Tag: Indie Directors
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Omaha Review: John Magaro Delivers a Career-Best Performance in Cole Webley’s Quietly Devastating Feature Debut
Director Cole Webley’s feature debut, Omaha, follows a widowed father (John Magaro) and his two young children on a cross-country road trip set against the backdrop of the 2008 financial crisis and housing collapse — a premise as quietly devastating as it is urgently relevant. Anchored by career-best work from Magaro and a revelation of…
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Blue Heron (2026) Review: Sophy Romvari’s Debut Is a Quietly Devastating Portrait of Family and Memory
In her feature debut, Blue Heron, director Sophy Romvari draws from her own childhood to craft an intimate, semi-autobiographical portrait of family, memory, and the quiet devastation of losing someone who was never fully yours to keep. Through a lived-in visual language, restrained performances, and a narrative that blurs the line between memory and reality,…
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The Year of Relationships: 2025 Movies That Get Love Right (and Wrong)
Where do we, as a society, currently stand when it comes to relationships? Dating? Commitment? The landscape has shifted so dramatically that it sometimes feels like we’re living in an entirely new emotional era. The openness of relationships has expanded far beyond where it once was—breaking away from antiquated, traditional notions and allowing people to…
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Terror Through the Lens: 2025’s Most Ambitious Found Footage Films
Since its horror inception with a film like Cannibal Holocaust (1980), the found footage genre has long found a welcoming and supportive home within horror itself. From there, we can trace clever and tactical marketing strategies that paved the way for The Blair Witch Project (1999), whose success relied on the persuasive and deceiving nature…
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The Age of Outrage: Cancel Culture, Social Media, and Cinema’s Search for Accountability
This year alone has brought an assortment of films reflecting the political and social climates of both the world at large and the United States in particular. While the deeper analysis of that collective will be tabled for now, one thing has become clear: the relevancy of films capturing the essence—or at least the proximity—of…
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Good Boy (2025) Review: A Haunting Horror Told Through a Dog’s Eyes
Release Date: Theatrical release (U.S.) — October 3, 2025 (festival premiere at SXSW March 10, 2025) Runtime: 73 minutes (1 hr 13 min) Rated: PG-13 — for terror, bloody images and strong language Production Companies: What’s Wrong With Your Dog? (Leonberg / Fischer indie credit) — distributed in English territories by Shudder / IFC (Independent Film…
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The Best Horror Films of 2025 (So Far): From 28 Years Later to The Long Walk
2025 has been an incredible year for horror, and I wanted to take a moment to highlight the films that are keeping the theatrical experience alive. While plenty of other blockbusters have carried their weight at the box office, I’d argue horror deserves its own recognition. As anyone in the fandom knows, it’s one of…
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Lurker (2025) Review: Fame, Manipulation, and the Toxic Dance of Parasocial Relationships
Release Date: theatrical release in U.S. on August 22, 2025 Runtime: 101 minutes (1h 41min) Rated: R for language throughout and some sexual content Production Companies: High Frequency Entertainment, MeMo Films, Twin Pictures Producers: Alex Orlovsky, Duncan Montgomery, Jack Selby, Galen Core, Olmo Schnabel, Francesco Melzi D’Eril, Marc Marrie, Charlie McDowell, Archie Madekwe Cinematography: Pat Scola…
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Splitsville Review: A Screwball Comedy of Open Marriages, Divorce, and Disastrous Loyalties
Release Date: U.S. limited theatrical release on August 22, 2025, expanding wide on September 5, 2025 Runtime: 82 minutes (1h 22min) Rated: R for language, sexual content, and nudity Production Companies: Neon, Topic Studios, Watch This Ready, TeaTime Pictures Producers: Emily Korteweg, Michael Angelo Covino, Kyle Marvin, Ryan Heller, Dakota Johnson, Ro Donnelly, Samantha Racanelli Cinematography:…
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Bring Her Back (2025) Review: The Philippou Brothers Deliver a Brutal, Heartbreaking Horror Follow-Up
Bring Her Back, releasing on May 29-30, 2025, is an intense horror film centered on tragedy, violence, and emotional depth. Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou, it features standout performances from Sally Hawkins and child actors Billy Barratt and Sora Wong. The film explores grief and manipulation, leaving audiences profoundly affected and questioning its haunting…