The TIFF 2023 Dispatch: Part II
A final wrap-up on Toronto 2023, featuring American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, and more.
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REVIEWS
Carson Cook
- Sep 30, 2023
TIFF 2023: The Zone of Interest
Jonathan Glazer's latest is a staggering and punishing artistic achievement.
Carson Cook
- Sep 30, 2023
TIFF 2023: The Boy and the Heron
Hayao Miyazaki's latest stands among his greatest works.
Carson Cook
- Sep 19, 2023
The TIFF 2023 Dispatch
A quick-hit report on a selection of films from the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.
Zach D'Amico
- Jan 11, 2023
M3GAN Is Horror Camp Done Right
M3GAN is smart, scary, and funny in all the right places.
Zach D'Amico
- Jan 2, 2023
Babylon Seeks Your Disgust And Your Delight
Damien Chazelle’s Babylon is a shit-spewing Hollywood takedown and a Fellini-esque whirligig circus desperate to love the movies.
Jonny Diaz
- Dec 11, 2022
Empire of Light: An Enchanting, If Flawed, Nostalgia Trip
Empire of Light is technically proficient, but despite a strong cast and craft, it never coheres into an entirely satisfying whole.
Zach D'Amico
- Dec 8, 2022
Bones and All Constructs a Vision of Home
Bones and All is a winding look at the paths we take when the world tells us we aren’t one of them.
Jonny Diaz
- Nov 23, 2022
Stop What You're Doing and Go See Glass Onion
Glass Onion is an absolute triumph; a murder mystery sequel more intricately designed and devilishly entertaining than the first.
Jonny Diaz
- Nov 21, 2022
In She Said, the Women of Hollywood Reclaim Their Story
A fairly standard (if handsomely constructed) journalism procedural, She Said is nevertheless one of the most fascinating films of the year.
Jonny Diaz
- Nov 19, 2022
A Powerful Return to All Quiet on the Western Front
Edward Berger's bold and uncompromising retelling of the classic anti-war novel demands to be seen.
Zach D'Amico
- Nov 2, 2022
The Stubborn Banshees of Inisherin
They're all feckin' boring - but the movie certainly isn't.
Jonny Diaz
- Oct 23, 2022
Spinning Magic from Memory in Aftersun
Aftersun uses faded, fragmented images to piece together a child's-eye view of the past that lingers long after the credits have rolled.
Zach D'Amico
- Oct 23, 2022
Decision to Leave Stirs the Heart
Decision to Leave is a magnificent, elliptical, yearning tale of obsession, love, and the space in between.
Zach D'Amico
- Oct 22, 2022
Triangle of Sadness Fails in Every Way
Ruben Östlund's film's smug sense of superiority is dangerously close to matching that of the privileged few it hopes to mock.
Carson Cook
- Oct 15, 2022
Tár: A Brilliant, Biting Masterpiece
Much of the buzz around Tár, the third film from writer-director Todd Field (and his first in over a decade), has been about two...
Jonny Diaz
- Oct 8, 2022
Blonde is Brutal
Perhaps the most discussed and depicted figure of 20th century American cultural mythology, Marilyn Monroe's greatest post-mortem...
Jonny Diaz
- Oct 8, 2022
All Hail The Woman King
A stirring action epic in the mold of Braveheart, Gladiator, and The Last of the Mohicans, Gina Prince-Bythewood's The Woman King often...
Zach D'Amico
- Oct 8, 2022
Smile Is A Piercing but Meandering Horror Debut
At its high points, Smile will get under your skin.
Zach D'Amico
- Oct 5, 2022
Athena Is A Knockout
Athena has one of the most jaw-dropping opening sequences in years. And then it gets better.
Carson Cook
- Sep 14, 2022
Toronto 2022 Dispatch: My Policeman & A Man of Reason
Buzzy titles don't live up to the hype.
Carson Cook
- Sep 13, 2022
Toronto 2022 Review: Women Talking
A talented ensemble soars in Sarah Polley's vital new film.
Carson Cook
- Sep 13, 2022
Toronto 2022 Review: Devotion
A conventional film elevated by unconventional flourishes.
Carson Cook
- Sep 13, 2022
Toronto 2022 Review: The Blackening
A slow start gives way to a smart and funny horror send-up.
