Author: Elliott Cuff

Telling a tragic slice-of-life story and shot on gorgeous 16mm, When the Light Breaks is a somber and downbeat maelstrom of subdued emotion.

Though frequent bouts of rebellious laughter and a unifying camaraderie dull the intensity of its heavy subject matter, We Were Dangerous suffers by not allowing itself to embrace the thematic topics it merely hints at.

Bittersweet and unassuming, Kohei Igarashi’s slow-moving drama Super Happy Forever begs our patience.

In disassembling the mechanics of the rom-com and repurposing them as a quasi-takedown of conventional romantic storytelling, The Other Way Around presents a deft understanding of the complexities of love.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud is an especially lean cinematic piece, perhaps even too much so, and yet there’s plenty of chaos to decipher as action clashes with consequence.

As an inversion of the prodigal son trope, Okie is a sobering examination of insular small-town communities, wrapping time-warped tension around every knowing look and verbal exchange.

Carson Lund’s directorial debut stands proudly among the best to feature America’s favorite pastime.

Miia Tervo’s The Missile is an amalgamation of contrasting genres and tones, connecting the personal with the bigger picture to inconsistent results.

Joel Potrykus’ Vulcanizadora begins as a seemingly mundane slice-of-life story before descending into the bowels of bleak humor and existentialism.

Described as Whiplash meets Grey’s Anatomy, Jason Park’s Transplant certainly leans on the former for tonal inspiration.