The Old Oak (2023)

Direction: Ken Loach
Country: UK

Ken Loach is an English director whose work we respected in full. His new drama, The Old Oak, is realism pushed to tears, a minor opus that deals with two topics: impoverishment in former mining towns and the arrival of Syrian refugees. How finely Loach has woven these thematic threads? 

While not packing the same punch as I, Daniel Blake (2016) or Sorry We Missed You (2019), the film intersperses lukewarm and powerful moments, evincing a softness that occasionally leans on pathos and sentimentality, diluting the impact of the narrative. Set in Durham, the story introduces Yara (Ebla Mari), a Syrian refugee with a passion for photography, who arrives in town just to be unconsoled with a broken camera and a less-than-welcoming reception. Already underwhelmed by crisis, some locals develop an unfounded xenophobia that translates into hate, lies, and betrayal. But there’s also kindness and compassion, which especially apply to TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner), the broken yet goodhearted owner of The Old Oak, the sole pub in town, in urgent need of repairs. 

Paul Laverty’s screenplay doesn’t come with major surprises, while Loach’s direction is quietly effective as if the camera wasn’t there. Although navigating predictable territory, they keep tackling social issues deeply rooted in our time and transporting them to the screen with a naturalistic Emile Zola-like approach. It’s a lucid film that, hitting where is necessary, ends up uneven. The optimistic path may touch the viewers’ hearts, but the full complexity of the subject is not there. Yara is reduced to a functional role, her words of lament feeling more superficial than deep. Our hearts go to TJ, not Yara, a consequence of the film’s vulnerabilities.

The pair Loach / Laverty, who has been working together since 1996, leaves us at the doorstep of an intercultural consolidation one can only dream of. The intentions are noble but The Old Oak doesn’t really come off despite the painful dramas behind each character.

Dream Scenario (2023)

Direction: Kristoffer Borgli
Country: USA

In Dream Scenario, Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli continues his exploration of stubborn, obsessive characters, taking viewers on a tortuous journey into the world of unexplainable dreams and unexpected fame. On the heels of his previous work, Sick of Myself (2022), Borgli's first English-language feature is a bizarre and exhilarating tale that thrives on complexities and dilemmas, offering an unconventional cinematic experience. The filmmaker doesn’t aim to deliver a blatant message in this well-told fantastic story that, even not for everyone, will likely earn the appreciation of adventurous film fans. 

The film grabs hold in a powerful way, as long as we can let ourselves be carried along by its complexities and dilemmas. It tells the story of Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage), a respected biology professor who mysteriously appears in the dreams of strangers. The narrative takes unexpected turns as Paul transitions from a passive bystander to an aggressive force, leading to fame, scandal, fear, and even a sexual encounter with a young woman played by Dylan Gelula.

Horror fantasy blends with psychological drama and dark comedy as Borgli, combining imagination and technique, explores dysfunctional aspects of modern life. The structure may challenge some viewers, but those who stay engaged will find plenty of awkwardness offering a distinct cinematic pleasure. In summary, the surreal and ambiguity never dwindle the emotional stakes.

The Pigeon Tunnel (2023)

Direction: Errol Morris
Country: UK 

The Pigeon Tunnel lifts the veil on the life of David Cornwell, better known as John le Carré, the renowned author of espionage classics such as The Spy Who Came From the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and The Constant Gardener. Weaving together sparse archival footage, newspaper articles, and re-enactments of Cornwell’s life episodes, this documentary frames a singular portrait of a man of mystery whose life inspired his literary masterpieces.

The notable documentarian Errol Morris, who excelled with The Thin Blue Line (1988) and Gates of Heaven (1978), takes on the role of interrogator and interviewer in a competent manner. However, despite an imposing score and enigmatic imagery, the film lacks a certain tension that one might expect from a spy-related narrative. Yet, the film compensates with interesting revelations and intimate details that will probably make fans and newcomers care.

The documentary delves into le Carré's complex relationship with his con artist father, Ronny, and mentions Kim Philby, a notorious spy for the Soviet Union and betrayer of the Queen, who held a deep admiration for le Carré's work. Its main strength lies in le Carré's secret life, shedding light on themes of betrayal, deception, duty, and morality. The eternal dance between manipulators and the subjugated is vividly portrayed, adding depth to the narrative. 

