Category: B-

Mandibles

French Absurdist auteur filmmaker/musician Quentin Dupieux has by and large made a name for himself with his inexplicable oddities. If you’ve seen one of his films (probably Rubber or Deerskin), you know exactly what I’m referring to. His typically quirky plots and eccentric world-building have an aurora of intrigue in the most simplistic of manners;…

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Fear Street Part 3: 1666

[This review contains spoilers for Fear Street Part 1: 1994 & Part 2:1978] The Netflix Fear Street trilogy has finally come to a close. The final chapter promises a lot: a return to the protagonists we were introduced to as well as a journey back in time to when all of the town’s troubles began.…

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Pig (2021)

Where to begin with Nicolas Cage‘s latest endeavor? For starters, it’s titled Pig, and the story is about  Cage’s bearded Oregonian wilderness-living recluse searching for his kidnapped truffle pig. What many, including myself, thought would be along the lines of A24’s drama First Cow meets Mandy actually turns out to be a bit more complex…

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Gaia

A newcomer to the scene, South African director Jaco Bouwer‘s feature directorial debut Gaia will instantly bring to mind a handful of recent eco-horror staples. Filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic and originally making its global debut at SXSW back in March, Gaia takes a high concept approach along the lines of Annihilation. Two unsuspecting park…

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The Killing of Two Lovers

Director, writer, editor Robert Machoian‘s The Killing of Two Lovers is one I’ve been keeping an eye on since it got picked up by NEON. A pseudo-thriller seamlessly disguised as a very raw marriage break-up story, focusing on a small-town high-school sweetheart couple who has, after four children, decided to take a break. When our…

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HELD

“Isn’t that heaven on earth. It’s the way a marriage should be, before feminism and political-correctness muddied the waters. Simpler. Better times.“ Directed by the duo behind Blumhouse’s The Gallows, Chris Lofing and Travis Cliff, Frightfest official selection HELD sees a departure from the supernatural horror aspect. With some #MeToo movement subtext, HELD bolsters more…

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Rent-A-Pal

David is your average lonely guy. He lives with his elderly mother, who calls him by his father’s name. He takes care of her (and watches old Cary Grant flicks with her) and the small neighborhood home they inhabit. He’s also subscribed to a retro version of Tinder, where your dating profile is recorded onto…

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Tenet

If you’ve started reading this review against your better judgement, worried about spoilers, rest assured there is no cause for concern here. I could certainly divulge plot details—minor and major—but they would soon get lost in the shuffle. To say Tenet is heavily plotted would be an understatement. In the early stages especially, it is…

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The Burnt Orange Heresy

An art dealer is hired to steal a painting from one of the most enigmatic painters of his day, and he is consumed by his own greed. Insecurities rise as this operation spins out of control. The Burnt Orange Heresy is a slightly uneven but engaging arthouse thriller, led by two fantastic performances and a…

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Siberia

Last we saw of Abel Ferrara was with still-undistributed Cannes premiere Tommaso in 2019, starring Willem Dafoe as an aging, self-hating director. Siberia, premiering at Berlinale less than a year later, is perhaps the director’s elusive, hypothetical film. Starring Willem Dafoe again, who had previously collaborated with the auteur on projects like Pasolini, New Rose…

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