The Prom

Prom is cancelled! Thanks PTA. Now the cool kids won’t be able to flaunt it, and Emma won’t be able to finally enjoy a night in public with her girlfriend.

Outrage at this small-town injustice is trending. So Dee Dee and Barry, fresh off their Broadway flop, try to score publicity points by saving the day. Think sequin-bomb exploding in an Indiana Applebee’s.

What follows is relentlessly upbeat, filled with loud colors, broad smiles, and impromptu (but perfect) performances. It can be a bit much, especially with such a long movie, but it’s all there to create a mood of positivity in the face of pain. Snarky and self-referential jokes make it clear that the moviemakers knew exactly what they were doing here: just having fun with it.

Sound of Metal

Ruben and Lou are a metal band. They’re also a sweet couple. It looks like they’ve helped each other through tough times, and are the better for it.

Then, something happens to Ruben. Things trend towards unhealthy again, and it’s terrifying.

Watching Ruben try to plow through his new reality can be uncomfortable, but you won’t be able to look away. Can he possibly salvage things? Well, two things are for sure: the sound-work here is eye-opening, and the acting from Ruben—and Joe especially—is extraordinary.

Selva Trágica (Tragic Jungle)

The rules of the jungle don’t change.

Indigenous people know this, and Agnes is catching on. She’ll need the jungle’s help if she wants to escape the bad guys.

It’s a haunting story, and one that takes cues from its setting. Nature can move slowly, but it’s always moving. Best listen to it before you act.

My Octopus Teacher

Craig is strong; Craig is gentle. Craig free dives in the wild ocean.

One day, he comes across something he’s never seen before. This begins an unexpectedly long and touching journey, where a man learns about an octopus, and an octopus learns about a man.

Waiting for the punch line? It is a funny story. But it’s also dead serious—about survival, intelligence, connection. Crisp picture gives us a movie that, like its parts, swells with life.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things

A young woman is thinking of ending things, that much is clear. The rest of this movie is anything but.

As you’d guess, such thoughts make for an interesting visit to her boyfriend’s parents. Their discussions are poignant sometimes, bristling others.

It’s all so relatable. Then the visit becomes a journey, and the journey a descent. Personalities, timelines and daydreams spiral around us. Something’s not right, but everything feels real.

In the end, this exceptional movie does nothing other than to leave us feeling human: haunted, confused, deliriously hopeful.

Freaks: You're One of Us

Wendy holds back most day days. She’s become a pushover who can’t support her family.

It doesn’t have to be this way. If Wendy lets loose, she can take on anything. But her solution is her problem: Superhuman abilities can hurt people as easily as they can get things done. We watch as she (and some new friends) struggle through this dilemma.

This is a bit slower, and has less action than your typical superhero movie—which makes it refreshing and believable. Instead of yet another fight scene we can guess the ending to, each new interaction brings excitement and mystery.

That said, there’s no good without evil. Some scenes have distracting continuity issues. Characters are underdeveloped, and plot holes are jumped, all in the hopes that we’ll be happy enough rooting for the good guy.

The Social Dilemma

The Social Dilemma is the existential threat of our time.

The most wealthy companies in the history of companies make their money by doing one thing. It’s easy, and it’s legal, so why would they ever stop?

Because it’s destroying the foundation of civilization. At least, that’s what some thinkers and industry insiders are saying. This movie is a sit-down with several of them. They patiently explain the problem: what it is, where it came from, and where it’s leading us.

Watching movies can be about having fun, or escaping, or learning. This one is about having a blindfold ripped off, and finding that you’re on a sinking ship. Once that happens, what’ll you do? Reach for your phone?

Andhadhun

Akash may be blind, but he’s always on the lookout. Somewhere out there is the key to better music. He’s sure of it.

Good intentions aren’t helping, though. In fact, they usually lead Akash into trouble. This is when the movie is at its best: Akash’s reactions are as cheeky and inventive as his predicaments.

It’s clever yes, and long. We meet many characters, some of whom are frustrating, and some of whom add nothing to the story. But isn’t that life? Long enough to be unexpected, funny, confusing, dangerous? And so this movie.

The Burnt Orange Heresy

James loves art; talking about it, writing about it. He’s perceptive and calculating, and so, a good storyteller. When the opportunity to meet an art great knocks, he’s ready at the door.

Then it opens. What’s inside might be too much for James to handle. As he struggles with reality, we begin to grasp just how good a storyteller he can be. Scary good.

This is a sleek thriller. It blends the cushy, removed feel of high art with the sharp, clinging emotions of real life. Smooth writing and acting are somehow jarring, while the picture itself skews our perceptions. Sunset grays, blues, and oranges set each scene—for good reason.

Mulan

Hua Mulan is gifted. We all have qi, but she’s got a country’s worth.