Although Morris' direction may be criticized for feeling somewhat static, there is a certain fascination in witnessing how le Carré, often labeled the ‘poet of self-hatred’, crafted novels that seamlessly blended imagination and personal experiences with unparalleled competency. The author died in 2020 at the age of 89.

The Holdovers (2023)

Direction: Alexander Payne
Country: USA

Alexander Payne makes a triumphant return with The Holdovers, a heartwarming comedy-drama set in 1970 that showcases his affectionate style of filmmaking. The film, written by David Hemingson and inspired by his personal experiences, marks the second collaboration with actor Paul Giamatti, known for their previous hit Sideways (2004).

The story unfolds at the prestigious Barton Academy, a private high school for boys, during Christmas break. As three lonely souls - the sarcastic and alcohol-fueled classics teacher Paul Dunham (Giamatti), smart troublemaker Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), and the bereaved cafeteria worker Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) - find themselves in an unexpected bond. The film skillfully juggles dramatic and comedic elements, creating a distinctive tone. However, this is not a particularly new palette for Payne.

Painful past occurrences reflect behaviors and postures in this refreshing drama with an obvious finale and a couple of sticky moments. Having said that, The Holdovers doesn’t beg to be liked, and the chemistry among the main cast members enhances the overall experience, making it feel like a Christmas treat. 

The story, guided by Payne’s becalmed direction and elevated by Giamatti’s outstanding performance, explores the complexities of growing up emotionally - not without sacrifice - and the factors impelling us to find the strength to move forward. Abrasive at the surface but warm in its fleeting moments of reflection, the film muses and liberates rather than demands or confines. This year’s feel-good winner bubbles with humor and positive change as Payne, transforming an intelligent cerebral script into a captivating film, showcases his storytelling prowess and the power of well-executed, character-driven narratives.

The Killer (2023)

Direction: David Fincher
Country: USA

The Killer, David Fincher's 12th feature film, further solidifies the director's reputation for delivering exceptional thrillers. Known for his masterful work in films such as Se7en (1995), Zodiac (2007), Gone Girl (2014), and Fight Club (1999), Fincher explores the world of a cold-blooded hitman. Michael Fassbender, in his first collaboration with Fincher, takes on the role of the meticulous and perfectionist assassin, delivering a performance that matches the film's somber mood. Adapted from the French comic book Le Tueur and co-written by Fincher and Andrew Kevin Walker, the storyline follows the hitman's journey from Paris to the Dominican Republic, New Orleans, Florida, and finally, Chicago.

The film skillfully explores the dehumanization and vulnerabilities of the assassin, who adheres to a strict credo, repeating it in his head to suppress any emotion or empathy. The supporting cast, including Charles Parnell, Sala Baker, Tilda Swinton, and Arliss Howard, adds depth to the narrative, with each character playing a crucial role in this mysterious man's obsessive mission. The voyeurism of the first part is hypnotic and entices the viewers for what comes next in a simple tale enhanced by the music of the English rock band The Smiths. 

It feels like Fincher, with his slyly calibrated moves, wants to deconstruct Hollywood clichés. He makes a shift in the way he returns to the genre, keeping the audiences suspicious and attentive to every possibly relevant detail. Even if they take us nowhere, one still enjoys this restless feeling and unbending tension throughout. In turn, Fassbender’s stoic and icy performance conveys the protagonist’s patience and determination but also his rigidness and mercilessness. While some may expect more from this dark revenge thriller, the result doesn't disappoint.

20,000 Species of Bees (2023)

Direction: Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
Country: Spain

20,000 Species of Bees marks a poignant and delicately crafted debut for Spanish filmmaker Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren. Her sensitive work comes with conscientious observations, deserving praise. Managing to fill the gap between the simplicity of her filmmaking process and the complexity of the issues raised by the story, Solaguren fixates her gaze on Cocó (Sofia Otero), an eight-year-old transgender girl searching for answers and an identity. The time spent with her mother, Ane (Patricia López Arnaiz), and remaining family in her grandmother’s house, which is forever linked to beekeeping, will be determinant to reach an inevitable conclusion. All family members are affected and react differently.

