The thing about a film like True Fiction is — as a film in an alienating horror genre already — it further pushes viewers away with a non-linear, completely insane story structure. What others may be dismissing about True Fiction are things I absolutely loved. This story of an aspiring writer who gets her dream…

There’s nothing inherently wrong with making an innocuous kids movie. But for a film that’s supposed to sell us on former wrestler Dave Bautista becoming a bankable, all-genre movie star, this long-delayed flick falters. Bautista doesn’t have to stretch much to play a bumbling, soft-hearted, entirely cliched CIA agent on a mission watching over a…

This review was initially printed for the FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival in September 2019, but is being re-released to time with the opening of this film in Canadian theatres March 5, 2020. Two years ago, Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake rocked me to my core at that FIN iteration. It was my favourite of…

When the initial trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog was revealed, fans nostalgic for the glory days of the Sega Genesis character went bananas. The animated, cardboard-copy Sonic looked lazy & cheap. The Twitter furor was so heavy, in fact, that filmmaker Jeff Fowler and animators went back to work to create a new-and-improved titular character.…

This re-imagining of the classic film eschews all the bad blood 2000’s Hollow Man brought to the concept, and brings a full-tilt, expertly-crafted psychological terror to the forefront. Writer-director Leigh Whannell escapes the trappings of his writing credits — including the Insidious and Saw films — and makes a horror film that foregoes cheap, schlock…

When The Boy was released in 2016, the low-budget horror flick took everyone who ventured to see it by surprise. With a final-act twist no one saw coming and a suitably creepy premise, it’s bound for cult classic status. And yet, this low-rent sequel capitalizes on the adoration of the original without ever coming near…

Disappearance At Clifton Work is masterful in the tone and atmosphere it sets. Based on the kidnapping of a boy that a young girl witnesses at seven-years-old, Clifton Hill pulls no punches from the beginning, and never lets up. It’s an intricate, interesting, well-woven tale: Until the last 15 minutes, that is. Sadly, this ambitious…

The Jesus Rolls may be opening in Canada on venerable John Turturro’s 63rd birthday, but there’s not much worth celebrating here. While the concept of often-on Turturro reviving his Big Lebowski character Jesus Quintana is a good one, the sheer weirdness and poor direction from the thespian leads to a huge disappointment. The Big Lebowski…

The incredible William Shakespeare play Hamlet is given a treatment from young Ophelia’s perspective in this interesting film. Headed to BluRay on February 25, it’s a must have for any film aficionado looking for a rare gem. Full of twists and great takes on a tried-and-true story, it’s a film that surprises. 1917 star George…

From the director who brought us unforgettable fare like Ichi The Killer and Audition comes this blood-spattered effort. Takashi Miike’s film about an angry, terminally ill boxer and a sex trafficked escort who get caught in a major drug deal in Tokyo is an exhilarating ride. When a low-ranking Yakuza member’s plan goes awry, the…