Watch Over Us (2025) Tribeca 2025

This is the story of Victoria Lopez a mother of five and recovering addict who is given a year to bond with her new born twins before she is sent to prison for seven years.

I'm going to be very up front here and say there is a hell of a story here but the short form does not work for it. There is too much to cover, from Victoria's story, that of her family, and the law of Minnesota. There is just too much here and we never get a handle on anything outside of Lopez, we simply jump through events. (and the final title cards left me wanting to ask questions)

Don't get me wrong this is a good film, but this could have and should have been a great film. The story it is telling us is a vital and important one and needs to be told. But this story needs a bigger canvas.

Worth a look, but be prepared to want more.

Playing God (2025) a review and an interview with producer Arianna Gheller and director Matteo Burani Tribeca 2025

This is a deeply disturbing mediation on creation, god and the life of creations.

The film is the story of a scuplture that is created and comes to life and finds itself on a work bench with the remnants of the other creations that went before.

This is a visceral gut punch that is going to leave you bothered. As both a straight up horror film and something deeper concerning the nature of the universe it is deeply troubling and will leave you bothered for hours afterward - even if you try and see something after it to clear your head.

One of the best films at this year's Tribeca it is an absolute must see.

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After I saw the short I reached out to the PR people handling the film and asked if there was anyway for me to talk to the director Matteo Burani. They said they would ask.  The answer came back that if I could send some questions  producer Arianna Gheller and director Matteo Burani would supply answers.

What follows are my questions and their answers. 

I want to thank Shaimaa Khan at London Flair for arranging this and I want to thank Ms. Gheller and Mr Burani for taking the time to answer my questions.

STEVE: The film boggles the mind when you consider that the film is stop motion. There are so many layers to the images with figures in front and back of each other all moving. Were the figures animated in one shot or put together in  compositing?

ADRIANNA & MATTEO: Very few elements in this film were achieved through compositing. We really tried to keep everything as much as possible in camera, embracing the physicality of stop motion.

Some shots required animating up to 30 puppets at the same time, which was extremely challenging but also essential to create that sense of depth and presence. We wanted the audience to feel that all the figures truly coexist in the same space, reacting to each other in real time. 

STEVE: How much did you use the computer and what was its role in the film?

ADRIANNA & MATTEO: The computer’s role in the film was very minimal and mainly focused on clean-up work during post-production.

We used digital tools primarily to remove rigging, especially in scenes where it was physically impossible to hide the supports on set and to apply a few masks here and there to fix flickering caused by accidental bumps to the set during animation. We didn’t use green screen at all, except for one specific shot: the scene where the Sculptor bends down in front of the sculpture seen from behind. In that case, the sculpture was shot separately on green screen so we could split the animation process and avoid forcing the pixelation actor to hold an uncomfortable squat for hours.

STEVE: How long did it take to shoot the film and how many animators did you employ?

ADRIANNA & MATTEO: The animation process for Playing God took 15 months of intense, non-stop work. All completed by a single animator, Arianna Gheller, who was also the producer of the film.

The main reason for having just one animator was that, during the production, Arianna developed a deep specialization in this very refined and demanding technique of clay animation. Her sculptural sensitivity and growing emotional connection with the characters allowed her to bring out a unique expressiveness, blending sculpting skills with frame-by-frame animation in a truly original way.

We all felt it was the best decision, both emotionally and artistically, to have her animate the entire film in order to maintain a strong and coherent creative vision throughout.

STEVE: The film is very much an examination of a creator giving life to his creation.  Do you think the things that you have made have their own life/existence once made? Do you regret abandoning them? Do you think the things you abandon you forgive you for doing so?

ADRIANNA & MATTEO: I believe that every piece of art carries within it the DNA of its creator, it’s an echo, a frozen memory in time that even after years or centuries, still speaks of who you were and the era you lived in.

I’ve learned to love every drawing, sculpture, and piece I’ve made, from childhood to now, because they remind me of who I was, and who I am in this moment. Even the imperfect or abandoned ones are part of that journey. I don’t see them as mistakes, but as necessary steps in the evolution of my voice as an human been.

STEVE: Since the film references the spiritual in the title, I was wondering what your beliefs are and does the film reflect your views?

ADRIANNA & MATTEO: While the title Playing God certainly evokes spiritual or divine themes, the film doesn’t aim to represent a specific religious belief. Rather, it reflects a deeply personal and emotional exploration of creation, judgment, and self-worth.

For me, the idea of “Playing God” is more about the inner dynamics we all face, that harsh inner voice that judges what we do, what we are, what we create. It’s about the fragile relationship we have with ourselves, and the desire to be accepted, understood, and valued.

If anything, my beliefs lean toward a kind of emotional spirituality, a belief in the human need for meaning, connection, and transformation. The film uses metaphor and visual symbolism to reflect this tension between creator and creation, perfection and failure, acceptance and rejection.

So yes, in its own way, the film does mirror my worldview not in religious terms, but in how we deal with identity, vulnerability, and the longing for grace in a world that often feels indifferent.

STEVE: Since the film is heavily with philosophical implications I was wondering if  you think a film should reflect the beliefs of the director?

ADRIANNA & MATTEO: I think a film doesn’t necessarily have to reflect the director’s beliefs but it inevitably reflects something about how the director sees or questions the world.

In my case, I don't see filmmaking as a way to declare truths or certainties, but rather to explore questions that don’t have simple answers. Playing God is full of philosophical implications, but it's not a manifesto. It’s a space where I processed vulnerability, perfectionism, rejection, themes that haunted me personally and creatively.

So yes, in that sense, the film does reflect a part of who I am and how I think. But I believe a film can also contradict its author, surprise them, or even reveal things they weren’t fully conscious of. Sometimes, cinema is less about expressing what we believeand more about discovering what we feel.

STEVE: Who are the artists that influenced you personally and which ones influenced the film?

ADRIANNA & MATTEO: There’s a long list of artists who have influenced me, both personally and in the making of Playing God. On a personal level, I’ve always been deeply inspired by artists who explore the human condition through the body, psychology, and surrealism. David Cronenberg had a strong impact on my approach to transformation and vulnerability, particularly through his concept of the “New Flesh” where physical mutation becomes a metaphor for identity crisis and alienation. Lars von Trier also influenced me, especially in his exploration of inner chaos and emotional rawness in films like Melancholia and Breaking the Waves.

