Production Company(ies)
Bryna Productions,
 
Distributor
Neon
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Ivory Coast
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some violent material, language and nudity
 
Year of Release
2021
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Night of the Kings, drama, French (France), Philippe Lacôte, Delphine Jaquet, Ernest Konan, Yanick Létourneau, Philippe Lacôte, R, Steve Tientcheu, Bakary Koné, Jean Cyrille Digbeu, Rasmane Ouedraogo, Issaka Sawadogo, Abdoul Karim Konaté, storytelling, Ivorian forest, prison, inmates, Roman, Zama King, mystical, fable, inventive, genre-fluid, alchemical, dream-like, surreal, menacing, magical, restless, riveting, full command, critic reviews, Tomatometer, audience score, box office performance, budget, reviewed by, produced by, directed by, starring
 

Cast & Crew

Steve Tientcheu

Bakary Koné

Jean Cyrille Digbeu

Rasmane Ouedraogo

Issaka Sawadogo

Barbe Noire

Roman

Demi-Fou

Soni

Nivaquine

Steve Tientcheu – Barbe Noire (Blackbeard)
Bakary Koné – Roman
Jean Cyrille Digbeu – Demi-Fou
Rasmane Ouedraogo – Soni
Issaka Sawadogo – Nivaquine
Abdoul Karim Konaté – Lass
Philippe Lacôte – Director/Writer
Delphine Jaquet – Producer
Ernest Konan – Producer
Yanick Létourneau – Producer

 

Philippe Lacôte

Philippe Lacôte

Delphine Jaquet

Ernest Konan

Yanick Létourneau

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Philippe Lacôte
 
Writer(s)
Philippe Lacôte
 
Producer(s)
Delphine Jaquet, Ernest Konan, Yanick Létourneau

 

Film Festivals
Sundance, Venice, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
14 wins & 19 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Huw Oliver

Mark Kermode

Fred Onyango

Danny Leigh

Steve Rose

Time Out

Observer (UK)

Little White Lies

Financial Times

Guardian

NIGHT OF THE KINGS
 All Critics (106) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (102) | Rotten (4)
 The film may be hard to follow — CGI elephants stampeding in one minute, IRL news footage appearing the next — but it’s gloriously inventive too. Now, have you heard the one about the Ivorian prison?
 
 July 28, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Huw Oliver
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Its vivid, genre-fluid investigation of the alchemical art of storytelling definitely hits the mark.
 
 July 25, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Kermode
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 It asks a lot from the viewer, but pays them back two-fold
 
 July 21, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Fred Onyango
 Little White Lies
 TOP CRITIC
 Mostly it plays like a dream – menacing, surreal, hard to shake even in daylight.
 
 July 21, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Danny Leigh
 Financial Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The freshness of the approach, combined with the substance of the stories, works the same strange magic on the viewer as on the inmates. It is easy to be swept along.
 
 July 20, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Steve Rose
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 It is perhaps too short to fully explore the themes it raises, or even to fully explain them for a wide audience. But when the prisoners fall under the story’s spell, it’s magical stuff.
 
 March 11, 2021
 
 Anna Smith
 Deadline Hollywood Daily
 TOP CRITIC
 The heightened imagination makes this environment feel detailed in a textured way, especially when one sees glimpses of the vivid story being told.
 
 June 5, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Josh Parham
 Next Best Picture
 Almost mythical in its telling, Night of The Kings feels unlike anything in cinemas at the moment. Sidestepping the conventions of modern cinema, it’s a tense 90 minutes that throws you out at the end, taken aback by what you’ve just witnessed.
 
 March 3, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 James Luxford
 City AM
 A prison drama like you have never seen, more interested in the act of telling stories than in the stories that take place inside the prison.
 
 October 7, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Ernesto Diezmartinez
 Cine Vértigo
 It’s hard to take your eyes off the screen. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 September 21, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Rubén Romero Santos
 Cinemanía (Spain)
 Much like this movie’s imaginative protagonist, you may find yourself hanging in there, taking it all in, trying not to get wiped out and hoping you’ll live to see another day.
 
 September 9, 2021
 
 Craig D. Lindsey
 Nashville Scene
 It does this all while engaging in the meaning, expectation, responsibility, and duty of telling of ‘your’ story not just as a man but as a nation.
 
 August 19, 2021 | Rating: 76/100
 
 Taylor Baker
 Drink in the Movies…

 

Plot
A young man in an Ivorian prison is designated as the new “Roman” and must tell a story to the other inmates until dawn, leading him to narrate the mystical life of the legendary outlaw named “Zama King” in Night of the Kings.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Night of the Kings on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Philippe-Lacôte.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong bloody disturbing violence, strong sexual content, some graphic nudity, language and brief drug use
 
Year of Release
2020
 

 
Genre(s)
Horror
 
Keyword(s)
Possessor: Uncut, horror, brain-implant technology, elite assassin, stylishly disturbing, Brandon Cronenberg, Fraser Ash, Niv Fichman, Kevin Krikst, Andrew Starke, written by Brandon Cronenberg, starring Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Tuppence Middleton, Sean Bean, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tiio Horn, R-rated, strong sexual content, strong bloody violence, brief drug use, language, some graphic nudity, $745.8K box office, reviewed by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Chris Hewitt, Tara Brady, K Austin Collins, Adam Nayman, Roxana Hadadi, Josh Parham, Thomas Stoneham-Judge, David Gonzalez, Brian Eggert, Carson Timar, Júlia Gaitano Mendizábal, directed by Brandon Cronenberg, produced by Fraser Ash, Niv Fichman, Kevin Krikst, Andrew Starke
 

Cast & Crew

Andrea Riseborough

Christopher Abbott

Tuppence Middleton

Sean Bean

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Tasya Vos

Colin Tate

Ava Parse

John Parse

Girder

Andrea Riseborough – Tasya Vos
Christopher Abbott – Colin Tate
Tuppence Middleton – Ava Parse
Sean Bean – John Parse
Jennifer Jason Leigh – Girder
Tiio Horn – Reeta
Director – Brandon Cronenberg
Producers – Fraser Ash, Niv Fichman, Kevin Krikst, Andrew Starke
Writer – Brandon Cronenberg

