Hamburg 2025: 'Babystar' Review

Babystar is a drama about a young German woman (Maja Bons) whose parents have raised her to be part of their social-media-influencer empire. So what happens when she wants out? My review is up at Screen International. 

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - "Hiding All Away"

It's true: I've never been the biggest Nick Cave guy. But this song rips.

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': 'One Battle After Another,' 'Predators,' 'Eleanor the Great' and 'Dead of Winter'

Very happy to be on KCRW on such a big weekend for movies. Shawn Edwards and I reviewed two great films and two very forgettable ones. (The latter category includes the Emma Thompson action-thriller Dead of Winter.) You can hear our segment down below.

'Eleanor the Great' Review

When I put together my rankings of everything I saw at Cannes, I seriously wondered if Eleanor the Great was the worst film of the festival. I ultimately decided to place it second-to-last, but a rewatch has me wondering if I was too kind. My review is over at the A.V. Club.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,' 'Him' and 'Predators'

Two not-good movies and one great movie are featured in this week's podcast. I stick up a little for Kogonada's latest, but the film to put on your radar is David Osit's superb documentary Predators. (As for Him, the less said the better.) Hear all our thoughts, and my reflections on the death of a friend, down below.

'The Last Thing I Saw': Paul Thomas Anderson, Chloe Zhao and Rian Johnson

I'm a fan of Nicolas Rapold's podcast, in which each episode is devoted to him talking to someone about movies they've seen. So I was tickled to be invited on to The Last Thing I Saw to discuss our shared experiences of going to Venice and Toronto. Naturally, we also went through a lot of films, including One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Hedda and The Lost Bus. Check it out down below. 

Michael Franti & Spearhead - "Speaking of Tongues"

Yesterday would have been my friend Kaz's 50th birthday. Her death back in May has made this a melancholy year for myself and Susan, and tomorrow will be her celebration of life.

I tend to know the kinds of music my friends enjoy. But what Susan and I were struck by is that, with Kaz, we didn't necessarily talk about music much with her. So I don't have artists who immediately come to mind when I think of her.

But for years, Kaz's email signature included this quote from Michael Franti: "Love like your life depends on it, because it does." Franti is a bit of a blind spot for me, so I didn't immediately know what song that line was from. Turns out, it's "Speaking of Tongues." So today's video is dedicated to her.

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: My Venice/Toronto Recap, 'The Long Walk' and 'Spinal Tap II'

It's nice to be home after the fall festivals, and it's nice to be back doing the podcast. On this week's episode, I offer my big takeaways from Venice and Toronto. Then, we review two movies of varying quality. I was impressed by The Long Walk, but disappointed by Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. Enjoy our expert analysis and dumb jokes down below.

'Peak Movies: 1985': Let's Revisit 'Agnes of God' and 'Ran'

I was very flattered to be asked to join my buddies Eric Normington and Scott Rognlien on their podcast Peak Movies: 1985, which looks back at the major films released each weekend during that year. And I was especially thrilled to talk about Ran, which might be my favorite Kurosawa. We also discussed Agnes of God, which I had never seen. Both films came out September 27, 1985. You can hear our thoughts down below:

Robert Redford's Essential Films

I teamed up with other Rolling Stone colleagues to list 20 must-see Robert Redford movies. You can read me on The Natural, Indecent Proposal and All Is Lost here. 

'Press Play With Madeleine Brand': Robert Redford's Legacy

Yesterday, Marisa Lagos filled in for regular Press Play host Madeleine Brand and had me on to talk about Robert Redford's life and career. It was a pleasure to pay tribute to the man. You can hear the segment down below.

'One Battle After Another' Review

Leonardo DiCaprio faces off against Sean Penn in Paul Thomas Anderson's audacious action-thriller. For Screen International, here's my review of One Battle After Another. 

Robert Redford, 1936-2025

For Rolling Stone, I wrote about the passing of Robert Redford, the movie star and the man behind Sundance, in two ways. Rest in peace, sir.

