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Sundance 2019: Q&A with 'Bedlam' director Ken Rosenberg and BLM founder Patrisse Cullors

By Miranda Gershoni | January 30, 2019

Millions of Americans struggle with mental health-related illnesses every year, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, but many individuals are not fully aware of the workings of the mental health system. The haunting documentary, “Bedlam,” which just premiered at Sundance, marks a unique opportunity to shed light on this crisis to the masses. 

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Sundance 2019: 'Honey Boy' showcases Shia LaBeouf's vulnerability

By Eva Hong | January 30, 2019

I only realized that “Honey Boy” is an autobiographical story of Shia LaBeouf’s own troubled childhood and chaotic famed life after I walked out of the theater. It is a habit of mine to refrain from reading reviews before seeing a film. 

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'Zama' and the ethics of representing colonialism

By Alizeh Sheikh | January 30, 2019

Listed by more than a few reputable publications as one of the best movies of the year, Lucrecia Martel’s “Zama” has received praise by the bucketful. The film was screened Jan. 14 at the Rubenstein Arts Center and was introduced by Dr. Keiji Kunigami, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Romance Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. 

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Hulu versus Netflix: Who did the Fyre Festival documentary best?

By Jack Rubenstein | January 30, 2019

Within days of each other, Netflix and Hulu released documentaries about the failed 2017 Fyre Festival, putting the calamitous event back in the news. Neither film is perfect, but after watching both, Netflix’s “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened” is considerably better than Hulu’s “Fyre Fraud”.  

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Backstreet's back: 'DNA' fails to live up to '90s nostalgia

By Kerry Rork | January 30, 2019

For years, late '90s nostalgia seemed to litter modern media, from a resurgence of butterfly hair clips and cargo pants to a new obsession over '90s brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Birkenstocks. This love for '90s culture has extended its grasp into the music industry through the newest Ariana Grande music video, “thank u, next,” filled with cult classic film allusions and artists like Iggy Azalea wearing “Clueless” outfits.

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'On the Basis of Sex' explores the origins of the notorious RBG

By Zach Kronsberg | January 30, 2019

After the release of the documentary "RBG" last year, a new film explores the origins of current Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

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'Glass' is a disappointing finale to the Shyamalan trilogy

By Don Gex | January 30, 2019

“Glass” begins three weeks after the events of “Split.” Kevin Wendell Crumb, the villain of "Split," is still on the loose and wreaking havoc on Philadelphia, abducting young girls and sacrificing them to his 24th dissociated personality, the Beast, in an attempt to show his strength to the world

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Golden Globes sticks to predictable wins and crowd favorites

By Sydny Long | January 23, 2019

The ceremony had been engineered to yield optimal levels of inoffensive fun. 

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Cheney biopic 'Vice' wastes stellar work from Christian Bale

By Jack Rubenstein | January 23, 2019

Everyone on “Vice"'s marketing team deserves a raise. I could not wait to see the movie, mostly due to a stellar trailer that mainly focuses on the conversation where George W. Bush asks Dick Cheney to be his Vice President. The scene is tense and captivating, but nothing else in the movie comes close to echoing its greatness.

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James Blake's 'Assume Form' ponders complexities of human connection

By Aaron Paskin | January 23, 2019

On “Assume Form,” James Blake’s fourth studio album, the London genre-bender is enamored and overwhelmed by the many facets of human connection. An immediately accessible approach to pondering such an abstract area would be to ground it in something tangible, be it technology or simply the physical sensation of touch.

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2019 Oscar nominations: 'Roma' and 'The Favourite' lead pack of predictable contenders

By Sydny Long | January 22, 2019

This awards season has been an excruciating roller coaster ride, zigging past worthwhile contenders in favor of zagging into Bryan Singer’s trophy shelf. If the Golden Globes marks the start of a slow climb up the hill of anticipation, the announcement of the Academy Awards nominees marks the summit. 

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'Tidying Up with Marie Kondo' bridges minimalism and sentimentality

By Frances Beroset | January 9, 2019

“My mission is to spark joy in the world through tidying,” Marie Kondo explains self-assuredly in the trailer for the eight-episode show “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” released on Netflix Jan. 1, as many Americans, myself included, are in a spirit of New Year self-improvement. 

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'The Bisexual' is funny, dramatic and much-needed

By Alizeh Sheikh | January 9, 2019

Riding the heels of her Sundance Grand Jury win for this summer’s “The Miseducation of Cameron Post," Iranian-American filmmaker Desiree Akhavan’s six-episode series “The Bisexual” debuted on Hulu in November with surprisingly little to no fanfare. 

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The allure of 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' quickly dissolves

By Jack Rubenstein | January 9, 2019

After three hours of watching “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch”, Netflix’s new standalone "Black Mirror" movie that was supposed to take 90 minutes, I had to give up. 

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'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' is a novelty, not a revolutionary

By Alizeh Sheikh | January 2, 2019

In an era saturated with superheroes and villains, “Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse” is a welcome novelty for the Marvel franchise, though its stunning visuals are not enough to counteract a narrative that is same-old, same-old. 

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Personal rivalries become political in 'The Favourite'

By Sarah Derris | January 2, 2019

Director and auteur Yorgos Lanthimos has captured the attention of critics for his audaciously peculiar imagery and unorthodox storytelling. His repertoire includes “Dogtooth,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” and “The Lobster,” films that have split the opinion of viewers. Some call his work clinical and unrelatable, while others praise it as fresh and iconoclastic. 

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ZAYN grapples with the aftermath of superstardom on 'Icarus Falls'

By Margot Armbruster | January 2, 2019

Do good things come to R&B fans who wait? After teasing listeners for months following his 2016 debut solo album “Mind of Mine,” former One Direction star Zayn Malik dropped “Icarus Falls” Dec. 14. 

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'Mary, Queen of Scots' tells the tale of sister queens

By Selena Qian | January 2, 2019

In its tale of two monarchs, Josie Rourke’s “Mary, Queen of Scots” maintains major historical points but oversimplifies the narrative. 

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Six films released in 2018 that you need to watch right now

By Nina Wilder | December 31, 2018

As the Recess section’s resident film lover, the responsibility to decree the year’s best movies often falls upon my shoulders.

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'ROMA' offers human insight into loneliness and motherhood

By Don Gex | December 26, 2018

A marble floor comes into focus as the opening credits begin to play. No music, no conversation, just the simple sound of the water swishing across the pavement and a plane's engine booming overhead.