This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
52 Criterion Films (2026) (22/52)
35 Watchlist Films 2026 (33/35)
The number of twists and turns that this 85-minute film takes should be illegal. When you go in blind – like I have – it’s enough to make your head spin.
I did pretty much love Victims of Sin from the beginning – it gave me a noir told in a context I do not ordinarily see noir (Mexico!) and with a story that centers its women. I can’t say…
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
52 Films by Women (2026)(23/52)
In a minishow full of cruel acts, one of the absolute cruelest things was Danny throwing Paul’s college applications away. I don’t care how broken of a human being you are, how dare you rob your sibling of an opportunity to get an education and to advance in this world? Oof.
My bias is showing, because I believe in “the power of education” above all else. Just think of how different Paul’s life could have…
Films like Mind Game, though incredibly innovative, are a reminder that the world of cinema is still very much a man's world. One could argue, as I'm sure the fans of this movie will, that there are no "films like Mind Game." Yes, there was something truly extraordinary about it: the animation was stunning and I very much appreciated the film-maker breaking away from modern convention. Yet, the story was so obviously conceived by a man's mind - the crude…
Whether you grew up in China or in the United States, if you don't know your self-worth as a woman, you're going to find yourself in terrible situations. In The Joy Luck Club, some of those scenes were the most heartbreaking.
Despite the heart-wrenching scenarios some of these women found themselves in, the film as a whole was beautifully-told and incredibly touching. I loved this window into Chinese and Chinese-American cultures, respectively, the latter of which has barely received much focus in American cinema. More than anything, though, I loved the centrality of women to the plot of the film. The men were merely a footnote.