As for Playing God specifically, Jan Švankmajer was fundamental. His surreal stop-motion work and his tactile use of materials helped me embrace clay as something organic, alive, even flesh-like. Artistically, I was also deeply shaped by the Italian sculptural tradition. Nicolò dell’Arca’s Compianto sul Cristo Morto, with its raw emotion in terracotta, was a direct inspiration. I tried to give my clay figures that same tension and vulnerability. Michelangelo’s monumental approach to the human form and Caravaggio’s dramatic use of light and shadow also influenced the visual language of the film.

And lastly, Francisco Goya, especially his Black Paintings and Caprichos, gave me the courage to explore the grotesque and the emotional fractures of the human experience. These artists, each in their own way, helped shape the tone, the look, and the soul of Playing God.

STEVE: This is a deeply disturbing film.. How have audiences reacted to the film? Were the reactions what you hoped or expected?

ADRIANNA & MATTEO: The reactions to Playing God have been incredibly moving and sometimes surprising. It’s definitely a disturbing film.. emotionally raw, visually intense and I was prepared for it to divide audiences. But what’s been amazing is how deeply people have connected with it. Many viewers have told me they saw themselves in the clay creature, in that feeling of rejection, of not being enough. Others were fascinated by the textures, the visceral aesthetic, or the surreal atmosphere.

Over the past few months, Playing God has been selected in over 90 festivals worldwide, picking up 47 awards along the way. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival (Settimana della Critica), then screened at Clermont-Ferrand, Short Shorts in Tokyo, Tribeca, and 12 Oscar-qualifying festivals so far. People are genuinely excited to see a story like this told through such an unusual medium, clay animation treated almost like flesh. There’s something both nostalgic and strangely new about it.

So yes, I hoped for an emotional response, but I didn’t expect this level of resonance or recognition. It’s been overwhelming in the best way.

STEVE: The film bothers me. It's been a while since I saw it and it always gives me the same troubled feeling when I think about it.  What films that you’ve seen trouble you and stay in your head for better or worse as you wrestled with them over days and weeks?

ADRIANNA & MATTEO: I think the films that truly stay with us, for better or worse, are the ones that don’t give easy answers. They disturb something inside, like a splinter under the skin. For me, one of those films is Antichrist by Lars von Trier. It was an incredibly difficult film to watch, but it resonated in ways I couldn’t fully articulate at the time. The rawness of grief, the violence, the descent into chaos, it all lingers and forces you to confront something uncomfortable about human nature and pain.

Another film that haunted me is Come and See by Elem Klimov. It's visually and emotionally devastating. I remember feeling physically drained after watching it. It’s not just a war film, it’s a descent into madness through the eyes of a child, and it reshapes the way you see violence, innocence, and trauma.

Even The Mirror by Tarkovsky in a very different way, stayed with me for weeks. It's elusive, poetic, and refuses to be "understood" in a traditional sense. And yet, emotionally, it strikes deep. It’s like dreaming someone else’s memories.

I think these kinds of films are important. They unsettle you, and that discomfort opens a space for reflection, which is something I strive for in my own work. If Playing Godleaves people with a sense of unease or unresolved emotion, then maybe it’s doing its job.

STEVE: I know the film is out on the festival circuit but do you have another project lined up? Is it something lighter?

ADRIANNA & MATTEO: Light? I don’t know. I think as artists, we don't really get to choose what’s “light” or “dark” we just try to be honest. My next project will be another attempt at that honesty. It might not be easier. But it will be real: another point of view on the world, one that speaks to the truest version of ourselves, the one that emerges when we finally let go of others’ expectations.

And yes, there is already a project in development — and it’s precisely about that :)

Ask Me Anything (2025) Tribeca 2025

The official synopsis  "A Sudanese refugee invites native Dutch residents to ask him anything, opening up an exploratory dialogue between two parties when confronted with ‘the other’" says it all. 

This is one of the must see films of this year's Tribeca. In an age where outsiders are being demonized, ASK ME ANYTHING clearly shows how having a conversation knocks down walls and creates connections. 

I can't recommend this film enough.

Highly recommended.

Eye For An Eye (2025) Tribeca 2025

Tahereh is a mother of three in Iran who repeatedly asked for divorce in order to get out of an abusive marriage. When it wasn't granted she killed her husband and was sent to prison for 14 years. When she was released she is left to her in-laws to decide her fate, execution or the payment of blood money.

The choice of blood money or death comes from a tale of the Prophet who told a greiving man that he had the right to kill the accused because of eye for an eye, however that they should take the blood money lest they be the same as the killer. It has become something much more complicated in modern day.

This is not going to be what you expect. The story is not as simple as stated above. Additionally the film shows the whole process of negotiating and then attempting to pay the blood money.  There is a great deal here and you have to belt in and take the ride.

If you've been watching films from Iran over the last few years you will notice that there have been a couple of films that have covered the subject. While those films were narrative, this is the first documentary that I've run across on the subject.  It puts things into a different light and makes clear what the stakes are on both sides. (And interesting exchange reveals that many people who go for execution later regret the choice). It's a solid telling of the tale that leaves you troubled by the process.

Worth a look.

Brief thoughts on Leads (2025) Tribeca 2025

Acting teacher has her younger brother suddenly appear on her doorstep looking to crash and change his life. Friction occurs because of their past and then increases when he takes her acting class.

Okay comedy drama isn't bad as these sort of films go. Its amusing and well acted. It entertains, which in this day and age enough, since so many fi.lms can't even manage that

At the same time I'm kind of at a loss to explain what it is doing at a festival as big as Tribeca because while the film is good, it's something whose small scale nature is  going to get lost among the several hundred titles.  To that end if you want to see a small scale film that is probably not going to get a lot of eyes on it - go see LEADS.

Brief thoughts on Apocalypse Besties (2025) Tribeca 2025

Two girls are oblivious that the world is ending. When they realize what is happening they decide that they will keep mankind alive.

Schiticky comedy about two dumb girls trying to deal with the end of the world. It's amusing to a point, but at the same time we've seen this sort of thing done better, with less cartoony main characters.

