Embers (2023)Director: Christian CookeScreenwriters: Dave Florez, Christian CookeStarring: Ruth Bradley, Christian Cooke, Clare Perkins, Samuel Anderson, David Wilmot Tension in film doesn’t always require a traditional thriller structure. Christian Cooke’s independent drama Embers demonstrates how quiet, character-driven storytelling can create an edge-of-your-seat atmosphere through mood, performance, and a tightly focused premise. Ruth Bradley plays Amy, … Read more

Dashing Through the Snow (2023)Director: Tim StoryScreenwriters: Paula Pell, Scott RosenbergStarring: Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Madison Skye Validum, Teyonah Parris, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Lil Rey Howery, Oscar Nuñez The holiday family film follows a familiar formula: an adult who’s lost their festive spirit must rediscover the joy of Christmas — usually for the sake of a … Read more

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)Director: Francis LawrenceScreenwriter: Michael Lesslie, Michael ArndtStarring: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andres Rivera, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Viola Davis Origin stories have enduring appeal, but not every one justifies its existence. The Hunger Games franchise, however, has proven resilient: its themes of power, … Read more

Embers (2023)Director: Christian CookeScreenwriters: Dave Florez, Christian CookeStarring: Ruth Bradley, Christian Cooke, Clare Perkins, Samuel Anderson, David Wilmot A film doesn’t have to be a conventional thriller to generate sustained tension. Embers is an independent social drama that manages to feel like a psychological fuse slowly burning toward ignition, creating a persistent sense of unease … Read more

Saltburn (2023)Director: Emerald FennellScreenwriter: Emerald FennellStarring: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, Carey Mulligan Emerald Fennell announced herself as a bold new voice with her 2020 debut, Promising Young Woman — a candy-pop, #MeToo-inflected revenge drama that sparked debate and showcased her distinctive sensibility. Saltburn, her sophomore feature, … Read more

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023)Director: Francis LawrenceScreenwriter: Michael Lesslie, Michael ArndtStarring: Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andres Rivera, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman, Viola Davis Origin stories always carry appeal, but whether they deserve to be told depends entirely on how well they deepen our understanding of familiar characters … Read more

Alicia Christian “Jodie” Foster has been in front of a camera since she was three years old, appearing in commercials and Disney films throughout her childhood. A child prodigy of the film industry, by adolescence she was starring in major television projects like Paper Moon (1974) and sharing the screen with Robert De Niro in … Read more

Saltburn (2023)Director: Emerald FennellScreenwriter: Emerald FennellStarring: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, Carey Mulligan Emerald Fennell announced herself as a daring and original filmmaker with her debut feature, Promising Young Woman (2020). That film combined confectionary pop aesthetics with sharp social critique and a willingness to provoke difficult … Read more

Alicia Christian “Jodie” Foster has been in front of a camera since she was three, appearing in commercials and Disney films throughout her early childhood. A prodigious industry child, by adolescence she was starring in major television productions such as Paper Moon (1974) and holding her own opposite Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver (1976). … Read more

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) has grossed approximately $138 million at the box office against a reported $200 million budget. Whether or not the film will eventually recoup its costs through streaming rights, home video, and long-term licensing is uncertain. Debates about the economic fate of non-franchise films are important, but this piece focuses … Read more