Production Company(ies)
Act III Communications, Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride Ltd.,
 
Distributor
Cinema Guild
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate

 
Year of Release
2018
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Western, Meinhard Neumann, Reinhardt Wetrek, Syuleyman Alilov Letifov, Veneta Fragnova, Viara Borisova, Kevin Bashev, Valeska Grisebach, Maren Ade, Jonas Dornbach, Janine Jackowski, Michel Merkt, drama, German, box office, limited release, Cinema Guild, directed by Valeska Grisebach, written by Valeska Grisebach, produced by Maren Ade, Jonas Dornbach, Valeska Grisebach, Janine Jackowski, Michel Merkt, 96% Tomatometer, 73 reviews, 73% audience score, flat aspect ratio, unpredictable, patient, unique, Athina Rachel Tsangari, Chevalier, Claire Denis, Beau Travail, economic imperialism, male dominance, colonisation, all-male spaces, intimacy, labour, unspoken bonds, constant threat, violence, hierarchy, grounded, sincere
 

Cast & Crew

Meinhard Neumann

Reinhardt Wetrek

Syuleyman Alilov Letifov

Veneta Fragnova

Viara Borisova

Meinhard

Vincent

Adrian

Veneta

Vyara

Meinhard Neumann – Meinhard
Reinhardt Wetrek – Vincent
Syuleyman Alilov Letifov – Adrian
Veneta Fragnova – Veneta
Viara Borisova – Vyara
Kevin Bashev – Wanko
Self – Valeska Grisebach (Director, Writer)
Maren Ade – Producer
Jonas Dornbach – Producer
Janine Jackowski – Producer
Michel Merkt – Producer

 

Valeska Grisebach

Valeska Grisebach

Maren Ade

Jonas Dornbach

Valeska Grisebach

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Valeska Grisebach
 
Writer(s)
Valeska Grisebach
 
Producer(s)
Maren Ade, Jonas Dornbach, Valeska Grisebach, Janine Jackowski, Michel Merkt

 

Film Festivals
Cannes, Venice, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Tara Brady

Justin Chang

Edward Porter

Simran Hans

Kevin Maher

Irish Times

Los Angeles Times

Times (UK)

Observer (UK)

Sight & Sound

WESTERN
 All Critics (73) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (3)
 There’s swagger and bluster. There are echoes of Athina Rachel Tsangari’s Chevalier, and at least one purposeful reference to Claire Denis’s Beau Travail.
 
 April 23, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Tara Brady
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Like its title, “Western” is both startlingly direct and full of resonance and ambiguity.
 
 April 19, 2018
 
 Justin Chang
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 A meandering but quietly absorbing tale of comradeship amid social tensions.
 
 April 18, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Edward Porter
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Like the Hollywood westerns it references, it’s a story of economic imperialism as an assertion of male dominance, the political implications of colonisation hanging in the air like stale sweat.
 
 April 15, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Simran Hans
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Meinhard becomes increasingly enigmatic – was he a soldier? Is he a liar? What does he really want? – and [Valeska] Grisebach, sometimes infuriatingly, offers us tantalising hints of a drama that never quite fully unfolds.
 
 April 13, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Kevin Maher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Western is allied to Claire Denis’s Beau Travail and Kelly Reichardt’s Old Joy, which observe the intimacy of all-male spaces. Grisebach too explores the ways men labour, act and interact, their unspoken and brittle bonds.
 
 April 13, 2018
 
 Elena Gorfinkel
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 …a film that simmers rather than boils, but Grisebach conjures an atmosphere and intensity which seeps into every inch of the screen.
 
 February 13, 2020
 
 Jim Ross
 TAKE ONE Magazine
 The film manages to stick around more than I expected, and the memories I have of it are pleasant indeed.
 
 January 9, 2020
 
 Ard Vijn
 ScreenAnarchy
 The feeling of constant threat adds density to an atmosphere that rises as the true protagonist of the film. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 July 18, 2019 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Víctor López G.
 Espinof
 Perhaps its most lingering and disquieting idea is that perhaps the western, with its mythical visions of cowboys taming a wild land, wasn’t quite as noble and benign as once we imagined.
 
 June 3, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 From the Front Row
 Neumann does an impressive work here, embracing his first role with natural ease and assuming great part of the responsibility in making of the tale a grounded and sincere experience.
 
 February 28, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Filipe Freitas
 Always Good Movies
 Western knows there is a hierarchy in remembered violence.
 
 January 24, 2019
 
 Tara Judah
 Desist Film…

 

Plot
A group of German construction workers take on a challenging job in the Bulgarian countryside, where their sense of adventure is awakened but their prejudices are also brought to the surface in Western.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Meinhard Neumann in his first acting role, and he impresses with his natural performance.
 

 
Valeska-Grisebach.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Marvel Entertainment,
 
Distributor
Netflix
 
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Netflix), Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for graphic nudity, some disturbing images, and language
 
Year of Release
2018
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Marco Graf, Fernando Grediaga, Daniela Demesa, Carlos Peralta, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, written by Alfonso Cuarón, produced by Alfonso Cuarón, Gabriela Rodriguez, Nicolás Celis, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Nell Minow, Kathleen Sachs, tt stern-enzi, Karen Han, Ryan Gilbey, Ben Sachs, R rating, Mexican cinema, 1970s Mexico City, domestic workers, family, mistress, pregnancy, vacation, Dolby Atmos, Scope (2.35:1), Y Tu Mamá También, Children of Men, Cinéma verité, black and white cinematography, streaming on Netflix, limited theatrical release
 

Cast & Crew

Yalitza Aparicio

Marina de Tavira

Marco Graf

Fernando Grediaga

Daniela Demesa

Cleo

Sra. Sofía

Pepe

Sr. Antonio

Sofi

Yalitza Aparicio – Cleo
Marina de Tavira – Sra. Sofía
Marco Graf – Pepe
Fernando Grediaga – Sr. Antonio
Daniela Demesa – Sofi
Carlos Peralta – Paco
Alfonso Cuarón – Director/Writer/Producer
Gabriela Rodriguez – Producer
Nicolás Celis – Producer

