg.” Despite the town now being a desolate dystopia, Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) remains forever optimistic and even builds a house for himself and Wyldstyle, aka Lucy (Elizabeth Banks). […]

Happy Death Day 2U (13/02/2019)

A new loop of death begins in Happy Death Day 2U. After finally escaping a time loop that saw her repeatedly killed on her birthday, Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) discovers that the loop was the result was the result of a quantum device created by Tree’s boyfriend Carter’s (Israel Broussard) roommate Ryan (Phi Vu). When the machine malfunctions […]

The Prodigy (07/02/2019)

A woman is disturbed by her eight year old son’s increasingly violent behaviour in The Prodigy. One night, a woman named Margaret St. James (Brittany Allen) escapes from the clutches of serial killer Edward Scarka (Paul Fauteux), who is then gunned down by police. At the same time, expecting mother Sarah (Taylor Schilling) goes into labor […]

Velvet Buzzsaw (03/02/2019)

A high end Los Angeles art gallery exhibits works of art that turn out to be haunted by a vengeful spirit in Velvet Buzzsaw. Rhodora Haze (Rene Russo) is a former punk rocker, who now runs one of the most high end art galleries in Los Angeles, with her always respecting the opinion of art critic […]

Cold War (27/01/2019)

We follow the tumultuous relationship between two musicians in postwar Europe in Cold War. In 1949 Poland, jazz-loving pianist Wiktor Warski (Tomasz Kot) is forced to play into the communist propaganda machine and audition traditional folk musicians, as part of state-sponsored project. During the auditions, Wiktor finds himself immediately enamored by Zuzanna “Zula” Lichoń (Joanna Kulig), […]

Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (24/01/2019)

A planned music festival turns into a complete disaster in Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. Billy McFarland was a New York based entrepreneur, who co-founded the music booking app Fyre, along with rapper Ja Rule. As a way to promote the app, McFarland decides to host a music festival on an island in the Bahamas and creates a promotional […]

Vice (23/01/2019)

Director Adam McKay (The Big Short) directs a satirical biography about former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney in Vice. Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) began his political career in 1969, working as an intern in the Nixon administration, working under economic administrator Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carell), with Cheney later becoming Chief of Staff for Gerald Ford and Secretary […]

Bohemian Rhapsody (20/01/2019)

The story of Freddy Mercury and Queen is told in Bohemian Rhapsody. In 1970, Farrokh Bulsara (Rami Malek), an Indian-British Parsi college student, is hired by Brian May (Gwilym Lee) and Roger Taylor (Ben Hardy) to be the new lead singer of their band Smile, adopting the new name of Freddie Mercury. Along with bassist John […]

Hal (19/01/2019)

The career of filmmaker Hal Ashby is revisited in Hal. Beginning his film career as film editor, which included winning an Oscar for his friend Norman Jewison’s 1967 film In the Heat of the Night, Hal Ashby began his directorial career with the racially charged drama The Landlord in 1970. He followed this up with the controversial cult romance Harold and Maude in […]

Glass (17/01/2019)

M. Night Shyamalan returns to the world of Unbreakable two decades later in Glass. For the past 19 years, David Dunn (Bruce Willis) has been working as a vigilante superhero the media has nicknamed “The Overseer.” With the help of his son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark), David has been tracking down Kevin Wendell Crumb (James […]

The Wife (13/01/2019)

The wife of a famous author silently suffers after he wins a Nobel prize in The Wife. Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) is a woman married to acclaimed author Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce), who receives a call one morning saying that he has won the Nobel prize in literature. Initially Joan seems ecstatic about her husband’s accomplishment, […]

Bird Box (10/01/2019)

A woman and her two children try to survive in the aftermath of an extinction level event in Bird Box. Malorie (Sandra Bullock) sets off on a dangerous journey downriver, accompanied by her two child simply named “Boy” (Julian Edwards) and “Girl” (Vivien Lyra Blair). Five years previous to this, a pregnant Malorie was at the […]

Free Solo (08/01/2019)

One of the world’s most acclaimed rock climbers attempts his most perilous challenge in Free Solo. Alex Honnold is an acclaimed rock climber, who has gained notoriety for his success at free solo climbing, where he does not wear any safety gear. Alex decides that the time has come to face his biggest challenge of free […]

Bumblebee (06/01/2019)

The origin of the young Autobot’s arrival on Earth is told in Bumblebee. As war rages on the planet of Cybertron between the Decepticons and the Autobot resistance lead by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen). With the Autobots on the verge of losing, Optimus sends young Autobot B-127 (Dylan O’Brien) to Earth. However, upon arrival B […]

If Beale Street Could Talk (29/12/2018)

A young Harlem couple’s romance is altered when one of them is falsely imprisoned in If Beale Street Could Talk. Childhood friends Clementine “Tish” Rivers (KiKi Layne) and Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt (Stephan James) begin a passionate romance with each other, with is uprooted when Fonny is jailed after being falsely accused of rape. With Tish pregnant with Fonny’s child, […]

Best F(r)iends Vol 1 & 2 (22/12/2018)

Greg Sestero and Tommy Wiseau reunite in Best F(r)iends. Jon Kortina (Sestero) is a homeless drifter in Los Angeles, who is taken in my eccentric mortician Harvey Lewis (Wiseau), who makes Jon an assistant at his mortuary. After discovering that Harvey has a mass collection of gold fillings collected by corpses, Jon comes up with a […]

Aquaman (21/12/2018)

The deep sea superhero sets out to claim his rightful place as king of Atlantis in Aquaman. Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) is an Atlantian half-breed born as a result of a forbidden union between lighthouse keeper Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison) and Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman). One day, Arthur is approached by Princess Mera (Amber Heard) to come to […]

On the Basis of Sex (21/12/2018)

The story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her fight against sexual discrimination is told in On the Basis of Sex. In 1956, Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) was one of only nine women enrolled in the Harvard Law School, which she attended at the same time as her husband Marty (Armie Hammer). Fast forward to 1970 […]

Welcome to Marwen (20/12/2018)

An artist creates a fictional World War II town to help with his recovery from a brutal attack in Welcome to Marwen. Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell) is an artist suffering from severe PTSD following a brutal attack outside a bar, where he was beaten within an inch of his life. As part of his recovery efforts, Mark […]

Mortal Engines (13/12/2018)

A vengeful assassin and a historian try to stop a war in Mortal Engines. It only took sixty minutes for humanity to be on the edge of extinction. In a world devastated by war, the remaining human population has been divided between those who live on mobile traction cities and those who choose to remain on […]

Mary Queen of Scots (13/12/2018)

The Queen of Scotland fights for her claim to the British crowd in Mary Queen of Scots. After a number of years as the Queen of France, the recently widowed Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan) returns home to Scotland and stakes her claims as the heir of the British throne, currently held by Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie). […]

The Favourite (12/12/2018)

Two women compete for the affections of the Queen in The Favourite. In 1708 Great Britain, Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) sits on the throne, while the country is at war with France. Suffering from health problems, Anne leaves the bulk of the actual ruling to her faithful adviser Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), who makes all the important […]

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (09/12/2018)

Multiple iterations of the webcrawler team up in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is an awkward teenager from Brooklyn, who has uneasy relationship with his police officer father Jefferson (Brian Tyree Henry). While spray-painting with his Uncle Aaron (Mahershala Ali), Miles is bitten by a spider and gains powers similar to that of Spider-Man […]

Creed II (03/12/2018)

Adonis Creed faces his biggest challenge in Creed II. Under the tutelage of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been on a winning streak over the past three years, which peaks with him winning the Heavyweight Title from Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler (Andre Ward). However, soon after the big win, Creed is challenged by […]

Roma (02/12/2018)

A year in the life of of middle class 1970s Mexican family and their relationship with their housekeeper is depicted in Roma. Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) is the housekeeper for the family of Sofia (Marina de Tavira), who is often left home to safe for her four children, while her husband Antonio (Fernando Grediaga) works abroad. Over the […]

The Hoard – Blood in the Snow 2018 (26/11/2018)

The filming a reality show goes horribly wrong in The Hoard. The team of the reality TV show Extremely Haunted Hoarders descends upon the notorious hording town of Rockford, Ohio to clean up the properties owned by lifelong hoarder Murph Evans (Barry More). The crew is split into three teams consisting of lead experts Sheila Smyth (Lisa Solberg) […]

Deadsight – Blood in the Snow 2018 (26/11/2018)

A blinded man and a pregnant police officer try to survive a zombie outbreak in Deadsight. Ben Neilson (Adam Seybold) wakes up in an ambulance with no sight and no idea how he got there. It isn’t long until Ben discovers that the undead are roaming the countryside and he struggles to find shelter. The only other […]

Ralph Breaks the Internet (22/11/2018)

Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope leave the confines of the arcade in Ralph Breaks the Internet. Over the past six years, Wreck-It-Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) have become the best of friends in the video game arcade. However, when Ralph accidentally causes Vanellope’s Sugar Rush game to break, she is left without a home. Using the arcade’s new […]

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (21/11/2018)

The universe of the Wizarding World continues to expand in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. While in the midst of being transferred from custody in New York back to London, the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes and begins amassing a legion of followers. Despite being banned from travel outside of England, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) […]

Widows (18/11/2018)

The wives of slain criminals plan their own heist in Widows. Following a heist gone sour, career criminal Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson) and his crew are gunned down by police. Harry’s death leaves his widow Veronica (Viola Davis) $2 million in debt to gangster, turned politician Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry), who is in the midst of running in […]

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (16/11/2018)

From the Coen Brothers comes six tales from the wild frontier. In The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, singing outlaw Buster Scruggs (Tim Blake Nelson) enters into a town where he finally may have met his match. In Near Algodones, a Cowboy (James Franco) faces the consequences of a bank robbery gone wrong. In Meal Ticket, an Impresario (Liam Neeson) […]

The Girl in the Spider’s Web (14/11/2018)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo returns in The Girl in the Spider’s Web. Computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Claire Foy) is hired by former NSA employee Frans Balder (Stephen Merchant) to steal a program called Firefall, which can access the world’s nuclear missiles. Soon after completing the heist, Lisbeth’s apartment is ambushed by a group of men who […]

Boy Erased (08/11/2018)

The homosexual son of a Baptist preacher is forced to participate in conversion therapy program in Boy Erased. Jared Eamons (Lucas Hedges) is the teenage son of Baptist preacher Marshall Eamons (Russell Crowe) and his wife Nancy (Nicole Kidman). After Jared is unwittingly outed as homosexual to his parents, he is sent by a father is gay conversion […]

The Grinch (08/11/2018)

The popular Christmas story by Dr. Seuss gets a new animated adaptation in The Grinch. The Whos in the town of Whoville like Christmas a whole lot, much to the annoyance of The Grinch (Benedict Cumberbatch), who would rather stay home alone with his dog Max. Finally getting fed up with all the cheer, The Grinch decides […]

Overlord (08/11/2018)

A platoon of American soldiers during World War II encounter unspeakable horrors a German base in Overlord. On the eve of D-Day, a platoon of American paratroopers, including Corporal Ford (Wyatt Russell) and Private Boyce (Jovan Adepo), parachute into Nazi-occupied France with the mission to destroy a radio jamming tower at a nearby German outpost, headed […]

Suspiria (01/11/2018)

Director Luca Guadagnino presents a re-imagining of the Dario Argento classic with Suspiria. In 1977 Berlin, a young woman named Patricia (Chloë Grace Moretz) storms into the office of Dr. Josef Klemperer (Lutz Ebersdorf) accusing the teachers at the Markos Dance Academy of being witches, which he dismisses as delusions. Patricia soon mysteriously disappears, right around the time Susie Bannion […]

Blindspot 2018: Cult Films of the 1950s to 1970s: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (29/10/2018)

This month I watched John De Bello’s 1978 B-movie satire Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Genetically modified tomatoes unexpectedly become sentient and begin killing people around the United States. While the President’s press secretary Jim Richardson (George Wilson) wants to ensure the public that there is no real threat, the President (Ernie Meyers) decides to form a task […]

You Might Be the Killer – Toronto After Dark 2018 (19/10/2018)

A man desperately calls his horror-loving friend when a serial killer runs loose at a summer camp in You Might Be the Killer. Covered in blood after the deaths of an uncountable number of camp counselors, Sam (Fran Kranz) desperately calls his friend Chuck (Alyson Hannigan) for help on the situation. The two break down the […]

Bad Times at the El Royale (19/10/2018)

A group of strangers descend upon a rundown hotel in Bad Times at the El Royale. El Royale is a hotel near Lake Tahoe, that is placed on the border between California and Nevada. One night, a group of strangers descend upon the hotel, including Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges), singer Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo), Emily Summerspring (Dakota Johnson) […]

Halloween (18/10/2018)

Michael Myers once again returns home after forty years in Halloween. After terrorizing the town of Haddonfield on Halloween Night 1978, Michael Myers was apprehended and has spent the last forty years at Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, under the care of Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), the pupil of Myers’ former caregiver Dr. Loomis. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) has been […]

The Dark – Toronto After Dark 2018 (17/10/2018)

An undead teenage girl befriends blind boy in The Dark. Mina (Nadia Alexander) is a cannibalistic undead teenager, who haunts an isolated forested area known as the “Devil’s Den.” After dispatching of a fugitive criminal that enters the area, Mina meets the criminal’s blinded hostage Alex (Toby Nichols). Mina decides to help Alex get back to […]

All About Nina (16/10/2018)

A female comic struggle with anxiety and relationships in All About Nina. Nina Geld (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is a New York based stand-up comic, who is very blunt about her sexual promiscuity on stage. Wanting to escape from a toxic and abusive affair with married cop Joe (Chace Crawford), Nina relocates to Los Angeles for a new […]

Lifechanger – Toronto After Dark 2018 (16/10/2018)

A shapeshifter tries to reconnect with a past love in Lifechanger. For most of his life, Drew (Bill Oberst Jr.) has had the ability to take on the form of other people. The transformation only lasts for a brief period of time, before the body begins to rot and Drew must find a new host before […]

Tigers Are Not Afraid – Toronto After Dark 2018 (12/10/2018)

A gang of kids try to escape the cartel violence in Mexico in Tigers Are Not Afraid. Estrella (Paola Lara) is an 11 year old girl in a Mexican city torn apart by local cartels and corrupt political candidate El Chino (Tenoch Huerta). Estrella makes a wish that her missing mother comes back and ends up being followed […]

Knuckleball (12/10/2018)

A 12 year old boy struggles to survive a trip to his grandfather’s farm in Knuckleball. Despite some apprehension from his mother Mary (Kathleen Munroe), 12 year old Henry (Luca Villacis) is dropped off at the farm of his grandfather Jacob (Michael Ironside), while Henry’s parents go to a funeral. Despite being relatively estranged from the family, Jacob quickly […]

First Man (12/10/2018)

The journey to bring man to the moon is documented in First Man. Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) is an aeronautical engineer, who joins the NASA space program to bring a man to the moon. With his worried wife Janet (Claire Foy) home to care for his family, Armstrong joins fellow astronauts Ed White (Jason Clarke), Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll), and […]

A Star is Born (05/10/2018)

A successful musician helps lead a young woman to stardom, while his own career begins a downward spiral, in A Star is Born. Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) is a successful country rock musician, who constantly plays sold out show, yet offstage is secretly struggling with alcoholism, much to the frustration of his older brother and manager Bobby […]

Let the Corpses Tan (05/10/2018)

A gold robbery results in an epic shootout in Let the Corpses Tan. After robbing 250kg of gold, a gang arrives at the remote ruins of a Mediterranean hamlet to hide out. However, the sudden arrival of cops results in an epic shootout to break out, with the last one left standing to get the gold. […]

Bad Reputation (30/09/2018)

The career of Joan Jett is chronicled in Bad Reputation. Since she has been very young, Joan Jett had the ambition to become a rock star, despite the industry having a bias against women. When she was still a teenager, Jett co-founded the all female punk rock group The Runaways, which experienced great success in the […]

Night School (28/09/2018)

A high school dropout sets out to earn his GED in Night School. Teddy Walker (Kevin Hart) is a high school dropout, who tries very hard to hide this fact from his fiance Lisa (Megalyn Echikunwoke), out of fear that she’s out of his league. When Teddy suddenly finds himself out of work, he is offered a […]

Mandy (27/09/2018)

A broken man seeks bloody vengeance against a religious cult in Mandy. Red Miller (Nicolas Cage) is a logger, who lives with his artist girlfriend Mandy Bloom (Andrea Riseborough) in a cabin near the Shadow Mountains in the year 1983. One day, Mandy catches the attention of a cult known as the Children of the New Dawn, lead by Jeremiah […]

Blindspot 2018: Cult Films of the 1950s to 1970s: Blow-Up (26/09/2018)

This month I watched Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1966 English language debut Blow-Up. Thomas (David Hemmings) is a highly successful London photographer, who one day begins taking pictures of a loving couple in a park. When, the woman lover, Jane (Vanessa Redgrave) discovers this she is infuriated and demands that Thomas give her the film. With his curiosity peaked, […]

The House with a Clock in Its Walls (21/09/2018)

An orphaned boy moves into a creepy old house with his warlock uncle in The House With a Clock in Its Walls. After his parents died in a car accident, Lewis Barnavelt (Owen Vaccaro) is taken in by his eccentric Uncle Jonathan (Jack Black), who live in a Gothic mansion in the town of New Zebedee, Michigan. Lewis soon […]

The Predator (20/09/2018)

The intergalactic hunter combats a misfit group of soldiers in The Predator. While on mission, sniper Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook) encounters a Predator, which crash lands in the area and kills off his entire unit. Taken into custody, Quinn is placed in a prison bus with fellow “loonies” Nebraska Williams (Trevante Rhodes), Coyle (Keegan-Michael Key), Baxley (Thomas Jane), Lynch (Alfie Allen), […]

Green Book (17/09/2018)

A working class bouncer from the Bronx gets a job chauffeuring an African American pianist in the American South in Green Book. Set in 1962, Tony “Lip” Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) is a bouncer at New York’s Copacabana night club, who is in need of work while the club is closed for renovations. Tony is offered a […]

Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy (17/09/2018)

The true story of cult literary icon J.T. LeRoy is told in Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy. Laura Albert (Laura Dern) is a musician and writer, who wrote the autobiographical novel “Sarah,” under the pseudonym of a 19 year old boy named Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy. While Laura frequently does phone interviews as J.T., the constant request for pubic appearances results […]

Diamantino (17/09/2018)

A disgraced soccer star decides to adopt a refugee in Diamantino. Diamantino Matamouros (Carloto Cotta) is the star soccer player for Portugal, whose prowess comes from his ability to see nothing but pink clouds and fluffy puppies on the pitch. However, when he becomes aware of the refugee crisis, Diamantino is thrown off his game and […]

Teen Spirit (17/09/2018)

A shy teenager participates in an international singing competition in Teen Spirit. Violet (Elle Fanning) is a 17 year old Polish girl living on farm with her mother (Agnieszka Grochowska) on the Isle of Wright. An aspiring singer, Violet meets former opera singer Vlad (Zlatko Buric) at a bar and he help her improve her singing, as she prepares […]

Donnybrook (15/09/2018)

An ex-marine struggling to support his family sets off to participate bare-knuckle brawl in Donnybrook. Jarhead Earl (Jamie Bell) is a veteran desperate for money to support his family, so he sets off with his son to participate in the Donnybrook bareknuckle cage match. On Earl’s trail is Chainsaw Angus (Frank Grillo), a violent psychopath who runs […]

The Man Who Feels No Pain (15/09/2018)

A man diagnosed with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain sets out to help his idol fight his brother in The Man Who Feels No Pain. Surya (Abhimanyu Dassani) was born with a rare medical condition, where he cannot feel any pain. With his mother having died during a robbery shortly after he was born, Surya is mentored by […]

In Fabric (14/09/2018)

A mysterious department store sells a haunted red dress to unsuspecting customers in In Fabric. Sheila (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) steps into the department store Dentley & Soper’s to buy a dress for a blind date. Greeted by the odd, cryptic speaking shopkeeper (Fatma Mohamed), Sheila ends up buying a haunting red dress. However, the date doesn’t go well […]

22 July (14/09/2018)

The story of Norway’s deadliest terrorist attack is told in 22 July. On July 22, 2011, right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik (Anders Danielsen Lie) detonated a car bomb in the government district of Oslo, before opening fire at leadership camp on Utøya Island. In the aftermath of the attack, Breivik is arrested and personally requests lawyer Geir Lippestad (Jon Øigarden) […]

Folklore: A Mother’s Love & Pob (14/09/2018)

Singaporean director Eric Khoo presents the anthology TV series Folklore that gather’s Asia’s best genre directors to make horror tales representative of their culture. In A Mother’s Love, from Indonesian director Joko Anwar (Satan’s Slaves), a woman finds a group of impoverished children in the attic of the house she was cleaning, which attracts a spirit that targets […]

The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (13/09/2018)

The members of a militia try to find out which one of them is responsible for a mass shooting in The Standoff at Sparrow Creek. Following a mass shooting targeting cops at a funeral, local militia members Gannon (James Badge Dale), Beckmann (Patrick Fischler), Noah (Brian Geraghty), Ford (Chris Mulkey), Morris (Happy Anderson), Keating (Robert Aramayo), […]

Jessica Forever (13/09/2018)

A woman cares for a group of violent marauders in Jessica Forever. In a dystopian future society, orphans roam the world causing violence and mayhem. However, a group of orphans have been gathered together by the matriarchal Jessica (Aomi Muyock), who teaches them to be more kind and compassionate. Forever on the run from special forces drones, […]

Hold the Dark (13/09/2018)

A wolf expert is brought into an isolated Alaskan town to search for a missing boy in Hold the Dark. Russell Core (Jeffrey Wright) is a grizzled author and wolf expert, who is called into a remote town in Northern Alaska by Medora Slone (Riley Keough), who believes her son has been taken by wolves, with Medora asking […]

Assassination Nation (12/09/2018)

A series of internet leaks results in chaos in a small town in Assassination Nation. Lily (Odessa Young), Bex (Hari Nef), Sarah (Suki Waterhouse), and Em (Abra) are four teenage friends in the town of Salem. The girls’ lives are turned upside down when half the town’s cellphones are hacked, revealing that Lily has been exchanging […]

Endzeit – Ever After (12/09/2018)

Two young women journey across zombie-infested Germany in Endzeit – Ever After. Following a plague leaving the world overrun by zombies, the two German towns of Weimar and Jena are the last holdouts of the human population. Vivi (Gro Swantje Kohlhof) and Eva (Maja Lehrer) are two very different women from Weimar, who involuntarily team up […]

The Death and Life of John F. Donovan (12/09/2018)

The correspondence between a child actor and TV celebrity changes both of their lives in The Death and Life of John F. Donovan. In 2006, 11 year old child actor Rupert Turner (Jacob Tremblay) is shocked by the news that his favourite actor John F. Donovan (Kit Harington) was found dead at the age of 29. A […]

Freaks (11/09/2018)

A young girl wants to escape from her father’s protective control in Freaks. Seven year old Chloe (Lexy Kolker) has spent her whole life living in hiding with her father Henry (Emile Hirsch), who warns her of the dangers outside. However, Chloe soon becomes fed up with her captivity and ventures outside, where she meets ice cream […]

The Truth About Killer Robots (11/09/2018)

The effects and consequences of our increasingly automated society is examined in The Truth About Killer Robots. In his science fiction stories, Isaac Asimov established the rules of robotics, with the prime rule being that robots shouldn’t harm another human being. Whether in manufacturing or the service industry, robotics and automation are becoming more prevalent, resulting in […]

Non-Fiction (11/09/2018)

A group of people in the Parisian publishing world adjust to changes in the industry and their lives in Non-Fiction. Alain (Guillaume Canet) is a publisher in Paris, who is trying to embrace the switch from books to digital, while also dealing the stagnation of his marriage to his actress wife Serena (Juliette Binoche). At the same time […]

Clara (10/09/2018)

An astromoner tries to find a habitable planet with the help of his new research assistant in Clara. Dr. Isaac Bruno (Patrick J. Adams) is a man obsessed with finding signs of life in the cosmos, with this obsession costing him his job as a university professor. Deciding to continue his research at home, Isaac hires […]

Climax (10/09/2018)

A dance troupe’s rehearsal party degenerates into chaos in Climax. Based on real events that happened in France of 1996, a group of dancers have just finished a three day rehearsal and have begun a celebratory party. However, it isn’t too long until they discover that the punch bowl of sangria has been spiked with LSD. […]

Through Black Spruce (09/09/2018)

A Cree woman travels to Toronto to try and locate her missing sister in Through Black Spruce. Annie Bird (Tanaya Beatty) lives in the Northern Ontario town of Moosonee with her mother Lisette (Tina Keeper) and uncle Will (Brandon Oakes). Over a year ago, Annie’s twin sister Suzanne left for a modeling career in Toronto and hasn’t been heard […]

Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz (08/09/2018)

The life and career of the last surviving Nuremberg Trial prosecutor is told in Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz. Born in Romania, Ben Ferencz’s fled from Europe with his family in the 1920s and grew up New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen. Dedicated to a life of doing good, Ferencz studied to become a lawyer and fought in […]

Nekrotronic (08/09/2018)

A group of demon hunters set out to stop the social media exploiting demon queen in Nekrotronic. For generations, there have been a war between demons and a group of hunters known as Nekromancers. The demonic queen Finnigan (Monica Bellucci) has found a way to transmit demons through social media, using a ghost hunting mobile game. It […]

Sharkwater Extinction (07/09/2018)

The fight against the poaching of sharks continues in Sharkwater Extinction. It has been fifteen years since biologist and filmmaker Rob Stewart set out to save sharks from being hunted solely for their fins. Visiting locations such as Costa Rica, Panama, Bahamas, and even the United States, Stewart is shocked to discover that not only are […]

El Angel (07/09/2018)

A Buenos Aires teenager becomes embroiled in a life of crime in El Angel. In 1971 Buenos Aires, Carlitos (Lorenzo Ferro) is an angelic looking teenager, who has always been stealing things. Carlitos’ life of crime begins to escalate when he befriends Ramon (Chino Darín), who is the son of career criminals. It is not long until Carlitos […]

Searching (04/09/2018)

A man desperately tries to find his missing daughter in Searching. David Kim (John Cho) has had a somewhat distant relationship with his 16 year old daughter Margot (Michelle La) after the death of his wife. However, David becomes concerned when Margot seemingly vanishes without a trace one night and it isn’t long before he reports her […]

The Little Stranger (31/08/2018)

A country doctor returns to a manor he once visited as a child in The Little Stranger. Dr. Faraday (Domhnall Gleeson) first visited Hundreds Hall in the summer of 1919, when he visited the manor with his mother, who used to work as a maid. Three decades later, the manor has fallen into despair, with the owner Angela […]

The Happytime Murders (25/08/2018)

A puppet private detective and his former police partner try to solve a string of homicides in The Happytime Murders. Phil Philips (Bill Barretta) is a disgraced former police detective, who now works as a private investigator. While investigating a blackmail case for his new client Sandra (Dorien Davies), Phil finds himself in the middle of a […]

BlacKkKlansman (12/08/2018)

A black police officer infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan in BlacKkKlansman. In 1972 Colorado Springs, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) becomes the first black man to become a police officer at the Colorado Springs Police Department. At first regulated to the records room, Ron eventually gets himself reassigned to the intelligence division. It is there that Ron spontaneously answers a […]

Christopher Robin (05/08/2018)

The characters from the Hundred Acre Wood set out to assist their now grown up friend in Christopher Robin. As a child, Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) enjoyed many adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with his friend Winnie the Pooh (Jim Cummings), Piglet (Nick Mohammed), Tigger (Cummings), Eeyore (Brad Garrett), Rabbit (Peter Capaldi), Owl (Toby Jones), Kanga […]

Mission: Impossible – Fallout (29/07/2018)

Ethan Hunt and his IMF team faces their most impossible mission in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Following the capture of Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), a new shadowy organization known as The Apostles have formed out of the remains of The Syndicate. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team of Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) […]

Select Short Films (28/07/2018)

Here are my thoughts on the few short films I saw at the 2018 Fantasia Film Festival. Fauve Two boys play a seemingly innocent power game, which quickly turns dire. Fauve is a relatively simple story of a game of one-upmanship, which gains some real life or death consequences when the boys encounter a sinkhole. […]

Parallel (28/07/2018)

Four friends discover a portal leading to alternate realities in Parallel. Josh (Marc O’Brien), Lena (Georgia King), Devin (Aml Ameen) and Noel (Martin Wallström) are four members of an upstart tech development company, who are struggling to find investors for their proposals. Worried about their future, the four friends stumble upon a hidden attic in their rental home, […]

Lôi Báo (28/07/2018)

A comic artist gains superhuman abilities after undergoing an experimental transplant procedure in Lôi Báo. Tam (Cuong Seven) is a young artist striving to make Vietnam’s first superhero comic. However, Tam is dismayed to discover that he has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer with only a few weeks left to live. However, it turns out […]

Knuckleball (28/07/2018)

A 12 year old boy struggles to survive a trip to his grandfather’s farm in Knuckleball. Despite some apprehension from his mother Mary (Kathleen Munroe), 12 year old Henry (Luca Villacis) is dropped off at the farm of his grandfather Jacob (Michael Ironside), while Henry’s parents go to a funeral. Despite being relatively estranged from the family, Jacob quickly […]

Hurt (27/07/2018)

A woman spends Halloween night with her PTSD-suffering husband in Hurt. It is Halloween night in the small town of New Caney, Texas and Rose (Emily Van Raay) is reunited with her husband Tommy (Andrew Creer), who has just returned from the war. After spending some time with Rose’s sister Lily (Stephanie Moran) and her husband Mark […]

The Outlaws (26/07/2018)

An unconventional police force tries to take down a deadly gang in The Outlaws. Inspector Ma (Don Lee) is the head of the Serious Crimes Unit in Seoul’s Garibong neighbourhood, which is home to a number of Chinese-Korean gangs. Things heat with with the arrival of the Black Dragon Gang, lead by Jang Chen (Kye-Sang Yoon), who begins […]

LOUDER! Can’t Hear What You’re Singin’, Wimp! (26/07/2018)

A middle-aged rock star takes a soft-spoken street musician under his wing in LOUDER! Can’t Hear What You’re Singin’, Wimp!. Sin (Sadao Abe) is a middle-aged rock star, who has been injecting drugs into his vocal chords to help him maintain the primal screams he is known for. However, the toll has become too great and his […]

Blue My Mind (26/07/2018)

A teenage girl undergoes some unexpected changes in Blue My Mind. Mia (Luna Wedler) is a 15 year old girl, who has just moved to a new town and has lived for much of her life under the strict control of her parents. This results in Mia getting a bit of a rebellious streak, as she begins […]

Pledge (25/07/2018)

A trio of college freshmen get more that they bargain for they try to join an extremely exclusive fraternity in Pledge. David (Zack Weiner), Ethan (Phillip Andre Botello), and Justin (Zachary Byrd) are three college freshmen, who find themselves shunned by most of the campuses fraternities. The three are approached by Rachel (Erica Boozer), who invites […]

Laplace’s Witch (25/07/2018)

A geochemistry professor is asked to consult on a murder case in Laplace’s Witch. Within a short period of each other, two individuals are killed of hydrogen sulphide poisoning near a hot spring. This results in geochemistry professor Shusuke Aoe (Sho Sakurai) to be asked by police to consult on the cast. During the investigation, Aoe comes across Madoka Uhara […]

The Dark (24/07/2018)

An undead teenage girl befriends blind boy in The Dark. Mina (Nadia Alexander) is a cannibalistic undead teenager, who haunts an isolated forested area known as the “Devil’s Den.” After dispatching of a fugitive criminal that enters the area, Mina meets the criminal’s blinded hostage Alex (Toby Nichols). Mina decides to help Alex get back to […]

The Ranger (24/07/2018)

A group of teenage punks find themselves stalked by a psychotic park ranger in The Ranger. After her boyfriend Garth (Granit Lahu) stabs a police officer during a drug raid at a punk rock club, Chelsea (Chloe Levine) and her friends Abe (Bubba Weiler), Jerk (Jeremy Pope), and Amber (Amanda Grace Benitez) are forced to go […]

Bleach (23/07/2018)

A high school student who sees dead people finds himself recruited to a group of spirit-hunting warriors in Bleach. Ichigo Kurosaki (Sota Fukushi) is a teenager, who has had the power to see ghosts around him since he was a kid. One night, he encounters Rukia (Hana Sugisaki), who is a member of a group of warriors […]

The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion (22/07/2018)

A young woman’s past catches up to her in The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion. A decade ago, Ja-yoon (Kim Da-mi) escaped from a facility experimenting with telepathic kids and found refuge with a farmer and his wife. When she tries out for a TV talent show, Ja-yoon accidentally lets her powers slip and attracts the attention […]

Rokuroku: The Promise of the Witch (22/07/2018)

Multiple individuals are tormented by supernatural creatures emerging from a haunted hotel in Rokuroku: The Promise of the Witch. One day out of the blue, Izumi receives a call from her old friend Mika, who she arranges to meet-up with. Meanwhile, Izumi’s grandfather is disturbed by a supernatural force that no one else can see. Elsewhere, people from […]

Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires (22/07/2018)

The best goddamn cop on the force has to deal with an infestation of vampire tramps in Chuck Steel: Night of the Trampires. Chuck Steel (Mike Mort) is a jacked up action hero cop, who knows what it takes to clean up the streets of L.A. While investigating a series of murders, Steel encounters an old […]

Luz (21/07/2018)

A taxi driver is pursued by a demon in Luz. One night, Luz Carrara (Luana Velis) stumbles into a police station, in fear of a demon that is pursuing her. Elsewhere, the mysterious Nora (Julia Riedler) seduces Dr. Rossini (Jan Bluthardt) and talks about her history with Luz. Later, Dr. Rossini comes to the police station to help […]

Lifechanger (21/07/2018)

A shapeshifter tries to reconnect with a past love in Lifechanger. For most of his life, Drew (Bill Oberst Jr.) has had the ability to take on the form of other people. The transformation only lasts for a brief period of time, before the body begins to rot and Drew must find a new host before […]

Under the Silver Lake (20/07/2018)

A slacker goes to great lengths to find out what happened to his neighbour in Under the Silver Lake. Sam (Andrew Garfield) is directionless man in his mid-30s, whose daily routine involves playing retro video games and spying on his neighbours. It is during one of these spying sections that Sam sees Sarah (Riley Keough), a mysterious […]

Cam (19/07/2018)

A webcam model’s life falls apart after being replaced online by a doppelganger in Cam. Alice (Madeline Brewer) is a young woman, who performs nightly webcam sex shows under the alias of Lola_Lola. Desperate the climb the ranks of her cam site, Alice isn’t beyond doing stunts, such as faking her suicide on camera. After a […]

Chained for Life (19/07/2018)

An actress working on a horror film develops a connection with her deformed co-star in Chained for Life. Mabel (Jess Weixler) is the lead in a horror film directed by a pretentious German director (Charlie Korsmo), which has a number of deformed individuals in the cast, particularly Mabel’s main co-star Rosenthal (Adam Pearson). At first Mabel struggles to […]

I Have a Date with Spring (19/07/2018)

A number of individuals receive unforgettable birthday gifts on the day before the world ends in I Have a Date with Spring. A struggling filmmaker (Kang Ha-neul) sits by the lake on his birthday, hoping to find a way to complete the script he has been working on for a decade. Four mysterious beings suddenly show […]

Satan’s Slaves (18/07/2018)

A family experiences paranormal activity following the death of their mother in Satan’s Slaves. Rini (Tara Basro) lives with her parents and brothers Tony (Endy Arfian), Bondi (Nasar Annuz), and Ian (M. Adhiyat) at an isolated house beside a cemetery. Rini’s mother (Ayu Laksmi), a formerly popular singer, has been sick in bed for a number […]

The Nightshifter (18/07/2018)

A morgue attendant, who can talk to the dead, ends up cursing himself and his family in The Nightshifter. Stênio (Daniel de Oliveira) works night shifts at the morgue in São Paulo and has the ability to have conversations with the many cadavers that enter the facility. One night, a corpse gives Stênio information pertaining to his own life and […]

Mega Time Squad (18/07/2018)

A low-level thug gains the ability to travel in time in Mega Time Squad. Johnny (Anton Tennet) is a low-level drug dealer in Thames, New Zealand, who hangs with his friend Gaz (Arlo Gibson) and does petty tasks for the local crime boss Shelton (Johnny Brugh). When an opportunity to steal Chinese Triad money arises, Johnny takes a chance to […]

Profile (17/07/2018)

A British journalist seduces an ISIS recruiter online in Profile. As a means to do research for a news story, Amy Whitaker (Valene Kane) creates a fake Facebook profile in an attempt to attract ISIS recruiters and find out how they convince women in Europe to abandon their lives and travel to Syria to join the […]

Neomanila (17/07/2018)

A young gang member is taken in by a pair of assassins in Neomanila. In the near future, extrajudicial executions of drug dealers have become a way of life in Manila. In an effort to free his jailed brother, Toto (Timothy Castillo) is paired with the couple of Irma (Eula Valdez) and Raul (Rocky Salumbides), two freelance […]

Cold Skin (16/07/2018)

A man is stationed on an island inhabited by amphibious creatures in Cold Skin. In the fall of 1914, a young man (David Oakes) sails to an isolated island in the Antarctic to survey the weather. The only other person on the island is the crazed lighthouse keeper Gruner (Ray Stevenson), who is less than welcoming […]

Buffalo Boys (15/07/2018)

Two brothers seek revenge for the murder of their father in Buffalo Boys. After spending two decades in exile in the American Wild West, Arana (Tio Pakusadewo) and his two nephews Jamar (Ario Bayu) and Suwo (Yoshi Sudarso) return to Indonesia to get revenge against the occupying Dutch Captain Van Trach (Reinout Bussemaker), who murdered Jamar […]

Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana (15/07/2018)

The story of the only American artist convicted for obscenity is told in Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana. In the late 1980s, Florida-based teenager Mike Diana began his underground comic “Boiled Angel,” which was designed by Diana to be be the most offensive zine ever published, with the comics featuring very graphic depictions of […]

Summer of ’84 (15/07/2018)

A young man suspects his next door neighbour of being a serial killer in Summer of ’84. Davey Armstrong (Graham Verchere) is a fifteen year old paperboy in the small town of Ipswitch, Oregon. In the summer of 1984, the town is shaken up by news of a serial killer named the “Cape May Slayer,” who targets […]

Playing Hard (14/07/2018)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2018 The development of a video game is followed from start to finish in Playing Hard. Jason Vandenberghe has worked in the video game industry for two decades. In 2013, Vandenberghe goes to Ubisoft’s studio in Montreal to pitch his dream game, a medieval […]

Tales from the Hood 2 (14/07/2018)

A mysterious figure tells four stories to a bigoted industrialist in Tales from the Hood 2. Portifoy Simms (Keith David) is invited to Dumass Beach Industries to help with the programming of the “RoboPatriot” crime fighting robots by telling a series of stories from the hood. In Good Golly, Audrey (Alexandria DeBerry) breaks into a museum to steal […]

Unfriended: Dark Web (14/07/2018)

A 20-something man’s new laptop puts him into the cross-hairs of a shadowy hacker group in Unfriended: Dark Web. Matias (Colin Woodell) is a young man, who acquired a new laptop that he uses to work on a sign language app for his deaf girlfriend Amaya (Stephanie Nogueras). While doing a Skype games night with his friends […]

Skyscraper (13/07/2018)

A man goes to great lengths to save his family from a state of the art high rise in Skyscraper. FBI Hostage Rescue Team leader Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) gets a job as a security consultant at The Pearl, a 220 story state of the art skyscraper in Hong Kong, built by Zhao Long Ji (Chin Han). As […]

Ant-Man and the Wasp (09/07/2018)

The pint-sized superhero gets a new partner in Ant-Man and the Wasp. In the aftermath of the events of Captain America: Civil War, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) has been placed under house arrest by the FBI, while Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) are wanted fugitives. When he has a dream that features […]

Sicario: Day of the Soldado (01/07/2018)

The war against the Mexican drug cartels heats up in Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Following a suicide bombing in Texas, where the terrorists sneaked in through the Mexican border, CIA Special Activities Division agent Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) is assigned by Secretary of Defense James Riley (Matthew Modine) to help instigate a war between the Mexican cartels, as […]

Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist (30/06/2018)

The life and career of fashion icon Vivienne Westwood is told in Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist. Coming from humble beginnings in the north of England, fashion designer first came into prominence through her relationship with Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and her role in helping to create the fashion of the punk movement in the 1970s. In the […]

Tag (29/06/2018)

A group of friends participate in an annual epic game in Tag. Since they were kids, Hogan ‘Hoagie’ Malloy (Ed Helms), Bob Callahan (Jon Hamm), Randy ‘Chilli’ Cilliano (Jake Johnson), Kevin Sable (Hannibal Buress), and Jerry Pierce (Jeremy Renner) have played a game of tag every May, where one of them can become “it” anytime and anywhere. The only one to […]

Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (29/06/2018)

An Indonesian widow kills the men who rob her, before going on a journey of redemption in Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts. Marlina (Marsha Timothy) is a young woman living in an remote farmhouse, who is robbed and raped by a gang on men. With the help of poisoned soup and a machete, Marlina manages […]

Upgrade (29/06/2018)

A man implanted with a state of the art A.I. tracks down his wife’s killers in Upgrade. Grey Trace (Logan Marshall-Green) is a car mechanic in a feature full-automated future world, whose wife Asha (Melanie Vallejo) is gunned down one night by a group of cybernetically upgraded thugs, who leave Grey a quadriplegic. Grey is approached by […]

The Unseen (29/06/2018)

A man who’s slowly going invisible tries to save his daughter in The Unseen. Bob Langmore (Aden Young) is an ex hockey player, who is now a struggling mill worker in a quiet town. Bob abandoned his family 8 years earlier, partly due to the fact that he has a condition that is slowly turning him […]

The Lockpicker (22/06/2018)

A troubled teen struggles to maintain his equilibrium in the wake of his friend’s death in The Lockpicker. Hashi (Keigian Umi Tang) is a teenage thief, who is haunted by the recent suicide of his friend Tess (Melissa McCann), who he still sees in visions. Sleepwalking through life in school, work, and parties, Hashi acts out […]

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (21/06/2018)

The dinosaurs escape the island in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. It has been three years since the destruction and evacuation of the Jurassic World amusement park on the island of Isla Nubar. With a volcano set to erupt on the island and threatening to destroy all the remaining dinosaurs, Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) wants to do […]

Incredibles 2 (17/06/2018)

The family of superheroes return to action in Incredibles 2. After a battle with the Underminer (John Ratzenberger) leaves a lot of collateral damage, Bob Parr, aka Mr Incredible (Craig T. Nelson),  Helen Parr, aka Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), and their kids Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner), and Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) are informed by their handler […]

Ocean’s Eight (10/06/2018)

An all female gang of thieves plan a high risk diamond heist in Ocean’s Eight.  Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), sister of the apparently recently deceased Danny, has just spent five years in prison, after being ratted out by her art dealer ex-boyfriend Claude Becker (Richard Armitage). It isn’t long before Debbie is reunited with her partner Lou (Cate […]

Fail to Appear (08/06/2018)

A caseworker works with a man charged with theft in Fail to Appear. Isolde (Deragh Campbell) is a trainee caseworker, who is assigned to assist Eric (Nathan Roder). Eric is a 30-something man, who has been charged with robbing an electronics store. Having already failed to appear at one court date, Eric is set to appear at […]

Hotel Artemis (08/06/2018)

Bank robbers take refuge in a top secret hospital for criminals in Hotel Artemis. It is June 21, 2028 and Los Angeles is in the midst of the worst riots in its history. After a botched bank robbery, Sherman (Sterling K. Brown) and his brother (Brian Tyree Henry) are injured by gunshots and go for […]

Hereditary (08/06/2018)

A family dealing with grief unravels shocking secrets about their history in Hereditary. Annie Graham (Toni Collette) is an artist living with her husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne) and children Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro). Following the death of her estranged mother, Annie becomes overwhelmed by grief, which is worsened by further family tragedy. After […]

Won’t You Be My Neighbour (08/06/2018)

The story of the life an career of Mr. Rogers is told in Won’t You Be My Neighbor. In the late 1960s, Fred Rogers started the children’s television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, as a way to connect children to the issues of the day, using his singing, storytelling, and puppetry. The show ran for over […]

First Reformed (01/06/2018)

A country priest has a crisis of faith in First Reformed. Reverend Toller (Ethan Hawke) is the pastor of the First Reformed parish, a historic yet poorly attended Dutch Reform church. Toller is approached by Mary (Amanda Seyfried), a pregnant parishioner, who asks Toller to talk to her husband, an environmentalist, whose despair about the environment […]

Disobedience (29/05/2018)

A photographer returns home to her Orthodox Jewish community and rekindles a forbidden romance in Disobedience. Ronit Krushka (Rachel Weisz) is a New York based photographer, who returns home to London to mourn the death of her rabbi father. Despite being estranged from her Orthodox Jewish family, she is invited to stay at the home of […]

Solo: A Star Wars Story (26/05/2018)

The origins of Han Solo are told in Solo: A Star Wars Story. After escaping from a life of servitude on the planet Corellia, Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) finds himself a member of the Imperial Army. It is there that he meets the Wookie Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), as well as the scoundrel Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson), who […]

Deadpool 2 (19/05/2018)

The merc with the mouth returns to the big screen in Deadpool 2. Following the loss of his love Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), fall into a suicidal funk, until he is brought on by Colossus (Stefan Kapicic) as a trainee member of the X-Men. On his first mission, he encounters troubled […]

Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. (08/05/2018)

The music and politics of international popstar M.I.A. are told in Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.. Matangi Arulpragasm, aka Maya to her friends and M.I.A. to most of the world, moved in 1985 with her family as refugees from war-torn Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom. Initially aspiring to be a documentary filmmaker, M.I.A. broke into the music industry in […]

Don’t Be Nice (08/05/2018)

A slam poetry team prepares for nationals in Don’t Be Nice. Coached by Lauren Whitehead and Jon Sands, the Bowery Poetry Slam team of Ashley August, Timothy DuWhite, Joel Francois, Sean “Mega” DesVignes, Noel Quiñones prepare for the National Poetry Slam in Atlanta. Lauren encourages the team to come up with new poems for the competition that really digs deep into the […]

Women of the Venezuelan Chaos (08/05/2018)

The sociopolitical situation in Venezuela is shown from the point of view of five women in Women of the Venezuelan Chaos. Despite the top suppliers of oil, Venezuela has become a very insecure country, with shortages in food and medical supplies. The stories of five women from varying socioeconomic backgrounds are told to illustrate a country […]

Crime + Punishment (07/05/2018)

Twelve New York City police officers join a class action lawsuit against corruption in the NYPD in Crime + Punishment. Within the NYPD, a number of Black and Latino officers are encouraged by their superiors to perform illegal summons and arrest quotas, with those refusing to do so facing repercussions. A number of these officers, […]

Siblings (07/05/2018)

Brothers and sisters separated by the foster care system reunite at a special summer camp in Siblings. 11 year old Liberty and 18 year old Brandi are two young women separated from their natural, who get to reunite with them every year at a special summer camp for kids in the foster care system. It […]

The American Meme (07/05/2018)

Social media celebrities are profiled in The American Meme. Since the rise of social media, there have been those who have the platform as the route cult celebrity. This include includes infamous socialite Paris Hilton, who has over 50,000,000 followers she dubs her “Little Hiltons.” Other social media celebrities include comedians Brittany Furlan and Josh “The Fat […]

United We Fan (07/05/2018)

The people behind “save our show” campaigns are profiled in United We Fan. Over the years, fans of low-rated, but beloved television series have banded together to save the shows from cancellation. This includes Bjo and John Trimble, who are known as “The Couple that Saved Star Trek,” as well as Dorothy Swanson, who would go on […]

Playing Hard (06/05/2018)

The development of a video game is followed from start to finish in Playing Hard. Jason Vandenberghe has worked in the video game industry for two decades. In 2013, Vandenberghe goes to Ubisoft’s studio in Montreal to pitch his dream game, a medieval actioner eventually named For Honor. The studio begins development of the game with Vandenberghe as […]

Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie (06/05/2018)

Mattel sets out to do a complete overhaul of its signature Barbie dolls in Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie. Introduced in 1959 by Ruth and Elliot Handler, Barbie is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. However, Barbie has frequent received criticism for portraying an unrealistic thin and blonde female image. In response to […]

Our New President (06/05/2018)

The story of Trump’s election is told entirely through Russian propaganda in Our New President. Compiled from material from Russia’s stations Russia-1, Russia TV, and NTV, the media empire of Russia works overtime to sabotage Hilary Clinton, while celebrating Donald Trump. This results in a film about news, which is completely devoid of any true […]

Shirkers (06/05/2018)

A Singapore filmmaker revisits a film she made in her youth in Shirkers. When she was 18 years old, Sandi Tan set out to shoot Singapore’s first road movie with her friends Jasmine Ng and Sophie Siddique. The film was directed by Sandi’s enigmatic American mentor Georges Cardona, who would disappear along with the footage after […]

Slut or Nut: The Diary of a Rape Trial (04/05/2018)

A rape victim goes through the process of bringing her sexual assault to trial in Slut or Nut: The Diary of a Rape Trial. In 2015, Mandi Gray was sexually assaulted by a union leader she was dating from York University. She decides to report the assault to police, but is initially assumed that she […]

Tully (04/05/2018)

A stressed out mother of three hires a night nanny in Tully. Marlo (Charlize Theron) is a woman on the verge of giving birth to her third child, who already has a stressful time raising two kids with her husband Drew (Ron Livingston), particularly her son Jonah (Asher Miles Fallica), who is possibly autistic. At the […]

Constructing Albert (03/05/2018)

Chef Albert Adrià hopes to step out from his more famous brother’s shadow in Constructing Albert. With his restaurant elBulli, Ferran Adrià redefined the world of gastronomy and can be considered one of the greatest chefs in the world. Ferran’s younger brother Albert began as a teenager working in the kitchen of elBulli and follow the closure of the restaurant in […]

Roll Red Roll (03/05/2018)

Social media plays a major role in the case of a teenager girl raped in a small town in Ohio in Roll Red Roll. Steubenville is a town in Ohio best known for the local high school football team Big Red. At a party, a teenage girl is raped by members of the team, which causes […]

Active Measures (03/05/2018)

The sequence of events leading to Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 US Presidential election is broken down in Active Measures. It has been alleged that Russia utilized active measures, a Soviet term for actions of political warfare, to interfere with the 2016 US Presidential election, leading to the election of Donald Trump. This wouldn’t […]

Bachman (03/05/2018)

The life and career of Canadian musician Randy Bachman is told in Bachman. Developing a love for music very early on growing up in Winnipeg, Bachman joined Chad Allen & The Expressions in the early 1960s, which evolved into The Guess Who, which generated hits such as “American Woman” and “These Eyes.” After leaving The […]

Anote’s Ark (02/05/2018)

The president of the island nation of Kiribati fights for the survival of his people in Anote’s Ark. Kiribati is a low-lying nation in the Pacific, which has been severely affected by the effects of climate change. With rising ocean levels, it is estimated the Kiribati would be no more within a century. It is for this […]

Believer (02/05/2018)

Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds organizes a music festival in support of LGBTs in the Morman community in Believer. Raised as part of the Morman church, Dan Reynolds begins to have a major crisis of faith involving the church’s strict stance against gay rights, which has contributed to an pandemic of suicides by LGBT youth […]

The Cleaners (01/05/2018)

Outsourced content moderators decide what content is appropriate for the major social networks in The Cleaners. Companies such as Google and Facebook outsource content moderation to foreign companies, who go through thousands of pictures and videos to weed out all sexual, violent, or terrorist content. One such company is located in Manila, where the anonymous […]

The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned from a Mythical Man (01/05/2018)

Bill Murray’s habit of randomly interacting with random people is explored in The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned from a Mythical Man. All over, there are stories of people running into Bill Murray in the most random of circumstances. These range from his “photobombing” an engagement photo to showing up as the roadie of […]

This Mountain Life (01/05/2018)

The stories of people in the mountains of British Columbia are told in This Mountain Life. 75% of made up of mountain ranges, yet few people are able to properly experience them. Martina Halik and her mother Tania are planning to embark on a 6 month, 2300km coastal traverse trip from Squamish to Alaska. They are but […]

I, Dolours (30/04/2018)

A former member of the IRA gives her first-hand account of The Troubles in I, Dolours. In 2010, Dolours Price gave an interview recounting her time as a member of the Irish Republican Army. With the help of recreations and archival footage, Dolours talks about growing up in a Republican family, being a member of […]

Netizens (30/04/2018)

Female victims of online harassment fight back in Netizens. Digital mediums have made it easier for women to be harassed and law enforcement is not equipped to do anything about it. As such, various victims of online harassment have stepped up to take matters in their own hands. This includes lawyer Carrie Goldberg, who creates her […]

Alt-Right: Age of Rage (29/04/2018)

This history of the alternative right is told in Alt-Right: Age of Rage. In 2008, white supremacist Richard Spenser coined the name “Alt-Right” as the name of his blog. Over the next decade, the Alt-Right movement grew and helped to elect Donald Trump into the White House. The main opponents of the Alt-Right are the […]

Love, Gilda (29/04/2018)

The life and career of Gilda Radner is told in her own words in Love, Gilda. Growing up in Detroit, Gilda Radner quickly became a star for The Second City in Toronto and later as one of the fist cast members of Saturday Night Live. Radner paved the way for women in comedy, while also […]

Won’t You Be My Neighbor (29/04/2018)

The story of the life an career of Mr. Rogers is told in Won’t You Be My Neighbor. In the late 1960s, Fred Rogers started the children’s television series Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, as a way to connect children to the issues of the day, using his singing, storytelling, and puppetry. The show ran for over […]

Warrior Women (28/04/2018)

The history of the activism by indigenous females are told in Warrior Women. In the 1970s, Madonna Thunder Hawk of the Lakota First Nation was one of the leaders of the American Indian Movement, which thought for the rights of the indigenous population. This fight continues today, with Madonna’s daughter Marcy joining in the activist efforts. […]

More Human Than Human (28/04/2018)

The advances in artificial intelligence are explored in More Human Than Human. Machines are developing at a rapid pace and they are expected to replace traditional jobs by the year 2030. With science fiction movies having developed a fear of artificial intelligence, the question is asked what would happen if and when we finally reach […]

The Guardians (28/04/2018)

The systematic abuse of the elderly in the Las Vegas area is investigated in The Guardians. Elderly couples such as Rudy and Rennie North find themselves appointed to legal guardians without their knowledge, which results in them being literally kidnapped from their homes and robbed of their life savings. This has resulted in people, such […]

I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story (28/04/2018)

The obsessive fans of boybands are profiled in I Used to Be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story. Every sine the rise of The Beatles in the 1960s, there have been all-male musical acts that have been systematically manufactured to play to the emotions are young females. Some of these fans include 16 year old Elif, […]

Three Identical Strangers (28/04/2018)

Three men discover that they are triplets separated at birth in Three Identical Strangers. In 1980, Robert Shafran, Eddy Galland, and David Kellman discovery by accident that they are triplets separated at birth and adopted by different families. Their reunion results in the three to become minor celebrities, appearing on talk shows and even a cameo in the […]

Avengers: Infinity War (28/04/2018)

The heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe face their biggest challenge in Avengers: Infinity War. As The Avengers remain divided, following the events of Captain America: Civil War, the intergalactic tyrant Thanos (Josh Brolin) has embarked on his mission to acquire the six infinity stones, which would give him the power to eradicate half of […]

Bathtubs Over Broadway (27/04/2018)

A writer for The Late Show with David Letterman talks about his obsession with industrial musicals in Bathtubs Over Broadway. While collecting weird records to showcase on David Letterman’s talk show, writer Steve Young discovered obscure cast recording for Broadway-style musicals created by corporations like General Electric, McDonald’s, Ford, DuPont, Xerox. This opens up an obsession […]

Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground (27/04/2018)

The brief career of experimental filmmaker Barbara Rubin is explored in Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground. In 1964, Barbra Rubin made her mark with the release of her experimental art-porn film Christmas on Earth. She quickly became a key member of the New York Underground, along with Andy Warhol and Allen Ginsberg, before unexpectedly deciding to […]

The Night of All Nights (27/04/2018)

Four longtime couples reflect on that status of their relationships in The Night of All Nights. It can be easy to assume that when a couple gets married, that their relationship would last forever. That way of thinking is tested by a profile for four long term couples from around the world. This includes Hildegard & Heinz-Siegfried […]

Mr Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End (26/04/2018)

The story of one of the most fearless editorial cartoonists is told in Mr Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End. Dwayne Booth, better known by his pseudonym Mr. Fish, has been a freelance editorial cartoonist for 25 years, with his work appearing in publications such as Harper’s Magazine, Vanity Fair, and Truthdig.com. Mr. Fish is not afraid to […]

Golden Dawn Girls (26/04/2018)

The women of Greece’s controversial Golden Dawn party take centre stage in Golden Dawn Girls. Over the last number of years, the ultra-nationalistic right wing party the Golden Dawn starting gaining more support in Greece, with critics labeling the Golden Dawn as Neo-Nazis. Following the murder of anti-fascist rapper Pavlos Fyssas, many members of the Golden […]

The Devil We Know (26/04/2018)

One of the biggest environmental scandals of all time is unraveled in The Devil We Know. The town of Parkersburg, North Virginia is home to the DuPont chemical company, which is best known for developing Teflon non-stick cookware. However, it is discovered that Teflon’s key chemical ingredient C8 is not only responsible for various health issues […]

The Accountant of Auschwitz (26/04/2018)

The former bookkeeper of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp is placed on trial at the age of 94 in The Accountant of Auschwitz. Oskar Gröning made headlines in 2015 when he was placed on trial for the murder of 300,000 people at the age of 94. This trial was made possible by a new legal prescient that […]

Transformer (25/04/2018)

A world champion powerlifter’s transition from male to female is documented in Transformer. Matt “Kroc” Kroczaleski was a world record holding bodybuilder and marine veteran, who was outed as transgender by a 2015 YouTube video. The outing effectively ends Kroc’s powerlifting career, though she begins the process to transition into Janae Marie Kroczaleski. However, with Janae sporting […]

Chef Flynn (25/04/2018)

A young cooking prodigy tries to prove himself in the culinary world in Chef Flynn. In 2008, Flynn McGarry opened a supper club at his home at the age of only ten years old. Flynn’s mother Megan is a filmmaker, who has been filming him since he was very young. As Flynn reaches his teenage years, […]

The Game Changers (24/04/2018)

Elite athletes receive health benefits from plant-based diets in The Game Changers. James Wilks is and elite military trainer and winner of The Ultimate Fighter. After an injury, Wilks looks into diet options to help with his rehabilitation and comes across a study revealing that Roman Gladiators were predominantly vegetarians. This results in Wilks deciding […]

The Artist and the Pervert (24/04/2018)

The BDSM relationship between a famous Austrian composer and his kink educator wife are profiled in The Artist and the Pervert. Georg Friedrich Haas is one of the most performed living composers. In an article for the New York Times, it is made public that Georg has a master/slave relationship with his wife Mollena, who is an […]

Exit Music (24/04/2018)

The final year in the life of a young man with cystic fibrosis is depicted in Exit Music. Ethan Rice has been preparing for his death his entire life. Originally given only three months to live, Ethan and his family have had to cope with his cystic fibrosis, an incurable genetic illness that eventually leads to respiratory […]

Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution (24/04/2018)

The story of the movement that combined the punk and queer subcultures is told in Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution. Rejected by both the local punk and queer scenes, Toronto-based experimental filmmakers Bruce LaBruce and G.B. Jones invented a hybrid that they promoted through their zine “J.D.s.” The movement soon spread to other areas of […]

The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution (23/04/2018)

Top female chefs are profiled in The Heat: A Kitchen (R)evolution. The restaurant industry has traditionally had men in the role of head chef. However, this is changing with more women taking charge at restaurants around the world. Seven female chefs, including “raddest vegetarian chef” Amanda Cohen, Toronto’s Charlotte Langley, and Gordon Ramsey protege Angela Hartnett, talk […]

The Trolley (23/04/2018)

The history of the streetcar is told in the IMAX documentary The Trolley. First arriving towards the end of the 19th century, there was once a time when there were thousands of trolley companies around the world. However, with the arrival of the automobile and other forms of public transportation, the trolley started disappearing around […]

Behind the Curve (23/04/2018)

The growing community of people who believe the Earth is flat are profiled in Behind the Curve. Over the last number of years, there is a growing number of people who have become convinced that the Earth is truly flat and that we have been mislead by NASA. The movement is being lead by Mark Sargent, […]

Super Troopers 2 (21/04/2018)

The officers of the Vermont State Police are back in business in Super Troopers 2. After losing their jobs as both state troopers and local police, the team of Arcot “Thorny” Ramathorn (Jay Chandrasekhar), Jeff Foster (Paul Soter), MacIntyre “Mac” Womack (Steve Lemme), Robert “Rabbit” Roto (Erik Stolhanske), and Rodney “Rod” Farva (Kevin Heffernan) are called back into duty by […]

Rampage (15/04/2018)

The popular arcade game hits the big screen with Rampage. The genetics company Energyne headed by Claire Wyden (Malin Akerman) has developed a pathogen called CRISPR that edits the DNA of all animals that come in contact with it. After the explosion of Energyne’s outer space laboratory, three samples of the pathogen crash land to Earth, infecting a […]

Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare (13/04/2018)

A game of truth or dare turns deadly in Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare. Humanitarian college student Olivia (Lucy Hale) is convinced to go on a spring break trip to Mexico with best friend Markie (Violett Beane) and her boyfriend Lucas (Tyler Posey), along with fellow friends Penelope (Sophia Ali), Tyson (Nolan Gerard Funk), Brad (Hayden […]

A Quiet Place (11/04/2018)

A family tries to take shelter from sound sensitive creatures in A Quiet Place. The world has been ravaged by creatures, who hunt by sound. Lee Abbott (John Krasinski) and his wife Evelyn (Emily Blunt) struggle to survive in silence with their children Regan (Millicent Simmonds), Marcus (Noah Jupe), and Beau (Cade Woodward). However, a combination of […]

Blockers (06/04/2018)

Three parents try to disrupt their daughters’ pact to lose their virginity on prom night in Blockers. Lisa (Leslie Mann), Mitchell (John Cena), and Hunter (Ike Barinholtz) are three friends, whose daughters Julie (Kathryn Newton), Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan), and Sam (Gideon Adlon) are heading off to their senior prom. However, Julie leaves her laptop open […]

Ready Player One (01/04/2018)

A group of friends try to save a virtual world from an evil corporation in Ready Player One. In the year 2045, most of the world’s cities have degraded into slums and the population find escape in a virtual world known as the OASIS, created by James Halliday (Mark Rylance) and Ogden Morrow (Simon Pegg). On his […]

Isle of Dogs (25/03/2018)

Wes Anderson returns with the stop motion Japanese adventure Isle of Dogs. 20 years in the future, all the dogs of Japan are afflicted by a virus and Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura) of Megasaki City decrees that all dogs be deported to nearby trash island. One day, the five alpha dogs of Chief (Bryan Cranston), Rex […]

Luba (23/03/2018)

A single mother tries to turn her life around, while dealing with her addict ex-husband in Luba. Luba (Nicole Maroon) is a single mother struggling to make ends meet, while raising her six year old son Matty (Porter Schaefer). At the same time, Luba has to deal with her ex-husband Donnie (Vladimir Jon Cubrt), who […]

The Go-Getters (23/03/2018)

Two lowlifes try to scam their way into $98 for bus money in The Go-Getters. Owen (Aaron Abrams) is a deadbeat drunk, who is bunking in the boiler room of the bar owned by his brother Kevin (Kristian Bruun). Owen crosses paths with junkie hooker Lacie (Tommie-Amber Pirie) and despite the fact that they can’t […]

Pacific Rim: Uprising (23/03/2018)

The war between the Kaiju and Jaegers resumes in Pacific Rim: Uprising. A decade has passed since the end of the war and Jake Pentecost (John Boyega) lives in the shadow of his war hero father and has fallen into a life of crime. After being apprehended along with teenage genius Amara Namani (Cailee Spaeny) following a […]

