Young CriticLa Bola Negra
Los Javis' historical epic is a poetic modern classic. A sweeping, formally daring meditation on queer erasure, historical memory and the cost of repression, anchored by a revelatory Guitarricadelafuente.
Reviews tagged: 9/10s
Young Critic
Young CriticObsession
Curry Barker's debut lingers long after the credits roll. A richly layered horror film about desire, manipulation, and the damage we do, anchored by an indomitable performance from Inde Navarrette.
Young CriticMarty Supreme
A breathless con-man epic dismantling the myth of the American Dream The unmasking of “the American Dream” as one in which people have to con their way to the top is a thesis American cinema has explored before, going as
Young CriticThe Voice of Hind Rajab
A harrowing portrait of innocence, bureaucracy, and the human cost of war The recent war in Gaza was bound to spark art attempting to grapple with the horrors and devastating loss it has caused. One of the most potent st
Young CriticAndor (Season 2)
A grounded rebellion tale with the grit of a spy thriller It seems hard to fathom, but the best story to emerge from the Star Wars universe—arguably ever—is a prequel to a spinoff. Yet it proves that what matters most
Young CriticI'm Still Here
Walter Salles' return to directing delivers a cinematic and acting achievement A dictatorship is one of the most traumatic events a country can endure. Art has long attempted to portray the horrors people suffer under su
Young CriticFlow
The animated film is transcendent and a must-watch An animated Latvian film with no dialogue, following a nameless cat as it survives a biblical flood, might sound like cliché cinephile catnip. Yet, Flow is a very real
Young CriticPerfect Days
Wim Wenders' ode to living the moment is a beautifully restrained poem Wim Wenders is a director in constant fear of falling into complacency, from his beginnings in German New Wave cinema, to his shift to documentary fi
Young CriticThe Boy and the Heron
Miyazaki's latest, and possibly last, is another original and transporting instant-classic Hayao Miyazaki is not only one of the greatest animated filmmakers of all time, he’s one of the greatest filmmakers period. The J
Young CriticOrigin
Ava DuVernay's "impossible" adaptation of the academic text is profoundly moving Adapting an academic dissertation on the origin and roots of racism into a dramatic film can feel like quite the impossible task. Yet Ava D
Young CriticThe Zone of Interest
Jonathan Glazer's latest finds a fascinating new perspective on an oft-explored topic Holocaust and WWII movies have righteously been overdone in cinema; making sure the horrors and lessons of those dark periods of histo
Young CriticAll of Us Strangers
Andrew Haigh's searing take on loneliness is profoundly vulnerable The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated many people’s solitude and loneliness, not only due to quarantining measure, but also by forcing many to pause and take
Young CriticMaestro
Bradley Cooper's sophmore directing effort is a crowning achievement Despite being an action star, romantic lead, and celebrated performer, Bradley Cooper is quickly transitioning into becoming one of the most unique dir
Young CriticKillers of the Flower Moon
Martin Scorsese delivers a great take on the American tragedy Many films have tried to capture the “essence of America” and arguably a few have been able to, from The Godfather (1972), to The Will Be Blood (2007), or Do
Young CriticOppenheimer
Christopher Nolan's latest is a true cinematic achievement Christopher Nolan has been a filmmaker fascinated with time, physics, and quantum mechanics. It is thus not surprising that he would fall into making a film abou
Young CriticThe Last of Us (Season 1)
The newest videogame adaptation is one of the best series in recent years The narrative has always been that cinematic video-game adaptations have never worked, that there is a “curse” on those who seek to make this arti
Young CriticAll the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Laura Poitras’ look into Nan Goldin’s life is a stunning stylistic balancing act Laura Poitras has been a director who’s been prescient about the pulsating crises of our times. From her jaw-dropping documentary Citizenfo
Young CriticWomen Talking
Sarah Polley delivers a powerfully stimulating thought piece Analyzing and debating about patriarchal societies and how we should consider our role and options within them is a dense and unwieldy subject that would prov
Young CriticTár
Todd Fields return delivers an engrossing character study The debate of how one should separate art from the artist is one that has taken on a new meaning as cancel culture has spread amongst the western world. If someon
Young CriticPetite Maman
Celina Sciamma’s latest is another emotionally powerful film Despite having made films for more than a decade, it seems that Celine Sciamma is only being discovered now, after her breakout with Portait of a Lady on Fire
Young CriticParallel Mothers
Pedro Almodovar’s latest is his boldest to date Pedro Almodóvar’s first batch of films during the Spanish cultural movement of “La Movida” sought to be a-historical after the brutal dictatorship of Francisco Franco. His
Young CriticLicorice Pizza
Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest is an effective work on nostalgia and unconventional structure Paul Thomas Anderson has cemented a reputation as a director who consistently delivers unique and different films. Despite only
Young CriticThe Lost Daughter
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut is an incomparable triumph While some may scoff at the idea of actors jumping into the director’s chair, seeing a mixture of nepotism and self-indulgence, performers can sometimes ma
Young CriticEncanto
Disney's latest musical is an emotionally transporting allegory of the immigrant experience The concept of family films is taken to mean films to be watched as a family. And while many of these same films deal with famil