Toronto 2022 Dispatch: My Policeman & A Man of Reason
Buzzy titles don't live up to the hype.
REVIEWS
Carson Cook
- Sep 13
Toronto 2022 Review: Women Talking
A talented ensemble soars in Sarah Polley's vital new film.
Carson Cook
- Sep 13
Toronto 2022 Review: Devotion
A conventional film elevated by unconventional flourishes.
Carson Cook
- Sep 13
Toronto 2022 Review: The Blackening
A slow start gives way to a smart and funny horror send-up.
Carson Cook
- Sep 13
Toronto 2022 Review: The Menu
A witty satire with more pathos than you might expect.
Carson Cook
- Sep 13
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
Toronto 2022 Review: The Fabelmans
Steven Spielberg's latest is one of his most personal and one of his best.
Carson Cook
- Sep 11
Toronto 2022 Dispatch: Causeway & Return to Seoul
Actors bring their A-games in Causeway and Return to Seoul.
Carson Cook
- Sep 10
Toronto 2022 Review: Emily
Emily is an auspicious and exhilarating debut.
Carson Cook
- Sep 9
Toronto 2022 Review: The Swimmers
Impressive performances help overcome a slightly bloated crowd-pleaser.
Rough Cut Staff
- Aug 5
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
The Hair-Raising Spectacle of Nope
Nope demands our eyes if only to open them just a little bit wider.
Jonny Diaz
- Jul 4
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
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
Men Misses the Mark
Alex Garland's latest can't reach the highs of his prior features.
Carson Cook
- May 7
SFFILM Review: Over/Under
Sophia Silver's directorial debut is satisfyingly genuine.
Carson Cook
- May 4
SFFILM Review: Lo Invisible
An intriguing character study can't quite sustain itself.
Carson Cook
- Apr 12
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
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
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
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: A Reason to Kill Off the Legacy Sequel
The latest attempt to resurrect Leatherface fails miserably.
Carson Cook
- Feb 6
Sundance Dispatch: Emily the Criminal / Happening / Sirens
Three disparate portraits of women at a crossroads.
Carson Cook
- Feb 3
Sundance Dispatch: Call Jane / Sharp Stick / Brainwashed
Three worthwhile films that nonetheless miss some opportunities to shine.
Carson Cook
- Feb 2
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
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
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
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
Sundance Dispatch: Navalny, Am I OK?
A dispatch from the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Rough Cut Staff
- Jan 30
Sundance Dispatch: Fire of Love, Leo Grande, Resurrection
A dispatch of three films from the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Carson Cook
- Jan 29
Sundance Review: A Love Song
Dale Dickey and Wes Studi elevate a brief meditation on isolation and companionship.
Carson Cook
- Jan 29
Sundance Review: When You Finish Saving the World
The eccentricities of Jesse Eisenberg's debut make for a frustrating watch.
Rough Cut Staff
- Jan 29
Sundance Review: You Won't Be Alone
Goran Stolevski's feature debut is a stunning act of visual humanity.
Rough Cut Staff
- Jan 29
Sundance Review: Dual
Dual distinguishes itself from its sci-fi brethren with a dose of the absurd and a heaping of humor.
Rough Cut Staff
- Jan 28
Sundance Review: The Cathedral
The Cathedral is a confounding attempt at an epic memory piece.
Rough Cut Staff
- Jan 28
Sundance Review: Palm Trees and Power Lines
Jamie Dack's debut refuses to hold your hand in its descent from ennui to exploitation.
Rough Cut Staff
- Jan 28
Sundance Review: Girl Picture
Girl Picture knows the people that matter are the ones we call right after the big moments happen.
Sara D'Amico
- Jan 10
Belle: An Enchanting Escape to a Virtual New World
A beautiful story of identity and acceptance that bridges the gap between real and virtual worlds.
Jonny Diaz
- Dec 16, 2021
West Side Story: Revitalizing a Classic
Spielberg and Kushner have done the impossible; in a year of musicals, their thrilling reinvention of West Side Story rises above the rest.
Carson Cook
- Dec 10, 2021
Drive My Car: Uncle Vanya Hits the Road
Ryusuke Hamaguchi's latest provides an expansive yet intimate portrayal of the human condition.
Carson Cook
- Dec 1, 2021
The Hand of God Entrances but Disappoints
Paolo Sorrentino's latest is achingly felt but doesn't quite work.
Rough Cut Staff
- Nov 27, 2021
Procession is an Essential Documentary
Procession is witness to uncommon bravery.
Carson Cook
- Nov 24, 2021
House of Gucci: One of 2021's Funniest Movies
Gaga and Leto shine in an often hilarious satire.
Carson Cook
- Nov 17, 2021
The Power of the Dog: Jane Campion Returns with Another Masterpiece
Film lovers rejoice! After a twelve-year absence from the big screen (though you could find her on television at the Top of the Lake),...
Sara D'Amico
- Nov 14, 2021
AFI Fest 2021: Finding Meaning in Memoria
Memoria bangs.
Jonny Diaz
- Nov 12, 2021
Spencer: Portrait of a Lady on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
If you've been even a passive consumer of media in the last year and a half, it may feel like Princess Diana is omnipresent. After the...
Rough Cut Staff
- Nov 12, 2021
The Beta Test Blends Satire with Pathos
Jim Cummings reinforces his triple-threat status with another genre-bending comedy.
Carson Cook
- Nov 11, 2021
2021 Catch-Up: Test Pattern
Shatara Michelle Ford's underseen debut is one of the best films of the year.
Carson Cook
- Nov 7, 2021
Eternals: A Marvel Movie Through and Through
There's glimmers of Chloé Zhao's auteurist vision, but for the most part Eternals is exactly what you'd expect from the MCU.
Carson Cook
- Nov 6, 2021
The Souvenir: Part II Recontextualizes Its Predecessor
Joanna Hogg's sequel impresses on its own, but notably enriches the first film as well.
Carson Cook
- Oct 31, 2021
A Late Lament for The Last Duel
Ridley Scott's latest is more than deserving of your time.