The Documentary

Oct 6, 2020 — Critics split over a chase movie drenched in lush ambiance.

Jun 30, 2020 — Come and See (1985) is one of those films whose authority is established from its opening moments. Out in the open air, an elderly peasant dressed in a soft-peaked beret is volleying a mixture of threats and imprecations into some...

Jun 10, 2020 — Years ago I took a seminar on movie stars led by the writer Wayne Koestenbaum, a glittering episode that closed out a rather colorless stint in graduate school. The syllabus was replete with inspired double bills⁠—Deleuze on Leibniz + Lana...

Jan 24, 2020 — In 2017, writer-director Paul Schrader was enjoying one of the peaks of his storied career with the release of First Reformed, a deeply unnerving drama that grapples with his perennial themes of sin, guilt, and faith. During the production of...

Jul 12, 2019 — This week: Michael Mann, Peter Strickland, Pedro Almodóvar, Luc Moullet, and a forgotten chapter of film history.

May 18, 2019 — Diop’s debut fiction feature is a love story, a detective story, and a ghost story.

May 17, 2019 — Ly’s fiery fiction feature debut alludes not only to Hugo but also to Fuqua, Kassovitz, and Spike Lee.

Feb 25, 2019 — Turns out, not everyone loves a winner.

Feb 5, 2019 — Shame (1968) is one of the great neglected films from Ingmar Bergman’s midcareer creative explosion. It builds on and surpasses the two Bergman films that immediately preceded it: the avant-garde milestone Persona (1966) and the surreal shocker Hour of the...

Feb 1, 2019 — Rotterdam and Vanity Fair get a cinephile’s dream roster of filmmakers talking about their work.