 

Brandon Cronenberg

Brandon Cronenberg

Fraser Ash

Niv Fichman

Kevin Krikst

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Brandon Cronenberg
 
Writer(s)
Brandon Cronenberg
 
Producer(s)
Fraser Ash, Niv Fichman, Kevin Krikst, Andrew Starke

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
15 wins & 39 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Chris Hewitt

Tara Brady

K. Austin Collins

Adam Nayman

ABC Radio

Empire Magazine

Irish Times

Rolling Stone

The Ringer

POSSESSOR: UNCUT
 All Critics (224) | Top Critics (41) | Fresh (210) | Rotten (14)
 Believe the hype: Possessor is as good, if not better, than you’ve heard
 
 March 10, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
 ABC Radio (Australia)
 TOP CRITIC
 Cronenberg by name, Cronenberg by nature.
 
 February 16, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Chris Hewitt (UK)
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Bodily betrayals marry tech conspiracy theories in this unnerving second feature from Brandon Cronenberg.
 
 February 16, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tara Brady
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s pure cinematic dysmorphia: to watch this movie carefully is to feel completely out of place, right alongside the people onscreen.
 
 February 16, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 K. Austin Collins
 Rolling Stone
 TOP CRITIC
 Possessor’s genuinely horrific, stroboscopic imagery suggests a filmmaker wrestling with a family legacy but also coming into his own.
 
 January 27, 2021
 
 Adam Nayman
 The Ringer
 TOP CRITIC
 That red butterfly captures the little bit of herself that Vos loses with every job as she becomes something else, and Possessor: Uncut makes you wonder: What the hell is she turning into?
 
 December 7, 2020
 
 Roxana Hadadi
 Pajiba
 TOP CRITIC
 With moments of great drama as well as alluring psychedelic imagery, all aided by stunning cinematography and editing choices, this is a finely textured vision that is just as enticing to explore as it is repellent to discover.
 
 June 5, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Josh Parham
 Next Best Picture
 ‘Possessor’ is a wild and particular brand of sci-fi entertainment.
 
 May 24, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Thomas Stoneham-Judge
 ForReel Movie News And Reviews
 While there is nothing wrong with being compared to a master of body horror, Possessor removes Cronenberg from his fathers shadow to show an original, provocative, and ambitious auteur in not just one of the 2020s best horror films.
 
 February 18, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 David Gonzalez
 Reel Talk Inc.
 The scenario proves vaguely familiar, as science-fiction fans will recognize, but it’s handled with such confidence and severity that it ignites a slight burn on the brain.
 
 February 17, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 Possessor is a complex film that requires an actively engaging audience, but also gives enough to where the viewing experience will be rewarding rather than frustrating.
 
 February 12, 2022
 
 Carson Timar
 Filmotomy
 A true showcase of brilliant acting. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 December 6, 2021
 
 Júlia Gaitano Mendizábal
 Otroscines.com…

 

Plot
Tasya Vos is a corporate agent who uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people’s bodies, driving them to commit assassinations for the benefit of the company. While she has a special gift for the work, her experiences on these jobs have caused a dramatic change in her, and in her own life she struggles to suppress violent memories and urges. As her mental strain intensifies, she begins to lose control, and soon she finds herself trapped in the mind of a man whose identity threatens to destroy her own.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Brandon-Cronenberg.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures,
 
Distributor
Vertical Entertainment
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
 
Year of Release
2020
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Nicole Beharie, Kendrick Sampson, Alexis Chikaeze, Lori Hayes, Marcus M Mauldin, Liz Mikel, directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples, written by Channing Godfrey Peoples, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Melanie Hoyes, Kevin Maher, Donald Clarke, Jake Wilson, Mark Kermode, Linda Marric, Justin Brown, Brandon Collins, Josh Parham, James Luxford, Zofia Wijaszka, Kay-B, producer Neil Creque Williams, James M Johnston, Jeanie Igoe, Toby Halbrooks, Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page, MPAA rating, Miss Juneteenth, former beauty queen, single mom, rebellious teenage daughter, Miss Juneteenth pageant, Turquoise, Ronnie, Kai, Charlotte, Wayman, Betty Ray, racial injustice, post-race themes, Black womanhood, motherhood, Texas, pride, regret, resolve, hope, diplomacy, success, small-town, sobering racial history, derailed destiny, layered conflicts, pageant mom, Dumplin, engagement, performance, pride, reviewed by critics and audiences, streaming, limited release, Vertical Entertainment, Scope (2.35:1)
 

Cast & Crew

Nicole Beharie

Kendrick Sampson

Alexis Chikaeze

Lori Hayes

Marcus M. Mauldin

Turquoise

Ronnie

Kai

Charlotte

Wayman

Nicole Beharie – Turquoise
Kendrick Sampson – Ronnie
Alexis Chikaeze – Kai
Lori Hayes – Charlotte
Marcus M. Mauldin – Wayman
Liz Mikel – Betty Ray

 

Channing Godfrey Peoples

Channing Godfrey Peoples

Neil Creque Williams

James M. Johnston

Jeanie Igoe

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Channing Godfrey Peoples
 
Writer(s)
Channing Godfrey Peoples
 
Producer(s)
Neil Creque Williams, James M. Johnston, Jeanie Igoe, Toby Halbrooks, Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page

 

Film Festivals
Sundance, South by Southwest
 
Awards & Nominations
9 wins & 34 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Melanie Hoyes

Kevin Maher

Donald Clarke

Jake Wilson

Mark Kermode

Sight & Sound

Times (UK)

Irish Times

The Age (Australia)

Observer (UK)

MISS JUNETEENTH
 All Critics (150) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (149) | Rotten (1)
 A joyful observation of Black lives, timely in this moment of global protest against racial injustice.
 
