This is a banner for a review of the movie La Perra. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘La Perra’ Film Review: Dominga Sotomayor’s Atmospheric Work

Dominga Sotomayor is one of the biggest names of the new generation of the Chilean cinema. Alongside Pablo Larraín and Sebastian Lelio, her films achieved the international recognition and received attention for their boldness. Her debut feature, De Jueves a Domingo, premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.  Her most …

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‘A New Dawn’ (花緑青が明ける日に) is a Gorgeous Mess (Berlinale 2026 Film Review)

Animation is the best art form we have at depicting messy real life, because it heightens reality through the unreal in a way that never loses its realism. Writer-director Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, who developed his skills as a background artist on movies such as Your Name, now bursts onto the world …

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This is a banner for a review of the Cannes movie Forever Your Maternal Animal. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘Forever Your Maternal Animal’ Film Review: The Compelling Sophomore Effort by Valentina Maurel

In 2022, the debut feature film Tengo Sueños Eléctricos (I Have Electric Dreams) by the Costa Rican filmmaker Valentina Maurel made a potent appearance at that year’s Locarno Film Festival. It won the directing, actor (Reinaldo Amien Gutiérrez), and actress (Daniela Marín Navarro) awards in the main competition. Later, the …

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The Known Unknowns of ‘We Are All Strangers’ (Berlinale 2026 Film Review)

For a movie designed around a teenage pregnancy it’s a surprise that We Are All Strangers focuses on the baby’s father. What writer-director Anthony Chen is exploring here is how family responsibilities force young men to grow up. The assumption seems to be that women have achieved maturity already, regardless …

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This is a banner for a review of the movie The Gymnast. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.

‘The Gymnast’ Film Review: A Conventional, but Well-Done Sports Drama

Sports dramas are a sub-genre that allows filmmakers to take multiple different approaches. They can narrate the Cinderella story of an underdog team, the individual evolution of its players, or the downside of being an athlete. In her debut feature, Charlotte Glynn takes the latter approach. The Gymnast is a …

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