Venice/Telluride/Toronto 2025: The Wrap-Up and the Rankings

When I was younger, I assumed I would never go to a film festival. That was something other critics did — it felt too far away for me to even imagine. Then things changed: In December 2008, my editor asked me if I'd like to cover Sundance for him. Absolutely I wanted to. So we met up for coffee to strategize and for him to explain how Park City works, and I told him just how excited I was. "Oh, Sundance is terrible," he responded with an air of absolute authority. "The food is awful, and the people there are the worst." I don't remember being deterred by his warning, though. I was going to my first film festival. I couldn't wait.

When I arrived in Sundance a month later, a colleague and I went to grab our badges, the first thing you always do at a film festival. When we got to the press office, I ran into another colleague who had been attending Sundance for several years. I mentioned this was my first time. "Yeah, it's too bad we weren't going back when this festival was actually special," he said with an air of absolute authority. "We're sorta here at the end." This was 2009. 

I bring up these stories to say that, since the start of my film festival life, I've had cold water thrown on my enthusiasm. Since that first Sundance, I've been to Toronto, True/False, Cannes, Venice, Hot Docs and SXSW — to say nothing of the local festivals I've attended, including AFI Fest and the much-missed Los Angeles Film Festival — and invariably I will run into someone who's sour on the experience. There are reasons to be grouchy, of course: Festivals are an extraordinary amount of work, often forcing people to eat poorly and sleep worse while they're far from home as they drag themselves from screening to screening. (More than one colleague has advised younger festival-goers that, really, it's totally normal if you break down into tears at some point.) But on the other hand ... you get to go to a film festival, which is incredible. There's nothing else like it in the movie universe. It can instantly recharge your batteries being around other film-lovers, especially the public, as we all discover new movies together and debate their merits. Festivals can be emotionally, physically and spiritually exhausting. They're also the best.

Talk this way too loudly among your peers and you risk accusations of being a Pollyanna. You can inspire an eye-roll or two, for sure. But I never get sick of festivals, and I always take a moment to remember to be grateful to soak in the moment when I'm at one. For years, I thought film festivals would never be a part of my life. They have now long been a steady staple. I am incredibly lucky, and I don't want to ever forget that.

* * * * *  

My sunny mindset was challenged by this year's trip to Venice and Toronto. Not because I didn't have a good time — I did — but because I have never before encountered so many different colleagues who seemed full of despair and disillusionment. Those dark clouds were existential — about festivals, about our work in general, about the very industry we cover. And how could you blame them? On the eve of critics' arrival in Venice — the first of the three major fall film festivals — we were hit with three straight pieces of bad news. Respected critics Ann Hornaday, Richard Lawson and Michael Phillips all were leaving their jobs, whether through a buyout or a "change in editorial direction." It was the fitting end to a bad summer in which criticism itself seemed under fire, prompting strong responses from the likes of Richard Brody, Ty Burr, Kristen Lopez and others. As a result, fall festival season — usually a moment of optimism as we kick off a period of (hopefully) great movies — felt ominous this year. Like the beginning of the end.

I won't share individual stories I heard — those are theirs to tell — but I will say that I've never had as many conversations with friends and colleagues in which the tone was so dispirited. People were thinking of leaving the business. (Some already had.) Critics wondered if they were going to keep going to festivals. (Some were certain they weren't.) The general tone at both Venice and Toronto could best be described as "Try to find something that's bolted down and hang on for dear life." There was little optimism that things would eventually get better in our business — it was more a question of how much worse things would become. (The striking tagline for Kathryn Bigelow's A House of Dynamite, which premiered in Venice, seemed to take on a double meaning: "Not If. When.") 

My attitude about grim industry trends has always been to keep my head down and work — focus on what I can control and try not to worry about what I can't — but it was hard not to be affected by the general glumness. I had been feeling all the same things as my friends and fellow critics, but to have it mirrored and amplified by those around me made those sentiments all the stronger and more pervasive. And that's only the business side of things: In a world in which Trump infects just about every aspect of our daily life, there was an extra layer of anxiety on top of everything else at all times. (By the way, film critics are hardly alone in feeling these doldrums when they get together.)

