Production Company(ies)
20th Century Studios, 21 Laps Entertainment, Berlanti Schechter Films, Berlanti-Schechter Films, Madhouse Entertainment (DEFUNCT), Maximum Effort Productions, Merman
 
Distributor

 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Wide)
 
Filming Location(s)
Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Boston, Massachusetts, United States
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG-13
 
Year of Release
2021
 

 
Genre(s)
Action/Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Taika Waititi, directed by Shawn Levy, written by Matt Lieberman, Zak Penn, action, adventure, comedy, PG-13, box office, budget, reviewed by Matthew Monagle, Jake Wilson, tt stern-enzi, Wenlei Ma, Mark Feeney, Sara Michelle Fetters, Wesley Lovell, M.N Miller, Zoë Rose Bryant, Keith Garlington, Daniel Howat, Scott Campbell, produced by Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, Sarah Schechter, Greg Berlanti, Adam Kolbrenner
 

Cast & Crew

Ryan Reynolds

Jodie Comer

Joe Keery

Lil Rel Howery

Utkarsh Ambudkar

Guy

Millie

Molotov Girl

Keys

Buddy

Ryan Reynolds – Guy
Jodie Comer – Millie, Molotov Girl
Joe Keery – Keys
Lil Rel Howery – Buddy
Utkarsh Ambudkar – Mouser
Taika Waititi – Antoine

Shawn Levy – Director
Ryan Reynolds – Producer
Sarah Schechter – Producer
Greg Berlanti – Producer
Adam Kolbrenner – Producer
Matt Lieberman – Writer
Zak Penn – Writer

 

Shawn Levy

Matt Lieberman

Ryan Reynolds

Shawn Levy

Sarah Schechter

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Shawn Levy
 
Writer(s)
Matt Lieberman, Zak Penn
 
Producer(s)
Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, Sarah Schechter, Greg Berlanti, Adam Kolbrenner

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Matthew Monagle

Jake Wilson

tt stern-enzi

Wenlei Ma

Mark Feeney

Austin Chronicle

The Age

WXIX-TV

News.com.au

Boston Globe

FREE GUY
 All Critics (294) | Top Critics (53) | Fresh (236) | Rotten (58)
 This is no Ernest Cline novel; our emotional connection to the world and its characters goes far beyond the level of pop culture references.
 
 October 15, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Matthew Monagle
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Free Guy is a very knowing movie, but part of its knowingness is its pop lightness — even its blandness, if that can be seen as a virtue.
 
 September 30, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Jake Wilson
 The Age (Australia)
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s Ryan Reynold’s show, and he really gives you everything.
 
 August 27, 2021
 
 tt stern-enzi
 WXIX-TV (Cincinnati, OH)
 TOP CRITIC
 Free Guy is a big old mess. It’s a movie that’s more parts than the sum of its parts.
 
 August 21, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
 Wenlei Ma
 News.com.au
 TOP CRITIC
 Reynolds is his usual two steps away from absolute insincerity. Where in other movies that can be maddening, here it lends a nice lift to his line readings.
 
 August 19, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Mark Feeney
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 While I’m no gamer, this is one breezily intoxicating expedition into the unknown I wish I could pick up a controller and play for myself, and that’s a compliment.
 
 August 17, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Sara Michelle Fetters
 MovieFreak.com
 TOP CRITIC
 Further, the concept of idea theft and intellectual property is given a satisfyingly thorough exploration.
 
 November 23, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Wesley Lovell
 Cinema Sight
 Free Guy is a creative burst of fresh air.
 
 October 9, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 M.N. Miller
 Ready Steady Cut
 Free Guy is one of the most creative and crowd-pleasing summer spectacles in recent memory, full of clever comedy and subversive action setpieces that will leave every viewer satisfied.
 
 September 1, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Zoë Rose Bryant
 Loud and Clear Reviews
 While it has an undeniably bright and cheery exterior, underneath is little more than a fairly standard and borderline exhausting blockbuster.
 
 August 17, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
 Keith Garlington
 Keith & the Movies
 Free Guy is a total blast from start to finish. With creative world-building, it manages to create one of the best video game movies yet.
 
 May 18, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Daniel Howat
 Next Best Picture
 Packed with wit, humor, action and plenty of heart, Free Guy might just be the best video game movie to ever come out of Hollywood.
 
 March 28, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Scott Campbell
 We Got This Covered…

 

Plot
In “Free Guy,” a bank teller discovers he is a background player in an open-world video game and decides to become the hero of his own story.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Keys tells Millie that there is no button for kissing. However, the second time Guy and Millie kiss, it’s Millie, not Guy, who performs the action first.
 

 
Shawn-Levy.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
FX Sound Industrias Audiovisuales Argentinas S.A.J.Z. & Asociados
 
Distributor
Kino Lorber
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Iran
 
MPAA / Certificate

 
Year of Release
2021
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Drama, Persian, Mohammad Rasoulof, Kaveh Farnam, Farzad Pak, Baran Rasoulof, Darya Moghbeli, Mahtab Servati, Shahi Jila, Kaveh Ahangar, Shaghayegh Shoorian, reviewed by Wendy Ide, Marina Ashioti, Peter Bradshaw, Ben Kenigsberg, Robert Abele, Godfrey Cheshire, Brian Eggert, Akhil Arora, Tom Shone, Christopher Machell, Rob Aldam, MPAA rating, box office gross, limited release, streaming release, moral tales, death penalty, resistance, responsibility, love, humanity, suspenseful, mysterious, urgent, Dolby Digital, Scope, produced by Mohammad Rasoulof, written by Mohammad Rasoulof, starring Baran Rasoulof, Darya Moghbeli, Mahtab Servati, Shahi Jila, Kaveh Ahangar, Shaghayegh Shoorian, Kino Lorber, Iranian cinema, state violence, individual, compliance, resistance, courage, act of courage, humanist statement, effects of state violence, inhumane orders, despots, responsibility, moral responsibility, duality of love, inner humanity, protagonists, smuggled out of Iran, anthology film, thought-provoking, troubling questions, man’s responsibility to man
 

