Rebel Ridge (2024)

Direction: Jeremy Saulnier
Country: USA

Rebel Ridge is a gripping crime thriller written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, who, despite exploring new tones, remains true to the spirit of his filmmaking style. In his fifth directorial effort, Saulnier delivers a taut, intense film that keeps viewers hooked from start to finish, brimming with a sticky, vicious atmosphere and a relentless sense of unease. At its core, the film tells the story of a man doing what’s right in the face of injustice. 

The director has an ace up his sleeve in the form of Aaron Pierre, who, making use of an impressive restraint, gives a convincing performance as Terry Richmond, a former Marine who tries to bail his cousin out of jail in a broke, small American town where police corruption reigns. To confront the provocations of Chief Sandy Burnne (Don Johnson) and his racist crew, Richmond, who silently boasts a particular set of skills, welcomes the assistance of a young lawyer (AnnaSophia Robb) marked by a troubled past. 

Though the script may not dive deep into complex layers, Pierre’s portrayal of a decent man, disrespected and pushed to his limits, lends emotional weight and authenticity to the film. Saulnier, known for the brutality and darkness of Blue Ruin (2013) and Green Room (2015), opts for a more measured approach here. He crafts a thrilling ride filled with suspense, permanent tension, and tight action sequences. Rebel Ridge moves with confidence, combining raw intensity with a streamlined narrative that evokes a modern Rambo. It’s a well-executed crime thriller that positions Saulnier as a rising master of the genre, offering a dynamite-packed summer hit.

Didi (2024)

Direction: Sean Wang
Country: USA

Didi is a thoughtful and heartwarming coming-of-age comedy-drama that offers a slice of Asian-American life, marking the debut of Taiwanese filmmaker Sean Wang, who also wrote and produced. The film draws on his personal experiences growing up in the Bay Area, delivering an authentic and emotionally rich narrative.

Set in Fremont, California, the story follows 13-year-old Chris (Izaac Wang) who grapples with family tensions, the awkwardness and insecurities of first love, and guilt over past mischief. At the same time, he navigates the complexities of friendship, discovering a passion for videography and skateboarding. An introspective posture mixed with inopportune words creates challenges in expressing his true self.

Chris’ struggles are presented with realism and relatability, immersing viewers in the embarrassment and cringe-worthy moments of adolescence as he tries to carve out his own identity. Didi delivers both funny laughs and meaningful moments. It’s an understatedly charming little movie that hits the mark; a debut with a real heart that radiates vulnerability, resilience, and authenticity, offering plenty of pleasurable rewards.

The performances are the heart of this observant film bolstered by a sharp-witted script that explores and examines teenage angst and frustration. Wang is certainly someone with a promising future, layering all the dramatic elements with poise and weaving together humor and drama into an engaging story that feels both personal and universal. The competent cast, which includes Joan Chen as Chris’ single mother, gives us reasons to care about the characters in this gratifying contribution to on-screen cross-cultural teen environment.

Red Island (2024)

Direction: Robin Campillo
Country: France 

After a six-year hiatus, Robin Campillo—known for Eastern Boys (2013) and 120 BPM (2017)— returns with Red Island, a semi-autobiographical drama inspired by his childhood in Madagascar in the early ‘70s. While the film aims to portray a personal story and a broader reflection of a wounded nation still under French rule, it often feels more like a diffuse dream than a compelling coming-of-age tale. 

The narrative centers around Thomas (Charlie Vauselle), a sensitive eight-year-old boy who is obsessed with female superhero Fantomette, a fascination he shares with his observant friend, Suzanne (Cathy Pham). Thomas is the youngest son of Colette (Nadia Tereszkiewicz), a disenchanted housewife, and Robert Lopez (Quim Gutiérrez), a French Army officer stationed at Madagascar’s military base 181, awaiting orders to leave the country. While Thomas finds solace in the fantasy worlds suggested by his comic books, he has a hard time understanding the bored adults around him. 

