Olmo (2026)
Sweet ‘Olmo’ devolves into coming of age clichés Like its namesake, “Olmo,” Spanish for elm, is sturdy and symbolic of revolution and the desire for change. It’s about a New Mexican teenager revolting against the authority of his parents, but it’s also very much a striking metaphor for the oppression of immigrants across the […]
Ice Cream Man (2026)
Tasty start winds up melting in ‘Ice Cream Man’ When it comes to grotesque cartoon violence, Eli Roth proves he can really dish it out with “Ice Cream Man.” And his titular character is not vending Good Humor, despite his creepy, omnipresent smile. You see, he’s come surreptitiously to the idyllic New England hamlet […]
Cookie Queens (2026)
‘Cookie’ crumbles when placed under scrutiny Girl Scout cookies are arguably more American than apple pie and at least equally iconic. So it’s hardly surprising that no less than the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have staked their sweet toothes on “Cookie Queens,” a documentary profiling four of the 700,000 young ladies who each […]
The Samurau and the Prisoner
Words mightier than sword in loquasious ‘Samurai’ The most intriguing aspect of “The Samurai and the Prisoner,” Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s first foray into the Japanese tradition of jidaigeki, is the J-horror maven’s celebration of non-violence through violence. I know, not at all what you’d expect from a somewhat factual 16th-century samurai tale whose DNA includes […]
I Want Your Sex (2026)
Sorry Gregg Araki, I don’t want your ‘Sex’ Outrageous for the sake of outrageousness, Gregg Araki’s Sundance darling, “I Want Your Sex,” is an empty vessel masquerading as a satirical slap on the untouched tushes of celibate Zoomers. It’s equally a crude, vulgar homage to Billy Wilder’s classic “Sunset Boulevard,” in which a naive […]
Motor City (2025)
‘Motor City’ sounds off without uttering a peep We’ve all heard the idiom put up or shut up. And in the case of “Motor City,” the nearly talk-free neo-noir from director Potsy Ponceroli, the ill-fated characters all do the latter. But will audiences put up with the shut up? The answer will surely determine […]
Bad Counselors (2026)
‘Bad Counselors’ flirts with the divine The summer camp shenanigans in “Bad Counselors” are not without sin, which is somewhat surprising given its faith-based origins. And Chris Dowling’s film is all the better for it. Yes, it’s preachy in places, but by going secular, its themes of atonement, redemption and self-respect go down so […]
Our Hero, Balthazar (2025)
‘Balthazar’ draws a bead on American gun culture One can legitimately argue that there are two types of people: heroes and victims. And which one you choose to be indicates a lot about how you perceive the world and how it reflects you. It’s all part and parcel of a dichotomous symbiosis in which […]
Horsegirls (2026)
You’ll want to saddle up for ‘Horsegirls’ Cancer and autism are challenges I know a lot about because I continue to live with them both, which – I suppose – offers me a unique perspective on the profound, utterly charming “Horsegirls.” It’s not just an accomplished writing-directing debut by Lauren Meyering; it’s also a […]
The Kidnapping of Arabella (2026)
‘Kidnapping of Arabella’ can’t justify the ransom The abduction of a child, no matter if it’s done purposely or, in this case, accidentally, is hardly fodder for hilarity. But writer-director Carolina Cavalli obviously didn’t get the memo before concocting the gratingly off-key “The Kidnapping of Arabella,” a farce of a farce that’s more annoying […]