Tag: Independent Films

Pamela Anderson Shines in The Last Showgirl (Middleburg Film Festival)

The passage of time, particularly for women, has been a theme in 2024’s film slate and the movies that explore this have been buoyed by notable performances from star actress past who have moved onto their latter life…

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The Brutalist is a Big, Epic Cinematic Swing (Middleburg Film Festival)

I am sure by now if you’re the type to pay attention to film awards or the buzz around fall film releases, you’ve heard the hype surrounding The Brutalist. Because it is a smaller independent film, its release…

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The Substance Uses the Grotesque to Question Our Vanity

Human beings have long pondered their vitality and how to deal with aging. This goes doubly so for women due to the pressures they face to remain physically attractive for as long as possible, with their worth often…

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Nicole Kidman Shines in Babygirl’s Tale of Power and Vulnerability

The erotic thriller has been a critically endangered species in modern cinema, with the once prolific genre almost completely disappearing from movie theaters. Writer/director Halina Reijn is looking to change this with her latest effort. Babygirl introduces us…

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The Order is Topical but a Bit By The Numbers (Middleburg Film Festival)

Real life events are used to power a new crime thriller hitting cineplexes. Based on the 1989 book entitled The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, The Order places us alongside FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) who after…

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Strange Darling Subverts Expectations in Entertaining, Enlightening Fashion

Every year, an indie darling emerges in the film scene to near universal acclaim and hype among cinephiles. For 2024, an indie horror thriller seems to have taken the title. Strange Darling is set in the Pacific Northwest…

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Sing Sing Takes A Probing Look at the Capacity for Change

Sing Sing is a film that takes place in the New York State Penitentiary of the same name. Divine G (Colman Domingo) is incarcerated and finds purpose for himself by helping to organize and write for a prison…

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Maxxxine and the Fame Monster

Writer/director Ti West and actress Mia Goth captured lightning in a bottle with the release of instant cult favorite horror film X in 2022. Following a prequel film entitled Pearl released that same year, the final entry in…

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I Saw The TV Glow Too Opaque, Niche For Its Own Good

I Saw The TV Glow introduces us to young teen named Owen (Justice Smith) who is shy and timid, living a typical suburban life with his mom Brenda (Danielle Deadwyler) and strict father Frank (Fred Durst). When accompanying…

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Civil War Is The Best Anti-War Film In Ages and a Stark Warning of The Monsters Conflict Creates

Much has been made about the release of writer/director Alex Garland’s latest film Civil War. Its appropriateness in these challenging times, what it may say about one side of the political aisle or the other and, now that…

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