Atlanta‘s Hometown News Site

The Possibilites Are Endless

Possible Love (Ganeunghan sarang)

Money doesn't automatically make someone happier, kinder, or better equipped to handle life's problems. It does, however, provide opportunities unavailable to people struggling to pay their bills, especially when something unexpected turns their lives upside down. That difference becomes especially uncomfortable when those living comfortably try to understand the struggles of people with far less. Lee Chang-dong's POSSIBLE LOVE examines that distance through two married couples whose lives intertwine after a chance encounter. It's the South Korean filmmaker's first feature since 2018's BURNING, and his latest drama approaches wealth, marriage, personal ambition, and emotional responsibility with a patience that allows seemingly ordinary interactions to become increasingly revealing.

The Reality of Feeling Unwanted

The Invisible Half (Inbijiburuhafu)

Elena Takahashi has the kind of school experience that makes an actual monster seem almost unnecessary. Her classmates already have plenty of ways to make her miserable, and none of them requires supernatural assistance. In Masaki Nishiyama's THE INVISIBLE HALF, the arrival of a bandaged figure that can only be detected through a smartphone turns that everyday hostility into something much stranger. The setup belongs to a recognizable tradition of Japanese horror. Its teenage protagonist faces a problem that existed long before anyone started carrying a camera in their pocket. She's treated as an outsider in a place where she has every right to belong. The film finds a promising connection between those experiences, even if its handling of the mystery isn't always as sharp as its central idea.

The Little Creature Feature That Could

The Deadly Spawn

If there's one lesson horror movies have spent decades trying to teach us, it's that strange noises coming from the basement should be somebody else's problem. THE DEADLY SPAWN takes that advice one step further by filling the basement with extraterrestrial creatures whose enormous mouths contain enough teeth to make a dentist reconsider their career choices. Director Douglas McKeown's 1983 creature feature embraces the wonderfully ridiculous possibilities of old-fashioned science fiction, then adds the kind of bloody violence that would have sent audiences running from the drive-in a couple of decades earlier. It's a scrappy production with obvious limitations, but the monsters alone give it considerably more personality than some films made with a small fortune. These aren't sophisticated aliens with an elaborate plan for conquering humanity. They're hungry, and unfortunately for everyone living nearby, Earth has an impressive selection of things to eat.

A Little Pleasure Goes a Long Way

Miranda

Tinto Brass has never been the kind of filmmaker to look away when somebody starts taking off their clothes. In fact, he'd probably be the first person to complain if they stopped halfway through. His 1985 erotic comedy MIRANDA does not attempt to conceal his interests, placing Serena Grandi at the center of a romantic free-for-all where the men are constantly competing for her attention, and the woman they're pursuing seems perfectly happy to let them work for it. There's a certain amusement in watching these men convince themselves that they're the answer to her romantic future, especially when none of them appears to understand that Miranda might be enjoying the attention more than the prospect of settling down. The film is unapologetically adult entertainment, built around a premise that's been entertaining audiences in different forms for centuries.

Loyalty Comes at a Price

The Corruptor

Chow Yun-Fat spent years making some of the most exciting action movies ever produced in Hong Kong, so Hollywood naturally decided he needed a partner played by Mark Wahlberg. That unlikely pairing sits at the center of THE CORRUPTOR, a violent police thriller that tries to bring the explosive style of Hong Kong action cinema to a distinctly American story about organized crime, divided loyalties, and police corruption. Directed by James Foley, the film boasts an impressive lead, a talented supporting cast, and several ambitious action sequences. The screenplay also becomes increasingly tangled in its own criminal conspiracies, leaving the movie caught somewhere between an entertaining action picture and a more serious examination of institutional corruption.
Turning Vengeance up to Eleven

Half

Revenge movies have a shocking power to make us root for things that would otherwise be horrifying. Give us a few criminals, give them someone to torment, and suddenly we're enthusiastically rooting for the most creative retribution imaginable. Samjad P. S.'s HALF understands that formula, then decides it isn't enough. Making the people seeking revenge half-vampires is already a terrific idea, but the film also delivers some outstanding fight choreography. And then there's the soundtrack. My god, the soundtrack! The result is the revenge movie I never knew I needed, taking some of the genre's most enjoyable clichés and cranking everything up to eleven.

