A knock sounds in the darkness. A young man in a dressing gown opens the door. A perky young lady stands there, resolute, her face bearing all the signs of determined determinedness. Sarah Funk, she blurts out. Sarah Funk, her best friend is missing and she has come to (one of) the most obvious persons… Continue reading The Bailey Society: A Surprisingly Taut Mystery
Category: Reviews
‘Things That Fall’: Overriding Limitations to Find Connection
Things That Fall unfolds at a college, introducing us to Alex who is struggling with his midterm exam. Alex suffers from auditory hallucinations, which quickly borders on unbearable for the viewer in the limited time that the film subjects you to it. Written and directed by Sy Huq, Things That Fall takes the viewer into… Continue reading ‘Things That Fall’: Overriding Limitations to Find Connection
Tony: The Ambitions Of Abuse-Ravaged Teenagers
Tony is a film you will remember. A crime drama that is an homage to Scarface, and by extension to The Godfather, with a non-gimmicky look of the 80s and strong performances all around, Tony is a film you will most definitely remember. There is nary a flaw in the film’s making (written and directed… Continue reading Tony: The Ambitions Of Abuse-Ravaged Teenagers
Empty Nest: Sinister Stories Back Home
A horror, Empty Nest is surprisingly well put together upon repeat viewings. As is it disappointingly feeble and unconvincing nearing its concluding moments. In writer-director Joe Craib’s Empty Nest, we meet Alison (Erica Hill), hand in a cast, a sketchbook in her lap, doodling circles. Alison, an artist, is moving back in with her parents,… Continue reading Empty Nest: Sinister Stories Back Home
‘In the Campfire Light’: A Dance of Power & Exploitation
Following on the same lines of her earlier work (The Dark Side of the Sun), director-writer Samantha Michelle’s ‘In the Campfire Light’ is a slow exploration of the sexploitation in the entertainment industry. But, unlike the rest in the genre, it centres on the moments that lead up to the act than the act itself.… Continue reading ‘In the Campfire Light’: A Dance of Power & Exploitation
Wish Weasel: The 90’s Brought Back To Life
Dan McNamara’s farcical sci-fi series a la 90’s (bad) TV, Wish Weasel is just what it implies. There are weasels–outer space weasels– which have the power to grant wishes, but with an unprinted fine print. Belonging to the Wishomites, the eponymous Wish Weasel (voiced by Ricky Downes III) lands on earth upon banishment from his… Continue reading Wish Weasel: The 90’s Brought Back To Life
A Most Savage Beast: The Unexpected Virtue Of Being A Poor Horror Flick
Often in films with a psycho-stalker for the main character, the character in question will be blissfully unaware of the gravity of their actions. Nay, they are aware of the gravity; it is the morality of it that they neither realise nor particularly care about. In most such films, the characters are compelling and the… Continue reading A Most Savage Beast: The Unexpected Virtue Of Being A Poor Horror Flick
‘Can’t Hide It’: The Pain Of Living With Life-Altering Events
From the shock of realizing one’s fragile health to reclaiming its lost vitality, confronting the unthinkable and then embracing it for the world, Can’t Hide It goes through the whole drill. Numerous films/books/talks have covered this topic before and yet it’s never been enough. Writer-director Richard Miller’s 16:45 minutes of narration explores not only the… Continue reading ‘Can’t Hide It’: The Pain Of Living With Life-Altering Events
‘Tree #3’: Implicit Racism At Its Most Obnoxious
Racism, xenophobia and its cousins do not need to be violent or even rude in their expression. It can be accompanied by kind smiles and gentle words. Tree #3 tackles this head-on, facing varying degrees of humiliation at every step. Omer Ben-Shachar’s 19:52-minute short is an unblinking treatment of the subject, which though is forceful… Continue reading ‘Tree #3’: Implicit Racism At Its Most Obnoxious
Der kleine Achill: Growing Up Through Fantasy
Few stories in cinema offer quite as much pleasure as a children’s fantasy done right. Sebastian Jansen’s Der kleine Achill is a tender fantasy which uses the element to bring together a grieving family and help a grieving child come into his own. The film is founded on a strong screenplay (co-written by Jansen, Ranjani… Continue reading Der kleine Achill: Growing Up Through Fantasy