 January 27, 2021
 
 Melanie Hoyes
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 Carl Jung’s claim that the greatest burden a child must bear is the unlived life of its parents is rigorously tested, and validated, by this perfectly formed heartbreaker from the debut director Channing Godfrey Peoples.
 
 January 27, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Kevin Maher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The film buzzes with life and sincere feeling. The performances resonate like a struck bell. But a few too many questions are left unasked.
 
 January 27, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Donald Clarke
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a rare American film that is willing to risk not having the protagonist learn the right lesson — especially if the filmmaker, too, is ambitious to move on to bigger things.
 
 October 7, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Jake Wilson
 The Age (Australia)
 TOP CRITIC
 There are struggles still to be faced, but the message of Peoples’s film is one of love, hope and change.
 
 September 27, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Kermode
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The film owes most of its appeal to its ability to navigate some rather thorny post-race themes under the guise of a breezy social drama.
 
 September 25, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Linda Marric
 The Jewish Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Authentic performances from all of the actors helped propel this film to another level.
 
 June 24, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Justin Brown
 Medium Popcorn
 Solid hour and a half with a great performance by its lead actress.
 
 June 24, 2022 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Brandon Collins
 Medium Popcorn
 Beharie doesn’t give into histrionics, and instead, manages to find a quiet and grounded authenticity in her choices.
 
 June 5, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Josh Parham
 Next Best Picture
 The resilience is infectious, and (Beharie’s) performance makes every small success enormously uplifting, even if the films third act offers some overly neat conclusions.
 
 February 17, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
 
 James Luxford
 Small Screen
 Beharie is ethereal, emotional, and dazzling in her role as Turquoise. Depicting a raw, imperfect version of motherhood, she showcases her outstanding talent and charisma.
 
 February 11, 2022 | Rating: A
 
 Zofia Wijaszka
 FirstShowing.net
 From its deeply complex performances to some of the beautifully lit imagery choices and the rich scenes that eloquently depict the struggles of Black womanhood & motherhood, Channing Godfrey Peoples delivers in her film directorial debut.
 
 February 9, 2022 | Rating: A
 
 Kay-B
 Pay or Wait…

 

Plot
Miss Juneteenth follows a former beauty queen and single mom as she prepares her rebellious teenage daughter for the “Miss Juneteenth” pageant, in a heartwarming and timely exploration of Black lives and racial injustice.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Beharie’s performance as Turquoise is praised for its authenticity and groundedness.
 

 
Channing-Godfrey-Peoples.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Grasshopper Film
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
TV-MA
 
Year of Release
2020
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Tallie Medel, Norma Kuhling, Lorelei Romani, C Mason Wells, Dylan McCormick, Kolyn Brown, directed by Dan Sallitt, written by Dan Sallitt, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Matthew Monagle, Melissa Anderson, Barry Hertz, Guy Lodge, Michael Phillips, Nick Allen, Daniel Gorman, Filipe Freitas, Dustin Chang, Stephen Silver, Joshua Brunsting, produced by Caitlin Mae Burke, MPAA rating, friendship, Brooklyn, childhood friends, erosion of friendship, emotional insight, cerebral pragmatism, slice of life, passage of time, lead actresses, expertly shows, boyfriends appearing and disappearing, journal entries, diary entries, devastating moments, can we continue to be someone’s person, steady continuum
 

Cast & Crew

Tallie Medel

Norma Kuhling

Lorelei Romani

C. Mason Wells

Dylan McCormick

Mara

Jo Mitchel

Lorelei (5 years)

Adam (Mara’s boyfriend)

Conor (Jo’s boyfriend)

Tallie Medel – Mara
Norma Kuhling – Jo Mitchel
Lorelei Romani – Lorelei (5 years)
C. Mason Wells – Adam (Mara’s boyfriend)
Dylan McCormick – Conor (Jo’s boyfriend)
Kolyn Brown – Leah (Mara’s co-worker)

 

Dan Sallitt

Dan Sallitt

Caitlin Mae Burke

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Dan Sallitt
 
Writer(s)
Dan Sallitt
 
Producer(s)
Caitlin Mae Burke

 

Film Festivals
Berlin
 
Awards & Nominations
1 nomination
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Matthew Monagle

Melissa Anderson

Barry Hertz

Guy Lodge

Michael Phillips

Austin Chronicle

4Columns

Globe and Mail

Variety

Chicago Tribune

FOURTEEN
 All Critics (47) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (46) | Rotten (1)
 There’s nothing in Fourteen that moviegoers have not seen before, but the empathetic performances by both Medel and Kuhling make this a journey worth taking.
 
 June 5, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Matthew Monagle
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 The rare movie that intelligently and compassionately honors the push-pull dynamic between two young women, a pair of Brooklynites whose tight bond began when they were children but is starting to fray.
 
 May 22, 2020
 
 Melissa Anderson
 4Columns
 TOP CRITIC
 The film’s rhythm might sound jarring on paper, but Fourteen is more a work of structural playfulness and experimentation than gimmicky manipulation.
 
 May 20, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Barry Hertz
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 It resorts neither to buddy-movie cliché nor melodramatic angst in portraying the ways we outgrow our friends, and they us.
 
 May 18, 2020
 
 Guy Lodge
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 What I love about the film, among other aspects, is how the wry verbal wit of the early conversations suggests a mordant comedy, almost a working-class variation on the films of Whit Stillman.
 
 May 15, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Michael Phillips
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 You’re supposed to see a slice of life, but all you can see are the rehearsals.
 
 May 15, 2020 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Nick Allen
 RogerEbert.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Sallitt’s true gift is in capturing the rhythm of casual, unaffected conversation and how it can obliquely reveal character.
 
 June 5, 2021
 
 Daniel Gorman
 In Review Online
 Sallitt finds the right narrative pulse for this slight tale, which develops with emotional insight and cerebral pragmatism.
 