Yea, I laughed, but I kind of hated myself.

A pointer toward American Psycho (2000) Tribeca 2025

Bret Easton Ellis' 1991 exercise in typing was turned into a satirical horror film in 2000 that has a cult following.

The plot has Christian Bale playing a yuppie by day and serial killer at night. Its a story about consumerism, yuppie culture, the drive to get ahead, and numerous other obvious themes. 

Better than its source novel, writer director Mary Harron actually creates a sense of suspense. She stripped the novels pointless catalog of mayhem and fashioned it into a satric thriller. It's a fun ride even if you know how it's all going to go. 

While I have always been at a loss to explain why Ellis' tale connects with with people, especially when there are better variations on the subject, I completely understand why Harron's film still entertains.

RUNA SIMI (2025) (People's Language) Tribeca 2025

This is a lovely story that will get you misty. The film follows Fernando Valencia who wants to translate The Lion King into Quechua which is considered the language of the Incas. He is striving to both keep the language alive and to make the native speakers feel part of the large world.

You are going to fall into this film from the first frames. As we watch Valencia working on dubbing a scene from The Lion King you end up charmed. Once we are charmed we will follow him any where and we do as we watch him working to keep Quechua language alive. By the time the end comes and we are watching the dubbed film we are misty.

I love this film. I love that the film shows us a story that we probably never considered before. Yes we all know about dialects and other languages, but what exactly does it mean not to speak one of the major languages?  How does that affect your interaction with the world and ourselves?

This is exactly the sort of gem that is the reason I say yes to every film at Tribeca – I get to be the first to spread the word on a wondrous discovery.

If you love great docs and stories you haven’t seen before then see RUNA SIMI.

Birthright (2025) Tribeca 2025

A couple with money problems and no job moves in with his parents. The trouble is that he didn't tell them they were coming.

Call this an uncomfortable black comedy/thriller that is a walk down a dark path. This is some unpleasant people doing not nice things to each other. 

Whether you like the film or not is going to be determined by how you like the turning of worms. For me this sort of thing never thrilled me. I never got off with watching bad things happen to people, even if they deserve it. I also never particularly cared to watch crazy people do crazy things, which what this film is.

Perhaps this would have worked if it wasn't clear from the start that the young couple are not wrapped to tight. Its also clear why parents and child were not really talking to each other. The result of this is a film where we can pretty much guess what is going to happen. It's not bad but it isn't compelling enough.

Worth a look for people who are aren't demanding.

Meet The Parents (2000) Tribeca 2025

For the 25th anniversary of MEET THE PARENTS there is a special screening at the Tribeca Film Festival with a Q&A with DeNiro, Ben Stiller and Jane Rosenthal.

The first film in the Focker films, the film has Ben Stiller meeting his future father in law Robert DeNiro and it all going wrong. 

This is a very funny movie. A film of uncomfortable humor, it's one that is going to make you laugh out loud. I like that this film helped to soften the previously serious DeNiro's image.

Go see it.

Chris Merola talks LEMONADE BLESSING Tribeca 2025

I spoke to Chris Merola, the director of LEMONADE BLESSING a week before the film premiered at the Tribeca Festival.  I have been aware of the film and the fact it was going to play at Tribeca for several weeks before the announcement because I work with Chris’ mom.  Being the good mom  she is she refused to say anything about the film, not even the title, until it was announced. 

I mention the fact that I know Chris’ mom because that was the jumping off point of our talk. Chris grew up on Long Island and used that as a basis for his film. It feels like Long Island at times.

LEMONADE BLESSING is the tale of a high school student who ends up infatuated with a young girl who seems to know  it all. It’s a solid comedy drama that is going to hit home with a lot of people. It is also the calling card of a filmmaker to be reckoned with. (And for the record that is a genuine statement, and does not reflect the fact I know his family)

I want to thank Emma for setting up the interview and Chris for taking the time to speak to  me.

CHRIS: How are you? 

STEVE: I'm good.

CHRIS: Oh my gosh, dude, you work with with my mom, that's so cool.

STEVE: I asked her if there was anything she wanted me to ask him that you want on the record? She said no. 

CHRIS: Oh, I love that.

STEVE:  I said, are you sure? I told her you can get him for anything. And she still said, no.

CHRIS: Oh my goodness.

STEVE: Because I work with your mom I've got to begin with this.

How much of the, how much of the mother in the film is based on your mom? I say that because when I was watching the film, I was listening to the way she speaks, and I’m thinking  “oh my God, this is Maria.” It's like you took cadences.

CHRIS: Oh, wow. Yeah. That's super cool that you feel that way.

I tried my best to make an honest film that was authentic to my experience while also being fictionalized and being dramatic. And ultimately, you know, Mary is a fictional character, but of course, a lot of mannerisms. And I think the spirit of the conflict that both of the characters go through, I think, you know, I identify with, you know, my mom is very devout. And so I definitely growing up felt a certain amount of guilt and pressure to really live up to her standard of what it meant to be a good Catholic. You know, but of course the film is not taken verbatim from, from real life.

And I would of course want, you know, my mom's, you know, privacy in person to be respected and stuff like that.

STEVE: I was curious  because like, even when I write stuff, you can see you take certain pieces from people you know. So I just was curious because there are times where I could hear the cadences of your mom.

Where did you go to Catholic school? 

CHRIS: I did. I went to Catholic high school in Long Island.

STEVE: Chaminade?

CHRIS: You're probably in Mineola, right? You're by Chaminade. I went to the sister school, Kellenberg.

STEVE: It seems everybody goes to one or the other.

CHRIS: I figured if I went to Chaminade, I was never going to learn how to talk to girls [editor’s note: Chaminade is an all boys Catholic school in Mineola on Long Island, Kellenberg is near by and is co-ed]. So I figured I had to go to Kellenberg.

STEVE: I hate to say this as somebody who's dealt with kids from both schools, the Kellenberg kids tend to be slightly better. They're more rounded. They're less rowdy.

CHRIS: Oh, that's hilarious.

STEVE: So, just keeping on that theme, how much of this, is any of this,  is stuff you've taken from your life?, Was any of this remotely anything that's actually happened to you?