Justice Comes With a Body Count

Above the Law

Before Steven Seagal became synonymous with increasingly ridiculous action movies, questionable public statements, and an ego that could probably qualify for its own supporting credit, he was an unknown martial artist making his feature film debut in ABOVE THE LAW. Andrew Davis directed the film, which introduced audiences to a different kind of action star, one who didn't rely on impressive muscles, elaborate acrobatics, or particularly convincing acting. Instead, Seagal built his screen presence around Aikido, an intimidating expression, and the ability to make breaking someone's arm look like a minor inconvenience. It introduced much of what audiences would come to expect from him, though the movie surrounding his debut is more interesting than some of the films that followed.

The Real Horror Is Being Human

Trauma or, Monsters All

Larry Fessenden has spent decades making horror movies that Hollywood forgets about whenever someone decides monsters need another makeover. His creatures aren't interested in conquering the world, destroying cities, or building toward the next confrontation. They're usually struggling to understand their own existence, often making terrible decisions along the way. With TRAUMA OR, MONSTERS ALL, Fessenden brings three of his most recognizable creatures together, giving us something that feels more like a family reunion(?) than the typical crossover. Of course, when your family includes a vampire, a werewolf, and a Frankenstein-esque monster, things are bound to get complicated.

The Humanity Behind an Ordinary Fare

Magan's Fare

Imagine spending your entire life working, raising a family, contributing to society, and doing everything expected of you, only to reach an age where the people responsible for your care decide you're no longer their problem. That's the disturbing reality behind MAGAN'S FARE, a 25-minute drama from directors Dana White and Christopher Knoblock that examines the mistreatment of older adults through an encounter between two strangers. Barkhad Abdi plays Magan, a Somali immigrant working as a ride-share driver who finds himself in an increasingly difficult situation when the older woman he's transporting is denied admission to the nursing facility where she lives. What begins as an ordinary job becomes a confrontation with a healthcare system willing to abandon someone who depends on it, leaving a man with the responsibility of deciding how much he's prepared to sacrifice for a person he barely knows.

The Things We Never Said

Happy For You

Friendship breakups are strange. You can spend years sharing your life with someone, learning their habits, hearing their secrets, and becoming an important part of their world, only to reach a point where you barely recognize the person standing in front of you. There's no formal process for ending a friendship, no paperwork to sign, and often no moment when both people agree that whatever they once had is officially over. Ted Malawer takes that uncomfortable emotional territory and places it at the heart of HAPPY FOR YOU, a 16-minute drama about two former friends confronting a relationship damaged by secrets, resentment, and the complicated realities of family. It's a personal subject for a filmmaker making his directorial debut, and the inclusion of disability representation adds new considerations to the familiar idea of reconciliation.

The Beautiful Chaos of Starting Over

Jazz Infernal

Moving to another country is intimidating enough without having to figure out who you are supposed to become once you get there. You're surrounded by unfamiliar people, trying to navigate a place that doesn't necessarily care about your personal history, and whatever you left behind doesn't conveniently disappear just because you've crossed a border. For Koffi (Ange Eric N'Guessan), the young Ivorian musician at the center of Will Niava's JAZZ INFERNAL, that adjustment comes with an additional complication. He carries his father's musical legacy, which connects him to his past but makes it hard to establish an identity entirely his own. Niava and co-writer Kristelle Laroche turn that conflict into an energetic, emotional 16-minute short where jazz becomes the language for everything Koffi struggles to express.
Sometimes the System Is Rotten

Bad Apples

Every teacher (at some point) has probably imagined what their classroom would be like without that one kid who makes everyone else's life miserable. Most have the self-control not to act on it, but BAD APPLES isn't particularly interested in that boring story, and thank goodness! Director Jonatan Etzler takes an outrageous premise and transforms it into a wonderfully entertaining dark comedy about education and the increasingly ridiculous consequences of refusing to confront a problem. Saoirse Ronan is fantastic as a teacher whose frustrations spiral into something far worse than just a bad day at work. It's uncomfortable, ludicrous, occasionally horrifying, and somehow hilarious all at the same time. I had an absolute blast, which probably says something about my sense of humor…

Greatness Came With Complications

Terrell & T.O.