In such a dire atmosphere, an extraordinary fall festival season would have been a blessing. At a time when art and culture feel marginalized and imperiled, it's natural to pin one's hopes on cliches like "the power of movies" to heal all. But that was probably asking too much. To be sure, there were great movies at Venice, Telluride and Toronto — some of which first played in Cannes or elsewhere — but there simply weren't enough to overcome the gloom I often felt surrounded by. 

When a festival (or a festival season) is slightly underwhelming, there is a tendency to overreact and ascribe larger meanings to what happens on the ground. It sure can be tempting: Hang out with film critics and journalists long enough, and a cynical malaise can set in, a pessimistic insistence that cinema is in a downward spiral, both critically and commercially, from which it cannot recover. But I think that's a self-fulfilling prophecy — it's the worst kind of confirmation bias, and must be avoided at all costs lest you close your eyes to the excellent films in our midst. 

There are too many vital filmmakers out there for me to discard my fundamental enthusiasm for the art form, and for festivals themselves. Also, there are too many colleagues who, despite it all, have held onto that belief, too. And if you're lucky, you can spend time with them, and with just everyday movie-lovers, who remind you that what we've devoted our lives to us is a wonderful, meaningful pursuit.

I have never lost that guy who, in 2008, learned that a long-held dream of attending a film festival was going to be realized. Sure, I grouse about the stupid TIFF ads before screenings and complain about the monsoon we all experienced one crazy night in Venice. But, also, I love that stuff. I love it. I've spent 17 years being told that the sky is falling, that things used to be better, that I arrived too late, that it's all downhill from here. That's not how I see it. And you can't make me feel otherwise. 

* * * * *    

Below are my rankings for everything I've seen that played at Venice, Telluride or Toronto, either over the last few weeks or at some point earlier this year. Links lead to individual reviews.

63. Eleanor the Great
62. Normal
61. Mother
60. The Man in My Basement
59. Roofman
58. Bad Apples
57. Nuremberg
56. Sacrifice
55. Fuze
54. At Work
53. Hedda
52. The Lost Bus
51. Ballad of a Small Player
50. Marc by Sofia
49. Sangre del Toro
48. John Candy: I Like Me
47. The Wizard of the Kremlin
46. The Smashing Machine
45. Ghost Elephants
44. The Little Sister 
43. The History of Sound
42. The Sun Rises on Us All
41. Made In EU
40. Pillion
39. The Christophers
38. The Ugly
37. Eagles of the Republic
36. Arco
35. Broken English
34. After the Hunt
33. Jay Kelly
32. Frankenstein
31. Notes of a True Criminal
30. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
29. No Other Choice
28. Landmarks
27. La Grazia  
26. Nouvelle Vague
25. The Secret Agent
24. It Was Just an Accident
23. Renoir
22. Orphan
21. The Testament of Ann Lee
20. Highway 99: A Double Album
19. Megadoc
18. Hamlet
17. Train Dreams
16. Cover-Up
15. Orwell: 2+2=5
14. BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
13. Bugonia 
12. Sentimental Value
11. Blue Heron
10. Last Night I Conquered the City of Thebes
9. Father Mother Sister Brother
8. Remake
7. Hamnet
6. Below the Clouds 
5. Sirat 
4. If I Had Legs I'd Kick You
3. Two Prosecutors
2. The Mastermind
1. Sound of Falling

My biggest takeaway from fall festival season? This really was a great Cannes, with my top three all premiering at the French festival back in May. Looking up and down the list, several movies will need a second viewing to see where they're ultimately going to land in my end-of-the-year rankings. (I'm especially curious to give The Secret Agent, It Was Just an Accident and The Testament of Ann Lee another spin.) And, of course, there are the many films I wasn't able to get to, including A House of Dynamite and The Voice of Hind Rajab, among several others. But for now, I'm home and happy to be back with Susan. The next three movie-mad months are gonna be a whirlwind. Can't wait.

