Festivals TIFF 2021: The frustrating Quickening has only one thing to recommend it By: Soham Gadre Quickening star Arooj Azeem gives a breakout performance, but the rest of the film simply does not match her good work.
Festivals TIFF 2021: As In Heaven is a divinely made hybrid of character study and nightmare By: Soham Gadre With As in Heaven, Tea Lindeberg and star Flora Lindhal craft a stupendous study of a young woman's struggle with her faith amidst horror.
Festivals Reeling 2021: Though handsome, Firebird fails to ignite By: B.L. Panther Firebird, Peeter Rebane's adaptation of queer memoir The Story of Roman, is far too timid, especially when it has the potential to blaze.
Festivals Reeling 2021: The autobiographical North by Current eloquently studies a family’s hurt and the nature of memory. By: B.L. Panther North by Current sees Angelo Madsen Minax examine his family and their history with care, grace, and impeccable craft.
Festivals Reeling 2021: Saint-Narcisse loves its own reflection Bruce LaBruce's latest, Saint-Narcisse, is a scintillating tale of queer lust, families, and doubles.
Festivals Reeling 2021: Jump Darling sends off Cloris Leachman in style By: B.L. Panther The late, great movie star gives a stupendous performance in this winning odd-couple dramedy.
Festivals Reeling 2021: Queens of the Revolution celebrates queer Cubans and the lives they have built By: B.L. Panther With Queens of the Revolution, Rebecca Heidenberg presents Cuba's queer community and their work with care and thought.
Festivals Reeling 2021: Boulevard! A Hollywood Story delves into one of the fascinating shadows cast by a legendary film By: B.L. Panther Boulevard!—Jeffrey Schwarz’s documentary on a never-was musical adaptation of Sunset Boulevard and its makers—is insightful if scattered.
Festivals TIFF 2021: Silent Night is a joyless, doomed slog By: Peter Sobczynski Silent Night's admittedly intriguing blend of bleaker-than-bleak comedy and holiday spirit is undermined by noxious writing and characters.
Reviews St. Vincent meta-doc The Nowhere Inn offers up deconstruction for its own sake By: Matt Cipolla Annie Clark and Carrie Brownstein play with the fuzzy lines between artistic identity and celebrity in ways that both entertain and befuddle.
Reviews In Season 3, Sex Education reaches new levels of maturity By: Reyzando Nawara Sex Education's characters wrestle with regressive sexual politics and communication issues on the way to its most mature season yet.
Anniversaries Mommie Dearest turned the celebrity biopic into a camp delight The “nothing but warts” portrayal of Joan Crawford turns 40, & remains an eye-popping display of pathos, kitsch & unintended hilarity.
Festivals TIFF 2021: The Forgiven offers up yet more rich white people problems By: Sarah Kurchak Despite its top shelf cast & capable direction, this drama about tourists behaving badly is nothing we haven't seen before.
Festivals TIFF 2021: Drive My Car is a dense, lyrical take on life after grief By: Sarah Kurchak Ryusuke Hamaguchi adapts a Haruki Murakami short story & gives it additional depth & soul.
Festivals TIFF 2021: The Gravedigger’s Wife & other highlights in African cinema By: Soham Gadre Three features at the Toronto International Film Festival turn the spotlight on the best and brightest in African filmmaking.
Reviews Best Sellers belongs in the slush pile By: Gena Radcliffe Michael Caine & Aubrey Plaza give far more effort than this saccharine comedy-drama about generation gaps & the publishing industry deserves.
Recap Ted Lasso “Beard After Hours” Recap: The wild night is calling Ted Lasso Season 2 Episode 9 takes viewers on one bizarre night with Coach Beard.
Festivals TIFF 2021: Belfast is a touching, understated historical drama By: Sarah Kurchak Kenneth Branagh directs a moving film about a working class Irish family impacted by the Troubles.
Reviews Lady of the Manor lets its enthusiastic cast down By: Sarah Gorr A lighthearted comedy clumsily attempts to address race, to less than successful results.
Reviews Netflix’s Raimi-inflected Nightbooks fails to cast a spell By: Ashley Lara A talented cast's efforts can't overcome a potion with too many conflicting elements.
Reviews Netflix’s He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is somehow more dated than ever By: Jon Negroni Netflix's latest attempt at the He-Man IP sacrifices interesting innovation for toyetic changes.