The Cannon (23/03/2018)

An aging porn star hopes to to break into a legit acting career for his teenage daughter in The Cannon. Colton “The Cannon” Clemens (Bob Frazer) is a man from a revered acting pedigree, who settled for a career in adult entertainment after his actress mother was afflicted with ALS. When he learns that he […]

Room for Rent (22/03/2018)

A broke ex-lottery winner finds his life being ruined by a roomer in his parents’ house in Room for Rent. Just as he was finishing high school, Mitch Baldwin (Mark Little) won $3.5 million in the lottery. However, Mitch ends up squandering the money on bad investments and is now a broke 32 year old still […]

Becoming Burlesque (21/03/2018)

A young mixed raced girl is introduced to the world of burlesque in Becoming Burlesque. Fatima Jackson-Aziz (Shiva Negar) is a young woman of Syrian and British decent, who is under pressure to please the Muslim side of her family, particularly her uncle Yousef (Sam Kalilieh). Fatima chances upon a burlesque club and is pulled in […]

A Swinger’s Weekend (21/03/2018)

Things go awry when three couples decide to go swinging in A Swinger’s Weekend. Dan (Randal Edwards) and Lisa (Erin Karpluk) are a seemingly perfect couple, who decide to spice things up with a swinger’s weekend with their hot and young friends Teejay (Michael Xavier) and Skai (Erin Agostino). However, things start to go awry with […]

Tomb Raider (2018) (18/03/2018)

Alicia Vikander stars as Lara Croft in this new adaptation of the long-running video game series in Tomb Raider. It has been seven years since Lord Richard Croft (Dominic West) disappeared without a trace. His daughter Lara (Vikander) discovers that her father had a secret hobby as an archaeologist and that he disappeared while searching for […]

A Wrinkle in Time (12/03/2018)

A girl is sent on a quest to rescue her father in A Wrinkle in Time. It has been four years since Meg Murry’s (Storm Reid) astrophysicist father (Chris Pine) disappeared without a trace. One day, Meg, her younger brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), and friend Calvin (Levi Miller) meet the astral travelers Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs. Who […]

Thoroughbreds (09/03/2018)

Two teenage girls concoct a murderous plan in Thoroughbreds. Amanda (Olivia Cooke) is a sociopathic teenager from an upper class family, whose mother has hired Amanda’s old friend Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) to hang out with her. While Amanda does have a feeling in the world, Lily holds an immense hatred towards her stepfather Mark (Paul […]

Death Wish (04/03/2018)

Bruce Willis stars in a remake of the 1974 cult classic in Death Wish. Dr. Paul Kersey (Willis) is a trauma surgeon in Chicago, who has a seemingly happy life with his wife Lucy (Elisabeth Shue) and daughter Jordon (Camila Morrone), despite the fact that Paul’s younger brother Frank (Vincent D’Onofrio) is always asking for money. However, […]

Mom and Dad (02/03/2018)

A mass hysteria results in parents trying to kill their kids in Mom and Dad. Carly Ryan (Anne Winters) is a teenage girl who has a strained relationship with her parents Brent (Nicolas Cage) and Kendall (Selma Blair). One day without explanation, parents all over the country gain the sudden compulsion to kill their children. Carly, her […]

Mute (24/02/2018)

A bartender who cannot speak tracks down his girlfriend in the underworld of Berlin in Mute. Leo (Alexander Skarsgård) is a man who lost the ability to speak after a childhood accident. Leo works as a bartender at the bar, along with his waitress girlfriend Naadirah (Seyneb Saleh). One night, Naadirah mysteriously disappears without a trace and […]

Annihilation (23/02/2018)

A team of scientists investigate an environmental phenomena know as “The Shimmer” in Annihilation. After being MIA for nearly a year, biologist Lena (Natalie Portman) is shocked by the sudden return of her soldier husband Kane (Oscar Isaac), who quickly falls gravely ill. Lena is taken to a government facility where psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason […]

Black Panther (18/02/2018)

The new king of Wakanda has to protect his homeland from an outsider in Black Panther. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns homes to be crowned the new king of Wakanda, a technologically advanced country in Africa, hidden from the rest of the world. Not long after the coronation ceremony, T’Challa receives […]

Shiners (17/02/2018)

Various shoe-shiners are profiled in Shiners. All over the world, you will find people who make it their living to shine shoes. In New York, Don has been shining on the streets for fifteen years. In Toronto, Vincent shines shoes part time in a barbershop. In Sarajevo, Ramiz hopes to follow in the steps of his […]

Call Me by Your Name (02/02/2018)

A teenage boy develops a relationship with his father’s research assistant in Call Me by Your Name. Elio (Timothée Chalamet) is a 17 year old boy living with his archaeologist father (Michael Stuhlbarg) and mother (Amira Casar) in Northern Italy. In the summer of 1983, graduate student Oliver (Armie Hammer) comes to live with the family, […]

The Final Year (24/01/2018)

Barack Obama’s foreign policy team are followed during the administration’s final year in office in The Final Year. During the Obama administration final 12 months in office, a documentary crew has unprecedented access as they follow Secretary of State John Kerry, UN Ambassador Samantha Power, and Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes as they embark on their duties. With […]

Return to… Return to Nuke ‘Em High AKA. Vol 2 (21/01/2018)

From Troma Entertainment comes the conclusion of the two part re-imagining of the original 1986 film with Return to… Return to Nuke ‘Em High AKA. Vol 2. Picking up directly where the first volume leaves off, Tromaville High School students Chrissy Goldberg (Asta Paredes) and Lauren (Catherine Corcoran) become privy to a plan by the evil Tromorganic Foodstuffs Conglomerate […]

In the Fade (20/01/2018)

A grief-stricken woman seeks justice for the death of her family in In the Fade. Katja Sekerci (Diane Kruger) is a woman living in Hamburg, married to Turkish ex-con Nuri (Numan Acar). Katja’s world falls apart when a bomb blast kills Nuri and their 5 year old son Rocco. Dealing with prejudice about her husband’s drug […]

The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches (20/01/2018)

A repressed young woman uncovers her family’s dark secrets in The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches. In 1930s rural Quebec, a young woman (Marine Johnson) and her brother (Antoine L’Écuyer) are raised alone by their authoritarian father (Jean-François Casabonne). After their father hangs himself one night, the two siblings are left to […]

The Polka King (18/01/2018)

A popular polka musician gets rich through a Ponzi scheme in The Polka King. Jan Lewan (Jack Black) is a Polish immigrant, who has become one of the most popular polka players in Pennsylvania. Jan is married to former beauty queen Marla (Jenny Slate) and is best friends with his band’s clarinetist Mickey (Jason Schwartzman). In order to […]

Unarmed Verses (17/01/2018)

A girl living in a community housing project learns to develop her own voice in Unarmed Verses. Francine Valentine is a teenage girl living with her father and grandmother in a community housing project in the north of Toronto, which is in the midst of a “revitalization” plan. Francine participates in a songwriting program put on […]

Allure (15/01/2018)

An emotionally unstable woman develops an unlikely connection in Allure. Laura Drake (Evan Rachel Wood) is a woman who struggles to find a connection in her life. Working as a house cleaner for her father William (Denis O’Hare), Laura begins working at the house of Nancy (Maxim Roy) and becomes infatuated with Nancy’s 16 year old […]

All the Money in the World (14/01/2018)

An oil tycoon refuses to pay the ransom for his kidnapped grandson in All the Money in the World. John Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer) is an incredibly successful oil tycoon, who made billions drilling and shipping oil from the Saudi desert. In 1973, Getty’s 16 year old grandson John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) is kidnapped […]

Les Affamés (12/01/2018)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of TIFF 2017 A group tries to survive a zombie outbreak in a remote Quebec village in Les Affamés. A flesh-eating plague has broken out in Quebec and a small batch of survivors try to make to safety. These include Bonin (Marc-André Grondin), who is always cracking […]

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (12/01/2018)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage for Hot Docs 2017 The indigenous contributions to music history are revealed in Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World. In 1907, the first recording of native music was made, since it was believed that the culture of the First Nation’s community would disappear. However, as […]

Adventures in Public School (12/01/2018)

A home schooled teenager enrolls into public school for the first time in Adventures in Public School. For most of his life, Liam (Daniel Doheny) has been home schooled by his enthusiastic mother Claire (Judy Greer). However, when Liam enters the local high school for his final exam, he is immediately infatuated with one-legged girl […]

LUK’LUK’I (12/01/2018)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of TIFF 2017 The stories of five Vancouverites are told under the backdrop of the 2010 Winter Olympics in LUK’LUK’I. It’s February 28, 2010 and the puck is about to drop on the Gold Medal hockey game between Canada and the USA. However, away from the […]

The Family (11/01/2018)

The survivors of the most infamous cult in Australia speak about their experience in The Family. The Family was an apocalyptic sect in Australia formed by Anne Hamilton-Byrne in the late 1960s. The membership of the cult included a large number of children, who were both the offspring of members and acquired through adoption scams. The […]

The Post (07/01/2018)

The publishing of a government cover-up results in a battle for the freedom of the press in The Post. Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) is the publisher of The Washington Post and works with editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) in the day to day operations. Kay is under much scrutiny for being the first female publisher of […]

Phantom Thread (05/01/2018)

A famous tailor finds his world thrown out of order when he falls a young woman in Phantom Thread. Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) is a famous dressmaker in 1950s London, who lives his life to a strict routine, with the help of his sister Cyril (Lesley Manville). On day, Reynolds meets a young waitress named Alma […]

Downsizing (31/12/2017)

A man gets shrunk down in the hope for a better life in Downsizing. Norwegian scientist Dr. Jorgen Asbjørnsen (Rolf Lassgård) has discovered a method to shrink the human body down to a height of only five inches, in an effort to combat overpopulation. Paul Safranek (Matt Damon) is a cash-strapped man living in Omaha, who decides […]

Bright (23/12/2017)

A police officer and his Orc partner have to protect a magic wand from falling into the wrong hands in Bright. Set in a world where mystical creatures live among humans, Daryl Ward (Will Smith) is an LAPD officer, who is returning to duty after being shot on the job. Ward is distrustful of his […]

Coco (22/12/2017)

A Mexican boy finds himself lost in the land of the dead in Disney and Pixar’s Coco. In the Mexican village of Santa Cecilia, 12 year old Miguel Rivera (Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of being a musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), however music is banned by Miguel’s family of shoemakers. Wanting to perform in […]

Better Watch Out (20/12/2017)

Warning: This review contains SPOILERS A babysitter defends a 12 year old boy from home invaders in Better Watch Out. In a quiet suburb during the holidays, Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) arrives to babysit 12 year old Luke (Levi Miller) while his parents (Patrick Warburton and Virginia Madsen) go out for the night. As the two settle […]

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (16/12/2017)

Note: Every effort will be made to avoid major SPOILERS, but please be advised that certain aspects of the plot will be revealed in this review. The First Order strikes back against the Resistance in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. As the First Order lead by Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), […]

Blindspot 2017: Canada 150: Last Night (14/12/2017)

As an appropriate end to my yearlong venture through classic Canadian cinema, this month I watched Don McKellar’s 1998 apocalyptic dark comedy Last Night. In six hours time, the world will come to an end at the stroke of midnight. Patrick (Don McKellar) is content with facing the end alone in his apartment. However, he comes […]

Another WolfCop (12/12/2017)

The lycanthrope police officer returns to duty in Another WolfCop. Sometime after the events of the previous film, officer Lou Garou ( Leo Fafard) continues to enact vigilante justice as WolfCop, while Tina (Amy Matysio) is now chief of the Woodhaven sheriff’s department. After eviscerating a group of thugs, Lou is unexpectedly reunited with local conspiracy […]

The Shape of Water (11/12/2017)

A mute cleaning woman befriends and tries to help an amphibious creature in The Shape of Water. Elisa Esposito (Sally Hawkins) is a mute and lonely woman, who lives in apartment above a cinema in 1960s Baltimore and takes care of her neighbour Giles (Richard Jenkins). Elisa works with her friend Zelda Fuller (Octavia Spencer) as […]

Darkest Hour (08/12/2017)

Winston Churchill is forced to make tough decisions during the early days World War II in Darkest Hour. In May 1940, the Nazis have occupied most of Western Europe and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickupis) forced to resign and the Liberal and Conservative parties form a grand coalition to tackle the Nazi threat. Despite […]

The Disaster Artist (02/12/2017)

The story behind the making of the infamous “so bad, it’s good” cult classic The Room is told in The Disaster Artist. Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) is an aspiring actor living in San Francisco. During an acting class in 1998, Greg meets the enigmatic Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) and is struck by his fearless stage presence. They two […]

Blindspot 2017: Canada 150: Polytechnique (30/11/2017)

Before he moved to Hollywood with films like Sicario and Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve made a film about one of the darkest moments of Canadian history with Polytechnique. On December 6, 1989, a lone gunman (Maxim Gaudette) walked into École Polytechnique in Montreal and shot 28 people, killing 14 women, before killing himself. This semi-fictionalized recreation of the […]

Short Film Showcase – Blood in the Snow 2017 (28/11/2017)

Here are my thoughts on the films that played during this year’s Blood in the Snow Short Film Showcase (with an obvious exception of course). Fun On an episode of Poppy Seed Place, Anna (Tiffany Hunter) demonstrates to Ellery (D. Campbell MacKinlay) her twisted meaning of fun. In many says, Fun can be seen as a […]

Darken – Blood in the Snow 2017 (27/11/2017)

A young woman finds herself in a mysterious and violent world in Darken. Eve (Bea Santos) is a nurse, who finds a bleeding woman on the sidewalk outside a building. Instructed to go inside and tell Taro (Jon McLaren) the truth, Eve finds herself in Darken, a dark warehouse-like world, where the residents worship Mother […]

Once Upon a Time at Christmas – Blood in the Snow 2017 (27/11/2017)

A small town is tormented by a pair of crazed killers in the twelve days leading up to Christmas in Once Upon a Time at Christmas. In the small town of Woodridge, a pair of killers dressed up as Santa (Simon Phillips) and Mrs Claus (Sayla Vee) have started killing people each night in increasing […]

Blood Child – Blood in the Snow 2017 (27/11/2017)

A young woman makes a dark choice following a miscarriage in Blood Child. While living is Singapore with her husband Bill (Biden Hall), Ashley (Alyx Melone) has miscarriage and loses her unborn child. Months later, Ashley and Bill have returned home to Minnesota and she soon receives the news that she is once again pregnant. […]

Fake Blood – Blood in the Snow 2017 (26/11/2017)

A documentary about the connection between movie violence and real life violence goes horribly wrong in Fake Blood. Rob Grant is an aspiring filmmaker, who makes low budget horror films with his actor friend Mike Kovac. After receiving a creepy fan video related to their film Mon Ami, Rob and Mike become concerned that the […]

Kill Order – Blood in the Snow 2017 (25/11/2017)

A young man with hidden abilities goes on the run from attackers in Kill Order. David Lee (Chris Mark) is a troubled teenager living with his “uncle” Andre Chan (Daniel Park). One day while David is school, a group of armed men storm David’s classroom. This seems to awaken something within David, giving him deadly fighting […]

Lady Bird (22/11/2017)

A teenage girl comes of age during her final year of high school in Lady Bird. Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), who prefers to be addressed as “Lady Bird,” is a seventeen year old girl living in Sacramento, California. Lady Bird is currently in her final year at a Catholic high school and she desperately wants to […]

Justice League (19/11/2017)

The world’s heroes team together to fight an invading threat in Justice League. As the world recovers from the death of Superman (Henry Cavill), a new threat arises in the form of the invading Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds), who comes to Earth looking for the Mother Boxes, which will allow him to take over the planet. Batman […]

Stegman is Dead (17/11/2017)

A retired criminal is called back to recover stolen evidence in Stegman in Dead. Gus (Michael Eklund) is a retired thief, who is contacted by his old boss Don (Michael Ironside), who had some incriminating security tapes stolen from him by a porn producer named Stegman, who is subsequently found dead at his house. Gus […]

Murder on the Orient Express (12/11/2017)

Kenneth Brannah directs and starts in this new adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. After finishing a case in Jerusalem, Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Brannah) is called back to London, disrupting his plans for vacation time in Istanbul. Poroit secures a place on the Orient Express, run by his friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) […]

Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield – Reel Asian 2017 (11/11/2017)

An imperial guard finds himself framed for treason in Brotherhood of Blades II: The Infernal Battlefield. Shen Lian (Chen Chang) is an imperial guard captain in 1627 Beijing, who eight years prior saved, his now colonel, Lu Wenzhao (Yi Zhang) on the battlefield. Shen is assigned to assassinate artist Bei Zhai (Mi Yang), who is apparently working […]

Thor: Ragnarok (04/11/2017)

Thor tries to save Asgard from the Goddess of Death in Thor: Ragnarok. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) returns to Asgard after he has repeated nightmares about the prophesied apocalyptic event of Ragnarök. In his absence, Thor’s brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) has ruled in the guise of their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), a consequence of which is the […]

The Heretics (02/11/2017)

A young woman is the target for a cult’s ritual in The Heretics. Five years ago, Gloria (Nina Kiri) was kidnapped by a cult and made part of a suicide ritual in the woods. Gloria still has nightmares about that day and is comforted only by her love for Joan (Jorja Cadence), who she met in […]

Thank You for Your Service (27/10/2017)

Iraqi veterans deal with the effects of PTSD in Thank You for Your Service. Sergeant Adam Schumann (Miles Teller) returns home from a tour in Iraq, along with with his comrades Solo Aieti (Beulah Koale) and Will Waller (Joe Cole). Soon after landing, Adam is confronted by Amanda Doster (Amy Schumer), who wants information on how her husband […]

Found Footage 3D (27/10/2017)

A group of filmmakers setting out to make a found footage film end up being part of one in Found Footage 3D. Derek (Carter Roy) sets out with a group of friends to film a found footage horror film entitled Spectre of Death at an isolated cabin in Texas, while his brother Mark (Chris O’Brien) films […]

Blindspot: Canada 150: Rituals (22/10/2017)

This month I delve into the Canadian tax shelter era with the 1977 wilderness survival/horror film Rituals. Harry (Hal Holbrook), Mitzi (Lawrence Dane), Martin (Robin Gammell), Abel (Ken James), and D.J. (Gary Reineke) are five doctor friends, who go for a camping trip in an isolated stretch of wilderness. After the first night, the the men’s […]

Shorts After Dark – Toronto After Dark 2017 (22/10/2017)

Here are my thoughts on the films to play as part of this year’s Toronto After Dark international shorts showcase. Your Date Is Here A mother and daughter play a dating board game to monstrous results. Your Date Is Here is a quite cute and well-executed short film that builds up to an expected, yet still […]

The Endless – Toronto After Dark 2017 (20/10/2017)

Two brothers return to the cult they escaped as teenagers in The Endless. Justin (Justin Benson) and Aaron (Aaron Moorhead) are two brothers, who gained notoriety and press when they escaped the “UFO Death Cult” Camp Arcadia many years prior. While Justin has resumed somewhat a normal life, Aaron misses the time he spent with them. […]

The Snowman (20/10/2017)

A veteran detective tracks down a serial killer triggered by falling snow in The Snowman. Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) is a legendary detective in Oslo, Norway, who has recently returned from an absence. His first case is a series of missing women cases, each other which occurred during a snowfall, with a snowman left at […]

78/52 (13/10/2017)

The shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is broken down and analyzed in 78/52. Created with 78 set-ups and 52 shots, the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho has become one of the most iconic sequences of film history. With its use of quick cuts and suggested nudity and violence, the scene broke many taboos from the time. Multiple individuals, […]

Blade Runner 2049 (12/10/2017)

We return to the conflict between humans and replicants 30 years later in Blade Runner 2049. In the year 2049, replicants developed by Niander Wallace (Jared Leto) have been integrated into society. Officer K (Ryan Gosling) is a replicant blade runner, who is tasked with finding and retiring older model replicants. While on a job, K […]

Lucky (06/10/2017)

A 90 year old atheist navy veteran contemplates his mortality in Lucky. Living in a small town in the California desert, Lucky (Harry Dean Stanton) has a very specific daily routine, which includes doing the crossword at the local diner run or conversing with his friends at the bar. However, one day Lucky’s routine is […]

Great Great Great (06/10/2017)

A young woman gets doubts about her relationship after getting engaged in Great Great Great. Lauren (Sarah Kolasky) is a 30 year old woman, who is living with her boyfriend of five year Tom (Dan Beirne). After hearing the news that her parents are divorcing, Lauren begins worrying about her future with Tom. The two of […]

Loving Vincent (06/10/2017)

Oil painted visuals tells the story of the life and death of Vincent van Gogh in Loving Vincent. One year after the suicide of Vincent van Gogh (Robert Gulaczyk), Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth) is asked by his postmaster father Joseph (Chris O’Dowd) to deliver an undelivered letter from Vincent to his brother Theo. After finding out that […]

Long Time Running (03/10/2017)

Take a behind the scenes look at The Tragically Hip’s final tour in Long Time Running. In early 2016, Tragically Hip lead singer Gord Downie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. After having surgery to remove most of the tumor, extending his life by at best five years, Downie is committed to going on tour with […]

Woodshock (02/10/2017)

A woman deals with immense grief in Woodshock. Theresa (Kirsten Dunst) is a woman who works at a marijuana dispensary run by Kieth (Pilou Asbæk). Theresa is experiencing extreme grief and depression following the recent death of her mother, which is affecting her relationship with her boyfriend Nick (Joe Cole). After Theresa makes a tragic […]

American Made (29/09/2017)

A pilot turned CIA spy becomes a drug smuggler for the Columbia cartels in American Made. Barry Seal (Tom Cruise) is a TWA pilot, who is recruited by CIA agent Schafer (Domhnall Gleeson) to fly over Central America and photograph communist insurgents. However, after being detained in Columbia, Barry is subsequently recruited by Jorge Ochoa […]

Victoria and Abdul (29/09/2017)

Queen Victoria begins an unlikely friendship with her Indian servant in Victoria and Abdul. 29 years into the British rule of India, Indian clerk Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal) is sent along with his friend Mohammed (Adeel Akhtar) to present a mughal coin to Queen Victoria (Judi Dench). Victoria takes a fancy to Abdul and ask that he be […]

Let Me Make You a Martyr (27/09/2017)

Two adoptive siblings are on the run from their crime boss father and a reclusive hit man in Let Me Make You a Martyr. Drew Glass (Niko Nicotera) finds himself in an interrogation room being questioned by Charon (Michael Potts), who asks Drew to describe how he found himself in this predicament. Drew recounts the story of […]

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (24/09/2017)

Kingsman teams up with their American cousins to bring down a psychopathic drug lord in Kingsman: The Golden Circle. A year has passed since Eggsy Unwin (Taron Egerton) became of a full agent of the Kingsman spy organization, even though he deeply misses his fallen mentor Harry Hart (Colin Firth). However, a terrorist organization known as the […]

Mother! (20/09/2017)

A woman’s tranquil life with her husband is disrupted by the sudden arrival of strangers in Mother!. Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) lives with Him (Javier Bardem) at a secluded farmhouse. Mother spends much of her time renovating the house, while Him tries to find inspiration for his poetry. One day, the couple is visited by a […]

Three Christs (18/09/2017)

A doctor researches a humane treatment for three schizophrenic mental patients in Three Christs. Set in 1959, Dr. Alan Stone (Richard Gere) arrives at Ypsilanti State Hospital to perform a behavioral study with Joseph Cassell (Peter Dinklage), Clyde Benson (Bradley Whitford), and Leon Gabor (Walton Goggins), three schizophrenic patients who believe they are Jesus Christ. Along with his […]

Let the Corpses Tan (18/09/2017)

A gold robbery results in an epic shootout in Let the Corpses Tan. After robbing 250kg of gold, a gang arrives at the remote ruins of a Mediterranean hamlet to hide out. However, the sudden arrival of cops results in an epic shootout to break out, with the last one left standing to get the gold. […]

I, Tonya (17/09/2017)

The life and career of scandal-ridden figure skater Tonya Harding is told in I, Tonya. From childhood Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) was bred to be a figure-skating champion from her stern and often abusive mother LaVona (Allison Janney). Tonya would meet future husband Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan) as a teenager, who initially seemed like an escape from her […]

Downrange (16/09/2017)

A group of friends are pinned down by a sniper in Downrange. After the tire blows on their car, Jodi (Kelly Connaire), Keren (Stephanie Pearson), Todd (Rod Hernandez-Farella), Eric (Anthony Kirlew), Sara (Alexa Yeames), and Jeff (Jason Tobias) find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere. It isn’t long before the friends realize that the […]

First Reformed (16/09/2017)

A country priest has a crisis of faith in First Reformed. Reverend Toller (Ethan Hawke) is the pastor of the First Reformed parish, a historic yet poorly attended Dutch Reform church. Toller is approached by Mary (Amanda Seyfried), a pregnant parishioner, who asks Toller to talk to her husband, an environmentalist, whose despair about the […]

Revenge (15/09/2017)

A woman left for dead seek vengeance against those who wronged her in Revenge. Jen (Matilda Lutz) is an American socialite, who travels with her married French millionaire lover Richard (Kevin Jannsens) for a weekend of passion. However, thinks go awry when Richard’s hunting buddies Stan and Dimitri arrive early, with Jen being the recipient of […]

The Lodgers (15/09/2017)

Two twin siblings living in a haunted manor seem destined to continue the family curse in The Lodgers. Rachel (Charlotte Vega) and Edward (Bill Milner) are 18 year old twin sibling living alone in their decrepit family mansion. The two are forced to abide by rules from something that lives in the house’s cellar, though Rachel […]

The Crescent (15/09/2017)

A woman and her young son experience strange occurrences at an seaside house in The Crescent. Following the death of her husband, Beth (Danika Vandersteen) with her toddler son Lowen (Woodrow Graves) to her mother’s seaside cottage at Silver Crescent Beach. Beth becomes acquainted with some of the locals, including seemingly friendly old man Joseph (Terrance […]

Manhunt (15/09/2017)

John Woo makes his return to action filmmaker with Manhunt. Du Qiu (Zhang Hanyu) is a Chinese lawyer working of the Tenjin Pharmaceutical company in Osaka, Japan. The morning after a party commemorating his departure from the company, Du Qiu wakes up with the body of a dead woman beside him. Framed for the crime, […]

Ta peau si lisse & Scaffold (14/09/2017)

New films by Denis Côté and Kazik Radwanski profile men at work in different capacities. Ta peau si lisse (A Skin So Soft) From Denis Côté (Joy of Man’s Desiring) comes this observational look at the lives of various bodybuilders. Featuring a mix of both natural and staged scenes, Côté is less concerned about the bodybuilding itself and […]

Vampire Clay (14/09/2017)

An art school is tormented by sentient killer clay in Vampire Clay. While preparing to open her new art prep school at a former sculpture’s studio, Ms Aina finds a buried box, containing a bag of very old clay. When class begins, latecomer Kaori finds that her clay was taken by newcomer Yuka, so she […]

Pyewacket (14/09/2017)

An occult-obsessed teenager awakens a sinister force in Pyewacket. Leah Reyes (Nicole Muñoz) is rebellious teenager, who listens to heavy metal and hangs out with friends fascinated by the occult. Leah has a frustrating relationship with her depressed mother (Laurie Holden), which is made worse when Mrs. Reyes decides to move to a new house up north. After […]

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (13/09/2017)

An imprisoned drug runner unleashes his violent side to save his wife in Brawl in Cell Block 99. Bradley Thomas (Vince Vaughn) is a violence-prone man, who does drug running for his friend Gil (Marc Blucas) to support his pregnant wife Lauren (Jennifer Carpenter). When a pick-up for a man named Eleazar (Dion Mucciacito) goes sour, Bradley […]

Cardinals (13/09/2017)

A woman tries to move on with her life after serving time in prison in Cardinals. Valerie Walker (Sheila McCarthy) is released from prison after serving time for killing her neighbour in an apparent drunk driving accident. Valerie is picked up by her daughters Eleanor (Katie Boland) and Zoe (Grace Glowicki) and she plans on quietly moving […]

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (13/09/2017)

A woman seeks justice for the unsolved murder of her daughter in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Seven months after the rape and murder of her daughter Angela, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) rents three billboards on an isolated road criticizing the police department’s supposed lack of progress on the case, specifically calling out Chief Bill Willoughby (Woody […]

Les Affamés (Ravenous) (12/09/2017)

A group tries to survive a zombie outbreak in a remote Quebec village in Les Affamés. A flesh-eating plague has broken out in Quebec and a small batch of survivors try to make to safety. These include Bonin (Marc-André Grondin), who is always cracking joke, Tania (Monia Chokri), who has a “dog bite” on her hand and is […]

There is a House Here (12/09/2017)

Alan Zweig examines culture and identity in Nunavut in There is a House Here. After five years of communication with Inuk singer Tatanniq “Lucie” Idlout, filmmaker Alan Zweig travels to Nunavut to observe the lifestyle of the Inuit people. There he observes multiple generations of a family living in a single house and a shadow […]

Porcupine Lake (11/09/2017)

Two teenage girls strike up a summer friendship in Porcupine Lake. Bea (Charlotte Salisbury) is a 13 year old girl, who travels with her mother Ally (Delphine Roussel) to Port Severn, ON, where Bea’s father Scotty (Christopher Bolton) is running the family diner. With her parents embroiled in marital issues, Bea strikes up a friendship […]

Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (11/09/2017)

Morgan Spurlock makes his return to the fast food industry in Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!. In the 13 years since Morgan Spurlock went on an all-McDonald’s diet, fast food restaurants have presumably begun changing their ways, offering healthier menu items. As a way to see if things have really changed, Spurlock decides to […]

LUK’LUK’I (11/09/2017)

The stories of five Vancouverites are told under the backdrop of the 2010 Winter Olympics in LUK’LUK’I. It’s February 28, 2010 and the puck is about to drop on the Gold Medal hockey game between Canada and the USA. However, away from the spectacle of the Olympics, a number of individuals have their own experiences […]

Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (11/09/2017)

An Indonesian widow kills the men who rob her, before going on a journey of redemption in Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts. Marlina (Marsha Timothy) is a young woman living in an remote farmhouse, who is robbed and raped by a gang on men. With the help of poisoned soup and a machete, Marlina manages […]

The Cured (10/09/2017)

Those previously infected by an infectious virus are viewed as outcasts to society in The Cured. Ireland is in the process of recovering from the outbreak of the Maze Virus, which effectively turned the infected into violent zombies. A cure for the virus was found, with 75% of the infected returning to their pre-infected state, […]

Stronger (09/09/2017)

A man struggles to recover following the loss of his legs in Stronger. Jeff Bauman (Jake Gyllenhaal) attends the 2013 Boston Marathon to support his on and off girlfriend Erin Hurley (Tatiana Maslany). However, a terrorist’s bomb goes off right beside Jeff and he ends up getting both of his legs amputated. Since his testimony to the […]

The Ritual (09/09/2017)

Four friends lost in the woods are chased by a mythical creature in The Ritual. Six months after the tragic murder of their fried Robert (Paul Reid), Luke (Rafe Spall), Hodge (Robert James-Collier), Phil (Arsher Ali), and Dom (Sam Troughton) go on a hiking trip in the Swedish highlands. After Dom injures his knee in […]

PROTOTYPE (09/09/2017)

Toronto-based experimental filmmaker Blake Williams makes his feature debut with PROTOTYPE. Through the use of 3D imagery, footage of the 1900 Galveston Hurricane is turned into a sci-fi landscape. The thing that attracted me to Blake Williams’ PROTOTYPE is the film’s description as a 3D experimental film with sci-fi imagery. However, the film turns out to be […]

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (08/09/2017)

A heart surgeon must make a horrible choice in The Killing of a Sacred Deer. Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell) is a cardiac surgeon living a seemingly happy life with his wife Anna (Nicole Kidman) and two children. Steven develops a paternal relationship with Martin (Barry Keoghan), a 16 year old boy, whose father died on Steven’s operating table […]

Bodied (08/09/2017)

A nerdy white college kid becomes a sensation in the world of battle rapping in Bodied. As research for a thesis paper, Adam (Calum Worthy) attends a rap battle hosted by the Killerfornia Battle League, accompanied by his less-than-impressed girlfriend Maya (Rory Uphold). Afterwards in the parking lot, Adam finds himself placed in an impromptu […]

IT (08/09/2017)

Stephen King’s novel receives new adaptation in IT. In the summer of 1988, the small town of Derry is experiencing an epidemic of missing children cases. One of these missing children was Georgie ( Jackson Robert Scott), the younger brother of Bill (Jaeden Lieberher). Together with the “Losers Club” of Richie (Finn Wolfhard), Ben (Jeremy Ray […]

Logan Lucky (22/08/2017)

Two brothers plan a robbery during a NASCAR race in Logan Lucky. Jimmy Logan (Channing Tatum) is a down on his luck man, who was fired from his mining job and is constantly at odds with his ex-wife Bobbie Jo Chapman (Katie Holmes), who has custody of their daughter Sadie (Farrah Mackenzie). With the help of his […]

The Trip to Spain (11/08/2017)

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon go on their third culinary road trip in The Trip to Spain. Asked once again to write a series of restaurant reviews, Steve and Rob leave for a trip across Spain. For Rob, it’s a chance to have a break from his busy family life with his wife Sally (Rebecca […]

The Night Watchmen (02/08/2017)

A group of security guards struggle to survive an attack by vampires (and clowns) in The Night Watchmen. A young rookie (Max Gray Wilbur) reports for his first day of duty as a night watchman at the Baltimore Gazette. Not bother to ask his name, the team of Ken (Ken Arnold), Jiggetts (Kevin Jiggetts), and […]

Dead Man Tells His Own Tale (01/08/2017)

A sexist advertising director being an undead slave to a secret sisterhood of mystical women in Dead Man Tells His Own Tale. Angel Barrios (Diego Gentile) is a director of perfume commercials, who frequently objectifies women and cheats on his wife Lucila (Moro Anghileri). However, one night Angel is seduced by a group of vampiric women, who […]

Deliver Us (31/07/2017)

This review was originally published, under its original title Libera Nos, as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2017 The daily routines of a Sicilian exorcist is observed in Deliver Us. Over the past number of years, the requests to the Catholic Church for the rite of exorcism has been on the rise, to the […]

Tragedy Girls (30/07/2017)

Two teenage BFFs take their obsession with serial killers to the next step in Tragedy Girls. Sadie Cunningham (Brianna Hildebrand) and McKayla Hooper (Alexandra Shipp) are two high school seniors, who post videos about local serial killings on their blog “Tragedy Girls.” However, it quickly turns out that Sadie and McKayla are just as sociopathic as the […]

Atomic Blonde (29/07/2017)

An undercover MI6 agent tries to locate a list of double agents in cold war Berlin in Atomic Blonde. In 1989 Berlin, MI6 operative James Gasciogne is killed by the KGB, who steal a watch containing a microfilm list of every field agent in the Soviet Union. Top agent Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is assigned by her […]

Let There Be Light (27/07/2017)

The review was originally published as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2017 A group of scientists work towards making fusion a reality in Let There Be Light. Stars draw on a vast reservoir of energy and if that energy can somewhat be harnessed on Earth, it can provide clean power for generations. That is […]

Lowlife (26/07/2017)

The activities of an organ harvesting ring are shown from multiple different perspectives in Lowlife. El Monstruo (Ricardo Adam Zarate) is a disgraced luchador hero, who is working as muscle for Teddy ‘Bear’ Haynes (Mark Burnham), who runs a prostitution and organ harvesting operation under his taco restaurant. Crystal (Nicki Micheaux) is a motel manager, who desperately makes a […]

A Ghost Story (26/07/2017)

The ghost of a man observes life in his home following his death in A Ghost Story. C (Casey Affleck) is a musician living in an old house with his wife M (Rooney Mara). C tragically dies in a car accident and reemerges as a white sheet covered ghost. C’s ghost returns to his house […]

Replace (24/07/2017)

A woman seeks a cure for her rapidly aging skin in Replace. Kira Mabon (Rebecca Forsythe) is a young woman, who is afraid of growing old. Following a date with her boyfriend Jonas (Sean Knopp), Kira finds herself back at his apartment with no memory of recent history. In addition, she has noticed that her […]

Punk Fu Zombie (23/07/2017)

A zombie apocalypse breaks out immediate after Quebec separates from Canada in Punk Fu Zombie. Thanks to the efforts of Charles Maurice (Stéphane Messier), Quebec has finally gained independence from Canada. However, it came at a major price, as the undead began rising. Twenty years later, the land has been divided into two warring district and […]

The Night of the Virgin (23/07/2017)

A young virgin gets more than he bargained for one New Year’s Eve in The Night of the Virgin. Nico (Javier Bódalo) was dragged to a New Year’s Eve party by friends and desperate to find a girl to take his virginity. Nico attracts the attention of Medea (Miriam Martín), who takes him home to her […]

Dunkirk (22/07/2017)

Thousands of soldiers seek rescue during World War II in Dunkirk. During the Second World War, 400,000 British and French soldiers are surrounded by the enemy on a beach in the town of Dunkirk, located in the north of France. The attempted evacuation of the soldiers are told from three perspectives. On land, told over […]

Bitch (20/07/2017)

A selfish man has to figure out what to do after his wife devolves into a canine state in Bitch. Jill (Marianna Palka) is a mother of four children, who is silently suffering at the actions of her husband Bill (Jason Ritter), who works long hours and his having an affair with a coworker. However, Jill has […]

78/52 (20/07/2017)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2017 The shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is broken down and analyzed in 78/52. Created with 78 set-ups and 52 shots, the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho has become one of the most iconic sequences of film history. With its use of quick cuts and […]

Game of Death (18/07/2017)

A group of friends play a board game that literally blows their minds in Game of Death. While gathered together for a party, Tom (Samuel Earle), Beth (Victoria Diamond), Ashley (Emelia Hellman), Mary-ann (Catherine Saindon), Tyler (Erniel Baez Duenas), Kenny (Nick Serino), and Matthew (Thomas Vallieres) find an begin playing a mysterious board game called “Game […]

War for the Planet of the Apes (17/07/2017)

The sentient apes prepare for a last stand against the remaining humans in War for the Planet of the Apes. It has now been fifteen years since the apes lead by  Caesar (Andy Serkis) gained intelligence and began a life for themselves in the Muir Woods outside of San Francisco. Thanks to the previous actions of […]

R.I.P. George A. Romero (17/07/2017)

We lost one of the undisputed masters of horror this past weekend, as George A. Romero passed away from cancer at age 77. Romero is probably best known for creating the modern depiction of zombies in 1968’s Night of the Living Dead and its multiple follow-ups that includes 1978’s Dawn of the Dead, 1985’s Day of […]

The Big Sick (14/07/2017)

This review may contain SPOILERS A Pakistani comedian learns to deal with cultural differences as he bonds with his sick girlfriend’s family in The Big Sick. Aspiring comedian Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani) has an awkward relationship with his Pakistani parents Azmat and Sharmeen (Anupam Kher and Zenobia Shroff), who are always introducing Kumail to possible arranged spouses. Meanwhile, […]

Tickling Giants (13/07/2017)

At doctor turned political satirist receives backlash from the Egyptian regime in Tickling Giants. In the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring, Egyptian heart surgeon Bassem Youssef decided to respond to biased media coverage of the uprising by creating his own satirical news program in the style of Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. Beginning as YouTube […]

Spider-Man: Homecoming (10/07/2017)

The webcrawler officially enters the Marvel cinematic universe in Spider-Man: Homecoming. After assisting Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) during Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is desperate to become a full-time Avenger. However, Stark would prefer than Peter focus on his high school studies. However, when he finds out that a criminal named Adrian Toomes […]

Okja (04/07/2017)

A young Korean girl tries to save her pet superpig from the slaughterhouse in Okja. Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) becomes CEO of Mirando Corporation, taking over from her twin sister Nancy. Lucy’s first major announcement is the discovery of a new breed of superpig, which have been sent to 26 farms around the world, as part […]

Baby Driver (02/07/2017)

A young and skilled getaway driver wants out from a life of crime in Baby Driver. Baby (Ansel Elgort) is a young man, who has been working as a getaway driver in order to pay off a debt to crime boss Doc (Kevin Spacey). Baby hopes to be done with Doc after his debt is […]

In the Name of All Canadians (28/06/2017)

Presented by Hot Docs, in commemoration of Canada’s 150th anniversary and the 35th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, In the Name of All Canadians is a compilation of six short documentaries, each focused on a different aspect of the charter. In Part (Khoa Lê) features a wide variety of Canadians being asked a […]

Transformers: The Last Knight (24/06/2017)

It’s a battle for Earth or Cybertron in Transformers: The Last Knight. Following the departure of Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) back to Cybertron, Transformers are being hunted down and the Autobots are hiding out in a junkyard with Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg). After helping out street-smart homeless teenager Izabella (Isabela Moner), Cade is summoned to the home […]

The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography (24/06/2017)

Errol Morris documents the career of photographer Elsa Dorfman in The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography. Elsa Dorfman is a “nice Jewish woman,” who found herself partaking in a career as a photographer in New York of the mid-1960s, with Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg being some of her most notable subjects. For most of her career, […]

It Comes at Night (15/06/2017)

Paranoia develops between two families seeking shelter in a post-apocalyptic world in It Comes at Night. With a insidious viral outbreak infecting the outside world, Paul (Joel Edgerton) lives by a strict routine to survive along with his wife Sarah (Carmen Ejogo) and son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). One night, a name named Will (Christopher […]

I, Daniel Blake (14/06/2017)

An elderly man struggles to receive government assistance in I, Daniel Blake. Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) is a 59 year old carpenter in Newcastle, who has been out of work following a heart attack. After a work capability assessment by the government support centre, Daniel is deemed fit for work and denied employment and support allowance, […]

Score: A Film Music Documentary (09/06/2017)

The art of the music of films are examined in Score: A Film Music Documentary. Since the beginning, music has been an important part of cinema. Starting off with piano or organ accompaniment to silent films, film scores evolved to involve full orchestras. Many of the film composers working today, including Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, […]

Wonder Woman (03/06/2017)

The best known female superhero finally hits the big screen in Wonder Woman. Diana (Gal Gadot) is princess of the island of Themyscira, home to the Amazons. Diana’s mother Queen Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) forbids Diana to train to become a warrior, though she ends up practicing in secret with her Aunt General Antiope (Robin Wright). One day, […]

Blindspot 2017: Canada 150: M. Butterfly (29/05/2017)

This month I watched M. Butterfly, which is the only film directed by David Cronenberg that I had yet to see. René Gallimard (Jeremy Irons) is a French diplomat stationed in Beijing, China during the 1960s. René meets and falls in love with Chinese opera singer Song Liling (John Lone). The affair lasts for many years, with René […]

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (28/05/2017)

Captain Jack Sparrow avoids vengeful pirate ghosts while searching for the Trident of Poseidon in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Henry Turner (Brenton Thwaites), the son of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), is desperate to locate the Trident of Poseidon, which has the power to break all the curses of the sea, hence freeing his […]

5-25-77 (26/05/2017)

An aspiring filmmaker becomes excited about the upcoming release of Star Wars in 5-25-77. Since seeing 2001: A Space Odyssey when he was 9 years old, Pat (John Francis Daley) has been interested in making movies, with him frequently working on Super-8 sequels to his favourite films, much to the annoyance of friends Bill (Steve Coulter) and […]

Alien: Covenant (20/05/2017)

The following review contains SPOILERS A crew of colonists come across a planet holding a dark secret in Alien: Covenant. The colony ship Covenant is on its way to the remote planet of Origae-6, with two thousand colonists on board, monitored by synthetic crew member Walter (Michael Fassbender). When a neutrino burst hits the ship, Walter is […]

Hounds of Love (14/05/2017)

A teenage girl is kidnapped by a disturbed couple in Hounds of Love. Set in 1987 Perth, Australia, Vicki Maloney (Ashleigh Cummings) sneaks out of her mother’s house to attend a party. On the way, she is approached by the couple of John White (Stephen Curry) and his wife Evelyn (Emma Booth), who offer to drive Vicki […]

Bon Cop Bad Cop 2 (13/05/2017)

It’s a second round of bilingual buddy cop comedy in Bon Cop Bad Cop 2. Now working for the RCMP, Martin Ward (Colm Feore) conducts a raid on a car theft operation in Montreal, only to find his old partner David Bouchard (Patrick Huard) working undercover. The two work together to bring down the car […]

The Belko Experiment (12/05/2017)

Office workers find themselves part of a deadly social experiment in The Belko Experiment. Shortly after the start of a seemingly average work day, the eighty employees of Belko Industries in Bogotá, Colombia find themselves under lockdown inside their office building. A voice comes on over the PA instructing the workers to kill their fellow employees, […]

First Round Down (10/05/2017)

A hockey star turned hitman returns to his hometown in First Round Down. Ten years ago, Tim Tucker (Dylan Bruce) helped lead the Hamilton Seahawks to Sterling Cup victory, even though a knee injury forced him to retire. Tim returns home after a decade away, working a menial job as a pizza delivery boy and […]

Your Name (10/05/2017)

Two teenagers find out they are swapping bodies with each other in Your Name. Mitsuha is a high school girl living in the town of Itomori in Japan’s Hida region, where she is preparing for a festival that coincides with a passing of a comet. Mitsuha soon finds out that she has been intermittently switching bodies with Taki, […]

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (08/05/2017)

Winner, Rogers Audience Award for Best Canadian Documentary The indigenous contributions to music history are revealed in Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World. In 1907, the first recording of native music was made, since it was believed that the culture of the First Nation’s community would disappear. However, as it turns out, the indigenous […]

City of Ghosts (08/05/2017)

A group of Syrian activists risk their lives to spread the truth about ISIS in City of Ghosts. In 2014, the city of Raqqa in Syria is taken over by the terrorist group Daesh, more commonly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS. With ISIS spreading propaganda about life in the city under […]

Give Me Future (08/05/2017)

Electronic dance trio Major Lazer becomes the first major American act to play in Cuba in Give Me Future. After the United States set out to improve their relationship with Cuba, the electronic dance trio Major Lazer decide to play a concert in the communist country, becoming the first major American act to do so […]

Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower (08/05/2017)

A Hong Kong teenager leads protests against the Chinese government in Joshua: Teenager vs Superpower. Due to its years as a British colony, Hong Kong has always has a much more westernized culture than that of mainland China. When the Chinese national education plan is introduced, seemingly introducing communist practices to Hong Kong, teenager Joshua Wong […]

Ukiyo-e Heroes (08/05/2017)

A Tokyo-based Canadian craftsman and an American designer team up to make Japanese woodblock prints depicting video game pop culture icons in Ukiyo-e Heroes. Ukiyo-e is the 400 year old art of Japanese woodblock printing. David Bull moved to Japan from Canada in the 1980s to learn this art and now he is one of the only 10 […]

Unrest (08/05/2017)

A woman chronicles her and others experiences with chronic fatigue syndrome in Unrest. Harvard PhD student Jennifer Brea seemed to have a bright future ahead of herself when she was suddenly struck with a mysterious illness that left her bedridden. Brea would later learn that she was suffering from ME, more commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome. […]

Every Other Couple (08/05/2017)

Three couples deal with life after divorce in Every Other Couple. Kaisa & Ville, Yka & Jonna, and Sanna & Mikko are three Finnish couples, who have all seen their marriages come to an end through separation or divorce. The couples are followed as they adjust to their new status and relationship to their children. […]

The Girl Down Loch Änzi (08/05/2017)

A Swiss farm girl is curious to learn the truth about a local legend in The Girl Down Loch Änzi. Laura is a 12 year old girl, who lives with her family of a charcoal burners on a farm in the Swiss mountains. Laura has becomes obsessed with the local legend of the Änziloch Maiden, who […]

32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide (08/05/2017)

A woman seeks out closure for her older sister’s suicide in 32 Pills: My Sister’s Suicide. In 2008, photographer Ruth Litoff was found death in her Manhattan apartment, after having killed herself. Six year later, Ruth’s younger sister Hope removes her sister’s belongings from storage, with the hope that she can piece together the events that […]

Manic (08/05/2017)

A woman traces his family’s history with bipolar disorder back to her back leader father in Manic. Filmmaker Kalina Bertin turns the camera on her siblings Felicia and Francois, both of whom suffer from bipolar disorder and frequently have manic episodes. Desperate for answers about her family’s mental illness, Kalina traces back the history of her […]

Shadowman (06/05/2017)

The life and career of artist Richard Hambleton is told in Shadowman. Born in Vancouver, Richard Hambleton became known for his New York City street art in the 1980s, which were often done in the form of shadowy silhouettes. Hambleton eventually moved into studio painting and quickly became a sensation along with his friends Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. […]

What Lies Upstream (06/05/2017)

A water crisis in West Virginia calls into question the water purification policies of the United States in What Lies Upstream. In 2014, a chemical known as MCHM leaked into the Elk River, affecting the water supply for nearly half of West Virginia. Filmmaker Cullen Hoback travels to West Virginia to investigate this crisis, as well […]

Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press (06/05/2017)

The court case between Hulk Hogan and Gawker kicks off a discussion about the state of free and open journalism in Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press. Terry Bollea, better known as professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, files a lawsuit against the celebrity blog Gawker, over the site posting a portion of a sex tape involving […]

Hobbyhorse Revolution (05/05/2017)

Teenagers in Finland participate in hobbyhorse competitions in Hobbyhorse Revolution. Traditionally viewed a children’s activity, many teenagers in Finland have taken this hobby to a new level, participating in hobbyhorse equestrian competitions. Mariam “Aisku” Njie, Elsa Salo and Alisa Aarniomäki are three such hobbyhorseists and they strive for success in the hobby they love, without […]

78/52 (05/05/2017)

The shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is broken down and analyzed in 78/52. Created with 78 set-ups and 52 shots, the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho has become one of the most iconic sequences of film history. With its use of quick cuts and suggested nudity and violence, the scene broke many taboos from the […]

Becoming Bond (04/05/2017)

George Lazenby tells the story of how he became the only man to play James Bond just once in Becoming Bond. George Lazenby (played in reenactments by Josh Lawson) was born in a small town in Australian and after failing to graduate from school seemed destined for a life as a mechanic and car salesman. However, […]

Bill Nye: Science Guy (03/05/2017)

The former children’s show host fights back against the anti-science movement in Bill Nye: Science Guy. In the 1990s, Bill Nye was best known as the host of the children’s science show Bill Nye, the Science Guy, which was shown in classrooms all around the world. After being out of the spotlight for many years, […]

Flames (02/05/2017)

Two artists film the events that lead up to the end of their relationship in Flames. Josephine Decker and Zefrey Throwell are New York based multidisciplinary, who are passionately in love with each other. On a whim, they decide to take a spontaneous trip with each other, which marks the beginning of the end for their love […]

Libera Nos (02/05/2017)

The daily routines of a Sicilian exorcist is observed in Libera Nos. Over the past number of years, the requests to the Catholic Church for the rite of exorcism has been on the rise, to the point where exorcism conferences are held in Rome. Father Cataldo is a veteran exorcist, who regularly performs the rite […]

Chasing Coral (02/05/2017)

A team of scientists set out to capture the effects of climate change on coral reefs in Chasing Coral. Richard Vevars is an Australian photographer, who regularly performs dives to survey the world’s coral reefs. Richard becomes aware of an epidemic of coral bleaching caused by warming temperatures in the water. Teaming up with filmmaker Jeff […]

Gilbert (02/05/2017)

Take a peak into the private life of comedian Gilbert Gottfried in Gilbert. In his public persona as a standup comedian, Gilbert Gottfried is known for his squinty-eyed appearance and his very crude and politically incorrect jokes. However, at home Gottfried is a very shy and softspoken guy, who has been adjusting for the last decade […]

Spookers (01/05/2017)

Get a tour of the largest and most successful scare park in New Zealand in Spookers. At the location of the former Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital, 45 km outside of Auckland, New Zealand, Beth and Andy Watson run the Spookers scare park. Featuring a large cast of actors dressing up as crazed inmates, chainsaw wielding clowns, and other […]

Out of Thin Air (30/04/2017)

The most famous murder case in Iceland is revisited in Out of Thin Air. In early 1974, Gudmundur Einarsson and Geirfinnur Einarsson disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Two years later, six suspects confessed to the murders of the men and served prison sentences for the crime. However, it soon comes to light that the suspects might have […]

Whitney “Can I Be Me” (30/04/2017)

The troubled career of Whitney Houston is revisited in Whitney “Can I Be Me”. Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey as was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston and cousin of Dionne Warwick. Releasing her first album in her early question, Houston quickly rose to the top of the pop charts, but was […]

Rat Film (29/04/2017)

The rat problem in Baltimore is used as the catalyst for a discussion on the city’s sociopolitical climate in Rat Film. Baltimore is plagued with rats and calls are frequently made to Edmond the exterminator to deal with the rat problem. However, it turns out that Baltimore doesn’t really have a rat problem. Instead, the […]

The Workers Cup (29/04/2017)

Migrant workers building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar participate in a soccer tournament in The Workers Cup. In 2022, the Middle Eastern country of Qatar will play host to the FIFA World Cup. To prepare for the event, workers are brought in from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Ghana, and Kenya to […]

Do Donkeys Act? (29/04/2017)

Willem Dafoe narrates life in a donkey sanctuary in Do Donkeys Act? At a “retirement home for donkeys,” the animals recover from cruelty and neglect at the hands of humans. As the donkeys get groomed, fed, and give birth, the voice of God narration poetically ponders what exactly the donkeys think of the humans who care […]

Intent to Destroy (29/04/2017)

Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost) uses the making of the film The Promise as a springboard for a history of the Armenian Genocide in Intent to Destroy. On the hundredth anniversary of the 1915 killing of 1.5 Armenians in the Ottoman Empire (now Turkey), filmmaker Terry George prepares to finally produce a feature film, which he hopes will […]

You’re Soaking in It (27/04/2017)

The increasingly invasive methods of targeting advertising is explored in You’re Soaking in It. In 2015, over $600 billion dollars was spent on advertising, an exponential increase from years prior. While ads were initially created by executives using gut instinct, they has switched to being based on algorithms turning the “Mad Men” into “Math Men.” However, […]

Ramen Heads (27/04/2017)

Japan’s king of ramen prepares for the tenth anniversary of his restaurant in Ramen Heads. Since opening his restaurant a decade ago, Osamu Tomita has been repeatedly voted the number one ramen chef in Japan. As the date of his tenth anniversary approaches, Tomita provides full access to his process of making thick broth and slurpable […]

Ask the Sexpert (27/04/2017)

A 90 year old gynecologist is a source of sex education for many in India in Ask the Sexpert. In India, sexuality remains a highly taboo topic to the point where sex education is banned in schools and contraception can only be used by married couples. In the middle of this is Dr. Mahinder Watsa, who […]

Living the Game (26/04/2017)

Professional gamers play for the title of best Street Fighter player in the world in Living the Game. Players from around the world participate in tournaments to determine who is the best, with the winners receiving large cash prizes and admiration from the gaming community. Japan’s Daigo “The Beast” Umehara is considered to be the best […]

House of Z (26/04/2017)

The story of fashion designer Zac Posen is told in House of Z. Beginning his career at a very young age, Zac Posen had a quick rise to the top of the fashion industry. Through his family-run label, Posen attracted the attention of Hollywood celebrities and hip-hop moguls. However, Zac Posen’s early fame would soon […]

Shiners (26/04/2017)

Various shoe-shiners are profiled in Shiners. All over the world, you will find people who make it their living to shine shoes. In New York, Don has been shining on the streets for fifteen years. In Toronto, Vincent shines shoes part time in a barbershop. In Sarajevo, Ramiz hopes to follow in the steps of […]

Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web (26/04/2017)

A hacker turned entrepreneur is targeted in the ongoing fight against online piracy in Kim Dotcom: Caught in the Web. German-born Kim Dotcom (formerly Schmitz) was one of the most notorious hackers, before becoming a legit businessman, as the founder of the file sharing website MegaUpload. The site becomes a huge success for Dotcom, however […]

Integral Man (25/04/2017)

Mathematician Jim Stewart builds his dream house in Integral Man. Jim Stewart made a fortune through the sale of his mathematics textbooks, which are the most successful in the world. Stewart decides to use this fortune to build his dream house in Toronto’s Rosedale neighbourhood. Inspired by his love of curses and music, this uniquely […]

Communion (25/04/2017)

A teenage girl takes care of her autistic brother and struggles to hold her family together in Communion.  Ola is 14 year old Polish girl, who has to take care of her household, in lieu of her dysfunctional alcoholic father and absentee mother. This including caring for her autistic brother Nikodem, who is about to receive […]

Brimstone & Glory (25/04/2017)

Go behind the scenes of Mexico’s National Pyrotechnics Festival in Brimstone & Glory. Tultepec is considered to be fireworks capital of Mexico, with over two thirds of the population manufacturing the pyrotechnic devices. Every year there is a festival put on in the city in celebration to the Patron of Fireworks San Juan de Dios. The residents […]

Mommy Dead and Dearest (25/04/2017)

The events that lead up to a young woman deciding to murder her mother are broken down in Mommy Dead and Dearest. For her entire life Gypsy Rose Blanchard was publicly perceived as a wheelchair bound girl suffering from leukemia and muscular dystrophy, who received doting support of her mother Dee Dee. However, Dee Dee is […]

Pecking Order (24/04/2017)

A club of New Zealand poultry breeders prepare their birds for the National Poultry Show in Pecking Order.  For then members of Christchurch Poultry, Bantam and Pigeon Club in New Zealand, breeding and displaying the best chickens has been the pride of the club for nearly 150 years. As preparations begin for the 2015 National Poultry […]

Bee Nation (24/04/2017)

A group of kids set out to participate in the first ever First Nations Provincial Spelling Bee in Bee Nation. First Nations students from across Saskatchewan are preparing to participate in the first ever First Nations Provincial Spelling Bee, with the winners getting a chance to participate in the Spelling Bee of Canada Nationals in […]

Let There Be Light (24/04/2017)

A group of scientists work towards making fusion a reality in Let There Be Light. Stars draw on a vast reservoir of energy and if that energy can somewhat be harnessed on Earth, it can provide clean power for generations. That is the theory behind nuclear fusion, which scientists around the world have been trying […]

PACmen (24/04/2017)

The men behind Dr. Ben Carson’s failed bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination are followed in PACmen. Political Action Committees or Super PACs are fundraising organisations that back political candidates. Two Super-PACS, Extraordinary America and The 2016 Committee, make it there goal to make celebrity African-American neurosurgeon, particular after he showed prowess in a debate with President […]

Free Fire (23/04/2017)

A arms deal devolves into a shootout in Free Fire. IRA members Chris (Cillian Murphy) and Frank (Michael Smiley) arrive at a warehouse in 1978 Boston to perform an arms deal, arranged by their intermediary Justine (Brie Larson). They are soon met by representative Ord (Armie Hammer), who leads them to conduct business with South African […]

The Fate of the Furious (19/04/2017)

Dominic Toretto seemingly turns his back on family in The Fate of the Furious. While on honeymoon in Cuba with Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) is approached by cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron), who blackmails Dom into betraying his family, which he does while performing a job for Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). After the […]

The Dark Tapes (18/04/2017)

Ghosts, spirits, creatures, demons and more collide in the found footage anthology The Dark Tapes. Two people enter into a studio to find it trashed, along with a video camera, which they begin watching. In To Catch a Demon. Martin (David Rountree) and his assistant Nicole (Cortney Palm) try to capture the entities that supposedly […]

Ghost in the Shell (2017) (12/04/2017)

The cult classic manga and anime series is adapted into live action with Ghost in the Shell. Mira Killian (Scarlett Johansson) is a cyborg with a human brain in her cybernetic body, designed by Dr. Ouelet (Juliette Binoche). She is a Major of the anti-terrorist bureau Section 9, where she works alongside operatives Batou (Pilou […]

David Lynch: The Art Life (09/04/2017)

David Lynch tells the story of his early career as an artist in David Lynch: The Art Life. Best known for the films Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, and Mulholland Dr and the television series Twin Peaks, David Lynch considers himself first and foremost to be a painter. Following Lynch at his home, the filmmaker tells the story of his […]

The Void (01/04/2017)

Full Disclosure: I was a contributor to The Void’s Indiegogo Campain A small town sheriff encounters hellish inhuman creatures at a rural hospital in The Void. While on patrol, officer Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole) finds an injured man on the side of the road. Daniel rushes the man named James (Evan Stern) to the local hospital, which […]

The Zookeeper’s Wife (31/03/2017)

The keepers of the Warsaw Zoo shelter Jews during World War II in The Zookeeper’s Wife. Antonina Zabinski (Jessica Chastain) is a woman who runs the Warsaw Zoo with her husband Jan (Johan Heldenbergh). However, after the German invasion of Poland, the zoo is left in shambles, with most of the animals either killed or taken […]

Blindspot: Canada 150: The Saddest Music in the World (30/03/2017)

Sorry for being a bit late for this month’s Blindspot entry, which takes a look at Guy Maddin’s 2003 musical comedy The Saddest Music in the World. Set in Winnipeg during The Great Depression, baroness Helen Port-Huntley (Isabella Rossellini) announces an international competition to find the saddest music in the world. Eager to join is failing […]

Select Short Films (26/03/2017)

As always, the films at the Canadian Film Fest were preceded by a short film. Sadly, I wasn’t able to see all the short that screened at CFF this year, but I will still provide my thoughts on the few I did end up seeing. Rainfall An animated romance following Jessica (Molly C. Quinn) on […]

Prevenge (25/03/2017)

A pregnant woman seeks vengeance against those responsible for the death of her husband in Prevenge. Ruth (Alice Lowe) is a window, whose husband died in a climbing accident, after being cut loose by those he was climbing with. At the same time she found out about her husband’s death, Ruth also discovers that she […]

Broken Mile (25/03/2017)

A man goes on the run to escape the consequences of an unexpected death in Broken Mile. Shaun (Francesco Filice) wakes up one evening to find the girl he was with dead of an apparent suicide. Shaun proceeds to panic, especially as he sees his best friend, and the girl’s boyfriend, Kenny (Patrick McFadden) arriving […]

Filth City (24/03/2017)

A corrupt mayor will do anything to prevent the release of a crack smoking video in Filth City. Tom Hogg (Pat Thornton), the mayor of the city of York, is filmed smoking crack at a party by a teenager named Smush (Lamar Johnson), who gives the video to his friend Monica (Melinda Shankar). With an […]

Lost Solace (24/03/2017)

A sociopath begins to feel emotions for the first time in Lost Solace. Spence (Andrew Jenkins) is a psychopathic con man, who charms women before robbing them blind. One night in a nightclub, Spence takes an experimental drug called Genuine Pink Dove, which gives him an extreme trip. After seemingly recovering, Spence moves on to […]

Badsville (24/03/2017)

The leader of a greaser gang wants to leave the life behind in Badsville. In the lawless town of Badsville, the Kings frequently do battle with the Aces to secure their position at the top of the gang hierarchy. However, Kings leader Wink (Ian McLaren) is tired of the life and wants to leave Badsville, […]

Modern Classic (23/03/2017)

Two friends have trouble making a film about a man who kills his dog in Modern Classic. Jono (Jonathon M.B. Hunter) is trying to find funding to make his black and white art film Doldrums, starring his friend Dave (David Grimes) as a drunk who accidentally killed his dog. When their efforts to pitch to producers […]

The Heretics (23/03/2017)

A young woman is the target for a cult’s ritual in The Heretics. Five years ago, Gloria (Nina Kiri) was kidnapped by a cult and made part of a suicide ritual in the woods. Gloria still has nightmares about that day and is comforted only by her love for Joan (Jorja Cadence), who she met […]

Great Great Great (23/03/2017)

A young woman gets doubts about her relationship after getting engaged in Great Great Great. Lauren (Sarah Kolasky) is a 30 year old woman, who is living with her boyfriend of five year Tom (Dan Beirne). After hearing the news that her parents are divorcing, Lauren begins worrying about her future with Tom. The two […]

#AnAmeicanDream (22/03/2017)