 

Alfonso Cuarón

Alfonso Cuarón

Alfonso Cuarón

Gabriela Rodriguez

Nicolás Celis

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Alfonso Cuarón
 
Writer(s)
Alfonso Cuarón
 
Producer(s)
Alfonso Cuarón, Gabriela Rodriguez, Nicolás Celis

 

Film Festivals
Venice, Telluride, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
Won 3 Oscars
252 wins & 219 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Cinematography Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Directing Winners, Oscar Best International Feature Film Of The Year Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Nell Minow

Kathleen Sachs

tt stern-enzi

Karen Han

Ryan Gilbey

AWFJ Women on Film

Chicago Reader

WXIX-TV

Polygon

New Statesman

ROMA
 All Critics (405) | Top Critics (84) | Fresh (387) | Rotten (18)
 Roma will be studied for years as a landmark in cinematic storytelling, made even more meaningful because it pays tribute to a character who is usually in the background.
 
 October 26, 2021
 
 Nell Minow
 AWFJ Women on Film
 TOP CRITIC
 In Cuarón’s films, cinema conjures up its own world, and this one provides the chance to explore it with him more intimately than ever before.
 
 March 24, 2020
 
 Kathleen Sachs
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s beautiful story, he shot it himself along side writing and directing, at this stage we can see it in a bunch of different places, its on Netflix & in theaters, but go see it in theaters!
 
 March 5, 2019
 
 tt stern-enzi
 WXIX-TV (Cincinnati, OH)
 TOP CRITIC
 Aparicio, in her acting debut, is remarkable.
 
 February 26, 2019
 
 Karen Han
 Polygon
 TOP CRITIC
 Cuarón fills every corner of the frame, just as Fellini did, so that the eye has to roam the screen as though scouring a fresco. But for all the bustle and brio, it’s a visually lucid movie.
 
 January 26, 2019
 
 Ryan Gilbey
 New Statesman
 TOP CRITIC
 This has plenty to say about class relations too, but what’s most impressive about it is how the Mexican writer-director-cinematographer-editor transforms even his political observations into the stuff of big-screen spectacle.
 
 January 17, 2019
 
 Ben Sachs
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Roma is the sort of film described as life-affirming without irony or pretense, as it reminds us of the potential for love, frailty, and unbreakable bonds between people.
 
 March 4, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 The keen and sensitive understanding of what the lives of women are what Cuaron displays here, and deploys with such enormous empathy…
 
 October 26, 2021
 
 MaryAnn Johanson
 AWFJ Women on Film
 Roma deals in complicated subject matter – socioeconomic inequality, broken families, loss – but never in a way that dehumanizes its characters or detracts from the power of its central story.
 
 October 26, 2021
 
 Betsy Bozdech
 AWFJ Women on Film
 Alfonso Cuaron’s masterful Roma is a semi-autobiographical epic that reminds us that cinema is art.
 
 October 26, 2021
 
 Jennifer Merin
 AWFJ Women on Film
 A staggering swirl of life, a film that destroys and uplifts simultaneously.
 
 September 3, 2021 | Rating: 98/100
 
 Taylor Baker
 Drink in the Movies
 In her first feature film debut, Aparicio gave a performance that though quiet in execution, was powerful.
 
 July 30, 2021 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Carolyn Hinds
 But Why Tho? A Geek Community…

 

Plot
Cleo is one of two domestic workers who help Antonio and Sofía take care of their four children in 1970s Mexico City. Complications soon arise when Antonio suddenly runs away with his mistress and Cleo finds out that she’s pregnant. When Sofía decides to take the kids on vacation, she invites Cleo for a much-needed getaway to clear her mind and bond with the family.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Roma features a remarkable performance by newcomer Yalitza Aparicio in her acting debut.
 

 
Alfonso-Cuarón.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Roadside Attractions, 30West
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate

 
Year of Release
2018
 

 
Genre(s)
Horror/Romance
 
Keyword(s)
starring Jessie Buckley, Geraldine James, Johnny Flynn, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Hattie Gotobed, Shannon Tarbet, directed by Michael Pearce, written by Michael Pearce, horror, romance, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Ben Sachs, Meagan Navarro, David Stratton, Jake Wilson, Robert Daniels, Peter Howell, Charlotte Harrison, Milana Vujkov, David Bax, Richard Propes, Matt Cipolla, produced by Kristian Brodie, Lauren Dark, Ivana Mackinnon, R-rated, psychological thriller, small island community, mysterious outsider, oppressive family, suspicion, series of murders, psychological insights, character study, dark fairy tale, captivating leads, mesmerizing visuals, Dolby Digital, Scope (2.35:1)
 

Cast & Crew

Jessie Buckley

Geraldine James

Johnny Flynn

Charley Palmer Rothwell

Hattie Gotobed

Moll

Hilary

Pascal

Leigh

Jade

Jessie Buckley – Moll
Geraldine James – Hilary
Johnny Flynn – Pascal
Charley Palmer Rothwell – Leigh
Hattie Gotobed – Jade
Shannon Tarbet – Polly
Director – Michael Pearce
Producer – Kristian Brodie, Lauren Dark, Ivana Mackinnon
Writer – Michael Pearce
Cinematographer – Benjamin Kracun
Sound Mix – Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio – Scope (2.35:1)
Distributor – Roadside Attractions, 30West

 

Michael Pearce

Michael Pearce

Kristian Brodie

Lauren Dark

Ivana Mackinnon

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Michael Pearce
 
Writer(s)
Michael Pearce
 
Producer(s)
Kristian Brodie, Lauren Dark, Ivana Mackinnon

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Ben Sachs

Meagan Navarro

David Stratton

Jake Wilson

Robert Daniels

Chicago Reader

Bloody Disgusting

The Australian

The Age (Australia)

812filmreviews

BEAST
 All Critics (147) | Top Critics (47) | Fresh (135) | Rotten (12)
 The leads deliver affecting, nuanced performances, which gives heft to the psychological insights.
 
