Sound of Metal tells the story of Reuben (Riz Ahmed) a heavy metal drummer who hammers out ferocious sets with his girlfriend and bandmate (Olivia Cooke). Committed to his rock and roll lifestyle, Reuben’s world is turned on its head when, all of a sudden, a persistent ringing in his ears worsens until sound drops… [Read More]
TIFF ’19: I Am in the World as Free and Slender as a Deer on a Plain
In her directorial debut, Sofia Banzhaf (Black Conflux, Splinters) introduces us to a young and unnamed female protagonist (Micaela Robertson), showing us fragments of her journey with sexual exploration. Incredibly stoic throughout the film, she is almost emotionless as she interacts with her three sexual partners (Spencer Macpherson, Daniel Maslany, and Andy McQueen). In fact,… [Read More]
Freaks: Fighting For (and Against) Normal
By Jason Thai In the new sci-fi thriller Freaks, Chloe (Alexa Kolker) is a 7-year old girl who is forced to live at home without any interaction with the outside world. Living under a set of rules enforced by her paranoid and frantic father, Henry, who will do whatever it takes to keep Chloe in…. [Read More]
TIFF ’19: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood introduces the iconic figure through the eyes of Lloyd Vogel, an investigative journalist with Esquire magazine with a history of exposing the darkness of our world. Tasked with writing a mere 400 words for an issue about our ‘heroes’, Vogel begrudgingly accepts his assignment and begins to meet regularly with… [Read More]
Hustlers: Getting What’s Yours
Starring Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, Hustlers gives the audience an inside look at highs and lows of the adult entertainment industry. Set in the early 2000s, the film tells the story of Destiny (Wu), an up and coming stripper who is taken under her wing by Ramona (Lopez), an older stripper with a knack for… [Read More]
