Film Reviews Quo vadis, Aida? (2021) How does it make any sense to give our attention to the dramatization of a society's violent overthrow while we we are watching it happen in the real world, right now, either elsewhere in the world or here, either swiftly or in slow motion? Nevertheless, this might be the best time for us to watch Q
Film Reviews The Inner Language of Wolfwalkers - a guest post by Micah Rickard Special guest reviewer Micah Rickard offers some reflections on a very tricky matter that Cartoon Saloon's Wolfwalkers handles particularly well.
Film Reviews Cowboys (2021) You know the old saying about where a road "paved with good intentions" can lead. And it's true. I've watched passionate, purposeful, principled artists pour their lives and life savings into projects that, while meaningful for the artists, amounted to unwatchable results. But it&
On Movies & Media Paterson (2021) One of the most important discoveries of this year's Glen Workshop was this: Not enough people have seen Jim Jarmusch's Paterson. Here's my original review.
Film Reviews Pig (2021) Watch for the moment in Michael Sarnoski's film Pig when Robin — a formidable, Jesus-bearded truffle hunter living as a recluse in the woods outside of Portland, Oregon — walks through a fancy downtown restaurant like Obi-Wan Kenobi making his way to the heart of the Death Star, reluctantly leading
Podcast The secrets of Cartoon Saloon's success: a talk with Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey In the latest episode of Looking Closer with Jeffrey Overstreet: The Podcast, Dr. Lindsay Marshall and I talk with the world-class animators and storytellers Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey, makers of The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner, and Wolfwalkers. You can listen to it here: This
Film Reviews A Quiet Place Part II (2021) Krasinski's follow-up to his smash-hit sci-fi thriller works like a charm — mostly because it's made up of familiar sequences that worked like a charm in better movies.
Film Reviews In the Heights (2021) Full disclosure: I'm not a big fan of Hamilton. And I think it's important you know that before I dare to offer any thoughts on In the Heights. Undoubtedly, the circumstances of my first Hamilton viewing — on my home television via Disney+, rather than in a
On Movies & Media Wrath of Man (2021) Guy Ritchie's latest is a standout surprise in his filmography: It doesn't make violence seem fun. Perhaps I'm damning it with faint praise, but these days it seems like a refreshing change of pace to suggest that men with guns end up miserable even if they hit their marks.
Film Reviews Overstreet Archives: The Clearing (2004) Here's one from the dusty basement that might not be more than a reminder that even the greatest actors sometimes sign on to forgettable projects.
Film Reviews Overstreet Archives: The Station Agent (2016) Posted at Looking Closer for the first time, here is Overstreet's 2016 reflection on Tom McCarthy's The Station Agent.
Film Reviews Overlooked by Overstreet: Get Shorty (1995) This week, I found myself enjoying — to some extent — an unexpected reunion with a mid-'90s hit that I never got around to reviewing. So here's a look back at a film that is now more than a quarter-of-a-century old.
Film Reviews The Truffle Hunters (2021) This documentary glimpse of a disappearing world — where fortune hunters and their dogs explore and dig for pungent, savory gold — is worth a look, but it also feels like a missed opportunity for poetry and transcendence.
Film Reviews Together Together (2021) Behold — the invention of the "non-rom-com": a genre for stories about loving-but-platonic relationships between men and women!
Film Reviews The Courier (2021) Our screens are so over-saturated with superheroes these days that we're in danger of forgetting what real heroes look like. Superpowers are exciting — but they're also shortcuts. They show us what we might dream of becoming. But let me put it this way: I lost interest
On Movies & Media Tenet (2020) Christopher Nolan's movie was meant to restore our enthusiasm for big-screen cinema. So why do I think it's best watched on a laptop?
Film Reviews Nomadland (2020) Several years ago, I wandered down to the reading room of Laity Lodge, a Texas conference center. I knew it to be the quietest, most restful place at the Lodge, and I needed a break after a few days of constant conversations with other writers. The reading room has an
Film Reviews Lee Isaac Chung Week, Day Five: a review of Abigail Harm Lee Isaac Chung's strangest film isn't easy to watch. Nor is it easy to forget. But it is well worth seeking out for its cautionary tale of a compromising love affair, mystical visitors from "up there," and the dangers of self-isolation.
On Movies & Media Lee Isaac Chung Week, Day Three: reviews of his first two films I stared writing about the films of Lee Isaac Chung more than a decade ago. Now that Minari is finally earning him the attention he has long deserved, it would be interesting to revisit those conversations and reviews. Here are the reviews. The conversations are coming tomorrow.
Film Reviews Judas and the Black Messiah (2021) Compelling, occasionally impressive in its cinematographic finesse, occasionally obvious in its allusions, often too familiar in its form, eventually painful in its truth-telling, this flashy new film is, ultimately, a necessary testimony.
On Books & Writing In space, no one can hear you scream. But on a podcast? Listen to the latest episode of Looking Closer, which features a conversation with Sarah Welch-Larson about her new book on the theological implications of the Alien franchise.
On Movies & Media Overstreet's 39 Favorite Films of 2020 Consider this a travel journal full of wonders, escapes, thrills, wisdom, and revelation. These are the films that blessed and challenged me most in 2020. Most of them are easily accessible now and you can enjoy them and share them. Take your time and explore.
Film Reviews Oscar-bait extravagance: Mank is a mess In David Fincher's much-anticipated epic about the origins of Citizen Kane, its political context, and its troubled screenwriter, so much artistry is spent on ambitious and extravagant scenes. But there's no magic happening here.
On Movies & Media Letterboxd Spotlight: Glen Grunau on contemplative cinema and Peter Jackson's war movie Cinephile Glen Grunau offers a remarkable list of 100 "contemplative films" that will reward those who seek them out. Also: Grunau posts some insights on Peter Jackson's innovative WWI documentary.
On Movies & Media Babette's Feast: The Leftovers! Thanksgiving leftovers!Listen in on a conversation between Alissa Wilkinson, Sam Thielman, and Jeffrey Overstreet as they celebrate the greatest feast ever filmed.
