august at twenty-two captures the incendiary magic of finding someone who you click with. It’s more than simply getting along and being able to make small talk.

Rodeo is gnarled, burning passion. It’s an angry, desperate, hope for a better life and a desire to fit in somewhere, anywhere.

There’s a certain kind of magic reserved for a teenage, shoegaze-y rock band. Such is the central heartbeat of Sublime, an Argentinian LGBTQ+ drama about two boys growing up and every turbulent feeling that comes along with it.

More than a compelling narrative film, Reality shows that it’s entirely possible to maintain the reality of a situation without compromising the cinematic possibilities. Reality understands that truth always trumps fiction.

A cosmic shift happened in 2018 when Into the Spider-Verse premiered in terms of its animation style and colors. Across the Spider-Verse proves that it was not a one-hit wonder.

Fast X desperately wants to be a fun popcorn summer flick. The film manages to achieve that status quite a few times, but the runtime is so sprawling, the script so nonsensical, and the action sequences so drawn-out that it cannot sustain the levity.

While the script falters, the production design soars. The world of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is vivid, bold, and exciting.

Full Time is an angry indictment of the current state of affairs and an ode to the sacrifices parents make for their children.

Perhaps the best quality of The Cow Who Sang a Song into the Future is that it instills a sense of hope in the viewer.

From Black asks the audience if there’s anything more terrifying than simply not knowing, and forces them to live in that uncertainty.

One of These Days was not subtle by any means, but managed to convey some interesting themes of social issues through the Hands On competition. A tighter focus and more editing could have turned this film into a scathing commentary about life in the American rural south.

The Tank is an old-school creature flick that’s packed to the gills with monstrous mayhem.

Ultimately, as soon as one reads the synopsis, it’s clear what they’re getting themselves into with Clock. However, as the film unfolds, Agron’s performance and its deviations from expectations make the watch worthwhile. Sure, it’s been done before, but not like this and not with this sense of urgency.

The entire series is a sisyphean journey of revenge. The audience knows that John Wick (Keanu Reeves) can never be free from this life of an assassin. He’s doomed to climb that 222-step staircase to Sacre-Cœur in Paris, both physically and metaphorically.

It’s hard to say if this film will create any meaningful, lasting change, but it will, without question, force a more urgent dialogue to exist about environmentalism.

Egghead & Twinkie is the eccentric, joyful, coming-of-age flick that’s reminiscent of the greats.

Reviews for the short films in Outfest Fusion 2023’s Young Hearts Run Free shorts program.

While it does manage to realistically and meaningfully capture queer life in the 2020s, Chrissy Judy lacks the heart to make this friendship breakup the painful loss it deserved to be.

Rye Lane is a shock to the system and the current landscape of romantic comedies. It’s loving, genuinely humorous, and an effortless crowd pleaser. A beautiful, energetic reminder that love is worth going after time and again.

Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out is the sort of sweet, charming, family flick that will warm the hearts of those who stumble upon it. For those who want a thought-provoking cerebral experience, this isn’t it, but it never wanted to be that in the first place.