 March 5, 2020
 
 Ben Sachs
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 The tonal shift undoes what amounts to one of the more interesting origins of a serial killer in the making. A thriller without much thrills, Beast is a thought-provoking character study and sort of a dark fairy tale.
 
 December 5, 2018 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
 Meagan Navarro
 Bloody Disgusting
 TOP CRITIC
 Beast is a skilful debut from Pearce and a mostly satisfying example of suspense created out of mundane incidents and everyday events.
 
 September 14, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 David Stratton
 The Australian
 TOP CRITIC
 This is a film of some power, and one that doesn’t flinch from following its more disturbing implications through to the end.
 
 September 14, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Jake Wilson
 The Age (Australia)
 TOP CRITIC
 When the film is in full swing, that is exploring Moll’s family life, it’s an alluring study.
 
 August 27, 2018 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Robert Daniels
 812filmreviews
 TOP CRITIC
 A jagged but memorable feature… that slowly yields its truths.
 
 June 14, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Peter Howell
 Toronto Star
 TOP CRITIC
 An intriguing and atmospheric gem.
 
 August 6, 2021
 
 Charlotte Harrison
 Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies
 Silver bullet of dark erotica, fertile pathology, a sunlit and soiled mystical union of shadows and light.
 
 July 29, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Milana Vujkov
 Lola On Film
 Beast’s unfiltered tactility can alternate between warm and painful. Oh, and there’s plenty of cinematic rainfall to boot.
 
 December 10, 2020
 
 David Bax
 Battleship Pretension
 It was in these initial moments of the film that I first found myself mumbling the words ‘Who is this Jessie Buckley?’
 
 September 2, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com
 Pearce’s work here demonstrates a cultural intention that largely redeems it of its shortcomings. It’s not something to swoon over, but the allure of it all can be hard to shake.
 
 July 24, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Matt Cipolla
 Film Monthly
 Beast offers such a striking cast of characters, and such an involving, twisting narrative, that it will have you on tenterhooks well before the intense, pitch-perfect climax.
 
 October 23, 2019
 
 Nikki Baughan
 Roll Credits…

 

Plot
In a small island community, a troubled young woman falls for a mysterious outsider who empowers her to escape her oppressive family. When he comes under suspicion for a series of murders, she defends him at all costs.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Jessie Buckley delivers a “disturbing gut punch filled with primal screams and, yes, lots and lots of literal dirt” in her performance as Moll.
 

 
Michael-Pearce.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
The Mirisch Company, Alpha
 
Distributor
Universal Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
Ball Ground, Georgia, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language throughout and some sexuality/nudity
 
Year of Release
2017
 

 
Genre(s)
Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright, Jesse Plemons, Caleb Landry Jones, Jayma Mays, directed by Doug Liman, written by Gary Spinelli, adventure, box office performance, budget, reviewed by David Sims, Katie Walsh, J.R Jones, Rex Reed, Leonard Maltin, Anthony Lane, MPAA rating R, produced by Brian Grazer, Brian Oliver, Doug Davison, Kim Roth, Ray Angelic, Tyler Thompson, Medellin cartel, CIA, Reagan White House, TWA pilot, communism, Central America, reconnaissance, covert operation, Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos, Flat (1.85:1)
 

Cast & Crew

Tom Cruise

Domhnall Gleeson

Sarah Wright

Jesse Plemons

Caleb Landry Jones

Barry Seal

Monty “Schafer”

Lucy Seal

Sheriff Downing

JB

Tom Cruise – Barry Seal
Domhnall Gleeson – Monty “Schafer”
Sarah Wright – Lucy Seal
Jesse Plemons – Sheriff Downing
Caleb Landry Jones – JB
Jayma Mays – Dana Sibota
Director – Doug Liman
Producer – Brian Grazer, Brian Oliver, Doug Davison, Kim Roth, Ray Angelic, Tyler Thompson
Writer – Gary Spinelli

 

Doug Liman

Gary Spinelli

Brian Grazer

Brian Oliver

Doug Davison

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Doug Liman
 
Writer(s)
Gary Spinelli
 
Producer(s)
Brian Grazer, Brian Oliver, Doug Davison, Kim Roth, Ray Angelic, Tyler Thompson

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
3 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

David Sims

Katie Walsh

J. R. Jones

Rex Reed

Leonard Maltin

The Atlantic

Tribune News Service

Chicago Reader

Observer

leonardmaltin.com

AMERICAN MADE
 All Critics (273) | Top Critics (65) | Fresh (233) | Rotten (40)
 But by the time the movie roared to its shockingly grim, remarkably embittered ending, American Made had won me over.
 
 October 13, 2017
 
 David Sims
 The Atlantic
 TOP CRITIC
 It skitters and jumps, shivers and boot-scoots, never, ever sitting still. You could say it’s like “Blow,” on well, blow. But there’s a breezy sunniness to this film, which looks like a faded snapshot reclaimed from an ’80s photo album.
 
 October 7, 2017
 
 Katie Walsh
 Tribune News Service
 TOP CRITIC
 One assumes that Cruise got this film made, yet he’s a terrible fit for the role: he’s always done his best work portraying smart, insightful characters in dramatic stories, but Seal was a yahoo whose sorry escapades are played here for cynical laughs.
 
 October 5, 2017
 
 J. R. Jones
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Without realizing it, American Made is a wincing metaphor for Tom Cruise’s movie career-which, come to think of it, is exclusively and embarrassingly American made, too.
 
 October 2, 2017 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Rex Reed
 Observer
 TOP CRITIC
 American Made gives director Doug Liman and charismatic star Tom Cruise a superior vehicle and plays to their strengths. It’s a solid piece of entertainment that takes a stranger-than-fiction story and brings it to life in convincing fashion.
 
 October 2, 2017
 
 Leonard Maltin
 leonardmaltin.com
 TOP CRITIC
 The impetuous pace of the film is at one with its moral shamelessness, and, without thinking, we sign up for both.
 
