The Dead Thing might be dropping on Shudder during the Valentine’s Day weekend, but the new film by Elric Kane is hardly a standing ovation to the idea of romance. One might even call it cynical. In the age of loneliness and swipe culture, the need for connection feels more urgent than ever, causing the slightest bit of rejection to feel
Read MoreAfter viewing Bring Them Down, this reviewer had one question: Between this movie and The Banshees of Inisherin, why are the Irish so resentful of one another? Much like The Banshees of Inisherin, the feature film debut by Chris Edwards sees bitter men slowly tearing each other down, but instead of it being about a break-up, Bring Them Down sees a
Read MoreThe Sundance Film Festival title, Omaha, touches on one of life’s greatest anxieties involving poverty. Since the pandemic, many of us have financial fears about the future. At the same time, we are living through one of the worst homeless crises in recent memory. Cole Webley directs a heartbreaking vision of a father on the brink of losing everything with nothing or nowhere to
Read MoreSundance Film Festival 2025 wrapped this weekend, closing the door on another eventful year of amazing titles. The festival brought many films about individuals from every race, sexual orientation, disability, or gender identity. One can see the depth of quality from haunting discussions about disability in Life After to extravagant explorations about love and identity in the fantasy Rains Over Babel.
Read MoreSome people view life as half full, and others as half empty. Filmmaker Clint Bentley gives the impression of an artist who believes both exist simultaneously and that their existence is meaningful. His new film Train Dreams at the Sundance Film Festival explores these ideas in a meditative film about a man working in the rising railroad industry. The setting choice
Read MoreSally is what one would hope for from a Sundance Film Festival documentary. The festival is typically ripe with programming engaging in social commentary and highlighting diverse perspectives. And who better to highlight than the first female astronaut to adventure into space? The documentary is broad-sweeping in scope, discussing Sally Ride’s early life as a tennis player to becoming a NASA
Read MoreMiddletown sees documentarians Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss return to another story about young people’s role in the future of politics and activism. While Girls State is a sufficient follow-up to the groundbreaking documentary Boys State, the second outing lacked the same energy despite the importance of the subject matter. Here, McBaine and Moss seem to be shifting gears, and instead
Read MoreThe Sundance Film Festival documentary Life After begins with a simple yet controversial question. Should a disabled individual or someone who is suffering have the right to die? Regarding the disability experience, finding stories about people who share my worldview is a priority. And to be honest, the question posed caused me unease. Discovering that documentarian Reid Davenport shared the same
Read MoreThis week filmmaker Gala del Sol will premiere her ambitious film Rains Over Babel at the Sundance Film Festival. The movie has a vibrant aesthetic combining all the influences of her home, Colombia; this is felt in the fashion, the dancing, and the character designs of the film. Adding to this, the movie explores interesting themes involving the LGTBQ experience, prejudice, God or Gods, and the
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