Shudderbugs is about the things we leave behind. The memories, the trauma, and the profound absence of a loved one whose full story we may never know. 

The Gullspång Miracle begins as quirky Scandinavian absurdism, then morphs into something much deeper. Truth doesn’t matter. What shapes us is what we want to believe. 

Perhaps this sequel was growing pains and the expanded world introduced in this film will ease itself into something truly grand. Only time will tell, but for now, Another Simple Favor proves to be another example of sequel fatigue.

Where in the Hell is an ode to fleeting relationships that burn brightly for a few days before disappearing forever. 

Sinners is all passion all the time, a kiss on the neck followed by a vicious bite.

Art for Everybody is instead a reflection on what art can bring to a person and a life, its power to connect people and provide a reprieve from the woes of the world. 

The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia is a cautionary tale of sorts, one whose ending keeps the heart racing.

Pools is refreshing and alive, and evokes the feeling of diving into the deep end of a swimming pool in the dog days of summer.

Queens of Drama is a bizarre love letter to the early-aughts and all their low-rise jeans, bubblegum pop, and media-obsessed glory.

The widespread loneliness epidemic that was born from the worldwide health pandemic is wreaking havoc on everyone, and Invention is one mesmerizing way of processing it.

The pursuit of anything is an uphill climb in the dead of summer with a fifty-pound backpack strapped to your shoulders. What you must decide, Do I Shock U Like Lightning argues, is what’s worth going up that hill for.

Stolen Kingdom is a madcap heist that involves an animatronic, an NBA player, and a theme park legacy that could be shattered at the drop of a Mickey Mouse hat.

Like the apartment it’s named after, Secret Mall Apartment is an epic feat of artistic creation, but one whose meaning remains murky to those who didn’t have a home in Providence Place.

Breakup Season is a hard dose of reality wrapped in a warm scarf.

“Life’s easier if you don’t resist,” says the Matron, but the friendship at the heart of the film rejects that. Life is easier if you do resist when you have people who share the same beliefs.

Even if you remove Pete and Helen’s political activism, Helen and the Bear is an entrancing documentary of the ways relationships morph as time goes by. 

Addy Daddy is fresh, yet plays with instantly recognizable human dreams and desires.

A Nice Indian Boy is tooth-achingly endearing and reminiscent of the best romantic comedies, where the chemistry is crackling, the jokes are flying, and the romance is swoonworthy.

Slanted is the escalation of insecurities to a point of no return, unless you’re willing to take matters into your own hands.

A post-SXSW round up of reviews for Odyssey, The Spies Among Us, and 40 Acres.