Unfolding in the Basque Country, the narrative, inspired by the tragic real-life case of a 16-year-old who took their own life while awaiting hormone treatment, delves into the mental and physical struggles of not being born in the right body. Simultaneously, it explores the professional challenges and moral dilemmas faced by Ane, as well as the strained relationship with her passive-aggressive mother, Lita (Itziar Lazkano).

The international recognition is not surprising since rarely a film reflected on sexual identity with such clarity, moving forward with firmness without avoiding obstacles. The slow-paced developments serve to reinforce ideas, clarify relationships and positions, and establish a deep connection with the characters. And we are struck by the touching performance of Sofia Otero. This is a sincere and painful portrait that, while breathing intensely, avoids relying on pathos.

Fingernails (2023)

Direction: Christos Nikou
Country: USA

Christos Nikou, known for his impactful directorial debut in Apples (2020) after working as an assistant director on notable films like Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dogtooth (2009) and Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight (2013), falls short with Fingernails. This low-stakes fiction attempts to blend sci-fi, romance, and drama but doesn't quite hit the mark. The central concept revolves around a machine determining one's true feelings for a partner, an idea that, while initially intriguing, comes off as rather silly. The film ends up breaking its own spell with repetition, totally missing the pounding pulse of truth.

The script centers on Anna (Jessie Buckley) and her husband, Ryan (Jeremy Allen White), who score a perfect 100% in their love test, yet their relationship appears to be dwindling. Doubt creeps in when Anna meets Amir (Riz Ahmed) at the love testing institute that she secretly started working for. Fingernails becomes a slow descent into torpor with not enough style or swagger to make it big. It feels like the work of a young director trying to impress without having fully formed ideas. 

Despite potential in the machine-versus-heart dynamic, the film falters, and even Jessie Buckley's charm can't salvage an underwritten story that yearns for more depth. Regrettably, the execution feels too slick and fabricated to convey authenticity, the romance comes across as feeble, and the emotions fail to reach the heart. Alas, I didn't buy a word of it.

The Royal Hotel (2023)

Direction: Kitty Green
Country: Australia

Julia Garner and Jessica Henwick star in The Royal Hotel, an Australian psychological thriller co-written and directed by Kitty Green, a documentarian whose career reached a pinnacle four years ago with the unforgettable fictional drama The Assistant (2019). Not as strong, her new dramatic effort centers on two Canadian best friends - the disquieted Hanna (Garner) and the undisturbed Liv (Henwick) - who experience a toxic male environment while working in a remote pub in the Australian outback. The tension comes from intoxicated men, dubious in their intentions and desperately searching for attention. They repeatedly pose a threat to them.

Green proves she can build up an atmosphere, but this story needed twists to shake things off a bit. The Royal Hotel is ultimately more about mood than action, and it never really takes off, settling into a familiar routine despite the underlying tension. It’s exceptionally confident in the tone it wants to set, but not as much in the story it wants to develop. The pace is slow-burn, the mood positively throbs with anxiety, and the film sways drunkenly towards an abrupt conclusion. Too bad the provocative premise wasn’t more fully explored. 

The cinematography by Michael Latham has an exciting, alive quality despite the dusky tonality of the long nights captured in camera, but if you're seeking horror, thrills, or stimulation, this may not be the film for you.

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)

Direction: Martin Scorsese
Country: USA

Displaying a personal filmic vision, Martin Scorsese directs the historical western crime film, Killers of the Flower Moon, with insight and restraint, benefiting from outstanding performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone. This epic and tragic account accurately depicts Oklahoma in the 1920s, portraying the series of murders of the native Osage tribe by greedy, powerful white men coveting their lands and oil headrights. The asphyxiating monstrosity of the actions is encouraged by a corrupt and racist system that threatens the cultural survival of the Native American tribe in question.

The screenplay, co-written by Scorsese and Eric Roth, based on David Grann’s nonfictional book of the same name, follows the war veteran Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio), advised by his corrupt uncle and crime lord, William King Hale (De Niro), to marry the wealthy Indian Mollie Kyle (Gladstone). One of after another, members of her family are mercilessly murdered until the arrival of a Bureau of Investigation team led by agent Thomas Bruce White Sr. (Jesse Plemons). 