Despite its personal significance, Red Island suffers from a lack of clear narrative direction. Campillo’s well-intentioned but largely meandering approach succumbs to a melancholic tone and a lack of ambition. While the film is intimate and deeply political, it often feels too skeletal, failing to fully flesh out its themes. The final act, which abruptly shifts focus from the family dynamic to the Malagasy people’s struggle for freedom after twelve years of forged independence, feels underdeveloped and incomplete. 

Though there are moments of emotional depth and strong performances—Nadia Tereszkiewicz is phenomenal—Red Island ultimately doesn’t live up to expectations, becoming a film that is more fragmented than fully realized.

Strange Darling (2024)

Direction: JT Mollner
Country: USA 

JT Mollner delivers a sledgehammer blow to the audience with his sophomore feature, Strange Darling, a violent, electrifying, and psychologically twisted thriller designed to shock and unsettle. Shot in 35mm and presented in six non-linear chapters that subvert conventional thriller narratives, the film unfolds in rural Oregon in the 1970s, carving a bloody path while generating palpable suspense and a constant sense of dread. 

Darkly humorous and perversely amusing, the film provokes queasiness and anxiety, ensnaring viewers in a tangled web of questions about motivations and personality disorders. The vicious game is rendered with sharp close-ups, unexpected twists, and appropriate use of light, sound, and editing. Mollner reveals this routine inclination to extract poetic resonance from moments of pain and bloodshed—an artfully conceived exercise in disturbance, but not particularly cerebral. Still, the film succeeds by refusing to let the audience catch their breath, compelling them to accept it on its own, wild terms.

Without revealing the serial killer’s past, Strange Darling would form a compelling triptych with Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge (2017) and Ti West’s MaXXXine (2024). It’s a visceral, provocative, darkly feminist thriller that occasionally laces its brutality with humor. Willa Fitzgerald (The Goldfinch, 2019) seizes her moment to shine, but it’s Kyle Gallner (Dinner in America, 2020) who truly stands out. A special mention goes to Giovanni Ribisi, the former actor and first-time cinematographer, for his impressive work behind the camera.

Kinds of Kindnes (2024)

Direction: Yorgos Lanthimos
Country: USA

Collaborating once again with screenwriter Efthimis Filippou, Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos offers a cruel absurdist triptych that is too zany to be taken seriously. The film features a recurring A-list ensemble cast—including Emma Stone, Willem Defoe, Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, and Margaret Qualley—in three dark stories about empowerment, where controllers/abusers humiliate those under their control. It is illogic, extreme, sexually daring, and obsessively moody, embodying a contemporary exploitation of relationships whose levels of darkness are deeply unfamiliar.

Visually neat, the film is filled with farces and traps, embracing a stylized approach that often succumbs to its more nonsensical ideas. If Poor Things (2023) was irreverent and magically astute, Kinds of Kindness feels tiresome in its fixation on provocation and shock, dwelling in gloomy places for 164 minutes. While it occasionally achieves a hypnotic intensity, the experience ultimately feels aggressively unsatisfying. 

Frustrating in its irrational depictions of life, this anthology film feels more like an indulgent exercise in Lanthimos and Filippou’s signature weirdness and attention-grabbing writing. Potentially interesting ideas simply can't fill the emotional void at the film's core—a disappointment, given that Lanthimos has demonstrated inventive brilliance in films like Dogtooth (2009), The Favourite (2018), The Lobster (2015), and the aforementioned Poor Things. Viewers seeking more substance than mere shock value may find themselves infuriated by this latest offering.

Oddity (2024)

Direction: Damian McCarthy
Country: Ireland

Oddity, a slow-blooming portrait of doomed love, immediately thrusts its audience into a realm of disquiet and discomfort. With a Hitchcockian mood and tone, the film itself is a cinematic oddity, playing well with symbolism and emotions but failing at cohere completely.  

Surreally mounted and beautifully shot, Oddity follows Darcy Odello (Carolyn Bracken), a blind token-objet reader woman and antique shop owner who decides to investigate her twin sister’s murder one year after it happened. Armed with a mysterious wooden figure, she stays at the country house where her sister was killed, allegedly by a former patient of her psychiatrist husband, Ted Timmis (Gwilym Lee). 