A college graduate discovers the harsh realities of modern America in #AnAmericanDream. William Bowman (Jake Croker) is an all-American young man, who takes an internship at financial company. While it initially seems that William has a bright future ahead of his, he arrives at work one day to find it has been bought out by […]

Edging (22/03/2017)

Friends at a housewarming party talk about their lives an relationships in Edging. Jordan (Shomari Downer) has bought himself a house and is hosting a house party for himself. Among the guests at the party include close friends Rachel (Paula Brancati) and Nick (Andy McQueen), co-workers Crossland (Aidan Shipley) and Christopher (Giacomo Gianniotti), as well […]

Weirdos (19/03/2017)

Teenage runaways hitchhike across Nova Scotia in Weirdos. Kit (Dylan Authors) is a 15 year old boy who lives with his father (Allan Hawco) and grandmother (Cathy Jones) in a small town in 1976 Nova Scotia. Kit decides that he wants to go to Sydney and live with his estranged mother (Molly Parker). Accompanied by […]

Beauty and the Beast (19/03/2017)

The Oscar-nominated animated film receives a live action remake with Beauty and the Beast. Belle (Emma Watson) is an independent young woman in the small French village of Villeneuve, where she lives with her inventor father Maurice (Kevin Kline) and fends off the advances of vain hunter Gaston (Luke Evans), who is always accompanied by his […]

T2 Trainspotting (17/03/2017)

Danny Boyle returns to the characters from Irvine Welsh’s novels two decades later in T2 Trainspotting. After living in Amsterdam, Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns to Edinburgh twenty years after stealing the money from a drug deal and is reunited with his old friends Daniel “Spud” Murphy (Ewen Bremner) and Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson (Jonny Lee Miller), who […]

The Lure (17/03/2017)

Young mermaids become hits in a Warsaw nightclub in The Lure. Golden (Michalina Olszanska) and Silver (Marta Mazurek) are two mermaid sisters, who arise from the ocean in 1980s Warsaw. Thanks to their hypnotic siren singing powers, the two mermaids become the spotlight attraction of a band performing at a burlesque nightclub, which begins to call themselves […]

The Girl with All the Gifts (15/03/2017)

A young girls holds the cure for a zombie outbreak in The Girl with All the Gifts. In the near future, humanity has been ravaged by a fungal disease that has left the population dominated by flesh-eating “hungries.” At a British army base headed by Sgt Eddie Parks (Paddy Considine), research is done by Dr […]

Kong: Skull Island (12/03/2017)

A group of explorers travel to and island ruled by a giant ape in Kong: Skull Island. Bill Randa (John Goodman) is a government official, who is made in charge of an expedition to the uncharted skull island. The expedition is escorted by a platoon of soldiers fresh out of the Vietnam War, lead by Lieutenant […]

Galaxy of Horrors (07/03/2017)

The second anthology by Little Terrors presents science fiction horror in Galaxy of Horrors. Mr. Brown (Adam Buller) wakes up in a damaged cryogenic pod and is forced to watch a series of sci-fi horror tales, as his life support slowly runs out. In Eden, a group a freedom fighters set out to do an assassination […]

Sonita (06/03/2017)

Screening as part of Hot Docs Ban This Series An Afghan refugee dreams of rap career in Sonita. Sonita Alidazeh is an 18 year Afghan living in Iran, who dreams of entering into a music career. However, it is indecent for women to sing in her culture and Sontia’s family have other plans for her; that being […]

Logan (05/03/2017)

Wolverine goes on one last adventure in Logan. It is the year 2029 and mutants have become all but extinct. Due to poisoning caused by his adamantium skeleton, Logan (Hugh Jackman) has become greatly aged and is unable to heal as well anymore. He lives in Mexico with albino mutant Caliban (Stephen Merchant) to care […]

Get Out (01/03/2017)

A young African American man discovers that something is horribly off about the family of his girlfriend in Get Out.  Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) leaves with her girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) to meet her parents Missy (Catherine Keener) and Dean (Bradley Whitford). Initially concerned about Rose’s parents not knowing he is black, they appear to […]

I Am Not Your Negro (26/02/2017)

The unfinished final manuscript from author James Baldwin narrates the history of race relations in America in I Am Not Your Negro. Towards the end of his life, author James Baldwin began writing a memoir entitled “Remember This House,” where Baldwin gives his recollections on murdered civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin […]

The LEGO Batman Movie (22/02/2017)

The LEGO Dark Knight sets out to protect Gotham City from The Joker in The LEGO Batman Movie. After foiling the latest plan by The Joker (Zach Galifianakis), Batman (Will Arnett) is shocked to discover that new commissioner Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson) wants to de-emphasize Batman’s vigilantism. In addition, Batman is shocked to discover that he […]

My Scientology Movie (17/02/2017)

BBC journalist Louis Theroux sets out to make a film about Scientology in My Scientology Movie. The Church of Scientology is probably one of the most controversial organizations in the world. Combining spirituality and technology, Scientology is most well-known for the number of celebrities among its membership, most infamously Tom Cruise. Louis Theroux and director John Dowler set […]

XX (17/02/2017)

Four female filmmakers direct tales of terror in the anthology film XX. In Jovanka Vucokic’s The Box, Susan (Natalie Brown) becomes concerned when her son Danny (Peter DaCunha) suddenly stops eating after peaking in a stranger’s box, with the affliction slowly spreading to the other members of the family. In Annie Clark’s The Birthday Party, Mary […]

Below Her Mouth (15/02/2017)

  A Toronto fashion editor finds herself in a passionate lesbian affair in Below Her Mouth. Jasmine (Natalie Krill) is the editor of a fashion magazine, who is preparing for her upcoming marriage to her boyfriend Rile (Sebastian Pigott), who goes out of town for a few days. While out drinking with a friend, Jasmine […]

John Wick: Chapter 2 (13/02/2017)

Lethal assassin John Wick is once again forced out of retirement in John Wick: Chapter 2. After tying up loose ends by recovering his stolen car from Russian gangster Abram Tarasov (Peter Stormare), John Wick (Keanu Reeves) prepares to once again retire from the life of an assassin. However, Wick is approached by Italian crime […]

Manchester by the Sea (05/02/2017)

A man is given guardianship of his nephew following the death of his brother in Manchester by the Sea. Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is a Boston caretaker, who returns home to the coastal town of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts after the sudden death of his brother Joe (Kyle Chandler). Lee soon finds out that Joe made Lee the legal […]

The River of My Dreams: A Portrait of Gordon Pinsent (28/01/2017)

The life and career of Canadian screen icon Gordon Pinsent is revisited in The River of My Dreams. Born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, Gordon Pinsent began his acting career when he lied his way into the lead role of a play. Over a career of more than 70 years, Pinsent has found acclaim in the theatre, television series […]

The Skyjacker’s Tale (28/01/2017)

An escaped convict living in exile in Cuba tells his story in The Skyjacker’s Tale. In 1972, eight people were murdered on a Rockefeller-owned golf course in the US Virgin Islands. Local black radical Ishmael LaBeet is one of those charged and convicted for the murder, with him sentenced to eight lift sentences, plus 90 years. As his […]

The Love Witch (27/01/2017)

A witch seeks the love of the perfect man in The Love Witch. Elaine (Samantha Robinson) is a beautiful witch, who is starting a new life for herself in a small town. Renting an apartment in a Victorian house from fellow witch Barbara (Jennifer Ingrum), Elaine is desperate to find the perfect man for herself, using […]

The Red Turtle (27/01/2017)

A shipwrecked man develops an unlikely relationship with a giant sea turtle in The Red Turtle. After a shipwreck, a man washes up on an island, occupied only by seals, crabs, and turtles. The man gathers wood to build a raft, but every time he tries to leave the island, the raft is destroyed by […]

Toni Erdmann (27/01/2017)

A corporate consultant has to deal with the prankish behaviour of her father in Toni Erdmann. Winfried (Peter Simonischek) is a retired piano teacher in Germany, who delights in playing pranks on people. However, he has a bit of a distant relationship with his daughter Ines (Sandra Hüller), who is a high-ranking management consultant in Bucharest. Winfried spontaneously […]

Sadako vs. Kayako (26/01/2017)

The two icons of J-Horror clash in Sadako vs. Kayako. Yuri (Mizuki Yamamoto) and Natsumi (Aimi Satsukawa) are two university students, who purchase an old secondhand VCR to transfer some old home movies to DVD. However, inside they find a strange tape, which they soon realize is the cursed video tape mentioned to them by their urban […]

The Founder (25/01/2017)

An entrepreneurial salesman turns a family owned burger stand into the world’s largest fast food chain in The Founder. Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) is a traveling milkshake machine salesman, who becomes curious when an unusually large order to made by a burger stand in San Bernardino, California. Travelling to the stand, Ray meats brother Dick and Mac […]

Blindspot 2017: Canada 150: The Sweet Hereafter (24/01/2017)

It is time for me to kick off the 2017 edition of the Blindspot Series, where I will watch films from Canada’s top filmmakers in celebration of the country’s 150th anniversary. First up is Atom Egoyan’s award winning 1997 drama The Sweet Hereafter. A small town is reeling after a tragic school bus accident that […]

Mean Dreams (23/01/2017)

Two young lovers go on the run from their abusive lives in Mean Dreams. One day, young ranch hand Jonas (Josh Wiggins) meets Casey (Sophie Nélisse), who has just moved into the area. The two quickly strike up a friendship, which seems to be blossoming into romance. However, Jonas discovers that Casey’s police deputy father […]

Split (22/01/2017)

Three girls are kidnapped by a man with dissociative identity disorder in Split. As they are being driven home from a party, Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy), Claire (Haley Lu Richardson), and Marcia (Jessica Sula) are kidnapped by Kevin (James McAvoy) and locked in a basement in an unknown location. The girls quickly realize that Kevin has […]

Nelly (22/01/2017)

The life and work of escort turned writer Nelly Arcan is brought to the screen in Nelly. Nelly Arcan, aka Isabelle Fortier (Mylène MacKay), becomes a literary sensation in both Quebec and France after the release of her semi-autobiographical novel “Whore” in 2001. As Nelly struggles with writing a follow-up, the line between fiction and reality is blurred […]

It’s Only the End of the World (21/01/2017)

A terminally ill man returns home to tell his family he’s dying in It’s Only the End of the World. Louis (Gaspard Ulliel) is a successful writer, who has returned home after a 12 year absence, with his ultimate goal being to tell them have he has a terminal illness. He is welcomed by his mother (Nathalie […]

Hello Destroyer (21/01/2017)

A young hockey player’s life is left in limbo following a suspension for violence in Hello Destroyer. Tyson Burr (Jared Abrahamson) is a rookie enforcer for the Prince George Warriors minor league hockey team. Spurred on by a heated locker room pep talk by Coach Dale Milbury (Kurt Max Runte), Tyson ends up inadvertently injuring a player on […]

Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves (20/01/2017)

A group of four young radicals form a revolutionary cell in Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves. In the aftermath of mass student protests, Giutizia (Charlotte Aubin), Tumulto (Laurent Bélanger), Ordine Nuovo (Emmanuelle Lussier Martinez), and Klas Batalo (Gabrielle Tremblay) move in together in a dingy apartment, as they plan their violent revolution against society. […]

Elle (17/01/2017)

A middle-aged woman with a dark past deals with a sexual assault in her own way in Elle. Michèle Leblanc (Isabelle Huppert) is the head of a video game company, who is one day brutally raped in her home. However, despite the pleas of her ex-husband Richard (Charles Berling) and friends Anna (Anne Consigny) and Robert (Christian […]

Window Horses (The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming) (17/01/2017)

A Chinese-Persian woman from Vancouver learns about her culture while attending a poetry festival in Window Horses (The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming). Rosie Ming (Sandra Oh) is an aspiring poet of Chinese and Persian decent, who lives with her overprotective grandparents in Vancouver. Rosie is invited to attend a poetry festival in Shiraz, Iran, […]

Oasis: Supersonic (15/01/2017)

The story of the band Oasis’ quick rise from unknown signings to one of the biggest bands in the UK is retold in Oasis: Supersonic. Lead by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher, Oasis began as a small garage band in Manchester, England. Thanks to the strong songwriting from Noel, Oasis quickly found themselves signed to Alan McGee’s […]

The Bye Bye Man (15/01/2017)

Three college roommates are cursed by an evil spirit in The Bye Bye Man. Elliot (Douglas Smith) is a college student, who rents an old house with his best friend John (Lucien Laviscount) and girlfriend Sasha (Cressida Bonas). Inside the house, Elliot finds an old end table with the words “Don’t Think It. Don’t Say […]

Angry Inuk (15/01/2017)

This review was originally posted as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2016 The Inuit community fight back against anti-sealing campaigns endangering their way of life in Angry Inuk. Hunting for seals is a necessary part of Inuit life in the Canadian arctic, both for food and income. However, animal rights organizations have been campaigning […]

Bugs (14/01/2017)

Chefs and researchers explore insects as a culinary option in Bugs. With the population of the world expected to surpass 9 billion by 2050, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has recommended that edible insects become an alternative to livestock as a sustainable source of protein. Josh Evans, Ben Reade and Roberto Flore are […]

Werewolf (14/01/2017)

This review was originally posted as part of my coverage of TIFF 2016 Two homeless lovers choose different paths for each other in Werewolf. Blaise (Andrew Gillis) and Nessa (Bhreagh MacNeil) are two homeless recovering drug addicts. In between trips to get their daily dose of methadone, the two lovers go door-to-door offering to mow lawns for cash. […]

Silence (08/01/2017)

Two 17th century Jesuit priests find their faith tested as they search for their mentor in Japan in Silence. Jesuit priest Alessandro Valignano (Ciarán Hinds) receives word that the long lost missionary Cristóvão Ferreira (Liam Neeson) has apostatized his faith after being tortured by the anti-Christian Japanese inquisitor Inoue Masashige (Issey Ogata). Ferreira’s pupils Father Sebastião Rodrigues (Andrew […]

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (21/12/2016)

A father and son perform a late night autopsy on a mysterious female corpse in The Autopsy of Jane Doe. At a grisly crime scene, Sheriff Sheldon (Michael McElhatton) finds a body of of a woman partially buried in the basement. Wanting answers to how this woman died, Sheldon sends the body to the Tilden Morgue […]

One More Time with Feeling (18/12/2016)

Nick Cave tries to move past personal tragedy, as he finishes the recording of his latest album in One More Time with Feeling. In the summer of 2015, as he was in the process of writing and recording his latest album “Skeleton Tree,” musician Nick Cave’s 15 year old son Arthur died in a tragic […]

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (17/12/2016)

A group of rebels sets out to acquire the plans for the Death Star in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is a rebellious young woman, who is recruited by the Rebel Alliance to intercept a message from her father Galen (Mads Mikkelsen), which was delivered by defected Imperial pilot Bodhi […]

Teddy Bomb (14/12/2016)

Christian (Christian Murdoch) is a beer delivery boy, who can barely hold together his relationship with his girlfriend Jenny (Jenny Lemberg/Emily Milling), while doing weekly rock’em, sock’em rituals and videogame sessions with his best friend Justin Jay Dawg (Justin Decloux).  One day while making a delivery, Christian finds and takes a small white teddy bear, […]

Office Christmas Party (14/12/2016)

The heads of a troubled branch of a technology company hold an epic Christmas party in a desperate effort to sign a client in Office Christmas Party. Clay Vanstone (T.J. Miller) is the manger of the Chicago branch of his late father’s company Zenotek, which he runs along with Chief Technical Officer Josh Parker (Jason Bateman), head of tech Tracey […]

Lion (10/12/2016)

An Indian man raised in Australia tries to find his hometown with the help of Google Earth in Lion. Saroo (Sunny Pawar) is an Indian boy living with his mother Kamla (Priyanka Bose) and older brother Guddu (Abhishek Bharate) in an impoverished neighborhood. One day Saroo accompanies Guddu on trip and is left by his […]

Zero Days (08/12/2016)

A malware attack of an Iranian nuclear facility opens the Pandora’s Box on cyber warfare in Zero Days. Fearing Iran’s eventual capability of building nuclear weapons, the United States and Israel covertly joined forces to develop a malware program known as Stuxnet, which was programmed to physically destroy part of a Iranian nuclear facility. However, Stuxnet […]

Moana (06/12/2016)

The heir of a Polynesian tribe goes on an adventure to save her island in Moana. Moana Waialiki (Auli’i Cravalho) is the heir to a tribe on the Polynesian island of Motunui. Despite her interest in the ocean, Moana’s father Chief Tui (Temuera Morrison) prevents her from going past the reef. However, as the crops get spoiled […]

Short Film Showcase – Blood in the Snow 2016 (01/12/2016)

Here is my rundown of the thirteen short films that played as part of the 2016 Blood in the Snow Film Festival’s short film showcase. Summoned Amanda asks for help from a demon for her abusive father, however things go a little too far. This is a well produced short film that shows that using […]

Announcing Blindspot 2017: Canada 150 (25/11/2016)

It is time once again for me to announce the films that I plan to watch over the course of the next year as part of the Blindspot series. Since a huge event next year is Canada’s 150th anniversary as a country, it is a no-brainer that I would set out and watch films I […]

Nocturnal Animals (22/11/2016)

An art gallery owner is haunted by a manuscript written by her ex-husband in Nocturnal Animals. Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) is the wealthy owner of an art gallery, who live a somewhat empty life with his often absentee husband Hutton (Armie Hammer). One days Susan receives a manuscript for a novel entitled “Nocturnal Animals,” written by […]

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (19/11/2016)

Return for a new adventure in the Wizarding World in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is an eccentric wizard and collector of magical creatures, which he keeps in his enchanted suitcase. Shortly after arriving in 1926 New York on business, Newt comes across a demonstration by “New Salemers,” who include […]

Arrival (13/11/2016)

A linguist tries to make contact with alien visitors in Arrival. The world is put on standstill as twelve shell-shaped alien spacecraft land around the planet. Linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is recruited by US Army Colonel Weber (Forest Whitaker) to try and make contact with the squid-like alien species, with Louise being joined on […]

You’ve Been Trumped Too (08/11/2016)

Donald Trump’s promises during his 2016 presidential campaign are contrasted with the ongoing hardships of those in Aberdeen, Scotland in You’ve Been Trumped Too. Five years ago, Donald Trump built a high end golf course on environmentally protected land in Aberdeen, Scotland. The most vocal opponents of the course were Michael Forbes and his 92 […]

Doctor Strange (05/11/2016)

A injured surgeon becomes a master in the mystical arts in Doctor Strange. Dr. Stephen Strange is a gifted, yet arrogant, neurosurgeon who works at a hospital with fellow surgeon and girlfriend Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams). After a near-fatal car accident, Strange ends up with extreme nerve damage in his hands. Desperate for a cure, Strange […]

Little Sister (03/11/2016)

A goth girl turned nun returns home to visit her disfigured older brother in Little Sister. Colleen Lunsford (Addison Timlin) is a young woman about to give her first vows to become a nun. Colleen receives an e-mail from her mother Joani (Ally Sheedy) stating that her older brother Jacob (Keith Poulson) has returned home after being […]

Moonlight (02/11/2016)

The evolution of a young black man at three different points of his life is examined in Moonlight. A young Miami boy nicknamed “Little” (Alex Hibbert) is taken under the wing by kindhearted drug dealer Juan ((Mahershala Ali), who is much more caring than his drug-addicted mother Paula (Naomie Harris). Going by his given name as a […]

Inferno (29/10/2016)

Professor Robert Langdon returns to solve puzzles pointing towards a biological weapon in Inferno. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) wakes up in a hospital bed in Florence, Italy, which no recollection how he go there. Dr. Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones) tells him that he is suffering from amnesia following a blow to the head. After an armed […]

Christine (26/10/2016)

A newswoman’s depression leads to on-air tragedy in Christine. Christine Chubbuck (Rebecca Hall) is a news reporter in 1970s Sarasota. Despite her desire to report on important issues, she is assigned public interest fluff pieces by her boss Michael (Tracy Letts), who has gained an interest in more sensationalist news, in order to grab ratings. Christine’s only […]

Canada After Dark – Toronto After Dark 2016 (23/10/2016)

As always, every feature film at Toronto After Dark was preceded by a Canadian Short Film. This year’s Canada After Dark line-up included obsessive fans of pop stars, killer tattoos, and of course creepy clowns. Here are my thoughts on each of the 19 short films. Kookie A young girl gets into trouble for eating too […]

The Void – Toronto After Dark 2016 (22/10/2016)

Full Disclosure: I was a contributor to The Void’s Indiegogo Campain A small town sheriff encounters hellish inhuman creatures at a rural hospital in The Void. While on patrol, officer Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole) finds an injured man on the side of the road. Daniel rushes the man named James (Evan Stern) to the local hospital, […]

Let Her Out – Toronto After Dark 2016 (15/10/2016)

A young woman finds herself tormented by her inner-self in Let Her Out. Helen (Alanna LeVierge) is a young woman, whose mother killed herself 23 years earlier at a grungy motel. One night, while outside the motel, Helen is struck by a car and receives major head trauma. While she does recover, Helen begins to […]

Under the Shadow – Toronto After Dark 2016 (14/10/2016)

A woman and her daughter encounter a paranormal force during the Iran-Iraq war in Under the Shadow. Shideh (Narges Rashidi) is a woman living in a Tehran apartment complex with her husband Iraj (Bobby Naderi) and young daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi). As Iran’s war with Iraq begins to heat up, Iraj is drafted to the frontlines […]

Trash Fire – Toronto After Dark 2016 (13/10/2016)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Fantasia 2016 A dysfunctional couple goes to visit family in Trash Fire. After being together for three years, Owen (Adrian Grenier) and Isabel (Angela Trimbur) are barely able to keep there relationship together, particularly due to Owen’s spiteful sarcasm and trust issues, stemming from a […]

The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years (12/10/2016)

Ron Howard directs this look back at the peak of Beatlemania in The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years. Following the release of their debut album “Please Please Me” in 1963, The Beatles became an overnight success around the world. Over the course of the next three years, the band would release […]

In a Valley of Violence – Toronto After Dark 2016 (12/10/2016)

This review was previously published as part of my coverage of Fantasia 2016 A drifter seeks vengeance in an isolated mining town in In a Valley of Violence. Paul (Ethan Hawke) is an ex cavalry man, who is travelling with his dog Abby on the way to Mexico. Paul decides to take a shortcut through the […]

Phantasm: RaVager (09/10/2016)

The battle against The Tall Man comes to its conclusion in Phantasm: RaVager. Alone in the desert, Reggie (Reggie Bannister) follows the trail of The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm), in search for his best friend Mike (A. Michael Baldwin). However, along the way Reggie finds himself hopping between various realities, whether it be him in […]

The Girl on the Train (09/10/2016)

An alcoholic divorcee becomes entangled in a missing persons case in The Girl on the Train. Rachel (Emily Blunt) rides the trains everyday to and from New York, enviously observing the seemingly perfect couple of Scott (Luke Evans) and Megan (Haley Bennett). The couple just happens to live next door to Rachel’s ex-husband Tom (Justin […]

Minutes Past Midnight (07/10/2016)

Little Terrors presents the horror anthology Minutes Past Midnight. As midnight falls, all manner of terror invades the Earth: In Never Tear Us Apart, a pair of friends encounters a family of cannibals; In Awake, a boy begins acting strange to the concern of his parents; In Crazy for You, a serial killer has a difficult […]

Off the Rails (07/10/2016)

A man with Asperger’s Syndrome spent more than 30 years impersonating train conductors in Off the Rails. Since childhood, Darius McCollum has loved trains. Trains were a place where he could find solace from the bullying he experienced in school. He befriended the subway operators in New York City and at the age of 15 he drove […]

Command and Control (26/09/2016)

Human error nearly results in the accidental detonation of a nuclear warhead in Command and Control. On September 18, 1980, a maintenance crew working on the Titan-II missile, at Little Rock Air Force Base’s Launch Complex 374-7 in Damascus, Arkansas, accidentally drops a socket, which ends up piercing the missile’s fuel tank. Fuel begins leaking […]

La La Land (20/09/2016)

An aspiring actress and a jazz pianist fall in love in the Hollywood Hills in La La Land. Mia (Emma Stone) is a barista on a Hollywood movie lot, who hopes to one day achieve her dreams of being an actress. One day, Mia meets Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a gifted pianist, who one day wants to open […]

Small Enough to Jail (20/09/2016)

A family-owned bank in New York’s Chinatown becomes the only US bank indicted in the wake of the US financial crisis in ABACUS: Small Enough to Jail. After spending many years as a lawyer, Thomas Sung opened the Abacus Federal Savings Bank to help assist the community of New York’s Chinatown, with the bank currently being […]

The Age of Shadows (20/09/2016)

A police officer in Japan-occupied Korea secretly begins to work with the resistance movement he is supposed to bring down in The Age of Shadows. Lee Jung-chool (Song Kang ho) is a Korean captain for the Japanese Police in 1920s occupied Korea. Lee and his partner Hashimoto (Um Tae-Goo) are tasked with bringing down the resistance movement […]

Sadako vs. Kayako (18/09/2016)

The two icons of J-Horror clash in Sadako vs. Kayako. Yuri (Mizuki Yamamoto) and Natsumi (Aimi Satsukawa) are two university students, who purchase an old secondhand VCR to transfer some old home movies to DVD. However, inside they find a strange tape, which they soon realize is the cursed video tape mentioned to them by their […]

Into the Inferno (16/09/2016)

Werner Herzog teams up with scientist Clive Oppenheimer to explore the world’s volcanoes in Into the Inferno. Ten years ago, Werner Herzog met volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer while in Antarctica working on his doc Encounters at the End of the World. Together they reunite to explore active volcanoes around the world, particularly focusing on the mythology expressed by the […]

Colossal (16/09/2016)

An alcoholic woman discovers a connection between her downward spiral and a series of monster attacks in Colossal. Fed up with her hard partying lifestyle, Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is kicked out by her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens) and she moves back to her hometown. Gloria is reunited with her old friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis), who […]

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (16/09/2016)

A young hospice nurse encounters ghostly activity at the house of an elderly author in I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House. It is said that a house with a death in it can no longer be bought by the living, only borrowed from the ghosts that live there. 28 year old […]

Rage (16/09/2016)

Three seemingly unrelated stories are connected by the hunt for a killer in Rage. At a bloody crime scene, police find a murdered couple and the word “rage” written on the wall in blood. This begins a manhunt for the prime suspect Yamagami, who is known to change his appearance. This manhunt affects the lives […]

Salt and Fire (16/09/2016)

A delegation of scientists are kidnapped by a rogue businessman in Salt and Fire. A team of United Nation scientists, lead by Laura Somerfeld (Veronica Ferres) and Fabio Cavani (Gael García Bernal), travel to South America to investigate the severity of the Diablo Blanco salt flats. However, the delegation is kidnapped by men working for Matt Riley […]

Blair Witch (16/09/2016)

A group of friends enter the Black Hills Forest to find answers to the disappearances that happened two decades earlier in Blair Witch. As part of her school documentary project, Lisa (Callie Hernandez) is filming the attempt of James (James Allen McCune) to find answers about his sister Heather, who disappeared in the Black Hills […]

Dog Eat Dog (16/09/2016)

Three ex-cons get together for one last job in Dog Eat Dog. Troy (Nicolas Cage) has just gotten out of prison and is reunited with his crew of Mad Dog (Willem Dafoe) and Diesel (Christopher Matthew Cook). Looking for one big score to retire on, Troy accepts a job from El Grecco (Paul Schrader), which involves kidnapping a […]

Gimme Danger (15/09/2016)

Jim Jarmusch tells the story of Iggy Pop and the Stooges in Gimme Danger. Formed in 1967 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, The Stooges consisted of singer Iggy Pop, brothers Ron and Scott Asheton, and a rotating line-up of supporting members. Despite the band imploding in 1973, due in no small part to Iggy Pop’s drug use, […]

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (14/09/2016)

A father and son perform a late night autopsy on a mysterious female corpse in The Autopsy of Jane Doe. At a grisly crime scene, Sheriff Sheldon (Michael McElhatton) finds a body of of a woman partially buried in the basement. Wanting answers to how this woman died, Sheldon sends the body to the Tilden […]

The Bad Batch (14/09/2016)

A woman tries to survive in a dystopian desert prison in The Bad Batch. Arlen (Suki Waterhouse) is a young woman, who is sentenced to “The Bad Batch,” a gated Texas desert occupied by those considered outsiders to society. Nearly immediately, Arlen is captured by a gang of cannibals, who cut off her arm and […]

Raw (13/09/2016)

A vegetarian veterinary student gains a taste for human flesh after being forced to eat meat for the first time in Raw. 16 year old Justine (Garance Marillier) has just enrolled into a veterinary college, following the steps of her family, including her older sister Alexia (Ella Rumpf). Despite her entire family being devout vegetarians, Justine is […]

Bleed for This (13/09/2016)

A world champion boxer comes back from a supposedly career-ending injury in Bleed for This. Vinny Pazienza (Miles Teller) is a young boxer with a “never give up” attitude. However, he keeps losing fights and his manager Lou (Ted Levine) encourages him to just thrown in the towel. When Vinny refuses to hang it up, he […]

Godspeed (11/09/2016)

A courier and a cab driver become mixed up with the Taiwanese mob in Godspeed. Na Dow (Na Dow) is a man who takes a job as courier, with his first job turning out to be a drug smuggling operation for the Taiwanese mob. Veteran taxi driver Old Xu (Michael Hui) insists being hired by Na Dow and […]

nirvanna the band the show (11/09/2016)

Viceland presents the television series nirvanna the band the show, based on the original webseries of the same name by Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol. Matt and Jay are two members of a band, whose ultimate goal is to get a gig at the Rivoli club in Toronto. The two come up with a number of elaborate […]

Le Ciel Flamand (Flemish Heaven) (11/09/2016)

The operator of a Belgian brothel tries to keep the family business a secret from her young daughter in Le Ciel Flamand (Flemish Heaven). Sylvie (Sara Vertongen) is the owner/operator of a brothel in Belgium with her mother Monique (Ingrid De Vos). Despite not being ashamed by her career choice, Sylvie tries to hide the true […]

Werewolf (10/09/2016)

Two homeless lovers choose different paths for each other in Werewolf. Blaise (Andrew Gillis) and Nessa (Bhreagh MacNeil) are two homeless recovering drug addicts. In between trips to get their daily dose of methadone, the two lovers go door-to-door offering to mow lawns for cash. Nessa begins to take her road to recovery more seriously, seeking out […]

Personal Shopper (09/09/2016)

Kristen Stewart reunites with filmmaker Olivier Assayas in the artful ghost story Personal Shopper. Maureen (Stewart) is a young woman, whose job it is to do all the clothes shopping for Paris socialite Kyra (Nora von Waldstätten). Maureen is also a medium and she has been trying to make contact with her twin brother Lewis, who recently […]

Toni Erdmann (09/09/2016)

A corporate constant has to deal with the prankish behaviour of her father in Toni Erdmann. Winfried (Peter Simonischek) is a retired piano teacher in Germany, who delights in playing pranks on people. However, he has a bit of a distant relationship with his daughter Ines (Sandra Hüller), who is a high-ranking management consultant in Bucharest. Winfried […]

Don’t Breathe (27/08/2016)

An attempted robbery goes horribly awry in Don’t Breathe. Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette), and Money (Daniel Zovatto) are three delinquent teens in Detroit, who use keys from Alex’s father’s security company to rob the houses of rich people. Rocky is desperate to leave the trailer trash lifestyle she lives with her younger sister and […]

Blindspot 2016: Classic Horror: The Fly (26/08/2016)

This month, I continue with the films of Vincent Price and one of this most well-known films. One night, François Delambre (Price) receives a call from his sister-in-law  Helene (Patricia Owens) confessing that she killed her husband Andre (Al Hedison) in a mechanical press. In defense of this supposed murder, Helene tells François and Inspector Charas […]

Kubo and the Two Strings (23/08/2016)

A boy goes on a quest for his father’s samurai armour in Kubo and the Two Strings. Kubo (Art Parkinson) is a boy who lives with his mother in a small village, where he tells stories to the villagers about his samurai father Hanzo, using magical origami controlled by Kubo’s shamisen. One day Kubo ignores […]

Unlocking the Cage (19/08/2016)

A lawyer fights for the rights of autonomous animals in Unlocking the Cage. Animal rights lawyer Steven Wise has committed his career to ensuring that animals receive the same level of rights as humans, focusing on intelligent animals, such as apes, elephants, and dolphins. Teaming with the Nonhuman Rights Project, Wise and his team file habeas corpus […]

Faults (14/08/2016)

A down on his luck cult deprogrammer tries to save a young woman in Faults. Ansel Roth (Leland Orser) was once one of the top debunkers of cult mind control techniques, however his personal failures has made his life into a wreck. With his latest book a flop, Ansel finds himself greatly in debt to his […]

How Heavy This Hammer (12/08/2016)

A middle-aged man escapes the pressures of his life through videogames in How Heavy This Hammer. Erwin (Erwin Van Cotthem) is a middle-aged father of two, who is beginning to feel the effects of a midlife crisis. When he is not playing rugby with his buddies, he spends hours playing a real-time strategy video game, which […]

Suicide Squad (07/08/2016)

The most dangerous villains around are brought together as part of a secret government strike force in Suicide Squad. With meta-humans becoming an increasing concern, government official Amanda Walker (Viola Davis) wants to put together a team of the worst of the worst, who will be tasked with performing seemingly impossible missions, under the supervision […]

Train to Busan (06/08/2016)

A zombie outbreak occurs aboard a train in Train to Busan. Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) is an overworked man, who barely has time to spend with his daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an). Su-an wants to travel from Seoul to Busan to visit her mother and Seok-woo accompanies her on the train ride. However, it turns out that a zombie […]

Lights Out (04/08/2016)

A family is tormented by a ghost that only appears when the lights are off in Lights Out. Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) is a woman who has been estranged from her mentally ill mother Sophie (Maria Bello) for sometime. However, she arrives to help out her younger brother Martin (Gabriel Bateman), who hasn’t been getting sleep […]

The Devil’s Candy (31/07/2016)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of TIFF 2015 A painter and his family are tormented by demonic forces in The Devil’s Candy. Jesse (Ethan Embry) is struggling heavy metal-loving painter, who moves into a new house in Texas, with his wife Astrid (Shiri Appleby) and daughter Zooey (Kiara Glasco). Things start to seem off […]

Tower (31/07/2016)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2016 The United State’s first mass school shooting is recounted in Tower. On August 1, 1966, a lone sniper climb atop the tower at the University of Texas and began to unleash a violent assault. Through the eyes of many of those present, […]

Lazy Hazy Crazy (31/07/2016)

Three teenage girls have complicated relationships in Lazy Hazy Crazy. Alice, Chloe, and Tracy are free 18 year olds living in Hong Kong. The more outgoing Alice and Chloe have made a successful living for themselves as prostitutes, with the the shy Tracy deciding to give it a try. However, the friendship between the three […]

Jason Bourne (31/07/2016)

The amnesiac assassin returns in Jason Bourne. A decade after remembering who he is and exposing the CIA’s Blackbriar project, former assassin Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) has been keeping a low profile overseas. However, when former CIA tech Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) hacks into the agency’s database and finds some new information about Bourne, she travels to […]

Operation Avalanche (30/07/2016)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2016 CIA agents conspire to fake the moon landing in Operation Avalanche. Matt Johnson and Owen Williams are two 1960s-era CIA agents, who are assigned to infiltrate NASA under the guise of a documentary crew, with the objective to find a Russian mole within […]

Harmony (29/07/2016)

A special agent investigates a recent plague of suicides in a Utopian world in Harmony. In a future world, all of humanity is controlled by a system known as WatchMe, which has practically put an end to sickness and old age. Tuan is a high ranking agent of world’s leading health company, who is haunted by […]

Psycho Raman (29/07/2016)

A serial killer becomes obsessed with the cop on his trail in Psycho Raman. Ramanna (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is a serial killer in modern day Mumbai, who is inspired by the infamous 1960s serial killer Raman Raghav. After witnessing corrupt cop Raghavan’s (Vicky Kaushal) capacity for violence, Ramanna becomes determined to to lead her pursuer to the dark side, […]

The Phantom Detective (27/07/2016)

A private detective tries to solve a case, accompanied by the grandchildren of his rival in The Phantom Detective. Hong Gil-dong (Lee Je-Hoon) is a private detective, who has spent years tracking down Kim Byeong-Duk (Park Geun-Hyung), the man who killed his mother. However, Hong arrives to find the Kim has been kidnapped, leaving behind his two […]

The Throne (27/07/2016)

The relationship between a king and his son is examined in The Throne. One rainy night, the Crown Prince Sado (Yoo Ah-in) sets out with the intention of assassinating his father King Yeongjo (Song Kang-ho). Sado fails in this task and he is sentenced by his father to be locked up in a chest in the middle […]

We Are the Flesh (26/07/2016)

Two siblings are encouraged by a mysterious man to engage in taboo and forbidden acts in We Are the Flesh. Lucio (Diego Gamaliel) and Fauna (María Evoli) are a brother and sister find themselves in a dilapidated building, occupied by the sadistic and peverted Mariano (Noé Hernández). Mariano makes the siblings do whatever he demands, whether […]

Superpowerless (26/07/2016)

A former superhero has a midlife crisis in Superpowerless. For most of his life, Bob (Josiah Polhemus) has enjoyed a career as the superhero Captain Truth. However, a few years ago Bob began to lose his superpowers and has been making an attempt to settle into a normal life with his girlfriend Mimi (Amy Prosser). […]

Some Freaks (26/07/2016)

Two social outcasts find love with each other in Some Freaks. Matt (Thomas Mann) is an awkward teenager, who repeatedly finds himself bullied over the fact that he wears a patch over his lost eye. One day Matt meets Jill (Lily Mae Harrington), an overweight girl with dyed-blue hair and a lip piercing, who also […]

Bad Blood (24/07/2016)

A troubled teen becomes an amphibious were-monster in Bad Blood. One night when out with her friend, Victoria Miller (Mary Malloy) is attacked and seriously injured by some sort of creature. She is helped by a mysterious, yet helpful gas station attendant (Vikas Adam), who has developed a serum that can halt Victoria’s transformation at the next […]

Trash Fire (24/07/2016)

A dysfunctional couple goes to visit family in Trash Fire. After being together for three years, Owen (Adrian Grenier) and Isabel (Angela Trimbur) are barely able to keep there relationship together, particularly due to Owen’s spiteful sarcasm and trust issues, stemming from a past tragedy. When Isabel reveals that she is pregnant, Owen wants to […]

Star Trek Beyond (24/07/2016)

The crew of the Enterprise faces a new threat on an uncharted planet in Star Trek Beyond. The crew of the USS Enterprise, lead by Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is three years into its five year mission. While stopping off at the Federation base of Yorktown, Kirk is assigned to lead a rescue […]

Embers (23/07/2016)

A group of people try to exist in a world without memory in Embers. After a global epidemic, the population of the world have forgotten how to remember. Various people try to move on with their lives, including a guy (Jason Ritter) and a girl (Iva Gocheva), who are supposedly lovers, a teacher (Tucker Smallwood) […]

Let Me Make You a Martyr (23/07/2016)

Two adoptive siblings are on the run from their crime boss father and a reclusive hit man in Let Me Make You a Martyr. Drew Glass (Niko Nicotera) finds himself in an interrogation room being questioned by Charon (Michael Potts), who asks Drew to describe how he found himself in this predicament. Drew recounts the story […]

Red Christmas (23/07/2016)

A family celebrating Christmas is tormented by a cloaked stranger in Red Christmas. Diane (Dee Wallace) is having one final Christmas with her family, before selling the family home. Unexpectedly, the family is visited by a cloaked and bandaged figure named Cletus (Sam Campbell), who is claiming to be looking for his mother. Angered at a […]

Nova Seed (23/07/2016)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of WTFilm Fest 2016 A reluctant hero sets out to stop the plans of a mad doctor in Nova Seed. Underneath the ruins of a dying planet, the evil Doctor Mindskull has created the ultimate weapon in the form of a girl named Nova Seed, who […]

She’s Allergic to Cats (22/07/2016)

A Hollywood dog groomer aspires to be a filmmaker, while courting the girl of his dreams in She’s Allergic to Cats. Michael Pinkney (Michael Pinkney) is dog groomer in Hollywood, who spends his free time making experimental video art and dream of making an all-cat remake of Carrie. On the job, Michael meets Cora (Sonja Kinski), who […]

Kaijyu Mono (22/07/2016)

A nerdy lap assistant is given a super-serum to fight a monster terrorizing Tokyo in Kaijyu Mono. A prehistoric monster known a Mono arises from its slumber and begins to terrorize Tokyo. Researching the monster’s DNA, Professor Saigo has created a serum known as SetupX to grant a human superpowers to fight the monster. Saigo’s assistant […]

Seoul Station (22/07/2016)

A zombie outbreak occurs in Seoul’s central subway station in Seoul Station. Every night, the homeless popular of Seoul descends upon the central subway station looking for a place to sleep. One night an elderly homeless man enters the station with a mysterious wound on his neck. Before long, the man turns into a zombie, […]

Man Underground (22/07/2016)

A conspiracy theorist sets out to make a movie about his encounters with aliens in Man Underground. Willem Koda (George Basil) is a UFO conspiracy theorist, who lives a reclusive lifestyle and spends his free time being a featured speaker at sparsely attended UFO conventions. At the suggestion of his friend Todd (Andy Rocco), Willem decides […]

I, Olga Hepnarova (21/07/2016)

A depressed woman is pushed into committing a horrible crime in I, Olga Hepnarova. For all of her life, Olga Hepnarova (Michalina Olszanska) was a victim of bullying, whether it be the abuse she received from her parents or the torment by fellow girls at a psychiatric hospital. Despite having a number of female lovers, Olga is […]

The Alchemist Cookbook (21/07/2016)

A hermit living in the wood sets out to unlock an ancient mystery in The Alchemist Cookbook. Sean (Ty Hickson) is a man, who has become fed up with life and set himself up in an isolated trailer in the woods, accompanied only by his cat Kasper and regular grocery deliveries by Cortez (Amari Cheatom). Sean […]

Baaghi (20/07/2016)

An Indian martial arts expert travels to Thailand to save the woman he loves in Baaghi. Ronny (Tiger Shroff) is a rebellious youth, who is shipped off to the Kalaripayattu Academy in the town of Kerala, in order to control his violent temper. Along the way, he meets the beautiful Sia (Shraddha Kapoor) and the […]

The Lure (20/07/2016)

Young mermaids become hits in a Warsaw nightclub in The Lure. Golden (Michalina Olszanska) and Silver (Marta Mazurek) are two mermaid sisters, who arise from the ocean in 1980s Warsaw. Thanks to their hypnotic siren singing powers, the two mermaids become the spotlight attraction of a band performing at a burlesque nightclub, which begins to call […]

The Love Witch (20/07/2016)

A witch seeks the love of the perfect man in The Love Witch. Elaine (Samantha Robinson) is a beautiful witch, who is starting a new life for herself in a small town. Renting an apartment in a Victorian house from fellow witch Barbara (Jennifer Ingrum), Elaine is desperate to find the perfect man for herself, […]

The Wailing (19/07/2016)

A police sergeant investigates a series of murders that may be related to demonic activity in The Wailing. One morning in the isolated town of Goksung, Sgt. Jeon Jong-gu (Kwak Do-won) is called to the scene of a brutal ritualistic murder. This is the latest of a series of homicides in the city, which seems to […]

Karaoke Crazies (19/07/2016)

An isolated karaoke bar sees a sudden upswing in business in Karaoke Crazies. Sung-Wook (Moon-Sik Lee) is a depressed and lonely man, who runs the “Addiction Karaoke” bar in the middle of nowhere. Needing a new helper, Sung-Wook hires Ha-Suck (Bae So-eun), a mysterious woman who enters his bar one day. While initially a detriment to business, […]

The Eyes of My Mother (19/07/2016)

An isolated woman copes with her past troubles in The Eyes of My Mother. As a girl, Francisca (Kika Magalhaes) looked up to her former eye surgeon of a mother. However, her world falls apart as a stranger is let into the house, who brutally murders Francisca’s mother, while she sits idly in the kitchen. […]

For the Love of Spock (18/07/2016)

Adam Nimoy pays tribute to the life and career of his famous father in For the Love of Spock. Leonard Nimoy had been acting since the early 1950s, when he was cast by Gene Roddenberry to play the Vulcan Spock in the 1966 series Star Trek. Spock quickly became one of the most popular characters […]

As the Gods Will (18/07/2016)

A group of teenagers have to survive a series of deadly trials in As the Gods Will. Shun Takahata (Sôta Fukushi) is a teenager fed up with his boring life. However, he quickly regrets his wish for more excitement when a deadly daruma doll appears in his classroom and begins a deadly game of Red Light, Green […]

In a Valley of Violence (18/07/2016)

A drifter seeks vengeance in an isolated mining town in In a Valley of Violence. Paul (Ethan Hawke) is an ex cavalry man, who is travelling with his dog Abby on the way to Mexico. Paul decides to take a shortcut through the town of Denton, where he has an violent encounter with psychotic deputy […]

Bed of the Dead (17/07/2016)

A group of friends find themselves trapped by a cursed bed in Bed of the Dead. Ren (Dennis Andres), Sandy (Alysa King), Nancy (Gwenlyn Cumyn), and Fred (George Krissa) travel to a seedy sex club for Ren’s birthday. Ren bribes the attendant to let them into the forbidden Room 18, which features a large king sized […]

Terraformars (17/07/2016)

A group of desperate individuals fly to Mars to rid the planet of mutant cockroaches in Terraformars. In the year 2599, scientists have succeeded in terraforming Mars to make it fit for human emigration. However, the planet must first be rid of cockroaches, who have evolved into human-like form and are known as Terraformars. Eccentric […]

Beware the Slenderman (17/07/2016)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2016 A horrible crime is influenced an online urban legend in Beware the Slenderman. On May 31, 2014, two 12 year old girls stabbed their friend in the woods near Waukesha, Wisconsin. When questioned about their motives for the crime, the girls say […]

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (17/07/2016)

This is a condensed version of my full review from July 2016 A delinquent boy and his foster uncle find themselves on the run in the New Zealand bush in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) is a trouble-making boy, who is given one last chance by child services social worker Paula (Rachel House), […]

Demon (16/07/2016)

The review was originally published as part of my coverage of TIFF 2015 A groom gets possessed during his wedding day in Demon. Peter (Itay Tiran) is preparing to marry his fiance Zaneta (Agnieszka Zulewska) at her family’s country home in Poland. The night before the wedding, Peter finds skeletal remains on the property, after which he […]

Kill Zone 2 (16/07/2016)

This review was original published as part of my coverage for TIFF 2015 An undercover cop and Thai prison guard fight to bring down a crime syndicate in Kill Zone 2. Kit (Wu Jing) is an undercover cop, who was assigned by his supervisor and uncle Wah (Simon Yam) to take down a crime syndicate run by Mr Hung […]

Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex (16/07/2016)

The ever-changing world of monster special effect is examined in Creature Designers: The Frankenstein Complex. The love of monsters comes from a deep seeded fear of the unknown, which is with us from our earliest memories. From the early works of Lon Chaney and Jack P. Pierce to the 1980s “rock stars” of Stan Winston, Rick […]

The Dark Stranger (15/07/2016)

A depressed artist is tormented by a vengeful spirit in The Dark Stranger. Since the tragic death of her mother, Leah Garrison (Katie Findlay) has been suffering from severe depression and agoraphobia, with her father Brendan (Enrico Colantoni) encouraging Leah to start drawing again. One day, Leah mysteriously gains the inspiration to draw a graphic novel inspired by […]

Swiss Army Man (07/07/2016)

A stranded man receives assistance from a very skillful corpse in Swiss Army Man. Hank (Paul Dano) is a man marooned on an island, who has just about lost hope. Just as he is about to hang himself, Hank notices a corpse of man named Manny (Daniel Radcliffe) lying on the beach. Hank soon comes […]

WTFilm Fest 2016: Nova Seed (03/07/2016)

A reluctant hero sets out to stop the plans of a mad doctor in Nova Seed. Underneath the ruins of a dying planet, the evil Doctor Mindskull has created the ultimate weapon in the form of a girl named Nova Seed, who is able to cause vegetation to grow anywhere she comes into contact. A […]

The BFG (03/07/2016)

Steven Spielberg brings the novel by Roald Dahl to life on the big screen with The BFG. Sophie (Ruby Barnhill) is an orphan girl, who is one night taken away by a Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance). The BFG turns out to be a kind soul, who captures dreams to give to children. However, the other […]

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (01/07/2016)

A delinquent boy and his foster uncle find themselves on the run in the New Zealand bush in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) is a trouble-making boy, who is given one last chance by child services social worker Paula (Rachel House), before she sends him to juvenile prison. Ricky is dropped into […]

Independence Day: Resurgence (25/06/2016)

The alien invaders return to Earth two decades after the original attack in Independence Day: Resurgence. Twenty years has passed since the “War of 1996,” during which humanity barely survived an alien invasion. However, in the decades following the war, humanity has come together as one and they have used their combined strength and alien technology […]

Tickled (24/06/2016)

A journalist investigates a competitive tickling league in Tickled. David Farrier is a pop culture journalist in New Zealand, who likes to focus on the weird and bizarre. One day he comes across a video for “Competitive Endurance Tickling” and decides to investigate this apparent tickling league. What he discovers is way bigger than he has ever […]

The Witness (22/06/2016)

A man seeks the truth surrounding his sister’s infamous murder in The Witness. In 1964, a young woman named Kitty Genovese was murdered outside of her New York City apartment. It was later reported by the New York Times that 38 of Kitty’s neighbours witnessed her murder, yet did nothing about it. The incident became a […]

Central Intelligence (20/06/2016)

An accountant reunites with an old high school acquaintance, who turns out to be a CIA agent in Central Intelligence. In 1996, Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) was voted most likely to succeed at his high school. He was also the only one to show kindness to overweight and bullied kid Robbie Weirdicht (Dwayne Johnson). Twenty years later, […]

The Neon Demon (17/06/2016)

A young model finds herself the envy of the fashion industry in The Neon Demon. Jesse (Elle Fanning) is a sixteen year old woman, who has just moved to Los Angeles with the hopes of starting a modeling career. At her first shoot, photographed by new acquaintance Dean (Karl Glusman), Jesse meets make-up artist Ruby (Jena […]

De Palma (17/06/2016)

Brian De Palma talks about his career in De Palma. Brian De Palma first got interested in filmmaking while he was studying Physics at Columbia University during the 1960s. De Palma was heavily influenced by the films of Alfred Hitchcock, particularly Vertigo, and even hired Bernard Herrmann to score his early films, including as 1973’s Sisters. While utilizing a […]

Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (17/06/2016)

The story of the greatest fan film ever made is told in  Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made.  In 1982, eleven year old Mississippi friends Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos, and Jayson Lamb set out to shoot a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The boys kept shooting this remake over the […]

Warcraft (12/06/2016)

The orchish Horde goes to war against the human Alliance in Warcraft. With their homeworld Draenor dying, the many orc clans, including the Frostwolves lead by Durotan (Toby Kebbell), seek the help of the shaman Gul’dan (Daniel Wu), who uses the dark magic fel to open the Dark Portal and travel to the world of Azeroth. […]

The Conjuring 2 (11/06/2016)

Ed and Lorraine Warren investigate a haunting in north London in The Conjuring 2. After assisting the Perron family, Ed and Lorraine (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) go on to investigate a haunting in  Amityville, Long Island, which gives them both public fame and increased criticism by skeptics. Meanwhile in Enfield, North London, Peggy Hodgson (Frances O’Connor) begins […]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (04/06/2016)

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles must band together to face off against new mutant foes and an extraterrestrial threat in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Following their defeat of the Shredder (Brian Tee) one year previous, Leonardo (Pete Ploszek), Raphael (Alan Ritchson), Donatello (Jeremy Howard), and Michelangelo (Noel Fisher) let Vernon Fenwick (Will […]

High-Rise (01/06/2016)

A new resident of a high-rise tower finds himself in the middle of battle between the classes in High-Rise. Dr. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston) is a physiologist, who has just moved into the 25th floor of a state of the art forty story London high-rise tower designed by architect Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons), who lives in the […]

Blindspot 2016: Classic Horror: King Kong (31/05/2016)

There’s a slight change of plans with this month’s blindspot selection, with me opting to jump ahead and watch Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack’s King Kong, instead of my originally scheduled pick of The Mummy. It’s a bit of a stretch to lump King Kong in with my theme of classic horror, with the film […]

X-Men: Apocalypse (29/05/2016)

The X-Men face their greatest foe in X-Men: Apocalypse. En Sabah Nur (Oscar Isaac) is the world’s first mutant, who was worshiped as a god in ancient Egypt, before he was betrayed and entombed for thousands of years. Upon awakening in 1983, En Sabah Nur decides to destroy the world and remake it in his own image. […]

My Millennial Life (27/05/2016)

The challenges faced in the lives of five 20-somethings are documented in My Millennial Life. Millennials are considered to be one of the most educated generations. However, at the same time these individuals face great difficulty finding full-time employment and a quality of life on the same level of their parents. Hope, Tim, Emily, James, […]

Hevn (Revenge) (27/05/2016)

A woman seeks vengeance against the man who molested her sister in Hevn (Revenge). Rebekka (Siren Jørgensen) arrives at an isolated hotel situated in the fjords of Western Norway. Posing as a travel reporter named Andrea, Rebekka states that she wants to interview the hotel’s manager Morten (Frode Winther) for an upcoming article. However, Rebekka has […]

The Nice Guys (24/05/2016)

A private investigator and enforcer reluctantly team up to locate a missing woman in The Nice Guys. Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a private investigator in 1977 Los Angeles, who is currently looking for a missing girl named Amelia Kutner (Margaret Qualley). However, Amelia doesn’t want to be found and hires Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) to tell […]

Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (11/05/2016)

Filmmaker Joe Berlinger documents one of Tony Robbins’ six day self-improvement seminars in Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru. Tony Robbins is one of the world’s top motivation speakers, with him having provided self-improvement advise in books and seminars for over three decades. For the first time ever, cameras are allowed inside Robbins’ annual […]

Another Country (11/05/2016)

Actor David Gulpilil talks about the treatment of Australia’s indigenous population in Another Country. Ramingining is an isolated indigenous community 500 kilometres east of Darwin, Australia. The area was once the centre of Yolngu culture, where the people lived a self-sufficient lifestyle in the bush. However, the Australian government came in and built the community, forcing the Yolngu to […]

Cheer Up (11/05/2016)

The worst cheerleading team in Finland is inspired to improve themselves in Cheer Up. The Arctic Circle Spirit Ice Queens are a Finnish cheerleading squad, who almost always place last in their competitions. Desperate for improvement, coach Miia travels to Dallas to receive tips from the world champions. However, it turns out the cheerleaders on […]

Suited (11/05/2016)

A tailoring company specializes in suits for gender-nonconforming and transgender clients in Suited. Bindle & Keep is a tailoring company in Brooklyn run by Daniel Friedman and Rae Tutera, which specializes in making suits for transgender or gender non-conforming clients, who might not be comfortable with getting suits from a conventional tailor. The story of a number of these […]

The Age of Consequences (11/05/2016)

Climate change is just one part of a complex web of consequences in The Age of Consequences. Climate change has an impact on every aspect of life, including some ways that we do not expect. Award-winning filmmaker Jared P. Scott breaks down how climate change has contributed to an increase of conflict, poverty, and migration, which […]

Spaceship Earth (11/05/2016)

Metaphor is used to break down humanity’s impact on the planet in Spaceship Earth. There is a quote by Marshall McLuhan stating that there are no passengers on the metaphorical Spaceship Earth, only crew. The many parts of this concept of Earth as a spaceship are broken down to describe the effect humanity has one the […]

Green Room (11/05/2016)

A punk band finds themselves trapped in a club run by neo-Nazis in Green Room. Pat (Anton Yelchin), Sam (Alia Shawkat), Reece (Joe Cole), and Tiger (Callum Turner) are members of punk band, who find themselves strapped for cash after a not-so-great gig. To make up for the bad booking, local radio host Tad sets up […]

The Happy Film (10/05/2016)

Graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister explores his own happiness in The Happy Film. For his latest graphic design project, Stefan Sagmeister has decided to find out what is the best path towards happiness. Sagmeister sets off to try meditation, therapy, and meditation for three months each and record the results of each trial. There is a title […]

Thank You Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon (10/05/2016)

An improv troupe puts an an annual comedy event in honour of their mentor in Thank You Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon. When he died in 1999, Del Close was a mostly unknown figure in comedy, even though he influenced and mentored multiple comedy superstars, such as Bill Murray, Amy Poehler, Robin Williams, Tina […]

Fraud (10/05/2016)

Footage found on the internet tells a frightening story in Fraud. Filmmaker Dean Fleischer-Camp found over 100 hours of footage on YouTube of a man and his family. The footage was edited together to tell a story with some surprising twists an turns. The best way to describe Fraud is that it is a found footage […]

Angry Inuk (10/05/2016)

The Inuit community fight back against anti-sealing campaigns endangering their way of life in Angry Inuk. Hunting for seals is a necessary part of Inuit life in the Canadian arctic, both for food and income. However, animal rights organizations have been campaigning for decades against the commercial seal skin industry, without realizing that reducing the […]

Gary Numan: Android in La La Land (08/05/2016)

Musician Gary Numan prepares to make a comeback after a six year hiatus in Gary Numan: Androd in La La Land. Since arriving on the music scene in the late-1970s Gary Numan has come to be known as the Godfather of electronic pop music, with him having a career spanning nearly four decades. After taking […]

Ants on a Shrimp (08/05/2016)

An acclaimed chef and his team rushes to open a new restaurant in Japan in Ants on a Shrimp. Celebrity chef René Redzepi has won countless awards for his Copenhagen restaurant Noma. In 2015, Redzepi temporary closes Noma and relocates his team to Tokyo to open a new five-week pop up restaurant. With less than a month […]

LoveTrue (08/05/2016)

Reality and fantasy combine in the search for the meaning of true love in LoveTrue. Utilizing actors to portray their past and future selves, three individuals seek to demystify the fantasy of true love. Blake and Joel are two Alaskans trying to make their relationship work, despite Blake being a stripper and Joel suffering from osteogenesis […]

Obit (08/05/2016)

Follow a day in the life of the New York Times obituary department in Obit. It can be easy to assume that a career writing about the death of an individual can be a depressing job. However, in the obituary department of the New York Times, the focus is much more on life than death. […]

Captain America: Civil War (08/05/2016)

The Avengers find themselves divided in Captain America: Civil War. With the actions of The Avengers often ending in mass collateral damage, the United Nations decides to introduce an accord to keep these heroes’ actions in check. While Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr) is all in favour of the accord, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) doesn’t […]

The Rainbow Kid (06/05/2016)

A young man with Down Syndrome goes on a search for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in The Rainbow Kid. Eugene (Dylan Harman) is a 19 year old man with Down Syndrome, who is desperate to help out with his mother’s financial troubles. Taking inspiration from his favourite story, Eugene heads out […]

Beware the Slenderman (06/05/2016)

A horrible crime is influenced an online urban legend in Beware the Slenderman. On May 31, 2014, two 12 year old girls stabbed their friend in the woods near Waukesha, Wisconsin. When questioned about their motives for the crime, the girls say that they were trying to please the Slenderman, a faceless boogeyman, who is […]

Mattress Men (06/05/2016)

The relationship between a Dublin mattress salesman and his dedicated marketing guru is explored in Mattress Men. Michael Flynn is a mattress salesman in Dublin, who has appeared in a number of marketing videos under the persona of Mattress Mick. These videos are the brainchild of Mick’s part time employee Paul Kelly, who is desperately in […]

Southwest of Salem (05/05/2016)

The story of the San Antonio Four is told in Southwest of Salem. Elizabeth Ramirez, Cassandra Rivera, Kristie Mayhugh, and Anna Vasquez are four lesbian women from San Antonio, who were convicted of molesting Elizabeth’s two young nieces and given sentences ranging from 15 years to 37.5. However, it becomes obvious that the case was […]

Fear Itself (05/05/2016)

The relationship between horror films and the human desire for fear is explored in Fear Itself. An anonymous female narrator speaks about watching horror films night after night, while recovering from an accident. As clips play from a wide variety of films from the genre, ranging from familiar classics to obscure foreign titles, the narrator […]

Life, Animated (04/05/2016)

The story of a man with autism who learned to communicate through Disney films is told in Life, Animated. At the age of three, Owen Suskind lost the ability to communicate, with his parents finding out that he has a pervasive developmental disorder caused by autism. Owen’s family feared that he would never speak again, […]

Do Not Resist (04/05/2016)

The increased militarization of the police is observed in Do Not Resist. In the quest to fight a perceived violent threat following 9/11, police forces are trained in military tactics and are given grants for military-grade vehicles. However, these militarized police often end up using their new violent methods to combat low-threat drug busts, often […]

Spirit Unforgettable (03/05/2016)

Spirit of the West singer John Mann’s battle with early on-set Alzheimer’s is documented in Spirit Unforgettable. Vancouver Celtic rock band Spirit of the West formed in 1983 and are probably best known for their hit “Home for a Rest.” At the very young age of 52, John Mann discovers that he has Alzheimer’s, which […]

Nuts! (03/05/2016)

Animated reenactments are used to tell the mostly true story of an eccentric genius in Nuts! In 1917, Dr. John Romulus Brinkley discovered that he can cure impotence through a very unconventional method – the transplant of goat testicles. This begins a very eccentric and bizarre story, which sees Brinkley get in fights against the American Medical […]

How to Build a Time Machine (03/05/2016)

Two men dream of building a time machine in How to Build a Time Machine. It was in 1895 when H.G. Wells wrote his novel The Time Machine, which inspired many on the possibilities of time travel. Having gone to see the 1960 film adaptation of The Time Machine as a kid, filmmaker and animator Rob […]

My Scientology Movie (02/05/2016)

BBC journalist Louis Theroux sets out to make a film about Scientology in My Scientology Movie. The Church of Scientology is probably one of the most controversial organizations in the world. Combining spirituality and technology, Scientology is most well-known for the number of celebrities among its membership, most infamously Tom Cruise. Louis Theroux and director John Dowler […]

Magicians: Life in the Impossible (01/05/2016)

The passion of those who dedicated themselves to a career in magic is explored in Magicians: Life in the Impossible. For many people, it can be hard to comprehend a career in magic as a way to make a living. However, there are a number of individuals who are prepared to make enormous sacrifices in […]

DocX (30/04/2016)

Returning to Hot Docs this year is DocX, which consists of a variety of interactive installations, and virtual reality and 360° video experiences. I ventured into the upper floor of Hot Docs House (610 Markham Street) and tried out a number of this year’s DocX experiences. Cardboard Crash (Canada) Presented by the NFB, this Virtual Reality experience […]

Operation Avalanche (30/04/2016)

CIA agents conspire to fake the moon landing in Operation Avalanche. Matt Johnson and Owen Williams are two 1960s-era CIA agents, who are assigned to infiltrate NASA under the guise of a documentary crew, with the objective to find a Russian mole within the agency. When Matt listens into a phone call by director James Webb, […]

Off the Rails (30/04/2016)

A man with Asperger’s Syndrome spent more than 30 years impersonating train conductors in Off the Rails. Since childhood, Darius McCollum has loved trains. Trains were a place where he could find solace from the bullying he experienced in school. He befriended the subway operators in New York City and at the age of 15 he […]

Bobby Sands: 66 Days (30/04/2016)

The hunger strike of Irish Republican Bobby Sands is recounted in Bobby Sands: 66 Days. By 1981, the troubles in Northern Ireland have been going on for more than two decades. Imprisoned IRA members, such as Bobby Sands, demanded to be considered political prisoners, rather than common criminals. Inspired by ancient Gaelic laws, Sands and […]

Under the Gun (30/04/2016)

American gun culture is dissected in Under the Gun. In the aftermath of mass shootings, such as the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, there is a push for more strict gun control laws in the United States. However, guns rights lobbiests fight against such rulings, since it is their constitutional right to bear arms and they […]

Chasing Asylum (29/04/2016)