 March 30, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Filipe Freitas
 Always Good Movies
 With astonishingly economical edits, Sallitt let us witness the passage of time without missing a beat. With his extremely slim and straightforward filmmaking, Sallitt accomplishes something that is both deeply poignant and beautiful.
 
 February 12, 2021
 
 Dustin Chang
 Floating World
 Features fine performances by both lead actresses, and expertly shows the ways people’s lives slowly evolve throughout their 20s, with boyfriends appearing and disappearing
 
 January 22, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Stephen Silver
 Splice Today
 Fourteen feels almost like a collection of journal or diary entries, devastating moments in these lives that will flash forward at the drop of a hat
 
 September 10, 2020
 
 Joshua Brunsting
 The CriterionCast
 Figuring out if we can be can continue to be someone’s person in a steady continuum of such moments is the question Fourteen asks, artfully, and on its own terms.
 
 June 22, 2020
 
 Chuck Wilson
 L.A. Weekly…

 

Plot
The documentary is about Project Possible, a plan by Nepali high altitude climber Nirmal Purja to climb all of the world’s 14 highest peaks with an altitude greater than 8000m (called eight-thousanders) inside 7 months (i.e. from late spring to late summer, before the winter season begins).
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fourteen features Tallie Medel and Norma Kuhling in empathetic performances that make the journey worth taking.
 

 
Dan-Sallitt.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Tremolo Productions,
 
Distributor
Epic Pictures Group
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2019
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Mystery & thriller
 
Keyword(s)
Harpoon, Comedy, Mystery, Thriller, 2019, 1h 23m, Munro Chambers, Emily Tyra, Christopher Gray, Rob Grant, Julian Black Antelope, Kurtis David Harder, Michael Peterson, directed by Rob Grant, written by Rob Grant, produced by Julian Black Antelope, Kurtis David Harder, Michael Peterson, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jason Bailey, Barry Hertz, Christy Lemire, Dennis Harvey, John DeFore, Noel Murray, Q.V Hough, Lindsay Traves, Alix Turner, Heidy Morales, Federico Furzan, starring Munro Chambers as Jonah, Emily Tyra as Sasha, Christopher Gray as Richard, MPAA rating, yacht, ocean, stranded, dark secrets, sexual tension, rivalries, open water, gory, darkly humorous antics, horror fans, B-movie, A-level commitment, entertain, suspenseful, snark, mayhem, human behavior, black comedy horror, ingenuous, intelligent script, love triangle, lost at sea
 

Cast & Crew

Munro Chambers

Emily Tyra

Christopher Gray

Rob Grant

Julian Black Antelope

Jonah

Sasha

Richard

Director

Screenwriter

Munro Chambers – Jonah
Emily Tyra – Sasha
Christopher Gray – Richard
Rob Grant – Director, Screenwriter
Julian Black Antelope – Producer

 

Rob Grant

Rob Grant

Julian Black Antelope

Kurtis David Harder

Michael Peterson

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Rob Grant
 
Writer(s)
Rob Grant
 
Producer(s)
Julian Black Antelope, Kurtis David Harder, Michael Peterson

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
4 wins & 3 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Jason Bailey

Barry Hertz

Christy Lemire

Dennis Harvey

John DeFore

New York Times

Globe and Mail

FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)

Variety

Hollywood Reporter

HARPOON
 All Critics (62) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (60) | Rotten (2)
 “Harpoon” offers stylish compositions, amusing running gags and sharp, snappy dialogue. It’s a sparse, nasty little thriller.
 
 November 7, 2019
 
 Jason Bailey
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Grant adds lots of fisticuffs and gore to the proceedings, but it’s Gelman’s voice that answer’s the narrative’s numerous SOS calls.
 
 October 11, 2019 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Barry Hertz
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 I was impressed by [director] Rob Grant’s ability to accomplish a lot with a little and in a very confined space.
 
 October 8, 2019
 
 Christy Lemire
 FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
 TOP CRITIC
 The energetic mix of mayhem and snark will appeal to those who like their comedy horrific and their horror comedic.
 
 October 7, 2019
 
 Dennis Harvey
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 A nasty look at pride, betrayal and misnamed nautical gear on the open sea.
 
 October 4, 2019
 
 John DeFore
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 Some of the stylistic fillips feel excessive, and at the end of the day, this is just a tawdry, gory B-picture, with little to say about human behavior. But it’s often funny and generally suspenseful – a fine afternoon on the water, all things considered.
 
 October 3, 2019
 
 Noel Murray
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Rob Grant’s Harpoon exudes all the sly confidence of a well-prepared and half-in-the-bag wedding table orator.
 
 February 18, 2022
 
 Q.V. Hough
 Vague Visages
 The most gruesome version of a bottle episode I’ve ever seen.
 
 February 17, 2021
 
 Lindsay Traves
 Nightmarish Conjurings
 A black comedy horror from Rob Grant. More polished than last year’s Alive, but with some forgivable flaws.
 
 February 9, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Alix Turner
 Ready Steady Cut
 As it unfolds, Harpoon takes various twists and turns which make it fun to watch. Just when one thinks things will go one way, things unfold in a slightly different direction. Definitely a funny, over-the-top, gory, and entertaining ride.
 
 September 8, 2020 | Rating: B-
 
 Heidy Morales
 Hye’s Musings
 An almost perfect horror comedy that serves its viewers with an ingenuous and intelligent script. What a ride! [Full review in Spanish].
 
 June 30, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Federico Furzan
 Cinelipsis
 Mean, nasty, gleefully gory and wickedly funny.
 
 June 26, 2020 | Rating: B+
 
 Brent McKnight
 The Last Thing I See…

 

Plot
Three friends find themselves stranded on a yacht in the middle of the ocean under suspicious circumstances, leading to rivalries, dark secrets, and sexual tension in the gory and darkly humorous thriller, Harpoon.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels review for Harpoon.
 

