Playdates, plastic accessories, paper dollhouses, Bibble, “I Am a Girl Like You,” and the puzzling Schlond Poofa. All of that led me to this: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. The public perception of Barbie, the doll–or the idea, as this film also refers to her–has changed over the years, along with conversations around body image, over-sexualization, racial representation and…
Directed by Kevin Hegge, the new documentary Tramps! focuses on the rise of flamboyant fashionistas during the late 1970s. With a nihilistic edge, this generation of icons in East London became known as the New Romantics. With fresh ideas and a desire for free expression, these young bloods would spark with an energy that would…
Theater people can make gold, when you put them together with a little bit of cardboard. Theater Camp is co-directed by actress Molly Gordon (The Bear, Shiva Baby) and Nick Lieberman, both in their directorial debuts. Written by Gordon, Lieberman, Ben Platt and Noah Galvin, Camp sees another summer rolling through as AndirondACTS, a scrappy…
We are accustomed to stories of love and marriage. We almost always think about those two things in that order: first love, then marriage. Return to Dust, from writer/director Li Ruijun, gives us an alternative to the relationship of those two concepts. In rural China, Ma Youtie is paired with Cao Guiying in a marriage…
Once Upon a Time in Uganda follows the unique filmmaking community of Wakliwood, home to their own African Tarantino by the name of Isaac. Isaac has spent his life trying to make action-comedy films and his passion has carried into his community. He becomes a man that the village surrounds and supports, using the most…
Set in January 2118, PSYCHO-PASS: Providence begins as Chief Inspector of the Public Security Bureau Akanie Tsunemori receives word that a visitor is mysteriously murdered on her way to Japan. The victim is Dr. Milicia Stronskaya, a professor who specializes in technological research. It is believed that Stronskaya has been killed by the Peace Breakers, a terrorist…
Everyone is looking for a miracle but not everyone knows where to look. Set in the heart of Ireland in the 1960s, The Miracle Club tells the story of close friends Lily (Dame Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates) and Dolly (Agnes O’Casey). Living in a working-class town, these women are excited to embark on a journey to…
Sometimes, those we love simply aren’t good for our health. Written and directed by William Kaufman, The Channel tells the story of Jamie (Clayne Crawford), a loving father and ex-marine who spends his days as a bank robber in New Orleans. Jamie’s partner-in-crime is his older brother, Mic (Max Martini). Filled with rage, Mic is erratic and…
Do you (still) like scary movies? Beginning in 1996, Scream began with a simple—yet complicated—premise. Understanding that the horror genre had lost its sting, Wes,Craven and his team decided to send up all the horror tropes and flipped them on their ear. With an irreverent reverence, this meta-slasher flick celebrated all things horror, even as it sought…
Sometimes, being a bad man pays off. Based on a character from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the new horror comedy, Renfield, tells the story of Dracula’s loyal servant, Robert Renfield (Nicholas Hoult). Having committed his life to the Dark Lord, Renfield does his master’s bidding and spends his days looking for Dracula’s next prey. However, after centuries of service,…
