Ava DuVernay’s 13th looks and feels like something criminology professors will be screening to their students in perpetuity, yet why should that matter in the end?
The Neon Demon (Refn, 2016)
The Neon Demon? Oof. I didn’t know you could say the word “dull” in so many colours.
Julieta (Almodóvar, 2016)
I really do admire the care and attention Almodóvar put into this, as well as the fantastic acting from the two leads (especially Suárez, whose face is nigh-unforgettable).
Cemetery of Splendour (Weerasethakul, 2015)
Weerasethakul’s modus operandi seems to require being as oblique as possible, but here I did not mind it so much. If nothing in the diegetic world makes sense to the characters, then I don’t expect the audience to be blessed with revelation.
Tower (Maitland, 2016)
Tower documents the 96 minutes of utter hell that was unleashed on the University of Texas at Austin on August 1st, 1966.
Midnight Special (Nichols, 2016)
Midnight Special is trying to tell something more ambitious in scope, yet Nichols doesn’t go out of his way to make it ambitious. And so you’re left watching it, maybe pleasantly, maybe impatiently; when the end comes, it neither jolts nor astounds. It leaves nary a mark.
Brigsby Bear (McCary, 2017)
For anyone who feels alone in this world, or who thinks their creative genius is being misplaced, Brigsby Bear is going to be the balsam you need to get through your worst days.
Girls Trip (Lee, 2017)
All hail Tiffany Haddish. Her NYFCC win was the sole reason I decided to watch Girls Trip sooner rather than later, and, well, the proof is in the pudding.
The Trip to Spain (Winterbottom, 2017)
When you need something light and guaranteed to make you smile, while also hugging you with its familiarity, The Trip films do the trick nicely. You put one on, and instantly you know what to expect.
Emilija Iš Laisvės Alėjos (Ulvydas, 2017)
Even if Emilija did not exist as a person, one can still imagine others like her finding themselves on the path of resistance, and that type of verity is what makes Emilija a compelling watch—in spite of its relative unevenness.
Shadow of a Doubt (Hitchcock, 1943)
This may be the funniest Hitchcock film I’ve seen yet? Not in the sense that I find Uncle Charlie funny—obviously he’s not a guy you’d want to mess with.
I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (Blair, 2017)
I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore is as scrappy as they come, colouring within the lines of the comic thriller, while also gunning for something more intellectually engaging.
Good Time (Safdie & Safdie, 2017)
Good Time is gobsmackingly good. Thrillingly so. I’m in awe of what the Safdies achieve here, which is neo-noir (neon-noir?) and social realism mulched into a decayed panic attack.
The Other Side of Hope (Kaurismäki, 2017)
Aki Kaurismäki has done it again, folks. Back after a six year hiatus, his latest feature possesses all his trademarks: the slightly faded aesthetic; the po-faced performances; the scalding Finnish wit hibernating in drab décor and reams of cigarette smoke.
The Big Sick (Showalter, 2017)
The Big Sick will not win any awards for its direction or style. And I’ll admit that that bothered me for the first half hour or so. It’s not an interesting film to look at, and Michael Showalter doesn’t seem to try giving it a boost in that area.
The Lonely Film Critic 