There’s probably a brilliant movie hiding somewhere in The United States vs. Billie Holiday, a new biopic on Hulu that dives into the tragic, tumultuous life of the legendary Billie Holiday, whose iconic vocal expression was (literally) instrumental in defining…
‘The Violent Heart’ review: Despite its swoon-worthy leads, there’s not much heart to fall for
Seeing a movie called The Violent Heart, you might expect a 50s melodrama to be your awaiting pleasure, the type of time machine throwback romance with a title as profound as Lana Turner was glamorous. So it’s a jarring surprise…
‘Land’ Review: Like its main character, Robin Wright’s directorial debut just doesn’t really go anywhere
It’s never a good sign when the most interesting thing about a film festival drama is its novelty as a feature directorial debut from the person who also stars in it. For every Citizen Kane and Wanda, we have just…
‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ review: The definitive Black Panther movie has arrived
Hollywood’s relationship with the Black Panther Party is about as graceful and nuanced as the general public’s, and that’s certainly no accident. Though plenty of documentaries have taken great pains to accurately outline the Panthers’ roots, including the more recent…
Sundance 2021: ‘Searchers’ is looking for love in all the online places
In Pacho Velez’s new documentary, Searchers (formally The Browsers), a rotation of about 75 New Yorkers—including the director himself—are interviewed, examined, and observed as they use a swath of online dating apps in real-time. Some are looking for love, others…
Sundance 2021: ‘On the Count of Three’ takes aim at men’s mental health in unexpectedly funny ways
The opening moments of On the Count of Three couldn’t do a better job at sucking the audience into its dark, comedic presence. Two men face down one another with guns in an unexplained standoff, but the circumstances of the…
Sundance 2021: ‘Flee’ is a beautifully animated documentary about the traumas we can’t escape
What does the word “home” mean to you? Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s new documentary Flee—which was executive produced by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Riz Ahmed—isn’t just unique for its blending of animated storytelling and first-person narration. It’s also impressively thrilling for a…
