The absolute state of this…

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SXSW 2026: THE FOX is a Delectably Dark and Absurdly Hilarious Australian Parable - Cinapse Dario Russo delivers a fabelistic tale about the perils of talking to the animals, and for some, a whole lot more For a while, there was a concerted effort to position Jai Courtney as a traditional le...

Closing put my #SXSW coverage with probably my favorite film of the fest. The debut feature from Dario “Danger 5” Russo. A brilliantly absurdist folk parable.

My review at @cinapse.bsky.social

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DRAG. Starts as squeamish slapstick and then descends into a pitch black comedy thriller. Very mean in moments, guaranteed to elicit hooting and hollering in others. Lizzy Caplan being put through the wringer here is a truly visceral experience. #SXSW

NORMAL. Interim Sheriff uncovers small town conspiracy. Hella fun feature that feels like a midwestern riff on the final act of HOT FUZZ. Odenkirk solidifies his hold on the unsuspecting action star genre. Just a gleeful smorgasbord of comedic carnage. #SXSW

SEAHORSE. A heartfelt work, centered on memory and metal health, with a father/daughter relationship at its core. Aisha Evelyna delivers a poignant piece as writer/director that points to a promising future in film. #SXSW

SXSW 2026: MONITOR. Horror that Weaponizes Our Screen Saturated Society Matt Black & Ryan Polly leverage our tech landscape into a new viral horror In an era where doom-scrolling has become second nature, Monitor taps into a quietly unsettling idea, we’ve all seen disturbing things online, but what if the worst of it is being shielded from us? That premise fuels a slick, unnerving horror [...]

MONITOR mines some familiar horror tropes, but in a truly effective and resonant way. My review over at @cinapse.bsky.social
#SXSW

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THE FOX. A parable about the perils of quick fixes in our relationships (and talking to the animals). Blends mystic and absurdist elements into a weird and wonderful comedy, with subtle shades of folk horror. Magnificent deployment of Englebert Humperdinck. #SXSW

SEEKERS OF INFINITE LOVE. A roadtrip to save a sister from a cult. Fueled by sibling strife, it leverages constant conflict into comedy and an array of flawed characters into a palpable chemistry. The sort of film that sustains a wry smile from start to finish. #SXSW

MILE END KICKS. A coming of age tale that nicely chronicles the steps (and missteps) taken by a woman truing to forge an identity in a male-dominated arena. Makes great use of its Montreal setting, and a committed, warts and all performance from Barbie Ferreira. #SXSW

BASIC. An incisive and hilarious take on modern day dating, self-worth, and sisterhood. Writer/director Chelsea Devantez plants her flag with warmly realized & rich characters, a keen wit, and an assured sense of visual story telling. #SXSW

SXSW 2026: DREAMQUIL Sets Itself Apart With Style Rather than Substance - Cinapse Alex Prager's commentary on our digital disconnect fails to synch up Set in a near future where toxic air quality has pushed much of human experience indoors and online, DreamQuil renders a world that...

DREAMQUIL is a glossy technological parable that just fails to synch up. My review over at @cinapse.bsky.social
#SXSW

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DEAD EYES. The cinematic equivalent of one of those rail-shooter games you find in an arcade. Not a compliment. #SXSW

AND HER BODY WAS NEVER FOUND. Marital strife blows open a multi-layered, meta affair that brilliantly uses structure and perspective to weave together a “real life” relationship drama, thriller, and comedy into one. #SXSW

LEVITICUS. A gnarly Australian horror where religious fervor and the supernatural are deployed as agents of gay-conversion therapy. Expertly ramps up the sense of fear and isolation through a relentless force evoking It Follows, but its enduring love story sets it apart. #sxsw

SXSW 2026: SUMMER OF ’94. Building a Soccer Team the All-American Way - Cinapse A documentary that charts USA's efforts to build and prep a team capable of challenging on home soil in the '94 World Cup Football, which shall henceforth be referred to as soccer for clarity’s sake, ...

