Freelance Entertainment Journalist & Editor | Rotten Tomatoes Certified | GALECA, OAFFC & Film Independent member | Bachelor's degree in Communications | Email: saradawnc@gmail.com
Amy Adams Goes Feral in 'Nightbitch'
Marielle Heller has always had a singular, nuanced vision when it comes to the characters in her films. Whether the characters are fictional or based on real people, she captures them through a relatable lens in all their complex contradictions. Her humanistic eye always keeps her films grounded, even as they display a variety of potent emotions. Her latest film is no different.
Based on the novel by Rachel Yoder, Nightbitch follows a stay-at-home suburban mom who finds her life taking a surr...
TIFF 2024: 'The Last Showgirl' Is a Stunning Showcase for Pamela Anderson
Following in her grandfather’s footsteps, Gia Coppola is the youngest of the famous film family to step into the director’s chair. While her first two films, Palo Alto and Mainstream, weren’t met with the warmest reception, The Last Showgirl is a hit. Looking behind the lights of the Las Vegas Strip, the film, with a screenplay by Kate Gersten, focuses on one performer’s life after she finds herself without work for the first time in 30 years. Through Coppola’s dream-like lens, the film explo...
“THE SHADOW STRAYS”
Timo Tjahjanto is a conductor. Every punch, every swing of a sword, and every shot of a gun is executed with thrilling precision. No missed note. No beat is ever out of sync. Ultra-violent action is nothing new for the director of “The Night Comes for Us.” Here, Tjahjanto once again executes meticulous violent mayhem from start to finish. His latest action opera, “The Shadow Strays,” makes “John Wick” look PG. Hollywood has nothing on Indonesian action cinema.
The world of “The Shadow Strays” is cruel and unforgiving. Existing in its darkness is a clandestine organization that will kill...
“PEDRO PÁRAMO”
“Pedro Páramo” is an epic of Latin American literature. An adaptation of the novel by the same name, by Juan Rulfo, would be an ambitious story to tackle for any director, but especially one who has never sat in the director’s chair before. The ”Barbie” cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, known mainly for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese and Alejandro González Iñárritu, easily proves here in his first feature that he has a director’s eye for storytelling. With a screenplay by Mateo Gil, “Pedro Páramo” is a journey into the soul as one man discovers his family history. While the Netflix...
“THE QUIET ONES”
In 2008, amidst the global financial crisis, Denmark was rocked by its largest-ever robbery. This true story serves as the backdrop for “The Quiet Ones,” a heist thriller that meticulously chronicles the elaborate preparations and high-stakes execution of a heist that yielded over $10 million (USD) and led to the incarceration of fourteen men. Frederik Louis Hviid’s film examines the world of ambitious criminals driven by insatiable greed, willing to overcome any obstacle and bear any personal cost in their quest for wealth and power.
“RIFF RAFF”
Director Dito Montiel has touched on many genres throughout his 20-year film career. The former member of a hardcore punk band, Montiel transitioned to film to adapt his memoir, “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints,” which included an all-star cast with Robert Downey Jr. and Dianne Wiest, and would begin a three-film collaboration with Channing Tatum. Montiel has written and directed everything from drama to crime thriller to comedy. With his latest film, “Riff Raff,” written by John Pollono, Montiel combines elements of all those genres. It can sometimes feel unfocused because of this...
“WITHOUT BLOOD”
Angelina Jolie’s directorial works have mainly focused on one topic: War. “In the Land of Blood and Honey” depicts a love story set during the war in Bosnia; “First They Killed My Father” follows a child soldier in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime; and “Unbroken” follows an American soldier captured by the Japanese during WWII. Each of these films takes place during the war in which their stories are set. Jolie’s latest film, “Without Blood,” does the opposite, taking place years after the war. The conflict may be over, but it still goes on internally for its characters...