Without straining to make an obvious point, the director Damian McCarthy (Caveat, 2020) builds tension as we keep gaining interest, teasing before delivering a few well-placed chills. His proclivity for the horror genre is no fluke, but his sophomore feature is one to be savored for its atmosphere than remembered for its impact. Oddity unfortunately culminates in a bland, disappointing finale, one that is more amusing than spooky. While the film doesn't totally click on all fronts, there is enough darkness in its DNA to satisfy enthusiasts of the genre.

The Goldman Case (2024)

Direction: Cédric Kahn
Country: France

The Goldman Case is an insightful, raw, and nervy courtroom drama set in the mid-‘70s that fascinates as much for its portrayal of an era as for its exploration of justice. Directed by Cédric Kahn (Red Lights, 2004; The Prayer, 2018), it’s a semi-autobiographical work based on the second trial of Pierre Goldman (masterfully portrayed by Arieh Worthalter), a far-left militant accused of four armed robberies and the murder of two women. Facing life imprisonment, Goldman is defended by a passionate young lawyer, Georges Kiejman (Arthur Harari), who, like him, is a Polish Jew born in France to a modest background. The accused concedes to the label of “gangster” but vehemently denies being a murderer, asserting his innocence in the ambiguous killings. 

The film begins discreetly, almost academically, but gradually imposes its rigor and style. Goldman’s case hinges on a shaky alibi, conflicting witnesses, and affecting testimonies from his girlfriend and father. Justice is explored in its very human giddiness when no scientific proof comes to its rescue, and aspects such as racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobic police, and more, emerge in its complex societal forms. 

Kahn collaborated with Nathalie Hertzberg in the screenplay, choosing to fictionalize elements by blending Goldman’s two trials and drawing from his book. Yet, the film is so well directed and intensely acted that it's hard not to take it. It values speech without grandiloquence and avoids dramatic flourishes while exposing the fragility of truth and the difficulty of judging. It's a pleasure to get wrapped up in such a thoughtfully conceived and stirringly executed reconstruction, one delivered with gripping rhythm, fervent passion, and a clear form. With The Goldman Case, Kahn signs his most memorable film to date.

Alien: Romulus (2024)

Direction: Fede Alvarez
Country: USA 

Set chronologically between the first two films of the saga, Alien: Romulus marks a return to the basics, reviving the franchise with a blend of old and new elements. Without Sigourney Weaver, this visually captivating, energetic, and intense science-fiction horror flick is enhanced by magnificent sets and thrilling action sequences. It relies on a rejuvenated cast that delivers, even if most of the characters lack full definition. The standout exception is Rain (Cailee Spaeny), a young space colonizer who, along with her friends and humanoid brother, explores an abandoned space station named Romulus, only to face the most terrifying life forms in the universe.

Directed by Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, 2013; Don’t Breathe, 2016), who co-wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues, the film is invested with awe-inspiring ingenuity in some sequences and details for the sake of a deliriously entertaining experience. While it borrows elements from its predecessors, it still manages to find originality in its design and tone, delivering impactful moments. The beast’s drool still causes some frisson; the velocious, creepy Facehuggers inject new excitement; and the humanoids makes us feel the coldness and indifference of machines. 

Alvarez directs with a blend of technique and artistry, crafting a visually arresting experience. He knows how to create suspense in confined, claustrophobic places and pumps this new chapter with nauseating fluids and relentless adrenaline. Alien: Romulus never reaches the potential of Ridley Scott’s original or James Cameron’s sequel, but it’s terrifically executed and, just the same, viscerally monstrous.

In Our Day (2024)

Direction: Hong Sang-soo
Country: South Korea

Korean director Hong Sang-soo's 30th feature, In Our Day, is a breezy, minor effort that may not be particularly thought-provoking but is deeply explorative of life and art. With his trademark understated style, Hong once again embraces simplicity, allowing the melancholy undertones of the film to ebb and flow without pointing toward any specific destination.

