Little Amélie or the Character of Rain is a sweet, tender exploration of the humanistic value of sentimentality and companionship. It’s a remarkably human film, despite its protagonist consistently trying to convince herself otherwise
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Spirited Away and How its Thematic Density Leads it to Masterpiece Quality
Spirited Away’s thematic density and depth are precisely what elevate it to greatness. Even I, as someone that takes issue with some major elements of the film, can comfortably call Spirited Away a masterpiece because it’s a film that begets looking at the world in so many different ways.
Tron: Ares is Exhilaratingly Cool and Stylish and That's Enough (Review)
Tron: Ares provides comfort through its immersion, and the coolness embedded into the very essence of this movie only further drenches the film in style. It’s enough for Tron: Ares to be a cool film above all else, because such an emotion and style is one that we don’t see much of as a primary emotion elicited in blockbuster films such as this.
Weapons Review: Innovation in Horror Genre Continues with Ambitious, Flawed Structure
Weapons is a refreshing reminder that there are still new ways to tell familiar stories and unfamiliar ways. While this is far from the first horror-adjacent film to tackle a mysterious conflict about grade-school children disappearing, the smart use of perspectives and the judicious blend of thrills, mystery, and dark humor makes for an unforgettable viewing experience.
Sorry, Baby Review: The Uplifting Potential of Connections and the Slow Burn of Trauma
Sorry, Baby is a beautiful case study in the power of telling stories centered on authenticity and a willingness to be grounded. Through its narrative structure showing how one instance of trauma influences different aspects of its protagonist’s life, Sorry, Baby weaves a compelling, believable, funny, and harrowing tale that I strongly believe anyone will enjoy and look fondly upon despite its heavy subject matter.
Wolf Children Review: An Examination of the Value of Empathetic Multiculturalism
Through utilizing fantasy elements to illustrate the importance of teaching future generations of their cultural backgrounds, Wolf Children tells a story that feels as deeply moving and informative as it feels entertaining and fun. Wolf Children holds within it a perfect balance of humor, heartbreak, and emotional erudition.
Bob Trevino Likes It Review - A Beautiful Exploration of the Necessity of Connections
Bob Trevino Likes It carries with it an infectious optimism amid its heavy emotion, and that’s what makes the film so satisfying, uplifting, and sometimes heartbreaking to watch. Connection is something that dramatically transforms Lily, allowing her to become a better version of herself, and such a thing can and should happen to all of us.
Animation is Going Through a Creative Resurgence - With More Momentum, It Could be a Creative Renaissance
We’re in the midst of a quiet but powerful revolution in animated filmmaking. Through giving animated movies your time and support, we can turn this quiet revolution into a full-blown renaissance - one where the place of animation greatly expands and becomes a widely respected side of the industry that sees consistent innovation, creativity, and reminders of why movies are so special in the first place.
Mickey 17, Creativity, and Dismissing the Requisite of Prior Success to Get Weird
Weirdness is a vital component to storytelling - one that fuels human creativity in a way that nothing else can. It is for that reason that the conversation around weirdness in media needs to shift.
"Flow" Review: A Strong Reminder of the Power of Animation and Nonverbal Storytelling
Flow animates a tragic, yet hopeful tale filled with expressive, cute, and resilient animals that show more character growth than in the film’s verbal contemporaries. Flow is a gorgeous beacon of hope for what animation continues to be capable of.
"A Real Pain" Wonderfully Depicts the Beautiful Messiness of Bonding Through Grief
Few movies explore this experience as succinctly and genuinely as A Real Pain. Through a script that masterfully balances chaotic discomfort and quietude, A Real Pain makes for one of the best film experiences of the year.
"Heretic" Review: Inventive Horror Brilliantly Investigates Religion
Heretic is a supremely smart, hilarious, and disturbing movie that masterfully balances emotion, logic, and skepticism to craft a story that is sure to inspire broader, deeper conversations about faith and its relationship with control among its audience.
Trust Your Spirit: What Makes Kiki's Delivery Service a Timeless Classic
The theme of trusting your spirit to understand how you want to live your life is an idea that transcends age, gender, nationality, and walk of life. We all have a lot to learn from our spirit, but doing so isn’t an inherently easy thing to do. This is precisely what makes Kiki’s Delivery Service a timeless classic.
"Exhibiting Forgiveness" Review: Exceptional Emotional Examination of Trauma, Hatred, and Forgiving without Forgetting
Exhibiting Forgiveness is an emotional adventure that smartly and gracefully investigates how the broken relationships of the past can inform the new relationships we build in the future. This film excellently reveals information to its audience in a way that humanizes the very real pain experienced and brought about by its characters in honest, profound way.
"Look Back" Review: A Bittersweet Masterpiece about the Shifting Natures of Friendship and Artistry
Look Back is a tender, heartfelt exploration of how much can change in what feels like a short amount of time. So many aspects of our lives shift throughout time. Look Back is an excellent, bittersweet exploration of these shifts and how they inform the person we become.
"The Wild Robot" Review: A Simple, yet Heartful Adventure about Parenthood and Belonging
Beyond providing a fun adventure with stellar and stylish animation, The Wild Robot concerns itself with providing believable characters that overcome believable obstacles that much of its audience, regardless of age, will connect with.
Whisper of the Heart is a Tender Journey of Introspection and Conquering the Fear of Failure
Whisper of the Heart revels in the meaning and impact of progress and how deeply complicated but ultimately rewarding that process can be. It can take years or even decades before we truly know what we want to do with our lives. And that’s okay - navigating that process in our own way is precisely what makes us human.