Rememory takes place in a distant future where an invention has been made that can extract pure, unfiltered memories. Unfortunately, the creator of the invention dies under mysterious circumstances before it is released to the public, so a man named Sam Bloom (Peter Dinklage) who has a vested interest in the machine, takes it upon himself to solve the puzzle. After befriending the inventor's widow and "borrowing" the prototype machine, he looks through the recorded memories for clues to figure out what really happened, as well as to solve some of his own inner demons. Rememory is such a great concept that it's a little disappointing that the filmmakers took it in the easiest route that they could: a simple whodunnit. That doesn't mean it's not an interesting or good film, it's just that it doesn't live up to the potential of its premise. There are so many more fascinating places that this film could have gone with exploring the power of memory. The film definitely touches on some interesting ideas, and in particular, the revelations in the latter half of the film are good. I just couldn't help but wish I could see more movies set in this world, with much different genre focuses. Still, for what the film actually is, I do feel that it was well made and entertaining enough. It's just not something that's going to stay with me for a long time like it could have. Peter Dinklage certainly gives it his all, and of course, it was nice to see Anton Yelchin again in one of his final roles even if it wasn't the most fleshed out part. RATING: 7.5/10

Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara play a young couple whose love story seemingly ends abruptly when he dies in A Ghost Story. Affleck's character, who is simply listed as C in the credits, discovers his existence still continues after death, but unfortunately, it consists of witnessing life silently under a sheet. Restricted to the confines of his house, he's forced to watch his former lover grieve extensively. If there's one thing to know about this movie upfront, it's that all scenes (and shots really) are incredibly drawn out and the film really revels in its simplicity and taking its time. In an early scene in the film, we witness the couple cuddling and it seems so earnest and sincere, and the length of it makes the audience feel uncomfortable--like we're intruding on their intimacy. It's the type of film that asks a lot of its audience because most of the scenes give you plenty of time to think. Also, when discussing Affleck's performance, it's hard to know what to say where his face isn't visible for 90% of the movie. Nor does he talk either. The film is practically a silent film as there is maybe only 10 minutes of dialogue total all throughout. A Ghost Story is absolutely not a film for everyone. In fact, I'd definitely say that there is a very small audience for this film. It definitely knows it's an artsy movie and embraces that to a degree that is definitely alienating to a mainstream audience. But Ghost Story definitely doesn't care. However, even indie-loving audiences might find the constant long drawn out scenes to be pretty tedious to sit through. I can certainly understand audiences finding A Ghost Story to be a frustrating film experience, but at the same time, I can't help but admire its boldness and uniqueness. When it comes down to it, even if it wasn't the easiest film to sit through, its true originality is much preferred to some of the more uninspired offerings from Hollywood as of late. RATING: 8.5/10

Brigsby Bear is the bizarre tale of a man (Kyle Mooney) who was kidnapped as a baby, and raised by his captors in a bomb shelter. He learned about the world and proper morality through watching his favorite television show, "Brigsby Bear." His life is turned upside down when he's rescued by the cops and discovers that he is the only person in the world who has ever seen or heard of Brigsby, as it was a show that was lovingly produced just for him by his captors. Struggling to cope in life in the real world (or as he sees it, a Brigsbyless existence,) he seeks for closure by creating a film to conclude Brigsby's adventures. Brigsby Bear could have been taken in a lot of different directions. It would be easy to make the film a full-fledged comedy and err on the crass and outrageous side. Fortunately, the filmmakers kept it more honest and warm, while still managing to be pretty funny. I think this decision was the right one, as the combination of humor and drama is able to leave a more lasting impact on the viewer. The film has a capable cast and everyone seems to be having a great time. Nostalgia for 80's tv series abounds whenever we get glimpses of the protagonist's beloved show and you can just sense the care that was put into every aspect of this movie. The movie definitely has the familiar feel of a quirky, clueless but lovable fish out of water type, akin to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Elf and Enchanted, but luckily, it manages not to feel tired. Some of that comes in combining that indie with another indie: the making a movie indie (as previously seen in Son of Rambow and Me & Earl & The Dying Girl.) Brigsby Bear accomplishes the rare feat of making a far fetched story feel grounded. It manages to be light hearted and serious all at once, but most importantly to note, it's a fun film. RATING: 8/10

