Foreign Film Fridays: “Spirited Away” (Japan, 2001)

Welcome back to Foreign Film Fridays, where I look back at some of the best and most influential foreign films released in the recent past! Today we’ve got something of a timely entry, as last weekend’s Toy Story 4 was surprisingly upset in the Chinese box office by an old Japanese classic making its debut in the country: 2001’s Spirited Away. The film heralded the emergence of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli as international powerhouses in the animation industry, and is considered one of the most influential foreign AND animated films of all time, inspiring many (including last week’s foreign filmmaker!). What makes this simple child’s tale such a timeless classic?

“The Last Black Man in San Francisco” Film Review: The Beauty in Ugliness

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019) is the directorial debut of Joe Talbot from a script he co-wrote with longtime friend Jimmy Fails, who stars as a poor young black man attempting to reclaim his childhood home in upscale SF. After a strong debut at Sundance (winning two awards) and being picked up by A24 for distribution, it is finally seeing a wide theatrical release. What makes this simple tale of gentrification such a powerful experience?

Foreign Film Fridays: “Pan’s Labyrinth” (Spain, 2006)

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) is a Spanish dark fantasy film from Guillermo Del Toro. It tells the story of Ofelia, the young stepdaugher of a cruel Francoist general in the midst of a war with guerrilla rebels. Ofelia stumbles upon a fairytale-like world and must complete various mystical tasks to claim her long-lost throne as princess of the Underworld. The film is often cited as one of the greatest foreign-language films ever made and launched Del Toro into worldwide recognition. How does such dark and twisted film cast a spell on so many?

“Black Mirror” Season 5 Review

The fifth season of Netflix’s sci-fi phenomenon Black Mirror is now online, and I have a lot to say about it! I’m a big fan of the show, from its strong roots to some of its more outlandish recent offerings like Bandersnatch. How does the newest batch of episodes stack up with the rest of the show?

Foreign Film Fridays: “Mommy” (Canada, 2014)

Welcome back to Foreign Film Fridays, where I highlight some of the best foreign-language films of the past few years! Today we’re looking at Mommy (2014), a French-Canadian drama from wunderkind director Xavier Dolan, who was just 25 when this film was released. Set in a fictional near-future where parents can legally commit troubled youth to institutions against their will, it follows a single mother struggling to control her violent teenage son. The film earned strong accolades, including the Jury Prize at 2014 Cannes Film Festival and a whopping nine awards at the Canadian Screen Awards (basically the Canadian Oscars). What makes this story so special?

“Gloria Bell” Film Review

Gloria Bell (2019) is the latest Sebastián Lelio film, whose past films include Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman (2017) and Disobedience (2018), both of which I enjoyed. It stars Julianne Moore as the titular free-spirited woman who moonlights as a club dancer and falls for the suave Arnold (John Turturro). Does Lelio continue his upward trajectory as a filmmaker in the industry, or is it his first stumble?