Cast & Crew

Baran Rasoulof

Darya Moghbeli

Mahtab Servati

Shahi Jila

Kaveh Ahangar

Baran Rasoulof

Darya Moghbeli

Mahtab Servati

Shahi Jila

Kaveh Ahangar

Baran Rasoulof – Darya
Darya Moghbeli – Tahmineh
Mahtab Servati – Nana
Shahi Jila – Zaman
Kaveh Ahangar – Pouya
Shaghayegh Shoorian – Razieh
Mohammad Rasoulof – Director, Writer
Kaveh Farnam – Producer
Farzad Pak – Producer
Dolby Digital – Sound Mix
Scope (2.35:1) – Aspect Ratio
Kino Lorber – Distributor

 

Mohammad Rasoulof

Mohammad Rasoulof

Kaveh Farnam

Farzad Pak

Mohammad Rasoulof

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Mohammad Rasoulof
 
Writer(s)
Mohammad Rasoulof
 
Producer(s)
Kaveh Farnam, Farzad Pak, Mohammad Rasoulof

 

Film Festivals
Berlin, Telluride
 
Awards & Nominations
16 wins & 10 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Wendy Ide

Marina Ashioti

Peter Bradshaw

Ben Kenigsberg

Robert Abele

Observer

Little White Lies

Guardian

New York Times

Los Angeles Times

THERE IS NO EVIL
 All Critics (51) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (1)
 Bleakly matter-of-fact in approach, the film has a devastating cumulative power that grows with each story.
 
 December 5, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Wendy Ide
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The film’s political importance is explored with a sincerity that outweighs it shortcomings.
 
 December 2, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Marina Ashioti
 Little White Lies
 TOP CRITIC
 There is great technique in the storytelling, and Rasoulof’s outrage and nausea at the state-sanctioned murder gives the film passion.
 
 November 30, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 To make a movie that ponders the moral rot of an unjust system while under the gun of that unjust system is courageous and artistically potent.
 
 May 17, 2021
 
 Ben Kenigsberg
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 [W]hen juxtaposed against a history of Iranian cinema that has often relied on child-centric allegory and non-specific narrative to make its societal critiques, [it] practically blisters with the intensity of specifically living in Iran… now
 
 May 15, 2021
 
 Robert Abele
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 A powerful work of moral courage and urgency.
 
 May 14, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Godfrey Cheshire
 RogerEbert.com
 TOP CRITIC
 The film is not only a humanist statement but an act of courage.
 
 February 12, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 [Mohammad] Rasoulof shows how their “work” eats away at them – and what it says about the inescapable world they find themselves in.
 
 December 29, 2021
 
 Akhil Arora
 Gadgets360
 Eloquent, intriguing storytelling.
 
 December 5, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Tom Shone
 Sunday Times (UK)
 There Is No Evil is a deeply felt study of the effects of state violence on the individual. While the cost of resistance is high, the price of compliance may well be greater.
 
 December 2, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Christopher Machell
 CineVue
 There is No Evil is assuredly acted and beautifully shot. Showing several sides to the same issue.
 
 November 29, 2021
 
 Rob Aldam
 Backseat Mafia
 I haven’t seen a better new release thus far this year.
 
 August 28, 2021 | Rating: 10/10
 
 Michael Barrett
 PopMatters…

 

Plot
“There Is No Evil” is an anthology film that explores the moral dilemmas faced by four men in Iran who must choose between enforcing the death penalty or resisting and risking everything.
 
Trivia

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

 
Mohammad-Rasoulof.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
The Mirisch Corporation,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Hulu)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
TV-MA
 
Year of Release
2021
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Kuhoo Verma, Victoria Moroles, Josh Ruben, Mason Cook, Michael Provost, Bobby Tisdale, directed by Natalie Morales, written by Joshua Levy, Prathiksha Srinivasan, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya, Stephanie Zacharek, Jake Coyle, Kate Erbland, Brian Lowry, Adam Graham, Pete Volk, Brian Eggert, Witney Seibold, Audrey Fox, Rosa Parra, produced by Ryan Bennett, Jeremy Garelick, Josh Heald, Dina Hillier, Jon Hurwitz, Mickey Liddell, Matt Lottman, Will Phelps, Hayden Schlossberg, Pete Shilaimon, MPAA rating, Plan B pill, South Dakota, regrettable sexual encounter, straight-laced student, best friend, 24 hours, chemistry, friendship, self-acceptance, familial relationship, coming-of-age, road trip, female reproductive rights, contemporary manner, funny, moving, witty screenplay, talented young cast, raucous adventure, tremendous energy, massive heart
 

Cast & Crew

Kuhoo Verma

Sunny

Victoria Moroles

Lupe

Josh Ruben

Sunny

Lupe

Philip

Kyle

Hunter

Kuhoo Verma – Sunny
Victoria Moroles – Lupe
Josh Ruben – Philip
Mason Cook – Kyle
Michael Provost – Hunter
Bobby Tisdale – Bill

 

Natalie Morales

Joshua Levy

Ryan Bennett

Jeremy Garelick

Josh Heald

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Natalie Morales
 
Writer(s)
Joshua Levy, Prathiksha Srinivasan
 
Producer(s)
Ryan Bennett, Jeremy Garelick, Josh Heald, Dina Hillier, Jon Hurwitz, Mickey Liddell, Matt Lottman, Will Phelps, Hayden Schlossberg, Pete Shilaimon

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 2 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya

Stephanie Zacharek

Jake Coyle

Kate Erbland

Brian Lowry

Autostraddle

TIME Magazine

Associated Press

indieWire

CNN.com

PLAN B
  All Critics (53) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (51) | Rotten (2)
  Fans of Booksmart, Blockers, and Unpregnant will find much to like here. But while the movie touches each of those films in some way, it also crafts a voice and narrative of its own.
 
