There’s nothing better than an inventive animated film that makes the most out of simple elements. Director and Writer Shane Dioneda’s animated short “Space Race” isn’t just a great, inspired space adventure, but it really feels like something that would have come out of the age when ATOM Films was a presence on the web (with a dash of Aardman for good measure). I mean that as the utmost compliment.
Author Archives: Felix Vasquez
On The Line (2023) [CINEJOY 2023]
I have a great respect for what Director-Writer Oliver Pearn pulls off with “On the Line.” It’s a competently directed and well constructed thriller that takes its low budget and implements it to create genuine atmosphere. Sadly, I wish I liked it more than I did, mainly because I wasn’t invested in the core mystery that fuels his drama thriller. Fans of audio dramas will especially be fond of how the movie enhances the narrative by depending more on the delivery of its voice cast, encouraging us to envision what’s unfolding rather than showing.
Scream VI (2023)
Wes Craven’s “Scream” series has always been first a slasher series, and second a movie series that comments on the horror fandom. Thankfully while Craven’s loss is still sorely felt in the overall franchise, “Scream VI” has kept much of the spirit alive. The next logical step in the franchise is pulling it out of Woodsboro and giving it a wider scope, and it does this by changing the backdrop to the big city of New York. While this would otherwise hinder the series’ development, the massive scale of New York gives “Scream” something of an automatic reset that I welcome.
I XXXX My Sex Doll (2022) [CINEJOY 2023]
Since the rise of the demand for Sex dolls has increased, it’s been debated on whether or not they contribute to the decrease on sexual crimes committed by men. Whether or not they do, Director Fay Beck’s “I XXXX My Sex Doll” is a stark message that what ever the circumstances may be, a violent person will always be a violent person.
Depart (2021) [CINEJOY 2023]
COVID-19 has affected a lot about how we live our lives, and how we’ve responded to trauma. Director-Writer Mathilde Suissa’s “Depart” is very effective and carries with it an immense weight, as it ends on a note about the conditions upon which “Depart” was filmed. A subtitle reads in the end that the movie was filmed remotely during COVID-19, allowing pretty much everything we see in “Depart” to have a larger resonance for us.
Juniper (2022) [CINEJOY 2023]
Director Katherine Dudas’ drama “Juniper” is a powerhouse film, one that thrives on being a wonderful character study and an excellent take on grief. “Juniper” is one of the many films of its kind involving thirty something adults, and a weekend where all the secrets are aired out, but Dudas accomplishes such a great task of making it feel so fresh and new. “Juniper” is that kind of slice of life that really fleshes out its array of characters to suck us in to the situation that our main character finds herself in.
Let Me Go (The Right Way) (2023)
“Let Me Go (The Right Way)” takes Destry Allyn Spielberg, Hopper Penn, and Owen King (a who’s who of Hollywood Heavyweights’ progeny) and teams them to deliver what can easily be described as a psychological thriller with big feature aspirations. Spielberg and writer King play on the concept of the Mandela Effect (with a dash of “Memento” and Phillip K. Dick), and use it to spin a tale that is a lot about collective memory, and what can feel like going insane when we’re stricken with mental illness.