Hearing the premise of Band Aid it's easy to imagine the film being a broad comedy. The film centers around a married couple who always find themselves at each other's throats. They are helpless to know how to resolve these fights, until one day when one of them decides to use their arguments as inspiration for songwriting. And so, the two of them, along with their kooky drumming neighbor, form a band and use it in getting their anger out at each other. With the people involved (Fred Armisen, Adam Pally and Zoe Lister-Jones,) I definitely expected it to be hilarious, but I found myself caught off guard by its realness in its more serious moments. The sweetness that underlies in some of the more dramatic instances in the film make it more rewarding and memorable than if it had just been a straight comedy. Band Aid is a very well rounded little film. It's light and funny when it needs to be, but it definitely can pull a dramatic punch. In some of the fights near the end, I was very stunned to see how real these fights were portrayed and how cutting their remarks were to each other. It certainly shows the power of words and how much they can destroy. Band Aid also makes a commentary of the differences between men and women with how they deal with conflict, stress, and grief. I found it all strangely comforting. I also, of course, must mention the musical aspects of the film. Lister-Jones amazingly was able to pen up lyrics and melodies that managed to be catchy, creative, and funny all at once. The songs are certainly one of the highlights of the film, and seeing how they come up with these songs. You definitely wish there were more of them. I'll definitely be looking for the soundtrack when it comes out. RATING: 8/10

The simplest way to summarize the plot of Thoroughbred is to say it's a film where two teenage girls strike up an unlikely friendship, then later plot to kill one of the girl's stepdad. The film stars teams up two former Sundance darlings Anya Taylor-Joy (star of The Witch) and Olivia Cooke (star of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,) and it also happens to be the very last performance of the late Anton Yelchin. Already excited by its cast, I soon saw that Thoroughbred was getting a lot of positive reviews and some modest hype. Many people labeled it a "twisty thriller" and I was surprised to find myself in disagreement to the type of film I thought Thoroughbred was, namely, a more straightforward dark comedy. Thoroughbred feels like it starts in the middle of a story, which is awesome because the characters feel lived in. Cooke's character, Amanda, doesn't have many friends because of her past, as well as the fact that she puts people off because of her inability to feel feelings. She claims she's never experienced fear, sadness or joy and her frankness is a welcome change of pace in the eyes of Taylor-Joy's very polite Lily. The two are almost polar opposites as Amanda always says what she thinks, while Lily is much more the type to want to appear that she's calm and collected. After Lily lets slip her negative feelings towards her stepdad, Amanda nonchalantly suggests to Lily that she try to murder him, and before too long the idea has taken hold in her mind. Amidst the planning, Anton Yelchin's lovable drug dealing character Tim gets shoehorned into the action. Yelchin isn't in the film nearly enough and I have to wonder if he died before all his scenes were shot. He feels set up to have a bigger role in the film, and then he pretty much disappears, and I have to say the film suffers because of it. Luckily though the two leads are terrific and carry the film. I'll be honest, from what I read prior to seeing the film, I was expecting a little more than what I got from Thoroughbred. That's not to say the film wasn't good or well-made, I just was expecting a very different film. What I got was one that was more simple, but very fun, and one that I wished had a lot more Anton Yelchin in it. RATING: 8/10.