We are caught in the gut with this painful reflection on the American history, transformed in a momentous, highly entertaining picture. Scorsese's impressive narration, not praising violence but rather coming to terms with it, flows at a constant pace. The film is nourished by extraordinary performances by the three leads, an accomplished blues-roots score by the late Robbie Robertson, impeccable editing by Thelma Schoonmaker, and delightful images - sharpened by Mexican cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto - forming a masterfully staged fresco darkly hued by cynicism, avidity, and transgression.

Totem (2023)

Direction: Lila Aviléz
Country: Mexico 

Tótem is the sophomore feature by Mexican writer-director Lila Aviléz, whose debut feature happened in 2018 with The Chambermaid. It’s an unsentimental and deeply personal family drama seen through the eyes of Sol (Naíma Sentíes), a 7-year-old girl who is psychologically preparing to bid farewell to her father, Tonatiuh (Mateo García Elizondo), who is battling cancer. The story revolves around the emotions surrounding Tonatiuh's 27th birthday party, a significant event during this challenging period of their lives. Despite the seemingly grim backdrop, there are many touching details to be discovered within this narrative, thanks to well-developed characters, pitch-perfect performances, and a tactful direction.

The birthday celebration occurs at the house of Sol’s undemonstrative grandfather, organized by her aunts Alejandra (Marisol Gasé), who hires a mystic woman to cleanse the house from negative energies, and Nuria (Montserrat Marañón), a single mother grappling with alcohol issues. Despite aggravating financial problems, the family decides to keep Cruz (Teresita Sánchez), Tonatiuh’s tireless caretaker. 

Tótem provides a grounded, well-rounded insight into the value of life before it changes irrevocably. It belongs to the category of small choral films that, having something to say, are all the more engaging because they're rooted in truth. However, despite its keen observations and insight, it might not leave you completely floored.

Compact and modest in its storytelling, this film can be both heartwarming and heart-wrenching in equal measure. It feels good to see the tensions and conflicts within the family being engulfed by tenderness and love. The film's restraint, brought up by a refined cinematic language, often communicates more through silence than words. Yet, its tenuousness and temperance might limit its reach to a broader audience.

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

Direction: Justine Triet
Country: France

Cannes Film Festival’s Palme D’Or winner, Anatomy of a Fall, is a dense courtroom drama filled with intriguing and revelatory developments. The film, brilliantly directed by Justine Triet (Age of Panic, 2013; Sybil, 2019) and co-written with close collaborator Arthur Harari (Onoda: 10,000 in the Jungle, 2021), stars Sandra Hüller as Sandra Voyter, a German writer living in a secluded chalet in the mountains of France. She becomes the prime suspect in her writer husband’s mysterious death, despite persisting doubts about whether it was an accident, suicide, or murder. To complicate matters, Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner), the couple's visually impaired 11-year-old son and the sole witness to the case, changes his testimony.

With a fine-tuned script that materializes in an impeccable staging, this cooly absorbing, nonchalantly cynical family drama presents three-dimensional characters who hold our attention throughout. Its real masterstroke is the shroud of ambiguity that erupts as the narrative dissects the fragile marital relationship between the couple. Many details and discrepancies must be considered during the investigation: a past accident involving their son caused guilt and resentment; the literary couple has disparate professional successes; and Sandra, being bisexual, had a few flings with women that motivated jealousy.

Hüller, who first gained notoriety in Mare Ade’s Toni Erdmann (2016), exudes dazzling charisma and oozes class with her performance, while Triet is at the top of her game, creating a precise, intelligent portrait of a free woman whose confidence and composure never seem shaken. The close-ups are penetratingly sharp, and the dialogues are absorbing, allowing the film to breeze through its two-hour-and-thirty-minute running time despite the weightiness of a psychological drama woven with incredible richness. Anatomy of a Fall is easily the most attractive and entertaining courtroom drama in recent years and represents Triet’s best work.

Kidnapped (2023)

Direction: Marco Bellocchio
Country: Italy

From Marco Bellocchio, the director of Fists in the Pocket (1965), Vincere (2009), and The Traitor (2019), comes Kidnapped, an exposé of a period in history when the Church wielded moral violence without responsibility or accountability to any authority.  In this film, Bellocchio, without exceptional brilliance but with the socio-political edge that characterizes his works, portrays the true story of Edgardo Mortara (Enea Sala), a six-year-old Jewish boy who was forcibly taken from his family by Pope Pius IX (Paolo Pierobon) after rumors of a secret baptism. The film is set in 1858, and Edgardo's parents, Momolo (Fausto Russo Alesi) and Marianna (Barbara Ronchi), wage an inglorious battle to reclaim him. Even with the scandal of several such abductions becoming public and Rome being liberated, it's difficult to erase a lifetime of brainwashing. 

