Filtinsel

Sometimes what's not being sad is scarier than words spoken. This couldn't be more true in Brian Duffield's masterpiece of a sci-fi horror film No One Will Save You . This groundbreaking movie smashes genre tropes while giving us one of the best onscreen performances of the year (if not the decade). While on the surface, this film will be described by many as an alien home invasion thriller. While it is that, No One Will Save You is so much more. It's the multilayers that sets this movie apart. Here, you have an anti-hero's journey in the main character of Brynn. Desperate for redemption, it is her need for forgiveness that drives her through the film - recognizing the chance to save herself from the aliens who have invaded her life and home, while also saving herself from herself . Duffield's story is brilliant on many levels. It's rare in a film of this genre that we're given such a heartbreaking and intimate look into a character's emotional stat

It is rare these days for a film to be as inspiring as A Million Miles Away . This beautifully-told biographical drama about the life of José M. Hernández, the first Mexican-American astronaut who came from very humble beginnings, is a must-see. It is to director Alejandra Marquez Abella's credit that this exceptional film is one of the year's best. Abella knows how to tell a great cinematic story and does so with mastery. The film moves at a quick pace, never wallowing in the many setbacks our hero experiences throughout his exhausting but determined journey. Instead, the audience recognizes these setbacks as the stepping stones they are, each leading Hernández to fulfilling his lifelong dream, igniting his passion even more each time they occur. Hernández is the ultimate underdog and we, his inspired audience, can't wait to see his victory. From a production standpoint, this film is near perfect. As our protagonist, Michael Peña gives an award-worthy career-best performan

From the intense and violent opening scene of a woman being gunned down on a city sidewalk by a gun-wielding blonde, J. Lee Thompson's cinematic masterpiece Yield to the Night grabs a hold of its audience and never lets go. Based on the novel of the same title by Joan Henry, the film offers an intimate look into the life of a woman driven to murder. Told partly in flashbacks, we feel sympathy for Mary Hilton, a woman who has been sentenced to hang and is waiting on death row for her execution. Yet, before we get to the dreaded final act, we're treated to outstanding performances from a mostly female cast, led by our leading lady Diana Dors. Playing against the blonde bombshell roles she was typically cast in, Dors gives a career-best award-worthy complex performance that is both powerful and haunting. Pushing past her stunning aesthetic seems like a lot to ask of the audience. Yet after the first few scenes, you realize that Dors is giving everything she has to tell this woman

This intense and captivating film noir from 1950 feels groundbreaking and significant and deserving of noteworthy acclaim, which unfairly it hasn't received. While watching this remarkable film, I couldn't help but be keenly aware of how ahead of its time Undercover Girl is, not just for its content but cinematically. The story follows a female police officer named Christine Miller (played with mesmerizing brilliance by Alexis Smith in a career-best performance), who is determined to avenge the murder of her father by going undercover to take down the narcotics ring responsible for his death. In so many ways, this feels like a fantastic precursor for Police Woman , Cagney and Lacey , and even Law and Order: Special Victims Unit . Yet, the gender of our main character is not the only celebratory element: this is a damn good movie from start to finish. Giving Alexis Smith terrific on-screen support is Royal Dano in a complex role (his movie debut nonetheless) with which the very

Joy Ride is a lot of things: a bawdy comedy, a fun road trip movie, a daughter's quest, a hero(ine)'s journey, and a not-so-deep exploration of gender norms and stereotypes. While the laughs are plenty and the cast is charming, the film tries to figure out what it is and the result is a bit muddled.  Director Adele Lim (in her directing debut) knows how to tell a good story. Her pacing of the movie is what keeps this comedy going. Little room is left to catch your breath before you've been moved on to the next outrageous situation, seemingly set up to allow the cast of comedians to shine. And they do, in part to Lim's directing, but also because all four actors are so damn entertaining: Ashley Park. Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Sabrina Wu. Any of them could easily carry a film on their own. Here, they each have some terrific moments, but are ultimately diminished by a film that's too full.  Structurally, the film's first two acts work really well. After a qu

Watching Shawn Levy's sci-fi action comedy The Adam Project is a fun, thrilling experience. The concept of the film is clever: a fighter pilot travels back to a specific point in his life, only to meet (and bond with) his younger self. The always-charming Ryan Reynolds is our leading man, playing the grown-up version of Adam Reed. Reynolds continues to prove he knows a thing or two about being funny. Here, his comedic timing is sharper than ever, evident each time he delivers hilarious lines of dialogue. The pairing of Reynolds with young actor Walker Scobell (who plays a 12-year old version of Adam Reed) creates a fantastic comedic duo. Their dynamic is very enjoyable to watch. They are surrounded by an all-star cast, appearing mostly in supporting roles, including Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner (both should've been given more screen time), and a devilish performance by Catherine Keener as an ultra-villain who you will love to hate. At the heart of the film, this is a good