My Courses

“Nowhere,” the latest international Netflix thriller, takes a bit too long to find itself, and struggles with tone, but a committed performance by Anna Castillo keeps it from drifting off to the horizon. After a clunky prologue that chooses to place this refugee crisis in a dystopian future where women and children are being caged…

Appreciations of Brian De Palma‘s masterful art often center on acknowledged pop culture phenomena like “Carrie” and “Scarface.” But one of my favorite films of his has always been “Carlito’s Way,” which has been given a 4K restoration by Arrow in a loaded new limited edition release that also includes new special features and a commentary…

“Mami Wata” is a combination fable and thriller from Benin, shot in black-and-white and set in a seaside village called Iyi. It starts with a shot of the ocean at night. The crashing surf is blurred almost to abstraction. The sound of the water is as loud as it would be if you were actually on a beach.…

It’s ironically apt that “The Creator,” about the potential and peril of artificial intelligence, merely resembles profound science fiction. Rich in atmosphere but short on substance, director and co-writer Gareth Edwards’ film has the look and tone of a serious, original work of art, but it ends up feeling empty as it recycles images and…