There isn’t a moment that is not watchable but those moments could have added much more to the whole if better planned and executed. Despite needing a darker ambiance and more polished dialogue, the film is visually striking and well scored by the dramatic sounds of Fabio Massimo Capogrosso.

Kidnapped may require some patience from the audience as not offers a narrative that only dazzles intermittently. It’s a film centered on unanswered prayers, life-altering religious conversions, and soul-damaging submissions and humiliations, once again placing the Catholic Church at the center of criticism. Despite the formless ramble of its structure and the emotional distance that impairs some its scenes, the film tackles an interesting topic and features reasonably solid performances.

Flora and Son (2023)

Direction: John Carney
Country: Ireland 

Irish writer and director John Carney has a track record of successful music dramas in his filmography, with films like Once (2007) and Sing Street (2016). However, his latest effort, Flora and the Son, falls flat. It’s a crowd-pleaser that lazily resorts to cheesiness in an attempt to compensate for its plot limitations. The film suffers from an artificial quality, and the sickly sweet songs, while trying to tug at the heartstrings, contribute little to the overall substance.

The story revolves around Flora (Eve Hewson), an angry and frustrated single mother from Dublin who is struggling to find her way in life after separating from Ian (Jack Reynor), a once-successful musician whose career hit a roadblock when his band broke up. Flora’s delinquent teenage son, Max (Orén Kinlan), frequently challenges her, and seems condemned to spend time in a correction facility. However, Flora, who works as a babysitter, discovers the transformative power of music when she starts taking online guitar lessons with L.A.-based teacher Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). The latter reveals his own personal insecurities, but becomes the catalyst for Flora and her son to forge a bond that never had existed before. 

Carney seemed inclined to embrace the realism of directors like Ken Loach, but then gets too busy honey-coating musical sequences marred by cloying sentimentality. Sadly, they never fill you up. By failing to provide deeper dimension to his characters and their life struggles, Carney's film loses its appeal with each passing scene. Manipulative and superficially constructed to escape monotony, Flora and Son repeatedly hits the same uninspiring notes throughout its duration.

Fair Play (2023)

Direction: Chloe Domont
Country: USA

This erotic psychological thriller, directed by Chloe Dumont in her directorial feature debut, starts with a bang, has a tense middle part, but heavily stumbles in the final act. Written by the American director, Fair Play dissects a couple’s relationship that becomes toxic when Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) snags the coveted promotion that was expected to go to her colleague and secret fiancé, Luke (Alden Ehrenreich). Both of them work in a demanding Manhattan hedge fund led by Campbell (Eddie Marsan), the cold, insensitive, and sometimes ruthless CEO who treats them disparately. Seeing enormous potential in Emily, he completely snubs Luke.

The film delves into the limits of ambition, exploring psychological abuse and toxic masculinity within the backdrop of a gripping corporate setting. Although it can be a positive viewing experience for some, it grapples with several issues, particularly in the emotional department. The cynicism sometimes masks itself as profound revelation, and the storyline can feel somewhat familiar, eventually losing momentum in its final stretch. However, Dumont's timing remains sharp, and her portrayal of the tense corporate atmosphere is disturbingly convincing.

While the characters’ transgressions are intentional, cruel, and punishable, the story is sustained by the mechanics of rivalry, ambition, fragility, exclusion, and jealousy. Fair Play is a love story in much the same way that Kramer vs. Kramer is a comedy. It touches a nerve with topics such as abusive corporation treatment and sexual harassment. However, it falls short of realizing its full potential, with a conclusion that doesn't quite measure up to the rest of the narrative.

Rheingold (2023)

Direction: Fatih Akin
Country: Germany 

While German writer-director Fatih Akin’s early films, such as Head-On (2004) and The Edge of Heaven (2007), are compelling choices, Rheingold - a tale of immigration, violence, and music based on the biography of German rapper Xatar - falls short of the mark. The movie chronicles the journey of Giwar Hajabi (Emilio Sakraya), a young Kurdish-Iranian immigrant who turns to a life of crime and drug trafficking before gaining notoriety as a music artist while incarcerated. However, both the segments portraying the street gangster and the musician prisoner prove to be tedious and unengaging.

