Maybe Stephen King was ahead of the curve all along. Famous for his horror novels, King has lately seen a cinematic and TV surge of his dystopias. It could be because they tap…
French New Wave appeared at the right time at the dawn of the 1960s, as rebellion filled the air and a new generation began questioning everything, including art forms. While many of the…
The work of Scottish director Lynne Ramsay is rarely devoid of fierce emotion. Her worlds are populated by characters who are trapped in environments where violence can erupt out of sheer hatred, or…
Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value” is a delicate drama that masterfully balances various angles all at once. It is a meditation on how we cannot choose our parents, at times left to pick…
The evils of the Nazi Party were so horrifying that World War II has provided an easy crop of go-to villains ever since Adolf Hitler was defeated. Few dramas have tried to truly…
A story like that of Christy Martin has a wrenchingly tragic irony at its heart. As a ferociously talented boxer who could easily knock out an opponent, she found herself for years gripped…
Part of the timeless brilliance of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus,” is how all the fame goes to its monster. Hollywood has, of course, contributed to this aspect of…
The dying of the bees has long been an urgent environmental concern and a clear symbol of humanity’s peril. If we lose those miniature wonders of nature, then our very existence will start…
It takes a master to conduct varying notes of drama, humor and social consciousness in one film. Iran’s Jafar Panahi does just that with his “It Was Just an Accident,” which won…
Social events celebrate barely covert warfare in “Hedda,” writer-director Nia DaCosta’s compelling adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic 1891 play, “Hedda Gabler.” Tessa Thompson brings confident stagecraft to the screen to almost capture…