  June 18, 2021
 
  Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya
  Autostraddle
  TOP CRITIC
  For all the ways in which Plan B is sometimes thunderously obvious, there’s still a lot going on beneath the surface.
 
  June 1, 2021
 
  Stephanie Zacharek
  TIME Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  Pointed as the message of “Plan B” is, nothing supersedes just letting these two characters – traditionally bit players at best in high-school comedies – be themselves.
 
  June 1, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
  Jake Coyle
  Associated Press
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s inevitable that something will happen to force Sunny and Lupe into a knock-down-drag-out fight, but “Plan B” tackles that necessary beat with rare honesty and real laughs.
 
  June 1, 2021 | Rating: B
 
  Kate Erbland
  indieWire
  TOP CRITIC
  Directed by actor Natalie Morales, the edgy nature of the material shouldn’t overshadow the stellar performances and timely window into efforts to curb women’s reproductive rights.
 
  June 1, 2021
 
  Brian Lowry
  CNN.com
  TOP CRITIC
  The destination is familiar, but the ride manages to have its moments.
 
  May 29, 2021 | Rating: B-
 
  Adam Graham
  Detroit News
  TOP CRITIC
  Plan B works because it is able to organize a fun genre romp around a narrative structure that directly reflects the consequences of how we treat reproductive rights in this country. It’s a delicate balance, but one that works.
 
 
  June 24, 2022
 
  Pete Volk
  Polygon
  Plan B shows us that the war over women’s reproductive rights doesn’t have a single, sweeping battlefield. It’s a cold war in which one group gradually takes away women’s agency and limits the decisions they can make about their bodies.
 
  February 12, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
 
  Brian Eggert
  Deep Focus Review
  The “Pair of teen girls go on a road trip to obtain an abortion or birth control” is now a subgenre unto itself, so we must rely on the wit of the screenplay and the charm of the leads to get us by. Luckily, both are great here.
 
  September 17, 2021
 
  Witney Seibold
  Critically Acclaimed Podcast
  With honest, empathetic storytelling and endearing performances from a talented young cast, Plan B is a raucous coming-of-age road trip adventure that has tremendous energy and a massive heart.
 
  August 21, 2021
 
  Audrey Fox
  We Live Entertainment
  An authentic representation of being a young woman in this society. It advocates for female reproductive rights in a contemporary manner. It’s funny, moving, and highlights various themes like friendship, self-acceptance, and familial relationship.
 
  July 24, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
  Rosa Parra
  Latinx Lens
  The characters are complex, the story engaging, and the trip is like the road trip from hell sans stalky serial killer.
 
  July 2, 2021
 
  DarkSkyLady
  Pay or Wait…

 

Plot
After a regrettable sexual encounter, two best friends have 24 hours to find a Plan B pill in South Dakota in this comedy directed by Natalie Morales.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
One of the cast members of Plan B is Bobby Tisdale, who plays the character Bill.
 

 
Natalie-Morales.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Twentieth Century Fox,
 
Distributor
MTV Documentary Films
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2021
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, China, consumerism, economic inequality, Chinese Dream, Jessica Kingdon, directed by Jessica Kingdon, produced by Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nathan Truesdell, executive produced by David Dolby, Natasha Dolby, reviewed by Peter Debruge, Tim Robey, Danny Leigh, Cath Clarke, Michael O’Sullivan, Josh Kupecki, Josh Parham, Sean P Means, Tim Brayton, Phil Guie, Therese Lacson, Kelly Vance, genre, box office performance, budget, producer names, MPAA rating, wealth, progress, modern China, observation, news, insights, revelations, westerners, dogmatic thesis, humanly interested, open-ended, documentary, surreal, static camera, long takes, Dan Deacon, score, mosaic portrait, socioeconomic structure, narration-less movie, featured audience reviews, MCU movies, horror movies, Netflix series, TV shows, streaming movies, theaters, subscription, rent/buy, Tomatometer, audience score, critic consensus, where to watch, runtime, distributor, cast and crew, original language, release date
 

Cast & Crew

Jessica Kingdon

Kira Simon-Kennedy

Nathan Truesdell

David Dolby

Natasha Dolby

Jessica Kingdon

Kira Simon-Kennedy

Nathan Truesdell

David Dolby

Natasha Dolby

Jessica Kingdon – Director
Jessica Kingdon – Producer
Kira Simon-Kennedy – Producer
Nathan Truesdell – Producer
David Dolby – Executive Producer
Natasha Dolby – Executive Producer

 

Jessica Kingdon

NA

Jessica Kingdon

Kira Simon-Kennedy

Nathan Truesdell

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jessica Kingdon
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nathan Truesdell

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Peter Debruge

Tim Robey

Danny Leigh

Cath Clarke

Michael O’Sullivan

Variety

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Financial Times

Guardian

Washington Post

ASCENSION
 All Critics (49) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (1)
 No matter what your image of modern China, it’s nowhere near complete until you’ve seen it through New York-based, China-observing director Jessica Kingdon’s eyes.
 
 March 28, 2022
 
 Peter Debruge
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 The film is full of news, insights and revelations without pushing a dogmatic thesis: it’s as open-ended and humanly interested as documentaries get.
 
 January 13, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Tim Robey
 Daily Telegraph (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Crucially, the film never patronises. Is anyone learning anything westerners haven’t learned too, just less explicitly?
 
 January 13, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Danny Leigh
 Financial Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Slyly observes China’s transition from the world’s factory to a massive consumer society.
 
 January 10, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Cath Clarke
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 Covers the filmmaker’s intended ground, and more.
 
 October 20, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Michael O’Sullivan
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 Ascension often veers into the surreal, made more unnerving by Kingdon’s static camera and long takes, not to mention Dan Deacon’s quietly eerie score.
 
 October 15, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Josh Kupecki
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 The analysis is rich but more respected on an intellectual level instead of one that is genuinely moving, particularly as there isn’t a natural flow to the pacing here.
 
 June 5, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Josh Parham
 Next Best Picture
 An eye-popping mosaic portrait of a nation on the move, though unsure of what exactly its moving toward.
 