The mistreatment of refugees seeking asylum in Australia is revealed in Chasing Asylum. Australia has some of the harshest asylum policies in the world, with the country being ranked 67th in refugee intake. With politicians in the country determined to stop “illegal asylum seekers” from arriving to Australia via boat, those seeking asylum are sent […]

Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World (29/04/2016)

Werner Herzog examines our increasingly technology dependent world in Lo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World. It is hard to remember a world without the Internet. First created at UCLA in 1969 as a means of connecting with distant computers, the Internet has become ingrained into every aspect of human society. Despite the many […]

Wizard Mode (29/04/2016)

An autistic man strives to be a pinball champion in Wizard Mode. Robert Gagno is one of the world’s best pinball players, who dreams of one day being the best in the world. Robert also happens to be a man on the autistic spectrum, which results in many challenges in his life, such as finding employment […]

O.J.: Made in America (29/04/2016)

The rise and fall of O.J. Simpson is told in the five part documentary O.J.: Made in America. Football player Orenthal James Simpson rose to super-stardom in the 1970s, as the star running back for the Buffalo Bills. “The Juice” would later parlay his fame to other aspects of pop culture, such as becoming the […]

The Slippers (29/04/2016)

The cultural impact of the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz is explored in The Slippers. While gathering items for MGM’s famed 1970 auction, costumer Kent Warner discovered the original ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz, which sold at the action for $15,000 and was later donated to the Smithsonian Museum. However, the story doesn’t […]

Unlocking the Cage (28/04/2016)

A lawyer fights for the rights of autonomous animals in Unlocking the Cage. Animal rights lawyer Steven Wise has committed his career to ensuring that animals receive the same level of rights as humans, focusing on intelligent animals, such as apes, elephants, and dolphins. Teaming with the Nonhuman Rights Project, Wise and his team file habeas […]

Contemporary Color (28/04/2016)

David Byrne presents a performance combining colour guard routines and live music in Contemporary Color. Ten high school teams from across North American have been gathered together to perform their color guard dance routines, which utilize timed rifle tosses and flag spins. The routines are accompanied by live performances my various recording artists, including St. Vincent, Nelly […]

Tower (27/04/2016)

The United State’s first mass school shooting is recounted in Tower. On August 1, 1966, a lone sniper climb atop the tower at the University of Texas and began to unleash a violent assault. Through the eyes of many of those present, the events of these terrible day are recreated through rotoscoped reenactments. Tower is a […]

After Circus (27/04/2016)

Go behind the scenes at a retirement community for circus performers in After Circus. Sarasota, Florida is considered the circus capital of the world and is home to many retired and semi-retired performers, including trapeze artist Dolly Jacobs, horse trailer Caroline Williams, and crown Jackie LeClair. Despite their advancing age, many of these individuals still […]

The Apology (27/04/2016)

A group of women demand to be apologized for being forced into sexual slavery in The Apology. During World War II, over 200,000 women across Asia were forcibly made “comfort women” by the Japanese Imperial Army, many of whom were only in their teens at the time. More than 70 years later, the surviving comfort […]

God Knows Where I Am (27/04/2016)

The final months of a missing woman with mental illness are told through her diaries in God Knows Where I Am. In May 2008, the body of a woman was discovered in an abandoned New Hampshire farmhouse. Through diaries discovered on the scene, the woman was identified as Linda Bishop, who had a history of […]

Weiner (26/04/2016)

A disgraced former congressman attempts to resurrect his political career in Weiner. Anthony Weiner was a seven-time congressman, who was forced to resign following a scandal involving him texting risque pictures to women. Two years later, Weiner tries to move on and run for mayor of New York City. Despite an early lead in the polls, […]

Credit for Murder (26/04/2016)

Two men try to find those responsible for a hate crime in Credit for Murder. In 2007, a video of two immigrant men being murdered by Neo-Nazis surfaces online, becoming Russia’s most infamous unsolved hate crime. Determined to find out who is responsible for this horrible act, Israeli filmmaker Vladi Antonevicz goes undercover and infiltrates Russia’s […]

KONELĪNE: our land beautiful (26/04/2016)

The Tahltan First Nation protests against mining on their land in KONELĪNE: our land beautiful. The Tahltan territory of northwestern British Columbia is known to them as “koneline” or “our land beautiful.” However, the land is an area know as the “Golden Triangle” to miners, due to the area’s rich gold and calcium deposits. With mines moving […]

Sonita (26/04/2016)

An Afghan refugee dreams of rap career in Sonita. Sonita Alidazeh is an 18 year Afghan living in Iran, who dreams of entering into a music career. However, it is indecent for women to sing in her culture and Sontia’s family have other plans for her; that being returning her to Afghanistan and selling her into […]

De Palma (25/04/2016)

Brian De Palma talks about his career in De Palma. Brian De Palma first got interested in filmmaking while he was studying Physics at Columbia University during the 1960s. De Palma was heavily influenced by the films of Alfred Hitchcock, particularly Vertigo, and even hired Bernard Herrmann to score his early films, including as 1973’s Sisters. […]

League of Exotique Dancers (25/04/2016)

The legends of burlesque tell their story in League of Exotique Dancers. The various pioneers and legends of burlesque, such as Delilah Jones, Lovey Goldmine, Judith Stein, and Camille 2000, are invited to perform at the Legends of Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. These performers tell their story about working in an era when there were very […]

Tickled (25/04/2016)

A journalist investigates a competitive tickling league in Tickled. David Farrier is a pop culture journalist in New Zealand, who likes to focus on the weird and bizarre. One day he comes across a video for “Competitive Endurance Tickling” and decides to investigate this apparent tickling league. What he discovers is way bigger than he has […]

Brothers (25/04/2016)

The childhood of two siblings are documented by their filmmaker mother in Brothers. Aslaug Holm has been filming the lives of her sons Marcus and Lukas since birth. Events such as Lukas’ first day at school and Marcus’ soccer aspirations are captured over the course of around eight years. As the boys progressively get older, Holm […]

Sing Street (22/04/2016)

From writer/director John Carney (Once) comes this coming of age story set within the new wave/new romantic era of the mid-1980s. Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) is a 15-year old teenager living in 1985 Dublin. When his family sends him to the Synge Street Christian Brothers School, Conor immediately finds himself targeted by bullies and the strict headmaster. […]

Hardcore Henry (11/04/2016)

A bio-engineered man rushes to save his wife in the first-person action film Hardcore Henry. Henry wakes up on a table and is greeted by a female doctor, who claims to be his wife Estelle (Haley Bennett). Henry has been brought back to life with cybernetic implants, funded by the telekinetic madman Akan (Danila Kozlovsky). Estelle is […]

Chi-Raq (02/04/2016)

A young woman fights for peace among the street gangs of Chicago in Chi-Raq. In the south side of Chicago, a violent gang war is in progress between the Spartans lead by Demetrius “Chi-raq” Dupree (Nick Cannon) and the Trojans lead by Sean “Cyclops” Andrews (Wesley Snipes), with tensions reaching their peak when the 11 year old […]

Chasing Valentine (02/04/2016)

A depressed man strikes up an unlikely connection with a call girl in Chasing Valentine. Following the tragic loss of the love of his life, Chase (Adam Langton) spends much of his time home alone, editing adult videos for his friend Brad (Brad Cowan). However, one night at a bar, Chase meets Valentine (Gwenlyn Cumyn), […]

20 Moves (02/04/2016)

The story behind Rubik’s Cube is told in 20 Moves. Invented by Hungarian Erno Rubik and originally intended as a teaching tool, the puzzle that would become known as Rubik’s Cube was discovered at a German toy fair by holocaust survivor Tom Kremer. Sold by the Ideal Toy Company, the incredibly difficult three dimensional puzzle became a huge […]

The Sabbatical (31/03/2016)

A photography professor on his year off strikes up an unlikely friendship with a much younger art student in The Sabbatical. James Pittman (James Whittingham) is a professor at the University of Regina, who is using his one year sabbatical to attempt to put together a new photography book, even though he has trouble finding inspiration. […]

Jackie Boy (31/03/2016)

A self-destructive womanizer beings to change his ways in Jackie Boy. Jack (Alino Giraldi) is a man in a small town, who regularly indulges himself in drinking, drugs, and one night stands. However, when he meets Jasmine (Shannon Coulter), Jack is inspired to turn a new leaf and distance himself from his equally self-destructive friend […]

Borealis (30/03/2016)

A gambling addict goes on the lam with his teenage daughter in Borealis. Jonah (Jonas Chernick) is a Winnipeg man, who owes a nearly $100,000 poker debt to Jewish mafia accountant Tubby Finkelman (Kevin Pollak). Around the same time, Jonah finds out that his teenage daughter Aurora’s (Joey King) eyesight is deteriorating to the point […]

Dead Rush (30/03/2016)

A zombie apocalypse is shown from one man’s point of view in Dead Rush. A viral outbreak has broken out and soon leads to a full out zombie apocalypse. The events before, during, and after the outbreak and shown through the eyes of David (David Michael Moote), who finds himself shacked out with a group […]

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (27/03/2016)

The Dark Knight holds a vengeful vendetta against the Man of Steel in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Two years have past since the world was introduced to Superman (Henry Cavill). Despite being hailed as a savior by many, there are some concerned with the collateral damage he frequently leaves behind. One of those […]

Blindspot 2016: Classic Horror: Dracula (23/03/2016)

This month I move away from silent horror and into the heyday of Universal Studio’s monster films, as I watched 1931’s Dracula. Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) is an ancient vampire from Transylvania, who travels to England with his lunatic slave Renfield (Dwight Frye) and moves into Carfax Abbey in London. The Abbey is next door to […]

Knight of Cups (20/03/2016)

A writer searches for love and self in Los Angeles and Las Vegas in Knight of Cups. Rick (Christian Bale) is a screenwriter, who feels an emptiness in his life and has a rough relationships with his brother Barry (Wes Bentley) and father Joseph (Brian Dennehy). Rick has encounters with various women, including ex-wife Nancy (Cate Blanchett) […]

Stinking Heaven (15/03/2016)

A sober living commune slowly begins to fall apart in Stinking Heaven. Jim (Keith Poulson) and Lucy (Deragh Campbell) have opened up their Passaic, N.J. home to those recovering from substance abuse. The occupants include Kevin (Henri Douvry), who just married fellow occupant Betty (Eleonore Hendricks), and Kevin’s teenage daughter Courtney (Tallie Medel). When new arrival arrival Ann (Hannah […]

10 Cloverfield Lane (12/03/2016)

A woman finds herself trapped in a fallout shelter with an intense man in 10 Cloverfield Lane. After getting into a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up in an underground bunker built by Howard (John Goodman), who claims that there has been an attack and that everyone in the outside world is dead. […]

King Georges (03/03/2016)

One of the greatest French chefs tries to prevent his restaurant from becoming obsolete in King Georges. Georges Perrier is a world renowned French chef, who has run his restaurant Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia for forty years. Georges hires young new protégé Chef Nicholas Elmi to revitalize the restaurant, but finds it difficult to relinquish control. In […]

Zoolander 2 (28/02/2016)

Derek Zoolander and Hansel return for more adventures in the world of male modelling in Zoolander 2. After a tragic accident, Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) and Hansel (Owen Wilson) have entered into separate lives of seclusion. They resurface to be part of a fashion show in Rome put on by Alexanya Atoz (Kristen Wiig), with Zoolander hoping to […]

Cartel Land (26/02/2016)

Vigilantes on both sides of the US/Mexico border fight back against cartel activity in Cartel Land. Activity and violence by Mexican drug cartels are at an all time high, with the cartels responsible for much of the drug smuggling and human trafficking into the United States. With the governments on both sides of the border […]

The Witch (19/02/2016)

A family  in 1630s New England is torn apart by suspected witchcraft in The Witch. William (Ralph Ineson) and Katherine (Kate Dickie) live a devout Christian life with their five children on an isolated farm surrounded by woods. Beginning with the sudden disappearance of their newborn son, the family begins to experience an unexplained string of […]

Deadpool (15/02/2016)

The “merc with a mouth” receives the big screen treatment in Deadpool. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a wise cracking mercenary, who finds love with the beautiful prostitute Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). However, Wade finds out that he has late-stage cancer, which results in him enrolling in a program headed by Ajax (Ed Skrein), who ends […]

Nina Forever (12/02/2016)

A young woman enters into a love triangle with the ghost of her new beau’s dead girlfriend in Nina Forever. Holly (Abigail Hardingham) is a paramedical student and supermarket worker, who decides to pursue a relationship with her co-worker Rob (Cian Barry), despite the emotional baggage of the fact that he is still grieving over his […]

Hail, Caesar! (08/02/2016)

The Coen Brothers play homage to classic Hollywood in the kidnapping comedy Hail, Caesar!. Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) is the head of production at Capital Pictures, who is supervising the production of multiple motion pictures, the highest profile of which being the biblical epic Hail, Caesar! A Story of The Christ. When the film’s star Baird Whitlock […]

The Fear of 13 (04/02/2016)

A death row prisoner tells his story in The Fear of 13. After spending 23 years on death row, convicted murderer Nick Yarris decides to drop all appeals and ask to be executed. Through one highly performative monologue, Yarris tells his story and why he ultimately reached this final decision. From British documentary filmmaker David Sington comes […]

45 Years (30/01/2016)

A woman rethinks her relationship with her husband in 45 Years. Kate and Geoff Mercer (Charlotte Rampling and  Tom Courtenay) are a couple a few days away from their 45th wedding anniversary. Geoff receives the news from that the body of his ex-girlfriend Katya has been found in the Swiss Alps, more than fifty years after her […]

JeruZalem (29/01/2016)

A group of American tourists are trapped in the city of Jerusalem during the start of the apocalypse in JeruZalem. Sarah (Danielle Jadelyn) travels with her friend Rachel (Yael Grobglas) to go for a vacation in Tel Aviv. On the way, they come across young anthropologist Kevin (Yon Tumarkin), who invites the two to join him in Jerusalem. […]

Anomalisa (28/01/2016)

A lonely self-help author finds a connection with an anomaly of a woman in Anomalisa. Self help author Michael Stone (David Thewlis) has traveled to Cincinnati, Ohio to promote his latest book at a hotel customer service convention. However, Michael is an incredibly lonely man, who perceives everyone (Tom Noonan) as exactly the same. However, […]

Bridge of Spies (28/01/2016)

An American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in Bridge of Spies. At the height of the Cold War, a man named Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is arrested on the charge of spying for the Russians. Even though it’s pretty obvious that Abel is guilty, insurance lawyer James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) is recruited […]

Brooklyn (20/01/2016)

A young Irish immigrant adjusts to like in America in Brooklyn. Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) is a young woman from a small Irish town, who is arranged by her older sister to go to the US for a better future, with priest and sponsor Father Flood (Jim Broadbent) arranging for Eilis’ accommodation and employment. Eilis is initially incredibly […]

Carol (20/01/2016)

A young aspiring photographer has an affair with an older woman in Carol. Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) is an aspiring photographer in her twenties working in a department store. One day she meets Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett), a middle-aged housewife, who is in the beginnings of a bitter divorce with her husband Harge (Kyle Chandler). Therese and […]

Closet Monster (17/01/2016)

A closeted homosexual teenager struggles with his identity and relationship with his father in Closet Monster. Oscar Madly (Connor Jessup) is an aspiring make-up artist living alone with his overbearing father (Aaron Abrams). After witnessing a brutal hate crime as a kid, Oscar fears the repercussions of people finding out he is homosexual, even though he begins […]

Sleeping Giant (16/01/2016)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of TIFF15 A trio of teenage boys come of age one summer in an Ontario cottage community in Sleeping Giant. Adam (Jackson Martin) is a 15 year old boy spending his summer in a sleepy cottage community. Adam is friends with Riley (Reece Moffett), though he also has […]

Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr (15/01/2016)

A Canadian Muslim man arrested for terrorism is freed after spending half his life behind bars in Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr. At the age of only 15 years old, Canadian-born Omar Khadr was captured by American forces and sent to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, where he was subjected to torture and interrogations. With his family known […]

The Forbidden Room (15/01/2016)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of TIFF15 Guy Maddin and co-director Evan Johnson embark on a surreal cinematic journey in The Forbidden Room. A series of interconnected narratives tells stories inspired by forgotten genres from cinema’s past. Over the course of this increasingly weird and surreal journey, a number of familiar faces […]

The Revenant (12/01/2016)

An injured frontiersman left for dead seeks revenge on the man who killed his son in The Revenant. Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is an experienced hunter and part of a group of fur trappers lead by Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson). Glass is critically injured in a bear attack and Henry instructs John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), Bridger (Will Poulter), and […]

Into the Forest (12/01/2016)

Two sisters try to cope on their own after an apocalyptic event in Into the Forest. Nell (Ellen Page) and Eva (Evan Rachel Wood) are two sisters who live in an isolated house by a forest with their father Robert (Callum Keith Rennie). Suddenly one evening, the power unexpectedly goes out, with reports saying that […]

The Big Short (07/01/2016)

A group of financial experts predict the 2008 financial crisis and try to profit off of the collapse of the housing bubble in The Big Short. In 2005, hedge fund manager Michael Burry (Christian Bale) discovers US housing markets is extremely unstable and decides to profit on the inevitable collapse by betting against the housing market […]

The Hateful Eight (30/12/2015)

Note: This review is for the 187 minute 70mm roadshow cut of the film Quentin Tarantino returns with the snowbound Western The Hateful Eight. Stuck in a blizzard, bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) hitches a ride with “The Hangman” John Ruth (Kurt Russell), who is heading into the town of Red Rock to deliver […]

Trumbo (23/12/2015)

A blacklisted screenwriter fights back in Trumbo. Dalton Trumbo (Bryan Cranston) was one of the most elite screenwriters in Hollywood. However, during the Cold War, Trumbo is called out by gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (Helen Mirren) for his membership to the Communist Party, which results in him being blacklisted from Hollywood. Unable to write films under […]

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (19/12/2015)

Warning: Those wanting to avoid specific plot details are best advised NOT to proceed further. The Star Wars saga continues with Episode VII The Force Awakens. It has been 30 years since the defeat of the Galactic Empire. Out of its ashes arisen the First Order headed by Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), who commands dark Force user Kylo Ren […]

Legend (17/12/2015)

Tom Hardy stars as the infamous London gangsters The Krays in Legend. Reggie and Ronnie Kray (Hardy) are twin gangsters in London during the 1960s. Reggie, the more level-headed of the two, fronts his criminal enterprises as the head of a nightclub, white Ronnie is a mentally unstable violent psychotic. All the while, the actions […]

Spotlight (09/12/2015)

An investigative team at the Boston Globe uncovers a cover-up surrounding child molestation within the Catholic Church in Spotlight. Spotlight is an investigative section of the Boston Globe headed up by Walter ‘Robby’ Robinson (Michael Keaton) and his team of Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams), and Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James). The Globe’s new editor-in-chief Marty Baron (Liev […]

Creed (09/12/2015)

The son of Apollo Creed seeks out Rocky Balboa as his trainer in Creed. Adonis Johnson (Michael B. Jordan) is the illegitimate son of late boxer Apollo Creed, who had a very troubled life, before being taken in by Creed’s widow Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad). Adonis decides to follow his father’s footsteps into boxing, but wants […]

Krampus (09/12/2015)

A family is tormented by the dark shadow of St. Nicolas in Krampus. Tom (Adam Scott) and Sarah (Toni Collette) have to put up with another stressful Christmas with relatives Howard (David Koechner), Linda (Allison Tolman) and Aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell). The family bickering is enough for Tom and Sarah’s son Max (Emjay Anthony) to give up […]

The Dark Stranger – Blood in the Snow 2015 (29/11/2015)

A depressed artist is tormented by a vengeful spirit in The Dark Stranger. Since the tragic death of her mother, Leah Garrison (Katie Findlay) has been suffering from severe depression and agoraphobia, with her father Brendan (Enrico Colantoni) encouraging Leah to start drawing again. One day, Leah mysteriously gains the inspiration to draw a graphic novel inspired […]

Farhope Tower – Blood in the Snow 2015 (24/11/2015)

A team of ghost hunters investigate an abandoned skyscraper in Farhope Tower. The Unspecters are a group of paranormal investigators hoping to get their reality show picked up by a network. Desperate for a next level experience, team leader Jake (John White) suggests that the Unspectors head to Farhope Tower, a long-abandoned skyscraper notorious for […]

Bite – Blood in the Snow 2015 (23/11/2015)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Fantasia Fest 2015 A young women undergoes a horrifying transformation in the body horror film Bite.  Shortly before her wedding to her fiance Jared (Jordan Gray), Casey (Elma Begovic) goes on a bachelorette holiday to Costa Rica with her friends Jill (Annette Wozniak) and Kirsten (Denise Yuen). […]

Room (22/11/2015)

A young boy and his mother adjust to life outside the confined quarters where they lived in Room. Jack (Jacob Tremblay) is a five year old boy, who has only known existence in “room,” where he lived with his mother Joy (Brie Larson). Joy has tried her best to shelter Jack from the truth of […]

The Trick with the Gun (20/11/2015)

A Toronto-based magician prepares to perform the dangerous bullet catch trick in The Trick with The Gun. Scott Hammell is a young magician from Toronto, who has broken four Guinness World Records with high-risk stunts, while also being a motivational speaker for youth. Hammell is approached by Victoria-based writer Christopher Gudgeon to do a TV special with […]

Drone (20/11/2015)

The controversy surrounding US drone strikes is explored in Drone.  Shortly after the attacks of 9/11, the CIA announced to George W. Bush that they had the capability to arm drones.  Drone strikes went on to become the defining weapon of the War on Terror, with the main selling point by politicians being that these strikes […]

Mavis! (13/11/2015)

The story of legendary gospel singer Mavis Staples is told in the biographical documentary Mavis!.  Mavis Staples began as the lead singer of the Staples Singers, founded in 1948 by her father Roebuck “Pops” Staples.  The band had success in the gospel community for about two decades, before they founds success in other genres, including folk, […]

The Peanuts Movie (11/11/2015)

The classic characters created by Charles M. Schulz head to the big screen in The Peanuts Movie. Charlie Brown is an awkward boy, whose most trusted companion is his beagle Snoopy. Together they hang out with Charlie’s friends Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Franklin, Pig-Pen, and Charlie’s sister Sally. When a Little Red-Haired Girl moves […]

Theeb (11/11/2015)

A young Bedouin boy experiences a greatly hastened coming of age as he embarks on a perilous desert journey in Theeb. Theeb (Jacir Eid Al-Hwietat) is the youngest of three brothers living in a Bedouin tribe in the harsh desert environment of the Ottoman Empire’s Hejaz Province in 1916. When a British officer (Jack Fox) comes across […]

Spectre (07/11/2015)

Agent 007 faces his greatest adversary in Spectre. Going against orders from MI6, James Bond (Daniel Craig) tracks down a criminal organization, whose members wear rings with the insignia of an octopus. Bond finds that this organization, known as SPECTRE, is lead by Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), a presumed dead man from Bond’s past. Bond tracks […]

Steve Jobs (02/11/2015)

The story of Apple’s co-founder is told through behind-the-scenes interactions before three production launches in Steve Jobs. Under the backdrop of the launches for the Macintosh in 1984, NeXT Computer in 1988, and iMac in 1988, Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) has repeated behind-the-scenes interactions with various individuals. Thiss includes stressed out marketing executive Joanna Hoffman […]

Blindspot 2015: 40 Years of TIFF: Brain Damage (27/10/2015)

With it being October, I decided that I would take a break from watching winner’s of the TIFF People’s Choice Award and watch the film from the popular Midnight Madness programme. Specifically, I decided to watch a film from the very first Midnight Madness in 1988, which would the horror-comedy Brain Damage. A young man named […]

Crimson Peak (26/10/2015)

A young woman who sees ghosts becomes enamoured with a mysterious aristocrat in Crimson Peak. Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska) is an aspiring author, who has seen ghosts since she was a child, particularly the spirit of her dead mother, who warns Edith to “Beware of Crimson Peak.” Edith meets Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his […]

Love & Peace – Toronto After Dark 2015 (23/10/2015)

Sion Sono presents a musical love story between a man and his pet turtle in Love & Peace. Ryoichi Suzuki (Hiroki Hasegawa) is a timid 33 year old office worker, who dreams of being a famous rock star, while also pining for his co-worker Yuko (Kumiko Aso). Ryoichi buys a pet turtle named Pikadon, to whom he shares […]

Deathgasm – Toronto After Dark 2015 (23/10/2015)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Fantasia Fest 2015 A heavy metal band accidentally summons a hoard of demons in the horror-comedy Deathgasm.  Brodie (Milo Cawthorne) is a metalhead, who is forced to live with his ultra-religious uncle Albert (Colin Moy) and bully of a cousin David (Colin Moy).  After befriending Zakk […]

The Hexecutioners – Toronto After Dark 2015 (22/10/2015)

A young woman learns the challenges of her new job of death dealing in The Hexecutioners. Three years ago, proposition 117 passed making assisted suicides legal. Malison McCourt (Liv Collins) is a rookie death dealer, whose job is to perform euthanasia for paying clients, by any means required. Unsure about the moral ramifications of this job, […]

Tag – Toronto After Dark 2015 (22/10/2015)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Fantasia Fest 2015 A young woman finds herself caught in the middle of multiple deadly situations in Tag. One day, Mitsuko (Reina Triendl) is riding the school bus on the way to a school trip. Suddenly, a killer gust of wind cuts everyone except Mitsuko in half. […]

Night of the Living Deb – Toronto After Dark 2015 (18/10/2015)

A ditsy wannabe reporter meets the man of her dreams right before a zombie apocalypse in Night of the Living Deb. Deb Clarington (Maria Thayer) is a very awkward news camera operator in the town of Portland, Maine. On the eve of the Fourth of July, Deb meets Chaz Waverly (Chris Marquette), the apparent man of her […]

The Hallow – Toronto After Dark 2015 (16/10/2015)

A couple try to protect their child from malevolent fairy folk in the woods in The Hallow. British conservationist Adam Hitchens (Joseph Mawle) and his wife Claire (Bojana Novakovic) and baby son Finn have traveled from London to a small Irish town to mark down trees in a local forest for removal. This upsets the townsfolk, particularly […]

Meet the Patels (16/10/2015)

While growing up as a first-generation Indian-American, Ravi Patel lived a double life.  At home he maintained a traditional Indian lifestyle, while in the outside world he lived as a modern American.  This included his only meaningful, yet secret, romantic relationship with a red-headed girl named Audrey.  Shamed about living this double life, Ravi breaks […]

Tales of Halloween – Toronto After Dark 2015 (15/10/2015)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Fantasia Fest 2015 Eleven filmmakers, including Axelle Carolyn (Soulmate), Darren Lynn Bousman (Repo! The Genetic Opera), Neil Marshall (The Descent), Lucky McKee (All Cheerleaders Die), and Mike Mendez (Big Ass Spider!), team together to tell ten terrifying stories set on one Halloween night. The people of a small sleepy […]

Queen of Earth (14/10/2015)

Two best friends drift apart while vacationing at a lakeside cabin in Alex Ross Perry’s Queen of Earth. Catherine (Elisabeth Moss) is a codependent young woman, who is taking the death of her father and recent break-up with her boyfriend James (Kentucker Audley) pretty hard. Catherine is invited to the cabin of her best friend Virginia (Katherine […]

The Final Girls (13/10/2015)

A group of friends find themselves trapped in a 1980s slasher film in The Final Girls. Max Cartwright (Taissa Farmiga) is a teenager still mourning the tragic death of her actress mother Amanda Cartwright (Malin Akerman). Max goes with her friends Chris (Alexander Ludwig), Gertie (Alia Shawkat), Vickie (Nina Dobrev), and Duncan (Thomas Middleditch) to a late […]

The Martian (07/10/2015)

An astronaut finds himself stranded on the surface of Mars in The Martian. Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is a botanist on the Ares III mission to Mars, lead by commander Melissa Lewis (Jessica Chastain). When a storm results in an emergency evacuation, Mark is hit with debris and presumed dead. However, it turns out that Mark survived […]

Finders Keepers (05/10/2015)

Two men feud over a severed leg in the stranger than fiction documentary Finders Keepers. John Wood lost his leg in an airplane crash, which claimed the life of his father. Wood decides to preserve his leg as a memorial to his father, but the leg ends up in a smoker in a storage unit and […]

Sicario (05/10/2015)

An FBI agent finds herself part of a morally ambiguous anti-drug task force in Sicario. Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) is an agent of the FBI Special Weapons and Tactics Team, who uncovers dozens of bodies in the walls of a house in Arizona. With this being the result of Mexican cartel activity, Kate volunteers to Department of […]

The Visit (30/09/2015)

M. Night Shyamalan directs this found-footage thriller about two kid’s visit to their grandparent house in The Visit. Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) travel to a small town in Pennsylvania to stay with their grandparents John (Peter McRobbie) and Doris (Deanna Dunagan), while their mother Paula (Kathryn Hahn) goes on a cruise with her new boyfriend. Becca […]

My Big Night (25/09/2015)

The taping of a New Year’s Eve special leads to insanity in My Big Night. As disgruntled ex-employees protest outside, an extravagant New Year’s Eve special has been filming at a television network for over a week, even though it’s only October. Throughout the course of this night, egos and insanity ensues, including the bickering celebrity […]

Der Nachtmahr (25/09/2015)

A heavy partying teenager is haunted by a repellent little creature in Der Nachtmahr. Tina (Carolyn Genzkow) is a seventeen year old girl in Berlin, who spends her nights going to raves with her friends. After one night of hard partying, Tina has found that a mysterious little creature has followed her home and that she […]

Southbound (25/09/2015)

From the makers of V/H/S comes this horror anthology set across a desert highway. As a radio DJ (Larry Fessenden) spouts out his words of wisdom, a number of individuals face horrifying terrors near an isolated town by the highway. This includes two blood-soaked men on the run from supernatural horrors, an all-girl band taken in […]

The Family Fang (25/09/2015)

Two siblings deal with their performance artist parents in The Family Fang. Annie and Buster Fang (Nicole Kidman and Jason Bateman) are two siblings, who are still trying to cope with their parents Caleb and Camille’s (Christopher Walken and Maryann Plunkett) infamous status as performance artists. When Caleb and Camille goes missing one night, Buster is worried about […]

Equals (25/09/2015)

Two individuals begin an forbidden romance in a world devoid of emotion in Equals. In a seemingly Utopian future society, human emotion has been genetically removed from individuals. Silas (Nicholas Hoult) is a drone-like office worker, who learns that he has been diagnosed with “Switched On Syndrome,” where he has begun regaining his lost emotions. When […]

Janis: Little Girl Blue (25/09/2015)

The life and career of Janis Joplin is told in the documentary Janis: Little Girl Blue. Janis Joplin was born in 1943 in the town of Port Arthur, Texas. Despite having some body image issues, it quite apparent that that the blues-loving Joplin had an excellent singing voice and she rose to fame as the lead […]

Mr. Right (24/09/2015)

A young woman falls for a hitman in Mr. Right. Martha (Anna Kendrick) is a woman coping with her latest break-up, when she meets a kind man named Francis (Sam Rockwell). Despite the fact that he somewhat creepily asks her out seconds after meeting, they immediately hit it off and they seem right for each other. […]

Len and Company (24/09/2015)

A reclusive music producer finds his seclusion disrupted by his son and a pop star in Len and Company. Len (Rhys Ifans) is a highly successful music producer, who has shut himself off from the world. He is visited by his son Max (Jack Kilmer), who has recently dropped out of college and has recorded a music […]

Demon (24/09/2015)

A groom gets possessed during his wedding day in Demon. Peter (Itay Tiran) is preparing to marry his fiance Zaneta (Agnieszka Zulewska) at her family’s country home in Poland. The night before the wedding, Peter finds skeletal remains on the property, after which he begins acting strangely during the wedding reception.  It quickly becomes apparent that […]

SPL 2: A Time for Consequences (24/09/2015)

An undercover cop and Thai prison guard fight to bring down a crime syndicate in SPL 2: A Time for Consequences. Kit (Wu Jing) is an undercover cop, who was assigned by his supervisor and uncle Wah (Simon Yam) to take down a crime syndicate run by Mr Hung (Louis Koo). Kit’s cover is blown and he is […]

I Smile Back (24/09/2015)

A housewife suffers from a self-destructive bout of depression in I Smile Back. Laney Brooks (Sarah Silverman) is a woman who lives with her husband Bruce (Josh Charles) and two young children. Despite appearing to be happy in public, Laney is suffering from a serious bout of depression, which is compounded by her doing cocaine in the […]

The Reflektor Tapes (23/09/2015)

The thoughts and inspirations behind Arcade Fire’s latest album is explored in The Reflektor Tapes. A mix and concert footage, behind-the-scenes footage, and voice-over interviews, the members of Arcade Fire, including the husband-wife leading duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, relate what the band was going for in the development of their latest album “Reflektor.” […]

Cooties (23/09/2015)

Prepubescent school children get turned into blood-thirsty zombies in the horror-comedy Cooties. Clint Hadson (Elijah Wood) is an aspiring novelist, who has recently returned to his hometown of Ft. Chicken, Illinois, where is gets a job to substitute at the local elementary school. It is there he is reunited with his old crush Lucy McCormick (Alison Pill), while […]

Office (21/09/2015)

From Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To (Drug War, Mad Detective) comes the workplace musical Office. In the midst of a global financial crisis, CEO Miss Chang (Sylvia Chang) prepares the IPO for her billion dollar company, with Chairman Ho Chung-ping (Chow Yun-fat) promising a wealth of shares. Meanwhile, young upstart Lee Xiang (Wang Ziyi) tries to make a name for […]

Love (21/09/2015)

Warning: The content described in this review is only suitable for people 18 years or older. Reader discretion is advised.Controversial filmmaker Gaspar Noé (Enter the Void) mixes romantic drama with explicit sex in Love. Murphy (Karl Glusman) is an American film student, who begins an extremely passionate relationship with Parisian artist Electra (Aomi Muyock). Featuring a […]

Yakuza Apocalypse (20/09/2015)

Takashi Miike gets foolish in the action-comedy Yakuza Apocalypse. When vampire Yakuza boss Kamiura (Lily Franky) is taken out by an unusual syndicate, his young protegé Kagayama (Hayato Ichihara) inherits his boss’ vampire powers. Creating a gang of vampire Yakuza out of the local citizens, Kagayama prepares to battle the evil syndicate, which includes a […]

Evolution (20/09/2015)

A young boy slowly realizes the true intentions of his guardians in Evolution. Nicolas (Max Brebant) is a ten year old boy living with his mother (Julie-Marie Parmentier) and other boys and women in an isolated seaside community. Nicolas is told that he is sick and requires daily medication and treatment at the nearby clinic. However, Nicolas […]

The Missing Girl (20/09/2015)

A schlubby comic book store owner tries to investigate what happened to his young female employee in The Missing Girl. Mort (Robert Longstreet) is the somewhat disillusioned owner of a comic book store, who builds up a friendship (and crush) with aspiring graphic novelist Ellen (Alexia Rasmussen), who happens to remind Mort of a girl who went […]

Hellions (18/09/2015)

Bruce McDonald makes his return to the horror genre with the twisted Halloween fantasy Hellions. One Halloween, in the small town of Waterford, Dora Vogel (Chloe Rose) finds out that she is pregnant. Unsure how to respond to this news, Dora stays home as her mother and young brother goes trick-or-treating. However, Dora soon finds herself tormented […]

The Whispering Star (17/09/2015)

Sion Sono (Why Don’t You Play in Hell?) directs the minimalist science fiction film The Whispering Star. Sometime in the future, artificially intelligent machines make up 80% of the population. Yoko Suzuki, No 722 (Megumi Kagurazaka) is an android, whose job it is to fly in a spaceship to different planets and deliver packages to a the few […]

The Forbidden Room (17/09/2015)

Guy Maddin and co-director Evan Johnson embark on a surreal cinematic journey in The Forbidden Room. A series of interconnected narratives tells stories inspired by forgotten genres from cinema’s past. Over the course of this increasingly weird and surreal journey, a number of familiar faces show up, including Mathieu Amalric, Charlotte Rampling, Udo Kier, and Guy Maddin regular Louis […]

The Devil’s Candy (16/09/2015)

A painter and his family are tormented by demonic forces in The Devil’s Candy. Jesse (Ethan Embry) is struggling heavy metal-loving painter, who moves into a new house in Texas, with his wife Astrid (Shiri Appleby) and daughter Zooey (Kiara Glasco). Things start to seem off when the family is visited by Ray (Pruitt Taylor Vince), the mentally unbalanced […]

The Mind’s Eye (16/09/2015)

A man with telekinetic powers faces off against a mad doctor in The Mind’s Eye. Since the 1980s, individuals with telekinetic powers have been appearing and have been progressively becoming deadlier. In late 1990, a fugitive telekinetic named Zack Connors (Graham Skipper) is picked up by authorities and admitted into a research institute run by Dr. Slovak […]

Sleeping Giant (16/09/2015)

A trio of teenage boys come of age one summer in an Ontario cottage community in Sleeping Giant. Adam (Jackson Martin) is a 15 year old boy spending his summer in a sleepy cottage community. Adam is friends with Riley (Reece Moffett), though he also has to hang out with Riley’s foul-mouthed and rude cousin Nate (Nick Serino). […]

The Blackcoat’s Daughter (15/09/2015)

Two girls alone at a boarding school encounter an evil demonic presence in The Blackcoat’s Daghter. It is late February, and the Branford all-girls boarding school is preparing to go on break. However, the parents of neither Katherine (Kiernan Shipka) or Rose (Lucy Boynton) have arrived yet to pick them up, so they are left […]

The Rainbow Kid (14/09/2015)

A young man with Down Syndrome goes on a search for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in The Rainbow Kid. Eugene (Dylan Harman) is a 19 year old man with Down Syndrome, who is desperate to help out with his mother’s financial troubles. Taking inspiration from his favourite story, Eugene heads […]

The Idol (14/09/2015)

A young refugee from Gaza goes on to win Arab Idol in The Idol. Mohamad Assaf grew up in the the troubled Palestinian region of Gaza. As a ten year old, he formed a band with his older sister Nour, who recognized Mohamad’s immense singing talent. Many years later, Mohamad Assaf would sneak out of Gaza on a fake […]

How Heavy This Hammer (14/09/2015)

A middle-aged man escapes the pressures of his life through videogames in How Heavy This Hammer. Erwin (Erwin Van Cotthem) is a middle-aged father of two, who is beginning to feel the effects of a midlife crisis. When he is not playing rugby with his buddies, he spends hours playing a real-time strategy video game, […]

Baskin (12/09/2015)

A group of cops stumble into a black mass in an abandoned building in the Turkish horror film Baskin. A group of police officers respond to an emergency call and travel to an old building to investigate. Inside, the officers stumble across a demonic cult, who have some horrific plans in store for the officers. Baskin is […]

Let Them Come (11/09/2015)

A family must cope with increased terrorist violence in Algeria in the drama Let Them Come. Noureddine (Amazigh Kateb) is a man living in Algiers, who follows his mother’s bedside wishes and marries Yasmina (Rachida Brakni), even though he is not sure if he truly loves her. However, the familiar faces greater problems as Islamist militants begin staging […]

London Road (11/09/2015)

The residents of the rural town of Ipswitch struggle to cope with a serial killer in their midst in the stage musical adaptation London Road. In 2006, five prostitutes were found murdered in Ipswitch and the residents of London Road were interviewed about the murders and how they are dealing with the fact that someone […]

The End of the Tour (09/09/2015)

The 1996 interview between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace is depicted in The End of the Tour. One day journalist David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) recieves the news that author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) has died of an apparent suicide. This results in Lipsky flashing back to the time he […]

Amy (03/09/2015)

The rise and fall of singer Amy Winehouse is shown in Amy. Beginning her career as a teenager, young British jazz singer Amy Winehouse quickly rose to fame. However, following the international success of her second album “Back to Black,” Winehouse found herself struggling with a substance abuse problem, which would eventually claim her life. […]

Z for Zachariah (30/08/2015)

A farmer who has survived the apocalypse gets into a love triangle with two fellow survivors in Z for Zachariah. Ann Burden (Margot Robbie) is the apparent sole survivor of a nuclear apocalypse, with the valley housing her family farm being sheltered from the radiation of the outside world. One day, Ann comes across another survivor […]

Sinister 2 (24/08/2015)

Another family is targeted by the evil deity Bughuul in Sinister 2. Following the events of the first film, Ex-Deputy So & So (James Ransone) has committed himself to investigating Bughuul and ensuring that it does not cause anymore deaths. So & So’s investigation leads him to an apparently abandoned farmhouse, but he arrives to find it occupied […]

Bang Bang Baby (21/08/2015)

A small town girl strives for a career in the music business in the 1960s-set musical Bang Bang Baby.  Stepphy (Jane Levy) is an aspiring singer, who spends her time taking care of her alcoholic father George (Peter Stormare) and fending off the advances of Fabian (David Reale), the creepy owner the Purple Mist Chemical Plant.  […]

American Ultra (21/08/2015)

A stoner finds out he is a CIA assassin in American Ultra. Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) is a pot smoking loser, who does not consider himself worthy of the affections of his girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen Stewart), whom he is working up the courage to propose to. However, unbeknownst to him, Mike was part of a secret CIA […]

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (17/08/2015)

A CIA agent teams up with a KGB operative to stop a terrorist plot in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) is an ex-con, who has become one of the CIA’s best agents. He is assigned to recruit Gaby Teller (Alicia Vikander) and get her help in locating her Nazi scientist father. For the mission, Solo […]

The Gift (07/08/2015)

A married couple is stalked by an individual from the husband’s past in The Gift. Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a young married couple, who have just moved into a new house and are ready to begin starting a family. While shopping, Simon is reunited with Gordo (Joel Edgerton), an old acquaintance […]

Slumlord (05/08/2015)

A young couple is spied upon by their creepy landlord in Slumlord. Claire (Brianne Moncrief) and Ryan (PJ McCabe) are a young married couple, who have just moved into a new suburban house, as they prepare for the arrival of a new baby. However, the relationship between between the two isn’t going well and Ryan […]

Børning (05/08/2015)

A father and daughter bond while participating in a race across Norway in Børning. Roy (Anders Baasmo Christiansen) is a racer and mechanic, who doesn’t the closest of relationships with his 12 year old daughter Nina (Ida Husøy). After losing a big race, Roy is taunted by his rival TT (Trond Halbo), which results in a challenge […]

On the White Planet (05/08/2015)

The issue of race is explored in the dark animated film On the White Planet. On a planet completely devoid of colour, there is one teenage boy who has coloured skin. This glaring difference makes him a complete outcast, with the boy turning into a murderous fugitive. The boy is welcomed in by a group […]

They Look Like People (04/08/2015)

A man becomes paranoid that the world is being taken over by body-snatching monsters in They Look Like People. Wyatt (MacLeod Andrews) has recently returned to New York City and is crashing at the house of his friend Christian (Evan Dumouchel), As Christian builds up the courage to date his co-worker Mara (Margaret Ying Drake), […]

Hostile (04/08/2015)

Strange occurrences centre around two sisters in Hostile. Meredith Langston (Shelley Ward) has recently adopted sisters Emilie (Julie Venturelli) and Anna (Luna Belan). Shortly after moving into their new home, the three experience strange occurrences, which includes seeing a man around the house. Meredith calls in reporters Chloé (Anatolia Allieis) and Chris (Morgan Hec) to stay with […]

Cash Only (03/08/2015)

An Albanian-American landlord runs into some serious money troubles in Cash Only. Elvis Martini (Nickola Shreli) is the landlord of a dilapidated Detroit apartment building, which is in danger of being foreclosed on by the bank. With the tenants behind on their rent, Elvis is desperate for money to pay the mortgage and believes he has […]

Who Killed Captain Alex?: Uganda’s First Action Movie (03/08/2015)

From Wakaliwood, Uganda – Home of da Best of da Best Movies – comes the country’s first action movie Who Killed Captain Alex?. With VJ Emmie providing jokey commentary of the mic, prepare for some real action as Captain Alex (Kakule William) and his team of commandos fight against Richard (Sserunya Ernest) and the Tiger Mafia. […]

Tag (03/08/2015)

A young woman finds herself caught in the middle of multiple deadly situations in Tag. One day, Mitsuko (Reina Triendl) is riding the school bus on the way to a school trip. Suddenly, a killer gust of wind cuts everyone except Mitsuko in half. This begins a very surreal and deadly adventure, as Mitsuki finds herself […]

A Hard Day (03/08/2015)

A detective becomes the victim of blackmail in A Hard Day. On his way to his mother’s funeral, Detective Ko Gun-soo (Sun-kyun Lee) accidentally runs over an individual in the middle of the road. Detective Ko tries to cover up this hit-and-run and, right when it appears that he has succeeded, he receives a call from […]

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (02/08/2015)

Tom Cruise and team return for a fifth mission, this time against a rogue “anti-IMF” agency. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) discovers proof of the existence of a criminal organization known as The Syndicate, lead by Solomon Lane (Sean Harris). However, since CIA director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin) successfully campaigned for the IMF to be disbanded, Hunt is left […]

Excess Flesh (01/08/2015)

A woman becomes violently obsessed over her roommate in Excess Flesh. Jill (Bethany Orr) is a somewhat overweight and introverted person, who lives with her anorexic model roommate Jennifer (Mary Loveless). Jill is unemployed and quietly pines for a man named Rob (Wes McGee), while Jennifer parties it up and has constant one night stands. […]

Nina Forever (01/08/2015)

A young woman enters into a love triangle with the ghost of her new beau’s dead girlfriend in Nina Forever. Holly (Abigail Hardingham) is a paramedical student and supermarket worker, who decides to pursue a relationship with her co-worker Rob (Cian Barry), despite the emotional baggage of the fact that he is still grieving over […]

Observance (01/08/2015)

A man is hired to spy on a woman in Observance.  Parker (Lindsay Farris) has been hired by a mysterious employer to stay in an apartment and spy on Tenneal (Stephanie King), the woman across the street. Over the course of the next week, Parker does this job without asking too many questions of his employer. […]

Crumbs (31/07/2015)

A man traverses across post-apocalyptic Ethiopia looking to board a spaceship in Crumbs. Candy (Daniel Tadesse) is a physical malformed man, who lives with the love of his life Birdy (Selam Tesfaye). A spaceship has been hovering in the sky since the beginning of the big war, which Birdy believes is about to turn on. […]

The Editor (31/07/2015)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of TIFF 2014 From the Winnipeg-based film collective Astron-6 (Father’s Day, Manborg) comes this homage/spoof of Italian giallo horror films.  Rey Ciso (Adam Brooks) was once one of the world’s greatest film editors. However, after losing his fingers in a freak accident, Ciso has been reduced […]

Ava’s Possessions (31/07/2015)

A young woman tries to piece her life back together following a demonic possession in Ava’s Possessions. Ava (Louisa Krause) has spent the last 28 days being possessed by a demon. Soon after being exorcised by Father Merrino (John Ventimiglia), Ava begins to realize the level of damage she caused and her lawyer JJ Samson (Dan […]

Goodnight Mommy (31/07/2015)

Two twin brothers are bothered by the apparent changes in their mother in Goodnight Mommy. Elias and Lukas (Elias and Lukas Schwarz) live on their own with their mother (Susanne Wuest). When she comes home heavily bandaged after an operation, the two brothers notice that the behaviour of their mother isn’t like it once was, particularly […]

Director’s Commentary: Terror of Frankenstein (30/07/2015)

From director Tim Kirk and producer Rodney Ascher (Room 237) comes this fake director’s commentary for the 1977 film Terror of Frankenstein. The new special edition of growing cult hit Terror of Frankenstein features a commentary between director Gavin Merrill (Clu Gulager) and screenwriter David Falks (Zack Norman). As they talk about this particular adaptation of Mary Shelley’s […]

I Am Thor (30/07/2015)

1980s rock god Jon Mikl Thor attempts a comeback in I Am Thor. Beginning his career as a Canadian bodybuilder in the 1970s, Jon Mikl Thor formed the heavy metal band Thor and released over a dozen albums and appeared in 1980s horror films, such as Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare and Zombie Nightmare. Thor decided to retire from […]

Catch Me Daddy (29/07/2015)

A Pakistani girl and her boyfriend go on the run from thugs hired by her father in Catch Me Daddy. Laila (Sameena Jabeen Ahmed) is a hairstylist living with her boyfriend Aaron (Connor McCarron) in a trailer in West Yorkshire. Laila’s estranged father wants her to come back home and hires a group of Pakistani […]

Bite (29/07/2015)

A young women undergoes a horrifying transformation in the body horror film Bite.  Shortly before her wedding to her fiance Jared (Jordan Gray), Casey (Elma Begovic) goes on a bachelorette holiday to Costa Rica with her friends Jill (Annette Wozniak) and Kirsten (Denise Yuen).  While swimming in an off-path spring, Casey gets bitten by something under […]

Trainwreck (28/07/2015)

A woman who does not believe in relationships falls for a sports doctor in Trainwreck. Inspired by the failed marriage of her father Gordon (Colin Quinn), Amy Townsend (Amy Schumer) has been perfectly content with having a series of one night stands, without any real need for a monogamous relationship, as opposed to the married lifestyle […]

The Interior (28/07/2015)

A young man escapes his terrible life with a trip into the wilderness in The Interior. James (Patrick McFadden) is a man who gets bad news at the doctor, gets fired from his job, and generally hates his life. Wanting to experience something new, James takes a spontaneous camping trip into the woods. However, he […]

The Demolisher (28/07/2015)

A tormented man becomes a violent vigilante in The Demolisher. Bruce (Ry Barrett) is a repairman, who becomes obsessed with vengeance against those who sent his policewoman wife Samantha (Tianna Nori) into a wheelchair. Wearing riot gear and armed with nightsticks, Bruce heads out onto the streets of Toronto at night and violently beats those who […]

Cop Car (28/07/2015)

A couple kids steal the patrol car owned by the corrupt sheriff in Cop Car. Travis and Harrison (James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford) are two young boys walking across the rural Colorado. The two come across an apparently abandoned cop car at the side of the road and, finding it unlocked, they decide to take the car for […]

Cub (28/07/2015)

A cub scout troupe is terrorized while on a camping trip in Cub. Sam (Maurice Luijten) is a troubled 12 year old, who is bullied by the other kids in his cub scout troupe. While on a camping trip in the Belgian forest, Sam is shocked to discover that the local legend of a feral […]

Some Kind of Hate (27/07/2015)

A vengeful ghost targets bullies in the supernatural thriller Some Kind of Hate.  Lincoln (Ronen Rubinstein) is a troubled and bullied teen, who is sent to the Mind’s Eye Academy retreat to learn how to make his life better.  He quickly befriends Isaac (Spencer Breslin) and begins a romance with “wayward cheerleader” Kaitlin (Grace Phipps). […]

Shrew’s Nest (27/07/2015)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of TIFF 2014 An extremely complicated sisterly relationship is at the centre of this Spanish thriller, produced by Alex De La Iglesia.  Montse (Macarena Gómez) is an agoraphobic and devoutly religious woman, who has acted as a surrogate parent for her younger sister (Nadia de […]

The Visit: An Alien Encounter (27/07/2015)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2015 A group of scientists simulate an encounter with extraterrestrials in The Visit: An Alien Encounter.  The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs has prepared a scenario of what would be done in the event of an alien life form landing […]

Ju-On: The Final Curse (26/07/2015)

The classic J-horror series returns for a final scare in Ju-On: The Final Curse. After her sister Yui Shono (Nozomi Sasaki) goes missing, Mai (Airi Taira) begins to investigate her disappearance. The investigation leads Mai to Yui’s student Toshio (Kai Kobayashi). As the investigation continues, the curse surrounding Toshio and his mother Kayoko reveals itself, affecting all who come […]

Momentum (26/07/2015)

A thief goes on the run from a master assassin in Momentum. Alex Faraday (Olga Kurylenko) comes out of retirement to perform one last heist for her former partner. When her face is accidentally revealed during the robbery, Alex is forced to lay low in Cape Town. However, she becomes a target for CIA assassin Mr. […]

Monty Python: The Meaning of Live (26/07/2015)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2015 The famed comedy troupe reunites on stage for the final time in Monty Python: The Meaning of Live.  For the first time in 34 years, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin reunite on stage for a series […]

Bunny the Killer Thing (25/07/2015)

A group of friends visiting a cabin are tormented by a giant sex-crazed mutant rabbit in Bunny the Killer Thing. Jari (Roope Olenius), Mise (Jari Manninen), Jesse (Olli Saarenpää), Sara (Enni Ojutkangas), and Nina (Veera W. Vilo) travel to the cabin owned the family of Tuomas (Hiski Hämäläinen) and Emma (Katja Jaskari). Along the way, they pick […]

Deadman Inferno (25/07/2015)

It’s Yakuza against a zombie horde in Deadman Inferno. Former Yakuza boss Hiroya Munakata (Shô Aikawa) is a shell of his former self after surviving an assassination attempt ten years prior. Munakata’s friend and blood brother Takashi (Shingo Tsurumi) is released from prison and is ready to be reunited with his daughter Hinata (Maika Yamamoto), though he […]

Tales of Halloween (25/07/2015)

Eleven filmmakers, including Axelle Carolyn (Soulmate), Darren Lynn Bousman (Repo! The Genetic Opera), Neil Marshall (The Descent), Lucky McKee (All Cheerleaders Die), and Mike Mendez (Big Ass Spider!), team together to tell ten terrifying stories set on one Halloween night. The people of a small sleepy town always seem to go crazy on Halloween night, the tales of which are […]

Turbo Kid (24/07/2015)

A young man becomes a superhero in a post-apocalyptic society in Turbo Kid.  It is the year 1997 and civilization has crumbled and is run with an iron fist by Zeus (Michael Ironside) and his henchman Skeletron (Edwin Wright). The Kid (Munro Chambers) lives on his own in the wasteland, scavenging for supplies and reading […]

JeruZalem (23/07/2015)

A group of American tourists are trapped in the city of Jerusalem during the start of the apocalypse in JeruZalem. Sarah (Danielle Jadelyn) travels with her friend Rachel (Yael Grobglas) to go for a vacation in Tel Aviv. On the way, they come across young anthropologist Kevin (Yon Tumarkin), who invites the two to join him in […]

Synchronicity (23/07/2015)

A physicist has created a machine capable of time travel in the science fiction mind bender Synchronicity. Jim Beale (Chad McKnight) and his team of Chuck (AJ Bowen) and Matty (Scott Poythress) are preparing to perform a wormhole experiment funded by Klaus Meisner (Michael Ironside). Worried that he is being manipulated by a mysterious woman named […]

Anguish (22/07/2015)

A teenage girl is tormented by spirits in Anguish.  Tess (Ryan Simpkins) has been suffering from psychological disorders for much of her life, which really concerns her mother Jessica (Annika Marks).  While the doctors have diagnosed her with dissociative identity disorder, in actuality Tess is tormented by spirits that surround her.  In particular, Tess is […]

Nowhere Girl (22/07/2015)

From Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) comes this film about a teenage girl suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.  Ai (Nana Seino) is a student at an all-girls school, who often remains silent in her art classes and often goes off to do her own thing, including the construction of a large structure in the […]

Ojuju (22/07/2015)

A Nigerian slum is plagued by a zombie outbreak in Ojuju. Romero (Gabriel Afolayan) is a man living in the slums of Lagos, who is trying to clean up his life after getting his girlfriend pregnant. However, an infection spreads throughout the community, turning people “ojuju.” Along with fellow survivors Emmy (Kelechi Udegbe) and Peju (Omowunmi […]

A Christmas Horror Story (21/07/2015)

Four tales of Yuletide terror are told in A Christmas Horror Story. In the town of Bailey Downs, Dangerous Dan (William Shatner) speaks on the radio, as the town prepares for Christmas Eve. Teenager Molly (Zoé De Grand Maison) and her friends explore a school, where a crucifix-style murder happened the year before, and encounter some […]

Meathead Goes Hog Wild (21/07/2015)

A young man slowly goes crazy over the course of one really bad night in Meathead Goes Hog Wild. An unnamed man in his twenties (Kevin Cline) gets fired from his job at a Chicago butcher shop and steals as much meat as he can in retaliation.  Going by the mantra of “meat is power,” […]

We Are Still Here (20/07/2015)

A couple moves into a new house to find it haunted by vengeful spirits in We Are Still Here.  Shortly after the tragic death of their son, Anne and Paul Sacchetti (Barbara Crampton and Andrew Sensenig) move into a new house in a rural town. Anne begins to experience strange occurrences in the house and believes that […]

Possessed (20/07/2015)

A Spanish priest suffering from a crisis of faith is called upon to perform an exorcism on the son of a famous flamenco dancer in the claymation horror-comedy Possessed.  Father Lenin (Josema Yuste) is a priest, who keeps getting sent on archaeological missions by his greedy and corrupt Bishop, which results in him ignoring both […]

Deathgasm (19/07/2015)

A heavy metal band accidentally summons a hoard of demons in the horror-comedy Deathgasm.  Brodie (Milo Cawthorne) is a metalhead, who is forced to live with his ultra-religious uncle Albert (Colin Moy) and bully of a cousin David (Colin Moy).  After befriending Zakk (James Blake), the only other metalhead in town, they form a band […]

Extinction (19/07/2015)

Two men and a young girl try to survive in a post-apocalyptic frozen wasteland in Extinction.  Nine years after a zombie apocalypse, the world has frozen over and all of humanity appears to be extinct.  Jack (Jeffrey Donovan) tries to live a relatively normal life with his daughter Lu (Quinn McColgan), while Patrick (Matthew Fox) […]

Raiders (18/07/2015)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2015 The story of the greatest fan film ever made is told in Raiders!.  In 1982, eleven year old Mississippi friends Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos, and Jayson Lamb set out to shoot a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The boys kept […]

(T)ERROR (18/07/2015)

This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Hot Docs 2015 An FBI informant is followed on his latest undercover operation in (T)ERROR.  Since 9/11 the FBI has been has been utilizing more than 15,000 undercover informants to help take down domestic terrorist suspects.  One of these individuals is  Saeed “Shariff” Torres, who […]

Ant-Man (18/07/2015)

An ex-con becomes a size changing superhero in Ant-Man.  Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is a cat-burglar, who has just been released from prison.  Desperate to be reunited with his daughter, Scott accepts a burglary job from his old cellmate Luis (Michael Peña) and ends up stealing a strange suit that causes Scott to shrink down […]

The Tribe (17/07/2015)

A new student at a boarding school for the deaf gets caught up with the local gang in The Tribe.  Sergei (Grigoriy Fesenko) is a shy deaf teenager, who has just enrolled at a new boarding school.  Sergei quickly finds that he has to prove himself worthy of the school’s gang, which results in him […]

Minions (11/07/2015)

Those lovable yellow henchmen get their own movie in Minions.  Minions have existed since the dawn of time, with their primary goal being to serve the most despicable of masters.  Having caused the inadvertent deaths of all their previous masters, the Minions are on the bring of depression in their Antarctic hideaway.  This results in […]

Porch Stories (10/07/2015)

A number of stories intersect on summer’s day in a residential Toronto neighbourhood in Porch Stories.  Emma (Laura Barrett) is an ex-musician, who is preparing to move out of her rented townhouse with her fiance Stefan (Alex Tindal).  During the day, Emma is reunited with old bandmate Gabriel (Jose Miguel Contreras), which causes her to rethink her […]

Big Game (10/07/2015)

The President of the United States relies on a 13 year old Finnish boy for survival in the action/adventure Big Game.  Oskari (Onni Tommila) is a boy in Northern Finland, who is sent out into the wilderness on a coming-of-age hunting trip.  He comes across the escape pod of US President William Allen Moore (Samuel L. […]

The Gallows (10/07/2015)

Four teens are tormented by a vengeful spirit in their high school in The Gallows.  In 1993, Beatrice High School student Charlie Grimille was hung in a tragic accident, while performing in the school play entitled “The Gallows.”  Twenty years later, the drama class at the school is preparing to perform the play again.  Football jock Ryan […]

Blindspot 2015: 40 Years of TIFF: Strictly Ballroom (09/07/2015)

I was the benefit of some good timing for this month’s blindspot selection, which is Baz Luhrmann’s 1992 debut film Strictly Ballroom, which won the People’s Choice award that year at TIFF. Last night, TIFF officially began their 40th anniversary celebrations with the start of their annual TIFF in the Park outdoor screening series.  Strictly Ballroom was chosen […]

Terminator: Genisys (05/07/2015)

Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to his most famous role in this reboot of the Terminator franchise.  At the conclusion of the war against Skynet and the machines, John Connor (Jason Clarke) sends Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back in time to project his mother Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke).  However, something changed in the timeline, which resulted in Sarah already […]

Deep Web (03/07/2015)

Crimes in the darkest corners of the internet are explored in Deep Web.  The deep web is a term used for all unindexed data online.  The deep web has become a hub for underground black markets, which sell everything from drugs to forged documents.  The biggest of these markets is The Silk Road, the alleged leader […]

Ted 2 (01/07/2015)

The adventures of the talking teddy bear and his human best friend continues in Ted 2.  Things looks happy for Ted (Seth MacFarlane) as he marries his girlfriend Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth), even though it’s a sad time for John (Mark Wahlberg), who has recently divorced.  When Ted and Tami-Lynn try to have a child, Ted’s rights […]

Slow West (26/06/2015)

A young Scottish man recruits a gruff outlaw to help find his love in Slow West.  Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee) has traveled from Scotland to America to locate Rose Ross (Caren Pistorius), the object of Jay’s affections, who fled Scotland some time ago with her father John (Rory McCann).  While heading west, Jay comes across Silas Selleck […]

Inside Out (22/06/2015)

Pixar brings us inside the head of a pre-pubescent girl in Inside Out. The emotions of Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling) control the personality of 11 year old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) from the master control inside of her head.  When Riley and her parents […]

Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles (20/06/2015)

The life and career of Orson Welles is profiled in Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles.  After an acclaimed early career in theatre and radio, including his infamous 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds, Orson Welles hit the cinematic world by storm with his first feature Citizen Kane.  However, Welles would find […]

When Marnie Was There (20/06/2015)

A shy and introverted girl makes a mysterious new friend in When Marnie Was There.  Anna Sasaki is a 12-year-old asthmatic girl, who is sent by her foster parents to live with friends for the summer.  Despite not being very good a socializing, Anna meets and befriends a mysterious blonde girl named Marnie, who lives […]

Wyrmwood (19/06/2015)

In a post-apocalyptic Australia, a virus has turned nearly the entire population into bloodthirsty zombies.  Barry (Jay Gallagher) is one of a handful of survivors, which also includes Benny (Leon Burchill) and Frank (Keith Agius), who are immune to the virus and struggle for survival.  In the meanwhile, Barry’s sister Brooke (Bianca Bradey) has been […]

Jurassic World (13/06/2015)

The park is finally open in Jurassic World.  Two decades after John Hammond’s original vision, the dinosaur theme park on the Central American island of Isla Nublar is finally open and thriving.  However, the pressure in on the park’s operations manager Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) to create new exciting attractions to keep up the interest of […]

The Wolfpack (13/06/2015)

A group of home-schooled brothers learn about the outside world through movies in The Wolfpack.  The Angulos are a family of six brothers (and one sister), who live together with their parents in a New York housing project.  Because of their father’s distrust of society, the brothers never leave home and they entertain themselves by re-enacting […]

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (12/06/2015)

An amateur filmmaker develops a connection with a girl with cancer in Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.  Greg (Thomas Mann) is a high school senior, who is barely visible to the various cliques at his school, while spending much of his free time making parodies of classic movies with his “co-worker” Earl (RJ […]

Spy (08/06/2015)

Melissa McCarthy becomes a secret agent in Spy.  Susan Cooper (McCarthy) is a CIA analyst, whose job is to guide her partner Bradley Fine (Jude Law) on his missions.  Fine goes on a mission to recover to nuke from Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne).  However, when he goes down, Susan offers to go into the field in his […]

The Nightmare (06/06/2015)

Rodney Ascher (Room 237) explores the terrors of sleep paralysis in The Nightmare.  There are people who suffer from a mysterious sleeping condition, where they feel like they are awake, yet they find that they cannot move.  Many of those suffering from sleep paralysis have visions of shadowy figures coming at them in the darkness. […]

