“Life—it is what it is. Life is wonderful, life is beautiful, I love everything about life…love conquers all, and when you have love, you have everything,” says James Watson as he puffs on a cigarette just barely hanging from his mouth. James, seemingly bedridden and without the use of his limbs, is courageously optimistic in spite of his condition as he serves as this sage-like mentor to Victor (Chris Galust), a medical transport van driver.

Continue reading ‘Give Me Liberty’ Is A Heartfelt Look At Humanity Through The Use Of A Medical Transport Van [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.

2018 left audiences with moments that will never be forgotten. Though this is the case most years, this one, in particular, left me with a swarming amount of images, sounds, and pieces of dialogue that have struck a chord within me unlike any other time before.

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2018

From scenes that made my spine tingle and my skin crawl to those that made my heart float and my eyes swell with tears, there were so many striking moments to choose from, but not enough room to write.

Continue reading Kyle Kohner’s Top 10 Film Moments Of 2018 at The Playlist.

Following up her debut success of 2013’s “Concussion,” filmmaker Stacie Passon finally returns with a new feature-length film that brings the horror and gloom of writer Shirley Jackson’s final novel “We Have Always Lived in the Castle” to life. Centered on a peculiar family, shrouded in an air of gothic mystery, Passon’s adaptation of ‘Live In The Castle’ is as equally foreboding and bewildering.

Merricat (Taissa Farmiga), Constance (Alexandra Daddario) and their Uncle Julian (Crispin Glover) live in isolation, banished by the neighboring townspeople after experiencing a family tragedy six years earlier.

Continue reading ‘We Have Always Lived In The Castle’ With Alexandra Daddario & Crispin Glover Is Obscure & Disturbing [LAFF Review] at The Playlist.

It’s the sensation that’s sweeping the globe, or erm, plane. Yes, the flat-earth theory is burgeoning and clamoring for attention now more than ever before. This goes without saying the flat-earth theory is nothing groundbreaking, in fact, it’s quite archaic. Disregarding how ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia conceived the planet’s cosmography eons ago, the modern turn of this theory dates back to the mid-1800s. Naturally, science has prevailed over such nonsense.

Nevertheless, flat-earth theory is at the beginning stages of a renaissance.

Continue reading Round Or Flat, ‘Behind The Curve’ Prevails As One Of The Most Fun & Intriguing Documentaries Of The Year [LAFF Review] at The Playlist.

Ever since their integration into pop culture during the ‘70s, America’s morbid obsession with the deranged inner-demons and manifested violence of serial killers has only grown over the decades. Directors like David Fincher have obsessively carried the torch of this fascination for years (“Zodiac” and more recently, “Mindhunter”) and independent entities and filmmakers alike have followed suit. This texture brings us to director Duncan Skiles’ latest project, the seemingly Fincher-inspired “The Clovehitch Killer.” A concept which emerged from Skiles’ brief but intense obsession with serial killers a few years back, “The Clovehitch Killer” is a chilling and conflicting portrait of a mid-America tragedy enhanced by familial dramatics.

Continue reading ‘The Clovehitch Killer’ Imbues The Serial Killer Storyline With Irony And Family Confrontation [LAFF Review] at The Playlist.

Thanksgiving is not just a time for friends and family to come together and enjoy a feast. No, it’s a confined space threatened by friendly facades, repressed disdain, and farcical attempts to remain civil at the dinner table. With the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States of America two years ago, these tensions have yet to ease. In fact, his rise to power has stretched this general unease into unfathomed lengths, resulting in torn families, and thus, altering dinner tables across the country for good.

Continue reading Ike Barinholtz’s ‘The Oath’ Is A Hilarious Look At A Tumultuous, Politically-Charged Family Dinner [LAFF Review] at The Playlist.

While “Lady Bird” connected with large swaths of audiences, on its way to a mountain of awards recognition, the truth is that the film will never be mistaken for a “diverse” film. However, with “Night Comes On,” actress-turned-filmmaker Jordana Spiro has created a film that provides what many projects in the coming-of-age genre don’t provide — an authentic portrait of a young, queer black woman desperate to find meaning.

Continue reading Jordana Spiro’s ‘Night Comes On’ Is A Beautiful, Revenge-Filled Spin On The Coming-Of-Age Genre [Review] at The Playlist.

While the likes of Cannes, TIFF, and Venice continue to play catch up in the conversation of inclusivity, Film Independent’s annual LA Film Festival continues to press the issue. With this year’s slate including 40 feature films, 41 short films, and 10 short episodic works, 26 different countries are represented across several categories of competition. In addition, 42% of the features are directed by women and 39% are directed by people of color.

Continue reading LA Film Festival Boasts Inclusivity With This Year’s Diverse Festival Lineup at The Playlist.

“All parents deal with children who are not what they imagine,” “My parents really didn’t want to have a gay son,” reflects NY Times bestselling author and world-renowned psychologist Andrew Solomon. “I wanted to see how other families managed. But I don’t wanna know just about families of gay people. I wanted to look as widely as I could.”

