Spring Blossom feels under-realized on the whole, but at least introduces a distinct authorial voice worth following. Part of the official selection at this year’s…
All cinematic technique that makes Snyder a fanboy favorite feels sorely missing in the bloated, ugly Army of the Dead. Recovering from what must…
Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi Rhiannon Giddens may not be the only musician who recorded an album during lockdown, but she may be one…
In the opening scene of the music video for “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” the first single released from Janet Jackson’s 1986…
Episode Description: This week, we take on 1984’s Streets of Fire, directed by Walter Hill, a film that opens by helpfully describing itself as…
The Woman in the Window neither takes advantage of its unique setting nor matches the nuance of its Rear Window inspiration, rendering the whole thing fairly…
Those Who Wish Me Dead is eminently watchable and rife with brutal genre spectacle, but never quite manages the depth of Sheridan’s prior work. In…
Dope is Death is a vital contribution to the ongoing re-evaluation of the black liberation movement and a welcome antidote to conventional neoliberal pap. Given…
Georgetown isn’t the worst actor-turned-director debut feature, but it is a drab, superficial affair with little to distinguish it. Since coming to the attention of…
“Here is my music. It is all I have to tell you how I feel. Know that your love keeps my love strong.” This…
Spiral fundamentally misunderstands the appeal of the Saw franchise, deviating from the series formula to remarkably diminished results. Spiral: From the Book of Saw is but the…
There is No Evil is frequently, starkly poignant, but it’s successes are somewhat mitigated by a lack of culminating cohesion. Mohammad Rasoulof wasn’t present at…
With The Killing of Two Lovers, Robert Machoian constructs a difficult balance between simple-yet-impressive visual techniques and more frenzied audio compositions to drive an underwhelming…
Young Stoner Life Records What’s changed for YSL (Young Stoner Life) Records since their last compilation album, Slime Language, was released in late 2018?…
Profile’s subject matter is more than a little silly, but its thrilling Screenlife tinkering speaks to the form’s malleability and still-untapped potential. 2021 really…
The Columnist successfully balances a line between the satirical and sobering, and delivers some nice genre play in the process. Ivo Van Aart’s darkly comic…
The Djinn offers plenty of playful throwback chills, but boasts eye-roll messaging and doesn’t quite know who its audience is. Anyone expecting the gore and…
The Crime of the Century frustrates by leaving too much of its incisive subject matter dangling, but is still one of the most clear-eyed…