SUMMER OF ‘94 is a fantastic doc that gets into the reality-style approach of the US to build a team to be proud of for the 1994 World Cup. Full of warmth and character, my review over at @cinapse.bsky.social
#SXSW

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HOKUM. A haunted man tackling his inner demons, as well as evil, both human and unearthly. Hits the horror beats with immaculate precision and delivers a devilishly fun time while doing it. Damien McCarthy’s most consistent and complete feature to date. #sxsw

THE SAVIORS. A BURBS-esque paranoia spiral fueled by undertones of xenophobia. The relationship angle adds depth, and the film balances the serious and satire well, but a late twist feels ungainly in its timing and execution. #SXSW

KILL ME. A great hook for a film that balances a heartfelt look at mental illness with a thriller/comedy caper. #SXSW #SXSW2026

SENDER leverages modern day angst and digital fears into a twisty paranoid nightmare. Propulsive, and compelling in spurts, over-reliance on discordant sounds and visuals detract from the more nuanced work evident in the script and performances. #SXSW #SXSW2026

SXSW 2026: A SAFE DISTANCE is a Cautionary Tale About Tilting into the Wilderness - Cinapse A Canadian thriller that encircles a blood stained character study A Safe Distance opens with a visceral bang, then glimpses of the aftermath. A body dragged through wet forest undergrowth, the camera...

A SAFE DISTANCE. A lush Canadian thriller that works even better as a reflective character piece. My review over at @cinapse.bsky.social #SXSW #SXSW2026

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PRETTY LETHAL. Pretty sure Amazon shouldn’t be allowed to make anymore movies…
#SXSW #SXSW2026

READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME. Detrimentally beholden to the first film, but it undeniably picks up the torch with conviction and delivers a rousing and fun filled sequel, albeit with little that is new or surprising. #sxsw #sxsw2026

SXSW 2026: FIRST THEY CAME FOR MY COLLEGE Chronicles a Totalitarian Takeover of Education - Cinapse A documentary that serves as a both a warning and a call to arms First They Came for My College invokes the famous postwar poem by Martin Niemöller, one that reflects on how authoritarianism advances ...

My first review out of #SXSW serves as a warning and a call to arms, the chilling doc. FIRST THEY CAME FOR MY COLLEGE.

Coverage over at @cinapse.bsky.social
#SXSW2026

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MONITOR rips. A devilishly fun, and gnarly slice of horror. Great set pieces and scares, wicked kills, and a potent mythology perfectly attuned to our digital age.
#SXSW #SXSW2026

UGLY CRY. A spiraling exploration of self-word & body standards, against the back drop of the casting process. Could be a little punchier in the back half, but the creative direction, resonant script and endearing lead performance from Emily Robinson does impress. #SXSW #SXSW2026

UNDERTONE. An Auditory Assault that Underwhelms Where It Counts - Cinapse The debut feature from Ian Tuason revels in it's aural effects but feels all too rote elsewhere Sound is an often underappreciated element of the cinematic experience. While audiences readily respond ...

Sorry to say I was more lukewarm on #Undertone than most. My review over at @cinapse.bsky.social

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SXSW 2026: The Cinapse Crew’s Most Anticipated Films - Cinapse The expansive convergence of Film, TV, music, Tech, and Education returns to Austin, TX, March 12-18. Construction be dammed, Austin may have lost it's convection center but SXSW ploughs on. For the f...

I got together the Cinapse crew attending this year’s @sxsw.com to highlight their most anticipated films from the lineup.

We’ll have feet on the ground and eyes on screens all week long covering an array of programming, so follow along via @cinapse.bsky.social 👀🎬🍿

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Thrilled that @atxfilmcritics.bsky.social’s statement condemning @alamodrafthouse.bsky.social’s misguided change to allow phones out during films is getting traction with news, Elijah Wood and Scott Derrickson thanks to fearless leaders @jonpartridge.bsky.social and @rmwhittaker.bsky.social!