Alex Saveliev

I mentioned that the narrative is predictable. It is — and it’s a good thing, a warm, cozy blanket of familiarity that’s expertly stitched together.

A tad overlong, a bit too highfalutin, Heel still grips, enthralls, and amuses.

Set to a pulsing soundtrack, Fuze may not offer much novelty, despite all its rug pulls. But even when the plotting veers into preposterous territory, the pace is so breathless, the actors so committed, that one almost welcomes the familiarity.

On paper, You’re Dating a Narcissist! may have looked like a breezy, relatable comedy. In execution, however, a film about narcissism turns out to be almost terminally self-absorbed.

While maybe not top-tier Jarmusch, the film certainly marks his most mature effort to date.

A modern-day Apocalypse Now, a visual and aural trip that’s as abstract and surreal as it is stark and realistic, Sirat urges us to embrace each other, as the world swells and throbs around us.

It strives as hard for authenticity as its protagonist does to remain relevant; the strain shows.

Featuring fascinating archival footage, timeless music, and a plethora of compelling subjects, Viva Verdi may have a rather narrow target audience. But boy, will it please them.

The stark contrast between the way-too-confident-for-his-age Jake and the introverted, insecure Ben underscores how identity at that age calcifies in opposition: one boy armoring himself with swagger, the other shrinking under its weight.

You’ll never look at life—through a camera lens, that is—the same way again.