Terrell Owens could catch almost anything thrown his way, but somehow the one thing that eluded him was the respect he so desperately wanted. We're talking about a six-time Pro Bowler, five-time first-team All-Pro, and one of the most productive wide receivers in NFL history. Yet, he’s still one of the most enigmatic players to ever excel in the league. His name still sparks discussions about attitude, locker room chemistry, and whether being an exceptional athlete excuses being difficult to work with. Director Alexandria Stapleton takes that on in TERRELL & T.O., a documentary examining a man whose football accomplishments have spent decades competing with the personality that made him famous. The distinction between Terrell Owens and T.O. is an interesting starting point because, depending on whom you ask, those initials represent either a misunderstood superstar who refused to conform or an extraordinarily gifted player who repeatedly made his professional life harder than it needed to be.
Finding Freedom After Losing Everything

The Divine Tragedy (La divina tragedia)

What happens when the life you've spent decades building turns out to belong almost entirely to somebody else? That's the uncomfortable question beneath the outrageous comedy of THE DIVINE TRAGEDY. This Mexican film begins with an apparent disaster and finds surprising freedom in the wreckage. Cristian has spent nearly twenty-five years with Carlos, living in considerable comfort and treating their relationship as the organizing principle of his existence. He's also a former telenovela actor who stepped away from his profession to maintain their home. When Carlos decides the marriage is over, Cristian doesn't simply lose a partner. He discovers how little of the life surrounding him he can actually claim.

A Brothel Built on Betrayal

Salon Kitty

Tinto Brass was never about subtlety, and SALON KITTY makes that clear! And that’s all before the story dives into the espionage thriller hiding underneath all the nudity, Nazi uniforms, and displays of sexual depravity. Released in 1976, SALON KITTY sits at an interesting point in Brass's career, combining the experimental visuals of his earlier filmmaking with the increasingly explicit sexual material that would become his trademark. It's an unusual mix of political commentary, exploitation, and historical fiction, sometimes pulling it all together and occasionally letting the spectacle overwhelm the story. Whatever else you think about Brass, he certainly knew how to make an impression.

When Reasonable Doubt Becomes Personal

Re-Creation

Imagine spending nearly three decades investigating a murder, only to realize that the trial you've been waiting for will never happen. That's the unusual starting point for RE-CREATION, a fictional examination of one of Ireland's most controversial murder investigations. Directors Jim Sheridan and David Merriman take the real-life killing of French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier and construct an imaginary courtroom proceeding around the man long associated with her death. It's an interesting approach to a case that has generated countless headlines, documentaries, and accusations, though combining real evidence with fictional characters creates its own complications.

The Magic Was Never Just in the Movies

The Return of the Projectionist (Kinomexanikin Qayidisi)

An old movie projector sitting in someone's basement might look like outdated equipment to most people, but to Samid, it's a piece of a life he desperately wants to experience again. Orkhan Aghazadeh's THE RETURN OF THE PROJECTIONIST follows an older man in the remote mountains of Azerbaijan who decides to revive his village's long-abandoned cinema, despite having almost none of the equipment, resources, or assistance necessary to make it happen. What begins as an unlikely restoration project gradually becomes an affectionate examination of grief, friendship, changing technology, and the extraordinary amount of effort people will put into something they genuinely love. For anyone who has ever considered movies an important part of their life, this documentary has a pretty good chance of finding its way into your heart.
A Stunning Portrait of Stolen Freedom

Raise the Red Lantern (Da hong denglong gaogao gua)

There aren’t many films that I consider perfect, but this has long been at the top of my list of incredible films. Every lantern raised outside a woman's quarters in RAISE THE RED LANTERN represents another victory in a competition nobody should have been forced into. Zhang Yimou's extraordinary drama is one of those films where nearly every image deserves your full attention, but the beauty becomes increasingly uncomfortable once you understand what you're looking at. Set in 1920s China, the film follows four women whose lives are dictated by one man's preferences, turning marriage into an elaborate system of control, humiliation, and calculated inhumanity. I've always held this film in extraordinarily high regard, and revisiting it through this new 4K presentation only reinforces why. Thirty-five years later, its examination of institutionalized misogyny, the illusion of privilege, and the damage inflicted when people are forced to compete for basic dignity remains devastating.

Love Is Bad for Business

Duplicity

Trust is complicated enough in an ordinary relationship, but falling in love with someone professionally trained to lie to you sounds like a spectacular way to create serious relationship problems. Writer-director Tony Gilroy takes that idea and runs with it in DUPLICITY, his 2009 romantic espionage comedy starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen as former intelligence operatives attempting to outsmart two competing corporations while navigating their own increasingly questionable relationship. It's a stylish production with an impressive cast, plenty of entertaining dialogue, and enough double-crossing to make you suspicious of practically everything happening on screen. Unfortunately, Gilroy becomes so invested in constructing an elaborate game of deception that the experience occasionally feels more exhausting than entertaining.
Vampire Hunting After Last Call

