Strange World (2022)
73%RT Audience Score: 67%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Strange World is a Disney milestone in terms of representation — but as a storytelling experience, this dazzlingly animated adventure offers little audiences haven’t already seen.
It’s lovely to look at and the story has its moments, but all in all, Strange World falls short of Disney’s finest.
Production Company(ies)
Disney+, The Walt Disney Studios
Distributor
Walt Disney Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Disney+), Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles Thirty Mile Zone, California, United States; Los Angeles, California, United States
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
2022
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos, Dolby, Dolby Surround 7.1
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 45m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 23, 2022 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 23, 2022
Genre(s)
Kids & family/Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Alan Tudyk, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, Lucy Liu, directed by Don Hall and Qui Nguyen, written by Qui Nguyen, Kids & Family, Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy, Animation, Action, PG rating, produced by Roy Conli, $35.8M box office, reviewed by John Wilmes, Dwight Brown, Shubhra Gupta, Kyle Smith, Alison Willmore, Tim Robey, Grant Watson, Samuel Leggett Jr., Rubén Rosario, Randy Meeks, Rob Hunter, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Clade family, explorers, uncharted land, mischievous blob, three-legged dog, ravenous creatures
Worldwide gross: $73,621,640
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $78,824,026
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,133
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 8,595,859
US/Canada gross: $37,968,963
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $40,651,995
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,156
US/Canada opening weekend: $12,151,384
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $13,010,047
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 860
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $120,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $128,479,657
Production budget ranking: 273
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $69,186,296
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$118,841,927
ROI to date (est.): -60%
ROI ranking: 1,739
Alan Tudyk – Narrator, Radio Host 1, Duffle
Dennis Quaid – Jaeger Clade
Jaboukie Young-White – Ethan Clade
Gabrielle Union – Meridian Clade
Lucy Liu – Callisto Mal
Director(s)
Don Hall, Qui Nguyen
Writer(s)
Qui Nguyen
Producer(s)
Roy Conli
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (155) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (113) | Rotten (42)
Everyone is delightfully lost in a softly Lovecraftian Osmosis Jones labyrinth with climate change overtones and lovely faceless critters everywhere, trying to pantomime meaning to these stumbling humans.
December 3, 2022
John Wilmes
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Strong familial conflict, magical adventures and timely social messaging make this animated feature a bit deeper than most. If Strange World can find its audience, those viewers will be pleased. Why? Because even the trees are cool!
November 30, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Dwight Brown
DwightBrownInk.com
TOP CRITIC
Despite the film’s rich CGI, it’s only when the humans and their conflicts, big and small, come to the forefront, that the film comes to life.
November 29, 2022 | Rating: 2/5
Shubhra Gupta
The Indian Express
TOP CRITIC
The director Don Hall and his co-director and screenwriter Qui Nguyen seem to have put all of their effort into gaudy backgrounds, wacky gadgets and strange ancillary monsters instead of into dramatic urgency or conflict.
November 28, 2022
Kyle Smith
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
So much of Strange World’s audaciousness is front-loaded into its concept, and so little of it comes through in the execution.
November 25, 2022
Alison Willmore
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
Why isn’t this an out-and-out recommendation? It nearly merits that, but the tangled environmental allegory winds up being a royal headache.
November 25, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
This is the worst kind of disappointing film: one that never needed to be.
January 1, 2023 | Rating: 4/10
Grant Watson
Fiction Machine
This was actually a pleasant experience. Great scientific ideas & use of Sci-if exploration. Casting & voice work was well done with great animation, but its unfortunate that it’s not that memorable or inviting for repeated watches
December 29, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
Samuel Leggett Jr.
JVS Media & Productions/Team JVS
It’s a noteworthy baby step, one that threatens to vanish into the ether due to the film’s poor box office showing. Here’s hoping the Mouse doesn’t learn the wrong lessons from this big-hearted yarn’s low revenue.
December 28, 2022
Rubén Rosario
MiamiArtZine
Despite being made by the numbers, lacking distinctive elements, urgently in need of a rewrite (and a villain), and offering outdated entertainment, Strange World doesn’t deserve to be the absolute flop it’s been… [Full review in Spanish]
December 27, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Randy Meeks
Espinof
Strange World is a fantastic voyage that entertains without crossing over into anything resembling a groundbreaking watch. It’s beautiful, lively animation and engaging storytelling.
December 23, 2022
Rob Hunter
Film School Rejects
Strange World is a fun and immaculate film using pulp and golden age aesthetics to tell a very modern tale that works on many different levels for many different audiences.
December 20, 2022 | Rating: A
Julian Lytle
idobi.com…
Plot
The Clades, a legendary family of explorers, attempt to navigate an uncharted and treacherous land alongside a motley crew that includes a mischevious blob, a three-legged dog, and a slew of ravenous creatures.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels does not provide any information under the Goofs section for the film Strange World (2022).
Don-Hall.jpg
73%
Sundown (2022)
73%RT Audience Score: 63%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 5 nominations
Sundown’s emotionally muted wavelength may be difficult for some viewers to tune into, but it’s enlivened by Tim Roth’s strong central performance.
Sundown is the kind of movie that makes you feel like you’re on a rollercoaster ride, but instead of screaming, you’re just silently holding on for dear life. Tim Roth’s performance is so captivating that you can’t help but be drawn into his character’s world, even if you don’t quite understand it. And while the plot may be a bit confusing at times, it’s worth it just to see Roth in action. So buckle up and get ready for a wild ride with Sundown.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Bleecker Street
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexual content, violence, language and some graphic nudity
Year of Release
2022
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 23m
-
Language(s):English, Spanish
-
Country of origin:France, Mexico, Sweden
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 28, 2022 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 17, 2022
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Iazua Larios, Henry Goodman, Albertine Kotting McMillan, Samuel Bottomley, directed by Michel Franco, written by Michel Franco, drama, $229.5K box office, R rating, reviewed by Barry Hertz, Paul Byrnes, Adam Graham, Josh Kupecki, James Berardinelli, Michael O’Sullivan, Jim Schembri, Simon Miraudo, Pablo Vázquez, Randy Meeks, Andrea G Bermejo, Alfonso Flores-Durón y Martínez, produced by Michel Franco, Eréndira Núñez Larios, Cristina Velasco, Bleecker Street, violence, language, graphic nudity, sexual content, wealthy family, Mexico vacation, emergency, tensions, Neil Bennett, Alice Bennett, Bernice, Richard, Alexa, Colin
Worldwide gross: $309,991
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $309,991
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,845
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 33,805
US/Canada gross: $229,922
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $229,922
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,518
US/Canada opening weekend: $21,930
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $21,930
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,482
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Charlotte Gainsbourg – Alice
Iazua Larios – Bernice
Henry Goodman – Richard
Albertine Kotting McMillan – Alexa
Samuel Bottomley – Colin
Michel Franco – Director/Writer/Producer
Eréndira Núñez Larios – Producer
Cristina Velasco – Producer
Director(s)
Michel Franco
Writer(s)
Michel Franco
Producer(s)
Michel Franco, Eréndira Núñez Larios, Cristina Velasco
Film Festivals
Venice, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 5 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (113) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (86) | Rotten (27)
Sundown is both as mean as Franco’s reputation suggests and as compelling.
April 13, 2022
Barry Hertz
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Franco may be making a point about the effects of disparity in wealth, but why base it on a narrative trick?
February 7, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
It’s a lot, and at the same time it simply isn’t enough.
February 3, 2022 | Rating: C+
Adam Graham
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
Roth’s performance is utterly absorbing.
February 3, 2022
Josh Kupecki
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Tim Roth is perfectly cast as Neil. Throughout his acting career, Roth has excelled at portraying opaque characters whose true motivations are hidden.
February 3, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
“Sundown” is at its most engrossing as an individual portrait, even if its inscrutable subject is a person to whom virtually no (sane) viewer will relate.
February 2, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
The admirable thing about Roth’s deceptively downbeat performance and Michel Franco’s unobtrusive direction is that you’re always with Neil, even though you’re never quite sure where he is.
July 6, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
Jim Schembri
jimschembri.com
It eats away at you, with Roth leaving just enough space and ambiguity in his character for the viewer to fill in the blanks with their own perspective and experience (at their own peril).
July 1, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Simon Miraudo
Movie Squad (RTRFM 92.1)
The chronicle of a trip to nowhere and, also, of an abandonment, of a renunciation, of an unexpected and inevitable flight in the face of emotional and existential boredom. [Full review in Spanish]
May 31, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Pablo Vázquez
Fotogramas
Neil is a simple man in a complex moment, a millionaire who doesn’t want money, a brother who wants to emancipate himself, a lover who embraces sex to feel something. Anything. Because if you feel something, you’re still alive. [Full review in Spanish]
May 26, 2022 | Rating: 3.5
Randy Meeks
Espinof
A film so alive, everything changes contently, life in life, keeping us prisoner in its enigmatic mastery.
[Full review in Spanish]
May 26, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Andrea G. Bermejo
Cinemanía (Spain)
The drama simmers, releasing bursts of tension. A sudden explosion may ensue… or maybe not. [Full review in Spanish]
May 20, 2022 | Rating: 4.5/5
Alfonso Flores-Durón y Martínez
En Filme…
Plot
A wealthy family’s vacation in Mexico is cut short by a distant emergency, and tensions rise when one relative disrupts their tight-knit order in Sundown.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels notes that Tim Roth’s performance in Sundown is “utterly absorbing.”
Michel-Franco.jpg
73%
The Lost Daughter (2021)
73%RT Audience Score: 48%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
37 wins & 102 nominations total
A strikingly assured debut for writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Lost Daughter unites a brilliant cast in service of a daringly ambitious story.
The Lost Daughter” is a film that will make you question your life choices, but also make you jump at the sight of rotting fruit. Olivia Colman delivers a fantastic performance, capturing the emotional turmoil of her character with just a simple expression. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s direction is audacious and intricate, weaving the ins and outs of motherhood through the psychology of a complex character. However, some critics found the film unfailingly grim, while others thought it provoked indifference. But hey, at least we can all agree that it’s not every day you get scared by a piece of fruit.
Production Company(ies)
Eye Steel Film Téléfilm Canada Rogers Group of Fund,s
Distributor
Netflix
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Netflix), Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Spetses, Greece
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexual content/nudity and language
Year of Release
2021
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:1.66 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 2m
-
Language(s):English, Italian, Greek
-
Country of origin:United States, United Kingdom, Greece, Israel
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 31, 2021 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 31, 2021
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, written by Maggie Gyllenhaal, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Caryn James, Stephen Romei, Jo Livingstone, Alissa Wilkinson, Tim Cogshell, Paul Byrnes, Sarah Ward, Elsa Fernández-Santos, Carla Monfort, Hugo Hernández Valdivia, Agustín Acevedo Kanopa, R rating, sexual content, nudity, language, produced by Charlie Dorfman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Osnat Handelsman-Keren, Talia Kleinhendler, Netflix, Dolby Digital, motherhood, seaside vacation, young mother, daughter, memories, unconventional choices, consequences, Leda, Nina, Professor Hardy, Young Leda, Toni
Worldwide gross: $622,635
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $677,182
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,673
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 73,848
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Dakota Johnson – Nina
Peter Sarsgaard – Professor Hardy
Jessie Buckley – Young Leda
Paul Mescal – Will
Oliver Jackson-Cohen – Toni
Director(s)
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Writer(s)
Maggie Gyllenhaal
Producer(s)
Charlie Dorfman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Osnat Handelsman-Keren, Talia Kleinhendler
Film Festivals
Venice, Telluride
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
37 wins & 102 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (228) | Top Critics (59) | Fresh (214) | Rotten (14)
Colman can make Leda simply driving a car seem dramatic, as the expression on her face quietly captures the emotional turmoil she tries so hard to contain. And Gyllenhaal can turn an image of rotting fruit into a jump-scare.
January 25, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
Caryn James
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
This is a fine, unsettling film about the cost of the choices we make.
January 8, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Stephen Romei
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
It addresses the impossible, ordinary, maddening task of keeping both yourself and a child alive.
January 8, 2022
Jo Livingstone
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
The end is deeply ambiguous, neither punishing nor condoning its characters’ behavior. It simply asks us to sit with them – to pay them the respect of attention, and learn something about ourselves in the process.
January 7, 2022
Alissa Wilkinson
Vox
TOP CRITIC
Another fantastic performance by Olivia Colman.
January 7, 2022
Tim Cogshell
FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
TOP CRITIC
With a great central performance from Olivia Colman, it has depth, intelligence and a powerful seriousness of purpose. It’s also unfailingly grim, which raises questions about how we respond, as an audience.
January 6, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
For any director, this is audacious and intricate terrain, but Gyllenhaal is as exceptional and daring a filmmaker as she is a performer.
July 8, 2022
Sarah Ward
Concrete Playground
Gyllenhaal hits all the right chords in this finespun story where the past rushes over the present. [Full review in Spanish]
June 15, 2022
Elsa Fernández-Santos
El Pais (Spain)
Weaves the ins and outs of motherhood through the psychology of a complex character full of contradictions, played by a wonderful Olivia Colman. [Full review in Spanish]
May 24, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
Carla Monfort
Espinof
Provokes indifference rather than intrigue.
[Full review in Spanish]
May 12, 2022 | Rating: 65/100
Hugo Hernández Valdivia
Cinexcepción
There is an exaggerated underlining of these images that at times makes them lose their freshness a bit, almost as if we have Maggie Gyllenhal pinching us on the shoulder and saying See? Did you understand? There!
March 30, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/5
Agustín Acevedo Kanopa
La Diaria
Through flashbacks, Gyllenhaal makes the bizarre or mysterious elements of the film too clear, right up to the end.
March 28, 2022
A.S. Hamrah
The Baffler…
Plot
While on a seaside vacation, Leda becomes consumed with a young mother and daughter, leading her to confront her own memories of early motherhood and the unconventional choices she made in The Lost Daughter.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises Olivia Colman’s “fantastically expressive face” in her powerhouse performance in The Lost Daughter.
Maggie-Gyllenhaal.jpg
73%
Relic (2020)
73%RT Audience Score: 51%
Awards & Nominations: 5 wins & 27 nominations
Relic ratchets up its slowly building tension in an expertly crafted atmosphere of dread, adding up to an outstanding feature debut for director/co-writer Natalie Erika James
Relic” is the kind of movie that will make you want to sleep with the lights on for a week. It’s a haunting tale of a woman with Alzheimer’s who becomes lost in her own home, and the slow creep of dread will have you on the edge of your seat. The imagery is grotesque, but the twists are tender, and the cast is on sharp form. It’s not your standard haunted house flick, but it’s far more astute and powerful. Don’t watch it alone, unless you want to be haunted for life.
Production Company(ies)
Razor Film Produktion GmbH, Highlook Communications, Group Rotana Film Production
Distributor
IFC Midnight
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some horror violence/disturbing images, and language
Year of Release
2020
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 29m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States, Australia
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 10, 2020 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 26, 2020
Genre(s)
Horror/Drama
Keyword(s)
Relic, horror, drama, Natalie Erika James, Christian White, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin, Bella Heathcote, Chris Bunton, Jeremy Stanford, Steve Rodgers, Kay, Edna, Sam, Jamie, Alex, Constable Mike Adler, R, English, IFC Midnight, Scope, 2.35:1, $1.0M, 1h 29m, reviewed by Richard Roeper, Tara Brady, Tim Robey, Clarisse Loughrey, Kevin Maher, Mark Kermode, Brian Eggert, Fernanda Solórzano, Jason Adams, Nicolás Delgadillo, Lou Thomas, mental health, loss, dementia, haunted house, psychological drama, horror violence, language, disturbing images, Jurassic World, PartyCity
Worldwide gross: $2,902,552
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,312,292
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,289
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 361,210
US/Canada gross: $1,047,083
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,194,895
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,149
US/Canada opening weekend: $192,352
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $219,505
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,634
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Robyn Nevin – Edna
Bella Heathcote – Sam
Chris Bunton – Jamie
Jeremy Stanford – Alex
Steve Rodgers – Constable Mike Adler
Director(s)
Natalie Erika James
Writer(s)
Natalie Erika James, Christian White
Producer(s)
Jake Gyllenhaal
Film Festivals
Sundance, South by Southwest
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 27 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (233) | Top Critics (52) | Fresh (214) | Rotten (19)
“Relic” is the feel-dread movie of the year.
February 16, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Richard Roeper
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
The debut feature from writer-director Natalie Erika James functions as both an allegory and a nightmarish descent into this year’s creepiest movie home.
February 16, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Tara Brady
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
The more grotesque its imagery, the more tender its twists.
November 18, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
It’s that slow creep that lies at the heart of Natalie Erika James’s debut film. Co-written with author Christian White, her debut is the richest, most satisfying brand of chiller there is.
November 12, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Clarisse Loughrey
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
It helps that the cast are on especially sharp form, never once patronise the material as a pulp genre piece.
November 2, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
I’d wager that this spine-tingling, heartbreaking tale of a woman with Alzheimer’s becoming lost in the labyrinthine corridors of her mind, and her home, has a universal power that will resonate with anyone, regardless of personal experience.
November 1, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Mark Kermode
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
What’s frustrating about Relic is that it has the kernel of a great idea, but given its 89-minute runtime and James’ unwillingness to explore her characters or situation with more depth, the idea feels underdeveloped.
February 18, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Although it may not sound like it the movie is moving and the scenes are beautiful. [Full review in Spanish]
October 21, 2021
Fernanda Solórzano
Letras Libres
Relic’s a haunting for life.
July 8, 2021 | Rating: A-
Jason Adams
My New Plaid Pants
The message, poignant and in plain sight, is a powerful one.
June 25, 2021 | Rating: 4.5 / 5
Nicolás Delgadillo
Discussing Film
Natalie Erika James’ creepy thriller is yet another stunning debut in 2020.
June 17, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Lou Thomas
NME
Despite its setting, Relic is far more astute than your standard haunted house flick.
June 5, 2021
Selina Lee
In Review Online…
Plot
When elderly mother Edna inexplicably vanishes, her daughter Kay and granddaughter Sam rush to their family’s decaying country home, finding clues of her increasing dementia scattered around the house in her absence. After Edna returns just as mysteriously as she disappeared, Kay’s concern that her mother seems unwilling or unable to say where she’s been clashes with Sam’s unabashed enthusiasm to have her grandma back. As Edna’s behavior turns increasingly volatile, both begin to sense that an insidious presence in the house might be taking control of her. With RELIC, first-time writer/director Natalie Erika James crafts an unforgettable new spin on the haunted-house movie.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Sorry, there is no mention of PartyCity or anyone in the cast in the Fresh Kernels database for Relic.
Natalie-Erika-James.jpg
73%
Dirty God (2019)
73%RT Audience Score: 47%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 12 nominations
As powerfully acted as it is sensitively told, Dirty God offers a timely story delivered with empathy and deeply affecting grace
Dirty God is a film that will leave you feeling a little dirty, but in a good way. Newcomer Vicky Knight delivers a magnetic performance that will have you rooting for her character, despite her flaws. The film explores themes of beauty, identity, and self in the aftermath of a life-changing event, and while the storytelling can be slow at times, the thought-provoking moments make it worth the watch. Plus, it’s always exciting to see a new acting talent burst onto the scene, and Knight absolutely commands the screen. Overall, Dirty God is a compelling drama that will leave you thinking long after the credits roll.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Marrakesh, Morocco
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2019
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
-
Runtime:NA
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United Kingdom, Belgium, Ireland, The Netherlands
-
Release date:Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2020
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Vicky Knight, Eliza Brady-Girard, Rebecca Stone, Dana Marineci, Karl Jackson, Rosie Akerman, directed by Sacha Polak, written by Sacha Polak, Susie Farrell, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Sophie Monks Kaufman, Tara Brady, Katie Walsh, Garry Maddox, Mark Kermode, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Josh Parham, Roger Moore, Freda Cooper, Carey-Ann Pawsey, Carol Cling, produced by Isabel Davis, Clea De Koning, Michael Elliott, Frank Klein, MPAA rating, acid attack, scars, beauty, identity, sex, self, domestic violence, survivor, intense, authentic performance, new acting talent, slow-paced, thought-provoking, realistic
Worldwide gross: $204,591
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $236,396
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,904
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 25,779
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Eliza Brady-Girard – Rae
Rebecca Stone – Shami
Dana Marineci – Flavia
Karl Jackson – Eli
Rosie Akerman – Stacey
Isabel Davis – Producer
Clea De Koning – Producer
Michael Elliott – Producer
Frank Klein – Producer
Sacha Polak – Director/Writer
Susie Farrell – Writer
Director(s)
Sacha Polak
Writer(s)
Sacha Polak, Susie Farrell
Producer(s)
Isabel Davis, Clea De Koning, Michael Elliott, Frank Klein
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 12 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (46) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (2)
An intimate portrait of a restless young woman seeking mind, body and soul comfort. Newcomer Vicky Knight is magnetic and there are flashes of kinetic brilliance despite sketchy stretches.
February 14, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Sophie Monks Kaufman
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Knight delivers a terrific performance that is as complex as the sometimes maddening, frequently stupid, and always sympathetic character that she plays.
February 14, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Tara Brady
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
An unflinching exploration of beauty, identity, sex and self in the wake of a life-changing event
November 20, 2020
Katie Walsh
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Often confronting but always heartfelt, Dirty God is elevated by a stunningly authentic performance by Vicky Knight.
August 9, 2019
Garry Maddox
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
It’s a demanding role that requires a level of fearlessness and revelation. And Knight absolutely commands the screen, a star is instantly born.
July 2, 2019
Mark Kermode
Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
TOP CRITIC
Dirty God is a film about finding your own path, of the necessity of trial and error, and a timely reminder that the fallout of domestic violence for its survivors is not just difficult, but often very, very messy.
June 12, 2019
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
The Blue Lenses
TOP CRITIC
Despite some interesting decisions made behind the camera to create an alluring atmosphere, most of the film’s filmmaking is fairly banal and weighed down immensely by a script that does not craft an engaging story or complex characters.
June 5, 2022 | Rating: 5/10
Josh Parham
Next Best Picture
A compelling drama about self-image, dashed dreams and the growing up that might be on the other side of despair.
February 14, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Roger Moore
Movie Nation
The narrative is on the thin side, with the emphasis placed on the central character, so the overall effect is lop-sided. But there’s no denying that it announces the arrival of a new acting talent.
February 14, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Freda Cooper
The People’s Movies
Though this is a rather slow paced and often quiet film, there is plenty going on underneath the surface. Thought provoking moments pile up due to the fine storytelling.
December 17, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
Carey-Ann Pawsey
Orca Sound
I liked the film because it’s very realistic.
November 30, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
Lorry Kikta
Film Threat
Knight… delivers a fiercely compelling performance, giving Dirty God an intensity and insight it might otherwise lack.
November 21, 2020
Carol Cling
AWFJ Women on Film…
Plot
Dirty God is a drama about a young mother who tries to reclaim her life after an acid attack leaves her severely scarred.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises newcomer Vicky Knight’s “stunningly authentic performance” in Dirty God.
Sacha-Polak.jpg
73%
Under the Skin (2014)
73%RT Audience Score: 55%
Awards & Nominations: 23 wins & 111 nominations total
Its message may prove elusive for some, but with absorbing imagery and a mesmerizing performance from Scarlett Johansson, Under the Skin is a haunting viewing experience
Under the Skin is like a rollercoaster ride that you’re not sure you want to be on, but once you’re strapped in, you can’t look away. It’s a sci-fi movie that’s not really about aliens, but about the human experience. Scarlett Johansson gives a haunting performance that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Just be warned, this movie is not for the faint of heart.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
A24
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Tantallon Castle, Auldhame, East Lothian, Scotland, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for graphic nudity, sexual content, some violence and language
Year of Release
2014
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 48m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United Kingdom
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 4, 2014 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 15, 2014
Genre(s)
Sci-Fi
Keyword(s)
starring Scarlett Johansson, directed by Jonathan Glazer, written by Jonathan Glazer and Walter Campbell, sci-fi, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Kjerstin Johnson, Nick Wechsler, James Wilson, R rating, extraterrestrial, Scotland, seduction, loneliness, female sexuality, horror, surrealism, Glasgow, Michael Faber, The Man Who Fell To Earth, Species, Death Watch, Bertrand Tavernier, dialect, idiom, Mica Levi, Daniel Landin, existential, meditative, mesmerizing, haunting, absorbing imagery, mesmerizing performance, elusive message, tragic story, feminist, female director, female protagonist, alienation, empathy, hypnotic soundtrack, disturbing, bizarrely surrealistic, challenging, originality, ethereal qualities, isolation, understanding, observation, distance, pretentious, art-house cinema, slow-paced, foreboding music score, bleak cinematography, haunting viewing experience
Worldwide gross: $5,866,389
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $7,331,503
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,059
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 799,510
US/Canada gross: $2,614,251
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,267,153
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,925
US/Canada opening weekend: $133,154
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $166,409
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,737
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $13,300,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $16,621,638
Production budget ranking: 1,468
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $8,950,752
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$18,240,887
ROI to date (est.): -71%
ROI ranking: 1,815
Jeremy McWilliams – The Bad Man
Lynsey Taylor Mackay – The Dead Woman
Dougie McConnell – Pick-Up Man
Kevin McAlinden – First Victim
Andrew Gorman – Second Victim
Director(s)
Jonathan Glazer
Writer(s)
Jonathan Glazer, Walter Campbell
Producer(s)
Nick Wechsler, James Wilson
Film Festivals
Venice, Telluride, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
23 wins & 111 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (257) | Top Critics (76) | Fresh (216) | Rotten (41)
What started off as a potentially feminist film fell into a tired fairytale.
January 21, 2021
Kjerstin Johnson
Bitch Media
TOP CRITIC
It does not develop a plot so much as a fascinating feeling of underlying horror.
January 20, 2021
Sarah Mirk
Bitch Media
TOP CRITIC
this mysterious masterpiece seduces you into a very different twilight zone of unforgettable sci-fi strangeness.
September 6, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
metro.co.uk
TOP CRITIC
Under The Skin is as sloppy as it is bold and may quickly bore some with its evasive themes.
September 5, 2017 | Rating: C
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
An exploration and subversion of the unstated theme of ‘Species’ and its ilk: the fear of female sexuality, and the fantasy scenarios that are all tied up in those fears.
June 18, 2016
Jason Bailey
Flavorwire
TOP CRITIC
Minds will be blown to the four winds. And – fair warning – a percentage of American ticket buyers may find themselves exasperated and/or exiting early.
January 5, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Director Jonathan Glazer’s intentionally vague and aloof adaptation of Michael Faber’s novel devotes its a torturous 108 minutes on the efforts of Scarlett Johansson’s seductive alien to lure lonely, unattached men to their death.
January 22, 2022
Robert Sims
Lights Camera Austin
Cinematic Ketamine for the soul
July 6, 2021 | Rating: A
Jason Adams
My New Plaid Pants
Jonathan Glazer’s alarming, unnerving sci-fi traps a seductive, human-harvesting extraterrestrial between alienation and empathy.
May 29, 2021
Anton Bitel
Projected Figures
With arresting images and hypnotic soundtrack, the film is one of the most singularly mesmerizing movie watching experience I’ve had in a long time.
February 21, 2021
Dustin Chang
Floating World
If Johansson had been asked to speak to Glasgow residents in depth about their lives and conditions, their thoughts and feelings, Under the Skin might have had genuine value.
February 12, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
It deliberately challenges the audience, almost daring them to stay along for the ride, but those brave enough to take the journey will be rewarded with a story that takes a sly look at human identity filtered through the guise of an alien.
February 1, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse…
Plot
An extraterrestrial disguised as a human female drives around Scotland, luring unsuspecting men into her van in this haunting sci-fi film, Under the Skin.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Under the Skin stars Scarlett Johansson as an extraterrestrial who drives around Scotland and tries to lure unsuspecting men into her van.
Jonathan-Glazer.jpg
73%
Computer Chess (2013)
73%RT Audience Score: 53%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 8 nominations
With its delightfully retro production design, Computer Chess is an inventive, intelligent, and humorous comedy that celebrates the eccentricity and uniqueness of its subject
Computer Chess is like a quirky, indie version of The Big Bang Theory, but with more heart and less laugh track. It’s a hilarious and thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between humans and technology, with a cast of lovable nerds that you can’t help but root for. Whether you’re a computer whiz or a Luddite, this movie will make you laugh, cringe, and maybe even question the nature of reality itself. Checkmate, Hollywood!
Production Company(ies)
HBO Documentary Hit The Ground Running Films, Notorious Pictures,
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Austin, Texas, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2013
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.33 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 31m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 17, 2013 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 5, 2013
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
Comedy, chess, computer, retro, tournament, young, geniuses, program, beat, human, player, Andrew Bujalski, directed by, Morgan Coy, Scott Colquitt, Andrew Finnigan, Brooke Finnigan, produced by, written by, $100.6K, box office, Kino Lorber, MPAA rating, Myles Paige, Papageorge, James Curry, Carbray, Robin Schwartz, Shelly, Gerald Peary, Henderson, Wiley Wiggins, Beuscher, Patrick Riester, Bishton, starring, reviewed by, critic reviews, audience score, genre, English, limited release, streaming, rent/buy, viewed, Tomatometer, ratings, audience reviews, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV shows, news, careers
Worldwide gross: $127,852
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $162,417
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,964
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 17,712
US/Canada gross: $102,041
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $129,628
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,622
US/Canada opening weekend: $9,683
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $12,301
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,662
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
James Curry – Carbray
Robin Schwartz – Shelly
Gerald Peary – Henderson
Wiley Wiggins – Beuscher
Patrick Riester – Bishton
Director(s)
Andrew Bujalski
Writer(s)
Andrew Bujalski
Producer(s)
Morgan Coy, Scott Colquitt, Andrew Finnigan, Brooke Finnigan
Film Festivals
Sundance, Berlin, South by Southwest
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (83) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (73) | Rotten (10)
Andrew Bujalski’s Computer Chess is bracingly idiosyncratic-and close to perfect.