 April 17, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Sean P. Means
 The Movie Cricket
 An extraordinarily confident feature-length debut.
 
 March 31, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tim Brayton
 Alternate Ending
 Some of the most telling moments occur when those most under the states thumb nevertheless speak their mind.
 
 February 27, 2022 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Phil Guie
 Film-Forward.com
 For those unfamiliar with the beast that is the Chinese socioeconomic structure, Ascension is sure to be a surprising look and perhaps a wake-up call. Those familiar might wish for a more pointed message at the end of it all.
 
 February 13, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Therese Lacson
 Nerdophiles
 We could all learn a lot about how the world functions by watching this narration-less movie.
 
 January 21, 2022
 
 Kelly Vance
 East Bay Express…

 

Plot
Ascension is a documentary that explores the pursuit of wealth and economic inequality in modern China through an impressionistic lens.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about the film Ascension, but they do mention that it is a “patiently observational approach” to exploring consumerism and economic inequality in modern China.
 

 
Jessica-Kingdon.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Scott Rudin Productions,
 
Distributor
Briarcliff Entertainment
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Istanbul, Turkey
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for disturbing/violent material
 
Year of Release
2021
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia, murder, free speech, Bryan Fogel, Thor Halvorssen, Mark Monroe, Jake Swantko, PG-13, Arabic, Washington Post, journalist, fiancée, dissidents, global cover-up, box office, budget, reviewed by John Doyle, Paul Byrnes, David Stratton, Robert Abele, Kevin Maher, Mark Kermode, Josh Parham, James Luxford, Brian Eggert, Jane Freebury, Taylor Baker, directed by Bryan Fogel, written by Bryan Fogel, Mark Monroe, produced by Bryan Fogel, David Fialkow, Jim Swartz, genre: documentary, MPAA rating: PG-13, starring Jamal Khashoggi, fiancée, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, dissidents
 

Cast & Crew

Bryan Fogel

Mark Monroe

David Fialkow

Jim Swartz

Director

Writer

Writer

Executive Producer

Executive Producer

Bryan Fogel – Director
Bryan Fogel – Writer
Mark Monroe – Writer
David Fialkow – Executive Producer
Jim Swartz – Executive Producer
Bryan Fogel – Producer

 

Bryan Fogel

Bryan Fogel

Bryan Fogel

Thor Halvorssen

Mark Monroe

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Bryan Fogel
 
Writer(s)
Bryan Fogel, Mark Monroe
 
Producer(s)
Bryan Fogel, Thor Halvorssen, Mark Monroe, Jake Swantko

 

Film Festivals
Sundance
 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
4 wins & 12 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

John Doyle

Paul Byrnes

David Stratton

Robert Abele

Kevin Maher

Globe and Mail

Sydney Morning Herald

The Australian

Los Angeles Times

Times (UK)

THE DISSIDENT
 All Critics (97) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (93) | Rotten (4)
 It unfolds like a well-told thriller and is absolutely damning in its portrait of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Not an easy watch, but a searing look at what led to the grisly murder of Khashoggi at his country’s consulate in Turkey.
 
 November 5, 2021
 
 John Doyle
 Globe and Mail
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s an astonishing piece of work, both fearless and artful in the way it encompasses and orders layers of information. If our world needs new forms to encompass the complexity of modern life, The Dissident points a way forward.
 
 April 22, 2021 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Paul Byrnes
 Sydney Morning Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 This hugely informative, superbly assembled documentary is designed to anger the viewer – and it does.
 
 April 17, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 David Stratton
 The Australian
 TOP CRITIC
 Tyranny and its effects are no video game, but “The Dissident” overall retains the impact of its alarming narrative…
 
 March 29, 2021
 
 Robert Abele
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 it is, in the defiant spirit of Khashoggi himself, utterly merciless in its critique of a brutal Saudi regime.
 
 March 13, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Kevin Maher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 I would’ve preferred a more somber tone…I’m not sure that’s what this subject needed. Nevertheless, it’s an engrossing and horrifying story.
 
 March 11, 2021
 
 Mark Kermode
 Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
 TOP CRITIC
 Fogel continues to show his ability to create a striking piece of work that often frames its point of view as if it were a fictionalized narrative and, often, it is effective in unfolding a compelling tale.
 
 June 5, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Josh Parham
 Next Best Picture
 The Dissident can feel like an exhausting investigation, but its also an important one. It looks at the fragility of free speech, the dangerous potential of our connected lives, and the horrifying cost of standing up for what you believe.
 
 March 1, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
 
 James Luxford
 City AM
 The Dissident remains essential viewing, a story that demands to be seen and admired for its fearlessness.
 
 February 17, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 A disturbing, forensic quest for truth based on immense research, examining the life and political activities of the former insider who the opaque Saudi regime eliminated
 
 August 30, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Jane Freebury
 The Canberra Times (Australia)
 The definitive Khashoggi documentary has not yet been made. I could have just read this in an article, what a waste of all of our time.
 
 August 19, 2021 | Rating: 16/100
 
 Taylor Baker
 Drink in the Movies
 All the tackled political issues are dumbed down to fit a western binary of good and evil. The Arab Spring was great for the region but Saudi Arabia demolished it across the Middle East for fear it would encourage its own citizens to revolt.
 
 August 6, 2021
 
 Joseph Fahim
 Middle East Eye…

 

Plot
When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissidents around the world piece together the clues to a murder and expose a global cover up.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about The Dissident, as it is a serious documentary about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
 

 
Bryan-Fogel.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Razor Film Produktion GmbH, Highlook Communications, Group Rotana Film Production
 
Distributor
NEON
 
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Hulu), Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Novocherkassk, Rostovskaya oblast, Russia
 
MPAA / Certificate

 
Year of Release
2021
 

 
Genre(s)
History/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Dear Comrades, History, Drama, Russian, Andrey Konchalovskiy, Alisher Usmanov, Elena Kiseleva, Yuliya Vysotskaya, Vladislav Komarov, Andrey Gusev, Yuliya Burova, Sergei Erlish, Alexander Maskelyne, NEON, Dolby Digital, Soviet Union, Novocherkassk, Strike, Massacre, Food Prices, Communist Government, Party Activist, Venice Film Festival, Variety, The Playlist, Los Angeles Times, Deadline Hollywood Daily, AV Club, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Observer, Next Best Picture, Gadgets360, Cinematismo, Cinemanía, In Review Online, Battleship Pretension, Horror Movies, MCU Movies, Netflix Series, TV Shows, Renewed & Cancelled TV Shows, TV Premiere Dates, Worst Horror Movies, Advertise, Careers
 

Cast & Crew

Yuliya Vysotskaya

Vladislav Komarov

Andrey Gusev

Yuliya Burova

Sergei Erlish

Lyuda

Loginov

Viktor

Svetka

Lyuda’s father

Yuliya Vysotskaya – Lyuda
Vladislav Komarov – Loginov
Andrey Gusev – Viktor
Yuliya Burova – Svetka
Sergei Erlish – Lyuda’s father
Alexander Maskelyne – Professor Ovodov

 

Andrey Konchalovskiy

Elena Kiseleva

Alisher Usmanov

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Andrey Konchalovskiy
 
Writer(s)
Elena Kiseleva, Andrey Konchalovskiy
 
Producer(s)
Alisher Usmanov

 

Film Festivals
Berlin, Venice
 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
14 wins & 37 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Justin Chang

Anna Smith

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

Bob Strauss

Ann Hornaday

Los Angeles Times

Deadline Hollywood Daily

AV Club

San Francisco Chronicle

Washington Post

DEAR COMRADES!
 All Critics (57) | Top Critics (18) | Fresh (54) | Rotten (3)
 [T]hese crisp, high-contrast images speak to another impulse as well: to look into a past shrouded in the fog of delusion and doublespeak, and to see through it with a clarity that burns and even heals.
 
 February 10, 2021
 
 Justin Chang
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s Konchalovsky regular Vysotskaya who stays with you, as a complex heroine whose utopian Soviet dream is gradually unravelling. It’s a remarkable performance at the center of a devastating film.
 
 February 9, 2021
 
 Anna Smith
 Deadline Hollywood Daily
 TOP CRITIC
 The script is filled with flat, rhetorical speeches that are done no favors by Konchalovsky’s static direction.
 
 February 6, 2021 | Rating: C
 
 Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
 AV Club
 TOP CRITIC
 Setting political movies in the past is an easy, usually safe way to signal virtue. But with its eerie resonances of 2021 reports from Moscow to Washington D.C., this monochrome aesthetic object looks like something that draws real blood.
 
 February 2, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Bob Strauss
 San Francisco Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 “Dear Comrades!” may not make perfect sense of the past, but it goes a long way in allowing people to look at it with a clarity that manages to be exacting and compassionate at the same time.
 
 January 28, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Ann Hornaday
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 Throughout, Konchalovsky juxtaposes wide-ranging events with seemingly insignificant details to dramatic effect.
 
 January 17, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Kermode
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The style never reaches hyperbolic levels, even when the chaos descends on the streets, yet the storytelling remains incredibly captivating.
 
 June 5, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Josh Parham
 Next Best Picture
 The Dear Comrades! lead runs into the machinery of the government she loved – and witnesses the apathy firsthand. Can’t get blood off the streets? Have a party and pour a new layer of asphalt.
 
 December 29, 2021
 
 Akhil Arora
 Gadgets360
 A real and raw visit to the russian contemporary story in a black and white with so much colour and pain. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 July 10, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Guillem Martinez Oya
 Cinematismo
 [Director Andrei Konchalovsky] is even more eloquent. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 July 6, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Carlos Marañón
 Cinemanía (Spain)
 What Konchalovsky is ultimately offering here is a nuanced rebuttal of the notion that brutality ended with Stalin, but … he welcomingly complicates the material.
 
 June 6, 2021
 
 Molly Adams
 In Review Online
 …with a classical sense of framing and triangular blocking, … Dear Comrades sometimes seem[s] as if it were produced contemporarily with the events depicted.
 
 March 23, 2021
 
 David Bax
 Battleship Pretension…

 

Plot
In 1962, a devout party activist witnesses the massacre of rebellious workers in a small industrial town after the communist government raises food prices in Dear Comrades.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The lead actress, Yuliya Vysotskaya, delivers a remarkable performance as a complex heroine whose utopian Soviet dream is gradually unraveling.
 

 
Andrey-Konchalovskiy.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
The 10 East Vanishing Angle
 
Distributor
Searchlight Pictures
 
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Hulu), Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Badlands National Park, South Dakota, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some full nudity.
 
Year of Release
2021
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
Nomadland, Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Swankie, Bob Wells, Angela Reyes, Chloé Zhao, directed by Chloé Zhao, written by Chloé Zhao, drama, recession, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Namrata Joshi, Mark Kermode, Kevin Maher, Linda Marric, Ian Freer, Nathalie Olah, Dan Bayer, Brian Eggert, Nick Boyd, Victor Pineyro, Fern, Dave, Linda, Swankie, Bob, Angela, produced by Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Chloé Zhao, R rating, Searchlight Pictures, DTS, Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos, Scope (2.35:1), character study, American West, houseless not homeless, van living, nomadic life, actual American nomads, Bob Wells, cinematography, hauntingly beautiful, poetic, down-to-earth, top critic, fresh, rotten, audience score, slow pace, career-best turn, social realism, political, emotionally dissecting, economic terrors, backwater America, Oscar noms, episodic, spiritual peace of mind, tonally, suburban life, fascinating, charismatic, authentic, mesmerizing, jarring
 

Cast & Crew

Frances McDormand

David Strathairn

Linda May

Swankie

Bob Wells

Fern

Dave

Linda

Swankie

Bob

Frances McDormand – Fern
David Strathairn – Dave
Linda May – Linda
Swankie – Swankie
Bob Wells – Bob
Angela Reyes – Angela
Chloé Zhao – Director/Writer
Frances McDormand – Producer
Peter Spears – Producer
Mollye Asher – Producer
Dan Janvey – Producer

 

Chloé Zhao

Chloé Zhao

Frances McDormand

Peter Spears

Mollye Asher

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Chloé Zhao
 
Writer(s)
Chloé Zhao
 
Producer(s)
Frances McDormand, Peter Spears, Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Chloé Zhao

 

Film Festivals
Venice, Telluride, Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
Won 3 Oscars
252 wins & 156 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Directing Winners, Oscar Best Picture Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Namrata Joshi

Mark Kermode

Kevin Maher

Linda Marric

Ian Freer

National Herald

Observer

Times

The Jewish Chronicle

Empire Magazine

NOMADLAND
 All Critics (422) | Top Critics (85) | Fresh (393) | Rotten (29)
 Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland mimics life scrupulously…
 
 May 18, 2021
 
 Namrata Joshi
 National Herald (India)
 TOP CRITIC
 What’s most striking about Nomadland is the almost incidental manner in which it tells its stories – eschewing strident dramatic crises or narrative lurches for something altogether more ambient.
 
 May 2, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Kermode
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Not since Robert Redford in All Is Lost has a star performer carried an entire film through wordless looks and glances.
 
 April 30, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Kevin Maher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Frances McDormand delivers a career-best turn in this gently meditative drama about the failure of the American dream.
 
 April 30, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Linda Marric
 The Jewish Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 Life on the road has never been so tenderly captured, politically alive and profoundly moving.
 
 April 30, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Ian Freer
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Personally, I am fine with the more sentimental moments of Nomadland. Social realism needs the space to contain multitudes and contradictions, just as life does.
 
 April 27, 2021
 
 Nathalie Olah
 New Statesman
 TOP CRITIC
 The magic of that bigger canvas is that you become a different person for having watched Nomadland. Knowing these people and places changes your perspective.
 
 May 13, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Dan Bayer
 Next Best Picture
 What is presented as a fulfilling alternative lifestyle embraced by people living on the fringes of society becomes a portrait of a broken person using the road to escape her past and shield herself from emotional ties.
 
 February 17, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 The cinematography beautifully captures the desolate landscapes and the wide-open terrain of this country.
 
 December 28, 2021
 
 Nick Boyd
 Battle Royale With Cheese
 We are terrified by the idea that, as Fern, we might have an incredibly frail appearance of stability. What would we do if life doesn’t turn out the way we wanted it to? Nomadland provided the freedom we wanted in 2020. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 October 22, 2021 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Victor Pineyro
 Seventh Art Studio
 Beautiful cinematography in an alienating film doesn’t have much value… [Nomadland] ends up idealizing an unideal situation. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 September 28, 2021
 
 Fernanda Solórzano
 Letras Libres
 Featuring one of McDormand’s best performances – a role she occupies deeply – and emotionally dissecting the economic terrors of backwater America, ‘Nomadland’ is one of the best of the year.
 
 September 13, 2021
 
 Witney Seibold
 Critically Acclaimed Podcast…

 

Plot
Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The third feature film from director Chloé Zhao, NOMADLAND features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West.
 
Trivia

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

 
Chloé-Zhao.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Evergreen Pictures, Candescent Films, Artemis Rising Foundation
 
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2020
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary/Music
 
Keyword(s)
Zappa, Documentary, Music, Biography, Frank Zappa, Alex Winter, Jade Allen, Devorah DeVries, John Frizzell, Ahmet Zappa, Glen Zipper, Gail Zappa, Mike Keneally, Ian Underwood, Steve Vai, Pamela Des Barres, Bunk Gardner, David Harrington, Scott Thunes, Ruth Underwood, Ray White, Magnolia Pictures, English, Limited Release, Box Office, Gross USA, $14.4K, Alice Cooper, Howard Kaylan, MPAA Rating, Reviewed by Mark Kermode, Paul Byrnes, Wendy Ide, Kevin Maher, Andrew Pulver, Tim Robey, Josh Parham, Witney Seibold, Travis Johnson, Ayeen Forootan, David Bax, Graeme Tuckett
 

Cast & Crew

Alice Cooper

Steve Vai

Pamela Des Barres

Howard Kaylan

Gail Zappa

Alice Cooper

Steve Vai

Pamela Des Barres

Howard Kaylan

Gail Zappa

Alice Cooper – Self
Steve Vai – Self
Pamela Des Barres – Self
Howard Kaylan – Self
Gail Zappa – Self
Ruth Underwood – Self

 

Alex Winter

Alex Winter

Jade Allen

Devorah DeVries

John Frizzell

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Alex Winter
 
Writer(s)
Alex Winter
 
Producer(s)
Jade Allen, Devorah DeVries, John Frizzell, Alex Winter, Ahmet Zappa, Glen Zipper

 

Film Festivals
South by Southwest
 
Awards & Nominations
5 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Mark Kermode

Paul Byrnes

Wendy Ide

Kevin Maher

Andrew Pulver

Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review

Sydney Morning Herald

Observer (UK)

Times (UK)

Guardian

ZAPPA
 All Critics (71) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (68) | Rotten (3)
 It makes a very good case that you should be interested in Zappa’s work.
 
 February 25, 2021
 
 Mark Kermode
 Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
 TOP CRITIC
 If there is one American musician who was overdue for a comprehensive documentary, that’s Zappa — and this one doesn’t disappoint. It’s as messy as his music in parts, but that fits.
 
 February 24, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Paul Byrnes
 Sydney Morning Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 Key to the success of the film is the editing, a pinballing assault of free association, claymation and gleeful profanity, which goes some way towards recreating what it must have been like to spend time inside Zappa’s head.
 
 February 21, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Wendy Ide
 Observer (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Winter has simply collated the resulting audio and video recordings into more than two hours of slightly sophomoric Zap-tastic musings on the pointlessness of commercial music, the need to fight the system and the tediousness of mainstream success.
 