Destroyer (featuring Fiver) - "Bologna"

When I woke up very early Sunday morning, August 24th, to get ready for my flight to Venice, the opening lines to Destroyer's "Bologna" were in my head:

There's an outside chance 
You'll never see me again 
You'll never see me again 

The lyrics, sung by musician Fiver, have a serene yet ominous quality to them. They feel like a warning, or a note left on the table as a farewell to someone. I don't know why they were bubbling around in my brain, but they had the air of an omen. Was it some kind of strange prophecy? Was it an inner monologue I didn't even know I was speaking? With its faintly nocturnal, noir-ish tone, "Bologna," off Destroyer's album Dan's Boogie from earlier in the year, always felt mysterious to me. But to have it lodged in my subconscious as I was getting up predawn to head off for two-and-a-half weeks, well, a long trip could have started off more promisingly.

During my time in Venice and Toronto, those lyrics would occasionally reappear unbidden. I never quite knew why. "Bologna" could be the story of a spy on the run, a bad man disappearing for good. It sounds like hiding out in Cuba from the authorities. It feels like the end of the road. But the way Fever sings those words, it also has an aura of seduction, of unknown adventure.

I'm home now after my trips. It was a very fun time. I'm glad to be back. Now I listen to "Bologna" and wonder what it all meant.

Toronto 2025: 'Normal' Review

Bob Odenkirk has recently remade himself into an unlikely action hero. But Normal makes me wonder if this pivot has serious limitations. My review is here. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Will on 'Caught Stealing,' Me Recapping Venice

I'm a few days behind on this, but Will and I sorta did separate solo acts for the podcast. Will reviewed Caught Stealing. And I sent in an audio note right after I landed in Toronto to talk about the Venice Film Festival and preview TIFF. It's a shorter episode, but we'll be back to full strength this weekend. Enjoy!

Toronto 2025: 'Hedda' Review

Little Woods filmmaker Nia DaCosta reunites with star Tessa Thompson for a re-imagining of Henrik Ibsen's classic work. For Screen International, I reviewed Hedda.

Toronto 2025: 'Roofman' Review

Roofman tells the true story of Jeffrey Manchester, a thief who would break into fast-food restaurants by entering the building through the roof. Now, Channing Tatum plays the man in a comedy-drama I wish was sharper and smarter. You can read my review here.  

Toronto 2025: 'Nuremberg' Review

Nuremberg takes us back to 1945 as Nazi leader Hermann Goring is put on trial for his crimes. This earnest, old-fashioned courtroom drama ended up being too dry for my taste. Here's my Screen International review. 

Toronto 2025: 'The Ugly' Review

Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho returns with a smaller, somber drama about a 40-year-old murder that may, at last, be solved. For Screen International, I reviewed The Ugly.

Toronto 2025: 'Ballad of a Small Player' Review

I figured I'd dig Ballad of a Small Player. A neo-noir set in Macau starring Colin Farrell as a mysterious gambler, the movie checks off lots of boxes for me. So what went wrong? I try to answer that over at Screen International.

Toronto 2025: 'Sacrifice' Review

I was pretty lukewarm on Romain Gavras' last film, Athena, but I was hoping to like his new political satire. Unfortunately, I had some of the same issues with Sacrifice. You can read my review here. 

Toronto 2025: 'Hamnet' Review

The consensus best film out of fall festival season? That would be Hamnet, Chloe Zhao's delicate love story. I reviewed the movie for Screen International.

Toronto 2025: 'Bad Apples' Review

Saoirse Ronan is such an excellent actor, it seems like she can do just about anything. But, sadly, after watching Bad Apples, I am forced to concede even she can't make this potentially provocative dark comedy fly. You can read my review here. 

Toronto 2025: 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' Review

Rian Johnson returns to TIFF with the third installment in his Knives Out series. And he's bringing along Josh O'Connor, who's superb in Wake Up Dead Man. My review is up at Screen International.  

Toronto 2025: 'Fuze' Review

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a bomb detonator. Theo James is a crook about to pull off a bank heist. They'll collide in the jacked-up action-thriller Fuze. My review is live here. 

Venice 2025: 'The Sun Rises on Us All' Review

In The Sun Rises on Us All, Chinese filmmaker Cai Shangjun reunites two former lovers who haven't seen each other in years. The reason: He went to prison for a crime she committed. (He didn't want her to get punished, so he took the rap.) Now what do they mean to one another? My review is live at Screen International. 

