Why do we love monsters? Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro suggests that “in fairy tales, monsters exist to be a manifestation of something that we need to understand, not only a problem we need to overcome… monsters are here in our world to help us understand it.” That idea resonates: monsters can be metaphors for fear, … Read more

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)Director: Gil KenanScreenwriters: Gil Kenan, Jason ReitmanStarring: Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Carrie Coon, Kumail Nanjiani, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Patton Oswalt, William Atherton, James Acaster The franchise returns with its second legacy sequel to the 1984 classic, aiming to balance the original’s spirit with modern blockbuster … Read more

Over the past two decades, largely thanks to the global success of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, New Zealand has become a busy hub for filmmaking. Although the country’s industry is relatively small and remote, a handful of internationally recognized directors have shaped film culture far beyond the island chain. Directors such … Read more

Immaculate (2024)Director: Michael MohanScreenwriter: Andrew LobelStarring: Sydney Sweeney, Álvaro Morte, Simona Tabasco, Benedetta Porcaroli, Giorgio Colangeli, Dora Romano, Giulia Heathfield Di Renzi Horror cinema has felt uneven this year, particularly among releases that reach mainstream theaters. Immaculate arrives amid that uneven crop, attempting to carve out its own identity while leaning heavily on familiar religious-horror … Read more

Ghostbusters (2016)Director: Paul FeigScreenwriters: Katie Dippold, Paul FeigStarring: Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, Chris Hemsworth, Neil Casey The 2016 Ghostbusters reboot revisits a familiar premise: a small team of brilliant but unconventional investigators tackle strange, supernatural disturbances across New York City. This version centers on Erin (Kristen Wiig) and Abbie (Melissa McCarthy), … Read more

Three parapsychologists, driven by an obsession with the supernatural, form an agency to help New Yorkers cope with a sudden surge of ghostly apparitions across the city. Featuring a legendary comedic ensemble—Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis and Harold Ramis—Ghostbusters (1984) quickly became a modern classic. By blending comedy, action and horror in … Read more

Monster (2023)Director: Hirokazu Kore-edaScreenwriter: Yuji SakamotoStarring: Sakura Andō, Eita Nagayama, Sōya Kurokawa, Hinata Hiiragi, Yūko Tanaka, Mitsuki Takahata, Akihiro Tsunoda, Shidō Nakamura After consecutive projects filmed and set abroad — in France and South Korea — Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda returns to Japan with a carefully observed study of perspective, restraint and the stories … Read more

Shaft (1971): A Defining Film of a Controversial Era Released in 1971 and directed by Gordon Parks, Shaft arrived at a critical moment for MGM. Made on a modest $500,000 budget and initially rolled out in a selective release over the Independence Day weekend, the film exceeded expectations and became a sleeper hit. Its surprising … Read more

About Dry Grasses (2023)Director: Nuri Bilge CeylanScreenwriters: Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan, Akın AksuStarring: Deniz Celiloğlu, Merve Dizdar, Musab Ekici Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s About Dry Grasses arrived with significant expectations. The director, whose previous film won the Palme d’Or and whose work has repeatedly represented Turkey for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, … Read more

The Beast (2023)Director: Bertrand BonelloScreenwriter: Bertrand BonelloStarring: Léa Seydoux, George MacKay Bertrand Bonello’s The Beast arrived at the 2024 Glasgow Film Festival with high expectations: a star-studded cast led by Léa Seydoux and George MacKay, a bold premise that blends period romance with near-future science fiction, and a runtime that promises an immersive experience. Loosely … Read more