Gramps Goes to College (2014) Director: Chip Rossetti Screenwriter: Donald James Parker Starring: Donald James Parker, Rusty Martin Jr., Courtney Lee Simpson, Carol Anderson, Kaitlin Borst Gramps Goes to College opens in a dimly lit gym with an awkward profile shot of two men working out. The film quickly establishes a low-budget aesthetic and often … Read more

Toy Story 4 (2019) Director: Josh Cooley Screenwriters: Stephany Folsom, Andrew Stanton Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale When I learned that Pixar was returning to the Toy Story universe with a fourth installment, I felt both excitement and hesitation. This franchise has been part of my life since I first saw … Read more

Firecrackers (2019) Director: Jasmin Mozaffari Screenwriter: Jasmin Mozaffari Starring: Michaela Kurimsky, Karena Evans, Callum Thompson, David Kingston, Tamara LeClair, Scott Cleland, Dylan Mask Jasmin Mozaffari’s feature debut Firecrackers is an energetic, emotionally charged coming-of-age drama that stands out in the independent film scene. Anchored by a raw, fearless lead performance from Michaela Kurimsky, the film … Read more

L’Empereur de Paris (2019) Director: Jean-François Richet Screenwriters: Éric Besnard, Jean-François Richet Starring: Olga Kurylenko, Vincent Cassell, Freya Mavor, August Diehl, Denis Ménochet, Fabrice Luchini, Denis Lavant, William Sciortino, Patrick Chesnais L’Empereur de Paris is a richly staged French historical epic from director Jean-François Richet that reframes the life of François Vidocq as a larger-than-life … Read more

Help! (1965) Director: Richard Lester Screenplay: Marc Behm, Charles Wood Starring: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Leo McKern, Eleanor Bron, Victor Spinetti, Roy Kinnear, John Bluthal, Patrick Cargill The Beatles’ 1965 film Help! often lives in the shadow of its predecessor, A Hard Day’s Night, and many viewers and critics have called … Read more

Venezia (2019) Director: Rodrigo Guerrero Screenwriter: Rodrigo Guerrero Starring: Paula Lussi, Margherita Mannino, Alessandro Bressanello Venezia (2019) is a contemplative film from writer-director Rodrigo Guerrero that places the city of Venice at the center of its story. The film follows a newlywed woman who becomes an unexpected widow and navigates the city while processing her … Read more

7 Reasons (2019) Director: Ray Comfort Screenwriter: Ray Comfort Narrator: Ray Comfort Ray Comfort’s 7 Reasons is another documentary from a polarizing figure in contemporary evangelical filmmaking. The film assembles a series of public interviews and commentary around seven common justifications people give for supporting legal abortion, and it presents Comfort’s rebuttals to each. While … Read more

Ham on Rye (2019) Director: Tyler Taormina Screenwriters: Tyler Taormina, Eric Berger Starring: Haley Bodell, Cole Devine, Aaron Schwartz Ham on Rye is a quietly original, observant film set in suburbia at the start of summer. Rather than following a single protagonist, the movie traces a loose ensemble of young people over the course of … Read more

This article was written exclusively for The Film Magazine by Samuel Sybert. Quentin Tarantino’s long-awaited Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood premiered to a seven-minute standing ovation at Cannes 2019, and early praise has sparked renewed debate over a familiar question: can Tarantino ever top Pulp Fiction? Some critics now whisper that Hollywood might be … Read more

The Mountain (2019) — Film Review Director: Rick Alverson Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Dustin Guy Defa, Colm O’Leary Starring: Tye Sheridan, Denis Lavant, Hannah Gross, Udo Kier, Jeff Goldblum The Mountain (2019) is a contemplative, visually driven film that feels more like a series of evocative tableaux than a conventional narrative. Director Rick Alverson constructs a … Read more