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Reviews

SIFF 2025: Happyend // Cloud

Happyend dir. Neo Sora Carves a neo-fascist dystopian cyberpunk landscape out of negative space, a lo-fi exploration of disaffected youth in the spirit of Blue Spring or Rebels of the Neon God. Adolescence in search of catharsis and connection pushed into authoritarian structures and regressive ideals, the throes of angst

SIFF 2025: Good Boy // Chain Reactions

Good Boy dir. Ben Leonberg Wields a sharp understanding of the semiotics of horror to generate a potent atmospheric dread, effectively communicating its ideas through the soulful eyes of its canine protagonist. The novelty lies entirely in its shifted perspective offering, but it never wavers on delivering the expected thrills

SIFF 2025: New Jack Fury // 40 Acres

SIFF 2025: New Jack Fury // 40 Acres

New Jack Fury dir. Lanfia Wal Somewhere between throwback blaxploitation and modern day 80s exploitation spoof, the pure dedication to wanton absurdity and low budget cheese makes this a mostly delightful romp, if not one that overplays its hand even at 84 minutes. It's a visual effects showcase

SIFF 2025: Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass // By Design

SIFF 2025: Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass // By Design

Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass dir. Timothy & Stephen Quay Somewhere between the mesmerizing, hallucinatory dreams of Jan Švankmajer and the creaking, wooden fantasies of Jiří Barta, the Brothers Quay return to the influence of Polish writer Bruno Schulz, 38 years after their adaptation of Street of Crocodiles.

SIFF 2025: Four Mothers

SIFF 2025: Four Mothers

Seattle International Film Festival 2025's opening film is safe. By all accounts, that's what a festival opener should be. A light crowd pleaser that can play to all audiences and flood the balconies of the Paramount Theatre with uproars of laughter, to join in the community

Eephus: Eephemeral Warmth

Eephus: Eephemeral Warmth

Why do they care so much? Don't have they more important things going on? The brisk October air whistles through the falling leaves. Lush grass rolls gently like soft waves, the autumn sun hanging above the worn dugouts and a dusty diamond. Everything emanates a warm glow, softly

The Monkey: Always Banging on the Same Drum

The Monkey: Always Banging on the Same Drum

It is poetic, really, that Osgood Perkins' adaptation of the Stephen King short story, The Monkey (1980), matches the prop itself. In the short story, the wind-up toy monkey hits cymbals together. It turns out, due to Toy Story 3 (2010), a wind-up toy monkey that hit cymbals together