 September 29, 2017
 
 Anthony Lane
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 “American Made” is southern-fried Scorsese Lite, a gumbo of decadent deviance masking over a sharp spice of potentially fatal risks.
 
 June 26, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Don Shanahan
 Every Movie Has a Lesson
 Regardless of its exciting story and sharp ending, the film contains almost no lasting consequence and feels more like an adventure than the story of a real-world scandal, rather troublingly so.
 
 March 17, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 [The movie] is phenomenal. … This is brilliant casting … It’s Gleeson’s performance as the institutional representative that sells the film’s recklessly excessive 80s vibe.
 
 October 5, 2021
 
 CJ Sheu
 Review Film Review
 There’s more character work in any episode of Breaking Bad or Narcos than American Made’s entire 115 minute running time but Cruise’s movie does have a sense of humour about itself that makes for an amiable, if not memorable, watch.
 
 March 1, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Richard Crouse
 Richard Crouse
 Despite a strong Tom Cruise performance, the movie is as generic as its title.
 
 November 5, 2020 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Paul McGuire Grimes
 KSTP-TV (St. Paul, MN)
 There was a time when I looked forward to a Tom Cruise motion picture.
 
 September 2, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com…

 

Plot
Barry Seal was just an ordinary pilot who worked for TWA before he was recruited by the CIA in 1978. His work in South America eventually caught the eye of the Medellín Cartel, associated with Pablo Escobar, who needed a man with his skill set. Barry became a drug trafficker, gun smuggler and money launderer. Soon acquiring the title, ‘The gringo that always delivers’.
 
Trivia

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

 
Doug-Liman.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures,
 
Distributor
Bleecker Street Media, Amazon Studios
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Paterson, New Jersey, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some language
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley, Method Man, Chasten Harmon, William Jackson Harper, directed by Jim Jarmusch, written by Jim Jarmusch, comedy, drama, R rating, box office gross $2.1M, reviewed by Candice Frederick, Kate Taylor, Adam Graham, Peter Howell, Scott Marks, Rafer Guzman, Zebib K.A., Brian Eggert, Ruth Maramis, Richard Crouse, Nicole Ackman, bus driver, poet, Paterson, New Jersey, routine, observations, conversations, notebook, dog, beer, bar, wife, Joshua Astrachan, Carter Logan, Bleecker Street Media, Amazon Studios
 

Cast & Crew

Adam Driver

Golshifteh Farahani

Barry Shabaka Henley

Method Man

Chasten Harmon

Paterson

Laura

Doc

Method Man

Marie

Adam Driver – Paterson
Golshifteh Farahani – Laura
Barry Shabaka Henley – Doc
Method Man – Method Man
Chasten Harmon – Marie
William Jackson Harper – Everett

 

Jim Jarmusch

Jim Jarmusch

Joshua Astrachan

Carter Logan

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jim Jarmusch
 
Writer(s)
Jim Jarmusch
 
Producer(s)
Joshua Astrachan, Carter Logan

 

Film Festivals
Cannes, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
10 wins & 43 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Candice Frederick

Kate Taylor

Adam Graham

Peter Howell

Scott Marks

Reel Talk Online

Globe and Mail

Detroit News

Toronto Star

San Diego Reader

PATERSON
 All Critics (264) | Top Critics (69) | Fresh (253) | Rotten (11)
 It’s 2016 and we’re still supposed to be impressed with watching a white guy move through life with quiet, alarmingly minimal, disappointments? No, thank you.
 
 April 1, 2017 | Rating: 1-5 stars
 
 Candice Frederick
 Reel Talk Online
 TOP CRITIC
 As Paterson makes these rounds again and again, Jarmusch unhurriedly crafts a cinematic ode to finding both art and delight in the quotidian.
 
 February 10, 2017 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Kate Taylor
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s not exactly riveting material, and even Jim Jarmusch – the veteran writer-director who traffics in the day-to-day contemplation of human existence – struggles to make “Paterson” pop.
 
 February 10, 2017 | Rating: C
 
 Adam Graham
 Detroit News
 TOP CRITIC
 Jarmusch, who made supernatural vampires seem human in Only Lovers Left Alive, now finds inspiration in the mundane.
 
 February 9, 2017 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Peter Howell
 Toronto Star
 TOP CRITIC
 A filmmaker telling his story in pictures and the limitlessness of control he brings to his art. What more can one ask of cinema?
 
 January 27, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Scott Marks
 San Diego Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Jim Jarmusch’s latest has moments of beauty that help compensate for a slightly static narrative.
 
 January 26, 2017 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Rafer Guzman
 Newsday
 TOP CRITIC
 A lovely, original, naturalistically paced dreamscape, this is a film where a bus driver/poet observes the mundane yet beautiful moments of life.
 
 June 22, 2022
 
 Zebib K.A.
 Spectrum Culture
 Paterson contains an effortless quality that rolls off the screen; the viewer settles into a steady and exquisite demonstration of the filmmaker’s control over his craft and the depth of his artistry.
 
 April 5, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 This is a sweet celebration of life’s small joys and its oddity, and Adam Driver is mesmerizing as a poetic bus driver. Apparently Jarmusch intended Paterson to be an antidote to the modern action film and it’s truly a welcome respite.
 
 August 4, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Ruth Maramis
 FlixChatter Film Blog
 What could have been insufferable turns into a beautifully rendered portrait of people who find beauty and art in every day life.
 
 February 28, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Richard Crouse
 Richard Crouse
 Driver gives a very quiet and soft-spoken, but emotive performance as the titular character.
 
 January 30, 2021 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Nicole Ackman
 Next Best Picture
 It’s not just un-cinematic, it’s also overlong and uneventful.
 
