Poor Things: A Rapturously Fantastical Comedy About Female Liberation

November 16, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Yorgos Lanthimos reteams with Emma Stone and Tony McNamara for his latest extravagant and strange offering, Poor Things, which earned him a Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival. Based on the Scottish novel by Alasdair Gray, the film is a wildly imaginative and wickedly funny dark comedy, rich in theme, character, and color, that combines elements of gothic romance, fantasy, and sci-fi into an absolutely unforgettable cinematic confection.

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tags / 2023 Film, 2023 Films, Yorgos Lanthimos, Emma Stone, Tony McNamara, Adaptations, Sci-fi, Romance, Comedy, Absurdist Comedy, Fantasy, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Christopher Abbott, Films based on books

Fantastic Fest 2023: Divinity — An All-Style-No-Substance Visual Stunner

October 29, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Writer/director Eddie Alcazar latest sci-fi vision, Divinity, had its Texas premiere at Fantastic Fest. Set in an interesting retro-futuristic world full of surreal oddity, the film is a visually stunning slow burn that lightly explores its themes, resulting in an experience that pleases the eye, but can’t quite engage the mind or forge an emotional connection.

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tags / Fantastic Fest, Fantastic Fest 2023, FF23, Nothing But Movies, I Love Cinema, Genre Film, Film Festival, Austin Texas, Alamo Drafthouse, Divinity, Eddie Alcazar, Steven Soderbergh, 2023 Film, 2023 Films

Killers Of The Flower Moon: A Sobering, Slow-Burning American Epic

October 27, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

For his 26th feature film, Killers Of The Flower Moon, legendary director Martin Scorsese reteams with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro and forges a tight bond with the Osage nation to respectfully and authentically tell this true story of Indigenous injustice. Based off the book of the same name by David Grann which focuses more on the investigation of the sinister murders of the Osage, Scorsese interestingly pivots the film’s focus to the love and betrayal that rests at the center of the tragic story, yielding profound and sobering results.

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tags / 2023 Film, 2023 Films, Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, Osage, True Crime, Crime\, Western, Gangster Film, Eric Roth, David Grann, Adaptations, Films based on a true story, Indigenous, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, Tatanka Means, Yancey Red Corn, William Belleau, Jillian Dion, Janae Collins, Cara Jade Myers, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow

Texas, USA: An Uplifting Documentary About The Fight For Change

October 06, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Writer/director Andrew Morgan returns with Texas, USA, an inspiring documentary about the fight for real and lasting change in Texas and beyond. Following an array of candidates and organizers from across Texas, including then-candidates Greg Casar, Beto O’Rourke, and Lina Hidalgo, the film tells a story of humanity, hope, and persistence amidst a seemingly bleak political landscape full of enormous obstacles and oppressive policies.

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tags / Andrew Morgan, Documentary film, Texas, Austin Texas, Texas USA, Texas Film, Politics, Political Films, Greg Casar, Beto O’Rourke, Lina Hidalgo, Tory Gavito, Adri Pérez, Brianna Brown, Anthony Graves, Hannah Horick, underdog stories, films about change, Films about America, Viddy Well, Nothing But Movies, I Love Cinema, 2023 Films, 2023 Film

Oppenheimer: A Booming Biopic

September 05, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Following his overly complicated spy thriller Tenet, Christopher Nolan returns to cinema’s with a booming biopic about the modern Prometheus, J. Robert Oppenheimer. Epic in scope but intimate in feel, Oppenheimer boasts Nolan’s most explosive ensemble cast to date and creates a stimulating historical thriller that rattles and shakes with compelling contemplation.

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tags / Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer, Biopic, biographical drama, Historical Drama, Summer Blockbuster, 2023 Films, 2023 Film, Emily Blunt, I have become death destroyer of worlds, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr, Benny Safdie

Bottoms: A Ferociously Funny Teen Sex Satire

August 23, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Following the success of Shiva Baby, Emma Seligman returns with Bottoms, an outrageously over-the-top sendup of American teen sex comedies. Rereading with Rachel Sennett (who also co-wrote the screenplay alongside Seligman) and adding Ayo Edebiri into the mix, the film delivers one razor-sharp and hilarious satirical haymaker that will have you spurting blood and laughter.