Horsehead (02/06/2015)

A young woman is tormented by lucid nightmares in Horsehead.  Jessica (Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux) has been studying the psychophysiology of dreams in an attempt to understand the recurring nightmares that she is plagued with, many of which feature a horseheaded creature.  After the death of her grandmother, Jessica returns home to an icy reception from her […]

San Andreas (01/06/2015)

The west coast of the United States is decimated by a large magnitude earthquake in San Andreas.  Ray (Dwayne Johnson) is a rescue-chopper pilot, who is in the middle of a divorce with his wife Emma (Carla Gugino) and tries to maintain a close relationship with his daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario), who is about to head […]

Welcome to Me (27/05/2015)

A woman with borderline personality disorder becomes a talk show host in Welcome to Me.  Alice Klieg (Kristen Wiig) is a bi-polar woman, who only has one close friend in the form of Gina (Linda Cardellini) and Alice spends most of her time watching videotaped episodes of Oprah.  Unexpectedly, Alice wins an $86 million lottery […]

Tomorrowland (24/05/2015)

A teenage girl finds a pin that leads her to a futuristic city in Tomorrowland.  Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) is a troublesome teen, who is arrested when she is caught trying to sabotage the deconstruction of the former Cape Canaveral NASA launch site.  When she makes bail, Casey finds a pin, which provides her with […]

Wet Bum (20/05/2015)

A teenaged girl comes of age in Wet Bum.  Sam (Julia Sarah Stone) is a fourteen year old girl, who is somewhat insecure about herself, which is amplified by the bullying she receives by her peers in her lifeguarding course.  Sam is also forced by her mother to work in a retirement home, cleaning the […]

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (17/05/2015)

Director Alex Gibney (The Armstrong Lie) gives an expose of the controversial religion in Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.  The Church of Scientology was formed in the 1950s by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.  The church has become infamous for its controversial methods and celebrity members, including Tom Cruise and John […]

Spring (16/05/2015)

A man finds love with a woman with a monstrous secret in Spring.  Following the death of his mother, Evan (Lou Taylor Pucci) goes into a personal tailspin, which includes getting into a bar fight that costs him his job.  Looking for a change of scenery, Even travels to Italy and gets a job working […]

Mad Max: Fury Road (16/05/2015)

After thirty years, director George Miller returns to his signature franchise with Mad Max: Fury Road.  Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) scours across the post-apocalyptic wasteland haunted by visions of his tragic past.  Max finds himself captured by the War Boys, lead by the tyrannical Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), and is designated as a living blood […]

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (15/05/2015)

The story of Nirvana-frontman Kurt Cobain is told in his old words in Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck.  Utilizing Cobain’s own art, music, journals, Super 8 films and audio montages, director Brett Morgen constructs this stylized biography of the late singer’s life.  From his early days in Aberdeen, Washington to his marriage to Courtney Love, […]

88 (09/05/2015)

A woman seeks revenge while under a fugue state in 88.  Gwen (Katharine Isabelle) finds herself in a diner with no knowledge with how she got there.  It turns out that Gwen went into a fugue state after the murder of her boyfriend and she developed an alterego named Flamingo.  The action switches between Gwen’s […]

Ex Machina (06/05/2015)

A computer programmer is assigned to test an artificial intelligent being in Ex Machina.  Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is programmer working for the world’s largest search engine Bluebook.  Caleb wins a company lottery and is flown to the isolated home of Bluebook’s CEO Nathan (Oscar Isaac).  Nathan has developed an artificial intelligent robot named Ava (Alicia […]

War of Lies (05/05/2015)

The man responsible for the war in Iraq tells his side of the story in War of Lies.  Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, also known as Curveball, is an Iraqi refuge living in Germany, whose story is what lead the U.S. to believe that there were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.  Rafid sits down with […]

The Creeping Garden (05/05/2015)

The fascinating world of the plasmodial slime mould is explored in The Creeping Garden.  The plasmodial slime mould is an organism typically found around rotting logs, which can be described as a mix between a fungus and an animal.  Sporting a primitive intelligence, slime moulds fascinate scientists, who perform a wide variety of experiments. The […]

Possessed by Djinn (05/05/2015)

The murder of a young girl leads to an examination of the Islamic belief in djinn in Possessed by Djinn.  A four-year-old Jordanian girl named Aya is brutally killed by her father, who believed that she was possessed.  Spurred on by this event, filmmaker Dalia Al Kury launches into an investigation of djinn, which many […]

Doglegs (05/05/2015)

An underground Japanese wrestling league, where the disabled fight the able-bodied, is the subject of Doglegs.  Doglegs is a an underground wrestling league in Tokyo, where disabled wrestlers fight against the able-bodied.  A number of the wrestlers in the league are profiled, including retiring veteran “Sambo” Shintaro, cerebral palsy-diagnosed alcoholic L’Amant, and clinically depressed caregiver […]

Sam Klemke’s Time Machine (04/05/2015)

A man films updates on his life over a 35 year period in Sam Klemke’s Time Machine.  In 1977, a teenaged Sam Klemke decides that he is going to film an annual progress report on his life.  As the years go by, Klemke progressively becomes more heavy and bearded, as he settles into a career […]

Chuck Norris vs. Communism (04/05/2015)

Citizens in communist Romania find an escape in the form of bootlegged VHS action films in Chuck Norris vs. Communism.  In the 1980s, Romania was under control by a communist dictatorship, where citizens’ only view of the outside world came from bootlegged American films, which were viewed at secret screening parties.  The tapes were imported […]

A Different Drummer: Celebrating Eccentrics (04/05/2015)

A group of unique and somewhat odd individuals are profiled in A Different Drummer: Celebrating Eccentrics.  Based on a ten year study by Dr. David Weeks, Academy award winning director John Zaritsky profiles a variety of individuals, who are considered to be eccentric to everybody except themselves.  These individuals include Daniel, who gave up money […]

Deprogrammed (04/05/2015)

Ted Patrick’s anti-cult crusade of the 1970s is at the centre of Deprogrammed.  Playing into counter-culture, the 1970s saw the rise of alternative religious and radical communes, such as the Christ Family, Moonies, and the Hare Krishnas.  This would lead to Ted “Black Lightning” Patrick to begin helping concerned families by kidnapping cult members and […]

Best of Enemies (04/05/2015)

An intense series of political debates is at the centre of Best of Enemies.  In the summer of 1968, ABC News decided to air series of debates between left-wing novelist Gore Vidal and the ultra-conservative William F. Buckley Jr.  Bitter enemies with each other, Vidal and Buckley debated the issues surrounding the Republican and Democratic […]

The Circus Dynasty (04/05/2015)

The relationship between two big top families are explored in The Circus Dynasty.  Patrick Berdino is the heir of Circus Arena, one of the biggest in Europe, and is in a relationship with Merrylu Casselly, whose family is known for their award winning acrobatic routines.  As members of the two biggest circus families in Europe, […]

End of the World (03/05/2015)

A city in Poland prepare for the fulfilment of the Mayan doomsday prophesy in End of the World.  One night in a city in Poland, a late night radio host makes the topic of end of the world, as prophesized by the Mayans.  At the same time, an emergency operator receive calls from people, even […]

Sugar Coated (03/05/2015)

The sugar industry’s efforts to hide the fact that sugar is toxic is exposed in Sugar Coated.  Over the course of the last 30 years, the obesity rate has more than doubled.  One of the reasons attributed to this is the over consumption of sugar, the use of which has increased by 46%.  Pediatric endocrinologist, […]

The Cult of JT LeRoy (03/05/2015)

The story behind a cult writer is told in The Cult of JT LeRoy.  Teenaged writer JT LeRoy emerged from nowhere in 2002 to become a cult celebrity phenomenon.  Publishing his first book at the age of 19, JT received comparisons to Andy Warhol and attracted a devout celebrity following, which would read from JT’s […]

(T)ERROR (03/05/2015)

An FBI informant is followed on his latest undercover operation in (T)ERROR.  Since 9/11 the FBI has been has been utilizing more than 15,000 undercover informants to help take down domestic terrorist suspects.  One of these individuals is  Saeed "Shariff" Torres, who has worked as an informant for 20 years.  A documentary crew follows Shariff […]

TransFatty Lives (02/05/2015)

A man documents his experiences with ALS in TransFatty Lives.  Patrick O’Brien was an aspiring filmmaker, internet personality, and New York DJ, who went under the name of TransFatty.  In 2005, at the age of 30, O’Brien was diagnosed with ALS and given 2 to 5 years to live.  In light of this diagnosis, O’Brien […]

Western (02/05/2015)

The changing relationship between two U.S./Mexico border towns are explored in Western.  The towns of Eagle Pass, Texas and Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico have had a friendship with each other for generations, with Eagle Pass’ mayor Chad Foster being well known on both sides of the border.  However, an increase of drug cartel violence in […]

Thank You for Playing (02/05/2015)

A video game designer bases his latest project on his son’s battle with cancer in Thank You for Playing.  Four years ago, indie video game developer Ryan Green learned that his then one year old son Joel had terminal cancer.  To help deal with his feelings surrounding this situation, Ryan begins developing a game called […]

Avengers: Age of Ultron (02/05/2015)

The team of Marvel superheroes reunite to face a new threat in Avengers: Age of Ultron.  The Avengers raid a Hydra base in Eastern Europe and recover the scepter previously held by Loki.  Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) finds that the staff has the capability to create artificial intelligence and he uses it to complete […]

The Visit: An Alien Encounter (01/05/2015)

A group of scientists simulate an encounter with extraterrestrials in The Visit: An Alien Encounter.  The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs has prepared a scenario of what would be done in the event of an alien life form landing on Earth.  The audience is given the point of view of “the visitor,” as […]

Live from New York! (01/05/2015)

The history of Saturday Night Live is told in Live from New York!.  In 1975, novice producer Lorne Michaels created a late-night sketch comedy series on NBC described as a mix between 60 Minutes and Monty Python.  Over the course of the next four decades, Saturday Night Live would evolve to become a cultural institution, […]

Out to Win (01/05/2015)

The lives and careers of LGBT athletes are examined in Out to Win.  In 2014, Michael Sam made headlines by becoming the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL.  Using this as a stepping stone, the history of LGBT athletes are told, from NFL player David Kopay in the 1970s to to […]

Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon (29/04/2015)

The history of the the infamous national humour magazine is told in Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon.  National Lampoon was founded in 1969 by Doug Kenney, Henry Beard and Robert Hoffman, as a national spin-off of the Harvard Lampoon.  The magazine was known for its boundary-pushing satirical content, which often […]

The Nightmare (28/04/2015)

Rodney Ascher (Room 237) explores the terrors of sleep paralysis in The Nightmare.  There are people who suffer from a mysterious sleeping condition, where they feel like they are awake, yet they find that they cannot move.  Many of those suffering from sleep paralysis have visions of shadowy figures coming at them in the darkness.  […]

Monty Python: The Meaning of Live (28/04/2015)

The famed comedy troupe reunites on stage for the final time in Monty Python: The Meaning of Live.  For the first time in 34 years, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin reunite on stage for a series of performances at the O2 theatre in London.  The group is followed through […]

Deep Web (27/04/2015)

Crimes in the darkest corners of the internet are explored in Deep Web.  The deep web is a term used for all unindexed data online.  The deep web has become a hub for underground black markets, which sell everything from drugs to forged documents.  The biggest of these markets is The Silk Road, the alleged […]

Raiders! (27/04/2015)

The story of the greatest fan film ever made is told in Raiders!.  In 1982, eleven year old Mississippi friends Eric Zala, Chris Strompolos, and Jayson Lamb set out to shoot a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The boys kept shooting this remake over the course of seven years and finished every […]

Drawing the Tiger (26/04/2015)

An impoverished family in Nepal is followed over the course of seven years in Drawing the Tiger.  The Darnals are a family of subsistence farmers in Nepal, who put their hope in daughter Shanta, who won a scholarship to attend school in the city.  With many in her family being uneducated and of an untouchable […]

Gayby Baby (26/04/2015)

The lives of four children of same-sex couples are explored in Gayby Baby.  Gus, Ebony, Matt and Graham are four Australian kids, whose parents just happen to be gay.  With opponents of same-sex unions arguing that the best circumstances for children are to have both mother and a father, these kids show that this might […]

Help Us Find Sunil Tripathi (26/04/2015)

A family’s search for a missing member is overshadowed by a digital witchhunt in Help Us Find Sunil Tripathi.  Sunil Tripathi was a student at Brown University, who started suffering from severe depression in his junior year.  One night in March 2013, Sunil walked out of his apartment and disappeared without a trace.  His family […]

Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (25/04/2015)

The story of Nirvana-frontman Kurt Cobain is told in his old words in Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck.  Utilizing Cobain’s own art, music, journals, Super 8 films and audio montages, director Brett Morgen constructs this stylized biography of the late singer’s life.  From his early days in Aberdeen, Washington to his marriage to Courtney Love, […]

No Place to Hide: The Rehtaeh Parsons Story (25/04/2015)

The tragic story of Nova Scotia teen Rehtaeh Parsons is told in No Place to Hide: The Rehtaeh Parsons Story.  Rehtaeh Parsons was a teenager living in the Halifax suburb of Cole Harbour, who hanged herself because she was being bullied by school mates and called a “slut”.  Rehtaeh’s story received widespread media attention, including […]

Beaver Trilogy Part IV (25/04/2015)

The history behind a cult classic is examined in Beaver Trilogy Part IV.  Trent Harris is the director of cult films, such as Rubin & Ed (1991) and Plan 10 from Outer Space (1995).  However, his biggest success is Beaver Trilogy, which began as documentary footage of a chance encounter in a parking lot, which […]

Foodies (24/04/2015)

The growing group of bloggers, who visit and critique fine dining restaurants are profiled in Foodies.  There is now a large number of people who travel and dine at Michelin-starred restaurants and blog about their experiences.  These bloggers are changing the culinary world, since restaurants are able to get instant feedback.  A number of these […]

Chameleon (24/04/2015)

The “James Bond of journalism” is profiled in Chameleon.  Anas Aremeyaw Anas is an investigative journalist in Ghana, who lives by the three basis principles of naming, shaming and jailing.  Very few people have seen Anas’ face and he uses his extreme undercover methods to help bring down criminals across the country. Chameleon is a […]

Original Copy (24/04/2015)

The disappearing art of hand-painted Bollywood posters is the topic of Original Copy.  Sheikh Rehman is a painter living in Mumbai and is the last in the city to create hand-painted movie posters.  Working behind the screen of an old Hindi cinema, Rehman and his team work to create meticulously detailed larger than life banners.  […]

Lowdown Tracks (24/04/2015)

Homeless buskers in Toronto are profiled in Lowdown Tracks.  All across Toronto are “home free” individuals, who struggle to make a living by playing on street corners and subway platforms.  Many of these homeless individuals have troubled pasts and use music as an escape from their troubles.  Filmmaker Shelley Saywell and singer and activist Lorraine […]

Drone (23/04/2015)

The controversy surrounding US drone strikes is explored in Drone.  Shortly after the attacks of 9/11, the CIA announced to George W. Bush that they had the capability to arm drones.  Drone strikes went on to become the defining weapon of the War on Terror, with the main selling point by politicians being that these […]

The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young (23/04/2015)

The world’s toughest marathon is documented in The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young.  Inspired by the prison break of James Earl Ray, the Barkley Marathons attracts 40 people from around the world to a small Tennessee town for this incredibly difficult race.  Founded by Lazarus Lake, the Barkley Marathons is so gruelling […]

Missing People (23/04/2015)

A woman is haunted by a past tragedy in Missing People.  Martina Batan is the director of a New York art gallery, who is still haunted by the 1978 unsolved murder of her brother Jeffrey.  Martina has been obsessively collecting the artwork of controversial artist Roy Ferdinand and has even befriended his sisters Faye and […]

Journey with Prabhat (23/04/2015)

An Indian film studio’s contributions to film history is examined in Journey with Prabhat.  In 1929, five workers from the Maharashtra Film Company left to form the Prabhat Film Company.  With its state of the art facilities, Prabhat produced masterpieces of the early talkie era, before shutting down in 1953.  The studio was reopened in […]

Rolling Papers (23/04/2015)

The growing industry of marijuana journalism is explored in Rolling Papers.  In 2014, the sale of recreational marijuana became legal in the state of Colorado.  In light of this, The Denver Post decided to hire their own marijuana editor to cover this now growing industry.  Through The Cannabist, editor Ricardo Baca and his team of […]

Stand by for Tape Back-up (23/04/2015)

An old VHS tape becomes a conduit for memories in the experimental essay film Stand by for Tape Back-up. Inspired by the synchronicity that comes from watching The Wizard of Oz, while listening to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Ross Sutherland pulls out an old VHS cassette that he shared with his grandfather.  […]

The Sandwich Nazi (23/04/2015)

A former male escort who makes the “Best Sandwiches in North America” is the subject of The Sandwich Nazi.  Salam Kahil is a Lebanese man, who runs La Charcuterie Delicatessen in Vancouver.  Formerly a male escort, Salam will often relate stories of his former career, in explicit detail, to his customers while preparing their sandwiches.  […]

Jesus Town USA (23/04/2015)

A crisis of faith surrounds America’s longest running passion play in Jesus Town USA.  The Holy City of the Wichitas is a recreation of Jerusalem built around a small Oklahoma town, which has staged a heavily elaborate Easter pageant for 88 years.  When the actor playing Jesus Christ retires, Zack Little is brought on as […]

Tig (22/04/2015)

Comedian Tig Notaro had the worst few months of her life in 2012 when she was experienced a life-threatening infection, the death of her mother, and a break-up, all before being diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. Notaro decided to turn her situation into material for a stand-up set on August 3, 2012, at the Largo […]

Mavis! (22/04/2015)

The story of legendary gospel singer Mavis Staples is told in the biographical documentary Mavis!.  Mavis Staples began as the lead singer of the Staples Singers, founded in 1948 by her father Roebuck "Pops" Staples.  The band had success in the gospel community for about two decades, before they founds success in other genres, including […]

Listen to Me Marlon (22/04/2015)

Previously unreleased recordings of Marlon Brando narrate the story of his career in Listen to Me Marlon.  Throughout his lifetime, Marlon Brando kept an archive of over 200 hours of personal audio recordings.  These recordings are used to get inside the notoriously reclusive actor’s head, as he provides a reflection on his career, as well […]

Being Canadian (22/04/2015)

Canada’s perception by the rest of the world is broken down in Being Canadian.  Born in Calgary, Robert Cohen moved to Los Angeles to pursue a comedy writing career.  When his co-workers found out about his heritage, he found that they knew little about Canada, other than the stereotypes of beer, maple syrup, and hockey.  […]

Clouds of Sils Maria (11/04/2015)

A veteran actress reflects on herself while preparing for a play in Clouds of Sils Maria.  Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is a successful middle-aged actress, who is best known for performing the role of Sigrid in the play and film Maloja Snake twenty years ago.  Maria is asked to star in a new revival of […]

Ned Rifle (05/04/2015)

Filmmaker Hal Hartley concludes his trilogy of films about the Grim family with Ned Rifle.  Labelled a terrorist by the media, Fay Grim (Parker Posey) is sentenced to life in prison.  Shortly afterwards, her son Ned Rifle (Liam Aiken), who has been living under witness protection with a reverend and his family, decides to search […]

Nocturne (29/03/2015)

A woman with insomnia develops a connection with a sleepwalker in Nocturne.  Cindy (Mary Krohnert) is woman, whose anxiety prevents her from sleeping.  Cindy notices some odd behaviour in her co-worker Armen (Knickoy Robinson), who turns out to be a sleepwalker.  Cindy begins to follow Armen around at night and the two begin have an […]

Barn Wedding (28/03/2015)

A lifestyle blogger rushes to have the perfect wedding in the dead of winter in Barn Wedding.  Emma (Emily Coutts) is preparing to wed Colin (Brett Donahue), her boyfriend of five years.  Emma’s best friend and roommate Jessie (Kelly McCormack) returns from travelling abroad and is asked to be Emma’s maid of honour.  With Colin […]

Pretend We’re Kissing (28/03/2015)

A man struggles with the anxieties of a new relationship in the romantic comedy Pretend We’re Kissing.  Benny (Dov Tiefenbach) is an awkward man, who is always worrying about how to act in front of girls.  Benny’s roommate Autumn (Zoë Kravitz) tells him to “stop being a Benny” and just allow himself to be himself.  […]

Late Night Double Feature (27/03/2015)

It is horror mayhem on basic cable in the anthology film Late Night Double Feature.  Following the nightly news, viewers of TV13 in Peterborough are treated to Dr. Nasty’s Cavalcade of Horror, where Dr. Nasty (Brian Scott Carleton) and his assistant Nurse Nasty (Jamie Elizabeth Sampson) present a double bill of terror. In the first […]

Relative Happiness (27/03/2015)

The plus sized owner of a bed & breakfast tries to find a date for her sister’s wedding in Relative Happiness.  Lexie Ivy (Melissa Bergland) is the proprietor of the Ivy Cottage Bed & Breakfast in a small town in Nova Scotia.  Lexie’s sister Gabby (Molly Dunsworth) is about to get married and her family […]

It Follows (27/03/2015)

A girl is infected with a sexually transmitted haunting in the horror film It Follows. After getting intimate one night with her new beau Hugh (Jake Weary), Jay (Maika Monroe) finds herself tied to a chair and told by Hugh that he passed along an infection and that “It” will start coming after Jay, until […]

That Guy Dick Miller (27/03/2015)

Quintessential character actor Dick Miller is the subject of Elijah Drenner’s documentary That Guy Dick Miller.  With a career that spans six decades, Dick Miller began his acting career in 1955, playing both a cowboy and Indian in Roger Corman’s Apache Woman.  Miller would become one of Corman’s regular actors, with his breakout being his […]

Shooting: The Musical (27/03/2015)

Go behind the scenes of the most offensive movie ever with High School Shooting: The Musical.  A documentary crew is making a film about life after film school for a number of recent graduates, many of whom could not get jobs within the film industry.  Adam Baxter (Bruce Novakowski) is one of these recent graduates, […]

The Cocksure Lads Movie (25/03/2015)

A British band arrives in Toronto for their first ever North American gig in The Cocksure Lads Movie. Dusty (Lyndon Ogbourne), Reg (Adam McNab), Derek (Luke Marty), and Blake (Edward Hillier) make up The Cocksure Lads, a Beatles-like rock band from England. Mere minutes after arriving in Toronto for a gig, lead singer Dusty gets […]

Run All Night (15/03/2015)

Liam Neeson plays an ex-mob enforcer protecting his estranged son in the thriller Run All Night.  Jimmy Conlon (Neeson) is an aging hitman haunted by the crimes of his past.  He has fallen out with his son Michael (Joel Kinnaman), who he hasn’t seen for five years, and his only true friend is his old […]

Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show (14/03/2015)

The men and women who control television series behind the scenes are explored in the documentary Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show.  Every television series is run by the chief writer and producer, known as the showrunner.  Considered to be one of the complex roles in the entertainment industry, showrunners work hard to […]

The Hunting Ground (13/03/2015)

From Academy Award nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering (The Invisible War) comes this examination of the epidemic of sexual assault on college and university campuses all across the United States.  One in five women on U.S. college campuses experience sexual assaults, however very few are willing to report them, due to inaction and […]

Chappie (08/03/2015)

From director Neill Blomkamp (District 9) comes this story about a police robot, which becomes a sentient being.  To combat the high crime rate, the police force in Johannesburg has been replaced by artificially intelligent robotic scouts, who were designed by Deon Wilson (Dev Patel) for the weapons manufacturer Tetravaal.  Tetravaal CEO Michelle Bradley (Sigourney […]

1971 (07/03/2015)

The theft of FBI documents and the backlash is the topic of the documentary 1971.  On March 8, 1971, a group of activists broke into the FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania and took off with hundreds of files.  The documents, which were later leaked to the media, revealed illegal surveillance activities that were being performed […]

Ballet 422 (07/03/2015)

The creation of a ballet from rehearsal to premiere is documented in Ballet 422.  The New York City Ballet is one of the foremost dance companies in the world, with a roster of more than 90 fulltime dancers.  25 year old dancer Justin Peck emerges as a promising choreographer and he is commissioned to create […]

The Babadook (06/03/2015)

A mysterious pop-up book results in terror for a single mother and her child in the Australian horror film The Babadook.  Amelia (Essie Davis) is a single mother, who struggles to care for her six year old son Samuel (Noah Wiseman).  Suffering from apparent behavioural problems, Samuel is obsessed with finding and killing monsters, which […]

The Hunting Ground (05/03/2015)

From Academy Award nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering (The Invisible War) comes this examination of the epidemic of sexual assault on college and university campuses all across the United States.  One in five women on U.S. college campuses experience sexual assaults, however very few are willing to report them, due to inaction and […]

Focus (02/03/2015)

Will Smith plays an expert con-man with an attractive young protégé in the comedy Focus. Nicky Spurgeon (Smith) is a seasoned grifter, who learned everything that he knows from his father, with the key to his cons being to never lose focus of the mark.  One night Nicky meets an attractive young woman named Jess […]

Monsoon (01/03/2015)

From filmmaker Sturla Gunnarsson (Force of Nature) comes this meditation on the torrential rains of India.  Beginning around June of every year, the annual monsoons decent upon India.  This incomparably vast weather system affects the country in multiple different ways, including being India’s primary source of water for drinking and farming.  Over the course of […]

The Voices (22/02/2015)

Ryan Reynolds plays a man struggling with his schizophrenia in the dark comedy The Voices.  Jerry (Reynolds) is a good natured guy, who works in a factory and has a crush on his co-worker Fiona (Gemma Arterton).  However, the problem is that Jerry hears voices, which he perceives as coming from his cat Mr. Whiskers […]

Blindspot 2015: 40 Years of TIFF: Girlfriends (19/02/2015)

From this point forward, the majority of this yearlong celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Toronto International Film Festival will be made up of winners the festival’s People’s Choice Award.  The award, which in recent years has helped to kick off Oscar buzz for the winners, was introduced at the third edition of the […]

Kingsman: The Secret Service (18/02/2015)

From director Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class) comes this adaptation of the spy comic book series “The Secret Service” by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons.  Harry Hart (Colin Firth), code name Galahad, is a member of an independently operated spy agency known as the Kingsmen.  When an agent codenamed Lancelot is killed in the […]

What We Do in the Shadows (13/02/2015)

From co-directors Taika Waititi (Eagle vs Shark) and Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) comes this mockumentary about a group of vampires living together.  A documentary crew follows 379 year old Viago (Taika Waititi), 183 year old Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), and 862 year old Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) as they live together in modern Wellington, New […]

Jupiter Ascending (09/02/2015)

From the The Wachowskis (The Matrix, Cloud Atlas) comes the sci-fi epic Jupiter Ascending.  Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) is a woman who lives a pretty unremarkable life, which includes a job of cleaning toilets.  Jupiter encounters a genetically engineered interplanetary warrior named Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), who informs her that humanity’s true origins come from […]

The Search for General Tso (05/02/2015)

The history behind one of the most popular Chinese-American dishes is explored in The Search for General Tso.  The sweet and spicy dish “General Tso’s Chicken” has become one of the most popular items on Chinese take-out menus all across North America.  However, the question has to be asked “Who was General Tso and why […]

Still Alice (02/02/2015)

Julianne Moore plays a 50 year old woman suffering from early onset Alzheimer’s disease in the drama Still Alice.  Alice Howland (Moore) is an esteemed linguistics professor at Columbia University, who has recently celebrated her 50th birthday.  Alice begins to forget small details about her life and decides to get tested by a neurologist, where […]

A Most Violent Year (30/01/2015)

Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain star in this drama about the struggles of a man trying to project his business.  New York City, 1981 is considered to be one of the most dangerous years in the city’s history.  Abel Morales (Isaac) is businessman, who runs the “Standard Heating Oil” company with his wife Anna (Jessica […]

Leviathan (2014) (30/01/2015)

A man in a Russian coastal town fights to keep his home in the drama Leviathan.  Kolya (Alexei Serebriakov) lives on a peninsula by the Barents Sea with his teenage son Roma (Sergey Pokhodaev) and second wife Lilia (Elena Lyadova).  Kolya is in the process of fighting against the town’s corrupt mayor Vadim (Roman Madyanov), […]

Last Days in Vietnam (29/01/2015)

The final weeks of the Vietnam War are recounted in the Oscar-nominated documentary Last Days in Vietnam.  After the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973, the U.S. military withdrew from Vietnam and it was hoped that North and South Vietnam would co-exist with each other.  However, things changed following the resignation of Richard […]

The Theory of Everything (28/01/2015)

The life of theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and his relationship with his wife Jane is at the centre of biopic The Theory of Everything.  Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) is an astrophysics student, who meets Jane Wilde while studying at Cambridge University.  The two quickly hit it off and begin a romantic relationship, but things get […]

Why Don’t You Play in Hell? (27/01/2015)

From Japanese auteur Sion Sono (Suicide Club, Cold Fish) comes the bloody action-comedy Why Don’t You Play in Hell?  Yakuza boss Muto (Jun Kunimura) is at the beginnings of a war with rival Yazuka Ikegami (Shin’ichi Tsutsumi), which stemmed from an assault ten year’s prior, in which Muto’s wife was sent to prison for murdering […]

The Imitation Game (25/01/2015)

Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley star in this biopic about mathematician Alan Turing.  During World War II, Turing (Cumberbatch) is hired by the British government to join a top team of code-breakers, fellow members of which include Hugh Alexander (Matthew Goode) and Joan Clarke (Knightley), who are tasked by MI6 chief Stewart Menzies (Mark Strong) […]

The 50 Year Argument (24/01/2015)

Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi directs this look back at the 50 year history of the New York Review of Books.  In 1963, founders Robert B. Silvers and Barbara Epstein, along with publisher A. Whitney Ellsworth and writer Elizabeth Hardwick, took advantage of the New York printers’ strike to establish the New York Review of […]

Blindspot 2015: 40 Years of TIFF: Heart of Glass (23/01/2015)

It is time for me to kick off the 2015 edition of the Blindspot Series, where I will be doing a yearlong celebration of 40 years of the Toronto International Film Festival.  I begin with a selection from the very first Festival of Festivals from 1976.  There are many films I could have gone with […]

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (23/01/2015)

A hijab-clad female vampire stalks people in an Iranian ghost town in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.  Bad City is an Iranian ghost town home to prostitutes, junkies, pimps, and other sordid souls.  Little do these foul residents know that they are stalked at night by a female vampire (Sheila Vand), who looks […]

American Sniper (19/01/2015)

Clint Eastwood directs this film about the “most lethal sniper in U.S. history.”  Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is a Texas man, whose father taught him to be a sheepdog, who “protects others from wolves”.  After a failed career as a cowboy, Chris enlists as Navy SEAL and trains to become a sniper.  Shortly after his […]

Selma (09/01/2015)

The fight for the voting rights of African Americans is at the centre of the historical drama Selma.  Shortly after winning the Nobel Peace Prize for leading the Civil Rights Movement, Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) sets his sights on the town of Selma, Alabama, which imposes strict restrictions on black citizens, who try […]

Violent (09/01/2015)

A young Norwegian girl tries to make a life for herself in this debut feature film by Andrew Huculiak of the Vancouver-based rock band We Are The City.  Dagny (Dagny Backer Johnsen) is a young Norwegian woman, who is trying to escape her small town life.  As she adapts to this independent lifestyle, Dagny has […]

Citizenfour (05/01/2015)

Documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras completes her trilogy about post-9/11 America with this film about the man who blew the whistle on wiretapping and information collection done by the NSA.  In January 2013, Laura Poitras receives a series of encrypted e-mail from a man calling himself “citizen four.”  The contact is ready and willing to blow […]

Into the Woods (04/01/2015)

Rob Marshall (Chicago) directs this big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine.  A baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt) live in a village and are desperate for a child.  The couple are confronted by a witch (Meryl Streep), who tells them that they can’t have kids because […]

Inherent Vice (31/12/2014)

Paul Thomas Anderson returns with this adaptation of the novel by Thomas Pynchon.  Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) is a private investigator, who is visited by his old flame Shasta Fay Hepworth (Katherine Waterston), who wants help involving her missing boyfriend Mickey Wolfmann (Eric Roberts).  Doc’s investigation results in him crossing paths with Lt. Det. […]

Big Eyes (28/12/2014)

From Tim Burton comes this biopic about artist Margaret Keane.  Margaret (Amy Adams) is a divorced single mother and aspiring artist, who paints portraits of big eyed girls inspired by her daughter.  Margaret meets another artist named Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) and the two end up quickly getting married.  As a much more charismatic person, […]

Blindspot 2014: Schindler's List (27/12/2014)

I’m ending my 2014 Blindspot line-up on a bit of a sombre note, as I finally check out Steven Spielberg’s Oscar winning Holocaust drama Schindler’s List.  Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) is a Nazi businessman in the Kraków Ghetto of Poland, who hires Jews, including his administrator Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), to work in his factories.  […]

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (21/12/2014)

It is time for the concluding chapter of Peter Jackson’s three part adaptation of The Hobbit.  After the defeat of Smaug the Dragon, the company of thirteen dwarves, along with Bilbo (Martin Freeman), reclaim their mountain home of Erebor.  However, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) is inflicted with “dragon sickness” and is driven mad inside the […]

Force Majeure (15/12/2014)

A split-second decision drives a wedge between a married couple in the Swedish drama Force Majeure.  Tomas (Johannes Kuhnke) is on a ski trip in the French Alps, with his wife Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and two children Vera and Harry.  On the second day of their trip, while having lunch at a mountain restaurant, […]

Top Five (15/12/2014)

Chris Rock writes, directs, and stars in this dramedy about a comedian, who wants to be taken more seriously.  Andre Allen (Rock) is considered the funniest man in American, whose claim to fame was a trilogy of Hammy the Bear buddy cop films, in which Allen performed in a bear costume.  No longer wanting to […]

Wild (10/12/2014)

From director Jean-Marc Vallée (Café de Flore, Dallas Buyers Club) comes this drama based on the memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed.  Cheryl (Reese Witherspoon) is a young woman desperate to escape her troubled life of drug use and promiscuous sex.  As her way to find herself, […]

Cutaway (08/12/2014)

Last night saw the Toronto premiere of Cutaway, the new short film by Kazik Radwanski (Tower, Princess Margaret Blvd).  Cutaway is the story of a momentous development of a man’s life, told entirely through close-ups of his hands.  Those familiar with Radwanski’s previous films would know that he has the tendency of shooting quite close […]

John Wick (07/12/2014)

Keanu Reeves stars as the title character in this action revenge thriller.  John Wick (Reeves) is a retired assassin, who has been out of the life for many years.  Shortly after the death of his wife, things hit rock bottom for Wick when Iosef Tarasov (Alfie Allen), son of Wick’s old boss Viggo Tarasov (Michael […]

Queen of Blood – Blood in the Snow 2014 (30/11/2014)

From Chris Alexander comes this spiritual sequel to his 2012 debut Blood For Irina.  A vampiric force of nature named Irina (Shauna Henry) wonders the countryside claiming victims in her path, with Irina’s destiny apparently being tied to a pregnant widow (Carrie Gemmell).  On the trail of Irina’s destruction is a murderous preacher (Nivek Ogre). […]

Foxcatcher (29/11/2014)

Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo star in this true story about a multimillionaire who becomes a coach of an Olympic wrestler.  Mark Schultz (Tatum) is a gold medal winning amateur wrestler, who lives under the shadow of his older brother Dave (Ruffalo).  Out of the blue, Mark is contacted by multimillionaire John Eleuthère du […]

Big Hero 6 (24/11/2014)

From Disney Animation Studios comes this superhero adventure based on the series by Marvel comics. Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter) is a 14 year old robotics prodigy living in the city of San Fransokyo.  Initially using his skills for illegal robot fights, Hiro is convinced by his older brother Tadashi (Daniel Henney) to enrol in the […]

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (18/11/2014)

From filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu (Babel) comes this dark comedy about a past his prime actor trying to prove himself.  Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) is a former Hollywood movie star, who was famous two decades ago for playing a superhero named “Birdman.”  Riggan is trying to prove himself as a serious actor by directing and […]

Dumb and Dumber To (17/11/2014)

Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reunite with the Farrelly Brothers for this sequel to the 1994 hit comedy Dumb and Dumber.  Lloyd (Carrey) reunites with Harry (Daniels) after spending two decades in a care home, as part of an extended gag.  Harry tells Lloyd that he needs to have a kidney transplant and that they […]

Awesome Asian Bad Guys – Reel Asian 2014 (08/11/2014)

The National Film Society of Patrick Epino and Stephen Dypiangco record a web video taking about their favourite Asian bad guys, who frequently appeared in action films from the 1980s and 1990s.  The video attracts the attention of actress Tamlyn Tomita, who tells the duo to assemble the Awesome Asian Bad Guys, in order to […]

Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll – Reel Asian 2014 (08/11/2014)

Following its independence from France in the 1950s, Cambodia had a very prosperous popular music scene.  Influenced by Afro-Cuban music and rock and roll, acts such as Sinn Sisamouth, The Bayon Band, and Houy Meas became huge hits on Cambodian radio.  However, things would change with the Cambodian Civil War in the 1970s and the […]

The Overnighters (07/11/2014)

A booming oil industry results in flocks of people migrating to the town of Williston, North Dakota, in the search for work. With many of these people having no place to stay, Jay Reinke, Pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church, begins an “overnighters” program, where he allows outsiders to either sleep inside the church or park […]

Kung Fu Elliot (07/11/2014)

Elliot “White Lightning” Scott is a man from Halifax, whose goal is to become Canada’s first action hero.  Claiming to have 7 lightweight kickboxing titles, Scott has written, directed, and starred in a series of hilariously awful no-budget kung fu b-movies, with titles such as They Killed My Cat (2009) and Stalker and the Hero […]

Maps to the Stars (06/11/2014)

David Cronenberg directs the Hollywood satire Maps to the Stars.  Agatha (Mia Wasikowska) is a young woman with burn scars, who arrives into Los Angeles from Florida and become acquainted with limo driver, and aspiring actor, Jerome (Robert Pattinson).  Through her connections, Agatha becomes the new personal assistant Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore), an aging actress […]

Interstellar (05/11/2014)

From Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception) comes the science fiction epic Interstellar.  At an unspecified point in the future, global warming has affected the Earth to the point where dust storms are a regular occurrence and the focus of humanity has moved from technology to agriculture, in order to maintain the shrinking food […]

Nightcrawler (03/11/2014)

Jake Gyllenhaal plays a videographer, who would do anything to make the news in the thriller Nightcrawler.  Louis Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is a somewhat antisocial man, who is driven to find a career that meets his desire to make a name for himself.  At the site of a traffic accident, Bloom meets a man named Joe […]

Blindspot 2014: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (03/11/2014)

With the new exhibition on Stanley Kubrick opening at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, I decided to make one of Kubrick’s films my Blindspot selection for November.  The film that I decided to go with, and saw theatrically at the Bell Lightbox this afternoon, was the cold war comedy Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to […]

Horns (01/11/2014)

From Alexandre Aja (The Hills Have Eyes, Piranha 3D) comes this adaptation of the novel by Joe Hill.  After his girlfriend Merrin Williams (Juno Temple) is found dead, Ig Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe) finds himself the number one suspect in her murder and he’s shunned by practically the entire community, with exception of his brother Terry […]

The Door (31/10/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films After saving a wealthy Japanese gentleman from a mugging, Owen (Sam Kantor) is offered a job at one of the man’s family businesses.  Owen arrives at an old abandoned meat-packing plant and is told to put on a security uniform, sit at a desk, […]

ABCs of Death 2 (31/10/2014)

Once again, 26 filmmakers present 26 ways to die in the horror anthology ABCs of Death 2.  As with the first film, each of the filmmakers were given creative freedom to create a short segment corresponding to the letter of the alphabet they were assigned, with each ending in a highly creative and often gory […]

White Bird in a Blizzard (29/10/2014)

From Gregg Araki (The Doom Generation, Mysterious Skin) comes this coming of age drama about a teenage girl’s relationship with her missing mother.  17 year old Kat Connor (Shailene Woodley) used to have a close relationship with her mother Eve (Eva Green), but they steadily grew more distant as Kat grew older and started to […]

Announcing Blindspot 2015: Celebrating 40 years of TIFF (28/10/2014)

There’s still two entries left in my 2014 Blindspot series, but I couldn’t wait to announce my Blindspot line-up for 2015, which I decided upon months ago.  My second themed Blindspot series, I decided to make next year’s selection a yearlong celebration to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the Toronto International Film Festival next […]

Destination: Rad City (26/10/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films A man stuck in the 1980s aspires to travel to a music festival in the low-budget independent comedy Destination: Rad City.  Rick Trickanovsky (Boris A. Godzinevski) is a man living in the town of Keswick, Ontario, who is obsessed with the fashion and culture […]

Whiplash (26/10/2014)

An aspiring jazz drummer aspires to reach perfection in the musical drama Whiplash.  Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) is a young man, who enrols in an elite music conservatory, in the hopes of becoming one of the next great jazz drummers.  He is chosen to become part of the school’s jazz ensemble, which is lead by […]

Why Horror? – Toronto After Dark 2014 (24/10/2014)

Why do people like horror? As one of the most misunderstood genres, horror fans often find themselves stigmatized by society, who assume that there must be something wrong with them.  As a very hardcore horror fan, Rue Morgue magazine journalist Tal Zimerman sets out to explore why horror is so appealing to people.  Featuring interviews […]

Open Windows – Toronto After Dark 2014 (21/10/2014)

From director Nacho Vigalondo (Timecrimes) comes the webcam-based cyber thriller Open Windows.  Nick Chambers (Elijah Wood) is the webmaster of a fansite about movie star Jill Goddard (Sasha Grey), who has apparently won a contest to meet her.  While waiting in his hotel room, Nick receives a Skype call from a mysterious man named Chord […]

Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead – Toronto After Dark 2014 (19/10/2014)

Director Tommy Wirkola returns with the sequel to his 2009 Nazi zombie comedy.  Beginning immediately following the first film’s conclusion, sole survivor Martin (Vegar Hoel) narrowly escapes the clutches of the Nazi zombie commander Herzog (Ørjan Gamst), however he finds himself charged with the deaths of his friends.  To make matters worse, Herzog’s severed arm […]

ABCs of Death 2 – Toronto After Dark 2014 (18/10/2014)

Once again, 26 filmmakers present 26 ways to die in the horror anthology ABCs of Death 2.  As with the first film, each of the filmmakers were given creative freedom to create a short segment corresponding to the letter of the alphabet they were assigned, with each ending in a highly creative and often gory […]

The Guest (17/10/2014)

The writer-director duo of Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard (You’re Next) return with this action-thriller about a mysterious visitor, who is not all that he seems.  One day, the Peterson family is visited by a man named David (Dan Stevens), who claims to be a friend of their deceased soldier son Caleb.  While Caleb’s parents […]

Mommy (15/10/2014)

From Xavier Dolan (Laurence Anyways, Tom at the Farm) comes this drama about a single mother struggling to raise her violent son.  Diane Després (Anne Dorval) is a widowed woman, whose troubled teenage son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) has recently moved back home.  Steve is an emotionally unstable boy, who is prone to violent outbursts when […]

RIFF 2014: Johnny Winter: Down & Dirty (14/10/2014)

The opening film of the 2014 Reel Indie Film Festival tells the story of legendary blues guitarist Johnny Winter.  Performing since he was fifteen years old, Winter catapulted to fame after being featured on the cover of Rolling Stone in December of 1968, where he became known as the “whitest blues guitarist in history” (in […]

Blindspot 2014: Suspiria (12/10/2014)

As per tradition, I have gone with a horror film for my October blindspot selection.  This year I decided to watch Suspiria, which is probably the most well-known film by Italian horror master Dario Argento and is also the first entry of Argento’s Three Mothers Trilogy, which continued with the films Inferno (1980) and The […]

Gone Girl (12/10/2014)

This review contains SPOILERS David Fincher directs this mystery/thriller, adapted from the hit novel by Gillian Flynn. On the date of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) comes home to find his house trashed and that his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) has gone missing.  Police officers Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) and Jim Gilpin […]

Mudbloods (11/10/2014)

The real-world adaptation of the Harry Potter sport of quidditch is the subject of the sports documentary Mudbloods. Inspired by the sport played in the Harry Potter books and films, “Muggle quidditch” was created in 2005 at Middlebury College in Vermont.  The sport quickly grew, resulting in the beginning on the annual Quidditch World Cup […]

Tusk (05/10/2014)

Kevin Smith makes a return to filmmaking with the twisted horror-comedy Tusk. Wallace Bryton (Justin Long) is the host of a podcast called “Not See Party,” where he and his friend Teddy Craft (Haley Joel Osment) ridicule weird individuals.  Wallace travels to Winnipeg to interview an internet celebrity, but is shocked to find out that […]

Art and Craft (03/10/2014)

Mark Landis is one of the most prolific art forgers in U.S. history.  For over 30 years, Landis has forged over 100 pieces, donating them to 46 museums in 20 states.  Suffering from mental illness, Landis describes himself as having an “addiction to philanthropy” and finds himself continuing to create forgeries, even though he knows […]

The Boxtrolls (01/10/2014)

From the animation studio Laika (Coraline, ParaNorman) comes the stop-motion fantasy-adventure The Boxtrolls.  The town of Cheesebridge live in fear of the subterranean Boxtrolls, who are rumoured to kidnap and eat children.  Because of this, Lord Portley-Rind (Jared Harris) hires the sinister Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) to exterminate the Boxtrolls, in exchange for membership to […]

Blindspot 2014: Goodfellas (30/09/2014)

It is time for my second Martin Scorsese blindspot of the year, as I watch his 1990 mafia drama Goodfellas.  Based on true events, the film tells of the story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), who has always idolized the mafia and he begins working for a local crime family as a teenager, being taken […]

Hector and the Search for Happiness (26/09/2014)

A British psychiatrist goes on a soul searching journey for happiness in Hector and the Search for Happiness.  Hector (Simon Pegg) is a London psychiatrist, who lives a tidy, uncomplicated, satisfactory life with his girlfriend Clara (Rosamund Pike).  After a particularly bad day, Hector decides that he needs to get away and find out the […]

Coherence (21/09/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films This review may contain SPOILERS Strange things happen at a dinner party in the indie sci-fi film Coherence.  A group of eight friends, Em (Emily Foxler), Kevin (Maury Sterling), Mike (Nicholas Brendon), Beth (Elizabeth Gracen), Amir (Alex Manugian), Laurie (Lauren Maher), Hugh (Hugo Armstrong), […]

Trailer: Big Eyes (19/09/2014)

Tim Burton returns with this biopic of artist Margaret Keane (Amy Adams), who had to struggle with the fact that her husband Walter (Christoph Waltz) took credit for the big eyed portraits she painted.  As seen from this new trailer for the film, Big Eyes is probably Tim Burton’s most dramatic film since Big Fish, […]

Honeymoon (19/09/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films A newly wed couple’s romantic getaway descends into chaos in the thriller Honeymoon.  Bea (Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie) and Paul (Penny Dreadful’s Harry Treadaway) have just gotten married and travel to Bea’s family cottage in the Canadian wilderness for their honeymoon.  With no […]

What We Do in the Shadows (15/09/2014)

From co-directors Taika Waititi (Eagle vs Shark) and Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) comes this mockumentary about a group of vampires living together.  A documentary crew follows 379 year old Viago (Taika Waititi), 183 year old Deacon (Jonathan Brugh), and 862 year old Vladislav (Jemaine Clement) as they live together in modern Wellington, New […]

The Guest (14/09/2014)

The writer-director duo of Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard (You’re Next) return with this action-thriller about a mysterious visitor, who is not all that he seems.  One day, the Peterson family is visited by a man named David (Dan Stevens), who claims to be a friend of their deceased soldier son Caleb.  While Caleb’s parents […]

Over Your Dead Body (12/09/2014)

From Japanese auteur Takashi Miike (13 Assassins) comes this multi-reality ghost story.  A theatre troupe are in rehearsals for a production of the 200 year old play Yotsuya Kaidan.  The play is a story of betrayal and revenge, centring on a samurai named Tamiya Iemon and his spurred lover Oiwa.  As rehearsals of the play […]

The Editor (12/09/2014)

From the Winnipeg-based film collective Astron-6 (Father’s Day, Manborg) comes this homage/spoof of Italian giallo horror films.  Rey Ciso (Adam Brooks) was once one of the world’s greatest film editors. However, after losing his fingers in a freak accident, Ciso has been reduced to editing schlocky horror films, all while being distained by his former […]

Backcountry (11/09/2014)

A couple on a camping trip have to struggle for survival in the thriller Backcountry.  Jenn (Missy Peregrym) and her boyfriend Alex (Jeff Roop) head out for weekend of camping.  Despite the advice of the park ranger (Nicholas Campbell), Alex opts to go into the provincial park without a map, since it’s a place he […]

Teen Lust (11/09/2014)

A teenager’s life depends on getting laid in the comedy Teen Lust.  Neil (Jesse Carere) is the typical 18 year old high schooler, who has yet to lose his virginity.  The problem is, his family are members of a Satanic cult, who intend to make him a virgin sacrifice.  When Neil realizes what’s happening, he […]

Bang Bang Baby (11/09/2014)

A small town girl strives for a career in the music business in the 1960s-set musical Bang Bang Baby.  Stepphy (Jane Levy) is an aspiring singer, who spends her time taking care of her alcoholic father George (Peter Stormare) and fending off the advances of Fabian (David Reale), the creepy owner the Purple Mist Chemical […]

Alleluia (10/09/2014)

Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz directs this darkly humorous romantic thriller, loosely inspired by the true story of the “The Lonely Hearts Killers” from the 1940s.  Michel (Laurent Lucas) is a con man, who finds women through personal ads and extorts them out of their money.  Michel is found out by his latest mark, a […]

Tu Dors Nicole (10/09/2014)

A Quebec girl tries to find herself in suburbia in the coming-of-age film Tu Dors Nicole.  Nicole (Julianne Côté) is a 22 year old girl, who is housesitting for her parents, while they are out of town.  While planning a trip to Iceland with her best friend Véronique (Catherine St-Laurent), Nicole’s quiet solitude is interrupted […]

Hector and the Search for Happiness (09/09/2014)

A British psychiatrist goes on a soul searching journey for happiness in Hector and the Search for Happiness.  Hector (Simon Pegg) is a London psychiatrist, who lives a tidy, uncomplicated, satisfactory life with his girlfriend Clara (Rosamund Pike).  After a particularly bad day, Hector decides that he needs to get away and find out the […]

It Follows (08/09/2014)

A girl is infected with a sexually transmitted haunting in the horror film It Follows. After getting intimate one night with her new beau Hugh (Jake Weary), Jay (Maika Monroe) finds herself tied to a chair and told by Hugh that he passed along an infection and that “It” will start coming after Jay, until […]

The Duke of Burgundy (07/09/2014)

Director Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio) returns with an examination of the complex nature of S&M relationships in The Duke of Burgundy.  Cynthia (Sidse Babett Knudsen) is a wealthy butterfly expert, who has a complicated relationship with her housekeeper and lesbian lover Evelyn (Chiara D’Anna), who thrives on Cynthia treating her cruelly in a master/slave […]

Pride (07/09/2014)

A group of gay activists finds a common cause with a group of striking Welsh miners in the true story Pride.  Set in 1984, while the UK was still under the rule of Margaret Thatcher, a young gay activist named Mark (Ben Schnetzer) decides to raise money to support striking miners in Wales, forming a […]

Big Game (06/09/2014)

The President of the United States relies on a 13 year old Finnish boy for survival in the action/adventure Big Game.  Oskari (Onni Tommila) is a boy in Northern Finland, who is sent out into the wilderness on a coming-of-age hunting trip.  He comes across the escape pod of US President William Allen Moore (Samuel […]

Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie (04/09/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films The popular retro gaming web series gets turned into a feature length adventure in Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie.  The Nerd (James Rolfe) is a gamer and internet celebrity, who works in a videogame shop with his friend and protégé Cooper (Jeremy Suarez), […]

Reflections on a Decade of Film Blogging (31/08/2014)

On August 31, 2004 at 11:35am, a 22 year old film lover named Sean Patrick Kelly posted the introductory post for his new film blog “Sean P. Kelly On Movies,” located at http://skmovies.blogspot.com.  A couple hours later, the first proper post was made, which was all about this young blogger’s hatred of film reviews.  Fast […]

The Trip to Italy (26/08/2014)

British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon return as fictional versions of themselves in director Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip to Italy.  After the success of their previous restaurant-going road trip, Steve and Rob are asked to go on a second trip, this time around Italy.  The two travel to many locations around the country, including […]

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (23/08/2014)

Nine years after the original, Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller return for more tales from Sin City.  In the titular story A Dame to Kill For, photographer Dwight McCarthy (Josh Brolin) is approached for a favour by his highly seductive ex-lover Ava Lord (Eva Green).  However, Dwight soon gets more than he bargained for and […]

Frank (20/08/2014)

An experimental music group is lead by an eccentric man in a papier-mâché head in the indie comedy-drama Frank.  Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) is a wannabe musician, who stumbles upon a band called “Soronprfbs,” who are trying to stop their keyboardist from drowning himself in the ocean.  Needing an extra man for their performance that night, […]

The Expendables 3 (18/08/2014)

The team of mercenaries recruit new blood to face an old foe in The Expendables 3.  After freeing imprisoned Expendables member Doc (Wesley Snipes), Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) leads his team of Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Toll Road (Randy Couture), and Hale Caesar (Terry Crews) to intercept an arms deal.  Barney […]

Magic in the Moonlight (14/08/2014)

In the latest film by Woody Allen, an illusionist sets off to the French Riviera to debunk a pretty young psychic medium.  Set in the 1920s, Stanley (Colin Firth) is a British man who performs on stage as the world famous Oriental illusionist Wei Ling Soo.  After a show, Stanley is greeted by fellow illusionist […]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014) (10/08/2014)

The heroes in a half shell are reintroduced for a new generation in this Michael Bay-produced reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. New York City is being terrorized by a criminal organization known as the Foot Clan, which are lead by the armoured warrior The Shredder (Tohoru Masamune).  Young reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox) is […]

Guardians of the Galaxy (03/08/2014)

A new team of Marvel heroes hits the big screen with the comedic sci-fi adventure Guardians of the Galaxy.  Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), aka Star-Lord, is a human outlaw, who was abducted as a child and raised by a group of Ravagers, lead by Yondu (Michael Rooker).  Quill comes into possession of a sphere-like artifact, […]

Altman (02/08/2014)

Maverick filmmaker Robert Altman is the subject of this new biographical documentary by director Ron Mann. Told through the words of Altman and his family, Altman chronicles the director’s entire career, from his TV directing work in the 1950s and 1960s, all the way to being the recipient of a lifetime achievement Academy Award a […]

Lucy (26/07/2014)

French auteur Luc Besson (Leon: The Professional) returns with the sci-fi/action film Lucy.  Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) is a 25 year old American woman, who finds herself forced to deliver a case of an experimental drug called CPH4 to Taiwanese gangster Mr. Jang (Choi Min-sik).  Lucy finds herself captured and forced to smuggle the drug, which […]

Blindspot 2014: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (24/07/2014)

This month I head to the old west for, Sergio Leone’s classic 1966 Spaghetti Western, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.  The third film in Leone’s Dollars Trilogy, the film is set during the American Civil War and focuses on “Blondie,” aka the Man with No Name (Clint Eastwood), who has an uneasy partnership […]

Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago (23/07/2014)

El Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James, is one of the most important of Christian pilgrimage routes.  People from all over the world travel to Spain to walk one of the many many routes leading to Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, with the 500 mile Camino Francés being […]

Obvious Child (22/07/2014)

Donna Stern (Jenny Slate) is a stand-up comedian, who finds herself suddenly dumped by her boyfriend, who admitted to cheating on her.  As a rebound to the break-up, Donna has a one night stand with Max (Jake Lacy) and finds herself pregnant as a result.  Donna decides to have an abortion, which happens to be […]

Snowpiercer (22/07/2014)

From South Korean director Bong Joon-ho (The Host) comes the post-apocalyptic action-thriller Snowpiercer. Following a failed experiment to cure global warming, the world is sent into a cataclysmic ice age, killing most of humanity.  For nearly 18 years, the surviving population has been on board the train Snowpiercer, which was designed by the reclusive Wilford […]

Video Games: The Movie (20/07/2014)

From executive producer Zach Braff comes this chronicling of the evolution of video games from a nerd niche to a multi-billion dollar industry. From early innovators such as Atari and Nintendo, to the modern powerhouses of PlayStation and X-Box, video games have become a major part of pop culture within a relatively short timespan.  As […]

Boyhood (18/07/2014)

12 years in the making comes director Richard Linklater’s chronicle of a young man’s life from childhood to college.  Six year old Mason Jr. (Ellar Coltrane) is a young boy, who lives with his divorced single mother Olivia (Patricia Arquette) and older sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater), with the kids receiving regular visitations from their father […]

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (13/07/2014)

The stakes are raised in the second film of this rebooted Planet of the Apes series.  In the decade since the first film, the drug that has made apes smarter has also resulted in a global pandemic that killed half the world’s human population.  Caesar (Andy Serkis) has been living a peaceful existence with the […]

Life Itself (12/07/2014)

From Academy Award-nominated director Steve James (Hoop Dreams) comes this tribute to the life and career of film critic Robert Ebert.  Framed around excerpts from Ebert’s autobiography of the same name, narrated by sound-alike voice actor Stephen Stanton, Life Itself covers Ebert’s entire career from his early days as a critic for the Chicago Sun […]

Doc of the Dead (11/07/2014)

From director Alexandre Philippe (The People vs. George Lucas) comes this examination of the evolution of the zombie in film and literature, as well as its impact on pop culture.  Zombies began as voodoo creations in films, such as 1932’s White Zombie, before being reinvented as the living dead in George A. Romero’s The Night […]

Begin Again (11/07/2014)

Seven years after his breakthrough film Once, Irish director John Carney returns with another musical drama set in New York City.  Dan Mulligan (Mark Ruffalo) is a disgraced record executive, who stumbles upon an acoustic performance by singer-songwriter Greta (Keira Knightley). An English ex-patriot, Greta is struggling with her recent break-up with her rock star […]

22 Jump Street (05/07/2014)

The uncover buddy cop hijinks continue in 22 Jump Street.  After screwing up a drug bust, officers Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are sent back into the Jump Street undercover program, now located across the street at number 22.  Their task this time is to go undercover as college students and find the […]

Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (04/07/2014)

From Oscar-nominated director Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost) comes this film, which follows the 2013 trial of Boston ex-mobster James “Whitey” Bulger.  Bulger has ruled the organized crime world in Boston for over 25 years and was finally apprehended in 2011, after being on the run for 16 years, and charged with 19 counts of murder.  […]

Borgman (04/07/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films A vaguely sinister man invades the life of a suburban family in the dark Dutch fable Borgman. When he is first introduced, Camiel Borgman (Jan Bijvoet) is a bearded hermit, who is forced away from his underground den. Camiel finds his way to the […]

The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (27/06/2014)

From director Brian Knappenberger (We Are Legion) comes the tragic story of internet activist Aaron Swartz.  Swartz began as a programmer at a very young age and he helped co-found the website reddit.  He then focused himself on helping bring public access to the public domain, which got Swartz into trouble. He was arrested for […]

The Case Against 8 (27/06/2014)

In May 2008, same-sex marriage became legal in California.  However, mere months later, conservative forces placed a proposition on the November ballot, which defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.  This initiative, known as “Prop 8,” passed, resulting in the banning and invalidation of same-sex marriages in the state.  The Case Against […]

Blindspot 2014: Oldboy (24/06/2014)

This month I watched South Korean director Park Chan-wook’s 2003 revenge thriller Oldboy.  Businessman Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) is kidnapped and locked away in a hotel-like prison, while also finding out that he has been framed for the murder of his wife.  After being locked away for 15 years, Oh Dae-su is suddenly released and […]

Blood Glacier (19/06/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films This is a repost of a review originally posted during TIFF13, under the film’s original name The Station The Austrian sci-fi/horror film Blood Glacier focuses on a team of scientists on a Climate Research Base in the German Alps. Lead by Janek (Gerhard Liebmann), […]

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (17/06/2014)

The dragon-riding Vikings return in Dreamworks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon 2.  It has been five years since the village of Berk have made peace with the dragons that roam the land.  Having come of age, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) has been asked by his father, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), to succeed him as […]

NXNE 2014: Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back – The Quiet Riot Movie (15/06/2014)

In 1983, Quiet Riot became the first heavy metal band to have an album at the top of the Billboard charts, based on the strength of their hit single “Cum on Feel the Noize.” However, the band quickly found themselves falling into obscurity and in 2007 lead singer Kevin DuBrow was found dead of a […]

NXNE 2014: Riot on the Dance Floor (13/06/2014)

In the town of Trenton, NJ, there was a ramshackle club called “King Tut’s City Gardens.”  The club’s main concert promoter during its heyday was Randy “Now” Ellis, who booked over 4000 bands at the club.  During its lifetime, City Gardens hosted everything from underground punk bands to upstart alternative rockers.  Riot of the Dance […]

Edge of Tomorrow (07/06/2014)

Tom Cruise stars in the sci-fi time loop action film Edge of Tomorrow. For five years, humanity have been engulfed in a war with an alien race, known as Mimics, which seemingly have the ability to predict battles before they happen.  Major William Cage (Cruise) is a spokesperson for the United Defense Forces, who finds […]

A Million Ways to Die in the West (02/06/2014)

Following the success of his 2012 feature debut Ted, Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy) returns to direct and star in this comedic tale set in the Wild West. Set in the year 1882, in the small town of Old Stump, Arizona, sheep farmer Albert Stark (MacFarlane) tries his best to avoid the many violent confrontations (and […]

Filth (30/05/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films Based on the novel by Irving Welsh (Trainspotting), Filth focuses on Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson (James McAvoy), a chauvinist Scottish police officer, who is determined to get promoted to inspector.  With his young partner Ray Lennox (Jamie Bell), Bruce sets off to solve a […]

Cabin Fever: Patient Zero (29/05/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films In this latest instalment of the Cabin Fever horror franchise, a man named Porter (Sean Astin) is taken to a secret lab on an uncharted island in the Dominican Republic, which is run by Dr. Edwards (Currie Graham).  Porter is the carrier of a […]

Godzilla (2014) (17/05/2014)

Following his 2010 debut feature Monsters, director Gareth Edwards moves on to the greatest monster of all, with this new reboot of Godzilla.  Following the meltdown of the Janjira Nuclear Plant near Tokyo, plant supervisor Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) becomes paranoid that the meltdown was created by something other than an earthquake, as claimed by […]

Locke (13/05/2014)

Tom Hardy stars in this single location drama as a man having the worst night of his life on a drive to London.  Ivan Locke (Hardy) is a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, who leaves behind an important job in Birmingham, in order to drive to London and make right one of his […]

Only Lovers Left Alive (13/05/2014)

From cult independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch (Dead Man, Broken Flowers) comes the brooding vampire romance Only Lovers Left Alive.  Adam (Tom Hiddleston) is a centuries-old vampire, who currently lives a reclusive and depressed life in Detroit as a rock musician, with his only contact with the outside world being a human named Ian (Anton Yelchin), […]

Neighbors (11/05/2014)

From director Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), comes this comedy about new parents facing off against a fraternity that moves in next door.  Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) are a married couple, who are still learning to get used to a domesticated lifestyle with their new baby daughter.  To their surprise, the vacant […]

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (07/05/2014)

The cinematic reboot of everyone’s favourite wisecracking webslinger continues with The Amazing Spider-Man 2.  Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) continues to search for the answer about his parents, while his dangerous crime-fighting life as Spider-Man makes him concerned about the safety of his girlfriend Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone).  Meanwhile, Peter’s childhood best friend Harry Osborn (Dane […]

112 Weddings (05/05/2014)

Aside from his main career as a documentary filmmaker, Doug Block has had a 20 year side-career as a wedding videographer.  As he prepares to do the wedding video for his 112th wedding, Block decides to revisit a number of his past clients and catch up with how their marriages turned out.  What follows is […]