 
Rob-Grant.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
Monumental Playas de Tijuana, Av. Del Pacífico 4, Tijuana, Baja California Norte, Mexico
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for sequences of gun violence, sexual and drug content, thematic material, and language
 
Year of Release
2019
 

 
Genre(s)
Action/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Miss Bala, starring Irene Azuela, directed by Gerardo Naranjo, written by Gerardo Naranjo and Mauricio Katz, action, drama, R rating, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Candice Frederick, Radheyan Simonpillai, Peter Howell, Gary Thompson, Walter V Addiego, Steven Rea, Katherine Monk, Josh Larsen, Stephen Saito, Joseph Walsh, Martin Tsai, produced by Pablo Cruz, Mexican drug war, beauty contest queen, anxiety-ridden crime drama, feminist action, costumes, Spanish language, Jessica Berlanga, Miguel Couturier, Noé Hernández, James Russo, Jose Yenque, Stephanie Sigman, Laura Guerrero
 

Cast & Crew

Irene Azuela

Jessica Berlanga

Miguel Couturier

Noé Hernández

James Russo

Jessica Berlanga

General Salomón Duarte

Lino Valdez

Jimmy

Kike Camara

Irene Azuela – Jessica Berlanga
Miguel Couturier – General Salomón Duarte
Noé Hernández – Lino Valdez
James Russo – Jimmy
Jose Yenque – Kike Camara
Stephanie Sigman – Laura Guerrero

 

Gerardo Naranjo

Gerardo Naranjo

Pablo Cruz

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Gerardo Naranjo
 
Writer(s)
Gerardo Naranjo, Mauricio Katz
 
Producer(s)
Pablo Cruz

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Candice Frederick

Radheyan Simonpillai

Peter Howell

Gary Thompson

Walter V. Addiego

Reel Talk Online

NOW Toronto

Toronto Star

Philadelphia Inquirer

San Francisco Chronicle

MISS BALA
 All Critics (69) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (60) | Rotten (9)
 Except for its disappointingly tapered ending, Miss Bala… is an impressive, anxiety-ridden crime drama that can join the ranks of some of the best in its genre, from two of Mexico’s best talents.
 
 September 8, 2017 | Rating: +
 
 Candice Frederick
 Reel Talk Online
 TOP CRITIC
 February 3, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Radheyan Simonpillai
 NOW Toronto
 TOP CRITIC
 Naranjo is unflinching in his determination not to serve up mindless entertainment.
 
 February 2, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Peter Howell
 Toronto Star
 TOP CRITIC
 January 27, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Gary Thompson
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 Maybe the film doesn’t add up to quite as much as its talented director, Gerardo Naranjo, seems to have hoped, but it is tense and propulsive.
 
 January 26, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Walter V. Addiego
 San Francisco Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Miss Bala is full of virtuoso single-take tracking shots and over-the-shoulder perspectives that effectively convey a sense of menace and momentum.
 
 January 26, 2012 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Steven Rea
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 Hardwicke loads the barrel with everything any feminist action fan could hope for, but Miss Bala splatters shotgun-style, with fragments of narrative shrapnel piercing every scene, without hitting any specific dramatic targets.
 
 March 9, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Katherine Monk
 Ex-Press.com
 The costumes are the key.
 
 January 29, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Josh Larsen
 LarsenOnFilm
 Naranjo puts on a master class in aesthetic storytelling where the substance equals the style, careful not to allow the film’s large-scale action sequences to threaten to glorify the real-life exploits that inspired the story.
 
 January 8, 2019
 
 Stephen Saito
 Moveable Fest
 Once again, world cinema has demonstrated that a big budget and a well-known cast are not necessarily what is needed to make great cinema.
 
 August 29, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Joseph Walsh
 CineVue
 The ambiguity Mr. Naranjo has stripped away from Ms. Ziga’s cautionary tale is hardly made up for on the back end.
 
 October 7, 2015
 
 Martin Tsai
 Critic’s Notebook
 Miss Bala is a tremendous cinematic achievement; both a stunning technical exercise in sustained tension and a rich allegory highlighting the hopeless scenario facing an entire society caught in the crossfire of a futile drug war
 
 November 25, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Richard Haridy
 Quickflix…

 

Plot
Gloria finds a power she never knew she had when she is drawn into a dangerous world of cross-border crime. Surviving will require all of her cunning, inventiveness, and strength. Based on the Spanish-language film.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Stephanie Sigman, who plays the lead role of Laura Guerrero, was the first Mexican actress to be cast as a Bond girl in the 2015 film Spectre.
 

 
Gerardo-Naranjo.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
20th Century Studios, Annapurna Pictures, Michael De Luca Productions, Sister
 
Distributor
Annapurna Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Spain; Romania
 
MPAA / Certificate

 
Year of Release
2018
 

 
Genre(s)
Western/Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
Western, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Jacques Audiard, John C Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal, Riz Ahmed, Rebecca Root, Allison Tolman, Pascal Caucheteux, Grégoire Sorlat, Michel Merkt, Michael De Luca, Alison Dickey, John C Reilly, Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain, R, English, Annapurna Pictures, Scope (2.35:1), $3.1M, reviewed by Ben Sachs, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Simran Hans, Tara Brady, Geoffrey Macnab, Mark Kermode, Keith Garlington, Brian Eggert, Graeme Tuckett, John C Reilly as Eli Sisters, Joaquin Phoenix as Charlie Sisters, Jake Gyllenhaal as John Morris, Riz Ahmed as Hermann Kermit Warm, Rebecca Root as Mayfield, Allison Tolman as Girl in Mayfield Saloon, directed by Jacques Audiard, written by Jacques Audiard and Thomas Bidegain, produced by Pascal Caucheteux, Grégoire Sorlat, Michel Merkt, Michael De Luca, Alison Dickey, John C Reilly, rated R for Language, Disturbing Images, Some Sexual Content, Violence, gold rush, assassins, Oregon, California, brothel, hitmen, chemist, pan for gold, anti-Western, camaraderie, individualist western types, unfettered capitalist system, quirky interactions, loopy storytelling, tragicomedy, subversiveness, beautiful cinematography, score, bursts of tragedy, patriarchal genres, trans actor, gay relationship, unfulfilled longing, unexpected ending
 