 February 20, 2021 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Kevin Maher
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Winter has created a fascinating watch.
 
 February 19, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Andrew Pulver
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 Winter’s film deserves a lot of credit for appreciating the full, intrepid range of Zappa’s music, though penetrating the leathery mystery of his personality is perhaps a tall order.
 
 February 18, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tim Robey
 Daily Telegraph (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 The style does bring a flamboyancy to the craft and creates methods that endear one to the brash yet creative persona of this particular artist.
 
 June 5, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Josh Parham
 Next Best Picture
 While perhaps erring on the side of worshipful, and not interesting in delving into Zappa’s flaws, it is, nonetheless, gripping and thorough.
 
 September 13, 2021
 
 Witney Seibold
 Critically Acclaimed Podcast
 “Legendary” is an adjective that gets thrown around a lot, often without too much justification. So too is “visionary”, come to think of it. But Frank Zappa was both: insanely talented, intimidatingly intelligent and incorrigibly iconoclastic.
 
 July 14, 2021
 
 Travis Johnson
 Blunt Magazine
 Winter never seeks to solve or understand Zappa’s singular mercurial character, and instead seeks to convey and celebrate the artist’s mystical aura and puzzling persona.
 
 June 5, 2021
 
 Ayeen Forootan
 In Review Online
 It’s exciting, wonderfully disorienting and, at times quite funny…
 
 March 19, 2021
 
 David Bax
 Battleship Pretension
 Mostly, Zappa is a terrific couple of hours, well-spent.
 
 March 16, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Graeme Tuckett
 Stuff.co.nz…

 

Plot
Zappa is a documentary that explores the private life and political activism of musical legend Frank Zappa, featuring appearances by his widow and musical collaborators.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features appearances by Frank Zappa’s widow Gail Zappa and several of his musical collaborators including Alice Cooper, Steve Vai, and Pamela Des Barres.
 

 
Alex-Winter.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Red Crown Productions, The Princess Grace Foundation Participant
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Netflix), Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements and macabre images.
 
Year of Release
2020
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson, Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness, Nels Bangerter, PG-13, mortality, death, aging, family, humor, grief, truth, storytelling, autofiction, emotional, bittersweet, inventive, compassionate, hopeful, Alzheimer’s, memory, movies, impermanent, permanent, critic reviews, Slant Magazine, Sight & Sound, Screen International, Esquire Magazine, The Atlantic, Daily Telegraph, Next Best Picture, 615 Film, Q Network Film Desk, Reverse Shot, The Tyee, Amber Wilkinson, audience reviews, box office performance, budget, reviewed by, produced by, directed by, written by, starring
 

Cast & Crew

Kirsten Johnson

Dick Johnson

Kirsten Johnson

Kirsten Johnson

Nels Bangerter

Self

Self

Director

Screenwriter

Screenwriter

Kirsten Johnson – Self
Dick Johnson – Self
Kirsten Johnson – Director
Kirsten Johnson – Screenwriter
Nels Bangerter – Screenwriter
Katy Chevigny – Producer

 

Kirsten Johnson

Kirsten Johnson

Katy Chevigny

Marilyn Ness

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Kirsten Johnson
 
Writer(s)
Kirsten Johnson, Nels Bangerter
 
Producer(s)
Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness

 

Film Festivals
Sundance
 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Primetime Emmy
19 wins & 43 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Derek Smith

Hannah McGill

Tim Grierson

Nick Schager

David Sims

Slant Magazine

Sight & Sound

Screen International

Esquire Magazine

The Atlantic

DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD
 All Critics (96) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (96)
 Kirsten Johnson’s inventive docufiction project gets a sturdy transfer and some perceptive extras courtesy of the Criterion Collection.
 
 February 9, 2022
 
 Derek Smith
 Slant Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Rather than positing better ways of processing death, this film celebrates our inability to do so: inventive as we are, we are no match for it.
 
 February 7, 2021
 
 Hannah McGill
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 For those who have watched loved ones fight a losing battle with Alzheimer’s, the movie might seem unappealing, but Johnson’s deeply compassionate, even hopeful tone could be a balm for her fellow grievers.
 
 February 7, 2021
 
 Tim Grierson
 Screen International
 TOP CRITIC
 Dick Johnson is Dead is a daring masterpiece about the loss of loved ones, and of memory, and the movies’ ability-and, also, inability-to make the impermanent permanent.
 
 January 27, 2021
 
 Nick Schager
 Esquire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 For a moment, Kirsten Johnson has conquered death. That makes Dick Johnson Is Dead a strangely satisfying, yet bittersweet watch in this dark time, when fears of mortality are closer to the surface for most people.
 
 December 3, 2020
 
 David Sims
 The Atlantic
 TOP CRITIC
 Fortifying this film throughout is Dick’s commitment to it as an eccentric project that’s worth all the effort, from which we intuit a beaming sense of paternal pride and pleasure in collaboration.
 
 November 20, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Tim Robey
 Daily Telegraph (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Undoubtedly, this exploration of a family coming to terms with impending loss is both riveting and agonizing.
 
 June 5, 2022 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Josh Parham
 Next Best Picture
 Johnson is a documentary filmmaker of the highest order, and good on her for being so willing to be so revealing with her father’s story, sparked by unparalleled creativity and boldness. Long live Dick Johnson!
 
 March 11, 2022
 
 Cory Woodroof
 615 Film
 Simultaneously poignant and twisted, sweet and morbid, it tackles the taboo topics of aging and senility and death with a rare combination of grace and sick humor that has every reason not to workbut does.
 
 March 3, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 James Kendrick
 Q Network Film Desk
 Dick Johnson Is Dead moves into the realm of autofiction, playing with ideas of truth in storytelling in order to paint a more honest picture of preemptive grief, the feeling so many experience when they think of their parents passing.
 