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Barbie: A Big, Bold Blockbuster With More Than Kenough Comedy

August 01, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Greta Gerwig dismantles the patriarchy and more in the biggest, boldest, and most stupid-fun smash of the summer! Tackling a complex array of themes, Gerwig finds a way to have her cake and it too, simultaneously criticizing and celebrating Barbie to create an ode to artifice that joyously peels back the plastic surface to find the humanity and spirituality deep within. Don’t be fooled, this Barbie is for everyone.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Existential Comedy, Comedy, Comedy Film, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Greta Gerwig, 2023 Film, 2023 Films, Summer Blockbuster, Pink, Plastic Dreams, Meta, Mattel, Will Ferrell, Noah Baumbach, Ken, Barbie and Ken, Musical, Whimsical

Theater Camp: A Hilarious And Heartfelt Sendup Of Theater Culture

July 22, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

It wouldn’t be summer without a bit of camp, and Theater Camp is here to deliver the goods! “Cue the cocaine,” this hilarious and heartfelt mockumentary is a rip-snorting sendup of theater culture that features a winning ensemble of child and adult talent. This is one show you won’t wanna miss!

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, Nothing But Movies, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, I Love Cinema, Comedy Film, Comedy, Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Fox Searchlight, 2023 Film, 2023 Films, Theater Camp 2023, Theater Camp, Jimmy Tatro

Talk To Me: A Gripping Horror Film That Drags You Down Under

July 20, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

The twin brothers behind the YouTube channel RackaRacka, Danny and Michael Philippou, make the leap to features with attitude and aplomb in their debut horror film, Talk To Me. With a fresh new slant on the “cursed object” sub-genre and a stellar breakout performance from Sophie Wilde, the Philippou brothers craft a near-perfect fright fest with one helluva grip. Viewer beware: this Aussie flick will take you down under in more ways than one.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, Nothing but movies, Nothing But Movies, I love cinema, I Love Cinema, A24, Horror, Horror Thriller, Horror Film, 2023 Film, 2023 Films, Sophie Wilde, Zoe Terakes, Miranda Otto, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Chris Alosio, Michael Philippou, Danny Philippou, Cursed Object, Be Careful What You Wish For, Kids Being Kids, Australian Film, RackaRacka

How To Blow Up A Pipeline: A Nervy Eco-Terrorist Thriller

July 16, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Daniel Goldhaber concocts quite the incendiary eco-terrorist thriller with his sophomore effort, How To Blow Up A Pipeline. Based off the book of the same name penned by Andreas Malm, Goldhaber takes Malm’s message of sabotage as a valid and justified form of climate activism and puts it into compelling — and exciting — practice.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, How To Blow Up A Pipeline, Neon, Daniel Goldhaber, Eco-Thriller, Sorcerer, Good Time, Safdie Brothers, William Friedkin, Heist Film, Ocean's 11, First Reformed, Climate Crisis, Forrest Goodluck, Sasha Lane, Lukas Gage, Ariela Barer, Marcus Scribner, Jake Weary, Jayme Lawson, Kristine Froseth, 2023 Film, 2023 Films

Renfield: A Mildly Fun, Gory Vampiric Romp

July 02, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Nicolas Cage gives horror icon Count Dracula the “Nouveau Shamanic” treatment in Chris McKay’s latest film, Renfield. Despite nearly staking itself in the heart with some weak subplots, this batty horror comedy proves to be a decent amount of silly, gory, disposable fun.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, Nothing But Movies, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, I Love Cinema, Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Chris McKay, Ben Schwartz, Renfield Movie, Renfield, Dracula, Robert Kirkman, Gory Good Time, Comedy, Comedy Film, Horror, Horror Comedy, 2023 Film, 2023 Films

Enys Men: A Rapturously Photographed Experimental Folk Horror

May 10, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Enys Men is the latest feature film from Cornish filmmaker Mark Jenkin, and it reaffirms his penchant for crafting haunting and poetic stunners. A logical progression of his previous film, Bait, the film finds Jenkin expanding his experimentation and atmospheric dread in more elusive, eerie, and unsettling ways to create an English folk horror unlike any other.