Cinnamon

CINNAMON eventually becomes the ridiculous vampire movie I wanted from the start. Unfortunately, writer-director Landon Spicer spends too much time trying to convince us how cool everything looks before letting the actual movie do much of the entertaining. This female-led action-horror production from 3FN Productions throws together strippers, bloodthirsty vampires, seasoned hunters, raunchy comedy, and enough B-movie enthusiasm to make its influences immediately recognizable. It's rough around the edges, sometimes unintentionally funny, and far too dependent on music and dramatic editing to manufacture excitement. Once the vampire-hunting action gets moving, it still delivers a fair amount of entertainment despite those shortcomings. And when a certain BLADE homage arrives, I couldn't help smiling from ear to ear.
The Price of Being Somebody

What Lives in Room 214?

Hollywood has a funny way of convincing people they've finally made it, only to leave them wondering whether they'll ever work again. Writer-director Brandon Rice takes that insecurity and gives it a psychological horror spin in WHAT LIVES IN ROOM 214?, a 55-minute independent production following an actor whose latest career achievement leads him somewhere considerably less glamorous than he might have anticipated. Set primarily in a motel populated by people connected to the entertainment industry, the film explores professional ambition, isolation, and the uncomfortable relationship between success and personal identity. It's an interesting concept for a modestly produced horror featurette, even if its ideas don't always cohere as well as its premise suggests.
Going Viral Could Get You Killed

Marrow

The internet has created an entire industry around turning other people's worst experiences into entertainment, and apparently there's no such thing as a murder too disturbing to monetize. In MARROW, writer-director Mitch McLeod takes that uncomfortable reality and introduces a true-crime content creator whose desperation to remain relevant leads her into a situation that should probably have come with several thousand red flags. It's a psychological horror thriller that combines our obsession with serial killers, the relentless pursuit of online engagement, and the increasingly questionable relationship between content creators and the people whose stories keep them employed. The premise is intriguing, the cast includes a couple of familiar horror favorites, and an uncomfortable question lurks beneath the supernatural nastiness. When does documenting somebody else's suffering become another form of exploitation?

The Clowns Aren't the Scariest Part

The Clown Murders (Kino Cult #54) (4K UHD)

Four grown men dressing up as clowns to kidnap a woman on Halloween sounds like a spectacularly terrible idea, even before someone starts getting murdered. THE CLOWN MURDERS, Martyn Burke's 1976 Canadian thriller, takes that questionable premise and turns it into an unusual combination of crime drama, psychological tension, and eventual horror that isn't nearly as outrageous as its title suggests. With an early appearance by John Candy, the film has earned a cult following among movie collectors. Its notoriety has arguably benefited more from its marketing and recognizable supporting actor than from the production itself. Kino Lorber is giving this odd little piece of Canadian exploitation history a new 4K UHD release, which is wonderful news for preservation enthusiasts and anyone who's ever wondered what Candy was doing before becoming one of comedy's most beloved performers.
Seuss Can Still Teach Us a Thing or Two

Dr. Seuss: Classic TV Treasures Collection

Dr. Seuss understood that you could teach children some pretty important lessons while simultaneously introducing them to creatures with ridiculous names, impossible hairstyles, and a concerning disregard for the laws of physics. His stories have entertained generations, but their lasting appeal comes from how effortlessly they mix complete nonsense with observations about human behavior. Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment's DR. SEUSS: CLASSIC TV TREASURES COLLECTION brings together 15 animated and television treasures spanning more than five decades, offering over six hours of entertainment that goes well beyond the holiday favorites most people associate with his work. It's a wonderful reminder that the world of Dr. Seuss has always been much bigger than one grouchy green fellow with a Christmas problem.

Dysfunction Taken to the Extreme

Visitor Q (Bijitâ Q)

Takashi Miike has never been a filmmaker I'd accuse of worrying too much about making audiences comfortable, but VISITOR Q feels like someone handed him a camcorder, removed every conceivable restriction, and encouraged him to see how much depravity he could squeeze into 84 minutes. Released in 2001, this notorious examination of family dysfunction, sexual exploitation, violence, and just about every taboo imaginable remains one of the more disturbing entries in his extensive filmography. It's disgusting, occasionally hilarious in ways that'll make you question your own sense of humor, and so committed to being unpleasant that even experienced horror fans might wonder what the hell they're watching. I can appreciate the audacity without pretending I enjoyed everything Miike decided to put on screen.