Amanda Peet | Film Festival Today

Reality Ensues in “Fantasy Life”

March 26, 2026

“Two Prosecutors” Highlights Totalitarian Terror
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
March 26, 2026
Two Prosecutors (Sergey Loznitsa, 2025) 4½ out of 5 stars In many countries at many times, the human propensity to control and/or kill those who oppose the power structure has waxed and waned in its bloodthirsty intensity. Fascist and totalitarian urges appear to exist within most societies, held at bay when the belief in the rule of law and the agency of ordinary citizens are the prime directives. When a corrupt, populist leader—of which there ... >>
Reality Ensues in “Fantasy Life”
By George W. Campbell
March 26, 2026
Fantasy Life (Matthew Shear, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars There’s an old saying that if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. While it may sound clichéd, it still rings true, especially for the cast of Fantasy Life. Writer/director/star Matthew Shear invites us to a year in the lives of two lonely people in New York’s tight-knit Jewish community. As a feature debut, Fantasy Life is a small-scale but compelling take on searching ... >>
SXSW Interview: “Chili Finger” Directors Edd Benda and Stephen Helstad
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
March 24, 2026
The new comedic thriller Chili Finger just had its world premiere at the 2026 SXSW Film & TV Festival (where I reviewed it). Directed by Edd Benda and Stephen Helstad, the movie follows the misadventures of married couple Jess (Judy Greer) and Ron (Sean Astin) after they discover a finger in their chili at popular Midwestern chain “Blake Junior’s” (owned by an eponymous individual played by John Goodman). Things go south quickly after ... >>
SXSW Review: “The Fox”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
March 22, 2026
The Fox (Dario Russo, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars There’s something afoot in a small Australian town, a place where folklore combines with age-old desires and the modern world in a strange and unsettling mix. Director Dario Russo’s debut feature film, The Fox, presents a parable where unexpected plot developments lead us down a surprising path, both charming and deeply peculiar. If not every script beat quite comes together cohesively, the result is ... >>
SXSW Review: “Campéon Gabacho”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
March 20, 2026
Campéon Gabacho (Jonás Cuarón, 2026) 3½ out of 5 stars There is a moment in Campéon Gabacho, the new feature from Jonás Cuarón (Chupa), where the protagonist, an undocumented migrant from Mexico trying to scrape by in New York City’s Bronx neighborhood, soars into the sky in the arms of his would-be girlfriend, the two so enraptured with each other in the moment that their fantasies carry them far and high. As they begin to exit the Earth’s ... >>

SXSW 2026 XR Experience: “Lacuna” and “Lesbian Simulator”
March 15, 2026
XR Experience Spotlight @ Fairmont It’s ...>>
5 Films to Watch at SXSW 2026
March 10, 2026
I didn’t travel to Austin, Texas, last year for SXSW, ...>>
10 Films to Watch at Sundance 2026
January 20, 2026
The 2026 Sundance Film Festival runs live and ...>>
Chris Reed’s Top 10 Films of 2025
December 31, 2025
It always amazes me how different a given year’s ...>>
Hannah Tran’s Top 10 Films of 2025
December 29, 2025
Whether in narrative or documentary, few years have ...>>