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tags / Viddy Well, viddy well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing But Movies, Nothing but movies, I Love Cinema, I love cinema, Mark Jenkin, Enys Men, Bait, Enys Men movie, Cornwall Horror, Folk Horror, Experimental film, Experimental Horror, Skinamarink, History As Horror, Stone Island, Mary Woodvine, Experimental Folk Horror, Neon, 2023 Film, 2023 Films, fruticose lichen, Lichen, 16mm, Shot on Film, Edward Rowe

Beau Is Afraid: A Freudian Guilt Trip Of Epic Proportions

May 02, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Ari Aster returns to take audiences on an epically wild and decidedly weird guilt trip with his third feature, Beau Is Afraid. Big, bold, and ballsy, this three-hours long Freudian epic is ostensibly Aster’s very own Magnolia; an expensive, stylish indulgence that finds him wholeheartedly swinging for the fences at the risk of alienating his audience for the sake of art. Results will vary, but it’s a total winner to us.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, Nothing But Movies, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, I Love Cinema, Beau Is Afraid, Beau, Beau Is Afraid Movie, Ari Aster, Horror, Comedy, Horror Comedy, Surrealism, Absurdist Cinema, Absurd Horror, Films about family, Films about anxiety, 2023 Film, 2023 Films, Hereditary, Midsommar, Joaquin Phoenix

65: A Silly, Family-Friendly Sci-Fi Actioner With A Bit Of Bite

April 27, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

The filmmaking duo behind Haunt (2019), Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, pivot from horror to sci-fi/fantasy in their latest flick, 65. The film brings a futuristic edge and a time travel plot to the prehistoric period, pitting Adam Driver against dinosaurs in a lightly tense family-focused race-against-the clock thriller. It’s nothing new or particularly exciting, but it’s enjoyable enough dumb-fun.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, Nothing But Movies, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, I Love Cinema, 65, 65 Movie, 65 Film, Sci-Fi thriller, Sci-fi action, Jurassic Park, A Quiet Place, 2023 Films, Action Film, Action, Thriller, Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, Love And Monsters, Scott Beck, Bryan Woods, 2023 Film

Infinity Pool: Hedonistic Lifestyles Of The Rich And The Famous

April 24, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Infinity Pool is the third feature from Canadian filmmaker Brandon Cronenberg, and it takes audiences on another horrific and twisted sci-fi/horror trip. This go around, it’s a sunny, all-inclusive resort set in some surreal alternate reality, and it plays like a sadistic White Lotus for kinky weirdos. The film finds Cronenberg expanding in scope and solidifying his own singular style.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, Nothing But Movies, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, I Love Cinema, Infinity Pool, Brandon Cronenberg, Alexander Skarsgård, Mia Goth, Possessor, David Cronenberg, Horror, Horror Film, Thri, thriller, Sci-Fi, Sci-Fi horror, Sci-Fi thriller, 2023 Films

Skinamarink: A Dreamy, Experimental, No-Fi Nightmare

April 11, 2023 / Aaron Haughton

Made for meager $15k, Kyle Edward Ball’s debut feature, Skinamarink, garnered a lot of attention during its festival run due to its unique approach to the genre (and because a pirated copy leaked online). With a viral word-of-mouth and a theater run that saw an exponential return, the film has generated buzz and reopened the conversation — like The Blair Witch Project did before it — about horror’s ability to cause big waves with very little.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, Nothing But Movies, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, I Love Cinema, Skinamarink, Horror, Horror Film, Experimental film, Avant-garde, Shudder, Shudder Original, Kyle Edward Ball, No-Fi, Dreamy, Nightmare, Nostalgia, Analog Horror, David Lynch, Blair Witch, 2023 Films

