Writer/director Garin Hovannisian’s Truth to Power, a new documentary on System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, will likely entrance fans of the band looking to get an in-depth tale of the politically-active singer and musician, but anyone else in search of a focused tale will find the film desperately lacking.
‘Minari’ is an instant American Classic about the American Dream to a Korean family finding themselves cultivating a farm in rural Arkansas.
‘Nomadland’ is a stunning character study incorporating meditations on aging, legacy, industrialization, and the vanishing American middle class.
The latest film from Adam Egypt Mortimer, ‘Archenemy’ (out February 16 on DVD and Blu-ray from RLJE Films), sees the writer/director once again applying his independent lens to a new genre.
This distasteful witch trial horror offering from Neil Marshall has a heavy-handed tone, clunky dialogue, and a refusal to concede to the realities of basic human physiology.
‘The Night’ starts strong following the story of a married couple with many issues trapped inside a haunted hotel. Kourosh Ahari sets up his film well, but things take a turn for the worse with a complicated direction in the second half.
‘Savage State’ is narratively vacant, historically nonsensical, and emotionally barren. Skip it.
A gritty meditation on class, globalization, family, and destiny, ‘The White Tiger’ is the story of one man’s struggle with his destiny.
Were it not for the fact that it’s drenched in violence, blood, and assorted alien fluids, the heart of ‘Psycho Goreman’ makes it charming enough to watch with your kids.
It’s great to see that the rockers featured in the documentary really seem to enjoy getting to interact with fans on this level, where they’re kinda / sorta peers, but even those interviews come across more as advertising fodder for the camp, rather than digging deeply into what it means for them personally.
‘Promising Young Woman’ is an exploration of sexual assault and accountability in a post-#MeToo era aware of the present yet largely foggy on the past.
‘Greenland’ is an emotional, prescient suspense drama that’s got no right being as good as it is.
There’s a lot to take from Steve Byrne’s ‘The Opening Act,’ but the main takeaway is if you’re willing to take a chance, enjoy it while it lasts, rather than worrying about what happens if it doesn’t go exactly as planned.
The superhero genre gets darker in Adam Egypt Mortimer’s newest feature Archenemy. To get out of a world of hyper-violent crime, two teenagers partner with a drunken man who claims to be a superhero from another dimension.
‘Dear Santa’ examines Santa’s helpers, hundreds of volunteers and postal workers who make sure the letters to the Big Guy become Christmas wishes to remember.