Festivals

Man with curly hair and beard wearing dark shirt stands behind wire mesh fence, with blurred figure visible in background.
Toronto Film Festival

The Fence – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Claire Denis’ fourth film shot in Africa concerns an American foreman attempting to smooth over the death of a worker, starring Matt Dillon and Isaach de Bankolé.
Two men in white shirts on dark stage, one wearing headband, hands positioned on each other's shoulders in dim lighting.
Toronto Film Festival

Sacrifice – first-look review

by Mark Asch

Roman Gavras’ timely satire, set in the world of the über rich, fails to cut despite its starry cast.
Man in white shirt with green and blue tinted lighting, blurred background with bright signage visible.
Toronto Film Festival

Hamlet – first-look review

by Jenna Mahale

Aneil Karia’s Hamlet, starring Riz Ahmed as the doomed prince, is an occasionally beautiful but largely inert exercise.
Female boxer in white vest and shorts with red gloves celebrates in boxing ring under bright overhead lights.
Toronto Film Festival

Christy – first-look review

by Mark Asch

David Michôd’s biopic of pioneering boxer Christy Martin is a serviceable showcase for Sydney Sweeney.
Blonde woman in white t-shirt stands in doorway with person behind her placing hands on her pregnant belly.
Toronto Film Festival

Maddie's Secret – first-look review

by Mark Asch

John Early’s directorial debut, about a young woman struggling with an eating disorder, is a sincere and surprising comedic triumph.
Black and white aerial view of urban sprawl with mountain silhouette in distance under dramatic cloudy sky.
Venice Film Festival

Below The Clouds – first-look review

by Rafa Sales Ross

Gianfranco Rosi’s study of Italy’s legendary Mount Vesuvius is a beautiful but occasionally stagnant portrait of life near an active volcano.
Person in dark clothing standing beside massive tree trunk in wooded area with dense green foliage overhead.
Venice Film Festival

Silent Friend – first-look review

by Sophie Monks Kaufman

Hungarian filmmaker ldikó Enyedi turns a university’s botanical garden into a site of limitless curiosity as an ancient tree observes the rhythms of three lives over the course of a century.
Two people in dark setting holding lit candles, one wearing white hooded garment, warm orange candlelight against cool blue background.
Venice Film Festival

100 Nights of Hero – first-look review

by Laura Venning

Julia Jackman’s adaptation of Isabel Greenberg’s graphic novel is a charming, ambitious queer fantasy.
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Venice Film Festival

Remake – first-look review

by Hannah Strong

In his first film in 14 years, Ross McElwee comes to terms with the death of his son Adrian, and what good documentary is in the face of heartbreak.
Black and white image of man with curly hair sitting at cluttered table, holding small object, with mug and glass beside scattered papers.
Venice Film Festival

In the Hand of Dante – first-look review

by Hannah Strong

Julian Schnabel’s turgid adaptation of Nick Tosches’ 2002 novel recreates the experience of travelling through Dante’s Inferno for the viewer.