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Echo Valley June 9, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen Echo Valley opens at the bottom of a lake. A wrapped-up dead body is adrift, the details as murky as the ethics of the person who put it there. How and why that body got to where it is is the central mystery that will be solved, unraveled, and resolved within the next two hours. It starts on Kate's titular Pennsylvanian horse farm (Julianne Moore). Due to her wife's tragically sudden passing earlier in the year, the farm is just downtrodden as Kate's emotional state. Doing the bare minimum to keep the place at least somewhat presentable is the only thing that gets her out of bed in the morning, which takes a little longer to accomplish with each subsequent day. A barn roof collapse doesn’t make matters any easier, forcing Kate to beg for the $9,000 to repair it from her ex-husband Richard (Kyle MacLachlan), who now has a much younger wife and daughter. The two of them share an adult daughter named Claire (Sydney Sweeney), who's been in and out of rehab several times over and is relatively estranged from her parents. While Richard has stuck to the pledge they made in family therapy that they wouldn't interact with Claire until she got better, Kate can't completely go cold turkey. A few days later, Claire shows up at the farm. She still has a shitty boyfriend, but things seem to have drastically improved. That is, of course, until it's revealed that she has gotten involved in a drug debt and has no one else to turn to except for Kate. I'll stop the plot synopsis there to preserve the cover of who that dead body is, and how they got to be there. The script comes from Brad Ingelsby, who most recently created and wrote every episode of Mare of Easttown , alongside films Out of the Furnace , The Way Back , and American Woman . The pervasive themes of strained familial relationships within a crumbled America are present here, just in a frenzied manner. Stories like this have become dime-a-dozen streaming miniseries at this point, and there are more than a few instances here where that route would have lent to a more methodically structured story. Twists and turns come at a pretty rapid rate, leaving little time to question what's going on and how we should react. Then again, it's nice to watch a story dole out multiple swaths of information in minutes rather than chunking it out over several hours. Having great actors like Moore and Sweeney at the helm helps make it all go down more easily. There are years of melancholy in each of Moore's choices, grounding the highwire choices she has to make as a parent. Despite not being present for large stretches, Sweeney makes the most of her opportunities. The frenetic energy she brought to her character in Euphoria is replicated here. A harrowing confrontation between mother and daughter becomes the standout scene, as each character unloads years of baggage on the other. The subsequent busyness of the plot loses focus on that raw emotionality, almost as if Ingelsby doesn't trust himself to reach the audience without a tried-and-true murder plot. Director Michael Pearce, the main discoverer of Jessie Buckley with Beast back in 2017, shoots this story with a gloomy palette. There are moments where it feels as if he didn't know that the final product would be watched on Apple TV+, with the overall darkness of the imagery requiring a pitch-black cinema to make out any of the details. On one hand, I blame myself for watching this on a summer afternoon, the sun being too powerful for my curtains. On the other hand, I lay some blame on an artist for not being considerate of his audience. It's that kind of dichotomy stretched across each department keeping this film from lifting itself out of the realm of being respectably average. More Reviews How to Train Your Dragon June 14, 2025 By: Tyler Banark Materialists June 11, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Echo Valley June 9, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Ballerina June 4, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Tyler Banark

Dive into our expert Oscar predictions and analysis, staying ahead of the curve on the films and performers destined for Hollywood glory. Awards Button Button Awards Update: The First Oscar Predictions of the Season June 13, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Final 2025 97th Academy Awards Predictions February 28, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Tyler Banark Oscar Nomination Predictions Last Updated: 06/13/2025 Next Update: 08/22/2025 1 Frankenstein 2 Sentimental Value 3 Jay Kelly 4 Marty Supreme 5 Sinners 6 One Battle After Another 7 Wicked: For Good 8 Bugonia 9 After the Hunt 10 Is This Thing On? Best Picture 1 Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) 2 Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein) 3 Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value) 4 Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme) 5 Noah Baumbach (Jay Kelly) Best Director 1 Sentimental Value 2 Jay Kelly 3 After the Hunt 4 Is This Thing On? 5 Sinners Best Original Screenplay 1 One Battle After Another 2 Frankenstein 3 Bugonia 4 Wicked: For Good 5 Wake Up Dead Man Best Adapted Screenplay 1 Jeremy Allen White (Deliver Me from Nowhere) 2 George Clooney (Jay Kelly) 3 Oscar Isaac (Frankenstein) 4 Jesse Plemons (Bugonia) 5 Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme) Best Lead Actor 1 Renate Reinsve (Sentimental Value) 2 Julia Roberts (After the Hunt) 3 Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) 