Cast & Crew

John C. Reilly

Joaquin Phoenix

Jake Gyllenhaal

Riz Ahmed

Rebecca Root

Eli Sisters

Charlie Sisters

John Morris

Hermann Kermit Warm

Mayfield

John C. Reilly – Eli Sisters
Joaquin Phoenix – Charlie Sisters
Jake Gyllenhaal – John Morris
Riz Ahmed – Hermann Kermit Warm
Rebecca Root – Mayfield
Allison Tolman – Girl in Mayfield Saloon
Director – Jacques Audiard
Producers – Pascal Caucheteux, Grégoire Sorlat, Michel Merkt, Michael De Luca, Alison Dickey, John C. Reilly
Writers – Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain

 

Jacques Audiard

Jacques Audiard

Pascal Caucheteux

Grégoire Sorlat

Michel Merkt

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jacques Audiard
 
Writer(s)
Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain
 
Producer(s)
Pascal Caucheteux, Grégoire Sorlat, Michel Merkt, Michael De Luca, Alison Dickey, John C. Reilly

 

Film Festivals
Venice, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Ben Sachs

Charlotte O’Sullivan

Simran Hans

Tara Brady

Geoffrey Macnab

Chicago Reader

London Evening Standard

Observer (UK)

Irish Times

Independent (UK)

THE SISTERS BROTHERS
 All Critics (211) | Top Critics (55) | Fresh (183) | Rotten (28)
 Neither a nostalgic throwback to traditional westerns nor a revisionist antiwestern, this advances a positive view of camaraderie between individualist western types while subtly critiquing the unfettered capitalist system in which they operate.
 
 March 4, 2020
 
 Ben Sachs
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Erudite, visceral and chuckle-worthy, this western is based on Patrick deWitt’s novel and starts out as the story of two gun-toting, chalk-and-cheese brothers, only to become more mysterious.
 
 April 7, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Charlotte O’Sullivan
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 Images of the Oregon trail’s deserted beauty invoke the genre’s cinematic history, but these aren’t John Ford’s stoic, taciturn cowboys.
 
 April 7, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Simran Hans
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The Sisters Brothers hovers unconvincingly between tones.
 
 April 5, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Tara Brady
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a measure of the four exceptional central performances (from Reilly, Phoenix, Gyllenhaal and Ahmed) that the film remains so engaging in spite of its narrative digressions and moments of very bleak violence.
 
 April 5, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Geoffrey Macnab
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The level of production is above what kind of film it is.
 
 April 5, 2019
 
 Mark Kermode
 Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
 TOP CRITIC
 Despite its shaky tone, some of the humor lands really well. And it’s a lot of fun watching such an eclectic cast bite into this fascinating assortment of characters.
 
 August 25, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Keith Garlington
 Keith & the Movies
 With memorable performances throughout this extraordinary cast, The Sisters Brothers is another Audiard film whose tonality withstands categorization. It’s neither a straightforward Western nor merely revisionist.
 
 March 11, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 A loose, funny, thoughtful and near-surreal western.
 
 January 28, 2022
 
 Graeme Tuckett
 Stuff.co.nz
 Episode 15: The West Was Red
 
 September 1, 2021 | Rating: 76/100
 
 Taylor Baker
 Drink in the Movies
 Plays like a movie that yearns to say something without knowing what it would like to say
 
 April 5, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
 Michael J. Casey
 Michael J. Cinema
 It’s a buddy flick and a Western but it’s also more than the sum of its parts.
 
 March 1, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Richard Crouse
 Richard Crouse…

 

Plot
Based on the novel by Patrick deWitt about two brothers hired to murder a prospector during the California Gold Rush. They travel from Oregon City to San Francisco, only to find out that the man they’ve been sent to kill may have something better to offer.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
After Charlie Sisters visits the claims office in San Francisco, he tells Eli that the men they are looking for are at Folsom Lake on the American River. Folsom Lake didn’t exist until Folsom Dam was built on the South Fork of the American River in 1955.
 

 
Jacques-Audiard.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Little Monster Films, Itinerant Films, Parkes MacDonald Image Nation
 
Distributor
20th Century Fox
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
4845 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, Illinois, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence, language throughout, and some sexual content/nudity
 
Year of Release
2018
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama/Crime
 
Keyword(s)
starring Viola Davis, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Brian Tyree Henry, directed by Steve McQueen, written by Steve McQueen, Gillian Flynn, drama, crime, mystery, thriller, R-rated, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan, box office, $42.4M, reviewed by Ben Sachs, Stephanie Zacharek, tt stern-enzi, Roxana Hadadi, Ryan Gilbey, directed by Steve McQueen, Viola Davis as Veronica, Colin Farrell as Jack Mulligan, Michelle Rodriguez as Linda, Elizabeth Debicki as Alice, Cynthia Erivo as Belle, Brian Tyree Henry as Jamal, heist, thriller, Chicago, police shootout, widows, debt, criminal activities, heist planning, ensemble cast, message, artistic leap, popcorn entertainment, aspect ratio, 2.35:1, 20th Century Fox, original language, English, runtime, 2h 8m, distributor
 

Cast & Crew

Viola Davis

Colin Farrell

Michelle Rodriguez

Elizabeth Debicki

Cynthia Erivo

Veronica

Jack Mulligan

Linda

Alice

Belle

Viola Davis – Veronica
Colin Farrell – Jack Mulligan
Michelle Rodriguez – Linda
Elizabeth Debicki – Alice
Cynthia Erivo – Belle
Brian Tyree Henry – Jamal
Director – Steve McQueen
Producers – Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan
Writers – Steve McQueen, Gillian Flynn

 

Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen

Iain Canning

Emile Sherman

Steve McQueen

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Steve McQueen
 
Writer(s)
Steve McQueen, Gillian Flynn
 
Producer(s)
Iain Canning, Emile Sherman, Steve McQueen, Arnon Milchan

 

Film Festivals
Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
18 wins & 106 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Ben Sachs

Stephanie Zacharek

tt stern-enzi

Roxana Hadadi

Ryan Gilbey

Chicago Reader

TIME Magazine

WXIX-TV

Pajiba

New Statesman

WIDOWS
 All Critics (423) | Top Critics (88) | Fresh (386) | Rotten (37)
 McQueen sets a relentlessly portentous tone and employs lots of stark mise-en-scene, but all the fuss feels arbitrary here – the pulpy story simply doesn’t warrant such grave stylization.
 
