Uncut Gems (2019)

The morning after I watched Uncut Gems (2019) on Netflix (where it’s been released for international audiences), I felt like I had a hangover: agitated, restless, but also euphoric over having finally seen something I was so hyped for. When we first see jeweller and gambler Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) in his shop at the […]

The Lighthouse (2019)

On the basis of two films, Robert Eggers is cementing himself as a horror auteur interested in myth, folklore and a kind of New England turn of the century American horror. The Lighthouse (2019) is his second film after his critically acclaimed The VVitch. It will be challenging for some viewers – it’s black and […]

Thelma (2017)

The common comparison that Thelma (2017) gets is that it’s an arthouse Carrie. And it is about a young woman, Thelma (Eili Harboe), who discovers she has psychic powers while being torn between her religious upbringing and sexual desires. However, Norwegian director Joachim Trier still carries through his past work in empathetic character-based dramas (like […]

Spoor (2017)

When Spoor (2017; Pokot) opens with a sweeping shot of the majestic snowy landscape of the Klodzko Valley where it is set, accompanied by Antoni Lazarkiewicz’s thunderous score, I was reminded of the Coen Brothers’ Fargo. However, this film directed by Agnieszka Holland is not as nihilistic as the Coens, with strong environmental themes, introducing […]

Crawl (2019)

Look, I enjoyed the Blake Lively versus a shark flick, The Shallows, so when Crawl (2019) came out this year, released quietly without any critic screenings, I was hoping for more of the same – just a different critter. Thrillers like this are a succession of obstacles for the beleaguered protagonist, and are not for […]