Trends in comedy shift with the times. What seemed uproarious in the 1960s and 1970s often felt dated by the 1980s, and the edgy humor of the 1990s and early 2000s gave way to an era of gross-out gags. Today’s family-friendly, politically cautious comedies may feel safe now, but some forms of wit remain timeless. … Read more
The Nest (2021) Director: Sean Durkin Screenwriter: Sean Durkin Starring: Jude Law, Carrie Coon, Charlie Shotwell, Oona Roche The Nest unfolds as a tense, intimate drama that traces the unraveling of a family driven by ambition, greed, and the desire for social standing. What begins as a bold, hopeful relocation soon turns into a claustrophobic … Read more
Mad God (2021) Director: Phil Tippett Screenwriter: Phil Tippett Starring: Alex Cox, Niketa Roman, Satish Ratakonda Phil Tippett’s name may be more familiar to film fans for his extraordinary visual effects work than for directing. His long career includes contributions to major franchises and landmark genre films, which has made him a respected figure behind … Read more
Annette (2021) Director: Leos Carax Screenwriters: Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Leos Carax Starring: Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, Simon Helberg Annette (2021) is an audacious musical from director Leos Carax, with a score and songs by the idiosyncratic pop duo Sparks (Ron and Russell Mael). The film blends Carax’s surreal, visually daring filmmaking with Sparks’ sharp, … Read more
Mandibles (2020) Director: Quentin Dupieux Screenwriter: Quentin Dupieux Starring: Grégoire Ludig, David Marsais, Adèle Exarchopoulos Quentin Dupieux has built a reputation for making films that lean into absurdity and dark whimsy. From Rubber, his unusual tale about a murderous tyre, to Deerskin, which examines obsession through the lens of a man and his jacket, Dupieux … Read more
Here Today (2021) Director: Billy Crystal Screenwriter: Billy Crystal, Alan Zweibel Starring: Billy Crystal, Tiffany Haddish Billy Crystal, the well-known actor and comedian who has built a long and varied career—from memorable dramatic turns to beloved comic performances—returned to directing with Here Today (2021). This film marks his second time behind the camera, following a … Read more
The Beta Test (2021) Directors: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe Screenwriters: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe Starring: Jim Cummings, Virginia Newcombe, PJ McCabe Jim Cummings returns as a force in independent film with The Beta Test, a sharp, often darkly comic thriller that skewers modern Hollywood and the predatory systems that thrive within it. Following his breakout … Read more
Censor (2021) Director: Prano Bailey-Bond Screenwriter: Prano Bailey-Bond, Anthony Fletcher Starring: Niamh Algar, Sophia La Porta, Michael Smiley The moral panic surrounding the so-called “video nasties” of the 1980s remains a rich and troubling chapter in British film history. Censor (2021) approaches that era not as a simple period piece or a nostalgic pastiche, but … Read more
Barton Fink (1991) Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen Screenwriters: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen Starring: John Turturro, John Goodman, Judy Davis, Michael Lerner, John Mahoney, Tony Shalhoub, Jon Polito, Steve Buscemi, Richard Portnow, Christopher Murney Barton Fink, the Coen brothers’ fourth feature, is an unsettling and richly layered film that both rewards and resists close analysis. … Read more
Free Guy (2021) Director: Shawn Levy Screenwriters: Matt Lieberman, Zak Penn Main cast: Ryan Reynolds, Joe Keery, Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi Ryan Reynolds stars in the video game–inspired comedy Free Guy as Guy, an NPC (non-player character) living in the open-world game Free City. After repeating the same day over and over, he begins to … Read more