Patrice Witherspoon

An exhilarating spectacle of epic proportion, Hope is exactly the kind of violently horrific and chaotically humorous film we’ve been waiting a decade for from Na Hong-jin. He manages to continue his great streak as a master of genre mash-ups in ways that blend the best of sci-fi, horror, and action thrillers. It’s ridiculous, it’s bloody, it’s long – and it’s worth every minute of your time.

A beautiful yet simple story about using AI to manage grief, Sheep in the Box hits all the right emotional notes. The script glides through all stages with realism and curiosity in a way that never judges its characters, no matter which side of the AI argument they sit on.

The most frustrating aspect of Paper Tiger is that there’s an exceptional film here somewhere. The budding tension was magnificent, to the point where the action that followed felt like a giant sigh of relief. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t enough – so much so that the 115-minute runtime felt entirely too short.

Parallel Tales is exactly as advertised: The central story interweaves the lives of six people in ways that should be a recipe for delicious, chaotic drama. Yet, Farhadi's latest is bogged down by its repetitiveness and refusal to offer anything new to a story about imagination and voyeurism. What we’re left with hangs a little too long onto a thin rope of painful repetition, false hope, and jaded screenwriting.

Even though it's a short 82 minutes, a film like Fatherland requires a certain level of patience. There are missing emotional anchors tying all the themes together. In a sense, the script holds itself back from fully embracing its potential, especially for a story centering on a father-daughter duo during the peak of the Cold War. A little certainly goes a long way, but even this moody piece needed a breakthrough.

Oxman’s directional choices — such as lingering close-ups — are added benefits that enable us to connect more deeply with its characters. And thanks to some very powerful performances from Bateman and Dillon, this isn’t just a story that invites us to explore the effects of childhood troubles. It reiterates that understanding is all we ever truly want and need from others.

Because of some questionable decisions, the film's key messages aren’t as effective as they could be.

Thankfully, Covino and Martin never insult our intelligence by over-explanatory dialogue and lectures. Instead, this talented writing duo focuses on what audiences want: human desire and the wild things we’ll do for connection.

The most interesting and beautiful piece to this puzzle is the fact that Dillane's performance can steer the audience in any direction emotionally and at any given moment.

This story of civic injustice isn’t just a great achievement by the director. It’s a cautionary tale about the repetition of tragic moments in history.

What makes Dossier 137 a fascinating watch is being able to observe a singular character battle all the complexities of morality when it comes to justice, truth, and conflict of interest. Moll doesn’t write Stéphanie with the intent of letting her take the easy way out, which creates some exceptional character study moments.

The Chronology of Water is a boisterous spectacle of the female experience directed with pure love and sincerity.

As a testament to its strong script, Basir’s latest tackles various themes related to addiction, religion, and even manhood. And in its methodical approach towards addressing mental health, To Live and Die and Live defies and exceeds emotional expectations.

A fascinating character study that shows us the dangers of finding fulfillment in all the wrong places.

This is merely an example of misalignment when it comes to direction and script. Because while Kane’s vision is mostly clear, the execution of this particular script stumbles.

With certainty, Cumberbatch put his all into this role. So, if for nothing else, it’s worth it to see him.

Last Days is as frustrating to watch as it is to try to understand this avoidable tragedy.

For a directorial debut, Shanks hits it out of the park with his delightfully squirm-worthy horror comedy.

Not everything works and the humor tends to run its course, but Gates puts a solid effort together given the limitations.

This story and these women deserve better.

It may not incite fear in a classical sense, but it haunts us at every minute of its runtime. Gorgeous cinematography and an exceptional score elevate this tale of obsessive torment. Sure, we’re in a time when remakes are becoming more of an annoyance than anything, but with a final product like Nosferatu, it almost seems silly to care about these things.

This shocking horror comedy is a train wreck that you can’t look away from. Whether the filmmakers intended this to be the case is a question on its own, but I’m sure Krazy House will acquire a following.

With the exceptional performances from the cast and several laugh-out-loud moments, this creative film is wildly entertaining.

Even though it doesn’t take its own storyline seriously enough, Smile 2 is entertaining. Don’t expect the horror film to have the best commentary on mental health issues, but be ready for some jump-scare fun.

The Piano Lesson captures the importance of honoring our ancestors through legacy.

Bring Them Down is 105 minutes worth of violence and misery, but it’s great storytelling, nonetheless.

Thanks to a stunning lead performance from Jean-Baptiste and an ending that doesn’t take the easy way out, it is a must-watch.

It isn’t just stellar filmmaking, it’s necessary viewing for those of us aching to break the cycle of abuse.