Udo Flohr’s Effigy – Poison and the City is a fantastic film to watch if you’re a fan of period dramas. The leads give terrific performances, and the setting is visually beautiful for history buffs.

This updated version of Black Beauty is well-done and touches upon some important points about being connected to animals, nature, and learning to care for others.

The filmmakers have crafted an urgent watch that demands to be seen.

The script, written by David McKenna, is extremely impactful, as are the performances.

Overall, the movie’s performances are good, not great, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Every moment of the film is emotionally enthralling, perfectly bittersweet, and calculatedly daring, leading viewers down a beautiful path of hope and love that should award Happiest Season the success that it deserves.

What makes I Am Woman worth watching (and recommending) is the importance of Helen Reddy’s story, predictable as it is.

The actress playing Jade, Vicky Knight is a burn victim herself. It lends a realism to the movie that makes it by turns heartbreaking and inspiring.

Run is that rare beast that tells you in the trailer exactly what’s going to happen and still manages to surprise and shock you.

Overall, I think this documentary is perfect, even if it is a bit of Christmas propaganda.

The conclusion is not completely earned by the end credits, but Minor Premise‘s aspirations are far greater than movies with much larger budgets and star power.

Antarctica is a rare gem that stands as one of this year’s best.

The 7 rating is for his movie. Vance himself, in his preachy, condescending book, gets it wrong.

Mikkelsen is at his best, but all the actors convey a range of emotions masterfully and share real chemistry. Add in Vinterberg’s careful direction of the wry screenplay he wrote alongside Tobias Lindholm, and you have a great dramatic comedy.

The real torpedo that sank this ship was that the source material wasn’t all that good, to begin with.

Unfortunately, due to its limited premise, The Mole Agent never goes beyond showing the problem of loneliness. There no solutions, even if viewers like me interpreted some from watching the film. Nevertheless, through a unique premise and an engrossing style, The Mole Agent shines a light on a part of our society that we don’t talk or think about enough.

A kaleidoscopic look at a marginalized community, Queer Japan is required viewing for anyone in the community as well as their allies.

I’ve Got Issues brings to mind the zaniness of Quentin Dupieux, with a dash of Todd Solondz’s existentialism and the off-kilter freestyle nature of David Cross and Bob Odenkirk’s stuff. If you find one of the bits redundant, its brevity ensures another one is coming right up.

It’s probably one of the best nostalgia documentaries to come out in years. It’s all feel-good and good-feels from start to finish and a surprise here and there.

I’m being overly harsh with Climate of the Hunter because it was frustrating to watch. I had to work hard to follow the story and figure out what was really happening between the characters and I find myself replaying various scenes to see what I missed.

Mehta skillfully navigates both the tender sequences and the more devastating ones. Aided by Howard Shore's rousing musical score, she portrays a beautiful country ripped apart by social violence. Her film serves as an ode to those who either died or were forced into exile for having the courage to express their true identities.

Blood from Stone is a brazenly vicious, jolting, and oddly perceptive vampire thriller that alternates between genres.

Panek doesn’t sugarcoat anything in his beautifully-shot, grim tale, but ultimately, it’s his belief in human kindness that prevails. There may not be any lycanthropes in Werewolf, but they’d most likely seem like puppies next to the true evil he depicts.

Wander Darkly is a hard watch that is worth it, as the movie will pull a few tears from your eyes at the end.

At 75 minutes, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles goes down easily but lacks a distinctive flavor.

In a parallel dimension, perhaps, most movies are this well-made. Watch Parallel, and then watch it again to untangle all of its little nuances.

Yalda, a Night for Forgiveness, might start softly, leaving viewers unsure what it is, but very quickly, it becomes fascinating and engaging akin to watching a game where we have to discern the truth. It is actually strange, though quite disturbing in hindsight, to think of it this way, considering real events inspire the story.

As it stands, it’s not much of an indictment. As honorable as her intentions may be, Bibeau ends up blowing the whistle so incessantly, it sort of leaves you deaf.