In Our Day seems to carry an autobiographical touch, presenting two parallel stories that involve established artists and their younger admirers, who are curious about their careers and perspectives. The film’s naturalistic staging, dialogue, and human interactions lean toward minimalism, yet there are subtle but significant details woven throughout. It’s a double moral tale that gets the form of a plotless slow burn, stripped of complexity and anchored by serene performances from an ensemble cast that makes it as breezy as a stroll in Central Park. 

Hong himself frames the film with meticulous attention to image composition, adding a layer of visual care that compensates for the film’s modest ambitions. In Our Day may not be mind-blowing in its ideas, but it radiates warmth and gentle humor. It's a human and occasionally touching film, though it demands patience from viewers, asking them to find pleasure in the small moments and connect with its characters, a task that may not always come easily. 

Janet Planet (2024)

Direction: Annie Baker
Country: USA

The feature debut of filmmaker Annie Baker, Janet Planet, is an absorbing drama that deserves your attention. Set in rural Massachusetts in 1991, the film poignantly captures the emotional complexities and uncertainty of a volatile single mother (Julianne Nicholson), who works as an acupuncturist, and her lonely, highly dependent 11-year-old daughter (Zoe Ziegler). Their lives are momentarily altered by the arrival of three different people, leading to a story that is both patiently observant and ultimately caustic. The film provides an unnervingly naturalistic look at a teen's life, anchored by convincing central performances, with the potent chemistry between the mother and daughter being crucial to the film’s success.

Janet Planet earns its dramatic moments through strong writing, unexpected outcomes, and a nice restraint. The film effectively contrasts the maturity found in some of the conversations between mother and daughter with the imbalance of some of the mother’s choices. Despite being presented in an unhurried, episodic manner, the nearly two-hour runtime never feels sluggish. The screenplay's subtlety and quality stand out, maintaining a steady yet delightfully quirky tone throughout. 

It’s safe to say that Baker has a promising career as a filmmaker and storyteller ahead of her, as all the elements are assembled with prudent sincerity, building a story that is both touching and deeply affecting. Janet Planet is a rare gem, so earnest in its approach that it resonates with a poignant, almost painful, honesty.

The Monk and the Gun (2024)

Direction: Pawo Choyning Dorji
Country: Bhutan / other

From Pawo Choyning Dorji, the Bhutanese director of Lunana: a Yak in the Classroom (2019), comes The Monk and the Gun, a light comedy-drama set against the backdrop of Bhutan's first democratic election. This formerly isolated monarchic country, now encountering the internet and TV for the first time, serves as the setting for a story that piques our curiosity from the start. 

Written by Dorji, the story pikes our curiosity about the intention of the village’s lama who, during his meditation retreat, asks his assistant monk (Tandin Wangchuk) to bring him two guns for a mysterious ceremony scheduled for the election day. As the debate between modernizing or maintaining traditions creates friction among villagers and disruption in families, an American gun collector (Harry Einhorn) arrives in town to buy a rare old rifle, with the local Benji (Tandin Sonam) acting as the mediator. 

Whether seen it as an original moral tale or a modern fable, this well-tempered and didactic film remains engaging despite minor plot quibbles and occasional pacing issues. Painted with tenderness and a subtle yet delightful humor, this canvas also serves as an ode to Bhutan’s sublime landscape, celebrating pacifism and tolerance with inspiring simplicity and spiritual appeal.

The film’s peaceful, idyllic tones underscore its message of compassion and peace triumphing over suffering, hatred, and aggression. The Monk and the Gun offers a relaxing and deeply felt portrait of the Bhutanese people, with its educational value standing out as invaluable. Dorji’s perspective is bracing, and his film a serene experience.

There's Still Tomorrow (2024)

Direction: Paola Cortellesi
Country: Italy

Paola Cortellesi, widely recognized in Italy as a TV presenter and comedian, as well as for her diverse roles in film, television, and theatre, makes a powerful directorial debut with There’s Still Tomorrow. This black-and-white feminist manifesto, which she co-wrote and stars in, is a bold political comedy-drama that confronts patriarchy head-on. It channels the spirit of classic Italian cinema, evoking the pink neorealism of directors like Luigi Comencini and Dino Risi, all while overflowing with style and determination. 

