A bold, and brazen immersion in 1920s Hollywood — There was plenty of buzz surrounding Babylon in the build up to its release. Another likely awards contender from Damien Chazelle, the man behind Whiplash, First Man, and La La Land. But it came, and went without making a big impact. …

A singular and surreal work by auteur David Lynch — Auteur is often thrown around rather casually when describing a filmmaker and his work. But in the case of Lynch and it’s entirely apt. Especially in the case of Inland Empire. His first foray into digital film-making, Lynch took on the role of director, writer, producer, editor, and cinematographer, while…

A joyous, vibrant throwback, set in the far flung future — If you were to show a Trek fan 20 years ago the current state of Trek affairs, they would be shocked. Back then, Enterprise had been cancelled after 4 seasons and the dismal reception of Nemesis, pretty much ended Trek on the big and small screen. Today, Picard is closing…

Stallone’s underdog franchise packs a punch on 4K-UHD — Coming in the wake of Creed III’s big box-office take, we finally see Sylvester Stallone’s long-running franchise make its first foray into the 4K platform. After six films (and three more on top with the Creed series) Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is kicking things off with this Knockout Collection, bringing…

Synapse Films present all three versions Phenomena in 4K-UHD — Dario Argento, the maestro of Italian horror. His creative peak was in the 70s and 80s with cinematic landmarks such as The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Four Flies on Grey Velvet, Deep Red, Tenebrae, and most famously Suspiria. One of his more offbeat ventures was Phenomena, releases in some…

An engrossing, single-location story, driven by a superb performance from Lily Sullivan — There’s always something alluring about “bottle films,” movies that center events around a single location, either through the creative use of small budgets, or taking on the logistical challenge, where one focal character serves as a conduit to an escalating situation in the outside world. Think Locke, Pontypool, 127 Hours…

A quirky rom-com about a mismatched but meant-to-be couple in the far-flung future — The rom-com is one of the most enduring film genres. Formula and familiarity. Audiences expect some formula and familiarity, but for those features that become truly beloved, both a fresh take and palpable chemistry are needed. Writer/director Michael Lukk Litwak’s Molli and Max in the Future certainly tick the boxes…

A Filipino-British thriller rooted in themes of class, colonialism, immigration, and exploitation. — As SXSW 2023 unfolds, the U.K. is gripped in something of a crisis, as new government efforts to stem immigration are labelled as “heartless.” It’s one thing to deny help to migrants, but another level of cruelty to exploit it. Many stateside who cry for strong action to deal with…

Writer and director Sophie Jarvis helms a beguiling debut feature. — Until Branches Bend is a restrained, largely internalized drama that unfolds in Montague, a town lying in a verdant region of British Columbia. This place and its people are inextricably linked to the local peach crop, a lifeblood to the town. …