 February 24, 2020
 
 Ben Sachs
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 A thriller for modern women who identify more with the messiness of human lives than with flattened slogans about how great women, as a monolithic group, are.
 
 March 8, 2019
 
 Stephanie Zacharek
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 A great ensemble cast, Steve McQueen lets loose on some of the formalism we’ve seen in some of his other films and, it moves really well.
 
 March 4, 2019
 
 tt stern-enzi
 WXIX-TV (Cincinnati, OH)
 TOP CRITIC
 There can be power in kindness and in camaraderie alongside crime and corruption, and that is the nuance, the depth, and the politics Widows provides.
 
 February 7, 2019
 
 Roxana Hadadi
 Pajiba
 TOP CRITIC
 It would be wrong to place all the credit on the script when every element of Widows expresses character and theme with intelligence and concision.
 
 January 26, 2019
 
 Ryan Gilbey
 New Statesman
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s the dashing camerawork and broad historical awareness of Widows that makes it a truly sophisticated action film, and by far the best crime movie of 2018 so far.
 
 December 1, 2018
 
 Jo Livingstone
 The New Republic
 TOP CRITIC
 There’s no glamour here. No glittering red carpet wish fulfillment. This is a Chicago-set, blood-sweat-and-tears-soaked caper upon which lives depend.
 
 May 20, 2022
 
 Merryn Johns
 Curve
 McQueen has found a wonderful balance between his arthouse stylization, his mannerist craft, and something altogether new for him, making Widows rare indeed – an accessible work of art.
 
 March 8, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 One of the years best pound-for-pound genre films, Widows is one of the most exciting, bare-knuckled heist thrillers to come along in some time.
 
 February 11, 2022
 
 Cory Woodroof
 Williamson Home Page
 The twisty-turny plot gets a little in the weeds, but the performances, including assists from Daniel Kaluuya and ​​Brian Tyree Henry, see it through with flying colors.
 
 September 13, 2021
 
 Erica Ciccarone
 Nashville Scene
 Episode 18: The Danse Macabre
 
 September 3, 2021 | Rating: 58/100
 
 Taylor Baker
 Drink in the Movies
 [A} power tale of women taking charge where men fail, but really a study in situationism, what each of us is capable of given the set of conditions.
 
 July 30, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Milana Vujkov
 Lola On Film…

 

Plot
“Widows” is the story of four women with nothing in common, except a debt left behind by their dead husbands’ criminal activities. Set in contemporary Chicago, amid a time of turmoil, tensions build when Veronica (Viola Davis), Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Belle (Cynthia Erivo) take their fate into their own hands and conspire to forge a future on their own terms.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Widows on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Steve-McQueen.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Liberty Films,
 
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Austin Texas, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language including sexual references, and brief nudity
 
Year of Release
2018
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Shayna McHayle, James LeGros, Dylan Gelula, Amanda Michalka, directed by Andrew Bujalski, written by Andrew Bujalski, produced by Houston King, Sam Slater, comedy, R rating, box office gross $128.6K, reviewed by J.R Jones, Clarisse Loughrey, Mark Kermode, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Kevin Maher, Wendy Ide, Brian Eggert, Yasmin Omar, Dennis Harvey, Tom Beasley, Lisa, Double Whammies, sports bar, skimpily dressed waitresses, female empowerment, workplace comedy, sisterhood, male gaze, toxic male customers, economic instability, working poor, feminism, patriarchy, slice-of-life, modern woman, caring professional, female ensemble, small Sundance movie, Italian neo-realism, Jim Jarmusch, Kevin Smith, Richard Linklater, Sean Baker, Lea DeLaria, Brooklyn Decker, Jana Kramer
 

Cast & Crew

Regina Hall

Haley Lu Richardson

Shayna McHayle

James LeGros

Dylan Gelula

Lisa

Maci

Danyelle

Cubby

Jennelle

Regina Hall – Lisa
Haley Lu Richardson – Maci
Shayna McHayle – Danyelle
James LeGros – Cubby
Dylan Gelula – Jennelle
Amanda Michalka – Krista

 

Andrew Bujalski

Andrew Bujalski

Houston King

Sam Slater

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Andrew Bujalski
 
Writer(s)
Andrew Bujalski
 
Producer(s)
Houston King, Sam Slater

 

Film Festivals
South by Southwest
 
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 22 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

J. R. Jones

Clarisse Loughrey

Mark Kermode

Charlotte O’Sullivan

Kevin Maher

Chicago Reader

Independent (UK)

Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review

London Evening Standard

Times (UK)

SUPPORT THE GIRLS
 All Critics (157) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (143) | Rotten (14)
 The story meanders near the end, but the anticlimax can’t quite dispel the movie’s warm eccentricity.
 
 March 24, 2020
 
 J. R. Jones
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 A remarkably compassionate portrait of American womanhood that inspires hope without denying reality.
 
 July 8, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Clarisse Loughrey
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 A kind of social realism…there’s a real feeling of family, but it’s also a workplace, where it’s possible for people to be mistreated…stripped-down and unexpected.
 
