Reviews

A beautiful and very personal story. It's very emotional and cathartic, in a way. How personal it was made it difficult for me to make my own connection to the characters. It felt like it was made as a way for the creator to release herself from past trauma.
It also has some unique characteristics, giving it a slight surrealist aesthetic.
It's poignant and powerful, and the more empathy you have within yourself the more you will get out of this.

Had me locked in from start to finish. Lighton does a fantastic job of exploring Colin's journey of self-discovery through the lens of sub/dom subculture, but never loses his grip on the heart at the center of it. It could have been so easy for this movie to veer into cliche, particularly in Colin's relationship with his parents, but Pillion sidesteps all of those minefields. It's beautiful, intense and very heartfelt.

The movie was designed to get on my last nerve, and it worked. I think we can be done with cancel culture movies for a while. After the Hunt comes of as one prolonged whine, from both the accused and the accuser. Very disappointing to see my most anticipated of VIFF become my most disliked. Just go watch Tar or the Social Network, it'll save you time. And those two films are at least sound mixed like actual movies. Michael Stuhlbarg is carrying this on his BACK.

"You scared me. I was eating cheese!" -- I liked the first half of this, but then it just kept going. Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield are fantastic. I don't know if anyone else was annoyed by this but Julia Roberts is wearing a lanyard throughout the film but she only wears her actual ID on it in 3 scenes (that I counted). Also, I felt like I was watching a Chris Nolan film in many scenes because of the horrible sound mixing. I needed subtitles for so many parts. Michael Stuhlbarg gives Robin Williams vibes.

VIFF 2025 #6
Oct 5 – SFU Goldcorp – 3:15pm

This had Sean Baker's fingerprints all over it. Might as well have called it The Taipei Project.

What a wonderful story. Shot very interestingly — all on iPhone, perhaps? Great performances all around from the entire (gorgeous) cast. Such a cute little kid too. Child actor performance of the year without a doubt.

Can't wait to see what these filmmakers get up to next. This is currently my pick for best international film of the year, but there's still a lot of VIFF left ahead of me...

VIFF 2025 #5
Oct 4 – Rio Theatre – 9:15
Q&A with Annapurna Sriram

There's a lot to love in this one. Oozing with style and originality. Destined to become a cult film as the filmmaker intended.

For as weird as the film was, am I crazy for wanting it to be even weirder?

Regardless, it was a great ride, and I'm sure I'll be watching this one again. Based on Annapurna's incredibly thoughtful answers during the Q&A, I feel like there's a lot more to unpack here beyond the surface.

VIFF 2025 #4
Oct 4 – Rio Theatre – 6:00pm

Pretty interesting look into a world I never knew existed, but is apparently very commonplace in Japan.

Story was fairly predictable, but it landed the emotional beats it needed to, and still managed to throw a couple surprises to keep things interested.

Worth it for Brendan Fraser alone, but wouldn't have nearly as much of a punch if anyone else was in that role. Give the man more lead roles!!!

VIFF 2025 #3
Oct 4 – Int Village – 11:00am

I chuckled, scratched my head, scratched my chin, and tapped my watch.

Some really fantastic moments, but some segments reeeaaallly overstay their welcome.

Being almost entirely ignorant to the surrounding Romanian cultural context sure didn't help either.

This is Waiting For Godot but Iranian. So well written! The actors gave their all and you can tell! This is heartbreaking, funny, and perfectly planned. The engine stalling scene got me; it was subtle and natural to the context of the movie. Also, musing over the morality of hurting someone who tortured you while also having no idea what you're doing? This movie had my entire attention from beginning to end! Everyone needs to go see this at least once!

Best "small" movie I have seen in a long time - "small" in the sense of small cast, small production costs ... but truly outstanding portrayal of a family shattered by Settler authorities in the 60s Scoop, and how they succeed in starting to recapture their stolen heritage. For a Settler-ancestry viewer, while I have some knowledge of this period, the film makes it so much more real and personal. Absolutely worth seeing.

Not to be a downer, but 2.5 hrs of a whole lot of ideas here and there, not really put together - could have been 90 minutes and stuck with the main line ...

A great movie. Lots of fun. Tons of style. When it’s at its best, it’s sublime. But there are scenes that don’t feel as strong as others. And the story lacks that extra spark. Still, this movie is worth your time if you like b-pictures, trash, or wild parties.

One of the best historical horror films of all time! Anya Taylor-Joy's performance and Robert Eggers' steady direction and storytelling remind us that there are deeper horrors within our imaginations than we can ever imagine.

On one hand, I loved the deep dive into the legal, historical, personal aspects of the Chuschagasta community. The way the doc uses the story of the murder case to explore the history of the community from Colonial times until the present is amazing. On the other hand, the film lost a lot of momentum halfway through, when we are shown old pictures of the people in the community. I understand the reason they're there, but they completely mess with the flow of the story.

me: “the philippou brothers can’t make anything more depressing and uncomfortable than talk to me”
philippou brothers: *maniacally laughs*

OBEX seemed like it was going to be a weird, creative ride with a blend of retro video game aesthetics and indie filmmaking charm. The movie nails that atmosphere and look with the black and white cinematography, practical effects, and analog textures. Unfortunately, the story is extremely simple, and not in a good way. The main character Conor feels generic and the narrative is simply not compelling. By the end, I just wanted it to be over.

VIFF '25 #6
Sara is so cool. There's so many parts of this that made me really emotional. Thinking about how many of those young girls' outlooks on life are forever shaped by having Sara in their community. Near the end, something happens that, while unfortunately I know happens in general, was still shocking to watch play out on screen. Overall, very glad I got to see this.

motherhood is a cosmic horror

i will forever be thinking about the visuals of Trashtown, USA. when it works it reallllyyyyy works. the pink flamingos of our time