Category: Recaps

By C. Ramsay

Honourable Mentions

In alphabetical order, these are the films that have so far stood out to me without quite reaching my current Top 10.

• Backrooms | Dir. Kane Parsons | Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction
  • An entryway to an alternate dimension of never-ending liminal spaces and mostly empty rooms is discovered in the basement of a furniture store, and the store owner, his employees, and his therapist become drawn to exploring what’s on the other side. This feature-length directorial debut from (at the time of production) 20-year-old Kane Parsons mostly falters in its writing, but otherwise cultivates a uniquely stressful atmosphere and showcases the acting abilities of Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, among others. Full review here.
• The Drama | Dir. Kristoffer Borgli | Comedy, Drama, Romance
  • A couple nearing their wedding day suddenly find their entire relationship in flux after one of them reveals something about their past that the other feels completely shocked by. With Zendaya and Robert Pattinson at the forefront, and memorable supporting performances from Mamoudou Athie, Hailey Benton Gates, and Alana Haim, especially, the film is nuanced in finding the humour surrounding its situations, and provides compelling discussion points for its audience.
• I Want Your Sex | Dir. Gregg Araki | Comedy, Drama, Thriller
  • A young man, recently hired to assist a prominent visual artist, finds himself in over his head when she initiates a sexual BDSM relationship with him and things get out of control. A fun addition to the erotic comedy canon that keeps its thriller components secondary, light, and airy to its musings on desire, casual sex, consent, and kink.
• Magalhães (Magellan) | Dir. Lav Diaz | Adventure, Drama, History
  • Gael García Bernal plays Portuguese nobleman Ferdinand Magellan in this epic about his 16th-century expedition across the then uncharted Pacific Ocean, which culminated in him trying to force Catholicism onto the people he meets in Cebu. Featuring visually stunning cinematography, while the central figure of the film is Magellan, the focus is on the ruptures caused by colonial campaigns and the devastation faced by Indigenous Peoples, though community agency is also explicitly highlighted.
• The Moment | Dir. Aidan Zamiri | Comedy, Drama, Music
  • Charli xcx fulfills this self-satirizing music comedy by portraying a pop star who begins to reconsider her values and goals with the approach of her first arena tour. Shot as a mockumentary, the boldness of this endeavour succeeds on the strength of Charli’s performance, through which she reveals a natural capability to hit both comedic beats and a range of emotional notes.
• The Odyssey | Dir. Christopher Nolan | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
  • After the Trojan War, King Odysseus and his crew spend years struggling to achieve their homecoming. Christopher Nolan’s take on the ancient Greek epic is as sparse as it is bountiful, utilizing a degree of sterility to better accentuate each set piece. While the talents of some of the cast feel underutilized or misdirected given their screen time, and much of the comedic delivery feels out of place, the audiovisual experience of seeing this in theatres (in any format!) is exceptional, and Nolan’s contemporized interpretations of the the story’s themes allow for his adaptation to be faithful in many ways without sacrificing creativity and modern relatability.
• The Plague | Dir. Charlie Polinger | Drama, Thriller
  • At a water polo summer camp for tweens, an awkward boy attempts to navigate securing his place among the more popular kids while contending with betraying his morals in regards to the treatment of an even more socially maligned boy. Featuring gorgeous cinematography that’s often used to amplify the tension of the film, the horrors of coming of age are exemplified in both metaphorical and very real ways.
• 黒牢城 (The Samurai and the Prisoner) | Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Drama, History, Mystery
  • When a lord is forced from within the confines of his castle to defend against a tyrant he has opposed, he begins to see various crimes and murders take place and seeks assistance from a rival strategist he has imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon. Playing out like a game of Clue set in 16th century Japan, the film uses humour and intrigue to examine what it means to follow social expectations and what it takes to break them.

Current Top 10