My Best Friend - Elina Street and Lana Boy

Interview: Elina Street and Lana Boy on ‘My Best Friend’

A lot of people believe that friendship and intimacy are different. But friendship is one of the most intimate relationships we can have. In human relationships, the boundary between friendship and romance is often clearly defined, or so we believe. In Elina Street’s short film My Best Friend, the filmmaker …

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My Best Friend - Elina Street - Movie Review

‘My Best Friend’ Review: Elina Street’s Short

What happens when two friends explore their sexualities and end up breaking the delicate boundary between friendship and romance? Well, we get to see one of the most intimate relationships that the world has ever seen. Elina Street’s short film My Best Friend explores friendship and romance, taking viewers on …

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Arze Interview with Mira Shaib

Interview: Mira Shaib on ‘Arzé’ and the Personal Journey Inspired by Real Life

In Mira Shaib’s debut feature film, audiences are immersed in the bustling streets and vibrant life of Beirut through the compelling narrative of Arzé. The film chronicles the journey of Arzé (Diamand Abou Abboud), a single mother who is struggling to make ends meet. However, she never shies away from …

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Despicable Me 4 Movie Review

‘Despicable Me 4’ Movie Review: Illumination’s Sequel Stumbles

Despicable Me 4 sees Gru and the family take on a different dynamic. Instead of trying to achieve world domination as a villain, the Gru crew has to accomplish the most challenging mission they have ever faced. Somehow, they must achieve the impossible feat of “blending in.” On the surface, …

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Your Monster - Sundance Movie Review

‘Your Monster’ Movie Review: A Rom-Com with Horror Elements

Producer Kayla Foster introduced Your Monster at the Sundance London Film Festival, describing it as a romantic-comedy horror. While this may seem like an unusual combination of genres, this is truly the best way to define what the film is and what makes it utterly unique. Combining elements of the …

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Mother, Couch Movie Review - Ewan McGregor

‘Mother, Couch’ Review: A Surreal Journey Through Family Dynamics and Existential Conflict

I appreciate all genres of cinema. It’s true: there’s no style of storytelling or any fictional setting that automatically puts me off – I genuinely believe all genres have their respective masterpieces. That said, like any viewer, I have my personal preferences, and, indeed, there are a few types of …

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On Becoming a Guinea Fowl Movie Review

‘On Becoming a Guinea Fowl’ Review: An Important and Necessary Movie by Rungano Nyoni (Cannes)

With On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, director and writer Rungano Nyoni returns to Cannes with an exciting sophomore feature after her successful feature film debut with I Am Not a Witch. Nyoni’s latest film competed in the Un Certain Regard section of the festival, where the Zambia-born director won the …

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Arze Movie Review

‘Arzé’ Review: Bicycle Thieves Riff is a Striking Directorial Debut

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. In Mira Shaib’s Beirut-set drama, Arzé,  the narrative framework that is imitated is that of Bicycle Thieves, a pantheonic piece of Italian neorealism. Vittorio De Sica’s 1948 classic follows a father and his son searching for a stolen bike, a symbol of means …

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Group Therapy Documentary Review

‘Group Therapy’ Review: Six Comedians Get Honest and Vulnerable About Mental Health

Comedy is one of the great cultural forces. It is, in many ways, the great equalizer. In the hands of a talented performer, comedy speaks truth to power, whether that means mocking our leaders or finding commonality in the human experience.  It’s the latter of these that filmmaker Neil Berkeley’s …

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Griffin in Summer Movie Review

‘Griffin in Summer’ Review: Colia’s Awkward Coming of Age Comedy

The coming-of-age genre has always explored teenage sexuality. More often than not, it is a genre filled with thoughtful ideas, discussing topics about teenage sexuality that are held taboo in society. Nicholas Colia’s feature debut, Griffin in Summer, an awkward and staid comedy, covers the topic of inappropriate sexual crushes …

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they're here documentary review tribeca

‘They’re Here’ Review: An Inventive Documentary That Respects Its Subjects

In the first minutes of They’re Here, we meet Cookie, a sympathetic old lady from New York who enthusiastically talks about her past experiences with Unknown Flying Objects (UFOs). She answers the directors, Daniel Claridge and Pacho Velez, saying she was taken fourteen times, only in her current home. Cookie …

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