Ben Schwartz | Film Festival Today

“Free for All: The Public Library” Is Worth Checking Out
By Hannah Tran
April 24, 2025
Free for All: The Public Library (Lucie Faulknor/Dawn Logsdon, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars You may not realize how revolutionary the American public-library system was, or you may not realize how the American public library generated revolution, but go to any public library, and you can find out for free, no special status or subscription needed. That, or you can watch PBS’s Free for All: The Public Library, part of their Independent Lens documentary ... >>
“The President’s Wife” Mostly Shines
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
April 17, 2025
The President’s Wife (Léa Domenach, 2023) 3½ out of 5 stars Born in 1932, Jacques Chirac was elected to the French presidency in 1995, serving two terms, the second one ending in 2007. A conservative lawmaker, he followed the socialist François Mitterand, whose prime minister he had been under a divided “cohabitation” government between from 1986 to 1988, after his center-right party had won legislative elections. The movie I am about to review ... >>
“Freaky Tales” Is a Fun Bay Area Cult Film
By George W. Campbell
April 4, 2025
Freaky Tales (Anna Boden/Ryan Fleck, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars Full disclosure: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s new feature Freaky Tales feels made for me, as someone who grew up watching 1980s movies. Narrated by Bay Area rapper Too $hort, Freaky Tales is an anthology film set in Oakland, California, during the summer of 1987. It follows four different stories occurring on the same day: teenage punks Tina (Ji-young Yoo, Smoking Tigers) and Lucid ... >>
“Cannibal Mukbang” Appetizes
By Matt Patti
March 24, 2025
Cannibal Mukbang (Aimee Kuge, 2023) 3 out of 5 stars The “mukbang”—also known as an “eating broadcast”—originated in South Korea in the late 2000s. The concept features a host eating large quantities of food on video and chatting with their audience at the same time. Most of these are live-streamed, with the viewer watching the content creator eat in real time. ... >>
Interview with “Who by Fire” Director Philippe Lesage
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
March 13, 2025
Québécois director Philippe Lesage’s Who by Fire offers a “coming-of-age tale in which the adults are as much in need of growth as the youth (if not more so),” as I write in my review. Set in the northern wilderness, the film features as much hiking, hunting, and canoeing through rapids as it does conversation and wine. Starring an engaging ensemble of francophone actors, it never fails to hold interest I had a chance to speak with Lesage ... >>

Our Coverage of 2025 Oscar Nominees
January 25, 2025
Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and ...>>
10 Films to Watch at Sundance 2025
January 21, 2025
The 2025 Sundance Film Festival runs in-person January ...>>
Chris Reed’s Top 10 Films of 2024
December 31, 2024
This was another good year for movies, though perhaps ...>>
Matt Patti’s Top 10 Films of 2024
December 30, 2024
2024 will be a year remembered for many reasons. There ...>>
Hannah Tran’s Top 10 Films of 2024
December 29, 2024
I have never wrestled so much over what was going to ...>>

“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” Is Fast, Fun, and Sincere

Film Review: “Renfield” Is Bloody Enough Fun

Film Review: “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” Is Consistently Entertaining

Series Review: “Space Force” Shoots for the Moon and Misses