Bugonia (2025)

A CEO is kidnapped by a conspiracy theorist who believes her to be an alien planning about the end of humanity. This follows many of the same beats as the original South Korean film, improving it in some respects while ruining some of the things I loved about it. In the end, they are both able to co-exist harmoniously by scratching different itches and fulfilling a different need.

4 chemical castrations out of 5

Kinds of Kindness (2024)

A deeply twisted absurdist tragi-horror-comedy that required two separate viewings for me to finally process my feelings about it. Essentially three separate stories, starring the same group of actors playing different roles each time, you have to search to find a common thread. The theme here being the fucked up ways people show appreciation and gratitude. At times, it might feel like weird for weirdness' sake, but sometimes that's just what you crave. If you enjoy Yorgos's previous work, this may strike the right chord within you.

4 tennis racquets out of 5

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

Charlie Kaufman directs this heady adaptation of Iain Reid's novel about a young woman on a road trip to meet her boyfriend's parents who contemplates the future of their relationship. On the surface, it plays out like surreal psychological horror, but it's probably even more nefarious at its core. This is one of those films where all the pieces don't make much sense until you look back at it through a different lens. While this may be frustratingly obtuse to some viewers, it rewards a deeper examination that gives light to deeper meaning. I could devote paragraphs to examining the themes of this film, but I'll just say it gives you a lot to chew on. Could just as easily be called pretentious, so make sure you know what you're getting into. 

4½ ice cream stands out of 5

Civil War (2024)

Director Alex Garland presents us with a dystopian vision of the not-too-distant future. The United States has broken into factions resulting from an increasingly authoritarian government and the secessionist groups that have emerged in its wake. We follow a team of war journalists making the dangerous journey from battle-ravaged New York to Washington, D.C. in order to interview the despotic commander-in-chief. It's all rather predictable in a way, but incredibly compelling, as it offers an even more realistic version of The Purge (and Zombieland) than we've seen depicted on screen before.

Will likely be divisive to folks, but that's probably the point.

3½ photographs to die for out of 5