Robert Greene has long been interested in what can be learned by shifting reality through performance in films like “Kate Plays Christine” and “Bisbee ’17.” His latest, “Procession,” which just premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, feels like the apex of that work, a stunning achievement that not only centers expression as a form of…

Edgar Wright is a genre filmmaker who believes that more is more, and after the Venice premiere of his new horror picture “Last Night in Soho,” I heard from more than one colleague that the film could have done with at least one less breathless pursued-down-an-alley-by-horrific-specters set pieces. But when it’s Wright who’s providing the…

I’m a fan of locked perspective films and “We Need to Do Something” has one of the most effectively contained POVs in a long time. It’s basically the end of the world as seen through the eyes and experiences of one family trapped in their bathroom. Of course, some will read pandemic narratives into that…

The generic action flick “Yakuza Princess” starts with a bold declaration of intent: an on-screen text tells us that we’re now in São Paulo, Brazil, specifically a neighborhood that hosts “the largest Japanese community in the world.” That attention-grabbing statement promises a level of authenticity—or maybe cultural specificity—that the ensuing movie, about the heiress to…

Many of you may remember when Donald Trump was elected back in 2016, that more than a few vocal opponents of his presidency looked for a silver lining in the arts. Punk rock protest would come back, stronger than ever! Many great satirical works would take the administration down … somehow! And so on. Well,…

Anyone aware of the 2020 Riz Ahmed-starring film “Sound of Metal,” for which the actor was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award, probably has one question after reading the logline or watching the trailer for his latest film, “Mogul Mowgli.” “Another movie about Riz Ahmed as a musician hit by an unexpected medical condition?”…