CHRIS: I have to be careful how I answer it because, you know, the film's ultimately fictional as a whole. So I would say that probably the best statement I could say is that anyone who went to my high school will probably feel very, very seen by this film. And that's probably the best thing I could say while sort of protecting the film, you know, if you catch my drift.

STEVE:  I can feel Long Island in the film. I can feel it being on target having friends and relatives who went to high school.

How long did did it take for you to shoot the film? 

CHRIS: 20 days over from July 10th to August 4th. We took weekends off. We shot 16 days in New Jersey and four days in Long Island at the tail end. And those four days were shot at my mom's house.

STEVE: Tell me about the casting and how important it was for you to get the right people. Your mom said that you got everybody you wanted to. And that helped make the movie.

CHRIS: 100%. I think, you know, it's so important to cast truthfully. So, you know, you write characters with very specific personality traits.

And then you look for actors whose essential qualities map on to those essential traits. So that when you're in a pinch and you're out of time and you need your actor to just do a take really quick and you don't have time to really get into it, whatever they rely upon, whatever their instinct is, is what the character is. Because they kind of are the character in some degree.

So we had a very traditional casting process. You know, Jake was very much someone I was interested in from the very beginning. I saw him in EIGHTH GRADE in 2018. And I really loved him there. He was like the, the chicken nugget boy. And I thought he was so specific.

I really identified with the kind of like oversharing that he does in conversations where he just gushes. And I really loved that. I felt really seen by that.

So it was always very apparent that I wanted Jake for it. And then, you know, Skye was someone that we got through a more traditional casting process. And she was just so completely perfect for it.

She was so good at hiding her feelings but also allowing just a little bit to poke through the veneer. You know, she was someone who very much I could believe that she was self-mythologizing. And, you know, lying and trying to make herself appear more worldly than she actually was.

While also trying to hide those things on her face. So it was just a matter of keeping my eyes open until I saw people that really reflected the characters.

STEVE: I've been talking to some filmmakers here in Long Island. I'm curious, how much of your crew have you worked with before? Was this like all your friends?

CHRIS: The crew is like 100% friends. I mean, some people that I was friends with beforehand, some people I became friends with during the production. But many of the people on the crew had never really done their position on this film on the scale of a feature before.

My editors and my post sound supervisor and one of my producers is like some of my best friends. And many of the people that we brought onto the project, I brought them on very early. I brought them on like 18 months ahead of time because I had to teach myself a lot of the logistics of doing this.

And so I befriended them a lot through the process as well. So I'm really happy to say that I'm pretty much friends with everybody I made the film with. And everyone was sort of more or less like got the assignment.

We're all very much on the same level, working very hard. We all saw it as a passion project, you know.

STEVE: Is everybody from here locally, Long Island, New York, or did you bring people in from LA?

CHRIS: For the most part, a lot of New Jersey, a lot of Long Island, and then a few LA people. You know, we did post in LA, so a lot of the LA people were our sound people came from LA. Like our post-production sound and our editing team was living in LA as well.

But everything production and prep was New York or New Jersey based.

STEVE: I know you've done shorts and stuff. But how long did you take before you really felt that you knew you could handle the feature?

CHRIS: You know, I've been making short films since I was in seventh grade. So I think I was always kind of excited for a feature. I also weirdly enough during COVID, I wrote a novel and that made me feel really confident that I could do more long form content and keep all that in my brain at once.

So I wrote the first draft of LEMONADE in 2021. And then by the beginning of 2023, when I had written two other features during my time at USC, I decided that LEMONADE was the most honest one that I wanted to move forward with. And I felt ready.

I felt lI was kind of happy with the short films I'd made. And you were never really going to be fully ready for a feature. And at a certain point, you just have to take a massive leap.

And that's what we did. We just took a massive leap. I don't think you're ever really ready, I guess is the answer, you know.

STEVE:  I’ve been having a number of conversations with filmmakers about financing so I was wondering how did you come together and finance this?

I know it's how difficult it is.

CHRIS: It was very difficult. We got financing from a lot of different places.  

But it was tough. It was a lot of hard work. You know, it was really, it was really difficult, but there are ways to do it.

STEVE: What is your next project?

CHRIS: I would love to, for my next project, direct a script that is a father-son tale like LEMONADE is a mother-son. It's like a sort of like a crazy stock gambling heist movie about a kid who, during the 2021 GameStop short squeeze, gambles his dad's life savings away on GameStop stock and has to get it back before his dad notices. I'm very excited about it.

I'm storyboarding it right now. And yeah, I'm hoping to get some funding together and shoot it within the next year or so.

STEVE: If this gets sold the way I think it's going to get sold, I think you'll probably have no problem getting the funding for it.

CHRIS: Oh, dude, fingers crossed. Your mouth to God's ears, man. Thank you.

STEVE:No, I think, no, because the way, the way people are talking about it, I think you're really going to be really good. You're not going to have a problem.

CHRIS:  Thank you so much.

STEVE: No thank you for taking the time.

Lemonade Blessing (2025) Tribeca 2025

As a young man's parents' marriage implodes he is sent to Catholic school where he meets the girl of his dreams who leads him down a questionable path and makes him question his faith.

This is a wonderfully written film. It's a film with great dialog. It's a film that is expertly structured. It's a film that largely feels like chunks of it was lived. It makes me wonder what it was like growing up in Chris Merola's house. I am in awe of how Merola crafted the film. I fully expect great things from him in the future.

But for me the perfection of the construction is one of the film's problems, it is so perfectly put together that it kind of feels artifiical. As good as everything is, the film feels like a first feature where the filmmaker puts everything into it because they fear they won't make another film. Its a film that has been so perfectly polished its a work of art and not a living breathing movie, it's a film I admire more than love. I wanted something more real.

There is another minor problem which is the cast seems a bit old to be high school kids. I understand why the cast is a bit older than what they are playing, but at the same time John looks like he's got a much too heavy five o'clock shadow at times.

My nitpicking aside this is a good drama. You will want to see it not just because Merola is going to be a big name in the near future, but also because this is a a film you will enjoy. 