Toronto 2025: 'Hamlet' Review

When Riz Ahmed's modern-day take on Hamlet premiered in Telluride, the reviews were mixed, even dismissive. I caught up with the film here in Toronto, and I actually quite dug it. I explain why over at Screen International. 

Nico - "These Days"

One of these days, I'll remember Jackson Browne wrote this song.

Toronto 2025: 'John Candy: I Like Me' Review

The 50th edition of the Toronto Film Festival opened with a documentary about a native son. For Screen International, I reviewed John Candy: I Like Me. 

Venice 2025: 'Notes of a True Criminal' Review

Ukrainian producer and filmmaker Alexander Rodnyansky has crafted a documentary about his country's long, hard road to independence. Combining footage he shot about 30 years ago with materials from others, as well as scenes of modern-day Ukraine in the midst of the Russian invasion, Notes of a True Criminal is a different sort of war movie. My review is here.

Venice 2025: 'Marc by Sofia' Review

Sofia Coppola has known fashion designer Marc Jacobs for more than 30 years. So, she decided to make a documentary about her friend. For Screen International, I reviewed Marc by Sofia. 

Venice 2025: 'The Smashing Machine' Review

For now anyway, the Safdie brothers aren't making movies together anymore. Both of them will have their own films out this year. First up is Benny, who just premiered the real-life sports drama The Smashing Machine at Venice. My review is here. 

The Film Comment Podcast: Debating 'After the Hunt,' 'No Other Choice' and 'Cover-Up'

A pleasure to be back on Film Comment's podcast. There wasn't a lot of consensus, however, when Devika Girish, Katie McCabe and I got together to discuss some of the bigger movies that have played thus far in Venice. You can hear me defend After the Hunt, admit my reservations about Park Chan-wook's latest, and then go long on the Sy Hersh documentary. Check out the conversation down below.

Venice 2025: 'Frankenstein' Review

Guillermo del Toro was made to adapt Frankenstein, a story all about misunderstood monsters. My review is live at Screen International. 

Venice 2025: 'At Work' Review

In At Work, a successful photographer decides he wants to pursue his true passion: writing. But when he struggles as an author, he discovers the challenges of eking out a living. I reviewed this tale of poverty for Screen International.

Telluride 2025: 'Highway 99: A Double Album' Review

Ethan Hawke has directed several films about artists. His latest, Highway 99, is a three-hour-plus documentary on the life and legacy of Merle Haggard. It's partly a tribute album of sorts, with different musicians covering his songs. My review is here.

Venice 2025: 'Sangre del Toro' Review

Later today (Saturday), Guillermo del Toro will unveil his new film here in Venice, Frankenstein. But for now, let's talk about a documentary about the filmmaker that's already premiered. For Screen International, here's my review of Sangre del Toro.

Chappell Roan - "Pink Pony Club" (Live at the Grammys)

Sometimes, you hear a song a bunch of times but it never fully connects. You know it's good, but it always feels like someone else's favorite, never yours. Then you hear it in the right context, and it finally clicks. Anyway, here's my go-to version of "Pink Pony Club." 

Venice 2025: 'Jay Kelly' Review

With Jay Kelly, Noah Baumbach suggests that movie stars are people, too. That's a potentially banal observation, but when you have George Clooney playing the movie star, things get interesting. My review is live over at Screen International.  

Venice 2025: 'Megadoc' Review

My feelings about Megalopolis are out there for the world to see. So take it from me when I say that Megadoc, which is Mike Figgis' documentary about the making of Francis Ford Coppola's film, is pretty great. Sympathetic but not uncritical, it looks at the act of creation in all its messy, hopeful glory, without snark or judgment. Here's my review.

Venice 2025: 'Mother' Review

Mother looks at one crucial week in the life of Mother Teresa in 1948. In a sense, the film is something of an origin story for the future saint, as played by Noomi Rapace. As such, it's an intriguing attempt to humanize a mythic inspirational figure. So why doesn't it work? From Venice, here's my first review from this year's festival.  