A Different Kind of Boy (05/05/2014)

Alexander is a teenage boy with autism, who has just finished school and is preparing to head out to live on his own.  Following his 18th birthday, Alexander goes on a trip to Barcelona with his older brother Sebastian.  As they head off to attend a game by FC Barcelona, the two brothers bond, as […]

Point and Shoot (05/05/2014)

In 2006, Baltimore native Matt VanDyke went on a 3 year motorcycle trip across North Africa and the Middle East in a self-described “crash course on manhood.”  Along the way, he became friends with a Libyan man named Nuri.  As such, when the revolution broke out in Libya, Matt felt obliged to travel to the […]

The Immortalists (05/05/2014)

Aubrey de Grey and Bill Andrews are two scientists, who hope to find a way to cure the human aging process. Aubrey is using his company SENS to research ways to clean up the “molecular garbage” that causes aging, while Bill is using his company Sierra Science to find a way to completely reverse the […]

Giuseppe Makes a Movie (05/05/2014)

Giuseppe Andrews is a former child actor, who had parts in films such as Detroit Rock City, American History X, and Independence Day.  Living in a trailer park, Giuseppe has produced almost 30 no-budget films with his producer Ed (a former background musician with the BeeGees).  With the goal to shoot his latest film Garbanzo […]

Self(less) Portrait (05/05/2014)

This semi-experimental documentary features intimate confessional interviews with 50 unique individuals. Sitting in front of a blank white screen, these people talk about everything from relationships, the search for identity, family violence, depression, suicide, sexuality, mental illness, aliens, religion and death.  These interviews are accompanied by a subtle synthesized score and the occasion inclusion of […]

Beyond Clueless (05/05/2014)

Narrated by Fairuza Balk, Beyond Clueless is a cinematic essay that looks into the mind, body, and soul of the teen movie.  The documentary consists clips and examples from over 200 films, including The Craft, Mean Girls, and Euro Trip. Diving headfirst into the psyche of the teen movie, Beyond Clueless focuses on issues, such […]

Pulp: a Film about Life, Death & Supermarkets (04/05/2014)

Best known for their 1995 hit song “Common People,” British rock band Pulp stopped playing around 2001-02.  With frontman Jarvis Cocker wanting to give the band a happy ending, they reunited for a tour of the UK in 2012.  Pulp: a Film about Life, Death & Supermarkets follows the band as they prepare to play […]

Hotline (04/05/2014)

All over the world, people call telephone hotlines for a wide variety of reasons.  Some people may be looking for support, through LGBT or suicide-prevention lines.  Others may be looking for advice from psychics like Miss Cleo or be looking for phone sex.  However, most times, people are just looking for someone to talk to.  […]

Out of Mind, Out of Sight (04/05/2014)

Winner, Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award In this follow-up to last year’s NCR: Not Criminally Responsible, director John Kastner returns to the Brockville Mental Health Centre, which is a forensic psychiatric unit, dealing with mentally ill individuals, who committed criminal acts.  Having unpredicted access to the facility, Kastner focuses on a number of patients over […]

The Darkside (04/05/2014)

Described as true stories from the other side, The Darkside features ghost stories from all across Australia.  A number of Australia’s most beloved actors, such as Claudia Karvan, Aaron Pedersen, Bryan Brown, Jack Charles and Deborah Mailman, were cast to tell these true stories in front of the camera.  The result is a series of […]

Mugshot (03/05/2014)

Originating after the invention of the daguerreotype in the 19th century, mugshots were originally intended to keep track of criminals.  However, aside from their use in law enforcement, they are considered by many to be a form of entertainment.  In addition, these photographs can be used as a visual history of the time period they […]

See No Evil (03/05/2014)

Celebrity apes are the subject of the observational documentary See No Evil.  Cheeta is the last of the apes to play the sidekick of Tarzan and is celebrating his birthday; Kanzi communicates with his trainer via a touchscreen computer and is learning to bond with his son Teco; Knuckles was the was subject a number […]

Advanced Style (03/05/2014)

Inspired by the blog of fashion photographer Ari Seth Cohen, Advanced Style follows a group of seven New York women, aged 62 to 95, who have maintained a sense of style, despite their advanced ages.  These women include Lynn Dell Cohen (80), who runs a storied boutique, Ilona Royce Smithkin (93), an artist recognized by […]

The Possibilities are Endless (03/05/2014)

In 2005, Scottish rock musician Edwyn Collins, best known for his 1994 hit “A Girl Like You,” suffered a serious stroke.  After waking up, Collins was only able to utter the phrases “Grace Maxwell” (his wife) and “The Possibilities are Endless.”  The Possibilities Are Endless places the audience into Collins’ mind as he recovers from […]

Fed Up (02/05/2014)

Over the past 30 years, obesity has essentially become an epidemic, with two out of every three Americans being overweight.  Narrated by journalist Katie Couric, Fed Up examines why the obesity rate is going up, despite the efforts of people to eat right and regularly exercise.  The answer possibly lies within the food industry itself, […]

A Dangerous Game (02/05/2014)

In this follow-up to his 2011 documentary You’ve Been Trumped, Scottish director Anthony Baxter gives an update on the fight against Donald Trump’s golf course in Aberdeenshire, while also exploring the larger issue of the wealthy 1% building golf courses on the world’s most fragile ecosystems.  Particular attention is given to the historic Croatian town […]

Kung Fu Elliot (01/05/2014)

Elliot “White Lightning” Scott is a man from Halifax, whose goal is to become Canada’s first action hero.  Claiming to have 7 lightweight kickboxing titles, Scott has written, directed, and starred in a series of hilariously awful no-budget kung fu b-movies, with titles such as They Killed My Cat (2009) and Stalker and the Hero […]

Rich Hill (01/05/2014)

Rich Hill, Missouri is a small town with a population of only 1393.  Andrew is a 14 year old, whose family is frequently moving; Appachey is a violent and foul-mouthed 13 year old, who’s always getting into trouble; Harley is a 15 year old with anger issues, living with his grandmother, while his mother serves […]

Super Duper Alice Cooper (30/04/2014)

From directors Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen (Metal: A Headbangers Journey) and Reginald Harkema (Leslie, My Name Is Evil) comes this “doc opera” about the career of Alice Cooper.  Narrated by Cooper and others, Super Duper Alice Cooper tells the story of how a preacher’s son by the name of Vincent Furnier became the shock […]

The Case Against 8 (30/04/2014)

In May 2008, same-sex marriage became legal in California.  However, mere months later, conservative forces placed a proposition on the November ballot, which defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.  This initiative, known as “Prop 8,” passed, resulting in the banning and invalidation of same-sex marriages in the state.  The Case Against […]

Love and Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere (29/04/2014)

Inspired by the memoir by author Poe Ballantine, Love and Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere examines an unsolved mystery in the isolated prairie town of Chadron, Nebraska.  In the Summer of 2006, a somewhat aloof but brilliant mathematician named Dr. Steven Haataja entered the town and began teaching at the local college. A […]

Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (29/04/2014)

From Oscar-nominated director Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost) comes this film, which follows the 2013 trial of Boston ex-mobster James “Whitey” Bulger.  Bulger has ruled the organized crime world in Boston for over 25 years and was finally apprehended in 2011, after being on the run for 16 years, and charged with 19 counts of murder.  […]

An Honest Liar (29/04/2014)

During his career, magician James “The Amazing” Randi was known as the greatest escape artist since Harry Houdini.  Randi always started his shows by describing himself as a “liar, cheat, and charlatan” and describes magicians as the most honest people, since they tell you that they are going to fool you.  This is why Randi […]

The Vanquishing of the Witch Baba Yaga (29/04/2014)

Passed from generation to generation, the Slavic folk tale of Baba Yaga tells the story of a pair of children, who find the witch living in a hut perched on chicken legs in a haunted forest.  The Vanquishing of the Witch Baba Yaga tells this story in an illustrated style, while interweaving it with a […]

Mad as Hell (28/04/2014)

Cenk Uygur is a Turkish-American political commentator, who is the creator and host of The Young Turks, which is described as the largest online news program in the world.  After graduating from law school, Uygur began The Young Turks as a public access TV show, before moving on to doing a radio show and eventually […]

Art and Craft (28/04/2014)

Mark Landis is one of the most prolific art forgers in U.S. history.  For over 30 years, Landis has forged over 100 pieces, donating them to 46 museums in 20 states.  Suffering from mental illness, Landis describes himself as having an “addiction to philanthropy” and finds himself continuing to create forgeries, even though he knows […]

Watchers of the Sky (28/04/2014)

Inspired by the book A Problem from Hell by Samantha Power, Watchers of the Sky looks into the history of genocide. The term was coined by Raphael Lemkin, who was seeking to change the laws that allowed sovereign nations to commit “legalized murder.”  The film looks at examples of genocide through the ages, including Rwanda […]

Doc of the Dead (27/04/2014)

From director Alexandre Philippe (The People vs. George Lucas) comes this examination of the evolution of the zombie in film and literature, as well as its impact on pop culture.  Zombies began as voodoo creations in films, such as 1932’s White Zombie, before being reinvented as the living dead in George A. Romero’s The Night […]

The Sheik (27/04/2014)

Hossein Khosrow Ali Vazir is best known to professional wrestling fans as “The Iron Sheik,” who was one of the most hated villains from the 1970s and 1980s.  Born in 1942 in Iran, The Iron Sheik played on the Islamophobia of fans, with the character being genuinely hated. The Sheik briefly won the World Wrestling […]

To Be Takei (27/04/2014)

George Takei is best known to fans for his role as Hikaru Sulu on the television series Star Trek.  Takei came out as homosexual in 2005 and has since become known as a gay rights activist, as well having a bit of a career renaissance through social media.  To Be Takei covers Takei’s entire career, […]

Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart (26/04/2014)

In 1990, 21 year old Pamela Smart was arrested for plotting the murder of her husband, which was committed by three teens – one of whom Smart had an affair with.  The case became a media sensation, with Smart’s trial being the first to be covered live on television.  The case also became inspiration for […]

David & Me (26/04/2014)

Ray Klonsky is a Jewish-Italian man from a racially mixed neighbourhood in Toronto.  When Ray’s father started to notice he was starting to go down a troubled path, Ray was connected with David McCallum, who is currently serving a life sentence in prison, for a murder that he did not commit.  With David’s story inspiring […]

Meet the Patels (26/04/2014)

While growing up as a first-generation Indian-American, Ravi Patel lived a double life.  At home he maintained a traditional Indian lifestyle, while in the outside world he lived as a modern American.  This included his only meaningful, yet secret, romantic relationship with a red-headed girl named Audrey.  Shamed about living this double life, Ravi breaks […]

Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story (26/04/2014)

In this follow-up to their 2010 documentary The Clean Bin Project, Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story follows filmmakers Jen Rustemeyer and Grant Baldwin on a six month challenge to live entirely on food waste.  One third of all food produced is not consumed, with much of it being thrown away, despite still being […]

Ukraine Is Not a Brothel (25/04/2014)

Following the fall of the Soviet Union, there was growing perception that all the women from Ukraine become prostitutes.  To combat this, the feminist activist organisation FEMEN was formed.  FEMEN members perform topless protests to speak out against the patriarchy left over from Ukraine’s Soviet past.  However, when it comes to the rights of women […]

The Special Need (25/04/2014)

Enea is a 29 year old Italian man with autism, who works in a textile factory.  He has never been in a sexual relationship and is often trying to pick up girls, though they more often than not ignore his advances.  Enea’s friends Alex and Carlo (the film’s director) decide to help Enea have his […]

I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (25/04/2014)

Anyone who grew up watching the long-running children’s television series Sesame Street would likely be familiar with the show’s signature Muppet characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.  However, fans of the show might not be as familiar with Caroll Spinney, the man behind the characters.  Now in his 80s, Spinney is one the last […]

Love Hotel (25/04/2014)

Throughout Japan, there are over 37,000 love hotels, where couples can find an escape from the realities of the outside world.  Love Hotel follows the staff and patrons of the Angelo Love Hotel in Osaka.  The clientele of the hotel include a middle aged couple trying reignite their passions, a dominatrix pleasuring S&M clients, and […]

Miraculous Tales (24/04/2014)

Mickey McGuigan has lived for 73 years in the small village of Carrive in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.  With farming on a downturn, the only booming business in the village is its fireworks factory.  However, McGuigan argues that there is another booming business in the area – cures and miracles.  He has set upon himself […]

Absences (24/04/2014)

In her latest film, director Carole Laganière (East End Kids) explores four subjects, each with a different story of absence.  Absences is inspired by Laganière’s own experiences with her mother, whose memory is slowly disappearing, as a result of Alzheimer’s syndrome.  The film also tells the story of Ines, who returns to Croatia to find […]

Four Letters Apart – Children in the Age of ADHD (24/04/2014)

Lindevangskolen is a special needs school in Denmark, which treats kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.  Four Letters Apart – Children in the Age of ADHD follows three kids at the school, each with their own different sets of problems; Martino has a habit of acting out violently, Martine regularly has tantrums, and Victor regularly […]

Kalyug (24/04/2014)

The old world meets the modern world in director Juri Mazumdar’s debut feature Kalyug. Somewhere in India, a group gathers around a campfire to hear stories about the dark age, Kalyug, where humans were living in a bad way.  These ancient stories are then brought into the modern age, with stories about poverty, AIDS, loss […]

American Interior (23/04/2014)

Welsh musician Gruff Rhys is the distant relative of 18th century explorer John Evans.  Evans left Wales for America in 1792, hoping to find a fabled tribe of Welsh-speaking Native Americans.  Along the way, Evans was responsible for doing much of the early mapping of the American interior.  Hoping to find the location of John […]

The Overnighters (23/04/2014)

A booming oil industry results in flocks of people migrating to the town of Williston, North Dakota, in the search for work. With many of these people having no place to stay, Jay Reinke, Pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church, begins an “overnighters” program, where he allows outsiders to either sleep inside the church or park […]

Harmontown (23/04/2014)

From director Neil Berkeley (Beauty Is Embarrassing) comes this documentary about Community-creator Dan Harmon’s 20-city comedy tour of the United States.  Harmon has always been one to strive for perfection, which consequently made him quite hard a man to work with. When he found himself in-between jobs in 2013, after being fired from Community, Harmon […]

The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (23/04/2014)

The opening film of Hot Docs 2014 tells the story of Aaron Swartz.  Swartz began as a programmer at a very young age and he helped co-found the website reddit.  He then focused himself on helping bring public access to the public domain, which got Swartz into trouble. He was arrested for using the servers […]

Blindspot 2014: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (20/04/2014)

For this month’s blindspot, I go back to 1998 and the debut film of British director Guy Ritchie, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.  Four friends, Eddie (Nick Moran), Tom (Jason Flemyng), Bacon (Jason Statham), and Soap (Dexter Fletcher), pool together £100,000 as the buy-in for a high-stakes card game Eddie is playing against crime […]

Dom Hemingway (20/04/2014)

Jude Law sleazes it up in the British dark comedy Dom Hemingway.  The titular Hemingway (Law) is a foul mouthed, heavy drinking larger-than-life safecracker, who just spent twelve years in prison after refusing to testify against his boss Mr. Fontaine (Demián Bichir).  Upon his release, Hemingway immediately reteams with his best friend Dickie Black (Richard […]

Journey to the West (17/04/2014)

Director Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle) returns with this comedic action-adventure, loosely inspired by the Chinese literary classic Journey to the West.  The film tells the story of Xuan Zang (Zhang Wen), a Buddhist monk learning to become a demon hunter.  Unlike other demon hunters, who set out to destroy demons, Xuan Zang is instructed […]

The Unknown Known (12/04/2014)

A decade after winning an Oscar for conducting a one-on-one interview with Robert S. McNamara in The Fog of War, Errol Morris tries to do the same for, former US Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld in The Unknown Known.  The title is a reference to a quote Rumsfeld makes, describing something that someone thinks they […]

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (12/04/2014)

In his second solo film adventure, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), better known as Captain America, is still trying to get used to life in the modern world, after spending 70 years in suspended animation.  Rogers has remained a part of the espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D., doing missions with Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), aka The Black Widow, […]

The Raid 2: Berandal (11/04/2014)

Director Gareth Evans returns with the sequel to his high octane Indonesian martial arts action film The Raid.  Mere hours after surviving the raid of the tenement building, Rama (Iko Uwais) is recruited into Jakarta’s anti-corruption task force to go undercover into one of the city’s largest crime syndicates and uncover the corruption in the […]

Noah (30/03/2014)

From director Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) comes this epic, based on the biblical story of Noah’s Ark. Noah (Russell Crowe) is a descendant of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve, who lives a simple life with his family, while the descendants of Cain, lead by Tubal-Cain (Ray Winstone) sends the world into ruin.  […]

Muppets Most Wanted (26/03/2014)

Following their 2011 comeback, the Muppets return for a world tour and heist hijinks.  Not knowing how to proceed after their reunion, the Muppets are approached by Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais), who offers to be their manager for a new world tour.  However, in reality Dominic is in league with the criminal mastermind Constantine, who […]

Nymphomaniac (25/03/2014)

From director Lars von Trier (Melancholia) comes this epic two volume story about a woman with a lifelong sex addition.  Left beaten and bloodied in an alley, the titular nymphomaniac Joe (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is taken in by the kind stranger Seligman (Stellan Skarsgård).  While she recovers in his home, Joe insists to Seligman that she […]

Blindspot 2014: Fantastic Mr. Fox (23/03/2014)

This month saw the release of, the latest film by Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel, which I saw last week.  As such, it seemed fitting that I make my blindspot selection this month the only film of Anderson’s that I had yet to see.  Fantastic Mr. Fox is based on the book by Roald […]

Afterparty (23/03/2014)

After his brother’s wedding, the best man Charlie (Graham Coffeng) invites a number of the guests over to the bride and groom’s house for a late-night afterparty.  All of these friends, who haven’t seen each other in years, are all at a different stage of their life.  For instance, Tracy (Ali Liebert) has a successful […]

The Privileged (22/03/2014)

Richard Hunter (Joshua Close) is a young lawyer for prestigious firm.  When he loses a case, after refusing to present a questionable piece of evidence, his boss Preston Westwood (Sam Trammell) is instructed to fire Richard by the end of the weekend.  However, since Richard had high hopes for the future, he and his pregnant […]

The Birder (22/03/2014)

The comedy film The Birder focuses on Ron Spencer (Tom Cavanagh), a bird-loving high school teacher, who is expecting to be named “Head of Ornithology” at the local birding park and spend the summer bonding with his teenage daughter Samantha (Cassidy Renee). However, Ron is shocked when the Park President (Fred Willard) instead gives the […]

Patch Town (21/03/2014)

The comedic musical fantasy Patch Town focuses on a lonely man named Jon (Rob Ramsay), who slaves away in a factory harvesting kids from cabbages, who are frozen as dolls and sold to kids around the world.  The factory is run under the watchful eye of the “Child Catcher” Yuri (Julian Richings), whose toymaker of […]

Nurse 3D (21/03/2014)

Playing as part of this month’s Rue Morgue CineMacabre screening series was this very campy and seductive horror film.  During the day, Abby Russell (Paz de la Huerta) is one of the best nurses at All Saints Memorial Hospital.  However, during the night, Abby goes on the prowl to seduce and kill adulterous men.  Abby […]

Shorts in Review (20/03/2014)

Tonight is the beginning of the 2014 edition of the Canadian Film Fest, which will be taking place from tonight through Saturday at the Royal Cinema.  I am planning on attending five of the festival’s screenings, including both the opening and closing film, and I will be posting reviews for those as weekend goes on.  […]

Trailer: The Animal Project (18/03/2014)

Here is the official trailer for The Animal Project, which is the latest film by Canadian filmmaker Ingrid Veninger (Modra, i am a good person/i am a bad person).  The film is about a theatre troupe, who dress up in animal costume and do crazy acts in the streets of Toronto.  Part of the reason […]

Second Look: Enemy (18/03/2014)

This review contains some SPOILERS When I saw Denis Villeneuve’s latest film Enemy at Canada’s Top Ten earlier this year, I did not really know what to think of it.  In the end, I decided to remain somewhat neutral on the film, since I knew that there was a chance that I would understand and […]

The Grand Budapest Hotel (17/03/2014)

Director Wes Anderson returns with this star studded film about a famous European hotel.  An author (Tom Wilkinson) recites a story about the time his younger self (Jude Law) visited the, formerly exquisite, Grand Budapest Hotel, in the Republic of Zubrowka, and spoke with its current owner Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham) about his history […]

Tim’s Vermeer (16/03/2014)

Directed and produced by the popular magic duo Penn & Teller, the documentary Tim’s Vermeer tells the story of the duo’s friend Tim Jenison.  Tim is a successful computer engineer and inventor, who sets out to try and recreate the photorealistic paintings of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer.  To this day, nobody knows how exactly Vermeer […]

The Husband (16/03/2014)

The latest film from director Bruce McDonald focuses on Henry Andreas (Maxwell McCabe-Lokos), a man who has to care for his infant son by himself, while his wife Alyssa (Sarah Allen) is in prison for sleeping with an underaged teenager named Colin Nesmith (Dylan Authors).  Being the husband of a convicted pedophile is a hard […]

In Fear (13/03/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films The following review might contain SPOILERS. The British horror thriller In Fear focuses on Tom (Iain De Caestecker) and Lucy (Alice Englert), a young couple on their way to a festival.  After stopping off at a pub, during which Tom has some sort of […]

300: Rise of an Empire (09/03/2014)

The battle between the Greeks and Persians continues with 300: Rise of an Empire. While the 300 Spartans are off fighting against the “God king” Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), an army of Athenian warriors, lead by Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton), fights a water-bound battle against Greek-born Persian naval officer Artemisia (Eva Green).  Themistokles has a personal burden […]

3 Days to Kill (03/03/2014)

From producer and co-writer Luc Besson and director McG (Charlie’s Angels) comes 3 Days to Kill.  Ethan Renner (Kevin Costner) is a CIA agent, who finds himself diagnosed with terminal cancer and is given only months to live.  Forced into retirement, Ethan travels to Paris in the hopes to reconnect with his estranged daughter Zoey […]

Blindspot 2014: Raging Bull (25/02/2014)

Since seeing Gangs of New York in 2002, I have steadily become a fan of the films of Martin Scorsese. However, with the exception of Taxi Driver and King of Comedy, I had yet to see many of Scorsese’s early films, which made him the acclaimed filmmaker he is today. As such, with this year’s […]

Pompeii (24/02/2014)

From director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil) comes the disaster epic Pompeii.  Milo (Kit Harington) is a young Celtic gladiator whose entire family was killed by Roman forces lead by Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland). Milo is brought to the city of Pompeii, where he enters a rivalry with gladiator champion Atticus (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and attracts the […]

AKP: Job 27 (21/02/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films From director Michael L. Suan comes this modern silent noir, which portrays a gangster romance entirely without dialogue.  AKP: Job 27 focuses on a Yakuza hitman (Tyce Philip Phangsoa), who travels to Toronto for his 27th job. While in the city, the hitman encounters […]

RoboCop (2014) (17/02/2014)

The recent 1980s remake trend continues with this new reboot of RoboCop. Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman), one of the only decent cops remaining on Detroit’s police force, is severely injured after an attempt on his life, via a car explosion.  This is the perfect opportunity needed by OmniCorp CEO Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton), who wants […]

The LEGO Movie (09/02/2014)

The classic building blocks receive their own film adaptation in The LEGO Movie. Emmet Brickowski (Chris Pratt) is an ordinary construction worker, who loves following the daily routines required for every citizen in his city. However, one night he comes across a woman named Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks), who is searching for the Piece of Resistance, […]

August: Osage County (02/02/2014)

Based on the play by Tracy Letts (Killer Joe), August: Osage County is an ensemble dramedy about one very dysfunctional family, coming together in the wake of tragedy.  After the disappearance of family patriarch Beverly Weston (Sam Shepard), his cancer-stricken and pill-popping wife Violet (Meryl Streep) is visited by the members of her family. Violet’s […]

Philomena (26/01/2014)

Finishing off my catching up of the Oscar nominees for Best Picture, I checked out this true story directed by Stephen Frears. When she was younger, Irish woman Philomena Lee (Judi Dench) was forced by nuns to give up her son, born out of wedlock, for adoption, with her also being forced into labour at […]

Dallas Buyers Club (22/01/2014)

My pre-Oscar catch-up begins with this biographical drama starring Matthew McConaughey and directed by Quebecois filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée (Café de Flore). The film, which takes place in the mid-1980s, tells the story of Ron Woodroof (McConaughey), an electrician and rodeo cowboy, who finds out that that he is HIV positive.  While at first Woodroof is […]

Blindspot 2014: Big Trouble in Little China (19/01/2014)

Well it’s time that I begin talking about another group of films that I am seeing for the first time.  For my first blindspot film of 2014, I have chosen a film that I have kept hearing great things about.  That film would be John Carpenter’s 1986 martial arts comedy Big Trouble in Little China.  […]

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (19/01/2014)

Based on the characters created by Tom Clancy, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit goes back to the start of the career of the CIA analyst.  After being injured during the war in Afghanistan in 2003, Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) is recruited into the CIA by Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner).  A decade later, Ryan is working a […]

Junkie (18/01/2014)

Indie Spotlight is a series focusing on reviews of independent films From director Adam Mason comes the dark comedy Junkie.  Danny (Daniel Louis Rivas) is a recovering drug addict living in his parent’s old house with his psychotic brother Nicky (Robert LaSardo).  Even though Danny is desperate to get clean, the bad influence of Nicky […]

American Hustle (15/01/2014)

From director David O. Russell (The Silver Linings Playbook) come this 1970s-set crime comedy, which is the fresh winner of three Golden Globes, including Best Picture Comedy/Musical.  Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) is a New York-based conman, who successfully operates a loan scam operation with his mistress Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams).  When the two of them […]

Rhymes for Young Ghouls (12/01/2014)

Set during a time in Canadian history when aboriginal kids were routinely sent to residential schools, Rhymes for Young Ghouls tells the story of a young girl named Aila (Kawennahere Devery Jacobs).  Aila’s life was shaken by tragedy at a very young age when her mother accidently ran over her younger brother, and subsequently committed […]

Asphalt Watches (11/01/2014)

From visual artists Seth Scriver and Shayne Ehman, comes this very trippy and surreal road trip across Canada.  Based on a real cross-country trip by Scriver and Ehman, Asphalt Watches follows the duo of Bucktooth Cloud and Skeleton Hat as they travel cross-country, with the help of an out-dated train hopping manual.  While hitchhiking, the […]

Gabrielle (11/01/2014)

Playing as part of the Canada’s Top Ten line-up, as well as opening this week for its regular release, Gabrielle is a coming-of-age story about a young woman’s desire to live a normal life, despite her mental disability.  Gabrielle (Gabrielle Marion-Rivard) is a young women with William’s Syndrome, who sings in a choir with other […]

Tom at the Farm (06/01/2014)

From director Xavier Dolan (Laurence Anyways), comes this darkly humorous psychological thriller.  After the death of his lover Guy, Tom (Dolan) travels from Montreal to the countryside and stays at the farm of Guy’s family, while attending the funeral.  Guy’s mother Agathe (Lise Roy) never knew that her son was a homosexual and his psychotic […]

Enemy (05/01/2014)

Jake Gyllenhaal faces off with himself in this new doppelganger thriller from director Denis Villeneuve (Incendies), which is an adaptation of Nobel Prize-winning author José Saramago’s novel The Double.  Adam Bell (Gyllenhaal) is a Toronto-based history professor, who lives a somewhat mundane and routine life with his girlfriend Mary (Mélanie Laurent). Based on the recommendation […]

The F Word (04/01/2014)

Toronto is the backdrop for this romantic comedy from director Michael Dowse (Goon).  Med school dropout Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) hasn’t been in a relationship since he broke up with his cheating ex-girlfriend (Sarah Gadon).  At a party, Wallace meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan), the cousin of his friend Allan (Adam Driver).  Wallace is instantly attracted to […]

Inside Llewyn Davis (30/12/2013)

From directors Joel and Ethan Coen comes this musical drama about a folk singer named Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac), who struggles to find success in Greenwich Village scene of 1961.  Practically homeless, Llewyn resorts to crashing on his friend’s couches, while he watches the greater musical success of his friends Jim (Justin Timberlake) and Jean […]

The Wolf of Wall Street (29/12/2013)

The latest film by Martin Scorsese is loosely based on the true story of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a Wall Street stockholder who became a self-made millionaire, using less-than-legal tactics.  Using the knowledge he learned from his mentor Mark Hanna (Matthew McConaughey), Belfort is able to quickly make a lot of money by selling penny […]

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (22/12/2013)

Nine years later, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) and his news team return in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.  After getting fired from his anchoring position and splitting up with his wife Veronica (Christina Applegate), a down on his luck Ron Burgundy is recruited by Freddie Shapp (Dylan Baker) to report the news on the new […]

Her (19/12/2013)

Spike Jonze returns as the writer and director of this very unconventional love story.  Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) is a socially awkward man, whose job involves writing love letters for other people.  Theodore is currently in the middle of a divorce with his wife Catherine (Rooney Mara) and finds himself quite lonely, with his only real […]

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (15/12/2013)

Peter Jackson’s epic three part extended adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit continues with The Desolation of Smaug. Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) continues his journey with the band of thirteen dwarves, lead by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage),  to reclaim the Kingdom of Erebor from the dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch).  Along the way, they […]

Frozen (09/12/2013)

Loosely based on the story The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen, the latest Disney animated film Frozen tells the story of the royal sisters Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) in the kingdom of Arendelle.  Elsa has the magical ability to create snow and ice, but she is forced to hide these powers […]

Introducing Blindspot 2014 (03/12/2013)

I still have one film to watch in this year’s “Cult of 2013” blindspot series, but I’ve already finalized the list of films I plan to watch next year.  While I’m not doing another theme year, much of 2014’s selection will be made up of films that I’ve been wanting to see for the longest […]

12 Years a Slave (01/12/2013)

From director Steve McQueen (Shame) comes the historical drama 12 Years a Slave.  Based on true events, the film tells the story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man living Saratoga Springs, New York in the 1840s.  A skilled violin player, Northup is lured away by two men offering a touring gig in […]

Thanatomorphose – Blood in the Snow 2013 (29/11/2013)

The body horror film Thanatomorphose focuses on a girl (Kayden Rose), who lives on her own in an apartment.  One day she notices that bruises have appeared over her body and that her hair is starting to fall out.  As the days go by, more injuries appear and the girl’s boyfriend (David Tousignant) comments on […]

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (24/11/2013)

One year after jointly winning the 74th annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) go on a Victor’s Tour of the districts of Panem, where Katniss has become a symbol for a slowly brewing rebellion against the Capital.  While Katniss is disturbed by the increasingly violent behaviour of the “Peacekeepers,” […]

Nebraska (19/11/2013)

Last night Alexander Payne appeared at the TIFF Bell Lightbox to present a screening of his new film Nebraska, which is scheduled to open in limited release this Friday.  The film focuses on Woody Grant (Bruce Dern), an overtly trusting curmudgeonly old man, who receives a letter in the mail, saying that he has “won” […]

Thor: The Dark World (18/11/2013)

The God of Thunder returns in Thor: The Dark World.  While investigating on anomaly in London, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) comes in contact with an ancient weapon, known as the Aether, which absorbs into her body.  Thor (Chris Hemsworth) arrives and takes Jane with him back to Asgard, in the hopes that his father Odin […]

Blue is the Warmest Colour (12/11/2013)

The winner of the Palme D’Or at this years Cannes Film Festival tells the story of Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos), a high school senior, who finds herself infatuated with blue-haired art student Emma (Léa Seydoux).  The two strike up a friendship, which quickly turns into a passionate love affair.  However, as time goes by, the passion […]

Man of Tai Chi (05/11/2013)

Keanu Reeves makes his directorial debut with the martial arts film Man of Tai Chi.  Tiger Chen (Tiger Hu Chen) is a student of the Ling Kong Tai Chi style, whose unique method of using the, traditionally meditative, martial art for combat attracts the attention of the mysterious Donaka Mark (Reeves).  Donaka uses his security […]

30 Ghosts (31/10/2013)

The documentary 30 Ghosts tells the story of Kim Hadfield, who is a horse farmer in rural Ontario, who moonlights as paranormal investigator.  Hadfield runs the Halton Paranormal Group, with a group of friends, and someday hopes to be an acclaimed paranormal investigator, with her own TV show.  However, it turns out that paranormal investigation […]

Escape from Tomorrow (30/10/2013)

The fantasy/thriller Escape from Tomorrow, is the infamous film, which gained some notoriety when it premiered at Sundance, due to the fact that it was primarily shot guerrilla-style at Walt Disney World, without the consent of Disney.  The plot of the film follows Jim (Roy Abramsohn), who is on vacation at Walt Disney World with […]

Birth of the Living Dead (29/10/2013)

The history behind of production of George A. Romeo’s Night of the Living Dead is revealed in the new documentary Birth of the Living Dead.  Using new interviews with Romero, and a wide variety of film experts, the film goes through the process of Romero making the film in 1968 and how it helped to […]

Captain Philips (27/10/2013)

From director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum) comes this true story about the captain of an Amercian cargo ship and his near-death experience with Somali pirates.  In 2009, Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) sets sail in the MV Maersk Alabama on journey towards Mombasa, Kenya.  Phillips’ journey takes him off along the coast of Somalia, which […]

Cheap Thrills – Toronto After Dark 2013 (26/10/2013)

This very dark comedy focuses on Craig (Pat Healy), an aspiring writer with a wife and 15 month old son, who suddenly finds himself in major financial trouble when he receives an eviction notice the same day he is laid off from his day job as a mechanic.  While drinking his sorrows away in a […]

The Machine – Toronto After Dark 2013 (23/10/2013)

This epic sci-fi thriller focuses on a scientist named Vincent McCarthy (Toby Stephens), who is working on a top secret military base for a man named Thomson (Denis Lawson) to create life-like robots.  While Thomson plans on using the end results for super-soldiers, Vincent secretly wants to create an A.I. to help cure his daughter, […]

Odd Thomas – Toronto After Dark 2013 (22/10/2013)

Stephen Sommers (The Mummy) directs this adaptation of the best selling novel by Dean Koontz.  Odd Thomas (Anton Yelchin) is a man with the psychic ability to see ghosts around him.  Odd often uses these abilities to help Police Chief Wyatt Porter (Willem Dafoe) to solve murders around the town.  One day, Odd sees a […]

Septic Man – Toronto After Dark 2013 (21/10/2013)

From director Jesse T. Cook (Monster Brawl) and writer Tony Burgess (Ponypool) comes the utterly disgusting body horror film Septic Man.  When a water contamination problem results in many deaths around the town of Collingwood, the mayor (Stephen McHattie) declares a state of emergency and evacuates the town.  Meanwhile, a local septic worker named Jack […]

We Are What We Are – Toronto After Dark 2013 (18/10/2013)

The opening gala film of the 8th annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival comes from director Jim Mickle, who previously directed the films Mulberry Street, which opened the festival in 2007, and Stake Land, which won the TIFF Midnight Madness People’s Choice Award in 2010.  The film focuses on two sisters, who are are struggling […]

Blindspot: The Cult of 2013: Dead-Alive (17/10/2013)

I’m doing my blindspot post early this month, since I’m going to be quite busy with the Toronto After Dark Film Festival, which begins tonight, and I wanted to ensure that I watch my film selection before the end of the month.  To go with the spirit of the Halloween season, I’ve decide to go […]

Machete Kills (16/10/2013)

The man they call Machete (Danny Trejo) is back for a new mission. Recruited by the President (Carlos Estevez aka Charlie Sheen), Machete is asked to put a stop to a missile pointed towards Washington. Machete learns that the missile is part of a plan by crazed arms dealer Luther Voz (Mel Gibson), who wants […]

After Tiller (10/10/2013)

There are probably not many topics that are more taboo and controversial than abortion.  The arguments for and against terminating pregnancies are so strong, that it is nearly impossible to come to an agreement that would satisfy all parties.  Even more controversial are doctors who perform abortions in the third trimester, since this is the […]

Gravity (06/10/2013)

Director Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men) heads to outer space with the survival epic Gravity.  Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is a bio-medical engineer on her first space mission, working with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney). While performing a spacewalk, doing work on the Hubble Space Telescope, Stone and Kowalski are hit with the debris […]

Prisoners (29/09/2013)

Acclaimed French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve (Incendies) makes his Hollywood debut with the thriller Prisoners.  Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) and his family heads over to the house of his friend Franklin Birch (Terrence Howard) for Thanksgiving dinner.  Afterwards, it is noticed that both Keller and Franklin’s daughters have gone missing.  Franklin’s son makes note of an […]

Insidious: Chapter 2 (22/09/2013)

James Wan returns with his second horror film of the year (and apparently his final one for the foreseeable future).  Insidious: Chapter 2 takes place nearly immediately after the events of the previous film and sees Josh and Renai Lambert (Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) staying with their kids at the house of Josh’s mother […]

Unclaimed (21/09/2013)

At the end of the Vietnam war, it was claimed that no American soldiers were left behind enemy lines.  Director Michael Jorgensen’s documentary Unclaimed somewhat challenges this statement with this story about a man, who is located living in Vietnam and claims to be a long missing American soldier.  The film’s main focus, and narrator, […]

Haunter (20/09/2013)

Director Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Splice) returns with a film that can be best described as a “reverse ghost story.”  Lisa (Abigail Breslin) is a teenaged girl, who begins to realize that she and her family are performing the exact same routines every day.  In addition, their house is surrounded by an endless fog and Lisa […]

TIFF 13 Films in Review (16/09/2013)

The 2013 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival is behind us and I can say that I had a fairly satisfying year.  Altogether, I saw a total of 24 films as part of this year’s festival.  This was my first year doing double duty for the film festival, since I wrote a number of […]

Night Moves (16/09/2013)

Director Kelly Reichardt (Wendy and Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff) returns with this very naturalistic look at a trio of eco-terrorists. Josh (Jesse Eisenberg) and Dena (Dakota Fanning) are a pair of environmental activists, who join up with Harmon (Peter Sarsgaard) in Portland to blow up a dam.  Despite a few bumps along the way, the plan […]

Witching & Bitching (15/09/2013)

The 25th anniversary of Midnight Madness concluded with a bang with the crazy horror/comedy Witching & Bitching by Spanish director Álex de la Iglesia (The Last Circus). Jose (Hugo Silva) is a down-on-his-luck divorced man, who is forced to bring his son Sergio with him on a robbery of a cash-for-gold store.  During the getaway, […]

The Wind Rises (14/09/2013)

Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki returns with a new film that is poised to be the director’s final feature before retirement. For the first time in his career, Miyazaki focuses on a character who existed in real life, in this case being aeronautical engineer Jiro Horikoshi.  The Wind Rises follows Jiro from childhood straight through […]

The Sacrament (14/09/2013)

Director Ti West (The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers) returns with a faux documentary look at a cult located in an undisclosed location outside of the United States.  Sam (A.J. Bowen) is a correspondent for Vice Magazine, whose colleague Patrick (Kentucker Audley) receives a letter from his estranged sister Caroline (Amy Seimetz), who has […]

Rigor Mortis (12/09/2013)

Hong Kong pop star, turned director, Juno Mak directs that a film that is meant as a homage to the 1985 vampire comedy Mr. Vampire, even casting that film’s star Chin Siu-Ho in the lead role. In Rigor Mortis, Chin plays an aging actor, who is mourning the loss of his wife and son and […]

Don Jon (12/09/2013)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes his directorial debut with the edgy romantic comedy Don Jon. Jon (Gordon-Levitt) is a suave New Jersey man, who has somewhat unrealistic expectations for relationships, due to his addiction to pornography.  Jon’s routine involves frequenting nightclubs with his friends, picking up one night stands, and then confessing his transgressions at Sunday church […]

Almost Human (11/09/2013)

On Friday October 13, 1987, Mark Fisher (Josh Ethier) was one of two men to disappear on during a series of strange events that occurred that night in a town in Maine.  His friend Seth (Graham Skipper) insisted that strange lights in the sky were the cause of Mark’s disappearance.  Two years later, Mark suddenly […]

Under the Skin (11/09/2013)

Scarlett Johansson plays a seductive alien temptress in Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin, which is loosely adapted from Michel Faber’s 2000 novel of the same name. Laura (Johansson) is an emotionless alien, in the form of attractive female, who drives around Scotland in a white van, looking to lure unsuspecting males back to her home […]

The Double (10/09/2013)

British comedian Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd) follows up his directorial debut Submarine with this highly surreal and stylized adaptation of the famous Dostoevsky novella. The Double focuses on Simon James (Jesse Eisenberg), a meek man, who lives a really unnoticeable existence.  His boss Mr. Papadopoulos (Wallace Shawn) fails to realize that Simon has been […]

Oculus (09/09/2013)

An antique mirror influences malevolent supernatural events in the horror film Oculus, by director Mike Flanagan (Absentia). Tim Russell (Brenton Thwaites) is released from a mental hospital a decade after he shot his father (Rory Cochrane), who had killed his mother (Katee Sackhoff). He is picked up by his older sister Kaylie (Karen Gillan), who […]

Belle (08/09/2013)

The issues of race, class, and gender in 18th century Britain are looked at in Amma Asante’s period drama Belle.  Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is the illegitimate, bi-racial daughter of a Royal Navy admiral (Matthew Goode).  She is left in the care of her uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson), who raises her, along with […]

The Station (07/09/2013)

The Austrian sci-fi/horror film The Station focuses on a team of scientists on a Climate Research Base in the German Alps. Lead by Janek (Gerhard Liebmann), the team discovers a blood-like red liquid coming out of a nearby glacier. It turns out that this liquid contains a single-celled organism, which infects local wildlife, developing into […]

All Cheerleaders Die (06/09/2013)

The 25th anniversary of Midnight Madness kicks off with this new horror-comedy by directors Lucky McKee (May, The Woods) and Chris Sivertson (I Know Who Killed Me). The film focuses on Maddy (Caitlin Stasey), who joins her high school’s cheerleading squad, in an effort to bring it down from within.  She also holds a personal […]

A Story of Children and Film (06/09/2013)

Director Mark Cousins follows up his epic documentary The Story of Film: An Odyssey with this new film that takes a look at depiction of children in cinema. While A Story of Children and Film is fully independent from his previous documentary, Cousins uses the same basic template from The Story of Film to discuss […]

V/H/S/2 – Toronto After Dark 2013 Spotlight Screenings (31/08/2013)

It is time for a second anthology of found-footage shorts with V/H/S/2.  Like the first film, V/H/S/2 centres around the discovery of a collection of VHS tapes, which leads into various short segments by a different indie horror director.  Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett (You’re Next) return from the previously outing and are joined in […]

The World’s End (25/08/2013)

Director Edgar Wright reteams with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost for the final entry of their “Cornetto Trilogy,” which began with Shaun of the Dead in 2004 and continued with Hot Fuzz in 2007.  In The World’s End, Gary King (Pegg) is a man pushing middle age, who can’t escape the glory days of his […]

Kick-Ass 2 (17/08/2013)

The teenager who decided to become as superhero is back in Kick-Ass 2.  Two years have passed since the events of the first film and Dave Lizewski (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has vowed to retire his alterego of Kick-Ass, especially since others have now started hitting the streets as superheroes.  However, Dave quickly becomes bored of the […]

Informant (13/08/2013)

The world of activism is supposed to be all about “fighting the man” and trying to make the world a better place in a way governments are unable or unwilling to do.  As such, it is probably the gravest capital sin for an activist to be found out as an informant for the FBI.  That […]

Elysium (10/08/2013)

Neill Blomkamp follows up his acclaimed debut film District 9 will the sci-fi/action film Elysium.  The film takes place in the year 2154, at which time the Earth has become practically unliveable, due to pollution and overpopulation.  In response to this, the Earth’s wealthy decided to leave the planet and relocate to the space station […]

Blue Jasmine (04/08/2013)

Woody Allen returns with a new dramedy about a woman trying to recover from a crisis in her life.  Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) is a former New York socialite, who underwent a nervous breakdown after losing everything, due to her wealthy husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) getting arrested for fraud.  In an attempt to rebuilt her life, […]

2 Guns (02/08/2013)

Denzel Washington teams up with Mark Wahlberg in the buddy action-comedy 2 Guns.  Washington plays an undercover DEA agent named Robert Trench, who is trying to trying to bring down a Mexican drug lord named Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos).  His partner Michael Stigman (Wahlberg) wants to rob a bank Greco have been regularly depositing […]

The Wolverine (28/07/2013)

The most famous member of the X-Men returns for this Japan-set solo adventure.  The Wolverine takes place a number of years after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand and begins with Wolverine (High Jackman) having long since left the X-Men and is now living in seclusion, haunted by visions of the late Jean Grey […]

The To Do List (26/07/2013)

Ever since films like Porky’s topped the box office charts more than 30 years ago, teen sex comedies have been spreading the message that there must be something inherently wrong with a person, who is not sexually active by the time they finish high school.  Of course, a belief like this wrong, and perhaps a […]

RED 2 (24/07/2013)

Those Retired and Extremely Dangerous secret agents are back for another mission in RED 2.  Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) has gotten used to living a domestic life, though the same can’t necessarily be said about his somewhat bored girlfriend Sarah (Mary-Louise Parker).  Frank finds himself called back in action again when he and Marvin Boggs […]

Only God Forgives (23/07/2013)

Ryan Gosling reunites with Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn for the Bangkok-set crime thriller Only God Forgives.  Julian Thompson (Gosling) is an American expat, who is running a Bangkok boxing club, which is a front for a drug-smuggling operation.  His older brother Billy (Tom Burke) brutally rapes and kills an underage prostitute and is in […]

The Conjuring (21/07/2013)

Director James Wan (Saw, Insidious) returns with this new haunted house thriller, which is supposedly based on a real case by infamous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.  In the film, Carolyn Perron (Lili Taylor), her husband Roger (Ron Livingston), and five daughters move into a farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island in 1971.  Beginning nearly […]

Pacific Rim (11/07/2013)

After five years of mostly producing/writing gigs, Guillermo del Toro returns with his latest directorial effort in the form the “monsters vs. robots” epic Pacific Rim.  A breach has opened deep within the Pacific ocean, which has given rise to waves of reptilian monsters, known as Kaiju.  When the monsters become too numerous for traditional […]

The Lone Ranger (07/07/2013)

From the team that brought you the Pirates of the Caribbean films come this new film adaptation of The Lone Ranger, which began as a radio serial in the 1930s, but is best known for the 1950s TV series.  In the film, the Native American warrior Tonto (Johnny Depp) recounts the story of the Ranger, […]

Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay (06/07/2013)

Ricky Jay is probably one of the best known magicians working today.  He is best known for his slight-of-hand card tricks and he will also be recognizable from his acting roles in films by the likes of David Mamet and Paul Thomas Anderson.  Ricky Jay’s career in magic dates back to when he was only […]

Monsters University (04/07/2013)

In this prequel to 2001’s Monsters Inc., the latest Disney/Pixar film Monsters University looks at the college years of Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) as they learned to become scarers.  Even though they eventually become best buddies, Mike and Sulley begin as bitter academic rivals, with Mike being an over-eager […]

Blindspot: The Cult of 2013: The Warriors (27/06/2013)

Marking the halfway point of my yearlong look at cult films, this month I chose Walter Hill’s 1979 gang thriller The Warriors.  The film takes place in a dystopian version of New York City, where street gangs outnumber the police five to one.  One night, all the gangs of the city are called together in […]

Much Ado About Nothing (26/06/2013)

After creating a number of cult classic TV series, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and Dollhouse, Joss Whedon finally received some major mainstream success last year as the director of The Avengers.  With this huge success behind him, you are left wondering what Whedon would choose to do next.  It turns out the […]

Before Midnight (16/06/2013)

When Richard Linklater first made the romance Before Sunrise in 1995, I don’t know if he expected that the film would turn into a series that tracked the progress of a romantic relationship over the decades.  Before Midnight meets up with Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) 18 years after they first met on […]

NXNE: Mistaken for Strangers (15/06/2013)

After missing the film when it played last month at Hot Docs, I was happy to get another chance to see the film Mistaken for Strangers when it played as part of the film portion of the NXNE festival this weekend in Toronto.  At the centre of the film is the indie rock band The […]

Man of Steel (15/06/2013)

Seven years after he last graced the big screen, Superman returns with a new film, produced by Christopher Nolan (the Dark Knight trilogy) and directed by Zack Snyder (Watchmen), that reboots DC comic’s’ signature hero.  The overall story remains the same:  With the planet Krypton on the verge of destruction, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) sends his […]

This is the End (12/06/2013)

Seth Rogen and his longtime writing parter Evan Goldberg make their directorial debuts with the apocalyptic horror/comedy This is the End.  The film is an expansion of a 2007 short they wrote entitled Jay and Seth versus the Apocalypse.  The film features an allstar cast of actors, all playing themselves, who have become popular in […]

The East (08/06/2013)

Writer/actress Brit Marling (Another Earth, Sound of My Voice) reteams with Sound of My Voice writer/director Zal Batmanglij for the thriller The East.  The film stars Marling as Sarah, who is an operative for an elite private intelligence firm.  Sarah is sent undercover to infiltrate an eco-terrorist organization named The East, who use an “eye […]

Behind the Candelabra (04/06/2013)

Steven Soderbergh’s Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra is notable for two things.  First, the film has been heavily hyped as being Soderbergh’s final film as a director.  It remains to be seen whether this truly will be his final film or if Soderbergh will merely end up taking a sabbatical for a few years.  The […]

After Earth (02/06/2013)

Director M Night Shyamalan returns for the first time since 2010’s The Last Airbender with the new sci-fi epic After Earth.  The film is a star vehicle for the father/son duo of Will and Jaden Smith, with Will Smith also getting credit for the film’s story and a producer credit, along with his wife Jada […]

Charles Bradley: Soul of America (01/06/2013)

With the current state of the music industry, it would be hard enough for a young person to make it big, let a alone a 62 year old man releasing his debut soul album.  That’s what makes the story of Charles Bradley: Soul of America so interesting.  Charles Bradley is a man with a tough […]

Mud (28/05/2013)

Matthew McConaughey has been having a very interesting career resurgence as of late.  While he spent most of the last decade starring in countless romantic comedies, he now finds himself starring in much smaller independent films, which tend to find him playing much more interesting characters.  This is the case with Mud, which is the […]

The Hangover Part III (25/05/2013)

It is the epic conclusion of the saga of the Wolfpack with The Hangover Part III.  After the death of his father, Alan (Zach Galifianakis) has fully gone off the deep end.  This results in Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), and Doug (Justin Bartha) staging an intervention and they prepare to drive Alan to […]

The Rep (23/05/2013)

In today’s world of the digital downloading and streaming, the concept of a repertory cinema probably sounds quite weird.  It is a cinema, in which the sole purpose is to play old films that you have likely already seen.  Most people would take a look at rep cinemas and ask “Why should I go this […]

Star Trek Into Darkness (19/05/2013)

This review contains plot details, which may be considered SPOILERS. After rebooting the Star Trek franchise in 2009, director J.J. Abrams ups the stakes in this follow-up.  A rogue Federation agent named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) attacks Starfleet, which results in Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and his crew, including Spock (Zachary Quinto), McCoy (Karl Urban), […]

The Great Gatsby (11/05/2013)

Director Baz Luhrmann (Romeo+Juliet, Moulin Rouge) returns with this new visually stunning adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic 1925 novel The Great Gatsby.  In the film, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) recalls the summer he became acquainted with the reclusive millionaire Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio).  Gatsby throws extravagant parties every weekend at his New York mansion, […]

Iron Man 3 (08/05/2013)

The second phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe begins with Iron Man 3.  Taking place sometime after the events of last year’s The Avengers, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has been feeling the effects of PTSD and spends his time working on his Iron Man suits, while becoming increasing distant from girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gwyneth […]

Films in Review (06/05/2013)

I was a very busy person during the 20th anniversary of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.  Altogether, I watched 36 feature documentaries and 4 short documentaries that played as part of the festival.  I’m happy to say that I was able to write-up full reviews for 24 of these films over the course […]

Brothers Hypnotic (06/05/2013)

To finish finish off my Hot Docs experience for the year, I chose this this upbeat film about a group of brothers, who perform together as the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.  All eight members of this band are the sons of anti-establishment Sun-Ra trumpeter Phil Cohran and got their starts performing as buskers on the streets […]

The Great Hip-Hop Hoax (05/05/2013)

The music industry is no stranger to hoaxes.  In fact, the story of the Milli Vanilli, the pretty-boy duo of the late 1980s, who were exposed as lip-syncers, probably remains the most infamous hoax of music history.  However, compared to Silibil n’ Brains, the main subjects of Jeanie Finlay’s documentary The Great Hip-Hop Hoax, Milli […]

Blood Brother (04/05/2013)

There comes a moment in everyone’s lives when they reach a crossroads.  While many people end up living normal and mundane lives, others find a greater calling.  Blood Brother tells the story of Rocky Braat, who decided to move from Pittsburgh to India, in order to help out at a hostel for women and kids […]

Teenage (03/05/2013)

It has only been within the last century when the second stage of life, known as adolescence, began to be defined.  Before then, you were either known as a child or an adult and it was not uncommon to see children as young as 12 working in factories.  When child labour laws were introduced in […]

Searching for Bill (03/05/2013)

In Searching for Bill, a man named Bob Maser travels from his home in New Orleans to Detroit, in order to recover his car, which was stolen by a grifter named Bill.  After finding Bill’s notebook in the car, Bob decided to go on a cross-country roadtrip to location this elusive figure.  In the meantime, […]

Free the Mind (02/05/2013)

How the mind works remains one of mankind’s biggest mysteries.  In fact, the mind is considered to be the most complicated organ in the universe.  Even though scientists try, we have still have not fully cracked the inner-workings of the mind, especially when it comes to mental disorders. Free the Mind focuses on Professor Richard […]

Buying Sex (02/05/2013)

It is commonly said that prostitution is the world’s oldest profession.  Some believe that sex is a commodity and there is absolutely nothing wrong with exchanging money for sexual services.  On the other hand, there are those that believe that prostitution is a form of male oppression, which has no need to exist in today’s […]

NCR: Not Criminally Responsible (01/05/2013)

When someone is accused of a crime as heinous as attempted murder, it is understandable to jump to conclusions and assume that the person is a monster.  However, what if the person was mentally ill and had no control over his actions?  Such people are declared “Not Criminally Responsible” for their crimes and sent to […]

Maidentrip (01/05/2013)

There are many high profile documentaries, about very important subjects, playing at this year’s Hot Docs films festival.  These films typically get the most attention and coverage.  However, Hot Docs also features small hidden gems, with heart-warming personal stories.  Jillian Schlesinger’s Maidentrip is one of those hidden gems and I am quite happy that this […]

Shooting Bigfoot (01/05/2013)

It’s fun to think about the fact that there is much in our world that has yet to be discovered.  For decades, we have heard rumours of creatures that exist in the wilderness.  In the Himalayas it is the Abominable Snowman, in Scotland it is the Loch Ness Monster, and here in North America it […]

TPB AWK: The Pirate Bay Away from Keyboard (30/04/2013)

Continuing right where Napster let off, The Pirate Bay is the world’s largest file-sharing website, generating the bulk of the world’s BitTorrent traffic.  While Napster was primarily targeted by the music industry, The Pirate Bay was targeted by Hollywood studios, due to the fact that the BitTorrent protocol allows for the download of large-sized files […]

Tales from the Organ Trade (30/04/2013)

There are people all over the world, who are desperate in need of a new organ to survive.  However, there is not enough supply to meet the demand and there are people who end up waiting years for a qualified donor to appear.  As such, some people go to extreme measures and spend thousands of […]

Muscle Shoals (30/04/2013)

It might be just a coincidence, but we seem to be getting a lot of “studio nostalgia” documentaries these days.  It was earlier this year when Dave Grohl released the documentary Sound City, about the classic rock studio.  Now we have Muscle Shoals, which is about a town in Alabama, which is home to FAME […]

The Kill Team (30/04/2013)

At one point in Dan Krauss’ war crime documentary The Kill Team, one of the film’s subjects has this to day about the situation he is in:  “From the day you join, to the day you’re out, your job as infantry is to kill everything that gets in your way.  Why are you pissed off […]

Valentine Road (29/04/2013)

Just northwest of Los Angeles is the California beach town of Oxnard.  There is nothing particularly special about the town and, chances are, the average person wouldn’t even know where it is.  Except of course, that Oxnard was the site of a horrendous alleged hate crime, which received nationwide coverage in the United States.  Valentine […]

Furever (28/04/2013)

I am a huge dog lover and my family’s two dogs provide me with a constant source of happiness.  Even though it’s inevitable, I try not to think about the fact that these pets are not going to live forever and will likely die much sooner than any human I’m close to.  Furever examines they […]

The Ghosts in Our Machine (28/04/2013)

These days it is not too uncommon to go on the subway in Toronto and see a poster about animal rights.  Animal rights has always been touchy subject, since many people have different opinions on it.  Some people are against animal cruelty, but still eat meat, while others heavily endorse a vegan lifestyle.  One of […]

Downloaded (27/04/2013)

I was in my late-teens when Napster and file sharing began to take off and I can vividly remember the huge controversy it generated.  After decades of buying music on vinyl and CDs, here was this software that allowed you to download high quality songs to your computer.  While downloading music and movies is commonplace […]

Oil Sands Karaoke (27/04/2013)

Canada’s Oil Sands is the second largest deposit of petroleum on Earth and has been a constant source of controversy.  The Oil Sands are a regular target of environmentalists, while oil companies praise their product as “responsible terror-free oil”.  However, Oil Sands Karaoke isn’t really about any of that.  Instead, the film is about a […]

Terms and Conditions May Apply (27/04/2013)

Anyone who has ever used a computer, or any form of technology, has probably have had to agree to “Terms and Conditions” at some point or another.  Since these digital contracts are often quite long and made up of confusing legalese, it has almost become second nature to blindly agree to these terms without any […]

Pussy Riot – A Punk Prayer (26/04/2013)

It would be understandable if someone assumed that Russia was better place, more than two decades after the fall of the Soviet Union.  However, when Vladimir Putin once again became president of Russia after a change in the law removing term limits, you have to wonder if Russia just exchanged communism for an ultra right […]

The Manor (25/04/2013)

One of the first shots seen in, Hot Docs opening film, The Manor is a man cleaning a neon sign of a suggestively posed woman.  If you were unaware of the fact the the Manor of the title is a strip club located in Guelph, the film makes sure to enlighten you to this fact […]

Oblivion (20/04/2013)

Tom Cruise has adventures on a post-apocalyptic Earth in the new sci-fi epic Oblivion.  Many years ago, an alien force invaded Earth in a war that absolutely decimated the planet.  Humanity has long evacuated to the Saturn moon of Titan and Jack (Cruise) and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) are the only remaining human occupants, while Jack […]

West of Memphis (20/04/2013)

I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical when I first heard of the new West Memphis Three documentary West of Memphis. As interesting as this story is, I thought that the saga of these three men imprisoned for the murder of three boys in West Memphis, Arkansas was more than covered in […]

iSteve (18/04/2013)

After the death of Steve Jobs in 2011, it seemed the race was on to make a biopic based on his life.  First out of the gate was jOBS, staring Ashton Kutcher, which recently debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.  In addition, there is a competing biopic in the works being written by Aaron Sorkin […]

The Place Beyond the Pines (18/04/2013)

Director Derek Cianfrance follows up the 2010 romance Blue Valentine with this film about two men on opposite sides of the law.  Luke (Ryan Gosling) is a motorcycle stunt driver, who is reunited with his old flame Romina (Eva Mendes).  Just as he was about to leave town with the carnival he works for, he […]

Upstream Color (14/04/2013)

I should probably preface by saying that Upstream Color is quite a difficult film to fully understand on a single viewing.  I’ve tried my best to process the film and I have a rough idea what it is about.  However, this is really a film that you need to see multiple times to fully get.  […]

Trance (14/04/2013)

After playing the awards game with the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire and Oscar-nominated 127 Hours, director Danny Boyle returns to dishing out his unique take on genre films.  In the case of Trance, what starts off as a fairly ordinary heist film, turns into psychological thriller in which the main protagonist begins to doubt the reality […]

Evil Dead (2013) (11/04/2013)

Over the course of the last decade or so, horror films from the 1970s and 1980s have been remade at increasing frequency.  Since this period is often considered one of the high points for the genre, there is constant frustration about Hollywood constantly mining established franchises, instead of creating original properties.  The latest of this […]

Love, Marilyn (06/04/2013)

More than fifty years after her death, Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most infamous of Hollywood tragedies.  Even though she had a very high ambition to succeed as an actress, she fell victim to typecasting and substance abuse.  There have been countless biographies about Marilyn over the years, with the most recent example being […]

Spring Breakers (03/04/2013)

Through its depiction in movies and popular culture, the spring break holiday has gained mythological status as the time when horny college students get to live out their hedonistic fantasies.  How many times have we seen spring break depicted as the place where people can go crazy with sex, drugs, and drinking, without worrying about […]

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (30/03/2013)

Continuing more or less where the previous film let off, G.I. Joe: Retaliation finds the G.I. Joe team betrayed by U.S. government, which has been taken over by Cobra.  The surviving Joes, including Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), Flint (D.J. Cotrona), and Snake Eyes (Ray Park), set off to stop the world domination […]

Second Look: John Dies at the End (28/03/2013)

I don’t often watch films multiple times in the cinema.  In fact, I can probably still count the number of times I’ve done so on one hand.  However, there are some films that I feel obliged to give another go around. One such film is John Dies at the End, which I “saw” when it […]

From Up on Poppy Hill (27/03/2013)

From Up on Poppy Hill is the latest film released by Japan’s Studio Ghibli.  This is the second film by Goro Miyazaki, who is the son of famed anime director Hayao Miyazaki, who co-wrote the film.  The film focuses on Umi and Shun, who are students in 1964 Yokohama.  Their school’s historic “Latin Quarter” clubhouse […]

Mr. Viral (24/03/2013)

In a nutshell, the darkly humorous thriller Mr. Viral can be described as Mad Men meets Fight Club.  Taking place at a Toronto ad agency, the film follows three interconnected storylines.  In the film’s primary story, the agency’s former creative director Simon (Jefferson Brown) sets out to outdo his smarmy replacement Andy (Christian Lloyd) by […]

Skull World (23/03/2013)

The documentary Skull World covers two subjects.  On one hand, the film follows two years in the life of Greg Sommer.  Sommer is better known by his alter-ego off Skull Man, in which he puts on a skeleton costume and exhibits a personality quite different from his own.  The other subject of the film is […]

The Disappeared (23/03/2013)

The Disappeared tells the story of six shipwreck survivors stranded on two life boats in the middle of the Atlantic ocean.  The crew consists of Captain Gerald (Brian Downey), Mannie (Billy Campbell), Gib (Ryan Doucette), Pete (Shawn Doyle), Merv (Gary Levert), and Dickie (Neil Matheson).  Gerald estimates that they are 600 miles from shore and […]

Please Kill Mr. Know It All (22/03/2013)

Please Kill Mr. Know It All is a romantic comedy about a writer named Sally (Lara Jean Chorostecki).  After hearing the horror short story The Monkey’s Paw as kid, Sally has come to the cynical conclusion that all wishes lead to bad things, especially after she experiences some unfortunate coincidences.  Despite her cynical outlook on […]

The Storm Within (21/03/2013)

The Canadian Film Fest opened in fine form with the period thriller The Storm Within (aka Rouge Sang).  The film focuses on a woman in rural Quebec, at the dawn on the 19th century, and her efforts to project her family from the band of British Soldiers, who decide to spend New Year’s Eve in […]

Greedy Lying Bastards (19/03/2013)

Ever since the release of An Inconvenient Truth in 2006, climate change has become one of the most heavily debated subjects in world today.  Of course, the subject of global warming has been an issue for decades.  However, at the same time, the debate has now turned into a he said/she said game between the […]

The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (18/03/2013)

In The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Steve Carrell and Steve Buscemi play Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton, who were once the most popular magic act in Las Vegas.  However, after a decade of doing the exact same act, they have started to become stale and have been losing their audience to an extreme street magician named […]

