film reviews
Explore a range of experiences, from Hollywood blockbusters to art and indie films. We offer thoughtful insights, in-depth analysis, and suggestions to help you discover both new favorites and timeless classics.
Review by James Carneiro | Jan 12, 2026
A vacationing entomologist suffers extreme physical and psychological trauma after being taken captive by the residents of a poor seaside village and made to live with a woman whose life task is shoveling sand for them. The film is considered to be Teshigahara's masterpiece and one of the best movies of Japanese cinema, the 1960s and the 20th century, and is now widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.
Review by James Carneiro | Dec 21, 2025
Carl and Jessie are half siblings who feel trapped by the existential and economic pressures of living in the small mining town of Canaan, Ohio. Their shared rebellion soon takes on the form of an illicit love affair depicted in interwoven sequences of lusty poeticism and ethnographic vérité. When Jessie becomes pregnant, the tension between the couple’s youthful vitality and the dire realities of rural society leads to consequences both despairing and hopeful.
Review by Max Palmer | Dec 01, 2025
Two psychotic young men take a mother, father, and son hostage in their vacation cabin and force them to play sadistic “games” with one another for their own amusement. The film was entered into the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, where it generated controversy among both critics and audiences for its depiction of graphic violence and torture. A shot-for-shot remake, filmed and set in the United States, was released in 2007, also directed by Haneke.
Review by James Carneiro | Oct 22, 2025
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti, and follows an ex-revolutionary who is forced back into his former combative lifestyle when he and his daughter become pursued by a corrupt military officer. It received critical acclaim for Anderson's screenplay and direction, themes, cinematography, editing, music, ensemble cast, action sequences, and performances (particularly DiCaprio and Penn).
Review by James Carneiro | Oct 06, 2025
In the immense city of Tokyo, the darkness of the afterlife lures some of its inhabitants who are desperately trying to escape the sadness and isolation of the modern world. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. It received positive reviews and attracted a cult following. An English-language remake, Pulse, debuted in 2006 and produced two sequels. Kurosawa adapted the script into a novel.
Review by James Carneiro | Sep 27, 2025
Paul, a young idealist trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life, takes a job interviewing people for a marketing research firm. He moves in with aspiring pop singer Madeleine. Paul, however, is disillusioned by the growing commercialism in society, while Madeleine just wants to be successful. The story is told in a series of 15 unrelated vignettes. Masculin Féminin was intended as a representation of 1960s France and Paris.
Review by Aaron Jones | Sep 10, 2025
An alcoholic falls in love with and gets married to a young woman, whom he systematically addicts to booze so they can share his “passion” together. An Academy Award went to the film's theme music, composed by Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The film received four other Oscar nominations, including Best Actor and Best Actress. In 2018, Days of Wine and Roses was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
Review by Max Palmer | Aug 25, 2025
Edward, a gay novelist saddled with caring for his elderly mother, finally finds himself on the brink of literary success. With pressure to go on a US book tour mounting, the last thing Edward needs is his friends jetting off to Spain for an impromptu Pride holiday, leaving their mothers on his doorstep! Over a chaotic weekend, he has to juggle his burgeoning career with the care of four eccentric, combative, and wildly different ladies. It is an Irish-set, English-language remake of the 2008 Italian film "Mid-August Lunch."
Review by James Carneiro | Aug 07, 2025
Set in 1980s Los Angeles, the film follows the romantic lives of several characters in and around a dive bar, including its owner, Eve; Mickey, a drifter recently released from a psychiatric hospital; and Nancy, a French radio host of a romance advice show who has recently become Eve's roommate. Choose Me was screened out of competition at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival, as well as other festivals, including the Toronto International Festival.
Review by Max Palmer | Jul 11, 2025
A memory-wiped and defective cyborg sex slave is tossed onto the streets and taken in by a homeless woman while his corporate creators hunt him down. 964 Pinocchio was created on a low-budget using guerrilla-filmmaking techniques, with scenes in filmed in Tokyo utilizing reactions from real crowds of people. It is widely considered as one of the best examples of the underground Japanese Cyberpunk genre.