Mercy
"You are speaking to the Mercy Court. I'm AI Judge Maddox."
Latest
The Testament of Ann Lee
"I never / did believe / that I ever / could be saved / without giving / up all / to God."
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
"How's that?"
We Bury the Dead
While the zombie movie refuses to die, it's certainly not thriving. In the years since the onset of COVID-19, only a handful of films featuring the archetypal monster in one form or another get released every year, and vanishingly few cause a stir. It should come as no
Resurrection
"Before we can fool others, we first need to fool ourselves."
2025 Wrap-Up
If you're just interested in my top ten, you can skip my preamble and other categories by clicking here. As 2026 dawns, I'm less certain than ever where this art form I love so much is headed. The financial health of the business continues to falter.
Marty Supreme
"I have a purpose. And if you think that's some sort of blessing, it's not. It means I have an obligation to see a very specific thing through. And with that obligation comes sacrifice."
Avatar: Fire and Ash
For the first time since the 90s, James Cameron has released two movies in the same decade.
The Housemaid
"Juice is a privilege, and we don't drink it out of a dirty glass."
Ella McCay
"The problem with being a tight ass is you never know when your ass is right."
Wicked: For Good
"It's not lying. It's looking at things another way."
100 Nights of Hero
“Nothing much was supposed to happen to me. I was supposed to get married, have children, do needlepoint, I guess, then die.”
New Releases
Nuremberg
"We are able to do away with domestic tyranny only when we make all men answerable to the law, so that it can never happen again."
Pop Culture Maniacs
Sisu: Road to Revenge
Sisu has had a strange life. Made by the same team that gave us Rare Exports, it landed fairly quietly at TIFF 2022. Its reception was warm enough, however, to be picked up for distribution. And although its US release didn't light the box office on fire, it
New Releases
Hamnet
While the 21st century has been marked by impressive auteurs getting sucked up by a Hollywood obsessed with franchises, never to return to their prior form, this year has already provided a few counterpoints. Although Chloé Zhao was probably always more likely to emerge than most, given just how much
Pop Culture Maniacs
Keeper
With Longlegs, director Osgood Perkins burst onto the scene. It may have been his fourth movie, but it represented a stark evolution of his style into something more technically precise, more tonally playful, while still staring into the darkness. That shift, combined with Neon's brilliant marketing and audience
New Releases
The Running Man
"Bloodlust Is our birthright. Set it free!"
New Releases
Die My Love
"Babies are hard. I feel like we don't talk about that enough." "It's all people ever talk about."
Festivals
IFFBoston Fall Focus 2025 Wrap-Up
The most frustrating element of the codification of "awards season" is that it unbalances the rest of the movie release calendar. The first half of the year usually sees a couple splashy releases, such as Challengers, Sinners, and Everything Everywhere All At Once. But the bulk of the
Pop Culture Maniacs
Dream Eater
The first movie from Eli Roth's new production studio, The Horror Section, was Jimmy and Stiggs, a jaw dropping descent into goopy, neon madness. It was a perfect midnight movie that nonetheless played the multiplex. That was all it took to convince me that seeking out the studio&
New Releases
Bugonia
"All we've lost. All that's been done to us. We're setting that right again."
Festivals
New Hampshire Film Festival 2025 Wrap-Up
My time at my favorite film festival was somewhat different this year, partially due to their scheduling, and partially due to my own choices. While my previous three years attending NHFF has always included its share of buzzy titles and works from big name filmmakers, part of what I always
New Releases
Black Phone 2
"You and me know, Finny, that fear is just the beginning."
New Releases
Good Boy
Have you ever wondered what it's like to experience a creepy house as a dog?