Leviathan (17/03/2013)

I should probably preface by saying that I have a love/hate relationship with avant garde/experimental films.  Some types of experimental films I find compelling, while others I find excruciating.  Sadly, I have to say that the highly experimental documentary Leviathan falls into the latter category. Leviathan is a cinéma vérité documentary about a group of […]

Oz the Great and Powerful (09/03/2013)

This review contains plot details, which may be considered SPOILERS. Sam Raimi returns with his first film in four years, which is a prequel to the classic story The Wizard of Oz.  In the film, James Franco plays Oscar “Oz” Diggs, a magician who performs in a travelling carnival.  He is unhappy with his meagre […]

Stoker (06/03/2013)

There seems to be a bit of a trend beginning, involving famed Korean directors making North American films.  A little over a month ago we saw the release of The Last Stand, which was directed by Jee-woon Kim, who was known in Korea for the films The Good, The Bad, and The Weird and I […]

Jack the Giant Slayer (03/03/2013)

Continuing the ongoing trend of fairytale adaptations, Jack the Giant Slayer expands the classic story of Jack and the Beanstalk into an epic adventure for the whole family.  Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class) plays Jack, a farmboy enamoured with the legends of giants his father would read him.  One day, while in town to sell […]

California Solo (01/03/2013)

In California Solo, Robert Carlyle plays Lachlan MacAldonich, the former guitarist of a somewhat successful Britpop band.  MacAldonich has long since given up music and is quite haunted by the tragic death of his older brother, who was the band’s lead singer.  He currently lives a meagre existence working on a farm by day, while […]

Dark Skies (24/02/2013)

From Fire in the Sky to The Fourth Kind, alien abduction has always been a popular subject of sci-fi/horror films.  It’s not really surprising, since the thought of extraterrestrials kidnapping and experimenting on humans is quite terrifying.  In fact, seeing such stories on 1990s paranormal TV shows, such as Sightings, sometimes gave me nightmares as […]

REPOST: Tower (22/02/2013)

The film TOWER opens this evening at the Royal Cinema in Toronto. In anticipation of this event, I thought that I would repost my review for the film, which was originally posted as part of my coverage of the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. Enjoy. According to the Q&A after the screening, the film Tower […]

Dead Before Dawn 3D (18/02/2013)

The closing film of the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival for Youth was the official North American premiere of this Canadian horror-comedy, which put a twist on the overused zombie apocalypse premise.  The film is notable for the fact that it is the first Canadian film to be shot in stereoscopic 3D (more on that […]

Ghost Graduation (18/02/2013)

I missed the Spanish comedy Ghost Graduation when it originally played last fall, as part of TIFF 2012, so I was happy when the film was brought back as part of the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival for Youth.  The film is described as “The Breakfast Club meets Ghostbusters” and I thought that the film […]

A Glimpse into the Mind of Charles Swan III (15/02/2013)

Where should I begin with this movie?  A Glimpse into the Mind of Charles Swan III is directed by Roman Coppola and stars Charles Sheen as the title character.  It’s not a particularly easy film for me to describe, since the film seems to move in multiple directions.  At its core, the film is about […]

A Good Day to Die Hard (15/02/2013)

Since the first Die Hard way back in 1988, the character of John McClane has been Bruce Willis’ signature film character.  The series returned after a 12 year absence with 2007’s Live Free or Die Hard and, six years later, John McClane returns for the fifth time with A Good Day to Die Hard. When […]

Side Effects (11/02/2013)

There might be minor SPOILERS in this review.When it comes to curing psychological ailments, it has almost become the norm to just “fix it with a pill.”  People often do not think twice when they take the medication prescribed to them by doctors.  Most of all, we often don’t stop to consider that these pharmaceuticals […]

Lunarcy! (10/02/2013)

Nearly 44 years ago, we were successful in putting a man on the moon.  There has been six manned missions to the moon between between 1969 and 1972 and we have not returned since.  The documentary Lunarcy! focuses on a group of individuals, who not only want to go to the moon – they want […]

Mama (07/02/2013)

If there is one thing I can say about the ghost story Mama, it’s that the film’s heart was in the right place.  I could see why, executive producer, Guillermo del Toro would want to put his support behind the film, since it was the kind of story that would attract him.  However, that couldn’t […]

Sound City (05/02/2013)

Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters directs a new documentary about the legendary studio, where he and Nirvana recorded the album “Nevermind.”  Sound City was literally a dumb of a studio located in the suburbs of Los Angeles.  However, it was the place where classic albums were recorded by the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Tom […]

The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2013 (03/02/2013)

If there’s a category at the Oscars that is difficult to predict, it is often the short film categories.  The reasons they are so hard to predict is that, more often than not, people have not (or could not) see the shorts before the Oscars.  For every short cartoon that plays before a Disney film, […]

Bullet to the Head (02/02/2013)

By some interesting coincidence, we seem to be in the middle of an “1980s Action Star Comeback Tour.”  Two weeks ago saw the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Last Stand, which I actually ended up enjoying.  In two weeks from now, Bruce Willis will be returning for his fifth Die Hard movie, which will […]

Blindspot: The Cult of 2013: Plan 9 from Outer Space (29/01/2013)

Edward D. Wood Jr. is infamous for being the “worst director of all time” and his magnum opus Plan 9 from Outer Space does indeed qualify as a “bad” film.  As the narrator Criswell appeared in the opening moments to introduce this tale of grave robbers from the stars, I knew that this film was […]

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (27/01/2013)

It is quite interesting how popular fairy tales seem to be right now.  In addition Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, there been three recent adaptations of Snow White (Mirror Mirror, Snow White and the Huntsman, and Blancanieves),  Jack the Giant Slayer coming out in March, as well as the TV series’ Once Upon a Time […]

The Waiting Room (24/01/2013)

The Waiting Room is a cinéma vérité-style documentary about a public hospital in California.  The film just shows the activity at the hospital over the course of the day.  The only real narration comes in the form of voiceovers from the staff and patients. At the very least, the film is an interesting look at […]

Lincoln (23/01/2013)

Part of me wishes that I went out and saw Steven Spielberg’s biopic of Abraham Lincoln before the Oscar nominations were announced and Lincoln became the leading film with 12 nominations, including Best Picture.  Whether I wanted to or not, this status was going to affect the way that I viewed the film. Instead of […]

Introducing Blindspot: The Cult of 2013 (21/01/2013)

I figured that for my second year doing the blindspot series, I would go for a theme.  A few months ago, I purchased the book 101 Cult Movies You Should See Before You Die and I figured that I would choose every film I see this year for the blindspot series from that book.  In […]

The Last Stand (20/01/2013)

It’s been nearly a decade since Arnold Schwarzenegger has had a leading role in an action film, having spent much of that time as Governor of California.  After brief supporting roles in the two Expendables films, Schwarzenegger officially makes his return in The Last Stand.  The films centres around a small town sheriff (Schwarzenegger), who […]

Broken City (18/01/2013)

In Broken City, Mark Wahlberg plays Billy Taggart, an ex-New York cop, who is now working as a private investigator.  He is called in by mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Russell Crowe) to investigate his wife Cathleen (Catherine Zeta-Jones), who Hostetler suspects is having an affair.  However, it turns out that this investigation might be part of […]

Zero Dark Thirty (16/01/2013)

Kathryn Bigelow follows up her Academy Award-winning film The Hurt Locker with another film based on the War on Terror.  In the case of Zero Dark Thirty, its a dramatization of the CIA’s search for Osama bin Laden.  These events are shown from the point of view of a feisty operative named Maya (Jessica Chastain), […]

Amour (14/01/2013)

If you aren’t feeling completely depressed after seeing Michael Haneke’s new film Amour, you are one emotionless person.  The film is about a hard truth everyone has to experience, but don’t often think about; the slow deterioration of someone that you love.  Almost the entire plot of the film is solely made up of the […]

My Awkward Sexual Adventure (13/01/2013)

This was definitely an interesting film for me to finish off Canada’s Top Ten with… As you may have guessed from the title, My Awkward Sexual Adventure is a comedy about an accountant in Winnipeg named Jordon (Jonas Chernick), who is dumped by his, somewhat shallow, girlfriend for not being that exciting in bed.  Jordon […]

The End of Time (13/01/2013)

The End of Time is not an easy film to describe.  The best way to put it is that the film is a somewhat experimental documentary about time and how different people from around the world conceive of it.  The film is a mix of philosophical narration, interviews, and nature shots.  In fact the nature […]

The Ambassador (12/01/2013)

This is one of those “I can’t believe he did that” types of documentaries.  In The Ambassador, Danish journalist Mads Brügger goes undercover as a Liberian diplomat in order to infiltrate the blood diamond trade in the Central African Republic.  It is a very dangerous act of deception and Brügger is warned that if he […]

Rebelle (War Witch) (09/01/2013)

Rebelle (War Witch) follows a teenage girl from the Congo named Komona, who is taken from her village and forced to join a group of rebel forces.  She drinks “magic milk” from a tree, which results in her seeing the ghosts of her parents, who warn her of upcoming danger.  This labels her as a […]

Stories We Tell (06/01/2013)

Sarah Polley has been in the spotlight for pretty much her entire life.  She began as a child actress and is known by many for her role on the CBC series Road to Avonlea.  As an adult, she was one known for mostly indie and Canadian films (aside from a starring role in Zack Snyder’s […]

Les Misérables (30/12/2012)

Les Misérables is notable for being the first of the few musicals I’ve seen on stage.  As such, I was somewhat curious in seeing this new film adaptation directed by Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech).  The film stars Hugh Jackman as ex-convict Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as the determined Inspector Javert, Anne Hathaway as the […]

Django Unchained (28/12/2012)

Quentin Tarantino fully embraces his love of Spaghetti Westerns (with a Southern twist) with his latest film Django Unchained.  The film stars Jamie Foxx as the title character, a slave who is freed and trained by a German bounty hunter named Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz).  Together they set out to free Django’s wife Broomhilda […]

This is 40 (22/12/2012)

It was less than a decade ago when Judd Apatow established himself as a comedy king.  After producing mostly TV series during the 1990s and early 2000s, Apatow hit a one-two punch by producing Anchorman in 2004 and directing The 40 Year Old Virgin in 2005, both of which would go on to be big […]

Jack Reacher (21/12/2012)

“I Mean to Beat You to Death and Drink Your Blood From a Boot.” Jack Reacher is an adaptation of the book One Shot by Lee Child and stars Tom Cruise in the title role.  Since there are over a dozen Jack Reacher novels in publication, it can be assumed that this film is aiming […]

Searching for Sugar Man (17/12/2012)

Imagine you are a folk rock singer in the early 1970s, who is discovered in a Detroit bar and signed to record deal.  You record a couple records and, even though the music is well-received, the records don’t sell and you are dropped from the label and forgotten about.  Now imagine that over twenty years […]

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (15/12/2012)

More than a decade after The Lord of the Rings first graced the screens, Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth for the first of three films based on, J.R.R. Tokien’s Lord of the Rings predecessor, The Hobbit.  While the original source novel is a relatively brief children’s story, in comparison to the latter books, Peter […]

Samsara (10/12/2012)

Samsara is not an easy film to describe.  I guess you can call Samsara a documentary, even though it isn’t really about anything. I suppose my best description of the film would be “Avant Garde meets National Geographic.”  It’s a film that you watch for the experience of watching it.  There is nothing in the […]

Cloud Atlas (10/12/2012)

Six weeks into its release, I finally caught up with Cloud Atlas, the epic multi-story film directed by the collaboration of Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) and Andy and Lana Wachowski (The Matrix). The film is based on the novel of the same name by David Mitchell and features a large ensemble cast that includes […]

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography (07/12/2012)

Skateboarder, turned filmmaker, Stacy Peralta (Dogtown and Z-Boys) directs this autobiographical documentary about the skateboard team Peralta formed and coached in the late 1970s, through the 1980s.  The entire documentary is made up of talking head interviews with the main members of the Bones Brigade, interspersed with the archive footage of the team in their […]

Ping Pong (04/12/2012)

As you can guess from the title, Ping Pong is a documentary about the sport, also known as Table Tennis.  More specifically, the film follows eight participants competing in the “World over 80s Table Tennis Championships” in China.  The film is pretty much as straight-forward sports documentary, which first introduces each of the players one […]

Killing Them Softly (02/12/2012)

It is obvious from the opening credits that Killing Them Softly is more art film than crime film.  Sure, the film focuses on a hitman named Jackie (Brad Pitt), who is called in to kill those responsible in a robbery.  However, the film moves at quite a slow pace, which features much more talking than […]

Life of Pi (29/11/2012)

Life of Pi is the new film by director Ang Lee and is about an Indian boy named Pi, who is stranded in a lifeboat after a ship sinks, with his only company being a Bengal tiger.  The film is a very spiritual and mystical film and religion plays a very big role in the […]

Silver Linings Playbook (25/11/2012)

Romantic comedies are usually films I avoid like the plague.  They have a highly clichéd nature to them that does not appeal to me.  Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule and my curiosity peaked when Silver Linings Playbook won the People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The film […]

Holy Motors (20/11/2012)

Holy Motors is not an easy film for me to describe.  At first glance, the film seems to be a series of, seemingly unrelated, vignettes, all of which feature a mysterious character, by the name of Monsieur Oscar, playing a different persona.  The film doesn’t seem to have a traditional narrative, other than a framing […]

The World Before Her (18/11/2012)

The World Before Her is a socio-political look at the role of women in India from two different perspectives: the Miss India beauty competition and a militant camp that teaches traditional Hindu values.  However, at it’s heart, the film is an examination of India as a patriarchal society, where women are treated as second-class citizens.  […]

Argo (18/11/2012)

I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about Ben Affleck’s third directorial effort Argo, so I thought I should make it a point to see the film while it was still in theatres.  Argo is a true story about C.I.A. agent Tony Mendez (Affleck), who travels to Iran, undercover as a film producer, in […]

The Story of Film: An Odyssey (12/11/2012)

It was definitely one hell of a ride.  Over the last two months, I ventured out to watch each instalment of this epic 15 hour documentary.  It’s definitely not an easy undertaking, especially since the first episodes, from way back in late September, now seem like a distant memory, compared to the final episodes I […]

Skyfall (10/11/2012)

This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the James Bond franchise and with it comes the new film Skyfall.  It was a decade ago when the Bond series fell victim to excess, including invisible cars and a heavy use CGI stunts.  This resulted in the series to strip back and reboot the Bond franchise as […]

Wreck-It Ralph (08/11/2012)

I’ve always been a huge fan and player of video games, so the premise of Wreck-It Ralph – about a video game villain fed up with his bad guy status – really appealed to me.  I also liked the fact that Disney took the time to licence actual video game characters, from games such as […]

The Story of Film: An Odyssey – Episodes 11&12 (07/11/2012)

The history begins getting more mainstream as we near the final stretch. Episode 11: The Asian Movement This episode spends a fair amount of time on the films coming out of Hong Kong and India in the 1970s.  The episode looks at the Shaw Bros films, as well the rise of Bruce Lee.  There is also […]

Ace Attorney (05/11/2012)

Last night, I attended a special screening of Takashi Miike’s adaptation of the popular Capcom video game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (you can read my overview of the games over on my Tumblr blog).  The film has been described as the best video game adaption ever and I have to be compelled to agree with […]

Manborg (03/11/2012)

Manborg is an über-cheesy, ultra low-budget science fiction film, which is a homage to…well, über-cheesy, ultra low-budget science fiction films!  The film is meant to look and feel like an old direct-to-video film that you would have found in the VHS bargain bins in the 1980s. Sometime in the future, humanity has fallen against the […]

The Story of Film: An Odyssey – Episodes 9&10 (30/10/2012)

After taking a week-long hiatus for Toronto After Dark, The Story of Film: An Odyssey has returned with the latest batch of episodes. Episode 9: American Cinema of the 70sThis episode is all about the rise of New American Cinema and the changing face of Hollywood, with many new directors emerging with a knowledge of […]

Short Film Thoughts – Toronto After Dark 2012 (29/10/2012)

In addition to the 20 feature films, there was also 29 short films that screened at Toronto After Dark.  The shorts were divided into two separate programmes: Canada After Dark consisted of 20 Canadian shorts films, which played before each of the features.  Then there was the Shorts After Dark showcase, which screened 9 international […]

After – Toronto After Dark 2012 (22/10/2012)

Two strangers named Freddy and Ana meet each other as they travel alone on bus heading back to their home town of Pearl.  Even though they are apparently strangers, by coincidence they find out that they happen to live close by to each other on the same street.  After some mild flirting between the two, […]

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning – Toronto After Dark 2012 (22/10/2012)

Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning is the fourth entry of the series about dead soldiers being turned into the ultimate killing machines.  The film is a direct follow-up to the previous entry Universal Soldier: Regeneration and is directed by that film’s director John Hyams.  That said, the film also works well as a stand-alone entry, […]

Seven Psychopaths (15/10/2012)

Seven Psychopaths in the follow-up by director Martin McDonagh, who was last seen with the dark comedy In Bruges in 2008.  While the previous film had a story that became increasingly dark and dramatic, Seven Psychopaths is very much a comedy – albeit a very dark and violent one.  The film has flourishes of the […]

Taken 2 (13/10/2012)

When it was released in 2008, Taken became a surprise hit and started Liam Neeson’s current career path as an action star.  That said, there wasn’t really any need for a sequel.  The film was seemed like a fairly stand-alone story, which saw Neeson’s ex-spy Bryan Mills tear through Paris looking for his kidnapped daughter.  […]

Frankenweenie (10/10/2012)

Frankenweenie began life as a half hour short film made towards the beginning of Tim Burton’s career in 1984. 28 years later, Burton has expanded Frankenweenie into a feature length, black and white, stop-motion film, which is essentially Burton’s homage to classic horror films. The film, which is directly inspired by Frankenstein, sees a boy […]

Looper (30/09/2012)

Ever since the release of the high school-set noir Brick in 2005, which I consider to be one of my all-time favourite films, I have considered Rian Johnson to be a director to keep an eye on.  For his third, and most ambitious, feature Looper, Johnson reunites with Brick star Joseph Gordon-Levitt for a sci-fi […]

Blindspot: A Serious Man (24/09/2012)

For this month’s blindspot film, I am choosing a release that is only three years old.  I highly regretted missing out on the Coen Brothers’ A Serious Man when it was released in 2009, especially after the film went on to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.  I suppose that I missed out on […]

The Master (22/09/2012)

After making, what I consider to be his masterpiece, There Will Be Blood, Paul Thomas Anderson returns with The Master.  The film focuses on a drifter named Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), who comes across a man named Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman).  Dodd is the founder of a movement called “The Cause,” which some may […]

Summary of Film Thoughts (17/09/2012)

I saw a whopping 25 films during the course of TIFF (26 if you count On the Road, which I saw at a pre-festival screening).  It’s definitely hard to write coverage for the festival when the bulk of your time is spent watching the movies. I managed to write roughly a dozen film reviews over […]

John Dies at the End (16/09/2012)

To say that John Dies at the End is a weird film would be a bit of an understatement.  The film focuses on a man named David Wong (Chase Williamson), who sits in a restaurant and tells his story to a journalist named Arnie (Paul Giamatti).  It’s a hard movie to describe, but in essence, Dave and […]

I Declare War (15/09/2012)

I Declare War focuses on a group of boys in their early teens, who are playing war games in the woods.  The game is essentially a glorified version of “Capture the Flag,” which has the boys divided into teams, who have to locate each other’s base and take their flag.  According to the rules, getting shot […]

Antiviral (15/09/2012)

I am quite a big fan of David Cronenberg, so I was definitely interested when it was announced that his son Brandon was going to screen this year at TIFF.  Based on what I’ve heard from the film’s debut at Cannes, the apple has not fallen far from the tree and the film hearkens back to David […]

Smashed (13/09/2012)

Smashed focuses around an elementary school teacher named Kate (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who lives a somewhat carefree lifestyle with her husband Charlie (Breaking Bad‘s Arron Paul).  Both Kate and Charlie are heavy drinkers and are barely able to function through their lives. Kate begins to realize that her drinking may be a problem when she […]

Tower (12/09/2012)

According to the Q&A after the screening, the film Tower was not intentionally meant to be about Asperger’s Syndrome.  However, as someone who has Asperger’s and was able to greatly relate with the main character of the film, I will say that I believe that Tower is probably the most genuine and unbiased cinematic portrayal of […]

Berberian Sound Studio (12/09/2012)

It so happens that I took a Post-Production sound class last spring and I am quite familiar with the time and effort that it takes to make and record sounds for films. Berberian Sound Studio is about a British sound editor named Gilderoy (Toby Jones), who is called in to do the sound for an Italian […]

The Act of Killing (11/09/2012)

In Indonesia during the 1960s there was a large genocide, in which the paramilitary group in charge of the country decided to kill off anyone they accused to be a communist. The Act of Killing follows a group of people who committed these murders.  They are working with the director to reenact their killings in the style of […]

Byzantium (10/09/2012)

In just five years, I’ve fast became a fan of Saoirse Ronan and will probably see anything she’s in.  The same can pretty much be said about Gemma Arterton, who I absolutely loved in The Disappearance of Alice Creed, which played at TIFF a few years ago.  As such, when I found out about this film that […]

Reincarnated (09/09/2012)

I have never really been a big hip-hop fan, however I’ve always been intrigued by rapper Snoop Dogg as a personality.  The point of the documentary Reincarnated is that Snoop has essentially grown a bit tired of the rap world and he wants to reinvent himself. As such, he takes a trip to Jamaica and sets […]

Frances Ha (08/09/2012)

After helping introduce her to mainstream audiences in Greenberg, Noah Baumbach reunites with Greta Gerwig (who also co-wrote) in this new quirky comedy. The film focuses on Frances (Gerwig), an apprentice for a dance company, who lives with her best friend Sophie (Mickey Sumner).  The film is portrayed almost like a series of extended vignettes, which are […]

Dredd 3D (07/09/2012)

Back in 1995, there was an adaptation of the Judge Dredd comics that starred Sylvester Stallone and audiences generally frowned upon Stallone’s interpretation of the character, namely in the way he quickly got rid of Dredd’s trademark helmet.  Well, it’s 17 years later and a new reboot has surfaced, which was reportedly supposed to be closer to […]

On the Road (07/09/2012)

TIFF is now upon us and it is now time for my first review of the festival! On the Road is an adaptation of the classic novel by Jack Kerouac.  The film focuses on Sal Paradise (Sam Riley), who is an aspiring writer and the narrator of the film.  The narration of the film is in Kerouac’s […]

Premium Rush (02/09/2012)

Living in a big city like Toronto, I have a love/hate relationship cyclists.  I have no issues with people that treat bicycles like the vehicles that they are and obey the rules of the road.  However, it annoys the hell out of me when I come across cyclists that seem to believe they can bike […]

Blindspot: Full Metal Jacket (28/08/2012)

It was actually a pretty good month for seeing films for the first time and there are at least three films I could have written about today.  I’ve decided to go with the film that is freshest in my mind, which is probably also the most acclaimed the three.  That film would be Stanley Kubrick’s […]

Red Lights (22/08/2012)

Red Lights is director Rodrigo Cortés’ follow-up to his 2010 film Buried.  The film follows psychologist Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant Tom (Cillian Murphy) as they venture out to debunk psychics using their scientific explanations.  A blind psychic named Simon Silver (Robert De Niro) decides to come out of retirement and all signs to see to point […]

The Expendables 2 (18/08/2012)

When The Expendables came out in 2010, it was advertised as being the ultimate all-star action film.  While it still turned out OK enough, it didn’t really turn out to be the film that it was hyped up to be.  The Expendables 2, on the other hand, is exactly the film that I was expecting the […]

Compliance (17/08/2012)

If someone called you claiming to be a police officer, would you obey everything he tells you to do with no questions asked? Compliance is the extremely controversial film that debuted at Sundance and is inspired by a series of true events. In the film, a manager of a fast food restaurant named Sandra (Ann Dowd) […]

ParaNorman (17/08/2012)

My favourite scene of the stop motion film ParaNorman happens within the first five minutes.  The opening scene of the film is a full-on homage to grindhouse films of the 1970s, complete with an old-fashioned “Feature Presentation” title card, grainy and scratched images, and a synthesized score.  I definitely have to say that I liked the zombie […]

Killer Joe (17/08/2012)

After the whole projector breakdown fiasco on Tuesday, I returned today to see Killer Joe in its entirety and I am glad that I did.  I was correct in my estimation that there was only half an hour left to the film when the incident occurred. However, I have to say that I am glad that […]

The Bourne Legacy (12/08/2012)

While most would automatically assume The Bourne Legacy is a reboot of the Bourne franchise, it is more a side-story that takes place during and after the events of The Bourne Ultimatum. It turns out that Jason Bourne and the Treadstone and Blackbriar programs that created him were just a small peace of a larger network of […]

The Watch (29/07/2012)

If there is a word I could use to describe The Watch it would be “uneven.” If you take Old School, 21 Jump Street, The I.T. Crowd, and Attack the Block and mash them all together, you might come up with something that looks like this film.  The film is advertised as a sci-fi comedy, though this […]

Blindspot: The Silence of the Lambs (28/07/2012)

It’s a very serendipitous blindspot pick for me this month, since I just happened to get The Silence of the Lambs on blu-ray, in a 2-for-1 deal, and I thought that it would be a good film to write about this month (the other film in that deal was the blu-ray for Donnie Darko, which will […]

Neil Young Journeys (26/07/2012)

Neil Young Journeys is the third Neil Young concert film directed by Jonathan Demme, which follows 2006’s Neil Young: Heart of Gold and 2009’s Neil Young Truck Show. The bulk of the film consists of footage from a May 2011 concert at Massey Hall in Toronto.  While some of Young’s hits are featured, the bulk of the […]

The Dark Knight Rises (21/07/2012)

Aside from the tragedy of last night’s movie theatre shooting, The Dark Knight Rises ended up being a highly enjoyable conclusion to Christopher Nolan’s trilogy of Batman films. The film takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight. Gotham City is now relatively crime free and Bruce Wayne has retired the Batman persona and […]

Beasts of the Southern Wild (18/07/2012)

Beasts of the Southern Wild focuses on a young girl named Hushpuppy, who lives in a perpetually flooded area of the southern United States nicknamed The Bathtub.  She lives with her father Wink and together they must cope with the changing world. The film is told entirely from Hushpuppy’s perspective.  As such, the film is just […]

V/H/S – Toronto After Dark 2012 Summer Screenings (12/07/2012)

The headliner of the Toronto After Dark summer screenings was undoubtedly the Canadian premiere of this found-footage anthology horror film that sold out the Bloor Cinema with 700+ in attendance. The film features five segments, and a framing story, each directed by a different indie horror director.  The framing story, directed by Adam Wingard (You’re Next), has a group […]

Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview (10/07/2012)

In addition to my Film Studies degree, I have a diploma in Computer Programming that I received from Humber College in 2003.  While I don’t do all that much programming these days, I am still very much interested in computers and technology and I was quite interested in watching this unearthed 1995 interview with Apple […]

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (08/07/2012)

This film has a very simple story – the end of the world is imminent and two strangers go on a roadtrip to reunite with their loved ones before the Apocalypse. The apocalypse is not something that immediately comes to mind when you are creating the plot for a romantic comedy.  Indeed, the film retains a dark overtone throughout […]

The Amazing Spider-Man (04/07/2012)

If nothing else, The Amazing Spider-Man can be seen as an experiment about how responsive an audience would be towards a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, only five years after the last film (and a decade after the first film).  Those in the know are aware to the fact that this film was created as a way […]

Ted (30/06/2012)

Ted is a movie based on a gimmick, though it’s a quite funny gimmick.  Most of the comedy in the film is dependent upon the fact that a bunch of lewd and adult acts are being perpetrated by a talking teddy bear. If it wasn’t for this gimmick, the film would end up just being your […]

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (27/06/2012)

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is a bit of a difficult film to properly process.  The film has an inherently ridiculous premise that is played as straight as possible throughout the plot of the film.  It would be almost accurate to say that the film is actually a history drama about Abraham Lincoln that just happens to involve vampire […]

Blindspot: The Terminator (26/06/2012)

I don’t know what prevented me from seeing The Terminator earlier.  I suppose, like all the films on my ever-growing watchlist, it was a combination of a lack of availability and a lack of time.  I’m not usually one to buy DVDs of films I haven’t seen unless they are sale (and indeed that is how […]

The Island President (25/06/2012)

It seems that climate change documentaries are about a dime a dozen these days.  However, I would say that The Island President stands out from the rest, because it puts a face to the issue. The film focuses on President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives.  Nasheed was elected president after a 30 year rule of a dictator […]

Brave (24/06/2012)

After seeing the latest Disney/Pixar collaboration Brave, I realized how difficult a film it is to market without giving away some major plot details.  Indeed, the film I saw today was quite different than the film that was advertised in the trailers.  That said, I still enjoyed the film that I saw. Without giving away […]

Windfall (15/06/2012)

I first became familiar with wind turbines about a decade ago when a turbine was installed within Exhibition Place in Toronto.  Also, on the route to my family’s cottage, I often pass a big wind farm in Shelburne, Ontario, which has hundreds of these generators. Being a city-dweller, I often don’t think twice about wind […]

Cosmopolis (13/06/2012)

Outside of a New York City building (that looks remarkably like Toronto’s Union Station), 28-year-old billionaire Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) decides that he wants to get a haircut on the other side of town. His bodyguard Torval (Kevin Durand, doing his best Christopher Walken impression) advises against this, because the visiting U.S. President will make traffic […]

Beneath (12/06/2012)

Yesterday I went to a private screening of an ultra-low budget horror film entitled Beneath.  The film was directed my friend and old York University classmate David Hollands, who had been working on the film since he shot it back in 2007 (while we were still students, he had a screening of earlier cut, then […]

Safety Not Guaranteed (10/06/2012)

Safety Not Guaranteed can be seen as a further example of how the Mumblecore independent film movement, namely those that involve the Duplass brothers, have been steadily moving into the mainstream (the Duplass’ have come a long way since The Puffy Chair). Produced by the Duplass Brothers, and co-starring Mark Duplass, Safety Not Guaranteed tells the story of a […]

Prometheus (09/06/2012)

Ridley Scott’s return to science fiction in 30 years began as a sort of prequel to Alien that expanded the backstory of the origins of the mysterious ship where the alien creatures were originally found. Indeed those prequel elements are still very much present within Prometheus.  However, it seems that Scott decided all but severe the […]

High School (09/06/2012)

High School is a stoner comedy about two teenagers, who decide to get their entire high school stoned on pot brownies in order to mess up the results of a drug test set up by the very strict headmaster (played by a nearly unrecognizable Michael Chiklis). The problem with many stoner comedies is that if you are not […]

Moonrise Kingdom (06/06/2012)

For better or worse, Moonrise Kingdom is probably the best film Wes Anderson has made.  He’s turned himself into quite an auteur over the years creating films that have a very distinct visual style. Moonrise Kingdom looks and feels like it was made in the 1960s setting of the film.  The film is a coming of age […]

Piranha 3DD (02/06/2012)

Two years ago we saw the release of the 3D remake of Piranha.  Back then I liked the film because it was exactly what I expected it to be – a fun and campy gorefest. Piranha 3D was a bit of a surprise horror hit in 2010 and of course that means that they just had […]

Indie Game: The Movie (30/05/2012)

I finally managed to catch up with the film I most wanted to see at Hot Docs, but was sadly unable to.  Indie Game: The Movie is about the world of independent videogame designers; a sub-industry that as blossomed in the rise of digital distribution platforms, such as X-Box Live Arcade. The film features three indie games: Braid, […]

Blindspot: Bad Boys (29/05/2012)

It’s the summer movie season, so why not use the blindspot series to catch up with some mindless popcorn flicks?  Since Men in Black III was just released last weekend, I figured that I would hit the rewind button and check out the film that fully transitioned Will Smith from a sitcom star/rapper to a full […]

Men in Black III (27/05/2012)

It would be understandable for someone to be apprehensive about a second sequel to the sci-fi/comedy Men in Black.  2002’s Men in Black II didn’t have the same charm as the 1997 original and the fact that it took a full decade for a third chapter to be made seemed to hint that people weren’t exactly clamoring for […]

Marley (24/05/2012)

As you could probably tell from the title, Marley is a documentary about the life and career of reggae superstar Bob Marley.  With a running time of 2hr24min, the film will definitely tell you all that you would ever want to know about Marley. In some ways, I feel the documentary was a bit too long, […]

Bernie (19/05/2012)

It’s been a while since I’ve seen anything by Richard Linklater, with the last film of his that I saw theatrically being 2006’s A Scanner Darkly.  However, I would have to that that his latest film Bernie can be included amongst his best. I knew very little about the film before seeing it, other than the […]

Headhunters (16/05/2012)

The Norwegian action-thriller Headhunters features a relatively simple story.  Roger Brown (Aksel Hennie) is a corporate headhunter, who moonlights as an art thief.  He comes across a valuable painting that seems to permanently end his financial woes, however in the aftermath of this latest theft, he finds himself (literally) hunted by the painting’s owner Clas Greve (Game of Throne‘s Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). I […]

Dark Shadows (12/05/2012)

When I heard that Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows was based on a 1970s horror-based soap opera, that was the film I was expecting it to be.  When the trailer came out, it looked like the film was taking a campy and comedic route, which I’m sure would have excited people who liked Tim Burton’s early work, […]

Sound of My Voice (12/05/2012)

Sound of My Voice is going to be a bit of a hard film to talk about, since I don’t want to reveal too much about how it turns out.  However, I will try my best. The film is about a journalist named Peter and his girlfriend Lorna, who infiltrate a cult lead by a mysterious […]

The Job (06/05/2012)

For my final film of Hot Docs, I saw this French documentary that filmed the recruitment process for an insurance company.  Ten job seekers come in for the job, not even being told what it is, and they go through a recruitment process that I can best describe as both shocking and enthralling. To call […]

We Are Legion: The Story Of The Hacktivists (06/05/2012)

We Are Legion tells the history of “hacktivism,” the recent movement in which activist acts are done by a group of individuals through the internet.  The main focus of the film is group “Anonymous.” A very interesting aspect of this history is that Anonymous started out as essentially online pranksters with no political agenda.  Eventually they would become […]

The Avengers (06/05/2012)

The Avengers has a lot of set-up.  Each of the main members of this superhero team were introduced through their own film over the course of the last 4 years.  It’s definitely an ambitious plan to release five independent films to introduce the characters before bringing them together in one epic movie. And the movie is […]

The Queen Of Versailles (05/05/2012)

Even though it was not the original intention of the documentary, The Queen Of Versailles is a very interesting case study about a spoiled rich family and their attempts to cope with the financial crisis. The main focus of the film is Jackie Siegel, the trophy wife of timeshare king David Siegel.  Jackie has seven children (and one […]

My Name is Faith (04/05/2012)

My Name is Faith is about a girl named Faith, who suffers from what is called Attachment Disorder.  As a very young child, she suffered from the neglect of her birth mother and, as a result, she is unable to trust her new adoptive parents. The film follows Faith as she goes to a camp for […]

Herman’s House (03/05/2012)

Herman’s House is about two people – Herman Wallace and Jackie Sumell.  Wallace was Black Panther member, who was falsely accused of murdering a prison guard and has been kept in solitary confinement at Angola prison for about 40 years.  Jackie is an artist and activist, who collaborated with Wallace on an art project in which she […]

Francophrenia (Or: Don’t Kill Me, I Know Where The Baby Is) (02/05/2012)

I am not going to waste too much of my energy talking about this “film,” which has ended up being my least favourite of Hot Docs.  So, James Franco was shooting a guest role on General Hospital and there was some behind the scenes footage shot.  According to the introduction by the co-director, there wasn’t really […]

Finding Truelove (01/05/2012)

I should probably begin by saying that even though I am going to be quite critical of this film, I am still going to acknowledge that the filmmakers are still quite young and seemed pretty happy that the film got into a film festival and was actually shown to people.  Plus, they gave out free […]

Radioman (01/05/2012)

You may not know Craig “Radioman” Castaldo by his name, but I am almost certain that you have seen the guy.  Radioman is known for appearing at the film sets around New York City, always with his bike and trusty radio.  Often this results in him getting a brief cameo role in the production.  In […]

Her Master’s Voice (30/04/2012)

There are 189 films screening throughout the course of Hot Docs.  With so many films screening during the week, it can be easy for some of these films to get lost in the shuffle and get overwhelmed by the docs with big buzz. I am happy to say that I have discovered one of the […]

Beauty is Embarrassing (30/04/2012)

Beauty is Embarrassing tells the story of Wayne White, who started off as a puppeteer and has now received some recognition for his word paintings (where he paints humourous phrases over prepainted landscape). White received some early fame for he work on the popular 80s television show Pee-Wee’s Playhouse.  He also worked on the show Beakman’s […]

Beware of Mr Baker (29/04/2012)

Ginger Baker, who was best known for his work with the bands Cream and Blind Faith, is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time.  He is also a complete madman. Beware of Mr Baker is candid look back at Baker’s life and career as told through his own words.  The entire documentary is […]

GLOW: The Story Of The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling (28/04/2012)

If you watch professional wrestling in this day and age, you would find that women wrestling is all but a joke.  For about every women wrestler that’s a true athlete (and actually a good wrestler), there’s about ten that are just hired for their looks (and are likely former models). GLOW tells a different story.  In […]

The Imposter (28/04/2012)

My experience at Hot Docs kicked off in a big way with The Imposter.  Even though it was the first film that I would see at the festival, I can say now that it is probably going to be the one to beat. The film is done in a very similar style to the films […]

The Raven (26/04/2012)

I suppose that I shall start by saying that, even though the film is called The Raven (and features plenty of ravens within the film), it has nothing at all to do with Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem (if you want an adaptation, watch the 1963 Vincent Price film).  I suppose the title is meant as […]

Blindspot: Bottle Rocket (24/04/2012)

Here is my first post for the Blindspot series, in which I will finally get around to seeing the films that I have been really meaning to see. Wes Anderson is definitely one of the most quirky and interesting independent directors to surface in the last 15 years or so.  I’ve seen nearly every one […]

Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope (21/04/2012)

Morgan Spurlock is best known for making “infotainment” documentaries, where he is usually on camera as the subject, in addition to being the director (i.e. Super Size Me and last year’s The Greatest Movie Ever Sold).  However, with his latest documentary about the San Diego Comic-Con, Spurlock is neither seen nor heard and he lets […]

Sound It Out (20/04/2012)

Tomorrow happens to be International Record Story Day.  As such, it is not that surprising that the Bloor Cinema would program a new documentary that is all about celebrating the joy and charm of the independent record store. Sound It Out documents the very last record shop in Teesside, which is located in the North East of England. […]

The Cabin in the Woods (14/04/2012)

It’s going to be hard to talk about this movie without giving away too much of the plot.  In fact, if you’ve seen the trailer for this film, you probably already know too much. I will say that it’s a very self-aware horror film that plays greatly with horror cliches and expectations.  It was also […]

Mirror Mirror (13/04/2012)

It’s been a busy week with my 30th birthday among other things, so I haven’t been able to find the time and write my thoughts on the film that I went out and saw for my birthday. I was one of the many people who were less than impressed by the trailer for this whimsy-looking […]

Bully (07/04/2012)

“Sticks and Stones may Break My Bones, but Names Will Never Hurt Me” That’s a phrase that was taught to me when I was in elementary school as a response to bullying, even though the belief that names don’t hurt isn’t exactly accurate.  I was bullied all throughout elementary and high school and it was […]

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (05/04/2012)

Jiro Dreams of Sushi tells the story of Jiro Ono, who is considered one of the top sushi chefs and a small basement restaurant in Tokyo.  The film also deals with the pressures faced by Jiro’s son Yoshikazu, who is expected to not only carry on, but exceed his father’s legacy. The way this documentary is shot […]

Wrath of the Titans (30/03/2012)

I don’t know where to begin when it comes to Wrath of the Titans.  I actually somewhat enjoyed the previous film Clash of the Titans (even though I decided to give it half a point less in my rating).  That film still ended up being somewhat watchable, despite being one of the first (of many) victims of […]

Tabloid (30/03/2012)

They often say that truth is stranger than fiction.  That is never more apparent than in Errol Morris’ documentary Tabloid, which takes a look at tabloid culture through the eyes of a former beauty queen, whose life was literally torn apart by tabloids. The story that kicks off this saga is strange enough – the […]

The Hunger Games (23/03/2012)

OK, now for the main film I saw last night.  The Hunger Games is probably the most anticipated film of the spring and I went to go see it at a midnight screening. The film takes place sometime in the future, where the land is split up into twelve districts and ruled by a somewhat totalitarian government.  After […]

The Raid: Redemption (23/03/2012)

It was a busy day of movie screenings last night.  First up was a screening of this Indonesian action film, which won the Midnight Madness People’s Choice award at last year’s Toronto Film Festival. It was definitely a high-octane film.  The film features many crazy martial arts movies, along with some extreme violence (with the […]

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey (21/03/2012)

Being Elmo is straight-forward documentary about Sesame Street puppeteer Kevin Clash and his journey from loving the Muppets as kid to becoming one of the most popular characters on Sesame Street – Elmo.  The film is also a very intriguing behind-the-scenes look into the world of the Muppets and some time is spent in the film showing how they are made (which essentially […]

Silent House (18/03/2012)

Silent House is a horror film that is presented as one continuous shot.  I’ll say now that this was probably one of the most effective elements of the film.  The film flows seamlessly and you almost forget at times that it’s a non-stop shot (though I managed to spot a couple of the invisible cuts). […]

21 Jump Street (16/03/2012)

I consider Jonah Hill to be quite a funny actor when he is cast in the right type of movie.  21 Jump Street is not the right type of movie (don’t get me started on co-star Channing Tatum).  You can tell when an action-comedy isn’t really working when you are able to keep a straight face […]

John Carter (11/03/2012)

Apparently they have been trying to make a film adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ A Princess of Mars since at least 1931.  This was the first of a series of novels about “John Carter of Mars” written in the early twentieth century, which influenced much of the later science fiction works to come out in the […]

Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie (03/03/2012)

Nearly 11 years ago, I made a serious error in judgement when I went to see Tom Green’s film Freddy Got Fingered, without being fully aware at how extreme Tom Green’s “comedy” was.  I ended up hating the film and I thought there wouldn’t be any chance that I would see a worse film. I […]

Goon (01/03/2012)

In its most simple description, Goon is hockey film for people who don’t really like hockey films.  It could also be described as a film for people who prefer the violent nature of hockey, as opposed to the sport itself. The film stars Seann William Scott as a completely dumb, yet kindhearted, brute of a guy […]

Pink Ribbons, Inc, (24/02/2012)

While the focus of this film is Breast Cancer charities, the question it asks is universal: When you give money to a charity, does it truly go to helping the cause? Breast Cancer awareness (and its accompanying Pink Ribbon campaign) is probably the most mainstream of all charities and it’s also the most commercialized.  I would be […]

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (18/02/2012)

The directorial duo of Neveldine/Taylor had a somewhat entertaining start to their career with the original Crank.  However, in every film they made since (Crank 2, Gamer, and now Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance), they have steadily become my least favourite filmmakers. Through their direction, Neveldine/Taylor took the sequel to 2007’s Ghost Rider (a film […]

Man on a Ledge (05/02/2012)

Last week when it opened, Man on a Ledge was overshadowed by The Grey and barely registered in the top five with an opening gross of only $8M.  However, after finally getting around to seeing the film today (I chose it instead of Woman in Black, which I already saw or Chronicle, which I feared would make […]

A Separation (31/01/2012)

It all begins with the desire of one Iranian woman to leave Iran for a better life.  Her husband does not want to leave and instead wants to stay and care for his father with Alzheimer’s.  The couple file for divorce and so begins a series of events that will tear their family further apart. […]

The Grey (30/01/2012)

Now, on this day of Guillermo del Toro sightings, I also happened to see a movie.  They were really hyping this movie over the last few days as having a performance by Liam Neeson that was so good, that plans are already being made to re-release the film in October for a possible Oscar qualifying […]

Monsieur Lazhar (29/01/2012)

I saw Canada’s Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language film on Friday evening, but a busy couple of days have prevented me on saying anything about it until now. Quite simply, Monsieur Lazhar is a film about a schoolteacher in Montreal, who takes over a class following the tragic suicide of their previous teacher.  The film […]

The Woman in Black (27/01/2012)

Tonight I saw and advance screening of this new ghost story staring Daniel Radcliffe, which has its regular release next week.  This is Radcliffe’s first post-Harry Potter film and it is definitely a different type of role for him, being a gothic horror film. Radcliffe plays a lawyer, who comes to a small English town to […]

Haywire (20/01/2012)

Steven Soderbergh isn’t often known for directing action films and, as it turns out, Haywire isn’t your usual action film.  Storywise, this type of film, about a black ops agent who has been betrayed, has been told many time before and film is actually bit stylistically similar to the Bourne films. The film stars former MMA fighter […]

Take This Waltz (15/01/2012)

For my final film of Canada’s Top Ten, I saw this quirky romantic comedy directed by Sarah Polley.  One thing that stands out for this film right away is that even though it’s a Canadian film that takes place in Toronto, it features a very well-known cast of both Canadian and American actors, including Michelle […]

Café de Flore (14/01/2012)

Last night I saw a film at Canada’s Top Ten that I can probably say will end up being the best of the films that I have seen. Café de Flore tells two stories.  The first story, set in present day Montreal, is about a love triangle of sorts in which a DJ named Antoine (Kevin Parent) […]

A Dangerous Method (13/01/2012)

I’m started to head into the cream of the crop of the Canada’s Top Ten selection.  A Dangerous Method is of course the latest film by David Cronenberg.  The very fact that the film is directed Cronenberg might affect the opinions of some from an auteuristic point of view.  On it’s the own, I thought that […]

Edwin Boyd (09/01/2012)

The second film I saw at Canada’s Top Ten also happened to be the film that won Best Canadian Film at the last film festival. Edwin Boyd is a film that tells the story of the notorious Canadian bank robber of the same name.  The film tells how Edwin Boyd (played by Scott Speedman) got into […]

Keyhole (08/01/2012)

 TIFF’s annual celebration of Canadian Cinema is now well underway and today I saw the first of five films I plan on seeing in the Canada’s Top Ten series – Guy Maddin’s Keyhole. This was only the second of Maddin’s films that I have seen, the other being 2008’s My Winnipeg.  However, it’s definitely obvious […]

Carnage (06/01/2012)

Roman Polanski’s latest film, based on the play God of Carnage, is a very simple and hilarious film about how a simple conversation can quickly blow out of proportion. The whole film is one giant coversation between two couples.  The son of Nancy and Alan (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) hit the son of Penelope […]

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (03/01/2012)

I delayed my list of my favourite films of 2011 as I went out to see some last-minute possible contenders.  I saw War Horse on Sunday and I now I went to see Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy today. The film is an old school Cold War spy thriller in which a British spy named George Smiley (Gary […]

War Horse (01/01/2012)

It’s definitely been a busy holiday season for Steven Speilberg, with War Horse being the second film of two simultaneous films directed by him to be released this season.  The film is adaptation of the novel and stage play (which actually opens in Toronto next month). The film tells the story of a horse named […]

The Adventures of Tintin (28/12/2011)

Making a film version of The Adventures of Tintin was a bit of risky move for Steven Spielberg, since the popular Belgian comics are next to unknown in the United States.  The opposite can be said here in Canada, where there was a popular animated series based on the books that aired in the 1990s.  I have fond […]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) (24/12/2011)

There was a question I asked myself many times while watching David Fincher’s English-language adaptation of the novel by Stieg Larsson: If I didn’t previously see (and enjoy) the original Swedish adaptation, would I have liked this film better?  The answer I came up with was: probably not. I thought that Fincher’s version of the story […]

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (19/12/2011)

This has definitely been a very busy movie-watching weekend for me, with this being my third film in three days.  You can partially blame the fact that this is the time of the year where studios release all their biggest films for the holiday rush. Anyways, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is second of Guy […]

My Thoughts for Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (The IMAX Experience) (17/12/2011)

In a bit of a unique move, the fourth entry of the Mission: Impossible series was released in IMAX a full five days before it goes into wide release.  This is, in my opinion, a good way to get people into IMAX theatres to see the film (there are so many IMAX alternates these days), since […]

Young Adult (16/12/2011)

Young Adult sees the reteaming of director Jason Reitman and and screenwriter Diablo Cody after their previous collaboration on Juno, which won Cody the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The film stars Charlize Theron as Mavis Gary, the author (more specifically, barely credited ghost-writer) of a (formerly) popular series young adult novels, who returns home to […]

The Artist (14/12/2011)

I suppose this is the week I see films that celebrate the classic days of cinema.  Two days after seeing the cinematic history lesson Hugo, I see The Artist – an ambitious silent film about the end of silent cinema. Making classic-style silent film – complete with intertitles for dialogue – more than 80 years after the end […]

Hugo (11/12/2011)

That fact that Hugo is directed by none other than Martin Scorsese was probably the first sign that it wouldn’t be just your average family film.  In fact, the film turns out to be a celebration of the history of early cinema, most notably the work of Georges Méliès, played in the film by Ben Kingsley. For […]

Shame (04/12/2011)

Let me start by saying that I thought that Shame was a really good film.  The film does have very strong sexual content, which makes it a little difficult to watch at times (and it’s not really passive entertainment). That said, I thought that overall the film was absolutely enthralling, with excellent performances by Michael Fassbender […]

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (30/11/2011)

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas opened nearly a month ago, but I put off seeing it until today, so it would actually be somewhat close to the holidays.  This film is the third entry in the stoner comedy series and while the premise isn’t as fresh as it was back in 2004, I […]

The Muppets (28/11/2011)

I’m am a bit of a weird age when it comes to my fandom of The Muppets.  When I was born in 1982, The Muppet Show had already finished its run and two of the three original Muppet films were already released.  However, the Muppets were still a big part of my childhood, with me watching everything from […]

Melancholia (20/11/2011)

Melancholia was without a doubt one of the most bleak and depressing films I have ever seen.  I guess that’s not too much of a surprise, considering the fact that the film was directed by Lars Von Trier, who isn’t really known for making happy-go-lucky films. The story is split into two parts, with each part […]

Puss in Boots (10/11/2011)

As you know know Puss in Boots is the spin-off of the character from the Shrek films.  It is also the name of a popular fairy tale and part of me somewhat wishes they made the film a loose adaptation of the story. That said, I still thought the film was quite decent in its spoofing of […]

Tower Heist (06/11/2011)

Tower Heist is one of those films where you don’t have to think too much about what it is about.  Essentially it’s about a group of people who rob a tower. There not really that much more to say about the film other than the fact that I thought it was quite funny.  You can also […]

Anonymous (29/10/2011)

For most of his career Roland Emmerich became well known for his knack of blowing up the world real good.  He is also one of the most critically loathed directors, with all but two of films receiving a Rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes.  I personally didn’t mind his disaster films and even used his films The Day After […]

The Three Musketeers (2011) (23/10/2011)

The classic novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas is probably one of the most adapted stories of all time and this is about the third high profile adaption that was made in my lifetime.  When comparing this film to the others, I probably like it better than 2001’s The Musketeer, but this film doesn’t really hold […]

Paranormal Activity 3 (19/10/2011)

I know I said in my last post that I was going to wait until the film’s official opening on Friday to post my thoughts on Paranormal Activity 3, but I feel like I want to talk about the film now. The film is an origin story of sorts and tells the story of the […]

The Thing (2011) (16/10/2011)

The Thing is supposed to a prequel to the 1982 John Carpenter sic-fi/horror classic, rather than a remake.  This is apparent early on in the film, where a group of scientists on a Norwegian base in Antarctica discover the alien creature buried in the ice.  However, the film begins to move really close to remake territory as […]

The Ides of March (13/10/2011)

There isn’t really too much to the story of The Ides of March, which is very by-the-book political drama.  Essentially the film follows an idealist staff member (Ryan Gosling) of a potential presidential candidate (George Clooney), who is slowly corrupted by all the backroom backstabbing that happens in the political world. The cast of the […]

Real Steel (08/10/2011)

Real Steel and its story about boxing robots has been frequently compared with the “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots” children’s game.  While that may not be entirely false (I spotting what appears to be a brief allusion to the game in the film), however I would be more inclined to describe this film as Rocky with robots. […]

1911 (08/10/2011)

1911 is a film released to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Chinese revolution and it is also advertised as the hundredth film starring Jackie Chan, who has been taking more dramatic roles as he gets older.  The film is now playing at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The film is advertised as being a war epic, but I would be more inclined […]

Contagion (06/10/2011)

I initially missed Contagion when it was released a month ago, since it conflicted with the Toronto Film Festival.  However, I managed have some free time today, so I finally checked it out. In this film, an American woman (Gwyneth Paltrow) is infected with a new type of virus while on a trip to Hong Kong. […]

50/50 (02/10/2011)

You wouldn’t really expect cancer to be something that you can laugh at, however 50/50 does manage to find humour in a possibly dire situation – for the first half of the film at least. The film is about the attempts of a young man (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to cope with his diagnosis of a […]

Drive (26/09/2011)

Drive is an action/crime/drama that seems to be hearkening back to crime thrillers of the 1980s, with a little of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver thrown in for good measure. The film stars Ryan Gosling as a nameless stunt driver/mechanic, who moonlights as a getaway driver for robberies.  He takes one such job to help out the husband of his […]

TIFF11: Day 9-11 Round-Up (19/09/2011)

Q&A for i am a good person/i am a bad person and Hidden Driveway The final weekend of the Toronto International Film Festival is typically a slow one.  Most of the red carpet premieres are over, many of the guests have gone home, and all that is left is the films. One of my favourite aspects […]

TIFF11: Day 1 Round-Up (09/09/2011)

Werner Herzog on Stage My first day of TIFF11 considered of two back-to-back screening at the Ryerson Theatre (one of my favourite TIFF venues).  It didn’t have the glitz and glamour of the galas, but it was probably more enjoyable. Here are my thoughts on the films. Into the Abyss One news-making item of this […]

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2011) (04/09/2011)

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is remake of the 1973 TV film of the same name.  This new version is co-written and produced by Guillermo del Toro, whose influence is definitely seen throughout the film. The film follows a girl named Sally (Bailee Madison), who moves in with her father (Guy Pearce) and his girlfriend (Katie Holmes).  Sally […]

Fright Night (2011) (30/08/2011)

Fright Night is the latest in a long line of 1980s horror film to receive a remake.  I was able to check out the original (on the big screen) at the Toronto Underground Cinema a little over a month ago and I couldn’t help but compare the two, as I was watching the film. I can […]

Conan the Barbarian (2011) (20/08/2011)

The original 1982 Conan the Barbarian is best known as the film as the film that launched Arnold Schwarzenegger’s film career, though the character himself dates back to a series of stories written in the 1930s. I personally had my first experience with character in the 1992 animated series Conan the Adventurer, which was an after-school favourite […]

Tucker & Dale vs Evil (19/08/2011)

Tucker & Dale vs Evil is a horror/comedy that initially debuted at 2010 Sundance Film Festival.  Tonight I saw the film during a screening at the Toronto Underground Cinema (though it’s also supposed to get a limited release next month). The film can be best described as a reverse horror movie, since most of the events […]

Red State (with Kevin Smith Q&A) (16/08/2011)

Last night, I went to see a screening of Red State at the Toronto Underground cinema, which was followed by a lengthy Q&A by director Kevin Smith. The film is much different that Kevin Smith’s other films in how it is definitely not a comedy (even though there are still funny lines in the film).  The […]

30 Minutes or Less (14/08/2011)

30 Minutes or Less is an action-comedy from the director of Zombieland.  It can easily be said that this film doesn’t have as original a premise as the previous, but I still found it to be quite hilarious. It’s a very simple plot: a looser of a pizza delivery boy (Jesse Eisenberg) gets strapped with a […]

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (07/08/2011)

It’s easy to use the reboot buzzword when describing this film, but the film can also be seen as a loose remake of 1972’s Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (which was the fourth film of the original series). The film is actually pretty decent and features a much more realistic depiction of apes, than […]

Attack the Block (04/08/2011)

Attack the Block is a British sci-fi/horror/comedy that has been getting a lot of buzz for the past few month and it finally received a limited North American release. The film has simple enough plot – a group of alien creatures attack a group of hoodlums within a south-London apartment block.  However, there is something with […]

Cowboys & Aliens (31/07/2011)

This is one of those films where everything that you need to know about it is in the title.  The film is pretty much done as a straight-forward western, except for the fact that the villains just happen to be alien invaders. I think it’s this western/sci-fi genre-bending that makes the film so fun to […]

Captain America: The First Avenger (23/07/2011)

Captain America is the final of the interconnected Marvel comics films leading up to next year’s release of The Avengers.  I still think it’s amazing the they had the patience to set-up The Avengers over the course of five separate films in a four year period.  At this point, I don’t think I need to say that […]

Midnight in Paris (20/07/2011)

Woody Allen’s latest film Midnight in Paris has been out for nearly two months now, however my interest was peaked a few days when it was reported that the film has become the highest grossing film of Allen’s career (thankfully, the film was still playing in Toronto). You can definitely tell that this is a Woody […]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part Two (15/07/2011)

A decade of Harry Potter films ends with this very climatic final installment of the series.  Since this is the second half of a two-part story, the action picks up pretty quickly and it is definitely the most action-packed film in the entire series. After being absent for Part 1, the action returns to Hogwarts, which […]

The Trip (15/07/2011)

In this meta-comedy, British comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play themselves as they go on a road trip, visiting many restaurants and sites in the English countryside.  Along the way Coogan pines about his stalled career, while he competes with Brydon on who can do the best Michael Caine impersonation.  It bit more complex than that, […]

Horrible Bosses (10/07/2011)

I have to say that I probably only saw this film because I thought it was the only semi-decent film playing on what is pretty much an off-week between the releases of Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part 2. I thought this was a so-so comedy with some decent laughs […]

The Cave of Forgotten Dreams (08/07/2011)

Werner Herzog is definitely one of the most unique directors around today.  In a career spanning nearly 40 years, he successfully managed to split between doing fictional films and documentaries. This film features the exploration of a cave, which was discovered in France in 1994, that featured the oldest cave paintings ever discovered, dating back […]

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (03/07/2011)

So here is the second part of my IMAX contrast, with this one centering on the habit of using the format as a premium way of seeing major blockbuster films.  With at least one major film released in IMAX every month, it’s hard to believe that this is a habit that only really began a decade ago. […]

Hubble 3D (02/07/2011)

This weekend, I am going to post two reviews that can be looked side-by-side at the ways the IMAX film format is used.  Today is an example of the classic use. The Ontario Place Cinesphere is the world’s first permanent IMAX theatre and it is the best example of the format’s classic use – the […]

Cars 2 (29/06/2011)

If the main critical consensus is to be believed, Cars 2 is by and large the worst animated film Pixar has made in their entire (25 year) career. However, I didn’t really see anything wrong with the movie. I believe that critics are so used to films from Pixar that resonate with adults just as much of kids, […]

Bad Teacher (27/06/2011)

Even though the film is now 14 years old, I still consider There’s Something About Mary to be probably the best film Cameron Diaz has stared in.  She’s played her career fairly safe since then, so it’s definitely interesting to see her star in a new R-rated comedy. I can definitely tell in this film that […]

Beginners (20/06/2011)

Beginners can definitely be described as a quirky about the relationship between a father and a son. The film follows three stories over the course of the film, which take place over different time periods.  In the main story, Hal (Christopher Plummer) comes out as gay to his son Oliver (Ewan McGreggor), shortly after the death […]

Green Lantern (20/06/2011)

Two days late, but better than never. With Marvel comics getting most of the attention during the last few year, we finally see a new DC comics movie for a character not named Batman or Superman. I am not a big comics reader, so I was only ever had a mild knowledge of the Green Lantern. […]

The Tree of Life (17/06/2011)

Director Terrence Malick has generally been well known for quality over quantity with his films.  The Tree of Life is only Malick’s fifth film in a nearly forty year career.  The only previous film of Malick’s that I saw was 1998’s The Thin Line, which has a few stylistic similarities to this film (most notable the […]

Super 8 (11/06/2011)

For those who are unaware, Super 8 is an 8mm film format, which was a popular format for making home movies in the days before VHS.  These days, the format is really only used by aficionados and film students (I myself made a Super 8 film in one of my film classes). For J.J. Abrams’ […]

X-Men: First Class (04/06/2011)

It’s been a little over 11 years since X-Men became the first successful adaptation of a Marvel comic property and spawned a decade long craze in comic book films. X-Men: First Class can be both described as a prequel and reboot to the original series.  For people who only know X-Men from the previous films, they would only really […]

The Hangover Part II (28/05/2011)

One thing that can be said about The Hangover Part II is that the plot structure is nearly 100% the same as the original.  This isn’t the first sequel to follow the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” route, but it still does make the film a little more predictable than the first. However, I […]

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (21/05/2011)

Out of all the films based on Disney theme park rides to come out last decade (as least three rides got adaptations), Pirates of the Caribbean is the only to get turned into a successful franchise. Technically, this is the fourth film in the series.  However, it can also be said that this film features a new […]

Meek’s Cutoff (17/05/2011)

Meek’s Cutoff is the latest film by director Kelly Reichardt and it is currently playing at the TIFF Bell Lightbox as part of a retrospective on the director. The film is somewhat slow-paced western about a caravan of people in the 1800s, who are travelling across Oregon looking for a place to settle (or at least a […]

Priest (14/05/2011)

Priest is the second religion-based action/horror collaboration in a row between director Scott Stewart and star Paul Bettany.  I thought that, their previous film, Legion had a campy glee to it, which made it an enjoyable film. I can’t really say the same about this film, which takes place in a futuristic society where the church has totalitarian rule and priests […]

Thor (08/05/2011)

Ever since the release of Iron Man in 2008, most of the Marvel comics films have been building up to the release of The Avengers next year.  It’s a pretty unprecedented move, since, by the time it’s released, The Avengers would have been built up by five films over a four year period. The latest of these lead-up films is […]

You’ve Been Trumped (06/05/2011)

As the first film I’ve seen at the Hot Docs film festival, I sure made an interesting and though provoking pick. You’ve Been Trumped is about Donald Trump’s efforts to build a golf course in Scotland, a move that upsets the locals, who are in danger of losing their homes. As someone with partial Scottish heritage (my […]

Fast Five (01/05/2011)

If it wasn’t for the fact that it was the debut feature of the reopened Humber Cinema, I would have likely skipped this fifth entry in the Fast and the Furious series, like I did with the previous four films.  That said, I can at least say that I was at least able to understand who […]

Scream 4 (16/04/2011)

The original Scream came out in 1996 when I was 14 years old (though I was nearly 16 when I saw it for the first time), so the original trilogy had pretty much had the same relevance to my teenage years in the mid-1990s that the Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th series’ had for people […]

Hobo with a Shotgun (09/04/2011)

Hobo with a Shotgun began life as a contest-winning faux-trailer, which showed before the Canadian prints of Grindhouse.  It told the simple, yet violent, story of a homeless man who took revenge on evil-doers with a shotgun. The makers of the trailer decided to make into a full film, so here we are.  Ironically, this film […]

Source Code (04/04/2011)

Duncan Jone may be David Bowie’s son, but he is also starting to make a name for himself as very compelling science fiction.  After his excellent debut film Moon, which I still consider one of the best science fiction films I’ve seen, Jones returns for somewhat more mainstream, but still interesting, follow-up. The plot for […]

Sucker Punch (26/03/2011)

After getting known for his remake of Dawn of the Dead and adaptations of the graphic novels 300 and Watchmen, Zach Snyder comes out with his first original story (which still looks like it could have come from a graphic novel). The film has a (literally) layered story about a young woman, nicknamed Babydoll, who is (somewhat […]

Paul (21/03/2011)

I’ve been a fan of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost since Shaun of the Dead, so I was happy to see them back together for Paul (even though they are without usual director Edgar Wright). The film is a sci-fi comedy about two British geeks, who pick-up an alien named Paul (voiced by Seth Rogen) that […]

Rango (13/03/2011)