4 Jennifer Lawrence (Die, My Love) 5 Laura Dern (Is This Thing On?) Best Lead Actress 1 Stellan Skarsgård (Sentimental Value) 2 Adam Sandler (Jay Kelly) 3 Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) 4 Andrew Garfield (After the Hunt) 5 Stephen Graham (Deliver Me from Nowhere) Best Supporting Actor 1 Elle Fanning (Sentimental Value) 2 Gwyneth Paltrow (Marty Supreme) 3 Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas (Sentimental Value) 4 Emily Blunt (The Smashing Machine) 5 Ayo Edebiri (After the Hunt) Best Supporting Actress 1 Wake Up Dead Man 2 Frankenstein 3 Marty Supreme 4 Sinners 5 After the Hunt Best Casting 1 Frankenstein 2 Sinners 3 Marty Supreme 4 Wicked: For Good 5 Nouvelle Vague Best Cinematography 1 One Battle After Another 2 Frankenstein 3 Sinners 4 Hamnet 5 After the Hunt Best Original Score 1 TBA 2 TBA 3 TBA 4 TBA 5 TBA Best Original Song 1 Sentimental Value 2 Frankenstein 3 Marty Supreme 4 Is This Thing On? 5 Jay Kelly Best Film Editing 1 F1: The Movie 2 Wicked: For Good 3 Sinners 4 Avatar: Fire and Ash 5 Frankenstein Best Sound 1 Frankenstein 2 Wicked: For Good 3 Marty Supreme 4 Sinners 5 Hamnet Best Production Design 1 Wicked: For Good 2 Frankenstein 3 Bugonia 4 Sinners 5 Kiss of the Spider Woman Best Costume Design 1 Frankenstein 2 Wicked: For Good 3 Sinners 4 The Smashing Machine 5 Bugonia Best Makeup & Hairstyling 1 Avatar: Fire and Ash 2 F1: The Movie 3 Wicked: For Good 4 Frankenstein 5 Superman Best Visual Effects 1 Zootopia 2 2 Scarlet 3 The Bad Guys 2 4 Elio 5 The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol Best Animated Feature 1 TBA 2 TBA 3 TBA 4 TBA 5 TBA Best International Feature 1 TBA 2 TBA 3 TBA 4 TBA 5 TBA Best Documentary Feature

How to Train Your Dragon June 14, 2025 By: Button Tyler Banark I love the How to Train Your Dragon animated trilogy (especially the first one, in case you couldn't tell here )! It was a pillar of my childhood, and the sequels were excellent additions to my high school and college years. When the news broke that a live-action remake was in the works, hesitancy ran amok in my head. The trilogy's losses against Disney each year at the Oscars, along with the fact that director Dean DeBlois was directing, assuaged some of those fears. My expectations were through the roof, and I am happy to report that this live-action remake of a classic animated film is well done and worthy! Remaking an emotionally rich and visually iconic animated classic like How to Train Your Dragon is no small feat. Thankfully, the 2025 live-action adaptation doesn’t merely repackage the story with real actors and computer-generated dragons. Instead, it reimagines the saga with breathtaking scope, grounded performances, and a sincere reverence for the heart of the original. The result is a soaring, stirring film that stands tall on its own, deepening the emotional resonance of Hiccup and Toothless’s bond. The core story remains the same: Hiccup (played with quiet charisma by Mason Thames) finds himself at odds with his warrior culture—and particularly with his hulking father, Stoick the Vast (a gruff yet tender Gerard Butler, reprising the role from the animated film). What sets this remake apart is its willingness to embrace the rawness and realism of live-action without losing the story’s fantasy charm. The CGI work on the dragons is, put simply, extraordinary. The creatures no longer have the soft, rounded cartoon aesthetic, but a sleek presence ranging from intimidating to adorable. They, and Toothless in particular, are still expressive, but are now imbued with weight, texture, and astonishing realism. Toothless’ eyes communicate volumes, and the animators’ restraint in giving him human-like qualities works to the film’s advantage. His every motion—from defensive snarls to playful twitches—feels lifelike, yet magical. The cast is uniformly strong. Thames brings vulnerability and inner conflict to Hiccup, capturing his intellectual curiosity and emotional insecurity. He could’ve easily gone the safe route and done his best Jay Baruchel impersonation. Nico Parker is equally compelling as Astrid, giving the character more agency and emotional layering. She’s not just a tough fighter, but someone slowly drawn toward Hiccup’s way of thinking, with a believable arc of skepticism turning to admiration. To be honest, I didn’t think it would work, but the more the script develops her, the more I was put at ease. Meanwhile, Gerard Butler brings a sense of world-weariness to Stoick, portraying him not as a caricature of macho leadership but as a father struggling with grief, fear, and hope. Audiences can tell he’s attached to the character and had no hesitation saying yes to coming back. The production design is nothing short of stunning. Berk has been realized with gritty detail—windswept cliffs, smoky mead halls, moss-covered training arenas—all giving the village a lived-in, immersive quality. Toothless’ hideaway, deep in a forested ravine, becomes a place of awe and quiet beauty, where his and Hiccup’s friendship is born. Cinematographer Bill Pope captures the rugged isolation of Viking life and the transcendent wonder of flight with equal grace. And the flying scenes? They’re as breathtaking as ever. With IMAX-ready visuals (the aspect ratio changes are an unexpected idiosyncrasy), swooping camera work, and John Powell’s iconic score—re-recorded with a live orchestra and expanded with new themes—the film's aerial sequences deliver a true cinematic rush. Having shepherded the franchise, DeBlois wisely avoids over-explaining or