Set in the 1940s, the film strikes a delicate balance between laughs and tears as it follows the challenging life of Delia (Cortellesi), a hardworking woman who endures daily physical abuse at the hands of her obnoxious war veteran husband Ivano (Valerio Mastandrea). Instead of voicing her suffering, Delia chooses to silently endure the pain and quietly save money, all while plotting her own form of resistance. 

Infused with a quiet yet righteous anger, the film is caricatural in many ways, disguising the scenes of brutality with romantic songs and dancing moves. It even facilitaties a bit here and there in terms of plot, but remains compelling, vivid, and intoxicating. With its strong visuals and a crucial message of resilience and hope, this film holds nothing back—and what’s not to love about that?

Cortellesi shines, addressing the sensitive topic of domestic violence with tact and a deliberate avoidance of melodrama, opting instead for a slightly offbeat tone that is further enhanced by the film's anachronistic soundtrack. The surprising ending takes viewers to a completely different direction, and I was amazed how much I started to care about the main character. There’s Still Tomorrow drives home a narrative that is both deeply engaging and impactful, successfully resonating with audiences while delivering a powerful message of women’s emancipation.

Ghostlight (2024)

Direction: Alex Thompson, Kelly O'Sullivan 
Country: USA

Ghostlight, set in Chicago, is an intimate drama that delves into themes of family, loss, art, and healing. Directed by Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan, the film stars Keith Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, and Tara Mallen — a real-life father, daughter, and mother trio who portray the same familial roles in this fictional account.

Dan (Keith Kupferer), a stressed out construction worker, finds himself reluctantly drawn into a local theater company by middle-aged actress Rita (Dolly de Leon). The group is rehearsing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a tragedy that stirs painful memories of Dan’s own personal loss. Yet, the chance to escape into another character's life might be exactly what he needs to begin healing. 

The film manages to sustain tension, though it occasionally undercuts itself by resolving conflicts too swiftly. Without trivializing the emotions involved, the filmmakers craft a poetic melodrama that doesn’t strive for perfection but rather for honesty, offering moments of piercing observation. The scope of the plot actually widens with the theatric representation, an emotional expression that further fuels the narrative. 

Ghostlight confronts viewers with a keen understanding of the cracks that emerge in people over time as they wrestle with grief and the mysteries of life. The movie denotes a bit of formula and calculation as the directors put out a play for us — so, if you’re looking to be wowed, this may not do the trick. With that said, I still believe it’s worth checking out just for its newfound parallels and poignant exploration of human emotions.

Touch (2024)

Direction: Baltasar Kormakur 
Country: Iceland / UK 

The work of Icelandic writer-director Baltasar Kormakur has been consistently satisfying, with 101 Reykjavik (2000), Jar City (2006), and The Deep (2012) among his notable films. His latest effort, Touch, is a serious, affecting, and ultimately surprising drama that rewards viewers with some unexpected twists.

The plot follows Kristofer (Egill Ólafsson), an aging Icelandic restaurant owner who lives alone, grappling with the gradual loss of motor skills and tricky mind. Advised by his doctor to take care of any unresolved issues while he still can, he decides to travel to London - where he studied and worked 51 years ago - and then to Hiroshima during the unsettling times of the pandemic. He’s tries to reconnect with the love of his life, Miko (Yoko Narahashi). 

Cleanly directed and credibly acted, Touch succeeds through its idiosyncratic focus on character and relationships. The film is structured with numerous flashbacks that illuminate the urgency behind certain decisions, in a manifestation of how a particular stage of life requires you to come back to your deepest emotions. Based on Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson’s 2022 novel of the same name, the story doesn’t offer anything breathtaking and occasionally meanders with some lengthening detours. However, it's told with a quiet intensity, featuring elegant staging and culminating in a heartfelt conclusion. 