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Previewing Fall Festival Season and 'Paris, Texas'

Greetings from Venice. Before I left for the festival, Will and I recorded an episode looking at the movies we're most intrigued by that will be premiering here, Telluride or Toronto. Lots of good stuff there. Then, we go back to 1984's Paris, Texas, which I now really need to see on the big screen. Check out our conversation down below. 

'Vice Is Broke' Review

Eddie Huang used to have a show on Vice, called Huang's World, but his relationship with the company soured, leaving him contending that he'd been owed money. Now that Vice is in bankruptcy, Huang has decided to make a documentary about how everything went wrong. For the A.V. Club, I reviewed Vice Is Broke. 

'The Roses' Review

There's a new version of The War of the Roses out this weekend. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman and is not as good as the 1989 film. I explain why over at Screen International.  

Das Racist - "You Oughta Know"

In honor of that new Billy Joel documentary, which I haven't seen yet, let's enjoy one of the best uses of a Joel sample in a hip-hop song. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: 'Highest 2 Lowest' and 'Wonder Boys'

On this week's episode, we go long on Spike Lee's latest. We have less to say about the fairly forgettable Nobody 2, and then we travel back to 2000 to revisit Wonder Boys. Lots of good stuff in here, which you can check out down below.

My Interview With Spinal Tap

They're back, and they're louder and dumber than ever. For the Los Angeles Times, I sat down with Spinal Tap to talk about politics, doves and their new movie, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues. Check it out. 

(Photo by Jason Armond.) 

'Devo' Review

I saw Devo at Sundance in 2024. At long last, the film is now available to watch for everybody else. My review is up at the A.V. Club.

Edinburgh 2025: 'Concessions' Review

Concessions is a mix of Clerks and Eephus, looking at an independent movie theater on its final day of operation. I dug its elegiac tone, but I wish the story had more to say. My review is here. 

A Tribe Called Red (featuring Northern Voice) - "Sisters"

Last week, as part of Susan's days-long birthday celebration, we and some friends went to Jeffrey Gibson: the space in which to place me, which was a treat. As part of the exhibit, there was a video installation featuring this song. I've been listening to it for days.

My Interview With Julia Loktev, Director of 'My Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow'

At the end of last year, I caught My Undesirable Friends: Part I, which premiered at the New York Film Festival. Spanning five-and-a-half hours, the documentary chronicles about four months in Moscow, from October 2021 to February 2022, as director Julia Loktev follows a group of independent Russian journalists facing the threat of imprisonment by Putin. The movie was shattering, gripping and stunning, and this Friday, it opens in New York. My Undesirable Friends feels like an alarm bell for Americans in the midst of Trump's authoritarian takeover. For Rolling Stone, I spoke to Loktev about her essential film and the lessons we should take from it. Hope you enjoy.

'Fixed' Review

What if dogs were secretly horny and foul-mouthed? That's the not-very-clever idea behind Fixed, Genndy Tartakovsky's R-rated animated comedy. Here's my review.

'Nobody 2' Review

I liked Nobody fine. But, man, I think this new one really stretches the thin premise beyond its breaking point. My Nobody 2 review is right here. 

The Grierson & Leitch Podcast: Loving 'Weapons,' Debating 'The Naked Gun' and 'Together'

On this week's episode, we're in agreement about Zach Cregger's superb new horror movie. But we don't see eye to eye on the other two films we discuss on the podcast. Check out our thoughts and witty banter down below.

'Americana' Review

In 2023, Americana premiered at SXSW to rave reviews. At long last, the movie finally comes to theaters this Friday. I caught up with it last week. I was underwhelmed. My review is live at Screen International. 

George Harrison - "Beware of Darkness"

I first became aware of this song thanks to Concert for George, the 2003 concert film in tribute to George Harrison. His old pal Eric Clapton did a lovely version of "Beware of Darkness," which was one of the movie's highlights. The original is integral to a film coming out this weekend. I may have swooned.

Martin Scorsese, Actor

This year, for the first time, Martin Scorsese received a major nomination for acting. In honor of his guest stint on the Emmy favorite The Studio, I looked at the great director's finest performances, exploring how persona and performance intertwine. Hope you enjoy.