Sunny (2025) Tribeca 2025

Fito is a young man planning on going to Denmark to study music who has a collision with his ex that reveals they are both still stinging from the break up

This is a sweet litle drama that needs to be expanded. This a wonderfully drawn film with great characters that are some of the cloest to real you'll ever see. There was a moment at the start where Sunny, tells Fito is you have something to say he should say it, and I could feel past arguments in my life welling up. I had similar feelings later in the film when it all came to a head.

This is just great filmmaking.

One the great finds of Tribeca.

Bright Future (2025) Tribeca 2025

In the future when the eviorment has collapsed and ants are our enemies, people in the cities live hoping to move north to a promised land. Only young and specially chose people go there. Elisa has been chosen to go since she hopes to see her sister again. However as she studies to go she realizes that perhaps she doesn't want to go after all. However there is no backing out.

This is an off kilter dystopian comedy science fiction film with its own sense of reality. What this world really is is never quite clear since little is explained. At time mannered in the extreme the film is something you either click with or you don't.

For me the film never clicked. I kept waiting for something to happen that would connect me to what was happening on the screen. I forever felt an outsider trying to figure out a private joke among friends.

Worth a look for the curious or those that love dystopia in films.

SHIVERS (1975) aka THEY CAME FROM WITHIN screens at TRIBECA 2025 June 14 with David Cronenberg in attendance

While SHIVERS was not David Cronenberg’s first feature, among my friends it’s the point where  the world started to take notice. Yes, in some cases it wasn’t in a good way, this is the first of the polished body horror films and some critics, and viewers, were horrified by what they saw.

My entry point was THE BROOD where his WTF plotting had me staggering around trying to explain what I had just seen on cable TV.  I then had to chase down his other films, which was tough in the first days of VCRs when everything was still not available.

The plot has a parasite running through an apartment block turning people into sexually crazed maniacs.

I’m not going to say more other than if you know Cronenberg, especially his early films you know that there are really unpleasant things going on. Yes the film mirrors other “outbreak” films superficially, but the fact that it’s from Cronenberg means its minimally similar.

The American Poster

The film actually has gotten new life from Covid, since the isolation of the recent pandemic hits home how much Cronenberg had with his isolated and emotionally distant characters. Everyone is kind of dead until they are infected or attacked.

It’s a really good film that is more disturbing than scary. Trust me, what Cronenberg is saying about interpersonal relationships and society is more frightening then the jump scares.

This is one of the great Cronenberg films and a must see

Best in Show (2000) Tribeca 2025

In an age when the world is becoming more and more like a Christopher Guest film, its a joy to get to see a movie about crazy people and know I can leave them in the theater. I say that because whether you watch the news or watch some recent documentaries you quickly realize that real life is imitating art.

BEST IN SHOW is a fun film. It is on the favorite film list of several friends and family. Its a film they will turn to again and again because it makes them feel good. There is something about watch the insanity around dog shows they find calming. 

This is proabably the best of Christopher Guest's films. Yes it has Guest's insane world view but it is also his most grounded. The characters are the closest you will get to real people as you will find in any of his films.

As I said, its a lot of fun. 

Due to screen at Tribeca in a few days the film is having a special Q&A with Guest and several other people from the film in attendance.

Kundun ( 1997) Tribeca 2025

Martin Scorsese looks at the early life of the Dali Lama.

This is a film that splits audiences. Some people love that Scorsese does something more than another gangster film, while others don't like the slow medatative nature. The film is structured like a Buddhist prayer and doesn't have a lot of peaks and valleys it's a film that focuses you attention and feelings.

 I love it. I think it's the perfect way to tell the story of one of the world's spiritual leaders.

If you've never seen it and want an atypical Scorsese film, buy a ticket and go.

Brent and Caitlin on A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers (2025) reposted for TRIBECA 2025

 My friends Caitlin Plovnick and Brent Miller are huge fans of short films  and they helped me out with films at  Slamdance. One of them was a review of A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY FOR LADY AVENGER which is now playing Tribeca- hence this reposted review

A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers:
A teenage girl experiences a sexual awakening while sipping watermelon juice at the movies. Dreamy, sensual and elegantly filmed. Dare I say juicy. References specific Taiwanese films I am not personally familiar with, but that didn’t impede my enjoyment. 

Casino (1995) Tribeca 2025

Martin Scorese's CASINO turns 30 and the film is playing the Tribeca film festival with a post film screening Q&A between Marty and Bobbie.

Its the inspired by true story of Sam Rothstein (Robert DeNiro), a bookie who never lost, being sent to Vegas to make the mob even more money. As the money flows complications arise as his ego grows and his friend Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci) runs amok.

A follow up of sorts to Scorsese's GOODFELLAS, CASINO has been considered a lesser film to the first film. Personally I like CASINO better since there is greater complexity to the film. The film is not just one story but several and for me it's a much more satisfying film. I will stop and watch it when I run across it on cable.

If you've never seen it this is the perfect time to do so.

11 Rebels (2024) hits home video June 10

Based on a true story, 11 REBELS is the story of group of criminals sent by an unaffiliated region sending a group of criminals/rebels to hold a fortress on an important trade route. If they can hold it they will be freed. They do such a good job that they become a problem and the political fortunes turn against them.

Everything concerning the rebels and the action is absolute gangbusters. The characters are wonderful and the action is rousing. They will move you and they will be what you remember. (The bridge haunts me). The action is so good that it makes the film worth seeing. 

The problem with the film is that the intrigue around the actual battles is convoluted. It's not the filmmakers fault. I'm assuming they assumed their audience would have some idea behind the history of the period,  but being a dopey American I had a hard time following it. I did read up on the war and it helped over all but the details still were lost on me.

Ultimately it doesn't make a difference. We are going into the film for the fights and they shine.

See for the battles and the characters.

WE ARE GUARDIANS (2023) opens June 6 in LA and July 11 in NY

This is a look at the indigenous population of the Amazon who are creating teams of guardians to protect the rain forests. While sections of the forest are supposed to be protected more and more loggers and other nefarious groups are invading the forests and destroying the ecosystems for their own gain.