 July 2, 2019
 
 Mark Kermode
 Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
 TOP CRITIC
 Bujalski uses the past to make sense of the present… and the future.
 
 July 1, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Charlotte O’Sullivan
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 Hall is a revelation (dominant in nearly every scene), and the rooftop climax is fittingly cathartic.
 
 June 30, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Kevin Maher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 While the approach can feel episodic, like the central character Lisa, this is storytelling that has a warm and accepting embrace of its girls.
 
 June 30, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Wendy Ide
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Support the Girls is a considerate and understated indie comedy, capable of drawing out empathy for women, whose situations are less than ideal, by giving them an intimately human face.
 
 March 11, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 Support the Girls is a meandering account of workplace etiquette that fastidiously documents the male gaze of its customers.
 
 June 25, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
 Yasmin Omar
 Harper’s Bazaar
 Bujalski’s female ensemble piece has a lot to say about economic instability and the working poor, while finding redemption in the small kindnesses that can make unpleasant, under-paid jobs bearable.
 
 October 15, 2020
 
 Dennis Harvey
 48 Hills
 Hall is fantastic as a woman maintaining an outwardly calm and unfailingly professional head while everything around her spins out of control.
 
 August 15, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Tom Beasley
 VultureHound
 Support the Girls doesn’t offend with its depiction of its subject matter. It commits a greater sin: it never acknowledges that these are issues at all.
 
 July 24, 2020
 
 Scott Phillips
 The Movie Isle
 Like Lisa herself, Support the Girls is generous, gentle, and not to be taken for granted.
 
 July 24, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Matt Cipolla
 Film Monthly…

 

Plot
Lisa, the general manager of a sports bar featuring scantily dressed waitresses, faces a trying day that tests her optimism and her loyalty to her staff in Support the Girls.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film in the Fresh Kernels database.
 

 
Andrew-Bujalski.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., Star Thrower Entertainment, Westbrook Studios,
 
Distributor
Well Go USA
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Camp Oliver – 8761 Riverside Dr., Descanso, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2018
 

 
Genre(s)
Horror
 
Keyword(s)

Cast & Crew

Jean Arthur

Lionel Barrymore

James Stewart

Edward Arnold

Mischa Auer

Alice Sycamore

Grandpa Martin Vanderhof

Tony Kirby

Anthony P. Kirby

Kolenkhov

Jean Arthur – Alice Sycamore
Lionel Barrymore – Grandpa Martin Vanderhof
James Stewart – Tony Kirby
Edward Arnold – Anthony P. Kirby
Mischa Auer – Kolenkhov
Ann Miller – Essie Carmichael

 

Aaron Moorhead

Justin Benson

David Lawson Jr.

Justin Benson

Aaron Moorhead

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson
 
Writer(s)
Justin Benson
 
Producer(s)
David Lawson Jr., Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Thomas R. Burke, Leal Naim

 

Film Festivals
Berlin, Tribeca
 
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 8 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

J. R. Jones

Robert Daniels

Kambole Campbell

Wendy Ide

Donald Clarke

Chicago Reader

812filmreviews

One Room With A View

Observer (UK)

Irish Times

THE ENDLESS
 All Critics (132) | Top Critics (34) | Fresh (121) | Rotten (11)
 Unfortunately the filmmakers introduce a sci-fi element in the second half that deflates much of the interpersonal tension and shifts the focus from the subtleties of mind control to the vagaries of time and space.
 
 March 5, 2020
 
 J. R. Jones
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 The biggest lesson of The Endless is how we can allow our lives to loop around in one crappy cycle until we cop out.
 
 December 31, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Robert Daniels
 812filmreviews
 TOP CRITIC
 Despite an imaginative concept, the narrative feels surprisingly bland, even when the pieces begin to fall into place – and when there’s no quick punchline to fall back on, the film suffers.
 
 August 25, 2018 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Kambole Campbell
 One Room With A View
 TOP CRITIC
 A mind-bending Möbius strip of a movie, this indie sci-fi makes up for what it lacks in budget with a wealth of playful ideas.
 
 July 2, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Wendy Ide
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The cinematography is fluid. The performances are cool and precise. The film itself is worth forming a cult around.
 
 July 2, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Donald Clarke
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s slightly baffling at times, but always inventive and disquieting.
 
 June 29, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Ed Potton
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 This independent film is a unique balance between Lovecraftian world building, the intimacies of family dynamics, and the horrors of the personal limitations.
 
 May 6, 2022 | Rating: A
 
 Alachia Queen
 Alachia Queen
 I felt like it was very confusing about the whole history behind the boys… but I do feel like there is some great production value in there.
 
 April 14, 2021 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Emma Wolfe
 SpookyAstronauts
 …the thin premise is, at 111 minutes, consistently stretched to its breaking point.
 
 March 17, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 Two brothers pay a visit to the “UFO death cult” they left ten years earlier, and have their eyes opened in ways they could not have expected. Starring and directed by Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, The Endless screams cult potential.
 
 February 1, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Alix Turner
 Ready Steady Cut
 The Endless doesn’t scream at the top of its lungs. Instead, it leaves you asking, “Did I just see what I thought I saw?”
 
 July 24, 2020
 
 Scott Phillips
 The Movie Isle
 A puzzle to unravel, a maze to solve, it presents a smart, satisfying mind-bender of a sci-fi/horror hybrid.
 
 July 1, 2020 | Rating: B+
 
 Brent McKnight
 The Last Thing I See…

 

Plot
This mind-bending thriller follows two brothers who receive a cryptic video message inspiring them to revisit the UFO death cult they escaped a decade earlier. Hoping to find the closure that they couldn’t as young men, they’re forced to reconsider the cult’s beliefs when confronted with unexplainable phenomena surrounding the camp. As the members prepare for the coming of a mysterious event, the brothers race to unravel the seemingly impossible truth before their lives become permanently entangled with the cult.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
 

 
Aaron-Moorhead.jpg