Leviticus follows The Backrooms and Obsession in a number of ways; for starters, in being the first feature film of a young director (Adrian Chiarella), finding unexpected critical and commercial success on a shoestring budget, or the one that interests me more: making good horror with a compelling allegory that nevertheless operates on only one level, the surface.
Living the Land is extremely slow and a tad too long, so it’s not for everyone, but I found it to be deeply moving, with a beauty both aesthetic and thematic.
This theatrical drama about a tortured pop star and her estranged friend didn’t quite work for me.
There is an interesting convergence between films like Aftersun, My Father’s Shadow, and this Blue Heron, where young filmmakers are using movies to interrogate their own childhoods after the loss of a loved one.
The Odyssey is the definitive showcase both of everything Christopher Nolan does best and of all his weaknesses as a writer and as a director.
You could choose any single fight in this movie and it would exemplify all the tenets of good action filmmaking: talented stunt performers, insane choreography, long, unbroken takes that let the action speak for itself, characterization through fighting style, exploiting the set piece, raising the stakes… That single fight that you chose would be the highlight of any Hollywood blockbuster, but here there are literally dozens of them.
The Sheep Detectives is the perfect example of a good family movie: soft, funny, and full of great messages for the kids, while still being charming and entertaining enough for the adults.
I loved the premise of Obsession more than I liked the execution.
Disclosure Day is a fun enough time at the movies, and a reminder that it’s possible for a Hollywood blockbuster to be made with a baseline of quality and care. I just wish they had put a bit more care into it.
In all, Backrooms is a great chance to have a stressful time at the movies. When Hollywood is reduced to lowest possible effort nostalgia, we can turn to independent filmmakers to break new ground and explore complex themes.
The Film Tower 