Cinema Sentries

German filmmaker Patrick Vollrath makes a promising debut with a flight-hijacking thriller that strives for realism and mostly succeeds.

Antón Terni’s provocative documentary underscores the beauty of companionship.

The evident creative choices, intentions, and a towering performance from Willem Dafoe fail to succor this pretentious, tasteless film.

Benjamin Ree’s documentary is a memorable, atypical tale of friendship, redemption, and solicitude.

Capturing the essence of Scorsese’s style of filmmaking and passion for the craft, In Search of Kundun is a joy for cinephiles.

Masquerade as propaganda, the Chilean film marries horror with a child’s imagination, and the result is equally appalling and spectacular.

Although the film’s touch-and-go nature refrains us from completely experiencing the wound, the film’s humanistic nature will hold your attention.

A gentle ‘be kind’ note to the world camouflaged as a lovely, intimate portrait of a family.

This year with the festival having been canceled and TCM running a virtual festival on the channel and online, choosing is much easier.

Despite the staggering subject matter, the new documentary lacks the punch.

A love letter to family and friendship that weathers the test of time.

Premiering on Netflix April 1, the limited documentary series is thrilling, suspenseful, entertaining, and profoundly informative.

The Jesse Eisenberg-starrer has a beautiful message behind its intriguing holocaust story.

The fifth collaboration by Peter Berg & Mark Walhberg is on the downside of the duo’s filmography.

Terrific performances invigorate this little film.

Although it feels like it takes sides, Tread is a moderately neutral documentary.

Rashaad Ernesto Green’s second film features a stellar, intimate performance from co-writer Zora Howard, only to be let down by a weak third act.

A mother’s confession letter that is sure to resonate with the entire world.

This Guatemalan drama is a delicate observation of an episode in the life of its titular character.

A brilliant exercise of inducing anxiety.

A barely effective war drama that never finds it foot.

A little film with a huge heart.

The sorrowful story takes center stage despite the masterful cinematic craft at display.

The journey of a juvenile in reformatory who becomes a reformer himself.

A pair of Sentries are teaming up to take on the five-part “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event.  If you would like to start with previous episodes, please read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Arrow Gordon S. Miller As the miniseries continues, The Paragons, seven heroes (well, six since Lex Luthor replaced Superman),…

A sweet tale of ignorance where the wisdom lies beneath the silliness.

A potent work that emphatically proves the effectiveness of short-form cinema.

Yibrán Asuad’s film is suffused with simplicity and innocence.

It marries the physical and mental facets of horror.

An ancient Greek tragedy re-imagined in the living conditions and troubles faced by an immigrant family in Montreal.

Alberto Arevalo’s documentary follows Carlos Cruz-Diez, Venezuelan-born artist, who at 94, sets out to achieve something unseen and unheard of in the artist community.

This jarring adventure has an endearing story of two individuals beneath.

A strikingly intimate portrayal of brotherhood that’ll shake you from within.

This documentary is an unapologetic description of the unpleasant aftermath of China’s One-Child Policy.

No amount of high-budget action can make up for what it lacks on paper.

An efficacious and heroic story of a desk-employee dealing with the stain on a country.

This divorce story unfolds with debates on various things like life in New York vs. Los Angeles, parenting, gender roles.

The film raises relevant questions while documenting a preposterous person.

What did you think of the Crisis cliffhanger? Do you agree with Gordon and Shawn?

“Finding Paragons is a boring side quest. And I don’t really get the purpose as it relates to the story.” Shawn Bourdo

“Am really curious where the story goes from here and to see some of the things already leaked to the press.” Gordon S. Miller

The Goldfinch boasts an impressive cast and gorgeous cinematography, but fails to capture the intensity or depth of its adapted novel.

We should all be looking forward to his take on ‘Star Wars’.

It’s hard to fault a movie that wears its sincerity on its sleeve the way that Blinded by the Light does.

It might not be the best movie ever made, but for two female filmmakers with no crew on set, it satisfies the audience with quirky humor and a knowing sense of completion.

Following the story of Luis Buñuel’s compelling 1933 documentary, this animated feature combines surrealism and a real story that is sure to satisfy international audiences.

Though the script is uneven and the jokes often don’t land, Robert Tinnell’s film bursts with the kind of familial love and joy expected from a Christmas movie.

The incredible story of a man that changed hockey, and continues to radiate positivity for friends, family, strangers, and the youth of North America.

The film is a difficult watch, disturbing its audience with a hurting lead character and a very real crisis.

It might be gorgeous, but it’s uneven, confusing, and swings for the fences a bit too often.