 December 5, 2020 | Rating: 4/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins…

 

Plot
Exactly one week in the life of a young man named Paterson of Paterson, New Jersey is presented. He lives an extremely regimented and routinized life, that routine perhaps most vividly displayed by the fact that he is able to wake up at exactly the same time every day without an alarm. That life includes eating Cheerios for breakfast, walking to work carrying his brown bag lunch packed in his lunch pail by his wife Laura, having a casual chat with his colleague Donny before he begins his shift driving the #23 Paterson bus for the local public transit company, walking home where he straightens out the exterior mailbox which somehow during the day gets knocked crooked, eating dinner with Laura and listening to her goings-on of the day, taking Laura’s English bulldog Marvin – who he would admit to himself he doesn’t much like – out for a walk to his neighborhood bar where he has one and only one beer before walking home with Marvin. There are day to day variations which are often the result of how certain other routines associated to him manifest themselves, such as what drama will occur in the relationship of Marie and Everett who are always at the bar together despite her always saying that they are no longer together, or in what form Laura’s unique and distinctive design sense will affect Paterson’s life directly or indirectly. Paterson’s keen observances of what happens around him are largely the bases for the poems he writes, he constantly thinking of these and writing them in his secret notebook whenever he has a spare moment during his day. He is influenced by among others Paterson natives such as William Carlos Williams and his epic poem “Paterson”. Paterson’s writing are largely for himself, although Laura would like him to share more with her and the rest of the world. Something that happens to Paterson this week has the potential to knock his routinized world into a tailspin.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features a standout performance from Adam Driver.
 

 
Jim-Jarmusch.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox, Brandywine Productions, Pinewood Studios,
 
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, language and some suggestive references
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo, Russell Hornsby, Mykelti Williamson, directed by Denzel Washington, written by August Wilson, drama, PG-13, Pulitzer Prize-winning, box office gross $57.6M, reviewed by Anne Thompson, Kristen Lopez, Candice Frederick, Donald Clarke, Wendy Ide, Brian Eggert, James Luxford, Hosea Rupprecht, Matt Brunson, Olly Richards, Leo Brady, family drama, 1950s Pittsburgh, African-American, professional baseball player, college football recruiter, sanitation worker, bitter, missed opportunity, tension, powerful, solidly crafted, unchanged, extraordinary, remarkable, searing, emotional, nuanced, powerful performances, authentic portrayal, subdued work, outstanding performances, fascinating, sympathetic, long-form, unabridged, richly written, Pulitzer Prize-winner, universal truths, meticulously crafted, poetic, spot-on performances, narrative, emotional wallop, powerful moments, limited setting, faithful adaptation, ensemble piece, powerful, extraordinary, fascinating, authentic portrayal, nuanced, subdued work, outstanding performances, powerful moments, limited setting, faithful adaptation, ensemble piece
 

Cast & Crew

Denzel Washington

Viola Davis

Stephen Henderson

Jovan Adepo

Russell Hornsby

Troy Maxson

Rose Maxson

Jim Bono

Cory

Lyons

Denzel Washington – Troy Maxson
Viola Davis – Rose Maxson
Stephen Henderson – Jim Bono
Jovan Adepo – Cory
Russell Hornsby – Lyons
Mykelti Williamson – Gabriel

 

Denzel Washington

August Wilson

Scott Rudin

Denzel Washington

Todd Black

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Denzel Washington
 
Writer(s)
August Wilson
 
Producer(s)
Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington, Todd Black

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
59 wins & 121 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Anne Thompson

Kristen Lopez

Candice Frederick

Donald Clarke

Ryan Gilbey

indieWire

Culturess

Reel Talk Online

Irish Times

New Statesman

FENCES
 All Critics (272) | Top Critics (72) | Fresh (250) | Rotten (22)
 Davis went big…debuting film actor Jovan Adepo shines…
 
 March 31, 2020
 
 Anne Thompson
 indieWire
 TOP CRITIC
 Fences is one of the most prescient movies out now.
 
 November 20, 2017
 
 Kristen Lopez
 Culturess
 TOP CRITIC
 The performances by each of its six main characters… combined with Washington’s gripping direction (inciting a mix of terror, madness, and pity), FENCES is simply extraordinary. It is not to be missed.
 
 March 22, 2017 | Rating: A+
 
 Candice Frederick
 Reel Talk Online
 TOP CRITIC
 Denzel swells with dangerous charisma. Viola works high emotion from every one of her many lines. They are so good they almost convince us we’re watching a movie.
 
 February 17, 2017 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Donald Clarke
 Irish Times
 TOP CRITIC
 There is a powerful drama here about the legacy of racism but Washington doesn’t know how to liberate it from the stage.
 
 February 16, 2017
 
 Ryan Gilbey
 New Statesman
 TOP CRITIC
 The symbolism is heavy handed. It’s like being repeatedly clobbered by Troy’s prized baseball bat: Rose takes a phone call that delivers bad news; a lightning flash illuminates the crucifix on her wall.
 
 February 12, 2017 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Wendy Ide
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s impossible to watch and not be moved.
 
 April 5, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 Washington grandstands, showing every facet of a man consumed by the shadow of his past, but unable to keep himself from repeating history… the strength of the performance delivers a more rounded character than you might expect.
 
 February 21, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 James Luxford
 City AM
 Denzel Washington and Viola Davis embody their characters exquisitely in the play-turned movie
 
 August 26, 2021
 
 Hosea Rupprecht
 Pauline Center for Media Studies
 Denzel Washington and Viola Davis are nothing short of remarkable.
 
 August 17, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 A tough stage adaptation which soars upon Denzel Washington and Viola Davis’ performances.
 
 April 23, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Olly Richards
 NME
 Fences is about as good as it gets though, with two of the best acting performances of the year, and a lot of material to chew on long after the final scene.
 
 February 7, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Leo Brady
 AMovieGuy.com…

 

Plot
Troy Maxson makes his living as a sanitation worker in 1950s Pittsburgh. Maxson once dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, but was deemed too old when the major leagues began admitting black athletes. Bitter over his missed opportunity, Troy creates further tension in his family when he squashes his son’s chance to meet a college football recruiter.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises the outstanding performances of Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in Fences, calling them “extraordinary” and “nothing short of remarkable.”
 