retooling what already worked. Instead, he leans into the emotional core with greater intimacy. There’s a quieter, more naturalistic tone this time around. It’s as if he knew the risk of adapting his beloved golden child was massive, and ensured it was handled with as much care as possible. The film trades much of the animated humor for nuance. But it’s not joyless. The bond between Hiccup and Toothless is more tactile, and Hiccup and Astrid’s relationship is more grounded. Everything is respectfully layered, adding even more power to the movie as a whole. Still, the film isn't without a couple of missteps. Some supporting characters, such as Gobber (Nick Frost) and the other dragon trainees, aren’t as fun as their original counterparts. As much as I like Frost and love what he and Simon Pegg did in the Cornetto Trilogy, he felt like a step down compared to Craig Ferguson. There was also a subplot involving Snotlout gaining his father’s approval, which the movie brushes over. Much like the animated movies, his subplot hints that he and Hiccup are related, but it’s never fully confirmed. However, these are small quibbles in an otherwise lovingly crafted film. What the 2025 remake excels at is reminding audiences why this story still matters. In an era of spectacle-heavy fantasy films that often mistake noise for emotion, How to Train Your Dragon still flies on the strength of its heart. It’s a story about breaking cycles of fear, choosing empathy over violence, and forging identity between expectation and desire. Watching it unfold in a new, photorealistic context gives the tale fresh weight. The dragons may look different, and Hiccup may no longer be animated. But the magic remains. This live-action remake isn’t just a cash-in or a nostalgia play—it’s a heartfelt retelling that understands what made the original special and dares to grow with its audience. For fans of the franchise, it’s a rewarding return. For newcomers, it’s a welcome invitation into one of the most emotionally resonant fantasy worlds ever created. More Reviews How to Train Your Dragon June 14, 2025 By: Tyler Banark Materialists June 11, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Echo Valley June 9, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Ballerina June 4, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Tyler Banark

The Cinema Dispatch is your one-stop-shop film review website that also offers lists, awards updates, and essays relating to the world of cinema. Reviews How to Train Your Dragon June 14, 2025 By: Tyler Banark Materialists June 11, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Echo Valley June 9, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Ballerina June 4, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Awards Button Button Awards Update: The First Oscar Predictions of the Season June 13, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Final 2025 97th Academy Awards Predictions February 28, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen 1 Frankenstein 2 Sentimental Value 3 Jay Kelly 4 Marty Supreme 5 Sinners 6 One Battle After Another 7 Wicked: For Good 8 Bugonia 9 After the Hunt 10 Is This Thing On? Oscar Nomination Predictions - Best Picture Tyler Banark Lists Cannes 2025 Recap May 27, 2025 By: Tyler Banark MSPIFF 2025 Recap April 16, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Essays Button Button Tyler's Takes: Why I Love 'How to Train Your Dragon ' So Much June 9, 2025 By: Tyler Banark Tylers' Takes: 'Ghost Protocol' is the Pinnacle of the M:I Franchise May 16, 2025 By: Tyler Banark

Materialists June 11, 2025 By: Button Hunter Friesen Materialists opens during the Paleolithic period of the Stone Age. A caveman brings tools and flowers to the woman he loves, hoping it’ll be enough to earn her affection. We may think that love gets purer the further you go back in time, but there has always been a business angle. Dowries, negotiations, and aligning kingdoms are the old ways of forming a union. Now there’s an algorithm for that, loaded with statistics like height, income, and political views. And for those that are more serious (or desperate) and have the funds to do so, there are services like Adore, which will assign a personal matchmaker to search for you. Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is one of those matchmakers, and a damn good one to be specific. She’s responsible for nine marriages, salvaging the most recent one by spinning the bride’s cold feet confession that part of the reason she’s marrying the groom is because it makes her sister jealous into a lesson about finding value and feeling valued. The key to her success is to treat dating as a business venture, using the same calculating mindset you’d find on Wall Street. “Market forces,” “competitive advantage,” and “strategic skills” are her phrases of choice. The results speak for themselves, and there’s no denying that this is the path that the dating landscape is rapidly progressing along. It’s natural and odd that after writer/director Celine Song tenderly explored the concept of destiny and love in Past Lives , her follow-up takes a cold, hard look at the facts. There isn’t going to be a Prince Charming waiting in the wings, or a Cinderella that perfectly fits the glass slipper. Dating is a trial-and-error endeavor, with adaptability and compromise being the most important qualities. Song makes sure there are a lot of laughs to be had with all this nonsense. Lucy’s customers are demanding, neurotic, and impatient. A potential match must be this tall, be in this age range, like these