Rango is one of those animated films, which moves past from the fact that it is animated and becomes something much more.  If it wasn’t for the fact that all the characters in this film were talking animals, this film would probably be able to stand alone as a pretty good Western. The films stars (the […]

The Adjustment Bureau (06/03/2011)

The Adjustment Bureau is the latest of many films based on a story by science fiction author Philip K. Dick. The film is about a young politician, who accidently finds out that all of humanity’s path through life are controlled by a group of fedora-wearing agents that will go to any extreme to make sure that […]

Hall Pass (02/03/2011)

I sort of feel bad about the Farrelly brothers.  They had a huge hit in 1998 with There’s Something About Mary, however they haven’t since been able to match the success. The plot of Hall Pass involves how two married men (played by Owen Wilson and SNL‘s Jason Sudeikis), can’t stop gawking at younger women, so their […]

Drive Angry 3D (27/02/2011)

I have to say that Drive Angry owes a lot to the recent resurgence of grindhouse-type films.  First there was the Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino-directed homage to the films, followed by the spin-off Machete, and later this month will see the release of Hobo with a Shotgun, which was based on a contest-winning fake trailer […]

Unknown (19/02/2011)

I have been hearing a lot of comparisons between this film and Liam Neeson’s surprise 2008 hit Taken.  However, while they are both films that feature Neeson in a genre he is not usually known for, they are two different types of film. While the term is probably overused, the best description of Unknown would be […]

Biutiful (13/02/2011)

One thing that can definitely said about this film is that it is a quite depressing film.  The film focuses on a man who finds out he is dying of cancer and he tries to right the wrongs in his life. The film is entire built around Javier Bardem’s performance and while slow at parts […]

Unauthorized: The Harvey Weinstein Project (12/02/2011)

Being both a film fan and a documentary fan, I love it when there are documentaries about films.  Unauthorized: The Harvey Weinstein Project just opened today for a run at the Bell Lightbox and it’s a, Canadian-produced, documentary about the infamous Hollywood figure Harvey Weinstein. As the title suggests, the film wasn’t made with Weinstein’s full […]

Sanctum (06/02/2011)

The movie marketing machine has been heavily using executive producer James Cameron’s name in the promotion of the film (to the point that I’m sure that there are some people who think he directed the film).  I would guess that Cameron’s greatest contribution to the film was the use of his patented 3D system, which […]

The Rite (30/01/2011)

When it comes to exorcism films, I doubt that The Rite adds anything new to the genre.  However, I was drawn to the film because of the fact that it was directed by Mikael Håfström, who previously directed 1408 (one my my favourite haunted house films of recent years), and stars Anthony Hopkins (who has […]

Modra (25/01/2011)

Modra was the third screening I saw as part of Canada’s Top Ten at the Bell Lightbox (including films I had previously seen at TIFF or otherwise, I have now seen six of the ten films). The film tells the story of a teenage girl named Lina, who goes traveling to visit family in Slovakia.  […]

No Strings Attached (22/01/2011)

Ivan Reitman returns with his first film in five years with No Strings Attached. I usually don’t like or see romantic comedies, but I decided to see this film due to Reitman’s involvement, the somewhat adult premise, and the fact that the film stars Natalie Portman, who doesn’t usually star in these types of films. […]

Incendies (21/01/2011)

Incendies is generally considered to be the best Canadian film from 2010 and it is currently on the shortlist of films being considered for a Best Foreign Film nomination at the Oscars. The film centres around two siblings, who receive the unusual request in their mother’s will to location the father and brother that they […]

The Green Hornet (16/01/2011)

I never ever watched The Green Hornet TV series (with the exception of the character crossing over to the Batman series, which was by the same producers) and I only really knew the basics of the character.  In fact, it was only recently that I found out that the character began as a 1930s radio […]

Blue Valentine (09/01/2011)

This film made some headlines over how the MPAA gave this film an NC-17 rating for some of the sexual content in the film (which was later successfully overturned to an R).  I won’t delve too much into this issue, since at the end of the day, it has little to do with the film […]

Little Fockers (02/01/2011)

It has become somewhat of a tradition for me to always include Meet the Parents and its sequel Meet the Fockers amongst the DVDs I take with me to my family’s cottage and I often will watch both films over the course of an afternoon. I thought the first film was (and still is) a […]

The Fighter (29/12/2010)

With award season coming up, I usually try to see films that are likely to have a high profile come Oscar time.  In the case of The Fighter, it is currently tied for the second most nominations at the Golden Globes. The title can be seen as having multiple meanings.  The most obvious meaning involves […]

True Grit (24/12/2010)

I’m not too familiar with the original 1969 film, other than the fact that it won John Wayne his only Oscar.  However, for this version, the Coen Brothers decided to use more to the original book, than the film, so this can be seen more as a readaptation than a remake. The film is more […]

TRON: Legacy (18/12/2010)

I will start off by saying that, after a year of studios attempting to cash-in, this is by far the best 3D film to come out since Avatar.  I guess it really shows what a difference filming in the format does.  The film also has scenes shot in IMAX and it is definitely advised that […]

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (12/12/2010)

I’ve always had mixed feelings about the Chronicles of Narnia film series, though I thought that the last film (Prince Caspian) was pretty good. I thought that this film was a slight step down from the, more action-filled, previous film.  That said, I still thought that the film was a decent fantasy/adventure film for families. […]

Black Swan (05/12/2010)

Darren Aronofsky is known for being a bit of a visionary, so it would have been obvious that a film about ballet would turn out to be more than meets the eye. It would be hard to talk about this film without going into spoiler-territory, however I can say that the film is about a […]

Waste Land (01/12/2010)

While, at the Bell Lightbox today for the Tim Burton exhibition, I decided to see another one of the building’s exclusive engagement. Wastle Land is a documentary about a Brazilian artist, who goes to the largest landfill in Rio De Janeiro to create art in the likeness of the various “Pickers,” who work in the […]

Faster (28/11/2010)

After a series of dramas, comedies, and family films, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returns to action films and the results are so-so.  Faster is a very gritty revenge film that essentially has Johnson going Terminator on the people who killed his brother and left him for dead a decade previous.  It was an incredibly formulaic […]

The People vs. George Lucas (24/11/2010)

One of the great things about the TIFF Bell Lightbox is that not only does it have the normal Cinematheque screenings, but it also has exclusive engagements of films that previously played at various film festivals and wouldn’t usually get a normal release. The People vs. George Lucas is one of those films, which previously […]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (20/11/2010)

The entire Harry Potter series so far had more or less the same formula with most of the action happening in and around Hogwarts.  As such, it is a bit jarring that the first film the two-part finale doesn’t feature Hogwarts on screen at all. The decision was made to split the final book of […]

127 Hours (16/11/2010)

The problem with films based on a true story is that there is a chance that you already know how the story end.  In the case of this film it’s been well advertised that the film is about a mountain climber (played in the film by James Franco), who gets his arm trapped under a […]

Due Date (06/11/2010)

You could have called last year’s The Hangover a bit of a comeback film for Todd Philips, since it was his first true hit since Old School.  I think it also raised expectations a bit for the follow-up. I can say that Due Date is a bit of a step-down from The Hangover in terms […]

the Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (02/11/2010)

Over the course of this year the three film adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy were released, just as production was beginning on an English-language remake. This final chapter of the trilogy is direct continuation of The Girl Who Played with Fire, however I found that it also works as stand alone tale.  This film […]

Paranormal Activity 2 (31/10/2010)

A positive thing I can say about the sequel to Paranormal Activity 2 is that there are no major changes to the formula of the first film.  In fact, the only real change is that the hauntings are captured with in-house security cameras instead of a single camera set-up in a bedroom. I do have […]

Hereafter (24/10/2010)

I never really knew too much about the latest film by Clint Eastwood other than it featured Matt Damon as someone who can communicate with the dead. It turns out that this is only one of three stories that the film tells, all of which are joined by the theme of death.  I personally thought […]

RED (16/10/2010)

The selling point of this film, based on a graphic novel, is the age of the lead actors, who all play retired spies forced back into action. Everything in the film is appropriately tongue-in-cheek, however the film does turn out to be a fairly decent action film in its own right.  While you would expect […]

The Social Network (09/10/2010)

I remember firsthand experiencing the growth of Facebook from a site exclusive to college and university students to being the top social network in the world.  I was also somewhat familiar with the lawsuit that formed the basis, which the film was built around. Despite the disputed authenticity by the real Mark Zuckerberg, this film […]

My Soul to Take (08/10/2010)

At the very least, I have to say that it was good for Wes Craven to attempt to make an original horror film before going off an directing the fourth entry of the Scream series (due in theatres next April). I’m quite indifferent with how the film turned out.  I thought it started off okay […]

Catfish (05/10/2010)

If nothing else, this is a film that would generate discussion.  After seeing this film today, I was reading many posts on the internet arguing whether or not this was truly a documentary or a fictional film disguised as one (though when you think about it, ALL documentaries are staged in one way or another).  […]

Devil (03/10/2010)

After the combination the Toronto Film Festival and my trip to Calgary, I had a bit of a backlog of movies I wanted to see.  As such, this week I decided to see the three-week old Devil, instead of one of the newer releases. For this film M Night Shyamalan moves into the producer’s seat, […]

Trigger (25/09/2010)

At TIFF, Bruce McDonald’s Trigger was notable as the first film to screen at the Bell Lightbox.  While the film was a less extravagant affair at the Calgary Film Fest (the theatre was only a little over half full), it did not take away the fact that it was a very compelling film. The film […]

TIFF10: The Last Two Days in Summary (17/09/2010)

Vera Farmiga and Keanu Reeves I was quite busy during the last couple of days and I did not have time to post reviews.  Also such, I am going to post thoughts on all the films I saw during the last two days into one combined post. Henry’s Crime This film was a nice little […]

TIFF10: Let Me In and The Ward (14/09/2010)

Let Me In Q&A with Matt Reeves and Kodi Smit-McPhee I saw my first two films of the festival last night with the back-to-back horror films of Let Me In and John Carpenter’s The Ward. Let Me In As you may know this is the North American remake of the 2008 Swedish vampire film Let […]

Machete (03/09/2010)

If nothing else, Machete is a good demonstration of Robert Rodriguez’s skills as an editor.  What began as a faux-trailer in Grindhouse is now a full-fledged film.  Most of the footage from that trailer reappears in this film with the newly shot footage and the transition seems flawless. As for the film itself, it’s definitely […]

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (24/08/2010)

I had to wait a week and a half before I was finally able to see Scott Pilgrim vs the World, however the wait has been worth it. This is a film for everyone that loves videogames, Toronto, and everything in between.  I don’t think that the film does too much to change peoples opinion […]

Piranha 3D (22/08/2010)

It’s been ages since there was a truly gimmicky 3D film was released.  Piranha 3D may not have perfect 3D effects, but it was 1000x better than the post-converted afterthoughts studios have been releasing since Avatar hit it big. The film is pretty much what you except it to be: a fairly campy, really gory […]

The Expendables (15/08/2010)

Considering all the hype that went into this film, it end up with more a whimper than a bang.  It was alright enough a film, but it was a far cry from “the action film to end all action films.” Probably the most hyped scene in the movie that united Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and […]

the Secret in Their Eyes (10/08/2010)

I was all set for The White Ribbon to win the Best Foreign Film Oscar when this Argentinian film ended up winning instead.  As such, I thought that it would be fair that I check out the film for myself. The film deals with a recently retired federal justice agent, who decides to write about […]

The Other Guys (08/08/2010)

Of the two buddy cop movies to be released this year, I am inclined to say that I prefer Cop Out to this one.  While the critics absolutely loathed Kevin Smith’s film, at least it had a clear intention what it was out to do. As for The Other Guys, I am still trying to […]

Dinner for Schmucks (02/08/2010)

This film is your average buffoon/straight man comedy.  However, as the old saying says “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I don’t think that Steve Carrell goofed around this much since Anchorman and it almost makes me wish that he take more of these type of roles.  It was a quite funny film and […]

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (25/07/2010)

You would never expect Disney to make a live action film based on a classic Mickey Mouse cartoon, but then again you could probably say the same thing about films based on their theme park rides. Other than scene that pays homage, this film is really related to the cartoon in name only.  It instead […]

Inception (18/07/2010)

Christopher Nolan has developed into one of my favourite directors and while his work on the Batman films have made him popular, I always like the other projects he does on the side. Inception is a very interesting science fiction/action film about the world of dreams and the difference between fantasy and reality.  It’s a bit […]

Despicable Me (17/07/2010)

It may not be Pixar, but I thought that Despicable Me was a very decent animated film.  It’s also the first of two animated films this year to feature a villain in the lead role (the other being Megamind). The villainous aspect is part of what makes this film fun to watch, since the character of […]

The Girl who Played with Fire (13/07/2010)

I thought The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was an exceptionally well-made thriller that was on par with similar types of films released in North America.  Its sequel The Girl who Played with Fire was also a quite good film, even if the story wasn’t quite on par to the last one. The last film had a benefit […]

Predators (10/07/2010)

After twenty years (and two Alien vs. Predator films), the Predator series finally returns with a stand-alone installment.  While film critics are quick to add the “reboot” buzzword to most new films from classic franchises, it is obvious that this film is meant to be a modern day sequel to the original 1987 film (and there’s even […]

Cyrus (06/07/2010)

Cyrus is the first somewhat mainstream from the “mumblecore” duo of Jay and Mark Duplass. The film deals with a divorced man (John C. Reilly), who begins a relationship with a woman (Marisa Tomei) and has to deal with her overprotective (and somewhat sociopathic) son (Jonah Hill). Jonah Hill is mostly known for his loudmouth roles […]

The Last Airbender (04/07/2010)

I’m usually one of the first people to find ways to defend M. Night Shyamalan’s films, since I have unapologetically been a fan of his ever since The Sixth Sense hit it big over a decade ago. However, even I can’t really think of a defense for this film, which will probably end up ranking as my least […]

Knight and Day (27/06/2010)

It has been a rough few years for Tom Cruise, however this film was truly a return to form.  The fact that the film is partially a comedy lets Cruise poke a little fun at his star personal.  As for Cameron Diaz, I thought she was okay enough and she had an alright chemistry with […]

Jonah Hex (19/06/2010)

A good way I would describe Johan Hex is that the film came off as Ghost Rider without any of Nicolas Cage’s charisma.  I was quite bored for the bulk of the film, which featured a formulaic plot that was over before you know it. There are the fact that Megan Fox was in the […]

Shrek Forever After (16/06/2010)

I have to say that this film is a pretty good example of a studio making one too many films in a series.  The first film was pretty good and it was followed by an excellent sequel.  By the third film it was becoming obvious that the studio was running short on ideas and this […]

The A-Team (13/06/2010)

I was pretty much a toddler when the original television series was popular, however I still remember watching it.  As you can guess, I don’t really remember anything about the show other than Mr T. As such, I can’t really compare the new film version to the show.  However, I can say that this was […]

Get Him to the Greek (08/06/2010)

You get many movie sequels, but you don’t often get spin-offs.  In this case it is Russell Brand returning to his Aldous Snow character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It can be a bit risky featuring too much of a funny character, however I thought that the this film was quite funny. The also marks Jonah […]

Splice (05/06/2010)

Well, I am back in Canada and for my first film back I decided to see what can already be considered a Canadian success story (by the fact that it is a rare example of a Canadian film with an American distributor). Splice is a film by Vincenzo Natali, who is probably best known for […]

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (30/05/2010)

I am currently on a trip in Scotland, so I don’t have easy access to films (especially since the release schedule is different).  However, I manage to see one film that had a worldwide release: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Video game adaptations have a bit of a bad reputation and despite being […]

Robin Hood (16/05/2010)

Ridley Scott’s new film version of Robin Hood received fairly poor reviews from most critics.  However, I feel that it might have fared better if it didn’t have the stigma of being attached to the classic story. Let it be said that this is not the traditional Robin Hood story that has been told in […]

Iron Man 2 (09/05/2010)

There is nothing much that I can say about Iron Man 2 other than that it was an entertaining summer action film.  There is always the pressure with film sequels to follow-up the original, however I am not going to nitpick on little details (like a slow middle act) and just say that I was […]

Gunless (04/05/2010)

Canadian films are always hit or miss since budget-wise they are unable to match the quality of films to come from the states.  There is also the slightly sad fact that the film only had about a dozen people in the theatre (most who arrived just before the film was going to start). Paul Gross […]

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) (01/05/2010)

Ever since seeing this film today, I have been thinking very carefully about my thoughts on the film. On one hand, I have to say that the structure of the plot is very formulaic and I believe the actors playing the main characters aren’t exactly the best choices.  On the other hand though, I thought […]

Death at a Funeral (2010) (24/04/2010)

I should make clear that there was no reason to remake the Frank Oz-directed 2007 original other than the fact that it was British and had a limited release.  That said, the Chris Rock-starring remake ended up being not all that bad and I was pleasantly surprised by the film. For the most part the […]

The Losers (23/04/2010)

You can probably admit that The Losers is not the most well known comic series to adapt into the film (I sure didn’t know about it).  In addition, this is probably not the most star-studded film (the highest profile actor probably being Zoe Saldana, who came off a stellar year last year). That said, I […]

Alice in Wonderland (07/03/2010)

It is unmistakable that this film is Alice in Wonderland through the eyes of Tim Burton.  The director’s touches are all over the film, especially with its gothic imagery.  This film was also the first major 3D film, since Avatar hit it big last year.  I do have to say that it was a slightly […]

Cop Out (28/02/2010)

This is undoubtedly the most mainstream film Kevin Smith has directed.  Instead of the dialogue-heavy films he is usually known for, this buddy cop action/comedy. I’ll probably say that is far from the funniest of Smith’s films, with the funniest material appearing towards the beginning.  However, I do think the film is old with its […]

Shutter Island (21/02/2010)

I have to say that there were a few moments in Shutter Island in which I was feeling a bit confused.  It was not until the end of the film when I was able to piece everything together. If anything, this film proves that Martin Scorsese had the power to direct anything he wanted after […]

The Wolfman (14/02/2010)

As you may know, this film is a remake of the classic 1941 film, which was part of the the golden age of Universal horror films.  A lot has changed since then and this is definitely a very dark and violent tale (as such, I was a bit disturbed when I saw a young boy […]

The White Ribbon (06/02/2010)

When this film, which won the Palme D’or at Cannes, won Best Foreign Film at the Golden Globes, I was embarrassed to say that I never previously heard of the film.  I made sure to remedy that by seeing the film as soon as possible. The film takes place in a small German town during […]

Edge of Darkness (31/01/2010)

One thing I can definitely say about this film is that it was nice to see Mel Gibson in front of the camera again. It it wasn’t for the novelty of his involvement, I would have considered this film to be a very average thriller.  However, everything that happens in this film is pure joy […]

Legion (24/01/2010)

This film plays the classic religion-themed apocalyptic scenario by having angels rather than demons be the villains.  However the effect is pretty much the same. I thought that the film was entertaining for the most part, even though there was some cheesy acting and campy villains (and I’m sure not all of it was intentional). […]

Youth in Revolt (21/01/2010)

It’s hard to argue that Michael Cera’s career has been a bit of a one trick pony.  This film looked to shake things up with a bit by having Cera in a double-role, one which is the complete opposite of the characters Cera is usually known for. If only that side of Cera got more […]

The Lovely Bones (17/01/2010)

With this film, Peter Jackson leaves behind the huge epics he was involved with during the last decade and does a film that is probably closer in tone to his 1994 film Heavenly Creatures. The film is about a girl that continues watch her family (and her killer) and she is murdered. The most common […]

Daybreakers (10/01/2010)

With the PG-rated vampires of the Twilight films, it’s good to see the return of a dark and violent vampire film. In this film, vampires have become the dominant species on the planet and the remaining humans are being harvested for their blood.  Ethan Hawke plays a researching looking for a solution to the upcoming […]

A Single Man (23/12/2009)

This film won Colin Firth the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival, so I was curious to see this film as far back as TIFF. The film follows a homosexual English professor, who is struggling to get over the death of his longtime partner. Firth’s performance is definitely the most notable thing about […]

Avatar (19/12/2009)

It was over a decade since James Cameron last directed a feature film.  Was it worth the wait? I will not say that Avatar will go down as the best of James Cameron’s films, I still thought that it was very good.  If nothing else, it was visually spectacular and it definitely needs to be […]

Invictus (14/12/2009)

Invictus tells the story of how Nelson Mandela attempted to bring together a divided South Africa by supporting the South African rugby team on their journey to win the Rugby World Cup. The film works both as a drama about post-apartheid South Africa as well as an inspirational sports movie.  It could be hard to […]

Up in the Air (10/12/2009)

Up in the Air is definitely much closer in tone to Jason Reitman’s first film Thank You for Smoking than it is to Juno. The film stars George Clooney as a guy named Ryan Bingham who flies all over the country and fires people.  It’s a thankless existence, but he seems content with it, feeling […]

2012 (15/11/2009)

Even though I think of the whole “2012 End of the World” scenario to be the latest in a series of apocalyptic conspiracy theories that pop up every decade or two (remember Y2K?), I do have to agree that Roland Emmerich can make a pretty gosh darn good disaster film. I found the film was […]

The Box (07/11/2009)

Even though I had to put up with noisy teens during the film today, I still found The Box to be an intriguing morality tale. I really liked how the film was shot to look visual like it was a film from the 70s (where the film takes place).  The film is unmistakably by Richard […]

Zombieland (01/11/2009)

From the very start Zombieland had a very tongue-in-cheek feel to it.  Unlike the last major zombie-based comedy Shaun of the Dead, this film was definitely not a serious zombie film with serious situations. The film is fully of “zombie survival rules” written by Jesse Eisenberg’s character that pop up on screen randomly and help […]

Where the Wild Things Are (17/10/2009)

Where the Wild Thing Are is one of the most beloved children’s books and I am sure that there are many people (myself included) that have beloved memories of the story from their childhood. Spike Jonze (one of most imaginative directors currently out there) was given the task of converting this very pictorial story to […]

Capitalism: A Love Story (14/10/2009)

Michael Moore can be a hard guy to take 100% for his word.  I should be accepted by now that Moore usually shoots and edits his films to get to the point of his usually one-sided argument. The first of Moore’s films I saw was Fahrenheit 9/11, which I found an entertaining critique at the […]

The Invention of Lying (04/10/2009)

The Invention of Lying is Ricky Gervais’ second major staring role in North America, following last year’s Ghost Town.  I do have to say that this film better shows off Gervais’ talent as a comedian. The comedy in the film comes from how the film takes place in a world where everyone tells the truth […]

Surrogates (27/09/2009)

At the very least I can say that Surrogates is a decent sci-fi thriller. I’d say the film obviously has it’s flaws, but it was overall an entertaining film experience. Not really much more I can say. 8/10

TIFF09: Jennifer’s Body (18/09/2009)

This film opens tomorrow, so this can also be considered a normal review. The big thing that is apparent about this film is that it is more dark comedy than horror. There were a lot of parts in the film that caused people to laugh, but I considered them more bad puns than anything. The […]

TIFF09: Survival of the Dead and Origins of Factum (15/09/2009)

For my first day of film viewing I checked out George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead, as well as a presentation called Origins of Factum. Survival of the Dead is, of course, the latest zombie film my Romero and loose follow-up to Diary of the Dead. The film centers around two feuding families on […]

Gamer (05/09/2009)

Earlier this year, I was quite disappointed by Crank: High Voltage. As such, I was understandedly skeptical of NeveldineTaylor’s follow-up Gamer. Well, it was a little better. The film, especially in the early scenes, still had the ugly cinematography and gratuitous content that was present in Crank 2. In fact, I even noticed a few […]

Rob Zombie’s Halloween II (30/08/2009)

As you may remember, I quickly fell out of favour with Rob Zombie’s original remake of Halloween when he seemed intent having the focus more on Michael Myers than Laurie Strode. Thankfully that is remedied in this sequel, which also features an original story instead of the film being a remake of the original Halloween […]

Inglourious Basterds (28/08/2009)

It took more than a decade for Inglourious Basterds to get made and I have to say that it is quite possibly the best film Quentin Tarantino has directed since Pulp Fiction. While the marketing for the film focuses on Brad Pitt and his band of Nazi-killing soldiers, the film is really an ensemble piece […]

District 9 (15/08/2009)

This film, which is a expansion of director Neill Blomkamp’s 2005 short film Alive in Joburg, was essentially consolation by producer Peter Jackson for the Halo film (which Blomkamp was supposed to direct) falling through. I think a lot has been said about how this is supposed to reference apartheid in South Africa, so I […]

Adam (10/08/2009)

Adam is a film about a man with Asperger’s syndrome that develops a relationship with his neighbour. This film features a personal subject for me, since I was diagnosed with Asperger’s last year. As a result, while I was watching the film I kept comparing the character of Adam to my own experieces and found […]

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (10/08/2009)

This film was an origin story in every sense of the word. It was not a bad film, though it was obvious that, even as stated in the title, there wouldn’t be any true Joe vs. Cobra action until the sequel (if they make one). It was an entertaining film, but the fact that it […]

Funny People (04/08/2009)

It would be unfair to compare this film to Judd Apatow’s previous directorial efforts, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, since those were different types of movies. Funny People is definitely a comedy-drama and even though there were scenes with plenty of laughs, there were also serious scenes within the film, and I thought that […]

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (30/07/2009)

As the end of the series approaches, it seems that the main point of this film was to set-up a final chapter so large that it had to be split into two movies. This was definitely the darkest of the Harry Potter films, complete what will probably be the biggest downer ending of the series. […]

(500) Days of Summer (26/07/2009)

While I can say that I hate mainstream romantic comedies with a passion, I have always found I was able to connect with the indie romcoms, especially ones with quirky premises. (500) Days of Summer is such a film as it features a non-chronological format as it went back and forth between a 500 day […]

Brüno (11/07/2009)

You can say that 2006’s Borat brought guerrilla filmmaking to a new level with Sacha Baron Cohen fooling many unsuspecting Americans to the point that he was sued afterwards. Probably as a result, Brüno keeps it safe and at least half of the film seems to consist of mostly scripted content. However, there are still […]

Public Enemies (05/07/2009)

I do have to say that story of John Dillinger is quite an interesting one. I thought that Johnny Depp’s performance as Dillinger was a good one and I also thought that Christian Bale did an OK job as the FBI agent pursuing him. My major complaint with the film is that the story progressed […]

Moon (03/07/2009)

I have to say that Moon is probably one of the best science fiction films I have seen in years. The entire film focuses on Sam Rockwell’s character Sam Bell (and the on-board computer voiced by Kevin Spacey) and you can really feel the sense of isolation. Things shake up a bit when another individual […]

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (27/06/2009)

Just like the first movie, I am going to go straight to the point here. This film is definitely not perfect and 2 1/2 running time may get to some people. However, I also found that it succeeded in being quite entertaining. And that’s all I’m going to say about that. 8/10 (Read an extended […]

Year One (21/06/2009)

Probably one of the most famous biblical comedies out there is Monty Python’s Life of Brian. I don’t think that Year One can really be compared to that film, however I do say that the biblical jokes were some of the best parts of this film. In fact the film can be summed up in […]

the Taking of Pelham 123 (13/06/2009)

I always believe that a good thriller can be a quite entertaining film that you don’t have to put too much thought into. That’s what this film happens to be. The only Tony Scott film I really saw before this was Top Gun, however I may now be willing to check out some of the […]

The Hangover (06/06/2009)

What happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas. That is the theme of this movie, which involves three guys retracing their crazy bachelor’s party in order to find the missing groom (not unlike Dude, Where’s My Car — except a lot more cruder). I can say that this film was a return to form for director […]

Up (02/06/2009)

The big selling point of the latest Disney/Pixar film is that it is the first such film to be shown in 3D. However, since pretty much every animated film is shown in 3D these days, that is not a surprise. One thing that was surprising about Up is how dramatic it was during the opening […]

Drag Me to Hell (30/05/2009)

Until he finally gets to doing it, Drag Me to Hell is closest Sam Raimi has gotten to doing a forth Evil Dead film. This film makes full use of the campy horror introduced in that series and I had a great time watching the film. The film mixed scares with almost goofy gags, which […]

The Brothers Bloom (25/05/2009)

After over eight months of waiting, I finally got to check out the The Brothers Bloom. Was it worth the wait? Yeah, I would say so. It’s a more lighter film than, director Rian Johnson’s previous film, Brick and I thought it was a fun little con film. Most of the comedy in the film […]

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (23/05/2009)

I thought that the original Night at the Museum was a fun family movie in the vein of Jumanji (maybe one reason why the producers cast Robin Williams in a supporting role). The sequel aimed to make things bigger by placing the action at the Smithsonian. Most of the original museum characters take a back […]

Angels & Demons (15/05/2009)

Based on what I heard Angels & Demons had the better story of Dan Brown’s two Robert Langton novels. I have never read either of the novels, so I have no context of comparison, but the seemed to be a more traditional thriller than the elaborate puzzle that made up The Da Vinci Code. I’d […]

Star Trek (09/05/2009)

Just when it seemed that the Star Trek movie series was over, along comes this film which successfully reboots the series, while still acknowledging what came before. I can definitely say that I enjoyed seeing the Star Trek universe from a new perspective. This world was quite different from the previous Star Trek experiences, however […]

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (02/05/2009)

Wolverine is the most popular of the X-Men character, so it was probably natural that they would make a movie about his origins. However, I do not think that the resulting film would succeed in revitalizing the X-Men series. It was an OK film, however about half the film is quite light on action and […]

State of Play (26/04/2009)

I almost thought I wasn’t going to write this tonight. I went to see the film and due to a blackout, the film cut out with 45 minutes left to screen. I waited at the theatre for over an hour, but it never reopened and I thought the day was lost. I then made the […]

Crank: High Voltage (18/04/2009)

Sigh. It’s always disappointing when you see a film you were expecting to like and it ended up not being what you expected. It really seems they were trying hard to create a sequel to a film that had as complete an ending that you could think of. The result is a film that throws […]

Observe and Report (12/04/2009)

The busy weekend involving both my birthday and Easter has prevented me from posting my thought on this film until now. At the very least I can say that this was a funny film, even though it was clear that Seth Rogen’s character was a bi-polar sociopath and you technically shouldn’t be laughing at the […]

Adventureland (07/04/2009)

I have to admit that Adventureland was not the type of film that I was expecting, since I found that it was more character-driven than comedy driven. However, I opened up to the film and found it a decent coming of age story. There are still fun bits within the film, usually courtesy of Bill […]

Monsters vs. Aliens (05/04/2009)

One of the selling points for this film was how it was shown using “InTru3D.” As such, it was a must for me to see this film in 3D. I have to say that I was impressed. I think it was partially because it was a CGI movie, but the 3D was really seamless and […]

The Haunting in Connecticut (28/03/2009)

That haunted house film is probably one of the hardest subgenre of horror to do. How do you portray ghosts on film without it being cheesy? This film was a mixed bag for me. I found that I was very passive for most of the film, with scenes that were supposed to be scary getting […]

I Love You, Man (21/03/2009)

For Paul Rudd’s second leading role, he teams up with fellow Judd Apatow alumnus Jason Segel for this buddy comedy about male bonding. It seems that male-bonding or “bromance” is in these days (complete with an MTV reality show), so it was only natural that a movie be made. That said, the film would have […]

Race to Witch Mountain (14/03/2009)

When a film has the Disney label, you know that it is meant for families, so even though this film is more action-packed than the original Escape to Witch Mountain, it is still a fun family film. There isn’t really much else that I can say about the film. So, I will just end by […]

Watchmen (11/03/2009)

After about two decades in development hell, a film adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel Watchmen finally comes out. I found the movie to have a bit of a slow start, with the bulk of the first half dealing with the character’s back stories. However, once the action picked up in the second half, I […]

One Week (08/03/2009)

While I have to wait until Tuesday to see Watchmen, I decided to fill my time yesterday to see this film about a cancer-ridden man that decides to go onto a cross-Canada road trip. The fact that the film stars Joshua Jackson raises the profile of this film a bit, since the Vancouver-born Jackson is […]

Che (03/03/2009)

Today I sat through the gruelling experience of watching the entire four hour and seventeen minutes of Steven Soderbergh’s two-part biopic about Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Each part of the film tells different stories. The first part deals with the Cuban revolution, while the second part deals with Che’s futile coupe in Bolivia. I have to […]

Stone of Destiny (28/02/2009)

This Canada/UK co-production was the closing film at last year’s Toronto Film Festival. The film tells the true story about a group of Scottish youths that break into Westminster Abbey to steal back the Stone of Destiny and reignite Scottish national pride. It was overall a nice little film. I have some Scottish/Irish background, so […]

The International (22/02/2009)

It’s almost worse to see a movie that you thought was so-so than a movie you didn’t like. If you do not like a movie, there would be no positive aspects to look at. For a film like this one, there were moments when it looked like the film would be better than it was. […]

Friday the 13th (2009) (13/02/2009)

I can definitely say that this film has healed the wounds caused my Rob Zombies Halloween remake from last year. This film features an original story, which uses elements from the original films, instead of being a straight remake. As such, this allows the film to be its own entity instead of having to be […]

Coraline (12/02/2009)

After directing two feature-length stop-motion films under the production of Tim Burton (those being The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach), Henry Selick branches out on his own for Coraline. Of course, even though Burton is not involved with the film, you can feel a Burtonesque influence throughout. I thought the film […]

The Pink Panther 2 (08/02/2009)

The critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes for this film (which actually went from the 6% Fresh I reported yesterday to 14% Fresh) say that “The Pink Panther 2 is little more than a series of lame slapstick gags.” And to that I reply “So?” It really confounds me when people expect a comedy to be […]

Taken (01/02/2009)

Apparently the North American release of this film was delayed so long that it was released is pretty much every other country, but here. I also found out that this version of Taken is an edited PG-13 version, instead of the more violent version that was released overseas. That said, I still found the film […]

Paul Blart: Mall Cop (25/01/2009)

Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a film with a ridiculous promise and it’s aware of it. While, I have to admit that the opening of the film was a bit iffy, once the main plot got going, I started having fun with the film. It was alright film for a January comedy and I can […]

The Class (21/01/2009)

You can almost call The Class a fictional documentary. With the exception of characters created specifically for the dramatic arc of the story, everyone in this film about life in a Paris classroom are real kids. Even the teacher is essentially playing himself. I found this film, which for the most part consists of classroom […]

Revolutionary Road (18/01/2009)

This film will probably be the final film in my 2008 catch-up and I was spurred to it after Kate Winslet won Best Actress for it at the Golden Globes. I did not know what to think of the the film at first. I did agree that Winslet’s performance was good, but I didn’t get […]

Gran Torino (11/01/2009)

The catching up on late-2008 films continues with this film, which I saw last night. If it is true that this film will be Clint Eastwood’s final acting role, I can say that he went out with a bang. In this film, Eastwood channels the spirit of Dirty Harry as a grumpy, old racist man, […]

Frost/Nixon (03/01/2009)

This was the final film that I wanted to see before compiling my top ten lists next week, and I am glad that I saw it. This film, which is based on a play, looks back to the famous series of interviews between Richard Nixon and the British journalist David Frost. The chemistry between Frank […]

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (01/01/2009)

As we enter the new year, I am doing some catching up a few remaining 2008 films, mostly the ones that look to do well come awards season. One of the most notable of these films is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It’s interesting that this romantic fantasy was directed by David Fincher, who […]

Valkyrie (28/12/2008)

It is a shame that there is poor public opinion on Tom Cruise, since I thought Valkyrie was quite a good movie. It would be stretching it to say that it is a film that would receive Oscar recognition, but I thought that the film was a great return to thrillers for director Bryan Singer, […]

Yes Man (21/12/2008)

Jim Carrey has had a very interesting career, which I essentially grew up to (Ace Venture: Pet Detective came out when I was 11). You had this guy, who was relatively unknown, except for being “the white guy” on In Living Color. Suddenly he appears in three hit comedies in 1994, is cast as The […]

The Reader (15/12/2008)

I probably wouldn’t have been that compelled to check out The Reader if it wasn’t for the fact that it had just received four Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture (drama). I would have to say that I found it a decent enough film. I don’t know if I would go as far to say […]

The Day the Earth Stood Still (14/12/2008)

This film probably had two stigmas going against it long before any trailers were released: one was the stigma against remakes and the other was the stigma against Keanu Reeves. I will first address the remake issue, since it is the most poignant. No matter what word is used to describe them (remake, reboot, reimagining, […]

Four Christmases (06/12/2008)

Every year always adds at year one more holiday film to the large list that receive high rotation on TV at this film of the year. Of course, it’s a mixed bag, since for every Elf there is a Christmas with the Kranks. In the more high profile of the two holiday films opening this […]

Milk (04/12/2008)

Gus Van Sant returns somewhat to the mainstream (for the first time since 2000’s Finding Forrester with this biopic about the assassinated politician Harvey Milk, who was the first openly gay man elected into public office and fought hard for gay rights in the United States. The film is presented using both documentary and filmed […]

Australia (29/11/2008)

Before this film, Baz Luhrmann was known for the Red Curtain Trilogy, of which I’ve seen two: Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! Both of those films feature extravagant ideas. One being a modern version of Shakespeare’s play, while using the original text, and the other being a period musical using modern music. Now with […]

JCVD (26/11/2008)

Jean-Claude Van Damme. He will probably always be remembered as the “other guy” behind the killer action trio of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Bruce Willis. He made an impact in Hollywood during the 80s and 90s before seemingly vanishing after 1999’s Universal Soldier: The Return. This film sees Van Damme playing himself as he […]

Slumdog Millionaire (21/11/2008)

While it may sound cheesy using Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as the basis for a story about finding a lost love in India, but it actually works out. The story takes place mainly in flashbacks. as the main character, who is being interrogated by police on suspicion of cheating on the game show, […]

Quantum of Solace (16/11/2008)

I guess it can agreed that the James Bond series would seem a little dated with newer action-packed spy films like the Jason Bourne films showing up. However, I never expected the producers to try and combine the two. There are many times throughout the film that seems to borrow from the Bourne films (including […]

Synecdoche, New York (12/11/2008)

Charlie Kaufman has never been known for easily coherent plots and his directorial debut is a doozy. In a nutshell the film is about a theatre director (played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman), suffering from a deteriorating condition, who spends many years creating a play on his life, which in turn effects the reality of his […]

Role Models (09/11/2008)

If I didn’t know better, I would have thought Role Models was produced by Judd Apatow. Not only does it star Paul Rudd, who has been a constant supporting character in Apatow’s films, but it also features Elizabeth Banks (in her third film within a month), Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jane Lynch, Ken Jeong, and Joe Lo […]

Happy-Go-Lucky (07/11/2008)

A strike started yesterday at York University, where I study Film, leaving my school year in limbo. As such, I was craving a “feel good” film to make me forget about the situation for a while. This British comedy by Mike Leigh fit the bill quite nicely. This film tells the story of Poppy (Sally […]

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (01/11/2008)

I don’t really know how to start this. Kevin Smith’s films are usually crude, but for the most part it was just in the dialogue. This film gets a bit more….visual, and I have to admit that it was slightly distracting (this film is definitely NOT wholesome family entertainment). However, I also thought the film […]

Max Payne (25/10/2008)

About four years ago, I bought the original Max Payne PC game from a bargain bin. I played through the entire game within a week and I was totally engrossed with its film noir-inspired story and its John Woo-inspired action. I wish I could say the same for the movie. I really hate it when […]

W. (21/10/2008)

Oliver Stone did an interesting thing with this biopic of president George W. Bush. While he could have have took the opportunity to trash than man for his many bad decisions in the White House, the film instead takes a sympathetic view at Bush’s life. The main plot involves the actions leading into and directly […]

Passchendaele (18/10/2008)

Paul Gross was probably most well-known for the TV series Due South in the mid-1990s before he directed and stared in the curling comedy Men with Brooms in 2002. That film was known for a marketing campaign that attempted to have the film compete with the Hollywood films that dominated Canadian theatres. Passchendaele, Gross’ second […]

RocknRolla (09/10/2008)

Since, the release of Snatch in 2000, Guy Ritchie found difficulty in moving away from the formula the made him famous. 2002 saw the Madonna-staring Swept Away, which loathed by pretty much everyone. Then came Revolver 2005, which took the crime films Ritchie was associated with, removed the comedy, and added a cerebral element that […]

Ghost Town (01/10/2008)

Like many people, I was introduced to Ricky Gervais through his work on the original British version of The Office. Ghost Town is Gervais’ first North American staring role (though he previously had memorable supporting roles in films such as Night at the Museum, and Stardust). I do have to say that he picked a […]

Eagle Eye (28/09/2008)

I find it a bit ironic that it a negative review of Eagle Eye at FirstShowing.net that resulted in me to bite the bullet of see the film, after going back and forth about it all day, and I ended up liking it. The key to me decided to see the film was the desire […]

Burn After Reading (20/09/2008)

A year after taking a break from the genre with No Country for Old Men, the Coen Brothers return to comedy with Burn After Reading. I have to say that this is probably the Coen Brothers funniest film since 2000’s O Brother, Where Art Thou, though some people might even look at far back to […]

TIFF08: Good and Fifty Dead Men Walking (11/09/2008)

Most of the films I’ve seen at the festival were pretty light-hearted affairs. However, the films I saw last night and this morning were, in contrast, quite serious. Good is a story about a German university professor (Viggo Mortensen), who joins the Nazi party and slowly moves from being a “good” guy to being totally […]

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (05/09/2008)

I find it quite a coincidence that I received an advance screening pass for this film today, while it is going to be shown at the Toronto Film Festival tomorrow. I found I quite liked this film. All the events take place over an entire night, so it can be compared to films like Dazed […]

Hamlet 2 (24/08/2008)

In the end, Hamlet 2 will probably be most well known for featuring a song entitled “Rock Me Sexy Jesus.” That musical number, which happens late in the film, is probably the high point of this film, which only features a so-so story about a drama teacher trying to get his controversial play shown. A […]

Tropic Thunder (13/08/2008)

Who would have thought that in the end it would be Simple Jack that generated controversy? In a film that features Robert Downey Jr. playing an Australian actor, who darkens his skin to play an African American sergeant, the biggest complaint about this film involves a subplot, where Ben Stiller’s character plays a mentally disabled […]

Pineapple Express (08/08/2008)

You can definitely say that Seth Rogen has become a big start in a very short period. It has been only three years, since he had his first real prominent film role in The 40 Year Old Virgin. Pineapple Express mixes a stoner comedy with an action film. Like last year’s Superbad, it was written […]

Step Brothers (04/08/2008)

Earlier this year when I was talking about Semi-Pro, I stated that I thought Will Ferrel’s routine was getting old. After seeing Step Brothers, I still have yet to be convinced otherwise. Before I say anything else, I should state that I thought Step Brothers was an incredibly funny movie. However, it was also an […]

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (02/08/2008)

Before I write anything else, I should agree that this undoubtedly an unnecessary third film in the Mummy series that is probably being made as a cash in. That doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy it. Truth be told, that this is a fairly decent film. I was even able to overcome my biggest beef about […]

The X-Files: I Want to Believe (27/07/2008)

I don’t remember much of the first X-Files film, since I had watched it late at night and fell asleep through parts of it. I was hoping the re-watch that film before seeing this film, but I had no luck finding it in the stores (I guess everyone else has the same idea). Anyways, this […]

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (23/07/2008)

I’m sorry to say that I never had the chance to prepare a classic thoughts review for today. However, I saw this documentary today, so that will be a fitting substitute. There are many different types of documentaries, however I find that “talking head” variety to be the most informative and interesting. This film features […]

The Dark Knight (22/07/2008)

Batman Begins set things up, and now The Dark Knight set things into full motion. I could say that I thought it was a very good film and I like the fact that equal screen time was given to both heroes and the villains. Heath Ledger was definitely wonderful as The Joker, however I also […]

Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D (18/07/2008)

If you recall my Movies of the Moment column for this month, I put this film as one of the films I was not interested in seeing this month. However, this was because I thought I wasn’t going to be able to see it in 3D. When I found out this was not the case, […]

The Wackness (14/07/2008)

Before I talk about the film, I have to give a shout out to the guys over at FirstShowing.net, most notably its editor Alex Billington. If it wasn’t for Billington’s constant praise of the film, since it debuted at Sundance, I might not have even considered going to see this film. The film is a […]

Hellboy II: The Golden Army (12/07/2008)

When the original Hellboy came out four years ago, I only knew Guillermo del Toro as the guy who directed Blade II and a Spanish-language horror film called The Devil’s Backbone. However, I ended up liking the film so much, that I was excited to see del Toro’s next film Pan’s Labyrinth, which officially made […]

Wall-E (09/07/2008)

Even though I missed the film when it came out a couple weeks ago, I finally managed to see Wall-E today. I would probably compare this film to The Incredibles in the fact that even though it is animated, it stands on its own as a sci-fi adventure in the same way The Incredibles stood […]

Hancock (05/07/2008)

This film about an anti-superhero has been getting poor reviews. The general concentrate is that the film falls apart in the second half. I would agree that the second half opens up some plot holes. However, I would say that I was able to overlook them and I found Hancock to be a decent film. […]

Wanted (03/07/2008)

I didn’t really decided to see Wanted until just a few weeks ago and I was really expecting more than what I got. The first five minutes showed some Marix-like action scenes that made me excited, but with the exception of the climax, it was a fairly standard action film. I’d say that I probably […]

Get Smart (22/06/2008)

When I was a kid, I remember watching (and liking) reruns of the Get Smart TV show. However, I don’t remember that much other than the basics, such as the shoe phone (I would probably say most of my memories of Don Adams was as the voice of Inspector Gadget). I would say that my […]

Young People F***ing (18/06/2008)

This Canadian film was, obviously, the stand out film at last year’s Toronto Film Festival, in which it sold out in record time. As such, despite its profane title, I decided that I had to see the film to see what all the fuss was about. The film is a sex comedy with a very […]

The Incredible Hulk (15/06/2008)

It’s a bit of a risk rebooting a franchise in only it’s second film, but since they retained a few of the plot elements from Ang Lee’s 2003 original, it wasn’t that noticeable. One thing about this film that it was hard for me not to talk about was recognizing the Toronto locals the film […]

The Happening (13/06/2008)

On August 6, 1999, a film about a child psychiatrist trying to help a child that sees ghosts, called The Sixth Sense, was released, directed by a relatively unknown Indian/American filmmaker from Philadelphia named M. Night Shyamalan. The film was a huge hit and it stayed at the top of the box office for 5 […]

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan (07/06/2008)

Adam Sandler’s comedies have always been hit or miss. However, for the last few years, he has been doing some different types of rolls, which did not really fit his character. Some of the magic came back last with with I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and it’s back in full force with this […]

The Strangers (05/06/2008)

Since I was away during the weekend, I quickly went to go see this film today. I would have to say that was definitely a very suspenseful film. It was also chilling that this is more realistic film (probably to support its, slightly exaggerated, tag that the film was “inspired by true events”). I also […]

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (25/05/2008)

It’s a day late, but here’s my thoughts on the new Indiana Jones film, which I saw last night. I should probably start off by saying that it is not a perfect Indiana Jones film. In fact, I would probably rank it third in the series (after Last Crusade and Raiders of the Lost Ark). […]

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (18/05/2008)

Last Wednesday when I looked back at The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, I worried that I did not know if I would enjoy this film, since I wasn’t that familiar with the rest of The Chronicles of Narnia. However, it turned out that I enjoyed the film just fine. It helped that this […]

The Visitor (12/05/2008)

When I go to my semi-regular independent film viewings, I usually never know much about the film I am going to see. I just see what’s playing, watch the trailers, and watch a film that seems intriguing. That’s how I decided to see The Visitor. This film has a very low-key cast, with the only […]

Speed Racer (10/05/2008)

The latest film from the Wachowski Brothers started out looking it was case of style instead of substance. The film looked neat (with a very green-screened world that made the film look like a live-action cartoon), however the first half hour of the film was a huge jumble of flashback interspersed with a single race. […]

Iron Man (04/05/2008)

While some may consider Iron Man a secondary Marvel hero, I was already a fan thanks to an animated series from the mid-90s. This was definitely the most star-studded of the Marvel comic adaptations and that probably really helped the film. This film was a very fun ride from beginning to end and it really […]

Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (29/04/2008)

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the first film. Especially when I saw the movie theatre I regularly go to shown on screen. The sequel is once again a racially charged stoner comedy. However, this time, instead of the simple goal of trying to locate a burger joint, the politically themes are turned way […]

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (19/04/2008)

This film comes about a little under 11 months after my only other experience with star Jason Segel (that being Knocked Up). He wasn’t really too much of a stand-out in the movie, so it was a little risky pushing him into the lead (even though that move worked for Seth Rogen in last year’s […]

Smart People (15/04/2008)

Smart People features Dennis Quaid as a college professor, who is trying to get over the recent death of his wife, while trying to manage a new relationship with a doctor (played by Sarah Jessica Parker). He also has to learn to get along with his family including his adopted brother (Thomas Haden Church) and […]

Shine a Light (10/04/2008)

Today I spent my birthday going to the IMAX theatre to see the latest in the long line of Rolling Stone concert films directed by none other by Martin Scorsese. For a concert film, I think the Rolling Stones have had better ones (and I’ll talk about one in next week’s Classic Thoughts). However, I […]

Leatherheads (06/04/2008)

Leatherheads is film that is both a sports movies and a homage to the screwball comedies from the 1940s, complete with fast-talking dialogue and sexual innuendo. It’s also one of the funnier films I’ve seen this year. The only thing missing from this film is that is should have been shown in black and white, […]

Run Fatboy Run (30/03/2008)

Simon Pegg has really started to make a name for himself, since the release of Shaun of the Dead back in 2004. This film is his first staring role without his usual collaborators, writer/director, Edgar Wright and, co-star, Nick Frost. For the first 20 minutes or so, I was not sure if this David Schwimmer-directed […]

Funny Games (17/03/2008)

Funny Games is not an entertaining film. I thought that I will make that clear. However, I will also say that I thought it was a very good film. It’s a horror film and it’s a shot-for-shot remake of an Austrian film of the same name by the same director. It’s a highly disturbing film. […]

Doomsday (15/03/2008)

I’ve probably said this a million times by now, but Doomsday is what you get when you take films such as 28 Days Later, The Road Warrior, The Warriors, and Escape from New York and combine them with a dash of Excalibur. So yeah, the film is not that original and that is probably its […]

Semi-Pro (01/03/2008)

Over the years we’ve seen Will Ferrell play a soccer coach (Kicking and Screaming), Nascar Driver (Talladega Nights), and a figure-skater (Blades of Glory). Now, we get to see him as a basketball player. I will be first to say that this brand of Will Ferrell humour is starting to get old. While I did […]

Be Kind Rewind (25/02/2008)

I first heard of this film in May 2006 and I thought it’s premise of making homemade remakes to popular films sounded good on paper. Also, it was directed by Michel Gondry, who always brings a unique vision to his films and music videos (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind being one of my favourites). […]

Vantage Point (23/02/2008)

Vantage Point is a sad example of a film that I personally enjoyed, while many of the other people in the theatre obviously didn’t. Based on what I overheard from my fellow movie patrons, the reason for this dislike is how the film is structured. The film centres around one incident, which is repeated in […]

The Eye (03/02/2008)

Before I continue with the review, I should make a correction from yesterday’s Movies of the Moment post. I said that The Eye was the latest J-Horror remake, when it actually the remake of a Hong Kong horror film. That said, the Asian influence wasn’t as evident in this film as films like The Ring […]

Rambo (26/01/2008)

I never saw any of the previous First Blood/Rambo films, but it know well of their reputation of being synonymous with action films. I would say the forth film, with follows the similarly eponymous Rocky Balboa, lives up to the series’ hardcore action reputation. Sylvester Stallone does not hold back with the action scenes and […]

Cloverfield (19/01/2008)

I had really mixed thoughts as I left the theatre after seeing the J.J. Abrams-produced monster film Cloverfield. One one hand, I liked it’s unique take on monster films. It’s far from a simple Godzilla clone and I believe that the hand-held Blair Witch-like cinematography was a smart idea. One the other hand, that same […]

There Will Be Blood (06/01/2008)

There Will Be Blood sticks out from the rest of Paul Thomas Anderson’s films for the very fact that it is a period piece and that it has an overall darker mood than his previous films. The films features Daniel Day-Lewis as an oil baron, who is consumed by greed over a 24 year period. […]

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (02/01/2008)

Back in my December movies of the moment column, I listed Walk Hard, Aliens vs Predator: Requiem, and this film as films that I was unlikely to all see. While it’s true that I never managed to see them all in December, it is now January and here I am with the final of those […]

Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem (28/12/2007)

My packed holiday viewing schedule continues with second film in the Aliens Vs. Predator crossover series. I didn’t see the first film until after it was on DVD. I never thought that it was a great film, but I also thought that it was better than I thought it was going to be. AVP: R […]

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (23/12/2007)

This year’s holiday season is jam packed with films I’d like to see, so here is the third film I’ve seen within a week’s timespan (with at least one or two more planned before the end of the holidays). This has been a killer year for producer/director Judd Apatow, whose films Knocked Up and Superbad […]

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (22/12/2007)

Sweeney Todd is probably Tim Burton’s darkest film. It is even more dark than Sleepy Hollow, which was released eight years ago (and featured over a dozen decapitations). I would also say that this is probably Tim Burton’s best film so far. He has moved a long way in the 22 years he has been […]

Juno (19/12/2007)

Earlier this year at the Toronto Film Festival, I remember this film was receiving some good buzz. I would have considered seeing it then, if it wasn’t for the fact that the scheduling conflicted with my own. I think comparison has already been made that Juno seems to be Knocked Up and Superbad merged into […]

The Golden Compass (09/12/2007)

6 years ago saw the successful releases (only one month apart) of the big screen adaptations of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Since then, it seems that every fantasy novel is being adapted. Of these adaptations, I believe The Golden Compass is the highest profile release since The Lion, The Witch, and The […]

Margot at the Wedding (26/11/2007)

I had a lot of choices to see today in my (usually) monthly art house visit. I ended up picking this nice easy to digest film. I thought it was OK, but I also thought that I was probably the wrong gender to properly enjoy it. I wouldn’t call Margot at the Wedding a straight […]

The Mist (25/11/2007)

The Mist had two stigmas to content with. First, people can easily confuse the title with John Carpenter’s The Fog (and specifically the 2005 remake, which didn’t do so well). Second, it’s Frank Darabont’s third adaptation of the Stephen King story after successfully adapting The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. My verdict on this […]

Beowulf (17/11/2007)

Beowulf was an interesting experiment: take the motion-capture technology used in making The Polar Express and use it to make a more serious epic. I won’t go into the debate about whether or not this film really needed to be made using motion-capture CGI instead of live action, since I’m actually a little tired of […]

No Country for Old Men (11/11/2007)

During their career, the Coen brothers went back and forth between dark dramas and comedies. During the 11 1/2 years since the release of Fargo, they really leaned onto the latter with only 2001’s The Man Who Wasn’t There being the only real non-comedy released during that time. As such, you can call No Country […]

American Gangster (03/11/2007)

Celebrity sighting aside, what did I actually think of the film? I can definitely say that it is NOT this year’s Departed. It’s not bad film, but I thought it was a very formulaic film. The entire plot goes back and forth between Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe’s stories. The stories don’t even begin to […]

30 Days of Night (21/10/2007)

The ads for this latest release from Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures production company says that 30 Days of Night reinvents the vampire. However, I would that there isn’t much to reinvent with vampires — they are undead creatures that live off of blood. Since this film based on a graphic novel, I would definitely […]

The Darjeeling Limited and Hotel Chevalier (14/10/2007)

The Darjeeling Limited is the latest film from director Wes Anderson. It deals about three brothers taking a spiritual journey across India one year after the death of their father. With each of his films, Wes Anderson has been progressing more and more along the artistic route of filmmaking. That said, I would definitely say […]

The Heartbreak Kid (08/10/2007)

Back in my Movies of the Moment post, I was hoping that this film, which reunited Ben Stiller with the Farrelly Brothers would have recreated the magic of There’s Something About Mary. Sadly, I have to say that is not the case. The film did have it’s moments. I thought the scenes where Stiller’s comedy […]

Into The Wild (30/09/2007)

Into The Wild is one of the films that I missed seeing earlier this month at the Toronto Film Festival. This film, which is based on a true story, plays out almost like an Odyssean journey, with the young Christopher McCandless (played by Emile Hirsch) journeying across North America towards Alaska and meeting a lot […]

Good Luck Chuck (plus an introduction to the new look) (23/09/2007)

First, I hope you enjoy the new look of the blog. As you can see from this post, I will now be including a picture of the movie poster when I post thoughts (I also edited my last post to include a picture from the Death Defying Acts Q&A at TIFF). Now onto the film. […]

TIFF07: Standing in on a film (11/09/2007)

The biggest thing to happen during my volunteer shift yesterday was that I stood inside the theatre during a screening (to make sure there were no bootleggers in the crowd). As such, I also got to see the film (whenever I was not looking at the crowd), so I will post some quick thoughts on […]

TIFF07: My exhausting first day (09/09/2007)

My first day volunteering at the Film Festival left me very exhausted. I did some tasks that I was familiar with from last year, however about half of my time today was spent outside the theatre at the Rush line (a line-up for people to get last minute tickets). Some celebrities actually showed up at […]

Rob Zombie’s Halloween (01/09/2007)

Back in April, I pondered how Rob Zombie’s remake/reimagining/whatever of Halloween would measure up to John Carpenter’s original film. My final verdict is not that well. I have to say, when I was watching the film, I was intrigued by the expanded backstory that Zombie gave Michael Myers. In fact, I thought it was quite […]

2 Days in Paris (25/08/2007)

A couple months ago I saw romantic films Before Sunrise and Before Sunset with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. In these films Hawke and Delpy had a seeming perfect connection with each other, with very little conflict. 2 Days in Paris, which was directed by Delpy, seems to be the complete opposite of that. In […]

Superbad (23/08/2007)

What can I say about this film? I would guess that you can say that it’s like 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up in a high school setting. I have to say that this was a very funny movie and, despite the high school setting, it’s definitely not a movie for the kids. I […]

Stardust and Rush Hour 3 (12/08/2007)

This is one of the few weekends, which I went to see two movies. One of them I liked better than the other. Here’s my thoughts: Stardust I had gained enough interest in this film, that I decided to go see it yesterday, in addition to my original plans of seeing Rush Hour 3 today. […]

The Bourne Ultimatum (03/08/2007)

This film is the latest in the “summer of threequels.” However, unlike the other “threequels” I never really saw the previous two films in theatres (I only saw them of video and/or TV in the last year — I now regret not seeing them in theatres). However, I do say that seeing the previous films […]

Sunshine (25/07/2007)

Danny Boyle, known for Trainspotting and 28 Days Later enters the Sci-Fi genre with Sunshine. In fact there are quite a few technical similarities between this film and 28 Days Later. They both have the same director (Boyle), screenwriter (Alex Garland), star (Cillian Murphy), and composer (John Murphy). The film even features Rose Byrne (one […]

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (12/07/2007)

I’m not too big a reader, so I never really got into reading the Harry Potter novels. As such, I have always gone into these films with a fresh mind (minus the odd spoilers that are thrown about). I always thought the first film (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone) was the best in showing […]

Transformers (08/07/2007)

So, what did I think about this film that had fans of the show cringing at the differences? I really liked it and I was a fan of the show. That’s all I am going to say.

Live Free or Die Hard (01/07/2007)

I had to do a lot of preparation before going to see this, the forth movie in the Die Hard series. Specifically, I had to see the other three movies. I purchased the box set on Monday and watched the films throughout the week, so I would be all caught up on the adventures of […]

1408 (23/06/2007)

I have been a fan of Stephen King for quite a number of years now. I have read a fair number of his novels and they are definitely entertaining reads. It is quite well known, that most of King’s stories have been adapted into film. In that, the King novel that I’m currently (Cell) is […]

Once (11/06/2007)

It’s time once again for my monthly look at independent film. This month, I went to see the Irish film Once. This film can be classified as a romantic musical. However, unlike most musicals, where singing starts for no apparent reason, this is a more realistic type of musical. The romantic part of the film […]

Knocked Up (04/06/2007)

There was a time, not so long ago, when I would have not felt comfortable seeing R-rated comedies like this one. However, films like Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year Old Virgin (a film I was initially freaked out about, but quietly went to see anyway) showed me that those films tend to be the more […]

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (26/05/2007)

Here is the third and final of the May “threequels” At approximate 2 hours and 50 minutes in length, the movie could have definitely used a bit of trimming. It’s not that hard to follow, like some critics are saying, however it could have done without some of the sub-plots. Specifically, Chow Yun-Fat’s Sao Feng […]

Shrek the Third (19/05/2007)

This his is the second of the three big “threequels” this month. So, what do I think about the third film of this popular animated series. First, I think it’s great of kids. As for adults like me, it’s alright. It definitely has a much more simple story than the past two films and there […]

28 Weeks Later (13/05/2007)

So, this is the sequel to the apocalyptic zombie/virus flick 28 Days Later. This was definitely more of a grim and intense movie than the first film. While the first film had a period where nothing much happened, in this film the characters were always in danger (either by “the infected” or the U.S army, […]

Spider-Man 3 (06/05/2007)

I don’t really have too many detailed things to write about this film. As such, I will just summarize by saying that I really liked the film, however I did think that it was a step down from the other films. I think it might have been a bad idea to include more than one […]

Hot Fuzz (22/04/2007)

Two years ago saw the release of the very funny horror-comedy Shaun of the Dead. Now the same team is back for Hot Fuzz, which is a satire on police films. I should say first that I loved Shaun of the Dead. In fact, I consider it one of my favourite films. However, I have […]

Disturbia (15/04/2007)

I think it would be redundant to say that this movie is essentially a remake of Rear Window. I would say that’s partially true. There are definitely some noticeable plot similarities. However, as Peter Howell pointed out in his Toronto Star review, this film is aimed at people, who probably never heard or care of […]

Grindhouse (08/04/2007)

This film can’t be really described in words, you really must experience it yourself. That said, it was the most fun I can at the movies this year. Of the two features, I would say I enjoyed Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror better. It just seemed more campy and fun. However, as a whole package, I […]

Blades of Glory (31/03/2007)

My first thoughts on this film was that it was essentially “Zoolander on Ice,” with all the homoerotic overtones and such. In fact, it’s those overtones where most of the comedy in the film is derived. I would definitely say that my biggest laughs came from the skating scenes. The rest of the film was […]

Shooter (24/03/2007)

This weekend I was deciding between seeing this action thriller or checking out the big screen return of, my childhood favourites, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Well, I decided go for the more “grown up” of the two (though I still will still see that Ninja Turtles movie one way or the other). So, what […]

Fido (21/03/2007)

A Canadian comedy about domesticated zombies. Who WOULDN’T want to check that out? Basically the film takes place after a zombie apocalypse where life supposedly reverted back to the way it was in 50s sitcoms and the zombies are controlled with restraining collars. The movie was quite cheesy, but because of the 50s sitcom feel, […]

The Wind that Shakes the Barley (17/03/2007)

Since it’s St. Patrick’s Day and I’m partly of Irish heritage, I thought I would check out this film about the Irish war of independence and the start of the Irish civil war. At the focus of the film is the Irish Republican Army. At first thought, I thought this was the same IRA that […]

300 (11/03/2007)

It’s late, I’m tired, I’ll make this brief. I thought 300 was not only visually stunning, but it had a pretty decent story too. Also, even though it was hyperviolent, the violence was made to look similar to what it would look in the pages on a comic book (since, of course, the film is […]

Ghost Rider (18/02/2007)

Ghost Rider is definitely one the lesser known characters in the Marvel Universe. Heck, I only really recognized the villain, Mephistopheles, purely from his inclusion in an old NES Surfer Surfer game. Still, I would have to say that Ghost Rider is one of most enjoyable of the Marvel comic movies. In my opinion, it […]

The Messengers (03/02/2007)

Sam Raimi’s “Ghost House Pictures” production company has been a little hit and miss with the horror films it produces. It started off strong with The Grudge. However, a few months later, company released Boogeyman, which, while watchable, was pale in comparison to the, very creepy, Grudge. It also seemed, that a lot of the […]