As a voracious consumer of both Western thrillers and general film noir, I embarked on watching The Night They Came Home, with hopeful anticipation. This feature, directed by Paul G. Volk, promised a gritty drama that blends traditional Old West…
Read moreEvery holocaust movie is inherently shocking. No film concerning one of the vilest blemishes in human history will be easy to watch. The more we see graphic imagery, though, the easier it is for some viewers to become desensitized. The…
Read moreRole Play, directed by Thomas Vincent and boasting an ensemble cast featuring Kaley Cuoco, David Oyelowo, Bill Nighy, and Connie Nielsen, promised to deliver a unique blend of action and comedy. Unfortunately, this film falls short of its potential, offering…
Read moreA phrase often heard over the past few years across the United States of America, in the wake of a summer of civil unrest and public outcry, is “defund the police.” It is a phrase loaded with connotations and undoubtedly…
Read moreDirected by F. Gary Gray and written by Daniel Kunka, Lift is a heist comedy that aspires to join the ranks of classics in the genre but falls flat in execution. Starring Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó,…
Read moreWith Devil May Care, director Sam Mason-Bell, producer James Cullen Bressack, and screenwriter Chuck Wagner move into more kid-friendly territory than usual. Missy (Annabella Rich), Brad (Aidan Harris), Pam (Nicole Katherine Riddell), Mac (Jack Perry), Elaine (Anaïs Marden), and Tom (Eliot…
Read moreThe Big Picture The 2024 Emmys focused too much on nostalgia and past TV shows, taking away from the current TV landscape. The same few shows won most of the awards, making the ceremony predictable and unexciting. The choice of…
Read moreIn Marta D’Ocon’s short thriller, The War Within, a young woman is forced to decide between which devil to serve. Matilde (Sabrina Hartmann) is the daughter of two very strict parents who dream of one day going into the city…
Read moreA young man comes into his own at a New York City drag show in Dhruv Sud’s short film, The Coronation. Jacob (Dash Katz) is a young man living in New Jersey, and he’s lost. At a full dinner table,…
Read moreCircus Of The Scars, the feature-length debut of writer-director Cory Wees and co-writer Jan Gregor, explores a peculiar moment in the early 1990s. Alongside the rise of grunge, the revival of the sideshow act occurred. Jim Rose spearheaded the show…
Read moreHave you ever asked yourself, “What the hell did I just watch?” No? Well, writer/director Cairo Smith’s psychological thriller Screwdriver, might just get you to blurt it out. After being left by her husband, Emily (AnnaClare Hicks) travels across the country…
Read moreStraight from the Santa Monica College Film Program is Ink, written by Alci Rengifo and director Osvaldo Ozuna. The 13-minute short starts with a mother and a son being separated by ICE officers. The boy, Dominik (Alexis Cervantes), reacts with anger…
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