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Absolutely ridiculous, totally over-the-top. Tons of fun.

Charming and personal in its “homemade-ness” — an interesting glimpse into the sacrifices required for a layperson to achieve a physique that could place in a regional bodybuilding competition. I commend the honesty involved.

Really interesting (and anti-Socratic) exploration of this case, in a way that blends discussions about dis/ability, race, class, and consent.

Nothing groundbreaking, but a pretty fun action flick with some decent humour. I always find it a bit interesting to see an actor of Gyllenhaal’s calibre in one of these more ‘low-brow’, ‘typical Hollywood’ roles, but he does a good job of it. McGregor is definitely the weak link, but even I have to agree the casting makes sense (given the protagonist’s backstory and McGregor’s very obvious ties to UFC).

Fantastic film — equal parts bleak and charming, and always compassionate. At the time I'm reviewing this film, Vancouver is entering the eighth year of the overdose crisis, and it's disheartening to see how little things have changed since 2019. The struggles faced by OPS in East Hastings perfectly mirror the situation that has spread across Canada; I work with street-sleeping individuals in Ontario and we respond to overdoses on at least a weekly basis, sometimes daily or multiple times per day. I have seen firsthand how the closure of safe injection sites results in death and disability. We need safe consumption sites, and we need them now; perhaps even more than that, we need people to see drug users as humans, with lives and experiences just as valuable as anyone else. It has never been more important to carry Narcan/Naloxone and know how to use it.

Interesting premise, but uneven quality. Certainly would have benefitted from more skilled actors (and screenwriters). I do enjoy anthology style films though, and I thought the editing was well-executed.

I didn’t exactly enjoy it, per se, but it was interesting and the visuals were certainly great fun. I especially liked the animated fight sequence toward the end. The score was decent.

Personally, I found it a bit hard not to roll my eyes at some of the messaging when it comes to gender—given the story, there’s necessarily a huge emphasis on reproductivity and the survival of the human race, but the gender essentialism and pro-birth stuff is still extremely heavy-handed.
Furthermore, I just thought it strange that a drug like Divinity would cause such visually-remarkable effects in men and absolutely nothing in women. Seems like a missed creative opportunity.

Worse than the first and second, but still some creepy moments, and the continuation of the lore-building is fun. The climax was kind of a letdown though, after so much build-up.

I really enjoyed this film, particularly for its cinematography. The story isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s not nearly as cheesy and relentlessly heartwarming as the trailer made it seem; each character is flawed and complex in their own way, and true to the social-realist tradition of British cinema, the role of socioeconomic status remains a constant background presence.

Harris Dickinson gives an especially subtle-but-compelling performance of a wayward young man coming to terms with the unexpected responsibility of fatherhood — he’s imperfect, rough-around-the-edges, at times prone to outbursts, but ultimately loveable. The viewer is reminded that he was only a kid himself when Georgie was born, and that he, too, is grieving the death of her mother in the only way he knows how.
I was equally impressed by breakout actor Lola Campbell, who perfectly portrays a twelve year-old doing her best to get by after the sudden death of her only guardian. She conveys exactly what it’s like to be a preteen struggling to reconcile the intelligence, maturity, and self-reliance necessary to function on her own in the ‘adult world’ VS. the whimsical fantasies and impulsivity she has yet to outgrow from her childhood.

Some of the stylized interjections (i.e. the ‘interview’ segments) could have been left on the cutting room floor, in my opinion—the social workers in particular came across a bit too ‘Wes Anderson’ for my taste—but the score is well done, the story feels real, and the cast is formidable. I’d be remiss not to praise the gentle wisdom of Alin Uzun’s character.

This comment got way longer than I expected, but this film certainly gave me a lot to think about since I saw it yesterday. It may not radically change your existence, but I believe it's still worth 84 minutes of your life.

I wouldn't call it "good", but I had a lot of fun watching this—full of unintentional laugh-out-loud moments and typical cheesy 1980s special effects. The kid who plays Charlie (Charles George Hildebrandt) is surprisingly talented compared to the rest of the cast.

Decent movie, great score. Unfortunately, the book is so utterly incredible that no film could ever really do it justice.
I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more had I not read the source material first — Tom Holland gives a solid performance, but he's nothing like the original protagonist, and the film cut a lot of the important moments that occurred leading up to and during his military service. In comparison to the novel, his character is never properly fleshed-out.

Bestiality, orgies, and shoddy acting aside, this was actually a really interesting and visually-appealing film. I was impressed by some of the cinematography, especially where the underwater shots were concerned. Great soundtrack. Laura Gemser is obviously gorgeous, but also plays a surprisingly likeable protagonist.

hilariously bad, but the real on-screen animal cruelty made it hard for me to fully enjoy.

a strong, self-aware comeback with much more honesty than i was expecting. i liked Mulaney before, but this one really made me respect him as a storyteller. some moments were almost painfully relatable—but it was all the funnier for it. with time comes perspective, and laughing at our mistakes is a good way to ease the pain, learn from them, and ultimately move on.

A brilliant, unique film, partially composed of real video footage shot in Bucchieri’s younger years. Beautiful and breathtakingly sincere.

I was lucky enough to see this one at BRIFF 2023 and to attend a Q&A with the director. I recall being taken aback by how raw the film felt, and how much of himself he channeled into it—warts and all. It has lingered on in my mind for weeks.

awesome practical effects, pretty solid acting, probably way longer than it needed to be. i didn't particularly like the addition of the child clown—she didn't add anything to the story in my opinion, and easily could have been cut entirely. that said, i did like how this sequel builds off of the supernatural elements that were hinted at in the first (e.g. Art's origins and apparent immortality).
overall, a worthy sequel — gory and kinda funny, which is exactly what i was hoping for. i just wish the end had wrapped up a little smoother, instead of dragging out for so long and losing the momentum it had built up.