Carson Cook
- Sep 13, 2022
Toronto 2022 Review: The Menu
A witty satire with more pathos than you might expect.
Carson Cook
- Sep 13, 2022
Toronto 2022 Review: All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Laura Poitras' documentary paints a moving portrait of a great artist and activist.
Carson Cook
- Sep 12, 2022
Toronto 2022 Review: The Fabelmans
Steven Spielberg's latest is one of his most personal and one of his best.
Carson Cook
- Sep 11, 2022
Toronto 2022 Dispatch: Causeway & Return to Seoul
Actors bring their A-games in Causeway and Return to Seoul.
Carson Cook
- Sep 10, 2022
Toronto 2022 Review: Emily
Emily is an auspicious and exhilarating debut.
Carson Cook
- Sep 9, 2022
Toronto 2022 Review: The Swimmers
Impressive performances help overcome a slightly bloated crowd-pleaser.
Rough Cut Staff
- Aug 5, 2022
Someone Save Zoey Deutch from Not Okay
Not Okay plays like a mediocre SNL sketch stretched 100 minutes too long.
Rough Cut Staff
- Jul 24, 2022
The Hair-Raising Spectacle of Nope
Nope demands our eyes if only to open them just a little bit wider.
Jonny Diaz
- Jul 4, 2022
Elvis Review: A Little Less Convention, A Little More Action
Despite the obvious limitations in its script, Elvis’s shortcomings are fully overcome by the sheer force of Luhrmann's showmanship.
Rough Cut Staff
- Jun 7, 2022
Crimes of the Future is Brilliant Body Noir
Crimes of the Future reinvents Cronenberg's old formulas to create a new kind of sci-fi body noir.
Carson Cook
- May 20, 2022
Men Misses the Mark
Alex Garland's latest can't reach the highs of his prior features.
Carson Cook
- May 7, 2022
SFFILM Review: Over/Under
Sophia Silver's directorial debut is satisfyingly genuine.
Carson Cook
- May 4, 2022
SFFILM Review: Lo Invisible
An intriguing character study can't quite sustain itself.
Carson Cook
- Apr 12, 2022
The April Action Rundown: Everything Everywhere All At Once, Ambulance, & RRR
Set aside 8 hours for the best triple feature of the year.
Carson Cook
- Mar 19, 2022
X: Refreshingly Straightforward Horror
Ti West's latest can be a bit slow, but makes up for it with plenty of enjoyable thrills.
Rough Cut Staff
- Feb 23, 2022
I Want You Back Wants Classic Rom-Coms Back
I Want You Back is a comfortable throwback to rom-coms past.
Carson Cook
- Feb 22, 2022
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A Reason to Kill Off the Legacy Sequel
The latest attempt to resurrect Leatherface fails miserably.
Carson Cook
- Feb 6, 2022
Sundance Dispatch: Emily the Criminal / Happening / Sirens
Three disparate portraits of women at a crossroads.
Carson Cook
- Feb 3, 2022
Sundance Dispatch: Call Jane / Sharp Stick / Brainwashed
Three worthwhile films that nonetheless miss some opportunities to shine.
Carson Cook
- Feb 2, 2022
Sundance Review: Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown mine comedic gold in Adamma Ebo's feature debut.
Carson Cook
- Jan 31, 2022
Sundance Review: Master
Mariama Diallo's debut has its ups and downs, but solidifies her as an exciting new talent.
Rough Cut Staff
- Jan 31, 2022
Sundance Review: Cha Cha Real Smooth
Cha Cha Real Smooth is a story about figuring out what the hell comes next - no matter if you're 14 or 40.
Carson Cook
- Jan 30, 2022
Sundance Review: Speak No Evil
A thriller that twists the screws and forces us to reckon with the potential dangers of societal politeness.
Rough Cut Staff
- Jan 30, 2022
Sundance Dispatch: Navalny, Am I OK?
A dispatch from the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Rough Cut Staff
- Jan 30, 2022
Sundance Dispatch: Fire of Love, Leo Grande, Resurrection
A dispatch of three films from the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Carson Cook
- Jan 29, 2022
Sundance Review: A Love Song
Dale Dickey and Wes Studi elevate a brief meditation on isolation and companionship.
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