Reviews

Based on a real-life case with some fictionalized elements, the film gets off to a sluggish start and ends on a rather weak note. Yet the central heist sequence is gripping and cleverly constructed, carrying a good sense of momentum. Still, the lack of compelling character motivation in the beginning prevents the audience from fully investing emotionally.

Compared to Your Name, this movie feels like a step backward. While the visuals remain stunning, the storytelling falls flat. The film is riddled with logical inconsistencies, a dragging plot, and a forced happy ending.

Among all of Fassbinder’s works, "Martha" is perhaps his most direct and disturbing depiction of abuse within a heterosexual relationship. What’s most unsettling is the co-dependence at the heart of it—it becomes a story of a woman who finds a twisted sense of pleasure in her own entrapment.

The film is constructed with a minimalist precision: static wide-angle shots, sparse dialogue, and meticulously staged compositions. The actors’ ghostly white makeup adds a sense of absurdity, while the painterly backgrounds and lingering stares amplify a sense of urban alienation.

The film’s most biting moment comes when Brüno realizes the key to success is passing as straight, because society rewards heterosexual conformity with validation and opportunity. But that denial of one’s true self soon becomes unbearable, erupting into the absurd final scene set to “My Heart Will Go On.” It’s satire at its most painful and revealing.

This is easily one of the finest space biopics ever made—truthful, witty, soulful, and beautifully detailed. Over 193 minutes, it unspools a tapestry of a longing for the stars, a thirst for speed, and the warmth of love and camaraderie. It’s hard not to notice how many later space classics borrow visual language and pacing from this film. A masterwork like this deserves far more recognition than it gets.

At heart, this is still a "duckling-to-swan" story, although the class commentary feels a bit heavy-handed. That said, the film gets a lot of things right. It highlights the deep bonds of gay friendship—arguably the most important theme here—and it addresses racial dynamics within the LGBTQ+ community. The supporting characters are also well-drawn, not just there to fill space or serve plot functions.

Ken Loach’s "Kes" stands as a landmark in British cinema, bridging the social realism of the 1950s Free Cinema movement and the documentary ethos of John Grierson. It marked a moment of transformation where 'rebellion' gave way to a more grounded, observational storytelling approach.

This deeply affecting drama follows two teenagers torn between love and desire, only to be crushed by social expectations and overbearing parents. The emotional resonance is powerful, and the performances lend authenticity to a portrait of adolescent longing. The film speaks volumes about the confusion and repression of young romance.

The directors build an atmosphere of quiet tension through tight medium shots and meticulous sound design, capturing subtle glances, gestures, and spoken lines to map out a web of longing, jealousy, and conflict. The narrative may be minimal, yet its aesthetics elevate a simple premise into a compelling visual experience.

François Ozon’s tribute to Rainer Werner Fassbinder revisits the story of The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, with its posters mimicking Querelle. Yet stylistically, the film seems to lean closer to the world of Pedro Almodóvar. Some sequences are strikingly well-executed and carry a certain magnetic pull.

Like many road movies centered around the search for family—think "Xenia" or "Transamerica"—"Wildhood" tells a coming-of-age story that unfolds at its own gentle rhythm. It’s a journey filled with tension and tenderness, as characters wrestle with rebellion and self-discovery. What sets this film apart is how it weaves in Indigenous identity and the traditional dance, which lend the characters depth and authenticity. And of course, as with any good road film, the lyrical cinematography and breathtaking landscapes are essential—they’re not just a background, but a bonus that enhances the entire experience.

Adapted from the controversial autobiography of game show legend Chuck Barris, this film turns his alleged double life as a CIA assassin into a fever dream of espionage and ego. The plot is outrageous and the characters wildly eccentric, yet the logic within the madness is strangely coherent.

This might look like a queer comedy on the surface, but at its core, it's more of a buddy-cop mystery. The real climax come from Gingle Wang’s character, whose arc features two surprising plot twists. Unfortunately, the queer characters themselves are disappointingly one-dimensional.

I’ve always found the glaring class divide in this world a glaring issue, and "Downton Abbey" doesn’t sugarcoat it. Afternoon teas, grand dinners, and lavish balls are luxuries reserved for the elite, while the working class are constantly working their socks off. Watching two teams of servants scheme against each other just to better serve their masters is both ironic and disheartening. The only moment that seemed to challenge this hierarchy—a wealthy lady leaving her inheritance to a maid—turned out to be less revolutionary when it was revealed the maid was actually her illegitimate daughter. That twist felt like a letdown more than a surprise.

Watching this film, I couldn’t help but feel that the despair of war is like an ever-present cancerous cell, lurking deep inside the body. It wears down your life, corrodes love. It’s just so tragic.

If you want to see the real struggles of people who feel helpless about life and how they find the courage to keep going, watch Mikio Naruse's films.

Okay, so besides the story being super thrilling and fun to watch, I gotta say the movie’s upbeat take on AI really got me thinking. Like, once M3GAN gets plugged into Gemma, she’s an absolute powerhouse, and Gemma doesn’t feel controlled at all—she’s actually vibing with this newfound freedom. Meanwhile, M3GAN’s always getting side-eyed by her allies and hunted down by enemies. There were so many moments where I was like, ‘Yeah, she’s toast,’ but nope—she keeps popping up somewhere else. Tech’s just gonna keep charging forward, you know? Instead of freaking out about it, why not just lean in and embrace it?

A horror film that carries grief at its heart and still being gruesome and unsettling throughout its narrative ?
GODDAMN I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.
It might have a linear narrative but this has you captivated throughout
Some of the camera works had my attention
Its quite detailed and thats beautiful
Sally hawkins is brilliant and i would really like for her to be nominated for this performance
It’s been quite some time i have felt this uneasy through a horror film
The director duo hereafter have my attention🙌

Bullet train, on a plane! ✈️🚆