 
Denzel-Washington.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros., Malpaso Productions,
 
Distributor
A24
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Portland, Oregon, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong brutal graphic violence, gory images, language and some drug content
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Horror
 
Keyword(s)
starring Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Imogen Poots, Joe Cole, Callum Turner, Mark Webber, directed by Jeremy Saulnier, written by Jeremy Saulnier, horror, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Nigel Andrews, Sara Michelle Fetters, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Mark Kermode, David Stratton, Owen Gleiberman, Petr Knava, Brian Eggert, Lauren Bradshaw, Matt Brunson, Michael J Casey, Dan Stubbs, produced by Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, Victor Moyers, R rating, punk-rock band, white supremacists, Oregon roadhouse, gory images, some drug content, strong brutal graphic violence
 

Cast & Crew

Anton Yelchin

Imogen Poots

Alia Shawkat

Joe Cole

Callum Turner

Pat

Amber

Sam

Reece

Tiger

Anton Yelchin – Pat
Imogen Poots – Amber
Alia Shawkat – Sam
Joe Cole – Reece
Callum Turner – Tiger
Mark Webber – Daniel
Director – Jeremy Saulnier
Producers – Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, Victor Moyers
Writer – Jeremy Saulnier

 

Jeremy Saulnier

Jeremy Saulnier

Neil Kopp

Anish Savjani

Victor Moyers

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jeremy Saulnier
 
Writer(s)
Jeremy Saulnier
 
Producer(s)
Neil Kopp, Anish Savjani, Victor Moyers

 

Film Festivals
Sundance, Cannes, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
8 wins & 25 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Nigel Andrews

Sara Michelle Fetters

Charlotte O’Sullivan

Mark Kermode

David Stratton

Financial Times

MovieFreak.com

London Evening Standard

Observer (UK)

The Australian

GREEN ROOM
 All Critics (247) | Top Critics (64) | Fresh (223) | Rotten (24)
 For a mess, it’s lively. But from Saulnier we’d have liked something more.
 
 December 27, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Nigel Andrews
 Financial Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Its go-for-broke horror aesthetic a real world cavalcade of terror that had me noticeably shaking long after the film itself had come to an end.
 
 August 11, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Sara Michelle Fetters
 MovieFreak.com
 TOP CRITIC
 How can you resist a film that, metaphorically, throws Simon & Garfunkel, Fugazi and Slayer into the same moshpit?
 
 May 15, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Charlotte O’Sullivan
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 Smartly cast, Stewart brings an almost Shakespearean edge to the drama, delivering lines such as “all is for nought” in the manner of a theatrical king surveying the devastation of a five-act tragedy.
 
 May 15, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Kermode
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Saulnier’s undoubted skills as a director just about outweigh his fondness for gore.
 
 May 13, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 David Stratton
 The Australian
 TOP CRITIC
 [A] dourly aggressive, in-your-face thriller.
 
 May 12, 2016 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Owen Gleiberman
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Green Room has sensitivity and empathy to spare, but it’s also hard and unforgiving as steel, because it knows that’s the way the world is.
 
 June 16, 2022
 
 Petr Knava
 Pajiba
 An intelligent, well-made, and relentless thriller.
 
 April 15, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 Jeremy Saulnier’s new film Green Room is a triumph in edge of your seat thrills and nail-biting suspense.
 
 November 5, 2021 | Rating: B+
 
 Lauren Bradshaw
 Fangirl Freakout
 Short on depth but long on visceral thrills, it’s Old Testament moviemaking, with the adage about an eye for an eye expanding to also include arms, legs, torsos and, once killer dogs are introduced, even jugulars.
 
 August 18, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 Not even the whimper of a wounded dog can humanize some characters, no matter how cheap the sentiment might be.
 
 July 28, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
 Michael J. Casey
 Michael J. Cinema
 Wound tighter than a top E string, Green Room is not just a great twist on the gory survival thriller – it’s a great gory survival thriller full stop.
 
 June 8, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Dan Stubbs
 NME…

 

Plot
A band straying into a secluded part of the Pacific Northwest stumbles onto a horrific act of violence. Because they are the only witnesses, they become the targets of a terrifying gang of skinheads who want to make sure all the evidence is eliminated.
 
Trivia

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

 
Jeremy-Saulnier.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures,
 
Distributor
20th Century Fox
 
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for martial arts action and some mild rude humor
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
Kung Fu Panda 3, Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, J.K Simmons, Jackie Chan, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Alessandro Carloni, Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Melissa Cobb, Comedy, Adventure, PG, Box Office, Budget, Reviewed by Sara Michelle Fetters, Roxana Hadadi, Geoffrey Macnab, Philippa Hawker, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Mark Kermode, Brian Eggert, Don Shanahan, Richard Crouse, Mike Massie, Richard Propes, Animated, Martial Arts, Family, Sequel, Chi, Pandas, Kung Fu, Evil Warlord, Spirit World, Visual Splendor, Nimble Narrative, Fun for the Whole Family, Po, Tigress, Monkey, Shifu, Li, Kai, Martial Arts Action, Some Mild Rude Humor, 20th Century Fox
 

Cast & Crew

Jack Black

Bryan Cranston

Dustin Hoffman

Angelina Jolie

J.K. Simmons

Po

Li

Shifu

Tigress

Kai

Jack Black – Po (Voice)
Bryan Cranston – Li (Voice)
Dustin Hoffman – Shifu (Voice)
Angelina Jolie – Tigress (Voice)
J.K. Simmons – Kai (Voice)
Jackie Chan – Monkey (Voice)

 

Jennifer Yuh Nelson

Jonathan Aibel

Melissa Cobb

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jennifer Yuh Nelson, Alessandro Carloni
 
Writer(s)
Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger
 
Producer(s)
Melissa Cobb

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 10 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Sara Michelle Fetters

Roxana Hadadi

Geoffrey Macnab

Philippa Hawker

Charlotte O’Sullivan

MovieFreak.com

Chesapeake Family Magazine

Independent (UK)

The Age (Australia)

London Evening Standard

KUNG FU PANDA 3
 All Critics (179) | Top Critics (53) | Fresh (154) | Rotten (25)
 Kung Fu Panda 3 concludes on a definite high note, filled with eye-popping animated set pieces as well as thrilling story beats that I was perfectly entertained by.
 