TIFF Review: In 'Conclave,' the Election of a Pope Mirrors Familiar Political Rot
The Sistine Chapel filled with cardinals gowned in red, placing their votes for who will be next to fill the most holy seat, is a familiar scene. The election of a new pope and the papacy itself have been explored in film before, but never quite like this. Edward Berger’s Conclave, based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris, thoroughly examines the politics behind this electoral system, revealing a rot that mirrors our own politics. This thriller, which veers into procedural drama, ...
“40 ACRES”
From David Fincher to Spike Jonze to Antoine Fuqua, quite a few big-name directors have taken their talents from music videos to film. Having worked with artists like Drake and Snoop Dogg, R.T. Thorne is the latest director to take that swing. While he has directed episodes of TV shows like “Degrassi” and “The Porter,” “40 Acres” is his film debut. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the film follows a family (led by Danielle Deadwyler and Michael Greyeyes) who fight to defend their land from those who would kill for it. An engrossing post-apocalyptic family drama mixed with a suspenseful...
“THE LIFE OF CHUCK”
When Mike Flanagan’s name is attached to a film or TV series, you need to take notice. With films like “Hush” and “Gerald’s Game” and the Netflix series that put him on the map, “The Haunting of Hill House,” Flanagan has proven time and time again that he’s one of the best voices in horror. However, his latest project, “The Life of Chuck,” is a big swing from what we’re used to from him. As an adaptation of a Stephen King novella, it’s also a work by the famed novelist far from the murderous clown or haunted hotel with which we associate him. Told unconventionally from end to beginning...
‘Alien: Romulus’ review – A Frightening Return to the Franchise’s Roots
“In space, no one can hear you scream.” The tagline given to 1979’s Alien, the film that started it all, still rings true 45 years later. The silence that blankets the vastness of space is how Alien: Romulus begins. Even as a ship nears, you can’t hear it. You can’t hear anything until the ship comes to life with familiar beeping sounds. Then, an image of a cocooned xenomorph covers the screen before the film’s title card. For many, Fede Álvarez’s Alien: Romulus will be an introduction to the...
'Cuckoo' Is a Real Horror Trip With One of the Most Unique Plots in Recent Memory
Cuckoo is the kind of horror film whose opening minutes have its audience questioning what they just witnessed, immediately building intrigue with bubbling questions that you can’t wait to be answered. But does Cuckoo actually answer these questions? There’s no doubt that the Luz director, Tilman Singer, once again creates a real horror trip with one of the most unique plots in recent memory, but its results will leave you scratching your head.
Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) would rather be anywhe...
“THE TENANTS”
Some of the best horror movies have come from South Korea. “The Wailing,” “I Saw the Devil,” and “Train to Busan,” to name a few. But when one thinks of South Korean filmmakers, one especially thinks of Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho. Both have solidified themselves as masters of genre filmmaking – and it’s tough to compete with them in that landscape. With “The Tenants,” however, Yoon Eun-kyoung proves that there is still a lot of rising talent from the country. Yoon feels to have been inspired by Bong in the crafting of this film, which speaks of real-life horrors with a darkly comedic...
“IN OUR BLOOD”
It’s fitting that award-winning documentary filmmaker Pedro Kos would make his foray into narrative filmmaking with a found footage horror film that follows a young filmmaker as she makes a documentary about reconnecting with her estranged mother. “In Our Blood,” premiering at the Fantasia International Film Festival, is a deeply emotional story that is only made more profound in its documentary style. Everything is shot on a handheld camera, which makes the narrative feel more real and intimate. On the one hand, it feels like an indie doc, but it evolves into something much more sinister...
“THE G”
It’s been a year for films discussing the exploitation of vulnerable seniors. First, in “The Beekeeper,” after his friend (played by Phylicia Rashad) falls for a phishing scam that bankrupts her, Jason Statham’s Adam Clay seeks revenge against the group of scammers. Then, there’s “Thelma,” a film where the titular character (played by June Squibb) proves that despite her age, she doesn’t need a Jason Statham to take down thieves – she can do it herself. This trend continues with Karl R. Hearne’s “The G,” which had its North American premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival...