The Smashing Machine is one of Dwayne Johnson’s most introspective performances — a raw, unvarnished portrayal of fighter Mark Kerr that strips away his usual heroic polish. Directed by Benny Safdie, the film trades spectacle for realism, shot with handheld intimacy and the grain of 16 mm film that makes every bruise, breath, and silence…
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein isn’t a horror film in the traditional sense — it’s a tragic meditation on grief, creation, and what happens when the human desire to control life turns into obsession. It’s visually stunning, emotionally suffocating, and occasionally uneven, but it reimagines Mary Shelley’s story with the kind of aching humanity only del…
‘Tron: Ares’ is both dazzling and distant, a film so enamored with the beauty of its code that it forgets to let the human heart run it. It’s a stunning fever dream of digital light and sound, but beneath the surface hums a longing for meaning that never fully resolves. As someone drawn to the…
Rebecca Zlotowski’s ‘A Private Life’ is a cerebral and quietly disarming study of guilt, memory, and emotional repression. Jodie Foster delivers a masterclass in restraint as Lilian Steiner, a Parisian psychiatrist whose patient’s mysterious death unravels the delicate order of her mind. Speaking almost entirely in French, Foster carries the film with magnetic precision as…
‘Sleepy Hollow’ (1999), a feature film adaption directed by Tim Burton, is based on Washington Irving’s classic tale “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” Tim Burton brought this timeless classic to life! ’Sleepy Hollow’ is one of my favorite spooky films- with horrific delights, a touch of romance, and humor. The setting for this legend is…
‘Eleanor the Great’ is Scarlett Johansson’s feature directorial debut, starring June Squibb as a 94-year-old woman navigating grief, memory, and new connections after the loss of her best friend. The film shines most in Squibb’s performance, which is heartfelt, witty, and deeply moving, and in its quiet exploration of intergenerational bonds, particularly with a young…
Luca Guadagnino has always been drawn to the slippery edges of human desire and morality, and in ‘After the Hunt’, he turns his gaze toward academia. The result is a slow-burn psychological thriller that wants to interrogate truth, power, and complicity, though not always with the sharpness it promises. Set at Yale, the story follows…
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another is one of his most ambitious works to date, both narratively and visually. Shot on 35mm film using VistaVision cameras, the cinematography by Michael Bauman gives the film a sweeping, old-Hollywood texture while capturing the chaos of its modern, politically charged story. The wide frames bring a sense…
‘Padre Pio’ is a visually striking and deeply contemplative film that explores faith, mysticism, and personal sacrifice against the backdrop of post-World War I Italy. Shia LaBeouf delivers a brooding, intense performance as the legendary friar, capturing both his spiritual fervor and inner conflict, though at times his portrayal dominates the screen, making the narrative…
Watching ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’ felt like stepping into a dream meticulously stitched together by Kogonada. The film opens with Sarah (Margot Robbie) and David (Colin Farrell) at a seemingly ordinary wedding, yet every frame pulses with possibility. The cinematography immediately draws you in—wide, sweeping shots of neon-lit streets blend seamlessly with intimate close-ups,…