George Bate

In a world where people increasingly turn to AI to meet emotional needs, Paradise Lost leaves us with a somber warning about what happens when something designed to help us process our emotions and get through life adaptively becomes the very we depend on and can no longer live without.

By turning the attempted assassination of Park Chung-hee into a suspenseful, political murder mystery, Hur Jin-ho crafts a thriller filled with conspiracy, historical intrigue, and tantalizing dialogue. His central message lies in the importance of truth, which is just as critical now as it was in 1974. The truth is that The Assassin(s) is a pretty great movie.

Tenzing may tell a remarkable story about a remarkable man, but the film struggles to resonate emotionally. It’s competently made, well-acted, and beautifully shot, yet something is certainly missing from Tenzing Norgay’s ascent to the big-screen.

In positioning Bardem as a more central figure in the story than Cruz, Bunker excels far more with its chronicle of a man’s succumbing to the individualistic pressures of the world, rather than a couple’s contrasting responses to potential fears of the future.

A Talent for Murder, while bolstering a clever story within a story premise, miscalculates the mechanics of a compelling chamber thriller and ends up being more meditative than riveting.

The ensuing courtroom drama sees the very tricks and skills Tessa used to win cases turned against her. Although the back-and-forth between her and the prosecuting attorney is biting, intense, and tightly written, it’s in a monologue near the end of the film that really sells everything Prima Facie is going for. As a legal drama, the movie is solid; as a cinematic rallying cry to radically reinvent norms, laws, and comprehension of sexual violence, it is exceptionally effective.

In addition to regularly reviewing movies and working as a media journalist, I hold a Ph.D. in clinical psychology, and specialize in treating post-traumatic stress disorder in patients across the lifespan. I don’t usually write reviews from a first-person perspective, nor do I address this other side of my career in such a setting, but Josephine, a new drama screening at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, warrants both. Seldom has there been a film in recent years to so accurately capture the insidious, tormenting, and often subtle ways in which the aftermath of traumatic events encroaches upon every corner of life for children unfortunately exposed to horrors far beyond their years.

Ah Girl can be best characterized as a slice-of-life coming-of-age tale, both specific in its era and universal in its themes. Singaporean filmmaker Ang Geck Geck Priscilla draws on her experiences growing up to craft a film that authentically captures the confused medley of joy, anxiety, and frustration that defines many a child's upbringing, while existing firmly as a period piece deeply attuned to its cultural context.

At just 26 years old, Chase Infiniti delivers yet another performance that would probably be a career-best in most actors’ filmographies. She brings a quiet assurance to the screen as a kind, giving, and extraordinarily intellectual character. Many of her best scenes involve Julia knowing the answer to an almost impossible math question, but biting her tongue, refusing to let the spotlight shine on her. Without any dialogue to convey the rich emotion underlying these scenes, Infiniti shows the audience exactly the kind of willful erasure she is reckoning with.

Anchoring the film with a ferocious breakout turn is Sneha Kumari, who should go on to do great things following the release of Phoolan. Kumari is simply superb, taking on the role of an important figure with boldness and sensitivity.