August 28, 2019
Amy Taubin
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
A double or maybe a triple nerd-fest, influential independent Andrew Bujalski’s typically deadpan Computer Chess is a small movie with a comic novel premise and a near cosmic theme.
February 22, 2019
J. Hoberman
ARTINFO.com
TOP CRITIC
Think vintage found footage meets wilfully anachronistic dot matrix art. And then think way, way outside the box.
November 27, 2013 | Rating: 5/5
Tara Brady
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
Odd, but in a good(ish) way.
November 24, 2013 | Rating: 3/5
Mark Kermode
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The code for the future has already been written – and as Bujalski seeks to discover who we are and where we come from (not just as wired-in 21st-century users but as human beings), it’s checkmate in 12 hilariously unorthodox moves.
November 22, 2013
Anton Bitel
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Like early Cronenberg, but funnier and sweeter, Computer Chess brings a dysfunctional, pioneering community to life. Bujalski must do a sequel.
November 22, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
Charlotte O’Sullivan
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
Computer Chess‘ deep-ecology tech comedy is completely under control, never sacrificing an innate, lovely weirdness. [It] looks like it wasn’t even made, that it just happened, and sat, shedding magnetic flakes on a closet shelf for decades.
June 4, 2022 | Rating: 10/10
Ray Pride
Newcity
While relations between actors are delightful, what Bujalski does to link man and computer is clever and singular — slyly masterful.
January 31, 2020
Jeremy Polacek
Hyperallergic
Surprisingly provocative and delightfully maddening.
August 22, 2019
Nicholas Bell
IONCINEMA.com
Consistently funny throughout, fans of squirm-inducing humour will find much to enjoy as will those keen on a more absurdist qualities.
March 6, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Ben Nicholson
CineVue
If you want to know how Skynet might really have been born, you need to watch Computer Chess. And if you just want to hang out with some groovy nerds who are debating the Singularity, you can come for that too.
May 23, 2018
Annalee Newitz
io9.com
[Director Andrew] Bujalski makes fine use of an ensemble cast and achieves a sense of drift reminiscent of Robert Altman’s films.
February 21, 2018
Steve Erickson
Gay City News…
Plot
Set over the course of a weekend tournament for chess software programmers thirty-some years ago, Computer Chess transports viewers to a nostalgic moment when the contest between technology and the human spirit seemed a little more up for grabs. We get to know the eccentric geniuses possessed of the vision to teach a metal box to defeat man, literally, at his own game, laying the groundwork for artificial intelligence as we know it and will come to know it in the future.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny comments were found in the Fresh Kernels review for Computer Chess.
Andrew-Bujalski.jpg
73%
Terri (2011)
73%RT Audience Score: 53%
Awards & Nominations: 10 nominations
Embodied with compelling sensitivity by newcomer Jacob Wysocki and supported by a wonderful John C. Reilly, Terri is an emotionally powerful character study
Terri is the perfect coming-of-age movie for anyone who’s ever felt like a misfit. With a cast of lovable characters and a story that’s both heartwarming and hilarious, this film will have you rooting for Terri from start to finish. Director Azazel Jacobs has a real talent for capturing the awkwardness of adolescence, and Jacob Wysocki’s performance as the titular character is nothing short of brilliant. Whether you’re a fan of indie films or just looking for a good laugh, Terri is definitely worth checking out.
Production Company(ies)
New Line Cinema, Zupnik Cinema Group II GGR
Distributor
ATO Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexual content, language and some drug and alcohol use – all involving teens
Year of Release
2012
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital DTS
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 45m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 1, 2011 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 11, 2011
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
Terri, Jacob Wysocki, John C Reilly, Azazel Jacobs, Patrick deWitt, Alison Dickey, Hunter Gray, Lynette Howell Taylor, Alex Orlovsky, Comedy, Drama, R, Box Office, Budget, Reviewed by Dan Sullivan, Alonso Duralde, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Rick Groen, David Rooney, Bruce DeMara, Richard Propes, Debbie Lynn Elias, Kelly Jane Torrance, Fernando F Croce, Max Goldberg, Sean Burns, Bullying, High School, Vice Principal, Misfits, Counseling, Sexual Content, Language, All Involving Teens, Some Drug and Alcohol Use, ATO Pictures, Creed Bratton, Uncle James, Bridger Zadina, Chad, Olivia Crocicchia, Heather, Tim Heidecker, Mr Flemisch, Director, Producer, Writer, MPAA Rating, Emotional, Character Study
Worldwide gross: $655,802
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $845,476
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,635
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 92,200
US/Canada gross: $655,802
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $845,476
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,226
US/Canada opening weekend: $65,103
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $83,932
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,007
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
John C. Reilly – Mr. Fitzgerald
Creed Bratton – Uncle James
Bridger Zadina – Chad
Olivia Crocicchia – Heather
Tim Heidecker – Mr. Flemisch
Alison Dickey – Producer
Hunter Gray – Producer
Lynette Howell Taylor – Producer
Alex Orlovsky – Producer
Azazel Jacobs – Director
Patrick deWitt – Writer
Director(s)
Azazel Jacobs
Writer(s)
Patrick deWitt
Producer(s)
Alison Dickey, Hunter Gray, Lynette Howell Taylor, Alex Orlovsky
Film Festivals
Sundance, South by Southwest
Awards & Nominations
10 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (98) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (85) | Rotten (13)
Whereas Jacobs pre has been most concerned for the past four decades with using cinema as an instrument for exploring the mechanics and boundaries of visual perception, Jacobs fils is less a mad scientist than a misfit bard.