 August 16, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Sara Michelle Fetters
 MovieFreak.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Kung Fu Panda 3 revisits the same themes as its predecessors … But that familiarity doesn’t lessen the film’s emotional impact and solid laughs.
 
 August 2, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Roxana Hadadi
 Chesapeake Family Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 It may serve up exactly the same mix of mayhem, noodles and dumplings as the first two films in the series, but Kung Fu Panda 3 is still energetic and wildly entertaining fare.
 
 April 1, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Geoffrey Macnab
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 There is plenty in Kung Fu Panda 3 that echoes the first film and the sequel, but it’s not tired recycling. Instead, the movie deftly reinforces and extends what has gone before.
 
 March 24, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Philippa Hawker
 The Age (Australia)
 TOP CRITIC
 The film is simultaneously sweet, simple and savvy.
 
 March 14, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Charlotte O’Sullivan
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s amiable, colourful fare, buoyed up by occasional moments of beauty, most of them in the dazzling background designs – both worldly and otherworldly.
 
 March 13, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Mark Kermode
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Overall, the animation arguably achieves the best looking of the three movies; however, Kung Fu Panda 3 is also the most inconsistently stylized.
 
 April 22, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 Its nimble combination of clever humor and endearing heart is undeniable. This is a cant-miss crowd pleaser that pulses with energy in all the right places.
 
 February 12, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Don Shanahan
 Every Movie Has a Lesson
 The rare sequel that holds up to the original. It’s respectful to the story but more importantly it’s respectful to the audiences who have grown to love these characters.
 
 February 3, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Richard Crouse
 Richard Crouse
 Visually, everything continues to advance in sharpness and movement and flashiness.
 
 December 5, 2020 | Rating: 4/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 We’ve become part of the Valley of Peace and the world of Po and his friends and mentors.
 
 September 13, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com
 Perhaps a simple, good-hearted story with plenty of color, comedy, and action is all that people need. And if that’s the case, Kung Fu Panda 3 does what it needs to.
 
 July 13, 2020 | Rating: B-
 
 Allen Almachar
 The MacGuffin…

 

Plot
When Po’s long-lost panda father suddenly reappears, the reunited duo travels to a secret panda paradise to meet scores of hilarious new panda characters. But when the supernatural villain Kai begins to sweep across China defeating all the kung fu masters, Po must do the impossible-learn to train a village full of his fun-loving, clumsy brethren to become the ultimate band of Kung Fu Pandas.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels review for Kung Fu Panda 3.
 

 
Jennifer-Yuh-Nelson.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox,
 
Distributor
20th Century Fox
 
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong frontier combat and violence including gory images, a sexual assault, language and brief nudity
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Adventure/Western
 
Keyword(s)
starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter, Forrest Goodluck, Paul Anderson, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, written by Mark L Smith, Adventure, Western, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Judy Berman, Candice Frederick, Sara Michelle Fetters, Max Weiss, Jason Bailey, Nicholas Barber, MPAA rating R, produced by Arnon Milchan, Steve Golin, Mary Parent, Keith Redmon, James W Skotchdopole, survival, revenge, wilderness, bear attack, fur trapper, snowy terrain, betrayal, vengeance, frontier combat, Dolby Atmos, SDDS, Dolby Digital, Datasat, Scope (2.35:1)
 

Cast & Crew

Leonardo DiCaprio

Tom Hardy

Domhnall Gleeson

Will Poulter

Forrest Goodluck

Hugh Glass

John Fitzgerald

Captain Andrew Henry

Bridger

Hawk

Leonardo DiCaprio – Hugh Glass
Tom Hardy – John Fitzgerald
Domhnall Gleeson – Captain Andrew Henry
Will Poulter – Bridger
Forrest Goodluck – Hawk
Paul Anderson – Anderson

 

NA

Mark L. Smith

Arnon Milchan

Steve Golin

Mary Parent

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
NA
 
Writer(s)
Mark L. Smith
 
Producer(s)
Arnon Milchan, Steve Golin, Mary Parent, Keith Redmon, James W. Skotchdopole

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 3 Oscars
92 wins & 188 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Cinematography Winners, Oscar Best Achievement in Directing Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Judy Berman

Candice Frederick

Sara Michelle Fetters

Max Weiss

Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

Reel Talk Online

MovieFreak.com

Baltimore Magazine

BBC.com

THE REVENANT
 All Critics (402) | Top Critics (79) | Fresh (313) | Rotten (89)
 Ultimately, The Revenant suggests no deeper or more nuanced truths than a medieval morality play.
 
 September 21, 2017
 
 Judy Berman
 Flavorwire
 TOP CRITIC
 Iñárritu continues move away from his earlier work, which I still prefer, to bring a more Hollywood-digestible tale like this one that blends themes of spirituality, primal instinct and humanity.
 
 September 1, 2017 | Rating: A
 
 Candice Frederick
 Reel Talk Online
 TOP CRITIC
 As a feat of filmmaking chutzpah, it’s one of 2015’s most intriguing offerings.
 
 August 16, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Sara Michelle Fetters
 MovieFreak.com
 TOP CRITIC
 [A] grueling but engrossing tale of survival and revenge in the American frontier.
 
 June 12, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Max Weiss
 Baltimore Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Making ‘The Revenant’ was an ordeal, you see, in which people froze and suffered and came to blows, and they’d like to pass the ordeal on to you, the viewer.
 
 April 27, 2016
 
 Jason Bailey
 Flavorwire
 TOP CRITIC
 As it is, you’re bound to be impressed by what the actors went through, but you won’t be so bothered about the characters they play.
 
