Film is a strange medium. It requires creating images and moments that must have the semblance of reality but which are totally fictional. At least, that’s the conceit — more often than not, a little (or more) truth bleeds into the material, consciously or otherwise, and the lines between reality and fiction become blurred. Several […]

Crime films deal with criminals in a variety of ways, but there is a temptation (often indulged) to treat the criminal as an “other,” as “the bad guy,” allowing for a good deal of distance between the characters and the spectators. This happens so frequently that when a crime film comes along whose criminals are […]

Thorns and nails pressing into raw flesh, limbs twisting and contorting beyond the limits of nature, flames not-so-gently lapping at bare skin — religious fervor (especially that of the Catholic variety) has always made an alluring backdrop for body horror, and for good reason. As films like The Passion of Joan of Arc, The Devils, […]

I suppose there are multiple ways to go about having a good old-fashioned masculine midlife crisis — it just depends on your level of commitment. You know the obvious ones, of course: things like plunking down your life savings for a shiny red sports car, trading in your age-appropriate partner for a much younger model, […]

A fully loaded SUV, parked on a Buenos Aires street, is the setting for 4×4, a Saw-inspired take on income inequality from Argentine director Mariano Cohn. A petty thief named Ciro (Peter Lanzani) breaks into the car to steal the stereo, only to find himself trapped when the owner (Dady Brieva) — a medical doctor […]

Set in Alabama and focused on two idiots who panic after making a mistake, The Death of Dick Long laughs at its characters’ follies but ultimately shows the kind of affection for them and their habitat that can only come from someone who grew up there. Director Daniel Scheinert (who co-made Swiss Army Man with Dan […]

Hollywood biopics generally focus on the biggest and most renowned figures in the realms of entertainment. Everyone knows and loves Ray Charles, Elton John, and Tina Turner, so it only makes sense to tell their personal stories in a biography-style movie. But what of the artists who aren’t household names but made an impact in […]

The Golden Glove is the remarkably unpleasant true story of a German serial killer in the 1970s, told with matter-of-fact, steely-eyed brutality by Turkish-German filmmaker Fatih Akin. Jonas Dassler is uglied up real good to play Fritz Honda, a hunched, oily psycho with a wispy mustache lingering under his bulbous, blackhead-covered nose. He is the […]

(Screened at Fantastic Fest; release TBA.) We all have our own personal biases when it comes to movies. For example, I am instantly curious to see any H.P. Lovecraft adaptation — partially because lots of his short stories and damn good but mostly because the man’s work is notoriously difficult to capture in a cinematic […]