November 5, 2013
Dan Sullivan
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Lest you think that you’ve already seen every possible variation on the outsider-nerd story, Terri keeps plenty of surprises up its pit-stained sleeves.
October 7, 2011
Alonso Duralde
TheWrap
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: B
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
Jacob Wysocki infuses his performance in the title role with precisely that same duality, turning Terri into an oversized portrait of adolescence — so naive yet so wise, strangely believable and believably strange.
August 19, 2011 | Rating: 3/4
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Its charms feel somewhat calculated, but this reflective tale of outsider solitude has enough humor and poignancy to win admirers.
August 19, 2011
David Rooney
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
A sweet and subtle comedy about the awkwardness of adolescence.
August 19, 2011 | Rating: 3.5/4
Bruce DeMara
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
Absolutely wonderful.
September 26, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
Touching the heart and warming the soul, Terri is a soft-spoken story of hope and joy that makes the ordinary extraordinary.
November 16, 2019
Debbie Lynn Elias
Behind The Lens
[Writer-director Azazel Jacobs] clearly has an eye and an ear for the confused rhythms of human life.
January 8, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Kelly Jane Torrance
Washington Examiner
Terri examines the freakery and geekery of puberty not with Miguel Arteta’s clamminess but with the serene, compassionate excruciation that’s become Jacobs’ distinctive timbre.
December 15, 2017
Fernando F. Croce
MUBI
What makes it good is the solidity of the scenes, something that owes both to novelist Patrick deWitt’s honed scripting and the naturalistic cadence of Jacobs’ direction.
November 29, 2017
Max Goldberg
Cinema Scope
Jacobs has a knack for hanging back and allowing movies to grow on you. It gathers power as it goes.
May 3, 2015
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly…
Plot
The story of a bullied fifteen-year-old boy in a small town as he struggles to adjust to his difficult life.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Jacob Wysocki delivers a standout performance as the titular character in Terri.
Azazel-Jacobs.jpg
73%
La princesse de Montpensier (The Princess of Montpensier) (2011)
73%RT Audience Score: 54%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 9 nominations
Bertrand Tavernier’s The Princess of Montpensier is a film that manages to balance the grandeur of an epic with the intimacy of a love story. The film’s backdrop of war and political power struggles provides ample action, but it is the complex characters and their shifting allegiances that truly captivate. Tavernier’s direction is confident and energetic, and the rousing performances from the cast make the two-hour-plus runtime fly by. This is a thoroughly modern-seeming period film that doesn’t rely on contemporary parallels to be compelling. It’s part bodice-ripper, part patrician soap opera, and part romantic tragedy, but ultimately it’s a film that proves that period romance is by no means a dead genre.
The Princess of Montpensier is like a medieval soap opera, complete with love triangles, political intrigue, and plenty of sword fights. It’s the kind of movie that makes you glad you weren’t born in the 16th century, but also makes you wish you could wear a fancy dress and attend a ball. The acting is solid, the scenery is gorgeous, and the story is engaging enough to keep you interested. Plus, who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned battle scene? Overall, it’s a fun and entertaining movie that’s worth a watch.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2010
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital DTS
-
Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 19m
-
Language(s):French
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 15, 2011 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 9, 2011
Genre(s)
Romance/Action
Keyword(s)
starring Mélanie Thierry, Lambert Wilson, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, Gaspard Ulliel, Raphaël Personnaz, Eric Rulliat, Philippe Magnan, Florence Thomassin, Michel Vuillermoz, directed by Bertrand Tavernier, written by Jean Cosmos, François-Olivier Rousseau, Bertrand Tavernier, produced by Laurent Brochand, Romance, Action, French Wars of Religion, Marie, Prince of Montpensier, Henri de Guise, battlefield, bedroom, love story, period romance, political power, masculine pride, chess match, blood, bedsheets, economic power, critic reviews, Gary Giddins, Tim Robey, Derek Malcolm, Dominic Radcliffe, Anthony Quinn, Peter Bradshaw, Kelly Jane Torrance, Joseph Walsh, Francesca Rudkin, Amber Wilkinson, Alistair Harkness, Mayer Nissim, MPAA rating, IFC Films, box office performance, $340.9K, budget, 2h 19m, distributor, IFG Films
Worldwide gross: $6,965,201
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $9,468,400
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,976
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,032,541
US/Canada gross: $352,428
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $479,086
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,334
US/Canada opening weekend: $23,456
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $31,886
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,351
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Lambert Wilson – Comte de Chabannes
Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet – Prince de Montpensier
Gaspard Ulliel – Henri de Guise
Raphaël Personnaz – Duc d’Anjou
Eric Rulliat – Quelus
Director(s)
Bertrand Tavernier
Writer(s)
Jean Cosmos, François-Olivier Rousseau, Bertrand Tavernier, Bertrand Tavernier
Producer(s)
Laurent Brochand
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 9 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (66) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (56) | Rotten (10)
(Bertrand Tavernier) has made an intimate epic, as coolly calculated as a chess match, in which blood on the battlefield and on the bedsheets is the fuel of economic and political power and masculine pride.
August 23, 2017
Gary Giddins
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Everything’s scenery, even the story.
July 8, 2011 | Rating: 2/5
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Both handsomely mounted and, for the most part, rousingly acted out.
July 8, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
It’s clear that veteran director Bertrand Tavernier has set out to show the potency and relevance of a classic love story and that period romance is by no means a dead genre. On this evidence, he has a point.
July 8, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Dominic Radcliffe
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
Bertrand Tavernier, in his 70th year, directs with the energy and panache of a much younger man.
July 8, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Anthony Quinn
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
It gallops along as elegantly and confidently as the horsemen we see in the opening scene – part bodice-ripper, part patrician soap opera, and part romantic tragedy – albeit a romantic tragedy of no very great resonance or depth.
July 7, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Director Bertrand Tavernier has made a stunning film.
January 8, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Kelly Jane Torrance
Washington Examiner
The Princess of Montpensier could easily have become a tedious film; however with the backdrop of the war there is plenty of action to keep you entertained.
August 29, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Joseph Walsh
CineVue
The Princess of Montpensier is pleasant viewing that asks little of its audience.