 February 23, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nicholas Barber
 BBC.com
 TOP CRITIC
 While the camerawork is worth seeing, it isn’t necessarily enough to overcome the laborious aspects of watching this film.
 
 June 30, 2022 | Rating: 6/10
 
 Cody Dericks
 Next Best Picture
 The Revenant may seem narratively simple, but its treatment is a wonder.
 
 April 23, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 DiCaprio is dynamite.
 
 June 8, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Olly Richards
 NME
 Visually gorgeous with superb acting. Shooting on location engrosses viewers into this environment.
 
 May 22, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Rosa Parra
 Latinx Lens
 The “extremism” and historical exoticism of The Revenant … are substitutes for confronting the basic facts of modern life.
 
 February 26, 2021
 
 Joanne Laurier
 World Socialist Web Site
 The Revenant is a series of conventions writ large, like a 90s Mel Gibson thriller projected on a mountainside. Such a flimsy underpinning for such aesthetic grandeur can only collapse quickly.
 
 January 7, 2021
 
 David Bax
 Battleship Pretension…

 

Plot
While exploring uncharted wilderness in 1823, legendary frontiersman Hugh Glass sustains injuries from a brutal bear attack. When his hunting team leaves him for dead, Glass must utilize his survival skills to find a way back home while avoiding natives on their own hunt. Grief-stricken and fueled by vengeance, Glass treks through the wintry terrain to track down John Fitzgerald, the former confidant who betrayed and abandoned him.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The Revenant features a committed performance from Leonardo DiCaprio as fuel for an absorbing drama that offers punishing challenges and rich rewards.
 

 
NA.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Sony Pictures, Classics Radical Media, Sen Art Films,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
 
Year of Release
2016
 

 
Genre(s)
Fantasy/Drama/Anime
 
Keyword(s)
starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Aiko Nagayama, Masaya Takahashi, Masakane Yonekura, Katsuyuki Itô, Shigako Shimegi, directed by Eiichi Yamamoto, written by Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Eiichi Yamamoto, Fantasy, Drama, Anime, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Violet Lucca, John DeFore, David Ehrlich, Soren Andersen, Charles Solomon, Josh Kupecki, Guillem Martinez Oya, Panos Kotzathanasis, Emilie Black, Tim Brayton, Michael J Casey, produced by x, MPAA rating, magical powers, peasant woman, deal with the devil, temptation, tragedy, innocence lost, evil triumphant, counterculture animation, LSD-influenced, watercolor animation, Freudian fever dream, psychedelic imagery, pornography, Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew
 

Cast & Crew

Tatsuya Nakadai

Aiko Nagayama

Masaya Takahashi

Masakane Yonekura

Katsuyuki Itô

Devil

Jeanne

Belladonna

The Lord

The Priest

Tatsuya Nakadai – Devil (Voice)
Aiko Nagayama – Jeanne, Belladonna (Voice)
Masaya Takahashi – The Lord (Voice)
Masakane Yonekura – The Priest (Voice)
Katsuyuki Itô – Jean (Voice)
Shigako Shimegi – The Lord’s Mistress (Voice)

 

Eiichi Yamamoto

Yoshiyuki Fukuda

NA

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Eiichi Yamamoto
 
Writer(s)
Yoshiyuki Fukuda, Eiichi Yamamoto
 
Producer(s)
NA

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
2 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Violet Lucca

John DeFore

David Ehrlich

Soren Andersen

Charles Solomon

Film Comment Magazine

Hollywood Reporter

indieWire

Seattle Times

Los Angeles Times

BELLADONNA OF SADNESS
 All Critics (41) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (4)
 Carefully constructed and a little sloppy, alluring and disturbing, this gem deserves a trigger warning, but also a chance.
 
 March 1, 2018
 
 Violet Lucca
 Film Comment Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 The artwork is achingly delicate, but there’s nothing subtle about Belladonna of Sadness.
 
 March 1, 2018
 
 John DeFore
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 Still, there’s an undeniable genius at work here, strong enough to survive the psychedelic sleaze that’s been baked into every frame.
 
 March 1, 2018 | Rating: B+
 
 David Ehrlich
 indieWire
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a classic tale of temptation and tragedy, of innocence lost and evil triumphant.
 
 June 23, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Soren Andersen
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The paintings simply aren’t strong enough to hold the audience’s attention and carry the story.
 
 May 13, 2016
 
 Charles Solomon
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 For those up for an adventure into the LSD-influenced world of counterculture animation, Belladonna of Sadness is a curious artifact that, after 43 years, remains a glorious mind****.
 
 May 12, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Josh Kupecki
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 A museum’s picture in movement. A stimulant revisit to the legend Joan of Arc. About womanhood empowerment [Full review in Spanish]
 
 May 16, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Guillem Martinez Oya
 Cinematismo
 Belladonna of Sadness is a landmark in the history of animation, both Japanese and international, and both due to its style and its radical content,
 
 July 26, 2020
 
 Panos Kotzathanasis
 easternKicks.com
 It’s a story worth at least one watch even if these aspects are not for you as the trippy watercolor animation should keep anyone’s attention.
 
 April 19, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Emilie Black
 Cinema Crazed
 It hits hard, and it keeps hitting, and even the moments that are narratively light are still heavy with the foggy dream-like quality of the artwork.
 
 April 10, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tim Brayton
 Alternate Ending
 Eichii Yamamoto artfully implements the human drama of the story amidst the visual phantasmagoria, preventing the anime from becoming just a collage of images.
 
 December 1, 2019
 
 Panos Kotzathanasis
 Asian Movie Pulse
 Belladonna is a Freudian fever dream, replete with psychedelic imagery, pornography and a score resembling Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew.
 
 August 3, 2019
 
 Michael J. Casey
 Boulder Weekly…

 

Plot
A peasant woman is banished from her village and makes a deal with the devil to gain magical powers in the anime fantasy/drama film, Belladonna of Sadness.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no specific goofy or funny comment about the film Belladonna of Sadness on Fresh Kernels, but one of the cast members is Tatsuya Nakadai, who voices the Devil in the film.
 

 
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