certain songs/movies, and make at least this amount of money. Living in the Midwest all my life certainly didn’t prepare me for the astronomical figures that people expect to receive on the East Coast. But all of this is funny because they’re saying the quiet parts out loud, and deep down, we all know we do it too. The eternal bachelorette who has a knack for helping others find love is a trope as old as the romantic dramedy itself. Song may know how to reexamine it in the ways I just described, but she also knows how to harness its extremely potent traditional qualities. She also knows how to best steer the performers on all sides of this love triangle. Yes, Lucy gets more than she bargains for when she simultaneously finds affection in two separate places. Johnson is perpetually on a pendulum swinging back and forth. And after the swing (and miss) that was Madame Web , she was due for a major slide to the lighter side. We meet Pedro Pascal’s Harry as he charms his way through his brother’s wedding reception. He’s also obscenely rich, tall, and handsome. He’s what Lucy refers to as a “unicorn” in her line work - the man of every woman’s dreams. John (Chris Evans) has some of those qualities, but definitely not the financial ones. He’s your usual struggling actor with a part-time catering job who lives in a shitty apartment. But he’s real, and there’s a reason Lucy and he were together for five years before they broke up. We’ve seen characters with these archetypes before, but here they’re steeped in enough authenticity so you can’t just immediately pick a side. Materialists can also be too honest for its own good. There’s a darker element that gets introduced later in the story that drives part of Lucy’s decision-making about her personal life. Song handles it to the best of her ability, but its inclusion is habitually distracting from the other excellent qualities. Honesty is still the best policy, and Song continues to show that she’s a master of telling us how it is in the ways we want to hear it. More Reviews How to Train Your Dragon June 14, 2025 By: Tyler Banark Materialists June 11, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Echo Valley June 9, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Ballerina June 4, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Tyler Banark

The Life of Chuck September 8, 2024 By: Button Hunter Friesen The Life of Chuck had its World Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Neon will release it in theaters on June 06, 2025. If you were challenged to envision a movie directed by Mike Flanagan adapted from a story by Stephen King, you’d most likely picture something bathed in darkness and horror. Of course, that’s not a hard guess to make based on the pair’s previous collaboration with Doctor Sleep in 2019. But The Life of Chuck is something totally different, with Flanagan describing it as a work of “making joy, instead of just taking it in” during his introductory speech at the world premiere screening within the famed Princess of Wales Theatre. There are still horror elements, but they revolve around the real-life horrors we face every day, such as regret, finding our purpose, and reconciling with those we love. We open on Act… Three? Yes, this story starts where it ends, which is at the end of the world and one person’s life. The decades of climate crisis warnings have been ignored, which means they are now a reality. Wildfires, droughts, and hurricanes are a daily occurrence. The news gets worse every day, progressively emboldening the argument over what’s the point of living on this planet anymore. The only people who seem to be having happy thoughts are the ones celebrating Charles Krantz. “39 great years! Thanks, Chuck!” is plastered on every billboard, commercial break, and bus station in town. So, who is this seemingly normal person getting so much special treatment at the prelude to the apocalypse? To answer that question, we have to keep going back. As narrator Nick Offerman tells us, Charles Krantz is a normal person who grew up to be an accountant. But that doesn’t mean he’s without the special qualities that make him an exceptional human being. A certain verse from Walt Whitman’s famous poem “Song of Myself” - “I am large, I contain multitudes” - is literally and metaphorically referenced multiple times. We are never just ourselves, containing bits and pieces of everyone and everything we’ve ever interacted with along our journey. It’s a heartwarming message from Flanagan and King, one that offers as much introspection within ourselves as it does for Charles. It’s a little simple for its own good, often being repeated by every character in their unique way. For Charles’ grandmother, that means dancing whenever the music sounds right. For his grandfather, it’s about using math to make the world a better place. A certain speech given by his grandfather will likely be used as an advertisement for every accounting department at college major orientations. The Life of Chuck reaches its peak relatively early in the second act. Chuck’s love of dance breaks out after years of repression, resulting in an infectiously high-energy display of exuberant movement. Flanagan further progresses his chops as a director, displaying that his knack for horror-related timing can be transferred to something much more subdued. The performances are all committed to the change of pace, even if a few of them don’t deliver on expectations. The ambition and drive to tell a story like this from people so famous for going in the opposite direction is more than enough to warrant taking the chance on it. There are more than a few individual moments where it seemingly comes together, but the cumulative whole always feels less than the sum of its parts. More Reviews How to Train Your Dragon June 14, 2025 By: Tyler Banark Materialists June 11, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Echo Valley June 9, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Ballerina June 4, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Tyler Banark

