Film
From Cannes: ‘Holy Spider' is a Grim Depiction of Patriarchal Violence
With Amir-Ebrahimi bold and arresting performance at the foreground, Abassi’s film is an unflinchingly grim depiction of the toll of patriarchal violence.
From Cannes: ‘Stars at Noon’ is a Well-Acted Yet Muddled Thriller-Romance
Denis’s latest effort is commendable for its exciting pace and distinctively sultry mood, but the romance at the core of the film is not strong enough to fully draw audiences into the muddled world of its underwritten protagonists.
From Cannes: 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' Is 108 Minutes of Rollicking Entertainment Without A Clear Point
“Three Thousand Years” is one of the most highly-watchable films of the festival, sure to be a crowd-pleaser in theaters. But its palatability comes at a cost.
From Cannes: ‘Don Juan’ Fails to Seduce With Its Reimagination of the Classic Tale
The film becomes alienatingly hard to watch as it devolves into a bizarre musical about an unlikeable man terrorizing women on the street.
From Cannes: 'Les Pires' Examines the Ethical and Personal Sides of Filmmaking
Writer-directors Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret craft a self-aware film that features sensitive performances, a touching emotional arc, and compelling commentary on the social responsibilities of filmmakers.
From Cannes: ‘Syk Pike’ is an Over-the-Top, Amusing Look at Narcissism
Though oftentimes over-the-top and surface level in its critique, “Syk Pike” is nevertheless a witty examination of narcissism, unabashedly holding up a mirror to humanity’s worst tendencies.
From Cannes: 'Decision To Leave'’s High-Stakes Mystery Romance Is A Lighting Strike of Longing
Does the blood spilled behind two people bind them together or doom them to unhappiness? Can two people conditioned by violent obsessions ever turn away from them, or have they been indelibly shaped?
From Cannes: 'Crimes of the Future' Falls Flat With Boring Visuals and Shallow Themes
On the cinematic screen, where audiences can experience only the visual echoes of pain, Cronenberg orchestrates grotesque injuries and shocking transformations in the service of art.
From Cannes: 'Frère et Sœur’ Takes Sibling Rivalry to the Extreme
Arnaud Desplechin’s latest film begins by thrusting viewers right in the middle of a hostile, tragic confrontation and maintains approximately the same level of melodrama for the entirety of its runtime.
From Cannes: ‘War Pony’ Offers Engrossing, Vital Coming of Age Stories
The affecting drama is a triumph of communal filmmaking that highlights the perspectives of Native creatives, offering a fluid coming-of-age story that resists the narrative urge to insert artificial endings.
From Cannes: ‘Close’ is a Heart-wrenching Portrayal of Boyhood Friendship
The film unravels into a complicated portrait of friendship and grief, illustrating with devastating poignancy how love and loss are inextricably linked.
From Cannes: 'Triangle of Sadness' Enthralls and Eviscerates With Its Vision of Poisonous Wealth
Beyond its portrayal of wealth, the film’s more specific critique of exploitative beauty culture feels unique for the contemporary cinematic landscape.
From Cannes: 'El Agua' Is Not The Supernatural Thriller You Might Expect — It’s Better
Where its premise might suggest a supernatural thriller, the film instead unravels as a vivid and emotive slice-of-life movie, beautifully tracking the blossoming romance between two teenagers.
From Cannes: “Hunt” Piles Twists Onto A Classic Spy-Movie Structure To Confusing Effect
The film offers an engaging portrait of the everyday dangers and bureaucratic infighting in an intelligence agency servicing the Korean military dictatorship, but eventually drags under the weight of its countless plot twists.
From Cannes: 'Tirailleurs' Depicts France’s Exploitation of Senegalese Conscripts In Fast-Paced, Tragic World War I Story
Though Mathieu Vadepied makes a meaningful commentary about French abuse against colonial subjects in the name of the war effort, his latest film certainly has its issues.
From Cannes: ‘Aftersun’ is a Gorgeous, if Oblique, Portrait of Nostalgia
Charlotte Well's feature film debut is a deeply felt examination of familial connection, with all of its joys and complications.
From Cannes: Newcomer Julie Ledru Lights Up The Road In Electrifying Motocross Drama 'Rodeo'
The film is both a window into the pervasive misogyny endemic to the underground biking scene and a broader commentary on the way men are threatened by female independence.
From Cannes: ‘Plan 75’ is Haunting and Life-Affirming
Chie Hayakawa's latest paints a somber picture of old age, with a few pinpoints of hope interspersed throughout a slowly paced but artfully shot film.
From Cannes: ‘The Stranger’ is a Riveting True Crime Thriller with Depth
Director Thomas M. Wright's latest film is impressive in its formal execution as well as its buildup of suspense.
From Cannes: ‘God’s Creatures' is a Quiet, Cutting Drama with a Resounding Message
The lie at the center of the film gives it a biting urgency, harnessing its intimate character portrait to speak to broader questions of loyalty, privilege, and the impact of collective complicity.
From Cannes: ‘Armageddon Time’ is a Candid Look at Privilege in 1980s New York
“Armageddon Time” is often quite a bleak depiction of inequalities in America, and it doesn’t necessarily offer any answers to these persistent issues.
From Cannes: ‘Le Otto Montagne’ is a Quietly Beautiful Exploration of Belonging
The film packages profound messages into mundane interactions between family and friends.
From Cannes: 'L’Envol' Delivers Rich Visuals And A Hollow Love Story
In the early moments of “L’Envol”, the new period drama from Italian director Pietro Marcello, the screen crackles to life with grainy, worn-out film footage of towns destroyed by World War I.
From Cannes: ‘Coupez !’ is a Hilariously Layered Love Letter to Filmmaking
Because of its complicated premise, the structure of “Coupez !” requires audiences to stick with its bizarre first act in order to fully understand its comedic goal — but the wait is well worth it.
'The Northman' Review: A Tediously Stoic Adaptation of Hamlet
Although replete with all the dark moodiness and savagery one expects from an Eggers film, “The Northman” tragically fails to extract any deep emotional investment from its audience.