Touch might be easily overlooked, but it remains a light watch, a candid representation of a profound love. It’s a pleasant surprise for fans of the genre.

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

Direction: Shawn Levy
Country: USA

Deadpool & Wolverine, a Marvel misfire directed by the uninspired Canadian filmmaker Shawn Levy (Free Guy, 2021; The Adam Project, 2022), falls flat despite the return of fan-favorite antihero Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds, who also co-wrote and co-produced) as Deadpool. This time, he asks for the help of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to save his universe from extinction. These volatile superheroes can go from fighting each other until unconscious to forming a powerful alliance within minutes. 

Everything about the movie is extreme as it takes an ‘everything-but-the-kitchen-sink’ approach, attacking from all sides in every department with an ‘I-don’t-give-a-damn’ posture. It even borrows from Mad Max while relying heavily on multiverse chaos and an eclectic array of Marvel characters. The result is an eccentric, flimsy parody with ferocious, often self-referential dialogue that mocks the film industry and other Marvel figures. However, the screenplay quickly gets bogged down in eye-rolling contrivances. 

While the ridiculousness occasionally lands some laughs — thanks largely to Deadpool's irreverent charm — the movie's attempts at subversion can't mask its numerous plot incoherences. The narrative feels half-baked, dragging along in a bloated mess of confused and conflicted scenes. Ultimately, Deadpool & Wolverine offers nothing new, with Levy seemingly content to toss these characters together and hope for the best. Unfortunately, the result is a muddled and forgettable entry in the Marvel franchise.

Terrestrial Verses (2024)

Direction: Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami
Country: Iran

Terrestrial Verses, a directorial collaboration between the multi-awarded Ali Asgari and Canada-based Iranian-American filmmaker Alireza Khatami, shares several thematic strings with Abbas Kiarostami’s 2002 docufiction Ten. However, while Kiarostami’s work was centered only on women, this project includes men, presenting a series of nine vignettes that expose injustice, absurdities, and intolerable abuse of power. Shot in seven days and produced by the directors at their own expense, the film captures the essence of an oppressive system through the experiences of nine ordinary citizens of Tehran interviewed by authorities.

Among the most compelling stories are a confrontational teenager punished at school for arriving with her motorcyclist boyfriend, a young woman seemingly caught driving without hijab, two shameful job interviews (one laying bare sexism and the other religion-based discrimination), and a desperate filmmaker whose work, based on true events, is censored from start to finish. It’s a fine blend of realism, cynicism, and humor.

Following conceptual simplicity, Terrestrial Verses is minimalist in its visuals but cathartic in its dialogue. This pain-filled satire does so many things, all of them well. Opting for explicit directness, it forces the viewer to look straight into the eyes of victims of a controlling and toxic Iranian society marred by austere religious and political principles that serve only those in power. Films like these are important, denouncing oppression in the hopes of achieving freedom, in a relentlessly clever middle finger to baseless censorship. Although fictionalized, this accessible and defiant film offers enlightening insights into contemporary Iran.

The Devil's Bath (2024)

Direction: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala
Country: Austria / Germany

The Devil’s Bath, a period psycho-horror film set in upper Austria in 1750, is a gripping exploration of marital terror, depression, and religious fanaticism. Directed by the filmmaking duo of Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, the film quietly and steadily builds depth, drawing inspiration from Kathy Stuart’s research: Suicide by Proxy in Early Modern Germany: Crime, Sin and Salvation (2023), as well as criminal trial records for Agnes Catherina Schickin (Germany, 1704) and Eva Lizlfellnerin (Austria, 1761-62). Co-produced by Ulrich Seidl (Rimini, 2022; Paradise Trilogy), the film stars Anja Plaschg in the leading role, an experimental musician that also composed the music score.

The story follows Agnes (Plaschg), from her wedding day to her demise. The narrative is subtle and gradual, with the directors prioritizing the human drama above horror-film gimmickry. They’ve crafted a harrowing, austere story that, once you know the tragic twist, morphs into a somber study of depressed, suicidal women in the 18th-century Central Europe.