Explore the captivating world of cinema through our insightful essay collection, containing thought-provoking analyses and interpretations of your favorite movies, shedding new light on their themes, characters, and artistic brilliance. Essays Button Button Tyler's Takes: Why I Love 'How to Train Your Dragon ' So Much June 9, 2025 By: Tyler Banark Tylers' Takes: 'Ghost Protocol' is the Pinnacle of the M:I Franchise May 16, 2025 By: Tyler Banark Button Button Tyler's Takes: Bassett's Undeserved Oscar Buzz for 'Wakanda Forever' April 22, 2025 By: Tyler Banark Tyler's Takes: Rapunzel is the Best Disney Princess March 20, 2025 By: Tyler Banark 'Bonnie & Clyde' and New Sentimentality Button 1967: A Dramatic Shift in Film Button How 'The Godfather' Signaled Hollywood Change 50 Years Ago Button The Influence of Howard Hawks in John Carpenter's 'Assault on Precinct 13' Button Tyler's Takes: 'Pearl' Is A Slice Below 'X' Button Tyler's Takes: 'The Polar Express' Should Be Live-Action Button Tyler's Takes: 2015 and the Popularization of the Legacy Sequel Button Tyler's Takes: Chadwick Boseman Should Have Won the Oscar Button Tyler's Takes: How 'Coraline' Possessed 2009 Button Tyler's Takes: Rapunzel is the Best Disney Princess Button Tylers' Takes: 'Ghost Protocol' is the Pinnacle of the M:I Franchise Button 'Night of the Living Dead': The First Liberal Horror Film Button Cassavetes & Newman: Hollywood Stars, Art Cinema Auteurs Button Poitier and Hoffman: The Dueling Kings of 1967 Hollywood Button The New Hollywood of the 1970s Button Tyler's Takes: 'Terrifier' is a Terrifyingly Awful Franchise Button Tyler's Takes: 'When Harry Met Sally' is the Perfect Rom-Com Button Tyler's Takes: Bassett's Undeserved Oscar Buzz for 'Wakanda Forever' Button Tyler's Takes: Forty Years of 'The Breakfast Club' Button Tyler's Takes: In Defense of 'Elemental' Button Tyler's Takes: Why I Love 'How to Train Your Dragon ' So Much Button

Explore a captivating collection of must-watch films on our curated list page. Lists Cannes 2025 Recap May 27, 2025 By: Tyler Banark MSPIFF 2025 Recap April 16, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Cannes 2025 Lineup Predictions April 3, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen MSPIFF 2025 Preview April 1, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen 2022 Losers Button 2023 Losers Button 25 Most Anticipated Films of 2022 Button 25 Most Anticipated Films of 2025 Button A Brief History of Presidents' in Film Button Cannes 2022: 50 Films That Could Premiere Button Cannes 2023 Predictions - Part 2: Hollywood Makes a Splash Overseas Button Cannes 2023 Predictions - Part 4: The Irregulars and Up-and-Comers Button Cannes 2023 Recap Button Cannes 2024 Predictions - Part 3: The Loyalists Button Cannes 2025 Lineup Predictions Button Every Spider-Man Movie Ranked Button MSPIFF 2023 Recap Button MSPIFF 2025 Preview Button Movies That Made More Money Than You Think Button Ranking the Films of Adam McKay Button Ranking the Films of Christopher Nolan Button Ranking the Films of Michael Haneke Button Ranking the Planet of the Apes Franchise Button Sundance 2023 Recap Button TIFF23 Recap Button TIFF24 Recap Button The Best Cinematographers Working Today And Where To Find Them Next Button The Best Military Movies for Veterans Day Button The Great Musical War of 2021 Button The Most Successful Directors at Cannes Button Top 10 DreamWorks Animated Movies Button Top 10 Films of 2019 Button Top 10 Films of 2021 Button Top 10 Films of 2023 Button Top 10 Films of 2024 Button Top 10 Martin Scorsese Films Button Top 10 Pixar Films Button Twin Cities Film Fest 2022 Preview Button Twin Cities Film Fest 2023 Recap Button Tyler's Favorite Musicals Button 2022 Winners Button 2023 Winners Button 25 Most Anticipated Films of 2024 Button 36 Most Anticipated Films of 2023 Button Cannes 2021: All The Films That Could Premiere Button Cannes 2023 Predictions - Part 1: The Festival Masters Button Cannes 2023 Predictions - Part 3: The Festival Mainstays Button Cannes 2023 Preview Button Cannes 2024 Predictions - Part 1: The Question Marks Button Cannes 2024 Predictions- Part 2: The Regulars Button Cannes 2025 Recap Button MSPIFF 2023 Preview Button MSPIFF 2024 Preview Button MSPIFF 2025 Recap Button Omaha Film Festival 2024 Recap Button Ranking the Films of Bong Joon-ho Button Ranking the Films of James Cameron Button Ranking the Mad Max Franchise Button Sundance 2023 Preview Button TIFF23 Preview Button TIFF24 Preview Button TIFF24: Tyler's Time at the Festival Button The Best Hollywood Screenwriters of All-Time Button The Biggest Flops in TIFF History Button The Greatest Irish Filmmakers Button The Worst Cannes Premieres Ever Button Top 10 Films of 2018 Button Top 10 Films of 2020 Button Top 10 Films of 2022 Button Top 10 Films of 2023 (So-Far) Button Top 10 Films of 2024 (So Far) Button Top 10 Oliver Stone Films Button Top 10 Steven Spielberg Films Button Twin Cities Film Fest 2023 Preview Button Twin Cities Film Fest 2024 Preview Button