Fantastic Fest 2022: Unicorn Wars — Adult Themed Cartoon Bloodshed With A Strong Anti-War Message

December 03, 2022 / Aaron Haughton

Acclaimed filmmaker and illustrator Alberto Vazquez marches straight into the heart of candy-colored darkness with his latest film, Unicorn Wars. Don’t let its cute and cuddly exterior fool you, this animated flick ain’t for kids. Overflowing with adult themes and erupting with cartoon violence, Unicorn Wars will floor you with its slick animation and stick a heart-tipped arrow through your chest its vigorous anti-war message.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, Nothing but movies, Nothing But Movies, I love cinema, I Love Cinema, Unicorn Wars, Alberto Vázquez, Anti-War, Cuddly, Gory, Trippy, Animated Film, Apocalypse Now, Bambi, Full Metal Jacket, Care Bears, My Little Pony, Teddy Bears vs Unicorns, Poignant, Potent, Comedy, Horror, Fantastic Fest, Fantastic Fest 2022, FF22, Spanish Films, 2023 Films, 2023 Film

Fantastic Fest 2022: Country Gold — A Well Done Country-Fried Comedy

December 02, 2022 / Aaron Haughton

Country Gold marks another banger for Oklahoma filmmaker Mickey Reece, who steps out from behind the camera to lead the film alongside Ben Hall. The two go entertainingly head-to-head in this well-cooked, country-fried comedy that thoughtfully contemplates ego, fame, and legacy. This one hits all the right notes, creating a near-perfect blend of poignant, wistful, warm, and tender absurdist-surrealist hilarity that is sure to two-step straight into your heart.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, Nothing but movies, Nothing But Movies, I love cinema, I Love Cinema, Mickey Reece, Mickey Reece's Alien, Country Gold, Agnes, Climate Of The Hunter, John Selvidge, Ben Hall, Comedy, Comedy Film, Contemplative Comedy, Wild Night Out, Garth Brooks, George Jones, Nashville, Oklahoma Film, Absurdist Cinema, Surrealism, Fantastic Fest 2022, Fantastic Fest, FF22, 2023 Films, 2023 Film

Fantastic Fest 2022: Mister Organ — Another Wild Rollercoaster Ride From David Farrier

November 29, 2022 / Aaron Haughton

New Zealand journalist David Farrier is back with another dark documentary that exposes another real-life monster. With Mister Organ, Farrier takes audiences down another wild rabbit hole that must be seen to be believed.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, viddy well, Mister Organ, Michael Organ, David Farrier, Fantastic Fest 2022, Fantastic Fest, FF22, Documentary film, Dark Thriller, Dark Comedy, Real-Life Monsters, New Zealand Film, World Premiere, Nothing but movies, Nothing But Movies, I love cinema, I Love Cinema, 2023 Film, 2023 Films

Fantastic Fest 2021: "After Blue (Dirty Paradise)" Is One Strange Plains Drifter

September 26, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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French visionary Bertrand Mandico creates a queer ode to Kate Bush with his sophomore feature, After Blue (Dirty Paradise), which recently had its U.S. premiere at Austin, Texas’ Fantastic Fest. This esoteric sapphic-surrealist sci-fi acid western reaffirms Mandico’s penchant for conceiving highly imaginative fantastic worlds, but it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea. The film is a frequency, and you’re either on it or you’re not.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, Viddy Well, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Bertrand Mandico, French Cinema, After Blue, After Blue (Dirty Paradise), After Blue Film, Strange Cinema, Incoherence Manifesto, Elina Löwensohn, Paula Luna, Agata Buzek, Kate Bush, Mystical, Mythical Films, Mystical Films, Sci-Fi, Acid Western, Fairytale, 2023 Films

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