Spanning 30 years, the narrative initially sparks interest but gradually loses its grip by resorting to standardized routines often seen in gangster action dramas. Rheingold struggles to offer moments that feel particularly original or inspired. The film is marred by a messy structure, lackluster storytelling, choppy editing, and dull action sequences. Frankly not likable, it lacks the excitement needed to leave a lasting impression. 

In summary, this amalgamation of gangsta-rap and gangland themes is a soulless misfire from a director we know capable of delivering better.

Full River Red (2023)

Direction: Zhang Yimou
Country: China

Whenever Chinese helmer Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, 1991; Hero, 2002; House of the Flying Daggers, 2004) releases a new film, audiences expect dense plots, epic battles, and dazzling visuals. However, his latest venture, the action comedy mystery film Full River Red, delivers some of these elements unevenly and goes overboard with self-indulgent gimmicks. As is often the case, the story is set in an ancient era but this time comes marked by an excess of twists to the point of nausea.

When a Jin diplomat is mysteriously assassinated at the house of Song grand chancellor, Qin Hui (Lei Jiayin), the latter appoints a smart low-ranking soldier, Zhang Da (Shen Teng), and a brave young commander, Sun Jun (Jackson Yee), to solve the case. An important letter is also reported missing, and the conspiracy seems much bigger than initially thought.

Failing to ramp up the drama of things, Yimou adopts a jocular tone that, never fully committing, leaves the film feeling dull. The investigation runs out of steam too early, mired by a convoluted plot that falls into repetitive patterns. It’s hard to see past the glossy surface here, so fans seeking interesting characters should look elsewhere. Moreover, the music playing in the chapter transitions is detestable, and each action scene, sly as it tries to be, feels artificial and terribly monotonous. 

More corny than enthralling, and constantly overacted, Full River Red fails to emotionally invest the audience in the narrative. Lamentably, Yimou didn’t put enough effort into this one to provoke or engage the viewer.

Mami Wata (2023)

Direction: C.J. “Fiery” Obasi
Country: Nigeria

The third feature from Nigerian writer-director C.J. “Fiery” Obasi, Mami Wata, presents a modern fable rooted in West African folklore. This brave and unusual film blends cultural defiance, intriguing mysticism, survival tension, and an unlikely romance, creating a narrative that is both poignant and unsettling. Sometimes spare, sometimes reverberant, the film not only captures the obscure traditional essence of an isolated Nigerian village but also sheds light on the oppression faced by women due to the looming malevolence of power-thirsty men.

Two story follows two warrior sisters, Zinwe (Uzoamaka Aniunoh) and Prisca (Evelyne Ily Juhen), who struggle to comprehend the ways of their mother, Mama Efe (Rita Edochie). The latter is the powerful intermediary between the people of Iyi and Mami Wata, the African goddess of water. Mama Efe entrusts the problems and requests of the villagers to this spirit, rejecting all types of external help to bring vaccines, schools, hospitals, and electricity to the village. However, her authority is called into question when a boy dies from a virus. A central conflict arises - is Mami Wata a real spiritual leader or a myth? To further complicate matters, an inscrutable rebel deserter named Jasper (Emeka Amakeze) arrives unannounced, aligning himself with a local subverter, Jabi (Kelechi Udegbe). 

Refreshingly simple in tone and efficiently structured, the film exudes the charm of old classics, embodying the eternal struggle between good and evil with a clarity that never goes out of style. Likewise, the dilemmas arising from the clash between rigid tradition and enticing progress are straightforward, allowing us to approach this different way of life with a sense of curiosity. 

At times, the story may follow predictable patterns, but it remains consistently fascinating, steeped in lyrical enchantment and fierce determination. What truly lends the film its mesmerizing atmosphere is the quietly radiant black-and-white cinematography by Brazilian cinematographer Lílis Soares.

Dumb Money (2023)

Direction: Craig Gillespie
Country: USA

This biographical comedy-drama depicting the stock short squeeze of video game retailer GameStop in January 2021 leans more towards being laughably tame than audaciously bold. Directed by Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl, 2007; I, Tonya, 2017) and written by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, the film represents a feeble adaptation of Ben Mezrich's book, The Antisocial Network.

