Thriller

Reviews

The Babymoon

The Babymoon is still admirable for its efforts despite its imperfections.  The premise is also surprisingly layered – another element that earns our respect.  When the movie slacks on convincing dialogue or it loses subtlety in the performances, writer/director Bailey Kobe isn’t afraid to send his audience into a feverous tailspin, making us wonder in amusement how our jilted characters wound up on this crazy adventure in the first place.

Reviews

Solace

It’s pointless to review Solace.  How do you sum up a crime drama that you’ve reviewed so many times before?  What else can you say about the lack of ambition in Anthony Hopkins’ recent roles?  I’m at a loss with Solace, a new whodunit from director Afonso Poyart starring Hopkins as a psychic who assists two FBI agents (Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Abbie Cornish) track down a serial killer.  Imagine a very serious reenactment of that Saturday Night…

Reviews

Sugar Mountain

It’s normal for an audience to be distracted by the picturesque Alaskan landscape in Sugar Mountain or the tunes sang by Blackwater Railroad Company.  After all, filmmaker Richard Gray uses these pleasant qualities to soften up his highly unlikable movie.

Reviews

Careful What You Wish For

Doug Martin (Nick Jonas) is sidetracked by an alluring neighbour, Lena (Isabel Lucas), during a summertime escape.  Her husband (Dermot Mulroney) is too unpredictable for comfort, which leads Lena to warm up next to her unassuming and equally randy neighbour.  The pair go to great lengths to protect their affair, even if that means resorting to crime.

Reviews

Green Room

Green Room is unappealing – that’s a compliment.  Dishevelled characters, dingy lighting, seedy locations, and punk tunes that sound like they’ve been chewed up and spit out contribute to the stress within this thriller.

Festival Coverage

Toronto After Dark 2016: ‘Antibirth’ and ‘From a House on Willow Street’

Antibirth (DIR. Danny Perez) Antibirth is the feature film debut of Danny Perez, someone who has – until now – worked exclusively in music videos, and it shows.  The film has a chaotic punk rock aesthetic and beautiful imagery, but not much else going for it.  Just like a music video, Antibirth is all about getting from one image to the next, only this time with several minutes of dead air between each visual. The film follows Lou (Natasha…