Francis Whately | Film Festival Today

DOC NYC 2017

November 16, 2017

“Among Neighbors” Challenges Polish Nationalism
By Rendy Jones
May 17, 2026
Among Neighbors (Yoav Potash, 2024) 4 out of 5 stars Growing up, my introduction to the Holocaust—beyond school textbooks—came through narrative features. The Pianist and Schindler’s List, specifically, were screened to me at a young age, highlighting WWII and the heartbreaking atrocities Jewish people faced. But hardly any media I’ve seen focused on the post-war period in Poland, a country still riddled with virulent antisemitism. Today ... >>
“Two Women” Brings Double the Charm
By Hannah Tran
April 23, 2026
Two Women (Chloé Robichaud, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars A modern retelling of the 1970 French Canadian cult film Two Women in Gold, Chloé Robichaud’s Two Women refreshes this simple, sexy tale with a pleasant sense of playfulness. It begins with the first of these titular women, Violette, a new mother whose husband is constantly away on “business trips,” where he carries on an affair with his younger coworker. The second woman is Florence, who lives ... >>
“Desert Warrior” Clunks Its Way Around a Grand Battle
By Adam Vaughn
April 23, 2026
Desert Warrior (Rupert Wyatt, 2025) 3 out of 5 stars Desert Warrior, the latest film from director Rupert Wyatt (Captive State), takes the viewer back to the seventh century, when a legendary Arab bandit, Hanzala (Anthony Mackie, Captain America: Brave New World), and the Princess Hind (Aiysha Hart, Salvable) unite their tribes to take on the newly appointed Emperor Kisra (Ben Kingsley, Deep Water). With the emperor’s army closing in, led by the ... >>
“I Swear” Is Foul-Mouthed but Wholesome
By George W. Campbell
April 22, 2026
I Swear (Kirk Jones, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars Before we begin, let’s get the obvious out of the way. Written and directed by Kirk Jones (My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2), I Swear tells the true story of John Davidson, a Scottish man who developed Tourette’s syndrome as a teenager. This is the same John Davidson who shouted the N-word at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo while they were presenting at the 2026 BAFTAs. In the moment, the show focused on ... >>
“The Stranger” Proves Just As Elliptical As Its Source
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
April 9, 2026
The Stranger (François Ozon, 2025) 3½ out of 5 stars French author Albert Camus’ short 1942 novel The Stranger follows the story of an aimless young man who commits a murder for reasons unclear even to him and then pays the ultimate price for it, all the while shrugging his shoulders at the world. Set in colonial Algeria—where Camus (1913-1960) was himself born—the book deals seemingly tangentially with the cultural, racial, and class issues ... >>