Darrow Farr’s debut novel, The Bombshell, is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Set in Corsica, 1993, 17-year-old Séverine Guimard—the pampered daughter of a French politician—is counting down the days until graduation. Séverine knows she is destined for bigger things and dreams of becoming a famous actress. One evening, she is kidnapped by Soffiu di Libertà,…
Reviews
Review: Chosen Family
Heather Graham’s sophomore feature film, Chosen Family, which she both wrote and directed, tells a universal story. Ann (Graham) is a yoga instructor who keeps failing into the same bad patterns in both her familial and romantic relationships. Being around her family is exhausting. Her father (Michael Gross) is a religious zealot who is constantly…
Review: Renner
Computer genius Renner (Frankie Muniz) has developed an artificial intelligence named Salenus (voiced by Marcia Gay Harden). Functioning as a life coach, her number one directive is to increase Renner’s assertiveness so he can talk to his attractive new neighbour, Jamie (Violett Beane). After some initial awkwardness on Renner’s part, the pair agree to have…
Review: Blackwater Lane
Blackwater Lane opens with gorgeous shots of the landscape belongings to Elsing Hall, a medieval mansion in Norfolk. In the film, it’s called Crawford House and is home to teacher Cass (Minka Kelly, The Roommate) and her husband Matthew (Dermot Mulroney, My Best Friend’s Wedding), who is a successful businessman. He’s asleep in one room…
Review: Hot Frosty
When we meet widow Kathy (Lacey Chabert), she is struggling to stay warm in her apartment, switching quickly from blanket to coat on her way to the diner she owns. A note reminding her to call the repairman to fix the heating goes ignored yet again. While taking a stroll outside that evening, Kathy sees…
Review: Our Little Secret
Our Little Secret begins with the backstory of Logan (Ian Harding) and Avery (Lindsay Lohan), childhood best-friends-turned-lovers, told—for some reason—through animation. Then, it’s 2014 and Avery is moving to London for her dream job, which Logan struggles to accept. He thinks she’s running away from her father and childhood home following her mother’s death. After…
Review: Azrael
Set some time after the rapture, where speech is considered a sin, Azrael (Samara Weaving) is captured by a devout cult who want to sacrifice her to the evil lurking in the wilderness in exchange for their salvation. When Azrael escapes—as she often does—the cult, led by pregnant priestess Miriam (Vic Carmen Sonne), will stop…
Review: Clawfoot
Janet (Francesca Eastwood) is a wealthy, suburban housewife who takes pride in her meticulous housework. While going about her daily tasks, she is surprised when contractor Leo (Milo Gibson) shows up at the door claiming her husband, Evan (Nestor Carbonell), hired him to install a new bathroom, complete with a clawfoot bathtub. Janet is cautious…
Review: Subservience
AI (artificial intelligence) is not new to the horror genre, but it’s certainly felt more prevalent during the past few years with the likes of M3GAN and AfrAId. S.K. Dale is prepared to join the conversation with his new sci-fi thriller, Subservience. The film follows construction worker Nick (Michele Morrone) who is struggling to look…
Review: Fitting In
Molly McGlynn’s Fitting In is both a coming-of-age drama and a teen sex comedy. 16-year-old Lindy (Maddie Ziegler) has just moved to a new city with her therapist mother, Rita (Emily Hampshire), but things are going well for her: she already has a best friend called Vivian (Djouliet Amara), a crush on schoolmate Adam (D’Pharaoh…