Contributor Mark Asch

Two men in suits, one on a phone, in the back of a car.
Review

The Apprentice review – Demands sympathy for the devil

by Mark Asch

Sebastian Stan essays a young Donald Trump in this glossy, empty film about the orange fascist’s initial dabbling in evil.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
1
In Retrospect
A dressing room scene with several people getting ready, surrounded by mirrors and lighting. Warm tones predominate, with a cosy, intimate atmosphere.
Festivals

Saturday Night – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Jason Reitman pans back to 1975 and Lorne Michaels' ambitious plans for a live broadcast sketch show in his fanfiction retelling of SNL's inception.
Two people, a man and a woman, standing in a forest, both smiling.
Festivals

Eden – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Ron Howard tries his hand at the camp historical caper in this ironically-titled and decidedly lightweight 1930s-set runaround with Jude Law and Vanessa Kirby.
Close-up of a person wearing a dark outfit with sequinned embellishments against a blurred night-time cityscape background.
Festivals

The Last Showgirl – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Pamela Anderson excels as an over-the-hill Vegas showgirl seeing out her notice period in this low-key, vibey backstage drama from Gia Coppola.
A serious-looking Black woman with braided hair, wearing a green jacket, speaking on a mobile phone.
Festivals

Hard Truths – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Reuniting with Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Mike Leigh makes a welcome return to contemporary filmmaking with a searing portrait of a woman on the brink.
Two people, a man and a woman, walking and smiling in a park setting.
Festivals

We Live in Time – first-look review

by Mark Asch

John Crowley delivers a millennial cancer weepie with two game leads in Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield.
Person blowing out candles on birthday cake in a kitchen setting.
Festivals

The End – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Joshua Oppenheimer returns with an ambitious, post-apocalyptic musical whose thematic flights of fancy are always just a little too strident.

2
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A person in a black robe holding up a white sheet of paper against a dark background.
Festivals

The Seed of the Sacred Fig – first-look review

by Mark Asch

An Iranian judge appointed to Tehran's Revolutionary Court grapples with dissent both at work and at home in Mohammad Rasoulof’s politically charged thriller.
A woman in a long white dress standing on a balcony with lush greenery and a scenic coastal view in the background.
Festivals

Parthenope – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Paolo Sorrentino, Italy's lustiest working filmmaker, spins a tedious yarn about one woman's otherworldly beauty.
Two men in suits, one on a phone, in the back of a car.
Festivals

The Apprentice – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Ali Abbasi's attempted takedown of America's previous (and perhaps next) President of the United States, charting his early years under the mentorship of Roy Cohn, lacks the killer instinct.

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