Contributor Matt Thrift

Man in hat standing next to woman with curled hair wearing a scarf, in a black and white film noir style image.
Review

Laura (1944)

by Matt Thrift

A new Blu-ray edition provides an opportunity to revisit Otto Preminger’s slyly subversive noir masterpiece.

5
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Two people in outdoor gear, one in a red jacket and the other in a blue jacket, standing near a textured grey wall.
Review

An Elephant Sitting Still

by Matt Thrift

Hu Bo’s search for hope and humanity in present-day China is a monumental debut tinged with tragedy.

2
Anticipation
5
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
An elderly woman sitting in a cluttered room, wearing a purple jumper and scarf.
Review

Dead Souls

by Matt Thrift

This eight-hour epic from Chinese filmmaker Wang Bing chronicles one of the worst atrocities in human history.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Autumnal forest path, two figures walking on wooden boardwalk surrounded by yellow leaves and sunlit foliage.
Review

The Wild Pear Tree

by Matt Thrift

Turkey’s foremost dramatist returns with his most imposing and impressive film to date.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
A woman in a white bikini standing on the bow of a boat, with turquoise water in the background.
Festivals

The best new films from New Horizons Film Festival 2018

by Matt Thrift

Some of the strongest emerging voices in world cinema took centre stage at the Polish festival’s 18th edition.
A young child sitting alone on a step, dressed in traditional clothing, staring off into the distance.

David Lynch’s ‘Room to Dream’ is an intimate, humanising self-portrait

by Matt Thrift

This wonderful new book is the most comprehensive overview of the filmmaker’s life and career to date.
A man with dark hair, staring pensively with his hand on his chin.
Interviews

Hal Hartley: ‘I try to juxtapose the male gaze with female independence’

by Matt Thrift

The prolific independent filmmaker reflects on his career ahead of Henry Fool’s 20th anniversary.
A black and white portrait illustration of a person with long, wavy hair, wearing glasses and a striped shirt, with a pensive expression and a hand raised to their chin.
Interviews

Lucrecia Martel: ‘History is more arbitrary than science fiction’

by Matt Thrift

It took the best part of a decade to bring Zama to the big screen. Its writer/director tells us about her epic journey.
A woman in a polka dot top using a landline telephone.
Review

Unsane

by Matt Thrift

Formal ambition aside, there’s nothing out of the ordinary about Steven Soderbergh’s iPhone psychodrama.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Headshot of a man in a suit with serious expression against colourful lights.
Review

Mute

by Matt Thrift

Duncan Jones’ spiritual sequel to Moon is a neon-drenched nightmare – and not in the way anyone intended.

3
Anticipation
1
Enjoyment
1
In Retrospect

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