Full disclosure I have seen a number of the recent films on the guardians and on the populations living in the jungle. I mention this because for me watching the film I did mental comparisons to those other films… 

Normally that would be a bad thing, all films should stand on their own, however in this case it’s a very good thing.  The reason I can say that it’s a good thing is that if you want to know about the situation in the Amazon and you don’t want to see a number of films WE ARE THE GUARDIANS is the film you want to see.  This film tells us about who is coming into the jungle, who is fighting them and it gives us a view of the people fighting to maintain their way of life.  It’s a film that gives you enough information so that you clearly understand what is going on.

This is a solid film on a dire situation. Highly recommended.

The Ritual (2025)

This is the story of the 1928 excorcism of Emma Schmidt by Father Theophilus Riesinger (Al Pacino) and Father Joseph Steiger (Dan Stevens).  The event is considered the one that resulted in the most detailed account of an exorcism and was used as the basis for films like THE EXORCIST.

This film is destined to split audiences. Those wanting a shocking movie with monsters and insane effects are bound to be disappointed. While things most certainly happen, this is another sort of film, its film that wants to, largely, stick to reality. There is  strong battle to figure out if Emma is mentally ill or if it is the work of demons. For most of the running time things don't stray  too far from being questionable. On the other  hand if you want a more realistic film with a discussion of faith and belief tossed in then this film is for you. (And when I say belief this isn't one where everyone is pius and believing, most of the characters have doubts.)

The film is not a whole accounting of the case. The story actually started in 1912 when Reisinger first tried to cast demons out of Emma. It partially worked. And while it's referenced in the film we aren't told all the details. The film also compresses the 1928 events  and tweaks things. While I know why, the film does suffer from a sense that this was a much longer film at one point.

The cast is good, even if some of the characters aren't given a great deal to do. Stevens is fine with his role as a priest walking the line between science and religon. I know people are going to hate me saying this but Pacino gives one of his best performances as Reisinger. He's low key and in control, and it's one of the rare times when Pacino doesn't resort to mugging or Pacino-isms. He is a person other than himself.

The film is tense all the way through. Even if it isn't bone chillingly scary, the film is creepy and suspenseful all the way to the end. It held me tighter than most thrillers and horror films I've seen this year.

My one dislike for the film is that I hate the camera work early on. It's all handheld and the camera is never still. The edits seem to be rapid not for need of story but to hide something. By the time we were about a half an hour in I stopped caring because the story hooked me, but that first bit of the film annoyed me.  

Overall, I really liked this film. It kept me watching all the way to the end. I did not get up to go to the bathroom because I couldn't miss what happened.  I highly recommend it anyone who wants a film that is more than blood and jump scares.

HARKNESS (2024) Brooklyn 2025

This is a portrait of the inde musician Harkness who performs in a body suit and reflective glasses. He is a one of a kind performer and this is a one of a kind  film.

A few years ago my friend Ingrid asked me if I could do some promotion for Harkness and one of his New York City appearances. I hesitated because I don't generally promote things blind. However Ingrid has good taste, and she sent me some material which intrigued me, so I did it.  Ever since then Harkness has danced around in my conciousness. So much so that when I saw that this documentary was playing at the Brooklyn Film Festival I reached out and asked for a screener.

When you go see HARKNESS and you should, let your expecations go. Harkness is not your typical performer. Sure, he's a regular guy, but at the same time he's not. He lives at home with his parents but is focused on making his music. He doesn't care who listens, he's just making music his way. The film is told ina mix of new footage, archival material and some animation.

This film is a very good. It's an introduction to an intriguing musician who goes all over the place in what he's doing. I say that because we watch as he just does his thing in seemingly different styles. It isn't because he is trying to get an audience, its because he simply wants to create that sort of music.

I'm explaining this badly. I'm sorry, but until you meet Harkness you can't understand what a singular man he is. I suggest you buy a ticket and take a ride.

SELF DRIVER (2024) on VOD

Desperate to make money a cab driver signs up to be part of a fleet of drivers using a new app. The trick is that in order to make money you must follow its directions and do so within its time frame.

This is an okay drama/thriller/dark comedy that suffers from the limitations imposed it via the low budget and that almost the entire film is inside the car. I don't blame actor Nathanael Chadwick who is in pretty much every shot of the film. Yes, the film is his story, but at the same time writer director Michael Pierro never makes us feel as though there is any connection to the world at large or anything beyond the same repeated angles. The repeated angles is understandable but the sense of the cab operating in any sort of world is never really established. It might have worked if the app didn't seem to be more deus ex machina where it should have been something closer to real. I never felt this was anything other than a movie.

And please forgive me for complaining about the lack of the cab being connected to the world but there have been a number of recent films set almost entirely in cabs or cars over the last few years and they largely played better because there were attempts to put the cab into a real world. 

To be honest I would be curious what Pierro will do when he doesn't tie himself to a single location.

As this stands, SELF DRIVER is a missed connection.

The Cat Man Eshete (2025) Brooklyn Film Festival 2025

 

This is a portrait of a man from Ethiopia who ended up homeless in Brooklyn. Staying across the street from his former home he encountered a feral cat who became his friend. He now spends his time caring for a colony of feral cats.

As someone with 5 cats at home, and who has had dozens over the years, this film moved me. Yes it’s film with lots of cute cats but it also speaks volumes about homelessness in America and the situation with feral domestic animals. There is a lot here to process.

This is definitely one to search out.

LARRY THEY THEM (2025) BROOKLYN 2025

 

Portrait of trans artist Laurence Philomene as they work on their first book and promote its release. 

This is a good but by the numbers look at an artist trying to get their art out to the public and seen.  It's a solid look at a trans artist trying to chart their journey.  It's an eye opening film that is probably going to play best for those who connect to Larry.

MAYA AND THE WAVE (2022) premieres online during a Global Livestream Event June 7

This film was the opening  night film of DOC NYC of 2022. It is a portrait of Maya Gabeira, the world's best big wave surfer- period. She is better than any man or woman doing the same thing. The film follows over several years as she competes, deals with injuries, and chauvinism. 

