Filmrecensies van Filipe Freitas

Nadim Carlsen’s artfully unsoiled cinematography adds an air of suffocating rectitude in a sick machismo manifesto that, alternating strong and fragile sections, piles up crime scenarios with intermittent tension. Holy Spider doesn’t add up to a fully realized thriller. Recensie

Insensitively dark, peculiarly humorous and wildly depressing, The Banshees of Inisherin touches the puerile, the hilarious and the creepy. Recensie

Without being dazzled, it was, at least, inspiring to see the alien rockstar romping majestically across the stage and flirting with many types of art. Recensie

The magical and moving approach of Del Toro gives the title character a fresh meaning in a delightful story that, filled with perils, joys, sorrows, and compassion, works as a life lesson. The musical aspect didn’t match the technically stunning visuals, but this fable comes with enough humor, poetry, and grimness to justify the director’s childhood obsession. Recensie

It’s no Spotlight for sure, and gets too sentimental in spots. As a film, She Said declines to aim for anything other than the factual narrative, doing it with a mix of courage and relative panache. Recensie

This horror doesn’t bite to the bone and should only work for those willing to accept the tenets of Guadagnino’s doomed cannibalism and dark romance. In my eyes, the ultimate success of this experience comes from Rylance’s creepy performance, and not so much from the cannibal teens. Recensie

The Eternal Daughter is like a poignant melody packed with pathos and a sumptuous staging; a purge of guilt and memories that, without taking the form of a labyrinth of artsy manipulations, never hits too hard. I wish I would have been more spooked here. Recensie

Austrian filmmaker Marie Kreutzer, besides taking some liberties in the script and form, avoids unnecessary entanglement and has no use of sentiment in a story mounted with enough self-destructiveness, mordancy and rebelliousness for us to enjoy it bitter. Recensie

Having a faltering narrative rhythm as its worst enemy and the cinematography as its strongest quality, The Wonder is more an exercise in mood with no visible threats. It will leave you with less than what you demand for a story of this nature. Recensie

The non-existent chemistry between the lovers reinforce the idea that this film is on automatic pilot. A romance that never catches fire within a dramatic plot that fails to innovate and engage. Recensie

The Nigerian-born director is totally committed to her subject, but I’m convinced that the power of the film doesn’t totally match the power of the message. Recensie

The Fabelmans is forged with a developed sense of narrative, harmonious composition, and an unblemished command of the actors, with my favorite episode occurring in the final minutes, when the young filmmaker meets the renowned director John Ford. Recensie

The passable The Novelist’s Film doesn't transcend the director’s intimidating filmography, whose previous entry, In Front of Your Face, is a stronger bet. Recensie

A careful stylization by cinematographer Darius Khondji, who had worked with the director in The Immigrant, creates a particular tonality inspired by Marcel Proust’s classic In Search of Lost Time. Gray put his passion into staging his painfully vivid memoirs, creating a nuanced, delicate film with a strong anti-racist message. Recensie

The overall story arc is realistically complemented with surgical dialogues and striking visual compositions in a timeless contemporary drama to be remembered for its immense qualities. One can finally rejoice with what have been missing from the movies these days: authenticity and intelligence. Recensie

Quite simply: this is something you could read about in a few paragraphs, and the film fails to present any type of dilemma during its passionless narrative. Cullen’s character should have been better explored and details of his personal life revealed to help us gain some interest and overcome indifference. Recensie

Even not taking huge directing risks, Kayis does not hesitate to use a suitable composure in the shots, creating a genuinely entrancing tale of disappointment with a sense of tragic inevitability. The final result may seem austere for ordinary mortals, but the film will be gratifying for movie buffs who don’t get scared with the unrelenting bleakness (with subtle touches of humor) of an apt metaphor. Recensie

Although a little cold sometimes, Our Father, the Devil imposes itself as an esteemed first work where the thought of forgiveness made me feel good. Recensie

There’s powerful drama and rustic lyricism in these characters’ journey, and we root for them, aware of their honesty, simplicity, and determination. Return to Dust is a sober, subtle, and moving experience that finds its aesthetic identity, satisfying both as a life tale that tries to reconnect people with humanity and as a tribute to the vitality and endurance of Chinese peasant culture in adverse times. Recensie

Costa Brava is a scathing story of resistance to elusive governmental machinations as well as a story of tiredness and ultimately liberation. It works both as a news bulletin, a coming-of-age disenchantment, and a shout of protest treated in a sober mode. Recensie

Werewolf by Night is by turns violent and comedic. Recensie

If we're making picks for the most eccentric and anarchic flicks of the year, my enthusiastic vote goes to the hyped up Triangle of Sadness, even if the final result is not particularly satisfying. In this case, Östlund wasn’t smart enough to take some possible good ideas to better conclusions, preferring a cinema that is coarse, drastic and with no consequence. It can be funny at times, though. Recensie

Too busy crushing his excellent actors under the period mise-en-scène, Russell doesn’t seem to know how to make this story interesting, setting a trap for himself. Recensie

Dos Estaciones is not flashy nor imposing, but its purpose and meaning rings loud, providing one of those experiences where honesty and heaviness can’t be dissociated. Recensie