READ MORE: 55 Must-See Films: The 2018 Fall Movie Preview

Solomon’s book “Far From The Tree,” the award-winning completion of a decade-long research project which included hundreds of interviews with families, has made its way to the big screen.

Continue reading Though It Falls Short Of Its Source Material, ‘Far From The Tree’ Is A Moving Depiction Of The Extraordinary [Review] at The Playlist.

When news breaks of a star overdosing on drugs a la Demi Lovato, you often hear the term “addiction does not discriminate” carelessly thrown around. Broadly speaking, there’s no denying drug addiction as a bipartisan disease, but when you delve deeper into the issue, deep into backwoods West Virginia—the heart of America’s opioid epidemic—you will see that this ongoing pestilence has its preferences.

READ MORE: Toronto International Film Festival: 22 Most Anticipated Movies

While the intricacies surrounding the epidemic have been well-documented, few can truly grasp the detrimental complications this crisis is afflicting in low-income regions.

Continue reading ‘Recovery Boys’ Drills To The Core Of America’s Opioid Epidemic With Compassion [Review] at The Playlist.

Elijah Bynum’s directorial debut and A24 release, “Hot Summer Nights” is not a by-the-numbers coming of age story as an unlikely teenager winds up in a sticky situation dealing drugs to the locals in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Not the ideal way to cross the threshold into adulthood, but still—a right of passage nevertheless.

Navigating the space between self-expression and simply fitting in, “Hot Summer Nights” follows Daniel Middleton (Timothée Chalamet), a scrawny, inward-thinking and socially awkward young man struggling to escape the trappings of his teenage years.

Continue reading ‘Hot Summer Nights’ Avoids Being A Complete Hot Mess Thanks To Timothée Chalamet [Review] at The Playlist.

Sorrow, grief and tragedy underpin deep-seated trauma in Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson’s snowballing dark comedy “Under The Tree.” Like an extravagant oak casting an overwhelming shade, distress and dissension brood over the lives of two neighboring families. With trivial apprehension uprooting suburban comfort, Sigurðsson’s latest proves that regardless of our individual aches and pains, grief-stricken irrationality poses tremendous and even horrifying consequences.

Iceland’s Oscar submission for Best Foreign Film this past year, “Under The Tree” operates between two plotlines divulging into preventable animosity and misunderstanding—one between neighbors, and the other between a couple who separate over the husband’s suspected affair.

Continue reading ‘Under The Tree’: There’s Familial Dysfunction, Trauma, Grief And Hostile Neighbors [Review] at The Playlist.

The recent enthusiasm for low-budget, sci-fi dystopia and art house horror has been a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, such films can become overshadowed by the very nature of summer blockbusters. Yet one lo-fi flick has made waves amid the annual slew of superhero epics and unnecessary sequels. With “Upgrade,” actor-turned-filmmaker and frequent James Wan collaborator Leigh Whannell  (“Insidious: Chapter 3”), returns to the director’s chair with a good ol’ fix for adrenaline junkies and film buffs alike.

Continue reading ‘Upgrade’ Revels In Bloody Revenge And Plot Simplicity [Review] at The Playlist.

Based on Peter Bognanni’s novel, “The House of Tomorrow,” starring Alex Wolff, Asa Butterfield, and Nick Offerman, follows brilliant but sheltered 16-year-old Sebastian (Butterfield) as he attempts to liberate the renegade dwelling within himself under the tutelage of the angst-driven Jared (Wolff). While dissimilar in personality, the two leads are perfectly cast as outliers to society. As their performances infuse unexpected charisma into a rather simple coming-of-age storyline, “The House of Tomorrow” amuses and keeps viewers engaged despite its formulaic presentation.

Continue reading ‘The House of Tomorrow’ Is A Charming Coming-Of-Age Tale About A Futurist And A Punk [Review] at The Playlist.

As we age, it’s important to place value in the small moments of life, as they contribute deep merit and more significant implications for the person we become later in life. With this in mind, the willingness to accept what British author Rachel Joyce calls “the incongruity of things”: where a small moment can sit side by side with a big one, and become part of the same, is vital to understanding Melissa B.

Continue reading The Heart Of ‘All These Small Moments’ Speaks Louder Than Its Suggested Title [Tribeca Review] at The Playlist.

Almost three decades since it was originally conceived, Tony Gilroy’s screenplay for (“Bourne,” “Michael Clayton”) “Beirut” has finally become an end product. Directed by Brad Anderson (“The Machinist,” “Transsiberian“), “Beirut” creative origins can be traced to 1991. Unfortunately for Gilroy, the script never could find its footing and would be eventually scrapped.

Continue reading Jon Hamm Can’t Save Brad Anderson’s Political Thriller ‘Beirut’ [Review] at The Playlist.

One question looms evocatively over the 69 minutes consuming “The Devil and Father Amorth,” Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin‘s (“The French Connection”) latest documentary about real-life exorcisms: “is this really the random invasion of an external force?” A question that has perpetuated the widening of the gap between science and religion, the Vatican’s performance of exorcisms continues to be subject to scrutiny by both non-believers and even those who proclaim belief in Christ.