If you like surfing docs this is something you will want to see on a big screen. The images of Maya surfing and the waves are among the best I've ever seen. I don't say that lightly. rather as a huge fan of great surf footage. I've been a fan of great surfing docs since I started Unseen Films when some of the first films I covered were surf films.  Trust me the images in this film will blow your mind. Puny humans should not be dealing with monsters that big (Godzilla has nothing on these waves)

Beyond the images this is a good if by the numbers portrait of a surfer.  If you like surfing docs you've seen the basic format before since the film follows the usual patterns. There is nothing wrong with that, it's just that the narrative doesn't quite match the awesomeness of the images.... which is the real reason to see this.

Recommended for the jaw dropping images.

Slumlord Millionaire (2024) opens Friday

This is a good look at the increasing problem of landlord who are trying to drive tenants out by turning their properties into uninhabitable slums. 

While the film is focusing on the practice across New York City where the rents are beyond insane, the story told is one that is happening across America.  

This is a solid film on an important subject.

Foul Evil Deeds (2024) Brooklyn 2023

With this film playing at the Brooklyn Film Festival, here is a repost of me festival premiere from last year.

Richard Hunter moves into feature films with an anthology of seemingly good people doing bad things.

While this is a feature, and the stories are intercut so drag all the stories out, the truth of it is FOUL EVIL DEEDS kind of feels like a bunch of shorts. While they can pass as being related thanks to Hunters‘s style the fact is that these are all standalone stories.

To be honest this film didn’t really work for me. The low key presentation, due to the film  wanting to show that these bad acts are just part of life, and the mannered way some of the scenes play out make it hard to really connect to the events on screen. Additionally everything is shot in a similar style so we don’t always slip effortlessly from one tale to the next.

In fairness I’m not a big fan of director Hunter‘s short films so moving to a feature was a struggle for me. Additionally I’m not really a huge fan of people doing bad things to other people.

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival taking place June 3-8, 2025 (Toronto) and June 9-15, 2025 (online)

I know that everyone in the New York and elsewhere in the film world is focused on the fact that the Tribeca Festival is this week, however there  is another film festival imagineNATIVE in Toronto. It is the largest festival screening Indigenous films in the world.  It’s a glorious selection of films and events that will open your eyes to the Indigenous populations of the world.

Because I did not think I would have time to do the festival I said I was going to pass on covering the festival. However I ended up with a large number of films to screen, “if I got the time” , and on this past Memorial Day Weekend I found myself with some time to kill and I waded into what I was sent.

There are a lot of great films here running the gamut from experimental and animated shorts to full on drama and documentaries. I got lost in the films. And I found myself sending time just viewing the shorts like candy in a sampler.  I wasn’t going to write anything up, but when you get somewhere past 25 films, you realize that you really need to do something.

Now because I was watching the films just for me, I didn’t take notes on everything. I say that because while I have a list of some of the titles I saw below, I saw a large number of other film that I didn’t write up. Its not for laziness or because they are bad, but more because I wasn’t planning on writing anything so I didn’t take notes.  You need to realize that everything I have seen for the festival is really good so if you see something buy a ticket and go…..

Or stay at home and watch the films because the festival has a streaming element where you can get these wonderful films at home. Seriously if you want to see some great films go to the website and get access to a bunch of them.

I had previously reviewed some of the films:

ENDLESS COOKIE

QUEENS FLOWERS

REMAINING NATIVE

SINGING BACK THE BUFFALO

And what did I watch and what did I make notes about?

MANN'S SPARKS is an unexpected delight. It's images from Michael Man's films cut to Beach House’s 2015 album Depression Cherry. With it Ryland Walker Knight has made a film that you drift off to. One of the great finds of the year.

HAKA PARTY INCIDENT is a look at an "incident" in 1970 that sparked tension and discussion between Maori and non-Maori in New Zealand. One part documentary, one part theater piece and one part essay. It's an interesting mix of material.

CONFLUENCE is a trippy short film where five story tellers talk about Winnepeg and their lives. Its a fun trip.

UASHESHKUN has a father tries to save his daughters soul. It's a really good short, that I can't full describe lest I wreck it for you.

THE SAINT AND THE BEAR has a woman sitting on a bench on a cold and snowy night has a man sick down next to her unexpectedly. This is a good little film that is also a bit of a head scratcher.

ONE DUCK DOWN is a medatative experiment film that is trippy.

Witness: Arctic Indigenous Voices has several Artic Indigenous filmmakers discussing the way that climate change affects their lives and the lives of their community. It’s a very good look at the cost of global warming beyond the fact the glaciers are disappearing.

CIRCLES is a animated film about matriarchal Cree society and how their ideas work to keep the community together

Now that you have my thoughts go to the website and check out the slate. Details are here.

GARLAND JEFFREYS THE KING OF IN BETWEEN (2023) opens Friday

I went into this film wondering why I never picked up any albums by Jeffreys, and I came realizing that while I like his music and respect what he does, he isn’t someone I would ever listen to outside of a concert.  That’s not a knock on the film, more a statement of personal taste.

As a film this look at the legendary performer is really good and painfully too short. Running around 75 minutes I would have been happier with more stories and more music. There is simply too much to the man and his music that I wanted to hear and see more. Again- that isn’t a knock, more a statement that Jeffreys is a hell of a performer with lots of stories to tell.

As it stands now this film is a wonderful celebration of a great performer who is wildly under appreciated.

TRIBECA 2025: The Contractually Obligated Curtain Raiser - Must See List Included

 

Its’s that time of year  when the Tribeca Festival to start.

The festivities begin Wednesday night with the premiere of an HBO documentary on Billy Joel and it runs for 12 days when it finishes up on June 15. In between there will be hundreds of films, concerts, podcasts, talks and assorted madness. All 0f it happening across Lower Manhattan from 19th Street to the World Trade Center.

It’s an insane party and I have been allowed to be part of the party.(insert evil laugh)

As I have done for most of the last 15 years I will be at the fest everyday from early morning to late at night attending films and events and seeing as many friends as possible.

Of course I’ve already started seeing things. As this posts I’ve seen around 75 films and I’ve done five interviews with many more of both scheduled.

If you’ve been following Unseen Films for the past few years you know that I will be joined by Ariela Rubin who is my extra set of eyes, as well Liz Whittemore who is covering for her regular home Reel News Daily and who is allowing me to cross post.