Manifesto isn't so much a film as it is a piece of art. And come to find out, that's exactly what it was to begin with. Manifesto wasn't conceived as a feature length film, but rather thirteen separate mini films that artist Julian Rosefeldt created as an art exhibit. The films all featured Cate Blanchett playing different fictional people all reciting various real life manifestos on art that were given throughout history. But it's the settings and situations these people are put in that makes the words they're saying pop and whether the speech fits the situation that it truly makes an impact. Each of these videos were places as separate installations, all unified in theme playing at the same time. Somewhere along the way, someone must have felt that Cate's performance should be seen by a bigger audience and so the footage was re-edited into a feature film. Knowing Manifesto's history is crucial in being able to appreciate the film on any level besides admiring Cate's versatile performances. It would be easy for most people who saw the film to come away being awed by Cate, but not appreciating the film for its own merits....namely because the film doesn't really act like a normal film. For one thing, there is no storyline in Manifesto, rather we as an audience merely witness several different situations. Also it should be said that while Cate plays every part amazingly, not all of the situations or manifestos recited in the film are created equally. Nor is Cate really playing well-developed characters, but rather character types. Some scenes work better than others, but when Manifesto works it's wonderful. Manifesto succeeds if you view it more as an art piece than a film. I found much of its experiment to be incredibly fascinating and mostly pretty well done. It was especially interesting to see how these words transformed when recited by these character types and said in their various situations. From drunken rants, to funeral speeches and dinner table prayers, it was truly impressive to see how each manifesto fit. However, if you go into Manifesto expecting to find an incredible narrative where Cate Blanchett morphs into thirteen different characters, you will very much be disappointed. RATING: 8/10 as a film and 8.5/10 as an art piece.

In To The Bone, Lily Collins plays Ellen, a girl struggling to overcome her anorexia. Apart from her half-sister, her family seems helpless to try to understand her or see her as anything more than a problem to be solved. Ellen has a lot of unresolved issues with her broken family, which makes her feel like her anorexia is the one thing she has control over. Her mother left her father and became a lesbian, marrying her best friend. Her father is too busy to ever bother seeing her but did have the time to remarry a woman she has no connection with. Her stepmom, whom she can't stand, is left with the task of watching Ellen and her only solace is her half-sister. Fed up with Ellen's inability to change, her step-mother seeks the help of a renowned new doctor (Keanu Reeves) to enroll Ellen in a different kind of therapy in hopes of curing her anorexia once and for all. Some of the structure of To The Bone feels somewhat familiar, while other parts feel fresh. The movie follows Ellen as she struggles to feel at home with the new system she's entered, yet is able to bond with some of the people around her...which feels like something I've seen before in many an indie film. However, I don't feel like I do see many films that tackle anorexia so I appreciated having a window to look through and learn more about the mindset of someone who struggles with that. What makes the movie work though is the wit of the script combined with Lily Collins wonderful performance. She gives her all to the role, including dangerously transforming her body for it. The family aspect of the film I enjoyed, but for some reason I never really felt much of a connection to the other girls (and guy) that were also in the program with Ellen. One storyline includes a romance that the film kinda hinges on, and I just couldn't buy it. While not everything in this film works for me, Collins' performance makes the film worthwhile. To The Bone is a nice dramedy, but didn't exactly break new ground for me. If some of the supporting parts had had either a different person cast or more depth to them, I probably would have liked the film more as a whole, because I would have bought how much these relationships affected her. Still, there's plenty here that's worthwhile to see from Collins' performance to the insights of anorexia as well as the extreme harm of unresolved family stress. RATING: 8/10