The low-key, handsomely photographed production drips with atmosphere, and we know there are competent hands behind the camera and just enough mystery to keep the audience guessing. Plaschg’s performance perfectly fits the demands of a film that resonates through its dark ambiance and creepy conclusion.

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

Direction: Michael Sarnoski
Country: USA

A Quiet Place: Day One, the third installment in the A Quiet Place film series, is a patchy and uninspired apocalyptic horror film that functions as both a prequel and a spin-off. Written and directed by Michael Sarnoski (Pig, 2021), the film fails to surpass the intrigue of the two previous films directed by John Krasinski.

This early chapter follows the journey of two survivors in a silenced New York: Samira (Lupita Nyong'o), a courageous, terminally ill woman craving pizza, and Eric (Joseph Quinn), a terrified British law student who never takes off his tie. Amidst the chaos, the real hero turns out to be Samira’s intelligent and surprisingly quiet cat.

Overall, the film offers too little and nothing new, with Sarnoski overly confident that style can substitute for substance. For the most part, the film is just a tired tread through the usual elements. It is well-produced, acceptably performed, and features decent special effects packing in some impressive dystopian imagery. However, we’ve seen it all before. There’s no reason to stay invested in something so uninventive. A Quiet Place: Day One is nothing but a dull apocalyptic routine that doesn’t pay off.

Twisters (2024)

Direction: Lee Isaac Chung
Country: USA 

Twisters, a belated standalone relative to Jan de Bont's Twister (1996), fails to captivate. Directed by Lee Isaac Chung (Munyurangabo, 2007; Minari, 2020) from a screenplay by Mark L. Smith (The Revenant, 2015), based on a story by Joseph Kosinski (Oblivion, 2013; Top Gun Maverick, 2022), the movie sorely lacks a sense of reality and fails to evoke deep emotion during the dramatic, life-threatening situations depicted.

The story pairs Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a former storm chaser haunted by a deadly tornado incident from her college years, with Tyler Owens (Glen Powell), a boastful social media celebrity who thrives on posting his tornado-defying adventures. What could have been a thrilling, eyeball-popping natural disaster flick, instead devolves into a cheesy romance between uninteresting characters. Viewers won't find anything new here to sink their teeth into, not even those who are big fans of the genre.

After giving us the soulful Minari, one of the standout dramas of 2020, Chung shifts from distinctive to banal with a blockbuster marred by emotionless narrative and repetitive action. The occasional powerful images are incapable of balancing the whirlwind of tediousness felt from start to finish. It’s true that Chung replaced Kosinski in the director’s chair at short notice, but that shouldn’t excuse such a debilitated outcome. Both Edgar-Jones and Powell delivered unremarkable performances.

We Grown Now (2024)

Direction: Minhal Baig
Country: USA 

Minhal Baig (Hala, 2019) wrote, directed and co-produced her third feature, We Grown Now, a poignant coming-of-age drama about two inseparable best friends who discover the joys and hardships of living in Cabrini-Green, a public housing complex in Chicago. 

The year is 1992, and Malik (Blake Cameron James) and Eric (Gian Knight Ramirez) are sometimes short on food. The former lives with his single mother (Jurnee Smollett), his grandmother (S. Epatha Merkerson) - whose roots are in Tupelo, Mississippi - and a sister, while the latter lives with his widowed father and an older sister. The escalating violence in the neighborhood allows the police to enter their houses in the middle of the night without a warrant, searching for drugs and gang members. Things between Malik and Eric momentarily change when the former’s mother considers applying for a new job and moving to another city.

The meaning of home and social change are deeply embedded in this story, with the director blending tenderness and cruelty in a disillusioned atmosphere softened by true friendship and routine. Placed under the sign of adolescence with heartfelt intentions, the film also reconnects with the theme of holding onto one's origins, capturing the urgency of moving toward better conditions and the yearning for what is left behind.

Baig shoots each scene with ardent attention, projecting a strange mix of innocence and awareness. Her assured direction ensures realism, bolstered by the young actors, who hold the stage with truthfulness.