Shin Godzilla (2016) by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi

December 26, 2016

Review by Lydia Creech

Godzilla films have always been best when looking politics right in the face, and Anno upholds and updates that tradition here.

Amy Adams stars in Nocturnal Animals — Amy Adams stars in *Nocturnal Animals*

Nocturnal Animals (2016) by Tom Ford

December 21, 2016

Review by Ben Shull

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once noted that “the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” That very question is the crux of this film. Evil is ugly, yet a blackened heart begets it again and again and again.

Alex Hippert stars as "Little" in director Barry Jenkins's Moonlight — Alex Hippert stars as "Little" in director Barry Jenkins's *Moonlight*

Moonlight (2016) by Barry Jenkins

December 18, 2016

Personal Essay by Courtney Anderson

I have to be honest and say that I don’t believe in total “universality” of films, especially not Moonlight. Chiron’s narrative is one that is so often ignored that the idea that “everyone” can find themselves in him confuses me. But I know Chiron.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) by Stephen Chbosky

December 12, 2016

Personal Essay by John McAmis

It’s a harsh truth, but any human who testifies that they enjoy being alone is lying.

Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard in Allied — Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard in *Allied*

Allied (2016) by Robert Zemeckis

December 11, 2016

Review by Nadine Smith

What makes Allied so fascinating is not just its deliberate and obvious employment of artifice in form, but its engagement with constructed surfaces as its very subject. Allied is all about the artifice not just of espionage, but of acting (and filmmaking) itself: the film is stuffed with numerous rehearsals, auditions, and bad accents that draw attention to its own exterior. Only the love is real.

Cinematary Canon #4: Rappers in Movies

December 3, 2016

This list features writing by Zach Dennis, Andrew Swafford, Jessica Carr, Nathan Smith, Malcolm Baum, and Ben Shull

Click below to see the full list!

Emily Watson and Adam Sandler star in director Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch-Drunk Love — Emily Watson and Adam Sandler star in director Paul Thomas Anderson's *Punch-Drunk Love*

Punch-Drunk Love (2002) by Paul Thomas Anderson

November 27, 2016

Personal Essay / Retro Review by Andrew Swafford

Last month, I got engaged--and it has got me thinking about one of my personal favorite love stories.

Katherine Waterston and Eddie Redmayne star in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them — Katherine Waterston and Eddie Redmayne star in *Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them*

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (2016) by David Yates

November 27, 2016

Review by Zach Dennis

Fantastic Beasts succeeds in its base goals, but never transfixes us like its predecessors did. It seems to suffer from a similar issue as superhero movies in that it forgets to construct an engaging story amidst the wonder happening around it.

Auli’i Cravalho stars as Moana in the newest Disney animated feature

Moana (2016) by Ron Clements and John Musker

November 24, 2016

Review by John McAmis

Themes of family, independence, friendship, and self-discovery are ripe in Moana. These are Disney themes, but again, they seem new this time around. Fresh. Exciting. Surprising.

Hailee Steinfeld stars in director Kelly Fremon's Edge of Seventeen — Hailee Steinfeld stars in director Kelly Fremon's *Edge of Seventeen*

The Edge of Seventeen (2016) by Kelly Fremon Craig

November 19, 2016

Review by Andrew Swafford

On screen, clever teenage banter is funny; in real life, it’s equal parts awkward and annoying. Edge of Seventeen plays it both ways, smartly understanding the fact that the dialogue its genre has become known for contains a stilted sadness; it is symptomatic of the largest teenage ailment: egocentrism.

Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner star in director Denis Villeneuve's Arrival — Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner star in director Denis Villeneuve's *Arrival*

Arrival (2016) by Denis Villeneuve

November 12, 2016

Review by Andrew Swafford

Arrival fulfills one of our most fundamental desires as moviegoers: the desire to be amazed.

Benedict Cumberbatch stars in Doctor Strange — Benedict Cumberbatch stars in *Doctor Strange*

Doctor Strange (2016) by Scott Derrickson

November 10, 2016

Review by Zach Dennis

Doctor Strange treats many of the previously seen symptoms of the studio’s movies with an unmatched energy, but it also comes up just as hollow. The visuals are enticing, the characters are entertaining, but in the end, it never adds up to much and my experience flat-lined on the operating table.

Min-hee Kim and Kim Tae-ri play a Japanese heiress and a pickpocket hired as her handmaiden in Director Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden — Min-hee Kim and Kim Tae-ri play a Japanese heiress and a pickpocket hired as her handmaiden in Director Park Chan-wook’s *The Handmaiden*

The Handmaiden (2016) by Park Chan-wook

November 9, 2016

Review / Personal Essay by Paige Taylor
Warning: Review contains spoilers

This was the sapphic delight I've wished for for so long.

Kirsten Johnson makes her own role as cinematographer the focus of her new documentary Cameraperson — Kirsten Johnson makes her own role as cinematographer the focus of her new documentary *Cameraperson*

Cameraperson (2016) by Kirsten Johnson

November 9, 2016

Review by John McAmis

As a budding filmmaker who’s dealt with making documentaries around personal events and familial relations, I was immediately captivated by Kirsten Johnson’s approach to her cinematic memoir.

Cinematary Canon #3: Best Slumber Party Horror Films

October 29, 2016

This list features writing by Zach Dennis, Andrew Swafford, Lydia Creech, John McAmis and Ben Shull.

Click below to see the full list!

Hwang Jung-min plays a suave shaman in director Na Hon-jin's The Wailing — Hwang Jung-min plays a suave shaman in director Na Hon-jin's *The Wailing*

The Wailing (2016) by Na Hong-jin

October 26, 2016

Review by Andrew Swafford

The Wailing is a demonic epic that is equal parts Zen and Brimstone. It grabbed me and has not let go.

O-Ei and her father in Miss Hokusai — O-Ei and her father in *Miss Hokusai*

Miss Hokusai (2016) by Keiichi Hara

October 26, 2016

Review by Zach Dennis

Miss Hokusai has beautiful elements, and a lead character that is engaging and interesting, but I’m not sure it painted a full picture.

Shia LeBeouf and Sasha Lane star in director Andrea Arnold's American Honey — Shia LeBeouf and Sasha Lane star in director Andrea Arnold's *American Honey*

American Honey (2016) Andrea Arnold

October 23, 2016

Review by Jessica Carr

For Star (Sasha Lane), the dream is to live in a trailer somewhere with lots of trees and room for lots of kids, and I’m so thankful to see a film that shows me what her life is like.

Isabelle Huppert stars in director Paul Verhoeven's Elle — Isabelle Huppert stars in director Paul Verhoeven's *Elle*

Elle (2016) by Paul Verhoeven

October 23, 2016

Review by Lydia Creech

It’s… complicated, which sounds reductive. It’s off-putting, which sounds reactionary. It’s “also a comedy,” according to star Isebelle Huppert. Thank God for Huppert. Her performance as Michèle is truly incredible (one of the best of the year) and gives the audience something to hold on to.

Narges Rashidi stars in director Babak Avari's Under the Shadow — Narges Rashidi stars in director Babak Avari's *Under the Shadow*

Under the Shadow (2016) by Babak Anvari

October 16, 2016

Review by Andrew Swafford

Flannery O’Connor once said that “while the [American] South is hardly Christ-centered, it is most certainly Christ-haunted.” The same, I imagine, could be said about Iran and Islamic Fundamentalism, and visualizing that haunting is where Under the Shadow movie really succeeds as a piece of art, if not a perfect genre picture.