Film Reviews | Film Festival Today

“Mercy” Zooms and Lurches Forward

January 22, 2026

“Been Here Stay Here” Portrays Vanishing Island

January 7, 2026

“I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not” Showcases Subject’s Range of Qualities

January 1, 2026

“Happy and You Know It” Offers Good Cheer

December 24, 2025

“The Testament of Ann Lee” Fails to Inspire

December 23, 2025

“The Housemaid” Is Laughably Inept

December 18, 2025

“Dust Bunny” Isn’t Imaginative Enough

December 11, 2025

“Ella McCay” Is a Painful Mess

December 11, 2025

Twisty and Tense “Turbulence” Thrills

December 11, 2025

“Zootopia 2” Rinses and Repeats

November 25, 2025

“Eternity” Proves New and Nostalgic

November 25, 2025

“Been Here Stay Here” Portrays Vanishing Island
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
January 7, 2026
Been Here Stay Here (David Usui, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Director David Usui makes his solo-feature debut with Been Here Stay Here, a documentary portrait of Tangier Island, located in Virginia’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Since the mid-1800s, the island has lost two-thirds of its land mass and is projected to essentially vanish in the relatively near future (as in, it won’t last till the end of this century). That’s rough news for the 400 ... >>
“Happy and You Know It” Offers Good Cheer
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
December 24, 2025
Happy and You Know It (Penny Lane, 2025) 4 out of 5 stars Writing meaningful music for children is not easy. Just ask the composers/performers featured in Happy and You Know It, the latest documentary from Penny Lane (Listening to Kenny G), which come out Christmas Day on HBO. It’s a worthy profession, however, no matter the challenges, for there’s nothing better than inspiring children to sing, dance, and be merry. ... >>
“American Sasquatch” Engrosses
By Matt Patti
November 25, 2025
American Sasquatch: Man, Myth, or Monster (Gabe Torres, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Bigfoot. Sasquatch. Skunk Ape. There are many names throughout America that describe this mythical creature: a tall, hairy being that walks on two legs and is found throughout dense forests in the U.S. Whatever your local area calls it, this urban legend has been heavily featured in narrative films, documentaries, and folklore alike. ... >>
Interview with “Rebuilding” Director Max Walker-Silverman
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
November 19, 2025
Max Walker-Silverman’s debut feature, A Love Song, impressed with its combination of gorgeous cinematography and heartfelt performances. His follow-up, Rebuilding (which I reviewed out of the 2025 Middleburg Film Festival), showcases identical strengths in a brand-new story, set as before in the director’s native Colorado. Starring Josh O’Connor (La Chimera) as Dusty, a divorced dad whose family ranch is destroyed in a wildfire, the movie also ... >>
In “The Carpenter’s Son,” Jesus Wrestles with Divinity
By Patrick Howard
November 14, 2025
The Carpenter’s Son (Lotfy Nathan, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars After a hundred years’ worth of depictions of Jesus Christ in film, the ones that highlight a young man contending with his human and divine selves stand out among the rest. It’s a type of story that is not without its controversy. As you can imagine, a Jesus who was more conflicted and defiant in his youth may be a hard pill to swallow for a lot of devout believers. This is a ... >>

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