MSPIFF 2025 Preview April 1, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Now in its forty-fourth year (which ranks it among some of the oldest in North America), the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival once again features a lineup featuring over 200 films from around the world. Abbredivated as MSPIFF and pronounced "EM-spiff," the festival will host the majority of its screenings at its home base of The Main Cinema, along with a smattering of events across the Capri Theater, Landmark Center, and Edina Mann Theatre. Many of the marquee titles making their Minnesota premieres have already traveled the world as part of the other festival lineups. The Opening Night Presentation will be the documentary Free Leonard Peltier , which recently premiered at Sundance. Director Jesse Short Bull and Producer Jhane Meyers will be in attendance for the screening. Another Sundance title that will be making an appearance is The Wedding Banquet , a queer remake of the 1993 Ang Lee film. Fire Island director Andrew Ahn directed and co-wrote the feature, which boasts a cast of Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-Chan, Joan Chen, and Youn Yuh-jung. A24 will be bringing their Sundance hit The Legend of Ochi , as well as the Tim Robinson-Paul Rudd two-hander cringe comedy, Friendship . Just in time for the announcement of this year's Cannes Film Festival is a group of films from last year's lineup. Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes took home the Best Director prize for Grand Tour , a Southeast Asian adventure I moderately enjoyed. I missed Jia Zhangke's Caught by the Tides at Cannes and TIFF last year, so I'm happy to see it as part of the MSPIFF lineup. I've only seen Ash Is Purest White from Zhangke, and I've been interested in diving deeper. I'll also be checking out Misericordia , which received rapturous reviews out of the Cannes Premiere section and got a decent amount of nominations at the most recent César Awards. Other titles that interest me include When Fall is Coming by François Ozon, By the Stream by Hong Sang-soo (a festival favorite), and Who by Fire by Philippe Lesage. Speaking of Ang Lee, the famed director will be here to receive the festival's Milgrom Award. As part of his tribute, Lee will give an in-person conversation about his career, which includes accolades such as two Academy Awards for Best Direction and the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award. He'll also introduce a special screening for his film Brokeback Mountain , which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Also screening on that day will be one of Lee's most celebrated films: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon . I’ll be publishing full reviews for select titles, with others being condensed for my festival wrap-up article. You can take a look at the full slate of festival titles at the MSP Film Society website . More Reviews Materialists June 11, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Echo Valley June 9, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Life of Chuck September 8, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen Ballerina June 4, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Cannes 2023 Predictions - Part 2: Hollywood Makes a Splash Overseas April 5, 2023 By: Hunter Friesen As one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, the Cannes Film Festival always attracts the attention of cinephiles and industry professionals alike. Each year, the festival presents a diverse lineup of films that represent the best of international cinema, including both established and emerging filmmakers. With the 76th edition of the festival set to take place in May, film enthusiasts around the world are eagerly anticipating the announcement of the official selection on April 13th. While the festival organizers keep their cards close to their chest, there are already some strong players emerging as likely contenders for the coveted Cannes spotlights. In this four-part series, I’ll take a closer look at some of the films that are generating buzz and predict which ones are likely to make it to the Croisette this year. Each part will represent a category of films, which are: The Festival Masters Hollywood Makes a Splash The Festival Mainstays The Irregulars and Up-and-Comers This second part encompasses the biggest fish in the pond, which are the Hollywood blockbusters from the major studios. Cannes may be a Mecca for international cinema, but that doesn’t mean they exclude the big boys. The festival thrives on star power, and nothing rolls out the red carpet more than a blockbuster with lots of names attached to it. Both Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis started their journeys on the Croisette, as well as Mad Max: Fury Road and The Da Vinci Code in the years prior. Let’s take a look at which big tent poles might debut in the Palais. Which of these films are you most interested in? I'll be keeping you all posted on my adventures and sharing my thoughts on the films that I see. Stay tuned for more updates! Asteroid City With Asteroid City a certainty to debut on the French Riviera, Cannes now replaces Berlin as the film festival to debut the most Anderson films. Moonrise Kingdom opened the festival in 2012, and The French Dispatch sat on a shelf throughout the pandemic to ensure it debuted at the 2021 edition. Cannes thrives on star power to fill its historic red carpet, and Anderson’s films have plenty to spare. His newest cast will feature no less than Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, and Jeffrey Wright. May December A rumor has been slowly spreading over the past few years that Todd Haynes’ Carol was a near lock to win the Palme d’Or in 2015, but was snubbed at the last minute by jury member Xavier Dolan. The film had to settle for a joint Best Actress prize for Rooney Mara. His newest film finished production in November, reuniting him with Julianne Moore, and bringing Natalie Portman back into the fold. Poor Things Coming off the blazing Oscar success of The Favourite , all eyes are on what Yorgos Lanthimos will do next. He’s keeping his partnership with leading lady Emma Stone and screenwriter Tony McNamara for Poor Things , which will be set in Victorian England and about a mad scientist who brings a woman back to life. Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, and Margaret Qualley mix into the supporting cast. Lanthimos’ unique arthouse sensibilities have matched well with Cannes in the past, with Dogtooth, The Lobster , and The Killing of a Sacred Deer , all winning various prizes. Now that Oscar buzz follows Lanthimos wherever he goes, Searchlight Pictures will have to make a decision of sending the film to a festival with an already established fandom for Lanthimos or wait and debut it in the fall with the rest of the Oscar bunch. Killers of the Flower Moon With extensive reshoots and release date delays, Martin Scorsese’s epic western has become one of his longest projects to get to audiences. Rumors started to swirl late last year that the film was eyeing a premiere on the Riviera, followed by a fall festival tour. With CODA becoming the first streaming film to win Best Picture, Apple will do everything in its power to repeat that success. The Little Mermaid The timing lines up perfectly for Disney to use the festival as a launching pad for the international release of their newest live-action remake. The film packs plenty of buzzy names such as Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy and an acclaimed director in Rob Marshall. Hitman While we’ll have to wait almost another two decades for Richard Linklater’s ambitious adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along , the famed Texan filmmaker has something up his sleeve to tide us over. Top Gun: Maverick star Glen Powell, a frequent collaborator of Linklater’s, co-wrote the screenplay with him for this story of a hitman who turns the tables on those who hire him. It’s been twenty years since Linklater last competed on the Croisette (2005’s Fast Food Nation ), so it might be time for him to be brought back into the fold. Oppenheimer Very few filmmakers carry as much name value as Christopher Nolan, who will be potentially delivering a more stripped-down story about the trials and tribulations of the titular father of the atomic bomb. Nolan has never shown one of his films at Cannes, but he did introduce his 70mm restoration of 2001: A Space Odyssey before it was pushed into theaters. If Nolan does decide to bring his material this time, then a glitzy out-of-competition premiere would be the most likely route taken. The Bikeriders Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Jodie Comer, Norman Reedus, and Boyd Holbrook star as members of a Midwestern motorcycle club in writer/director Jeff Nichols’ return to feature filmmaking after a brief hiatus. Nichols served on the jury last year and brought both Mud and Loving to the Croisette. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Cannes thrives on a small batch of Hollywood blockbusters looking to make a splashy international premiere, as evidenced by Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis grabbing headlines last year. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull debuted at the festival back in 2008, so there is precedent for the famed archaeologist to stop by. More Reviews Materialists June 11, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Echo Valley June 9, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Life of Chuck September 8, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen Ballerina June 4, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Infinity Pool January 26, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen While this past year brought us numerous filmmakers offering a satirical take on the metaphorical war between classes (Ruben Östlund’s Triangle of Sadness , Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , and Mark Mylod’s The Menu come to mind), Brandon Cronenberg is here to deliver the supremely dark and twisted version of that story. This extreme combination of sex, violence, high art, and classism may not cohere as well as it should, but it always remains intriguing and elicits responses very few filmmakers would dare search for. Married couple James (Alexander Skarsgård) and Em Foster (Cleopatra Coleman) are taking their vacation at a swanky resort in a fictional country whose economy heavily relies upon tourism. James wrote a mediocre book six years ago and has struggled with writer’s block ever since, so this vacation also serves as a last-ditch attempt to find inspiration. A beautiful young woman (Mia Goth) approaches James and tells him she’s a big fan of his book, a statement that greatly strokes his ego. A night of drinking commences, coming to a screeching halt when James accidentally runs over a local farmer with his car. This country has harsh penalties when it comes to murder, even if it was by accident. The only way for this matter to be resolved is for the farmer’s son to kill James. Fortunately, the law also has a way out for those that can pay for it, a process that creates a clone that will be used for