Mudbound is the story of two families whose lives we see moments of before, during and immediately after World War II. These families face many differences in privilege because one family is white and owns a farm, while the other is black and works hard on that farm for their means of living. The film is set in Mississippi where racial tensions were beyond high. On my Twitter feed after seeing Mudbound, I saw someone describe the film as captivating. I found it to be completely the opposite, that is until the last 15 minutes or so. Most of the film is a quiet ponderous drama, until some crazy stuff goes down near the end. I'll be honest, sometimes viewing conditions can really taint how you experience a film. In this case, I saw Mudbound late at night and was pretty tired. I needed something gripping to pull me in, and that didn't happen early on. Also, I ended up in the balcony seating area of the theater I was in, which happens to have the most uncomfortable seats known to man. I wanted to focus on the film, but my discomfort and lack of leg room was more prevalent. As a result, I really felt the slow pace of the film, and it was hard to watch. However, taking a step back and looking at it, I realize that I'm not being very fair to the film. Mudbound was based on a book and you can tell. There's so many characters and so much story to tell, the film picks and chooses what to focus on and some things are spread a little thin. It would be interesting to read the book to fill in the missing gaps and see things from a deeper perspective of the characters. The film just grazes the surface, but still manages to do a pretty strong job at that. Mudbound benefits from a solid cast, and I really can't think of a weak link within it. The characters are all very interesting and we get to see them against a backdrop of a time and place that together has seldom been explored in film. Mudbound is a solid film, but not as riveting all throughout as I hoped. RATING: 7.5/10. (But could possibly raise after a second viewing.)

Ingrid Goes West is like All About Eve crossed with Fatal Attraction for the social media age. The film is all about a girl named Ingrid (Aubrey Plaza), who we learn right from the start takes her obsessions with people a little too far. After burning a bridge with her last Instagram idol, Ingrid needs something or someone else to occupy her time. Soon she discovers a new candidate worth stalking: Taylor (Elizabeth Olsen,) a lifestyle photographer with a perfect life. In hopes of becoming Taylor's new best friend, Ingrid takes her inheritance money from her mother's recent passing and moves out west, determined to cross paths with her new fixation. Director Matt Spicer achieves the nearly impossible task of being able to both balance, as well as rapidly shift between tones that are as different as day and night. Ingrid does hairpin turns from laugh out loud funny and riotous to downright disturbing, creepy and dark with incredible ease for a first time director. These abrupt turns wouldn't work without the fantastic performances of the two leads. They completely transform into their roles and really sell this story as something you could really see happening. Plus, you can tell they're having a great time, which always makes things delightful. O'Shea Jackson Jr, who plays Ingrid's Batman-loving-landlord and admirer may be having the greatest time of all and really steals every scene he's in. He's definitely the most likable character and gives the film its heart when all of the characters around him are pretty much shallow and terrible. Ingrid Goes West is so messed up, yet so much fun. It's witty and clever, but most importantly it's timely. Even though we've seen this story told countless times before, this time it feels fresh and it feels important-- especially considering how much time we spend on our devices looking at social media. The fact that Ingrid can surprise us at all is a real triumph, the fact that it happens to be a solid hilarious film is just icing on the cake. RATING: 9/10

The premise of Killing Ground is a simple one. A young couple camping in the woods of Australia discovers an abandoned tent near their campsite. When no one comes back to it, they become increasingly concerned, especially when a toddler wanders onto their campground with no parents in sight. With such a simple story, it would be easy for Killing Ground to be generic. Fortunately, the film doesn't tell the story in typical fashion and leave what happened to the other tent a mystery to the end. Instead, the film cuts back and forth between the couple who stumbles onto the scene and the story of the inhabitants of the tent who went missing. In doing so, it ramps up the tension to an almost unbearingly degree as you begin to piece together the danger that the protagonists face. Killing Ground was a difficult film to watch in its raw, brutal depictions of the utterly hideous side of humanity. It made me feel incredibly uneasy throughout, but the level of tension it creates during the final third of the film was almost excruciating. I was so invested in the characters' fates that I found myself anticipating not being able to enjoy the experience as a whole if certain things didn't happen the way I wanted them too. Fortunately, I walked away satisfied with the film, though deeply disturbed by it. The film works so well because of how it's told, but also how haunting some of the shots are. It also owes a lot to the performances of some of the darker characters (though I won't get into specifics since I don't want to spoil anything.) If any of the performances had been two-dimensional the film wouldn't have worked, and this is especially true of the film's villains. Killing Ground is basically my worst nightmare and at times deeply disturbing to watch, but is incredibly well made as the type of horror film that it is. RATING: 8/10