With Barbarian, horror hounds get two movies that converge into one terrifying narrative by its end. It starts out as your conventional, creepy stranger in the house film, as a woman discovers the AirBnB she’s booked for the night is already occupied. When Tess meets Keith, he’s already staying in a home in the Detroit…

Sometimes all you need is the charm of two veteran actors to buoy an otherwise-standard picture. The Good House doesn’t break any new ground, but the views of gorgeous Lunenburg, the lead turns and the overall chemistry between the two leads are worthwhile. Based on Amy Leary’s book, it follows real estate agent Hildy who…

Every once in a while a film comes along that rocks your entire system. When I watched Bystanders – a long-time passion project for director Koumbie – it affected me more than anything else I’ve seen this year. My gut wrenched a few times, and the questions these characters faced fed into my own emotions.…

Let’s start by revealing – to no one’s surprise – that our film director subject Peter Von Kant is a categorically terrible human. He’s a self-obsessed, hateful human who only sees other people as valuable if they can be a means to his own selfish ends. He mistreats his live-in assistant Karl, and has little…

There’s a breezy, aloof quality to filmmaker Kevin Hartford that’s almost impossible not to enjoy. Every interview I’ve done with Kevin has felt like a conversation with an old friend, and he has a way of welcoming you into his whacky, entirely jovial headspace that’s admirable. He reminds me of the type of person you’d…

There are few actors as genuinely reliable as Hugh Jackman. A handsome leading man with charisma, musical talent, and a breezy charisma, he makes everything he’s in better just based on his presence. And yet, while The Son may see him at his very best, his exquisite, moving performance just can’t pull this feature out…

Black Ice is a film that’s required viewing for Canadians wishing to understand hockey and its storied – and problematic – history in this nation. To see the depth and commitment to telling the full story of African-Canadian players and their contribution to the sport is what makes Black Ice an essential work. Oscar nominee…

I didn’t quite know what to expect when I sat down for a late-night showing of romantic drama The Swearing Jar. With an intentionally-vague premise, all I had heard was it was about a woman who finds true, cosmic love. In fact, she finds her soulmate twice, and becomes filled with conflict because of it.…

When you watch as many films as I do, you need to find a way to keep things interesting. When I sat down in the theatre for Close, I knew absolutely nothing about it. Armed with only basic knowledge of the plot, I was fully taken in, and this film left me absolutely floored. Belgium’s…

Filmmaker Tara Thorne is an artist with such a distinct voice it’s almost impossible not to sit up and listen. A lover of all things film, theatre, and culture, she’s been an authority for all things entertainment in Nova Scotia for years. Now, with her debut film, we have the chance to champion her right…