Coverage will hit when the embargoes drop, with the exception of some of the anniversary titles since they’ve all been around for decades. (NOTE TO PR PEOPLE- If you sent me the film it's been watched and reviewed. I have reviewed everything. The reviews will post where I can slot them-which means some reviews will be late. Apologies)

As is my custom what follows is a list of the must see films that we have seen so far:

RISE -(Short)- the story of a young boy who wants to box and the trainer who takes him on. It's glorious.

THE WOLF THE FOX AND THE LEOPARD- deeply disturbing and completely compelling of a feral woman who was discovered and returns to civilization. Weeks on I'm still bothered.

SNOWBEAR(Short)- a magical tale of a polar bear who can't find a friend, so he makes one. Joy and then some. (A review and interview is coming)

THE INQUISITOR is a look at Congresswoman Barbara Jordan

DEAD LANGUAGE A woman picks up the wrong person at the airport and changes her life. This is a good film until a needle drop-and then its wow.

KISSES AND BULLETS (Short)- two women protest the Iranian government and connect via photos. 

I WAS BORN THIS WAY- glorious portrait by Carl Bean, who recorded the title gay anthem and then went on to become an activist and religious leader. All people should be this accepting.

THE ROSE COME BACK TO ME - this portrait of the K-Pop band will make you a fan (I'm planning on seeing it a second and third time)

PLAYING GOD (Short)- a deeply troubling animated short that will haunt you. (A review and interview are coming)

SONGS OF BLACK FOLK (Short)- this portrait of a special celebration put together in Seattle for Juneteenth needs to be expanded so we can hear more of the music and spend more time with the people who put it together.

OH YEAH! a bio of the group Yello and their best-known song. This short is one of the best music documentaries I've ever seen. (A probable interview is coming)

ASK ME ANYTHING- a short film about a Sudanese immigrant asking his neighbors to ask him anything. In an age of hate, this film shows us how to end it.

HORSE GIRLS is the story of a mother with medical issues and her autistic daughter. Liz Whittmore didn't love it so much as claim it as part of her soul.

LAST DIVE is a must see on a big screen. Its the story of legendary diver returning to the sea for one last dive with his friend a giant manta ray. This is glorious. The images will move you to tears.

DEEP COVER is an action comedy from MGM Amazon concerning a trio of wannabe improv comedians (Bryce Dallas Howard Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed) who get roped into pretending to be bad guys to help an undercover police officer. While not the best film of the fest it’s a rainy Saturday Night on the couch sort of film that will get repeat viewings. 

And lastly because I have several friends who are insane friends of the band - METALLICA SAVED MY LIFE is a celebration of the band and their biggest fans, so if you are a crazy fan of the band make an effort to see it

(And a general pointer - I'm finding the shorts are more consistently better than the features)

And now its time for me to go back to the darkness and watch films and for you to check the slate and buy tickets and go (Details here)

WE CAN BE HEROES (2024) Brooklyn FF 2025

This is the story of several teens who attend The Wayfinder Experience in upstate New York. Here a group of neurodivergent, queer, and self-proclaimed "nerdy" teenagers can come together to find a place to be themselves, make friends and have a grand time doing live action role playing.

WE CAN BE HEROES broke me emotionally. Not because of anything in the film, which is glorious and uplifting, but rather watching the group of kids pretend to be fantasy characters in a camp I desperately needed when I was young didn't exist. I needed to go to this camp or at least know it existed, so it wasn't until I was in my late twenties and early thirities that I started to find my people. Watching the film I was filled with such a sense of home and belonging, despite being four decades too old. When the film ended I emailed my friend Randi to tell her I just saw a film about a place we needed when we were kids.

Beyond the film making me an emotional wreck, WE CAN BE HEROES is a glorious film. A life affirming joyous look at kids getting to be kids and finding their clan. This is the story of a bunch of kids find that there really is a place for them and, most importantly, they aren't alone. Feeling like you are alone in the world can be a terrible thing. Knowing you are not opens doors to possibilities and can keep you centered.

I love the kids. Within Dexter, Abby and Eli I saw portions of myself. I instantly understood where they were and who they were and I wanted to give them a hug. They are me decades removed.

You will forgive me for speaking of the film only in terms of myself, but that's the way the film hit me. This is a film that punched me in the heart and forced me to react to being a kid again. There is no rational reaction to the film only the pure emotion of a life time bleeding out.

I absolutely loved this film with all my heart and soul. I love that it made me feel. I loved that it made me smile and mostly I loved that it made me know that some of the kids today are going to be more than alright because a place like the Wayfinder Experience exists.

Highly recommended.

The Accountant 2 (2025)

 

When ex-Fed Ray King (JK Simmons) is killed, he leaves behind a message saying "find the accountant". This sets his replacement at the agency looking for Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck). Soon the pair hooks up with Wolff's brother (Jon Bernthal) and the trio is charging into a dangerous hunt for human traffickers.

Afflleck said he wouldn't do a sequel to THE ACCOUNTANT until he had the right script. Based on my reaction to the film he found the right script.

Yes the action is great and sure the plot is messy, but the characters shine and thats all that matters.

I love the interaction between the brothers. The conversations and evasions and collisions are all things I had with my brothers. The physical interaction and nonverbal bits hit home. I lived a lot of this and I saw the underlying truth. I also related to the awkwardness of Wolff. I relate to his social awkwardness way too much. 

Yea things blew up, but  the humans and the humans and the humanity make the film.

It may not be one of he best films of the year- but the celebration of brothers makes it one of my favorites.

Recommended.

Stationed At Home (2025) Brooklyn 2025

 

On a cold Christmas Eve 1998, a cab driver just wants to get through his shift so he can watch the International Space Station pass over head and hang out with his cat.

This is a charming film, that despite an occasional sense of being similar to some other films (think some of the work of Jim Jarmusch), STATIONED AT HOME turns the tables on our early expectations and instead becomes a lovely look at humanity over the course of an evening. By the time you get to the end this isn't like something else but something that stands on it's own.

A perfect ensemble cast sell all the stories. We believe them, and their unexpected interconnections. They make us fall in love with the whole lot. They make this film something special. Its a film you'll want to revisit again, perhaps every Christmas from this point on.

I loved this film and when it was done I was emailing friends to tell them to track down the film and see it.

This is one of the great finds of the year. 

Highly recommended.