Berlin 2026: 'Safe Exit' Review

In Safe Exit, Marwan Waleed plays a security guard in Egypt wrestling with a tragic past. I reviewed this muted character study for Screen International.  

'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die' Review

In Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die, Sam Rockwell plays a man from the future who recruits a bunch of folks from our time to help him save the world before AI enslaves us. Gore Verbinski's gonzo sci-fi satire exhausted me. My review is here.

Berlin 2025: 'Magic Farm' Review

I quite liked Amalia Ulman's first film, El Planeta. Her new movie, Magic Farm, got a chilly reception at Sundance, but I think it works. For Screen International, I made the case for this rambunctious, politically pointed comedy, which is now playing Berlin.

Berlin 2025: 'Mickey 17' Review

I'm not in Berlin, but for Screen International I reviewed one of the festival's high-profile premieres. Here are my thoughts on Bong Joon Ho's latest.

My Interview With Levan Akin, Writer-Director of 'Crossing'

Levan Akin heard a story about a Georgian grandfather who publicly supported his trans grandchild, an uncommon (and, frankly, courageous) act. It made Akin wonder how his own grandparents would have reacted in the same situation. Out of that came his touching new film Crossing. For RogerEbert.com, I talked to the writer-director about researching Istanbul's trans community, his early love of Anne Rice, and that time he almost talked to Madonna. Hope you enjoy.

Berlin 2023: 'The Klezmer Project' Review

Filmmakers Leandro Koch and Paloma Schachmann play versions of themselves in The Klezmer Project, a docu-fiction hybrid in which they seek out the roots of the titular musical style. It's a playful but also surprisingly moving film. My review is here.

Berlin 2023: 'Here' Review

Four years ago at Cannes, my final review was for Ghost Tropic, from a filmmaker I wasn't familiar with, Bas Devos. I was really taken by that movie, and now he's back with Here, which I think is even better. My review is up at Screen International.

Berlin 2023: 'Reality' Review

Reality tells the story of real-life whistleblower Reality Leigh Winner, who was taken into custody by the FBI in 2017. The movie, starring Sydney Sweeney, is drawn entirely from the transcripts of law enforcement's interactions with Winner. A fascinating conceit, which I think really helps the film. My review is here.

Berlin 2021: 'Night Raiders' Review

We've all seen dystopian dramas about bands of rebels trying to take down the oppressive government. But Night Raiders is different, because the rebels are Indigenous North Americans and the oppressive government is ... yep, you guessed it. I dug the film.

Berlin 2021: 'Ted K' Review

What prompted Ted Kaczynski to do what he did? The new film Ted K, with Sharlto Copley in the title role, doesn't approach that question head-on. Instead, this is an atmospheric, immersive journey into this insular man's world. I found the movie intriguing but also frustrating. I get into all of it over at Screen International.

Berlin 2020: 'Onward' Review

Onward isn't the worst Pixar film, but I think it's their least interesting and least distinctive. It's a movie that, say, Dreamworks Animation could have made. I reviewed this misfire for Screen International.