Continue reading ‘The Devil And Father Amorth’ Continues William Friedkin’s Obsession With Evil [Review] at The Playlist.

Writing in his book “The Wasted Vigil,” author Nadeem Aslam once said simply, but perfectly, “pull a thread here and you’ll find it’s attached to the rest of the world.” The new drama “Until the Birds Return,” seems to directly draw from the author’s sentiments, but with a tethering never quite as inspiring as the original text. Brimming with post-modern musings, ‘Birds’ (“En attendant les hirondelles”) explores modern-day Algeria with past and present generations coalescing to form three loosely connected stories: a wealthy property developer and his wife, a young woman torn between Arab tradition and her own ambitions, and a neurologist haunted by “wartime wrongdoings.” With these three vignettes, “Until the Birds Return” attempts to submerge its viewers into the heart of a contemporary Arab society while illustrating the mutuality of human existence.

Continue reading ‘Until The Birds Return’ Feels Flightless, Stale And Unfledged [ND/NF Review] at The Playlist.

Pioneering poet and transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson thrived as a miraculous mind who was able to articulate childlike awe within the everyday. Emerson is quoted in regards to the need of maintaining this awe, “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything that is beautiful, for beauty is God’s handwriting — a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, in every fair sky, in every flower, and thank God for it as a cup of blessing.”

While not quite Emerson, rising filmmaker Shireen Seno has proven herself as quite the visionary herself.

Continue reading Immersive ‘Nervous Translation’ Unearths Innocence And Wonder Amid Familial Futility [ND/NF Review] at The Playlist.

A broken home. A leather couch. July of 1999, sixth months before the anticipated “Y2K” hysteria that disturbed the oncoming millennia. Abbie (Joshua Burge), sitting on a sun-dried leather couch, attempts to drink an entire gallon of half-spoiled milk as part of another “challenge” given to him by his brother Cam (David Dastmalchian).

On the verge of vomiting, Abbie wants to give up (again), but being glued to the television screen playing Nintendo dampens the pain that comes alongside his brother’s challenges.

Continue reading ‘Relaxer’s Vulgar Minimalism Is Absurd, Self-Depraved & Brilliant [SXSW Review] at The Playlist.

“There’s a bluebird in my heart that, wants to get out, but I pour whiskey on him and inhale, cigarette smoke, and the whores and the bartenders, and the grocery clerks, never know that he’s in there,” gritty, downtrodden author Charles Bukowski wrote in the poem, “Bluebird.” While he built a career upon a machismo veneer of womanizing and booze, the tender “Bluebird” spoke to the pain and delicate vulnerabilities inside.

Facades of ruggedness and apathy were a common defense mechanism for Bukowski, who suffered from childhood abuse at the hand of his father.

Continue reading ‘A Bluebird in My Heart’ Is A Visually Stunning, Tedious Crime-Thriller [SXSW Review] at The Playlist.

For a horror film that places prominence on the forest as a hotspot for all things evil, it’s nice to finally see (aside from maybe “The Witch”) the camera just sit and pan in (or out) as you gaze into verdant scenery before realizing you might be looking at something more sinister off into the distance. Against this background, there’s a simple prevailing rule: don’t enter the woods — especially at night.

Continue reading ‘The Ritual’ Conjures Up Familiar, Forgettable Horror [Review] at The Playlist.

One of the more notable aspects of this year’s Sundance Film Festival is the presence of two features from Brazil, Gustavo Pizzi’s “Loveling” and Aly Muritiba‘s “Rust.” It’s great to see more talent coming out of Brazil and making its way through the festival circuit, but unfortunately, this one fails to impress.

Premiering as a part of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition category, Muritiba’s “Rust” is a cautionary tale of teen trauma in the social media age.

Continue reading ‘Rust’: Frustrating & Familiar Cyberbullying Drama Fails To Connect [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.

Almost five years since the 2012 release “Halley,” Sebastian Hoffman returns to the director’s chair for an equally chilling yet comedic project “Tiempo Compartido” (“Time Share”), the lone Mexican production appearing at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

“Tiempo Compartido” follows the absurd events surrounding Pedro (Luis Gerardo Méndez) and his family who just want to enjoy their “paradise” getaway in a tropical villa at Everfields International Resorts.

Continue reading ‘Time Share’ Paints A Darkly Comedic, Complex Portrait Of A Family Vacation Gone Awry [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.

While it’s been a rough 2017 overall, It’s been a phenomenal year in film. With that being said, below is a list ranking what I believe are the top 20 films of 2017. It was painstakingly difficult cutting my list of 100 to 50, but even harder from 50 to 20. Some notable films that barely missed the cut include: “Wakefield,” “The Lovers,” “Wonder Woman,” “Baby Driver,” “Super Dark Times,” “It,” “Split,” “Personal Shopper,” “Columbus,” “Menashe” “and yes, I left out the fan favorite, “Dunkirk.” I also want to mention that there are films that I have excluded because I have yet to see them, such as: “Phantom Thread,” “The Darkest Hour,” “BPM,” and  “Molly’s Game” just to name a few.

Continue reading Kyle Kohner’s Top 20 Films Of 2017 at The Playlist.