Although it’s an ensemble cast that populates the screen, Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood, 2007; Love & Mercy, 2014) takes central stage as Keith Gill, a modest financial analyst and YouTuber operating under the moniker Roaring Kitty. Those who followed Gill's strategies had the potential to amass an unimaginable amount of money in the unpredictable game dictated by the stock market's ebbs and flows. Personal decisions played a pivotal role.

Had the filmmaker dared to dip below the surface, and maybe we would have a better film. Dumb Money fails to adequately develop its characters, making them feel unrelatable and causing the narrative to drag. What are audiences supposed to do with this, anyway? In the midst of the constant buzz surrounding the stock market, Gillespie's film struggles to find its footing. 

His work fails to get under your skin because it's content with poking you in the eye. The material offered the potential to create something thought-provoking and didactic, but he squandered the chance by allowing an invertebrate scenario. Hence, there’s no need to go to the movie theater to measure the extent of the damage because what the film tells you in 104 minutes could be absorbed from reading a brief paragraph.

Rotting in the Sun (2023)

Direction: Sebastian Silva
Country: Chile 

While relaxing in a Mexican gay nude beach, Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Silva meets American comedian and social media influencer Jordan Firstman, who is a fan of his movies. Despite Silva’s initial reservations, they agrees to an artistic collaboration. The two personalities feast on caricatural portrayals of themselves and mock death in this shaggy-dog meta-narrative called Rotting in the Sun. The true standout in the movie is Chilean actress Catalina Saavedra, who skillfully reprises her role as a morally-resistant maid - a character that garnered critical  acclaim in Silva’s second feature, The Maid (2009).

The film unfolds in two distinct halves, and unfortunately, neither proves satisfying. The first part comes off as gratuitous, fixating on the visibly depressed director engrossed in Romanian author Emil Cioran’s book The Trouble of Being Born while contemplating existential struggles and suicide. It’s also pelted with drawn-out, unsimulated sex scenes that add absolutely nothing to the plot. The second part takes a bleak turn, dealing with real death and disappearance, and adopting an investigative and slightly more thrilling tone. However, it fails to shake off the programmatic nature that plagues the narrative.

Silva's direction falters while striving to shock the audience at every juncture, and the repetitive scenes never compensate the lack of ideas. What could have been a provocative satire ended up feeling excessively simulated, derailed by an uncontrolled impetus that only makes it further rigid and cold. In the end, the uninspired director delivers a poor reality-fiction hybrid that proves challenging for the audience to engage with. Unapologetically unpleasant, the film feels stale, like it has been left to rot in the sun.

Bottoms (2023)

Direction: Emma Seligman
Country: USA 

Although exhibiting a proper tonal consistency and acted with intentness, Emma Seligman’s sophomore feature, Bottoms, fails short of the wit and tension showcased in her directorial debut, Shiva Baby (2020). It’s not that the characters lack empathetic eccentricity, but rather that the director amplifies the imbecility in the last quarter to the point of sacrificing any potential subtlety for depthless. 

The story, co-written by Seligman and Rachel Sennott - who also stars - revolves around two unpopular teenage gay girls and best friends: PJ (Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri). They initiate a feminist self-defense fight club at Rockbridge Falls High School, not necessarily to protect themselves from the giant male football players, but to woo the hot cheerleaders they’ve set their sights on. While the shy Josie is smitten with Isabel (Havana Rose Liu), the outgoing PJ is charmed by Brittany (Kaia Gerber). Amidst unorthodox fight and defense tactics, they learn to share their traumas. 

Alternating between crude rebelliousness and soapy tenderness, the film races through the scenes with sharp-tongued cheekiness, a loud-and-brash posture, and pathetic behavior. It’s off-the-wall and carries an energetic vibe that injects dynamism. However, it often feels forced in its subversiveness and becomes quite dull on occasion, seemingly detached from reality as it favors a puerile absurdity. While most of the jokes are satisfying, only a couple truly land as clever jabs.

Bottoms provides gay-themed material aimed at teens with a level of insight that rarely rises above standard parody. It didn’t resonate with me, but at least the cast appears to have had a blast in this feminist celebration of love, youth, and friendship.