Tag: Social Commentary

The Forty-Year-Old Version of Balancing Expression and Compromise

“And if I’m not creatin art, am I committin a crime?” The tale of the struggling artist who reaches the precipice of success only to face the powers-that-be pressuring them into compromising their vision, putting the artist at…

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The Devil All The Time Explores the Corrupting Side of Religion

Religion has long stood at the center of American life and culture, for better or worse depending on who you ask. For many individuals, religion has saved their lives and given them purpose. Once religion becomes intertwined with…

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The Rental Joyfully Updates the Slasher Film

The 2010s have seen what many have dubbed a horror renaissance complete with critically acclaimed and beloved entries that are both bankable and competitive during awards season. The intricate stories and character development this new crop in the…

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Relic Explores How Aging Shifts Relationships Between Parent and Child

Relic tells the story of Edna (Robyn Nevin), an elderly and widowed grandmother who goes missing as her mental capacity has began to slowly decline. Her daughter Kay (Emily Mortimer) rushes to her mother’s home in an attempt…

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The Haunting of Da 5 Bloods

“After you’ve been in a war, you understand it really never ends. Whether it’s in your mind or in reality, they’re just degrees.” The ghosts of the past often stay with us. Try as we may, running from…

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Don’t Wake Me, I’m Dreamin’: The High Note Sings a Song of Aspirations

Clawing one’s way toward a dream will involve overcoming many obstacles along the way. These impediments may be further complicated by some of the challenges often thrown at people due to their sex, race, gender, socioeconomic status, or…

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Shirley Reinforces the Acting Talents of Its Stars but Struggles to Be Fully Engaging

The fictional tale of Shirley finds renowned writer Shirley Jackson (Elizabeth Moss) in the process of trying her hand at writing a novel when her husband Professor Stanley Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg) invites a newlywed young couple Fred and…

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What Doesn’t Kill Us Reminds Us of the Power of Satire

Often times, absurdity best underscores a point. Satire has long played an integral part in helping us to analyze the world around us and make sense of the issues that plague our society. One such film uses America’s…

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Poverty and Family’s Complications Come into View in Take Out Girl

“They say innovation was born of desperation.” “They were poor too, huh?” The struggles of immigrant families are at once well known and oft-overlooked. The pressures that first and second generation Americans feel to help their families overcome…

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Beanie Feldstein and Director Coky Giedroyc Power How to Build a Girl Past Typical Coming of Age Fare

“How do I get there from here?” As Hollywood pushes toward making gains with onscreen diversity, it seems we’ve been inundated with yearly tales of lower to middle class white teenage girls coming of age. Creeping toward market…

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