the execution. Essentially, you are totally above the law if you can afford it. The metaphor, in all its obviousness, begs the ultimate question: What would you do if there were no consequences for your actions? For a small group of tourists, who induct James as their newest member, it means murdering and stealing your way through an uninhibited life. While the filmmakers mentioned in the introduction look down upon the rich by lifting up the working class, Cronenberg doesn’t share that optimistic outlook on the everyman. James leaps upon the opportunity to indulge in his most perverse fantasies, proving that the most critical philosophers were right in saying that we only restrain our true selves in fear of punishment. But the one thing that I doubt we share with James and his compatriots is the level of debauchery they engage in. I don’t know about you, but a Gaspar Noé-inspired orgy filmed through a kaleidoscope and edited with every intention to fry your senses wouldn’t be one of the first things I would do if the societal chains were broken. Cronenberg ups his craftsmanship with this sophomore feature, confidently telling his story with playfully chaotic energy. Things slightly deflate near the final act, where the acts of madness feel more for show than for substance, but the compelling nature of it all is impossible to deny. Aiding that “can’t look away even though you want to” energy is Goth’s delightfully mad-capped performance. Between her work in High Life, Suspiria , and the Ti West trilogy of Pearl, X , and the upcoming MaXXXine , she has cemented herself as one of the most interesting actors working today. You’re wondering what she'll do next, and she always delivers beyond expectations. With Infinity Pool , Brandon has proved that the Cronenberg surname is in good hands for the foreseeable future. There’s a method to his madness, one that I feel will continually get better as time goes on. I’m both incredibly excited and dreadful about what demented material he has waiting in the wings. More Reviews Materialists June 11, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Echo Valley June 9, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Life of Chuck September 8, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen Ballerina June 4, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen

Passages August 4, 2023 By: Button Hunter Friesen Passages opens with Tomas (Franz Rogowski), a German filmmaker living in Paris, working on the set of his next film. It’s immediately apparent that he’s a control freak… and an asshole. He’s critical of everything that’s going on, from the position of his actor’s arms as he walks down the stairs to the amount of wine in an extra’s glass. He probably thinks of himself as Stanley Kubrick, except there isn’t enough brilliance to make up for the callousness. That attitude on the set doesn’t take a break once he goes home to his husband Martin (Ben Whishaw). The couple go to the film’s wrap party at a dance club. Being the more introverted one, Martin goes home early, leaving Tomas to his own devices. He crosses paths with Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos) on the dance floor, and the two eventually go home together to have sex. Rebuking the natural secrecy of an affair in an effort to quench his desire for control, Tomas tells Martin all about it the next morning. Tomas wants the best of both worlds: to be in a steady marriage with Martin and to have an exciting new fling with a woman. These three characters are now intertwined, yet it’s obvious only one of them is pulling the strings. Similar to his 2014 film Love is Strange , writer/director Ira Sachs (co-writing with his regular partner Mauricio Zacharias) delves into the thorniness of longstanding relationships, and how there isn’t a clear-cut way to get through it. Tomas thinks he can get what he wants, yet it seems he actually doesn’t know what he wants in the first place. He says “I love you” and engages in sex when it works for him, and never seems to have the ability or desire to understand the other party in that transaction. One of the main problems of the film is that it spends too much time spinning its wheels around this toxic trio. It eventually gets tiring to watch Tomas act selfishly and be begrudgingly forgiven by Martin or Agathe. Sure, that cycle may be a portal to connect with the victims, but it’s also not something wholly original. It’s not a coincidence that the best scene of the film is near the end where Martin and Agathe finally break the circle and sit down to talk directly. Whishaw and Exarchopoulos are both calm and collected throughout much of the film. They each are trying to convince themselves that this new reality can work, but it’s clear no one is coming out better than they used to be. And even in his cruelty, Rogowski is captivating, showing just enough promise to illustrate why he would be accepted into someone else’s life. Filled with as much as explicit sex (although striking it with an NC-17 rating was a displeasing illustration of how the MPAA views homosexuality) as it has insight into complicated relationships, Passages is another worthwhile effort from the dependable Ira Sachs. It’s a ménage à trois for the modern age, mixing confrontation and carnality to perceptive results. More Reviews Materialists June 11, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Echo Valley June 9, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen The Life of Chuck September 8, 2024 By: Hunter Friesen Ballerina June 4, 2025 By: Hunter Friesen Hunter Friesen