September 11, 2017 | Rating: 3.5/5
Francesca Rudkin
New Zealand Herald
The twisting narrative is rendered skilfully so that it is easy to follow even as allegiences and alliances shift, and there is plenty of space to revel in the complexity of the characters.
November 3, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Amber Wilkinson
Eye for Film
Manages to be that rare thing, a thoroughly modern-seeming period film that is confident that the story it’s telling is compelling enough so as not to necessitate the addition of torturous contemporary parallels.
July 18, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Alistair Harkness
Scotsman
The swashbuckling Guise, kindly Count, raging Philippe and swaggering Duke make the two-hours-plus runtime fly by.
July 14, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Mayer Nissim
Digital Spy…
Plot
Bertrand Tavernier is in top form with this gripping, superbly mounted drama set against the savage Catholic/Protestant wars that ripped France apart in the 16th century. Based on a novel by the celebrated Mme de Lafayette, the action centers on the love of Marie de Mezières for her dashing cousin Henri de Guise, thwarted when her father’s political ambitions force her into marriage with the well-connected Philippe de Montpensier, whom she has never met. When Philippe is called away to fight, she is left in the care of Count de Chabannes, an aging nobleman with a disdain for warfare, and soon becomes exposed to the sexual and political intrigues of court.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy, funny, or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels review for The Princess of Montpensier.
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73%
Paranormal Activity (2009)
73%RT Audience Score: 57%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 12 nominations
Using its low-budget effects and mockumentary method to great result, Paranormal Activity turns a simple haunted house story into 90 minutes of relentless suspense
Paranormal Activity is the kind of movie that will make you want to sleep with the lights on for a week. It’s like a rollercoaster ride that you can’t get off of, and even when you know the scares are coming, they still manage to make you jump out of your seat. The movie is slow to start, but once it gets going, it’s a non-stop thrill ride that will leave you terrified and begging for more. The acting is naturalistic, and the small-scale project has an amazingly heightened effect. If you’re looking for a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat, Paranormal Activity is definitely worth checking out. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Films, Anouchka Films, Orsay Films,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Bavarian Drive, Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
Year of Release
2009
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 26m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2009 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 29, 2009
Genre(s)
Horror
Keyword(s)
starring Katie Featherston, Micah Sloat, Amber Armstrong, Mark Fredrichs, Ashley Palmer, Crystal Cartwright, directed by Oren Peli, written by Oren Peli, horror, box office success, low budget, reviewed by Julie and Brandy, Shubhra Gupta, Deborah Ross, Candice Frederick, Ben Kenigsberg, Perri Nemiroff, Rob Aldam, Owen Nicholls, Angela L Harmon, Nikki Baughan, Noah Berlatsky, audience score of 57%, R rating, produced by Jason Blum, Oren Peli, supernatural presence, haunted house, found footage, suspense, terrifying events, suburban tract home, video cameras, psychic, exorcism nanny
Worldwide gross: $193,355,800
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $267,239,124
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 555
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 29,142,762
US/Canada gross: $107,918,810
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $149,155,744
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 519
US/Canada opening weekend: $77,873
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $107,629
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,908
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $15,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $20,732
Production budget ranking: 2,155
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $11,164
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $267,207,229
ROI to date (est.): 837,754%
ROI ranking: 1
Micah Sloat – Micah
Amber Armstrong – Amber
Mark Fredrichs – Psychic
Ashley Palmer – Girl on Internet
Crystal Cartwright – Exorcism Nanny
Director(s)
Oren Peli
Writer(s)
Oren Peli
Producer(s)
Jason Blum, Oren Peli
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 12 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (207) | Top Critics (52) | Fresh (172) | Rotten (35)
it was awesome in the way that it was extremely, horrendously and torturously stressful… worth it.
September 1, 2021
Julie and Brandy
Autostraddle
TOP CRITIC
[Paranormal Activity] is way more scary than Blair Witch because it takes the old conceit of things that go bump into the night, and brings it slyly into a well-to-do, middle class suburb.
April 17, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Shubhra Gupta
The Indian Express
TOP CRITIC
This is a scarily well-made scary little film, although it certainly isn’t flawless… But the acting is supremely naturalistic and, for such a small-scale project, it does have an amazingly heightened effect.
August 30, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
Though it’s slow in the beginning, the ending will leave you terrified and foaming at the mouth for a sequel.
September 11, 2017 | Rating: B
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
TOP CRITIC
November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Ben Kenigsberg
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
It’ll take quite some time to recover before you can sleep soundly without wondering if you’re really alone in the room.
August 12, 2010 | Rating: 4.5/5
Perri Nemiroff
CinemaBlend
TOP CRITIC
Even when you know they’re coming, the scares still send a chill down your spine.
September 20, 2021
Rob Aldam
Backseat Mafia
Enter the cinema expecting a clever little movie, with some neat ideas and pretty decent performances and, if you let it, Paranormal Activity will give you a pretty uncomfortable nights sleep.
April 23, 2021
Owen Nicholls
NME
It’s one thing to create a movie that functions as good narrative storytelling, but it’s another to create that movie knowing exactly how an audience is going to react to stimuli.
December 12, 2019
Angela L. Harmon
The NitPic
Intense, disturbing and with an ending that will leave even the most resolute disbeliever sleeping with the light on, it’s as much an experience as it is a piece of entertainment.
October 29, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Nikki Baughan
Roll Credits
The movie gets enormous mileage out of small, barely noticeable details-a door opening by itself, covers stirred by a breeze from nowhere, a chandelier swinging.
September 18, 2019
Noah Berlatsky
Splice Today
Its scares are undeniably effective, but the overall product lacks a real hook to pull in the audience.
June 6, 2019 | Rating: 2/4
Mattie Lucas
The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)…
Plot
After a young, middle class couple moves into a suburban ‘starter’ tract house, they become increasingly disturbed by a presence that may or may not be somehow demonic but is certainly most active in the middle of the night. Especially when they sleep. Or try to.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t say anything goofy or funny about Paranormal Activity, but it does mention the lead actors by name – Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat.
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