Cinema

​Morgan has fun with some stiff competition in ‘Bone Lake’

October 6th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

The multiple meanings of the title location in Mercedes Bryce Morgan’sBone Lake” cover the sex and death spectrum that will flummox Diego (Marco Pigossi) and Sage (Maddie Hasson) as soon as they discover their well-appointed getaway rental has been double-booked to Will (Alex Roe) and Cin (Andra Nechita). Well before the age of Airbnb and Vrbo, storytellers have enjoyed toying with the possibilities of frustrated travelers who must figure…

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​Anderson welcomes you to the revolution

September 29th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

One Battle After Another,” the brilliant new masterwork from Paul Thomas Anderson, joins Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme” on the short list of the year’s best films. Along with the shared directorial surname and the perfect casting of Benicio del Toro, the two movies balance rich text/subtext with vital father-daughter narratives (not to mention huge laughs and several tears). The films make a handsome double feature. The…

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​Oates explores life in the northern town in “Sweet Angel Baby”

September 23rd, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Filmmaker Melanie Oates follows 2019 feature debut “Body and Bones” with another thoughtful and well-observed drama in which the challenges and limitations of the small town put pressure on a young woman yearning for something greater than provincial dead-ends. In “Sweet Angel Baby,” which premiered last year in the Toronto Film Festival’s Centerpiece program, Eliza (Michaela Kurimsky) hides two significant secrets from the close-knit…

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When you want something: Aronofsky and Butler are “Caught Stealing”

September 15th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

As a follow-up to “The Whale,” a raucous adaptation of the first novel in Charlie Huston’s Henry Thompson series was a good choice for eclectic auteur Darren Aronofksy, whose bold visions have attracted a devoted following. Since the mentaculus mania and stark monochrome of “Pi” announced the arrival of an ambitious artistic voice in 1998, Aronofsky has frequently interwoven themes of mysticism and questions of meaning and existence into…

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​‘Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print’ HBO documentary looks at the legendary publication

September 8th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Now available on HBO after a theatrical debut earlier this year at Tribeca in the Spotlight Documentary section, “Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print” considers the groundbreaking impact of the famous feminist magazine through the lenses of three talented moviemakers. Each of the episodes dives into a different topic with as much sophistication and contemplation as might be possible in an anthology feature, although one could easily imagine three…

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​Not so tender mercies: Guiraudie delivers ‘Misericordia’

September 3rd, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Misericordia” premiered at Cannes in 2024 and is now available to see in the United States on the Criterion Channel and other streaming services. In the sharp and thought-provoking thriller from “Stranger by the Lake” writer/director Alain Guiraudie, the viewer is introduced to Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), a mysterious and inscrutable prodigal who returns to his hometown village of Saint-Martial to mourn the death of his mentor. Guiraudie,…

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​Berg lights a candle: ‘It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley’

August 25th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

There are so many memorable moments in the short life of musician Jeff Buckley that filmmaker Amy J. Berg could easily have gotten lost in an endless highlight reel. The veteran documentarian, whose feature debut “Deliver Us From Evil” (2006) received an Oscar nomination, focuses instead on the core relationships in her fascinating subject’s orbit, constructing a detailed portrait that will satisfy longtime fans and make believers out of the…

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​In ‘East of Wall,’ filmmaker Beecroft builds a remarkable docufiction world

August 19th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

Shortly following its world premiere in January, first-time feature filmmaker Kate Beecroft’sEast of Wall” won the NEXT section’s audience award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. A persuasive blend of nonfiction and fiction elements, the movie’s stunning South Dakota setting serves as an additional character in the ensemble. Populated by a number of newcomers and nonactors who in many cases inhabit versions of their real-life selves,…

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​Cregger brandishes considerable ‘Weapons’

August 13th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

The wildly talented and ambitious Zach Cregger drags us back to the basement in “Weapons,” one of the year’s most satisfying and enjoyable films of any genre. While fans of “Barbarian” know to expect the unexpected when it comes to the filmmaker’s investment in horror and comedy, Cregger’s latest feature will expand his audience to waves of newcomers eager to see what the hype is about. Opening weekend performance at the box office has…

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​Brooks locks up the complexities of commitment in ‘Oh, Hi!’

August 4th, 2025

By Greg Carlson

gregcarlson1@gmail.com

When I first heard the premise for “Oh, Hi!” — which has been described as a “romantic comedy” if you imagine a twisted sense of the term — visions of two Stephen King novels popped into my head. In “Misery,” a writer is held captive by an obsessed fan. And in “Gerald’s Game,” a woman must figure out how to survive after finding herself handcuffed to a bed. King’s two stories exist principally in the space of the psychological…

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