 February 28, 2022 | Rating: A
 
 Susannah Gruder
 Reverse Shot
 The film’s looming grief is compounded by the nature of her father. Dick Johnson is a remarkably funny human being. Funny, buoyant, thoughtful…
 
 November 8, 2021
 
 Dorothy Woodend
 The Tyee (British Columbia)
 The emotional honesty of this film is by turns elating and heartbreaking, with Kirsten not scared to let her feelings show on camera alongside those of her dad.
 
 March 15, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Amber Wilkinson
 Eye for Film…

 

Plot
A filmmaker and her elderly father stage his death in various ways to help them face his inevitable demise in the documentary “Dick Johnson Is Dead.”
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t have anything goofy or funny to say about Dick Johnson Is Dead, but they do mention that Kirsten Johnson both directed and starred in the documentary.
 

 
Kirsten-Johnson.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Virgen Films,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Netflix)
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
2020
 

 
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
 
Keyword(s)
documentary, biography, LGBTQ+, adult bookstore, gay porn, United States, Rachel Mason, Adam Baran, Cynthia Childs, Camilla Hall, Kathryn Robson, Karen Mason, Larry Flynt, Jeff Stryker, Phil Tarley, Justin Andrew Honard, reviewed by Taryn Allen, Jo Livingstone, Tre’vell Anderson, Angie Han, Christy Lemire, Scott Tobias, Ben Turner, Jason Adams, Richard Crouse, Phil Guie, Matthew St Clair, Katie Duggan, produced by Adam Baran, Cynthia Childs, Camilla Hall, Kathryn Robson, directed by Rachel Mason, written by Kathryn Robson, Rachel Mason, box office performance, budget, MPAA rating, LGBTQ+ history, pornography, religion, obscenity law, media, AIDS, coming out, parenthood, LGBTQ+ culture, Los Angeles, personal journey, cultural events, documentary film
 

Cast & Crew

Karen Mason

Rachel Mason

Larry Flynt

Jeff Stryker

Phil Tarley

Karen Mason

Rachel Mason

Larry Flynt

Jeff Stryker

Phil Tarley

Karen Mason – self
Rachel Mason – self
Larry Flynt – self
Jeff Stryker – self
Phil Tarley – self
Justin Andrew Honard – self
Adam Baran – producer
Cynthia Childs – producer
Camilla Hall – producer
Kathryn Robson – writer, producer

 

Rachel Mason

Kathryn Robson

Adam Baran

Cynthia Childs

Camilla Hall

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Rachel Mason
 
Writer(s)
Kathryn Robson, Rachel Mason
 
Producer(s)
Adam Baran, Cynthia Childs, Camilla Hall, Kathryn Robson

 

Film Festivals
Tribeca
 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
2 wins & 4 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Taryn Allen

Jo Livingstone

Tre’vell Anderson

Angie Han

Christy Lemire

Chicago Reader

The New Republic

Out Magazine

FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)

NPR

CIRCUS OF BOOKS
  All Critics (59) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (58) | Rotten (1)
  Circus of Books is a triumph of filmmaking in the way it covers such a range of topics so seamlessly: LGBTQ history, pornography, religion, obscenity law, media, AIDS, coming out, parenthood, and more.
 
  May 29, 2020
 
  Taryn Allen
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  Circus of Books is the story of an American family who wandered into the eye of history, and a virtuoso example of how to make a movie both very big and very small at once.
 
  April 29, 2020
 
  Jo Livingstone
  The New Republic
  TOP CRITIC
  A worthy homage to the Los Angeles-area landmark of LGBTQ+ culture.
 
  April 29, 2020
 
  Tre’vell Anderson
  Out Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  You come to see through [director Rachel Mason] telling the story how she came to see her parents as people.
 
  April 24, 2020
 
  Angie Han
  FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
  TOP CRITIC
  This is a great little L.A. story. It’s a great slice of life into a very specific community.
 
  April 24, 2020
 
  Christy Lemire
  FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
  TOP CRITIC
  The sense of closure is satisfying, but it’s missing a charge.
 
  April 24, 2020
 
  Scott Tobias
  NPR
  TOP CRITIC
  Circus Of Books is a spellbinding portrait of two unlikely Queer allies, charting their personal journeys with a community that would become central to their lives.
 
  September 1, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Ben Turner
  The Pink Lens
  Circus of Books cops a feel for the personal, the political, and the pornographic, all at once — you’ll need a cigarette after it’s done with you.
 
  July 6, 2021
 
  Jason Adams
  The Film Experience
  The store may be long gone but its ethos of embracing who you are is well represented in this charming documentary.
 
  January 30, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
  Richard Crouse
  Richard Crouse
  Circus of Books entertains so much because of how unlikely the Masons’ story first appears, but it’s also fascinating to watch history unfold and see how they regularly found themselves part of larger cultural events.
 
  January 1, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Phil Guie
  Film-Forward.com
  A successful ode to its owners and the impact they crafted.
 
  September 23, 2020
 
  Matthew St. Clair
  Cinema Sentries
  The documentary serves as a fittingly idiosyncratic memorial to the remarkable resource and vital meeting space that Circus of Books was … a heartfelt message of love and gratitude to the owners and patrons that keep the spirit alive.
 
  July 27, 2020
 
  Katie Duggan
  Film Daze…

 

Plot
In 1976, Karen and Barry Mason had fallen on hard times and were looking for a way to support their young family when they answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times. Larry Flynt was seeking distributors for Hustler Magazine. What was expected to be a brief sideline led to their becoming fully immersed in the LGBT community as they took over a local store, Circus of Books. A decade later, they had become the biggest distributors of gay porn in the US. The film focuses on the double life they led, trying to maintain the balance of being parents at a time when LGBT culture was not yet accepted. Their many challenges included facing jail time for a federal obscenity prosecution and enabling their store to be a place of refuge at the height of the AIDS crisis. Circus of Books offers a rare glimpse into an untold chapter of queer history, and it is told through the lens of the owners’ own daughter, Rachel Mason, an artist, filmmaker and musician.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features interviews with the owners of the adult bookstore, Karen and Barry Mason, as well as their daughter, filmmaker Rachel Mason.
 

 
Rachel-Mason.jpg