“Barbara Forever” is a Documentary Worthy of its Subject
With Barbara Forever, Brydie O’Connor gifts Barbara Hammer the same kindness and celebration that the pioneering filmmaker gifted to her subjects and the queer community at large — a chance to be wholly seen.
“Case 137” Chases Justice
While the film doesn’t put any pressure on the societal circumstances that led to this systemic issue, Case 137 questions if truth and justice can be attained for the common person anymore.
“Nothing to See Here: Watts” Puts the Power of Storytelling in the Hands of the People
Nothing to See Here: Watts rejects the premise that things have to stay the same because that’s how they’ve been for so long. It’s a promise to the future of Watts, made by the people of Watts about the place they call home.
“La Bola Negra” is the Kind of Grand, Sweeping Epic They Don’t Make Anymore
La bola negra is a feat of filmmaking that’s an open wound of love, pain, and history’s ever-reaching roots.
“Closure” Processes Unfathomable Grief
Closure is a fundamental breakage of what viewers expect from a true-crime or investigative documentary. It’s an urgent, fundamental reminder that these are stories of real people, first and foremost.
“Breeder” is the Surprise of the Halloween Season
Breeder is crafty, and far more wily than the premise might lead one to believe.
“Gentle Monster” Asks What Power Truth Holds
Lea Seydoux masterfully guides Gentle Monster as a quiet, frustrating piece of work that should be seen, but that requires some supplementary materials.
“Clayface” is Gooey, but Not Emotional
Clayface isn’t the best version of breaking the mold, but it is a studio taking a risk, and isn’t that what we want at the end of the day?
“My Omaha” Returns Home with a New Perspective
My Omaha has a sense of hope that was built from immersing one’s self in community, compassion, and learning from each another.
“Wicker” Gets Hard for Sentimentality
Wicker may not have been intended to be a rebuttal to AI, but it certainly has found itself in this position. It’s a cry for mutual desire and respect as a means of love.
“If I Go Will They Miss Me” is a Gentle Epic
If I Go Will They Miss Me is a story of grace, healing, and families, of the chasms that separate the closest relationships and the way we fight to get back to what matters most.
“The Morgue Twins” Finds Empathy in Death
They’re no strangers to death, can discuss it in a truly clinical sense, but they also know that loss will always have a profound effect on the living.
“You Can See Everything” Proves Secrets Hide in the Open
You Can See Everything is a fever dream of a documentary, a masterpiece that is unyielding in its pursuit of something, anything, real, but only finding that the chasm between fact and fiction is wider than any of us realized.
“Baby Doe” Asks How We Got Here
Jessica Earnshaw has made something painful and urgent with Baby Doe, something that should encourage meaningful change to the healthcare system of our contemporary society.
NYFF Shorts: “RW-LO” and “A Woman’s Place is Everywhere”
A review of two short films from the 2026 New York Film Festival program.
NYFF: “For the Moon” Shows the Scrappy Creativity of Art
For the Moon offers the viewer the point of view of young people as they process their lives and the world around them through the art of filmmaking.
“Galicia!” Looks at the Apocalypse Through Home Movies
Galicia! is a bizarre magic trick, one that could only have come from the minds of Maguire and Greenberg.
NYFF: “London” Finds Humanity in the Passenger Seat
London is gentle and introspective, the kind of car ride that could go on forever.
“Clown Panic” Looks Beyond Fear
Clown Panic is not sensationalist. It’s grounded in the distinctly human knee-jerk reaction to fear with a mob mentality.
“Fjord” is Staggering and Cold
It’s not about which viewpoint the audience agrees with, but Fjord doesn’t dig into the problem in the way a film with a direct point of view would have.