Authors: Alex Springer
Sundance Film Review: 6 Desires: DH Lawrence and Sardinia
On paper, this film comes across as pretty damn intellectually daunting—the type of film that goes over your head. But something about the director’s rhythmic narration set to images of dew-flecked spider webs succeed in transporting the audience into this strange world that appears to have remained unchanged since the 1920s. … read more
Sundance Film Review: It Follows
David Robert Mitchell’s dissection of the paranoia and emotional detachment that plagues our suburbs is the genesis of this fresh interpretation of the horror genre. It Follows feels like a natural progression of the teenage horror film—one that uses the complexity of today’s young people as a canvas for some expertly-crafted, psychosexual drama. … read more
Sundance Film Review: The Hunting Ground
Though the bulk of the film focuses on articulating how colleges like Harvard, Stanford and Berkeley spend more of their resources on covering up sexual allegations than actually punishing the perpetrators, the stories of the survivors and their efforts to gain national traction and support leaves the audience with the feeling that things are slowly changing for the better. … read more
Sundance Film Review: The Witch
Robert Eggers pulls no punches and makes no apologies in this film. The Witch’s scenes are steeped in primal dread, and each actor makes the audience feel the seams come apart as paranoia and mistrust begin to take their toll. The performances are explosive, the tension is gut-wrenching, and the settings are nightmarish. … read more
Sundance Film Review: The Overnight
While The Overnight has a few flaws in its execution, the chemistry among the principal actors comes close to making up for them. It’s not a perfect film, but it offers a unique and funny story about what people are willing to do in order to strengthen a marriage. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Christmas, Again
While there is value in creating cinema that captures the everyday human experience, Christmas, Again overshoots that mark by being so real that it’s boring. At the very least, films should tell stories about interesting characters. … read more
Sundance Film Review: True Story
The terse chemistry between Hill and Franco is gripping to watch—it’s never quite clear who is using whom until the film’s final moments. These two actors deftly play out their characters’ battle for psychological dominance. … read more
Sundance Film Review: City of Gold
City of Gold chronicles the career of a quietly rebellious food critic as he gleefully eschews the stereotypical snobbery that most food critics share. This film is an excellent treatment of a talented critic’s passion for diverse food—and it comes equipped with a restaurant guide in the end credits to boot. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Slow West
In what may be one of the most aptly-named films at this year’s festival, Slow West is in no hurry to tell the story of Scotsman Jay Cavendish and his continent-spanning quest to find Rose, the long-lost love from his hometown. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Me & Earl & The Dying Girl
Upon seeing Me & Earl & the Dying Girl, I was reminded that movies can be commercially successful and good at the same time—and that’s okay. The film chronicles the senior year of Greg, his friend Earl, and Rachel, who has been diagnosed with leukemia. … read more