The problem? Boundless energy is not marriage material. The bigger problem? Invaders threaten the nation, and if Mulan wants to help defend it, she’ll have to break all the rules.

What follows is a colorful, nuanced, and exciting epic, suitable for all ages. Perhaps more impressively, it is all these things while examining what it means to live a virtuous life.

This is no fluff, or nostalgia trip.

La Partita (The Match)

You wouldn’t guess teen soccer to be so gripping. But you have no idea the layers and players to today’s game. Not yet.

As play develops on-field, the story develops off-. Each new piece of information deepens our investment.

It is a gritty, nerve-wracking movie. You don’t need to like sports to appreciate its genius.

Creative camerawork scores an extra point with natural light. Here find beauty. And barbarism.

Office

Oh, the Office! What will today bring?

Two new recruits are ready to find out. As they learn about work(/life), so do we.

It’s a musical equal parts play and movie. Dazzling set design builds emotion, and songs amplify it. There’s promise, intrigue, romance, and more.

The movie certainly has an opinion on the corporate world, but it’s never as tedious as a team meeting. It stays fun and energetic while exploring the highs and the lows.

The Tree House (Nhà Cây)

The Tree House is a place apart.

A man has traveled to Mars and wants to record his experience. It’s made him nostalgic—and curious. What is memory, anyway? Why does it come and go?

We struggle with these questions, too, as we watch people back in Vietnam discuss their lives.

The movie is not straightforward. But its connection to the natural world is powerful. It begs a rewatch.

Tesla

Tesla is nothing short of a vision.

From first to last, Nikola Tesla’s days were hardship. No matter. He never stopped trying to make the world a better place. His freight train brain wouldn’t allow it.

The movie is just moments, but moments that encapsulate his tortured, hopeful life.

Dark colors, wildly different music, and quirky narration keeps us uncomfortable, but close. Every scene asks: Can you feel how he hurts? See how he stands out?

It’s a movie about ideas hundreds of years ahead of their time. And it’s told in a way only slightly less striking.

Project Power

Project Power is quite the experiment.

Power now comes in a pill. There’s money to be made here—and people to be exploited.

As the drug makes its way through the city, the lives of three very different people will intersect. Their relationships and motivations, their fear and abilities, draw you in.

So is the experiment a success? Prepare for some eye-rolls. But the story, lead acting, music, sound mix, pace, and camerawork—they’re the work of experts.

Fagara

Fagara is at constant simmer.

Ha Leung’s death will bring three women together. They’re strangers to each other, yet closer than they know.

Each scene makes the story richer. Death is ever-present, but reminds us that life can be as spicy as we make it.

Crisp picture and colors maintain a nostalgic vibe. A number of scenes last longer than they need to, but hey, life isn’t perfect.

Made in Italy

Made in Italy usually means quality.

Jack is in a bad way and doesn’t know what to do about it. So, he grasps at straws. One is his father; another is their house in Tuscany.

Both are distant. As time passes, we learn why.

It’s tough to connect with this movie. The lead actors are stiff and unconvincing, and the scenes don’t flow. Dramatic plot and location aren’t enough to sell us on this kind of craftsmanship.

She Dies Tomorrow

Amy can’t explain why. She just knows. So, she spends her last day doing things that make her happy.

She also tells people. And that’s when the movie gets interesting. Her conviction spreads like a virus, with each new host reacting in its own way.

The slow start and choppy timeline make this movie feel a bit too intellectual (in part because it’s more thoughts and discussions than actions). But good acting feeds off a great premise. Colorful close-ups infect us with a feeling: There are powerful things going on that we cannot see.

It’s a weird, eerie one.

Shakuntala Devi

Shakuntala Devi was a human whirlwind.

And she knew it. It doesn’t take a math genius to figure that, if you’re going to school just to teach the teachers, your future is bright. She happily sped past hometown and family.

Her globetrotting journey is exciting and impressive. But the second half of the movie is as much about her capabilities as it is about her mistakes. Family life was never her strong suit, and raising a daughter forces her to deal with this.

The movie is based on a true story, though was clearly edited to be light, entertaining, and modern. Some points drag, but they’re soon picked up by Shakuntala’s devastating aptitude and charm.

Vivarium

Vivarium is life . . . if you can call this living.

Gemma and Tom are looking for a house. An eager, if strange realtor knows just the place for them: A perfect place to live forever.

Anyways, the young couple doesn’t need perfect, and this one-note neighborhood is far from it. Things turn queasy when Gemma and Tom try to leave.

This movie is just spectacular. From beginning to end, every aspect (set design, coloration, editing, cinematography, writing, acting, directing, music, and so on!) creates a plastic, unsettling world that tells a story about ours. Humans can aspire, making perfect little things to use in our perfect little homes. But we’re deluding ourselves. Nature is one, scary thing, and we all know it.