REVIEWS
Post-film thoughts.
Frankenstein: On Fatherhood and Forgiveness
Frankenstein (2025) is not so much a film as it is a gradual, graceful walk through a gallery. Strolling through sumptuous scenery, billowing costumes, and endless literary and artistic references, director Guillermo del Toro’s latest is truly a visual masterpiece.
A Bear Remembers: Holding Humanity
A Bear Remembers is an ode to humanity and nature, a poem of what we lost during the long journey to civilization and modernity, and of what we can do to hold on to that part of us
Anemone: Cold Reunions
Ray must come to terms with his trauma, and Jem is doing his best to make room for his brother while fighting on behalf of the people who need Ray most. Day-Lewis and Bean play perfectly off each other, delivering powerful performances each in their own way
Urchin: We Don’t Win Every Battle, and That Makes Us Human
Amongst counselling, job assistance, staying clean, and meeting new people, Mike shows us a sympathetic exhibit of the uphill battle that is addiction in Urchin.
The History of Sound: Muted Melancholy
Director Oliver Hermanus’ period drama is part romance, part musical, and all ache. Just like the first-person point of view does in Ben Shattuck’s book, the film draws you into Lionel’s (Paul Mescal) emotional sphere.
Caught Stealing: Aronofsky Goes Lethal
Feeling more like it belongs on the shelf of ‘90s action flicks such as Point Break (1991) or The Fugitive (1993), Aronofsky deviates heavily from his prior work. Unlike the director’s previous films (such as his recent 2022 Oscar-winning project The Whale), Caught Stealing doesn’t seem to concern itself with any deeper message hidden beneath its surface.
The Long Walk: A Call to Action
Adapted from Stephen King’s first novel, The Long Walk features a deceptively simple pitch: 50 young men from across America enlist in a walking contest with a single winner.
Remaining Native: The Long Run
Remaining Native is the kind of film that will sit with you, shift your worldview, disquiet you, and make you laugh and give you hope time and time over in its tight 85-minute runtime.
Twinless: Death Is Irrevocable, You Can’t Take It Back
Twinless centres around surviving halves, Roman (Dylan O’Brien) and Dennis (James Sweeney), who meet at a twin bereavement support group and form an emotionally intimate bond through their shared trauma. The film takes us through a hyper-specific form of grieving: losing someone who not only looks exactly like you, but was also the person you were with since the beginning of your time on Earth.
Weapons: Horror with Heart
Weapons (2025) is a nightmare. Directed by Zach Cregger, who impressed audiences with his debut horror release Barbarian (2022), the film puts a spin on both a child and parent’s worst fear: an unexplained disappearance.
Mongrels: Fragments of Memories
“Mother’s hand is a healing hand…”
This phrase is one you hear in the form of a soothing, lullabye-esque song repeated throughout Mongrels, which is the feature film debut of Canadian writer and director Jerome Yoo. Long after the film ended, both the sound of this song and its simple, grounding sentiment lingered with me—a sign that the film struck me exactly where I believe it was aiming.
Bird In Hand: A Daughter’s Desperation
The love that often cannot be divorced from regret and the regret that can arise in spite of the love—this tension is the feeding ground for a good story. Melody C. Roscher’s Bird in Hand (2025) is no exception, exploring the nuances of being raised as biracial with only one present parent.
The Travel Companion: Free Flights vs. Friendship
The Travel Companion, which premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival, follows Simon (Tristan Turner), a struggling indie filmmaker who gets free flights due to his airline employee best friend and roommate, Bruce (Anthony Oberbeck). This benefit becomes shaky when Bruce starts dating Beatrice (Naomi Asa), a more accomplished filmmaker.
Underland: Immersive Subterranean Cinema
Underland premiered at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival and is based on Robert Macfarlane’s novel of the same name. Director Robert Petit captured the stunning visuals and philosophical implications of various “underlands” or subterranean caves, storm drains, and even a lab two kilometers below the Earth’s surface.
The Pitt: Medicine Without Melodrama
With enough driving force to keep you latched onto every medical malady, though, you’d assume The Pitt is another stock series full of shock value cases and genius treatment plans. Instead, The Pitt is a jarringly intimate look at the inside of a Pittsburgh trauma center that is understaffed and underfunded—with all the ideological weight these settings and circumstances must bear.
Invention: Gray and Fading Memory
Directed by Courtney Stevens and co-written by Stevens and star Callie Hernandez, Invention fascinatingly blurs the line between documentary, surrealism, and melodrama. Hernandez plays “Carrie” Hernandez, a semi-fictionalized version of herself in a semi-fictionalized portrayal of her emotional journey after the passing of her estranged father.
Sister Midnight: Strange Appetites
Once you get on its distinctly weird wavelength, Sister Midnight is a wholly unique and unexpected film, anchored by a standout performance from Radhika Apte.
Companion: Predictable Plot, Perfect Execution
Starring the modern final girl of final girls, Sophie Thatcher, Companion approaches themes of misogyny, female rage, and domestic violence with the same subtlety as a hammer to the head. But that doesn’t make the movie any less compelling, especially with such searing commentary.
Sinners: A Bloody Good Time
Set in 1932, Sinners establishes an incredibly intimate historical placement, describing American history through personal struggle instead of gimmicky news articles or radio broadcasts.
Adolescence: Patriarchy Laid Bare
As Jamie pleads his innocence, Detective Bascome, portrayed by Ashley Walters, slides printed screenshots of Jamie’s Instagram across the table. They display a series of aggressive comments and innuendos that the young boy typed under suggestive photos of female Instagram models. “How do you feel about women, Jamie?” Bascome asks. Immediately, I perk up in my seat. This is not what I expected.
