Movie reviews of Alex Brannan

Incredible But True is a humorous exercise in absurd vanity, but the ramifications of characters’ vane actions lead to a somewhat sobering result. Review

I rode this film’s wavelength gently through its stream of grotesque tales of the human condition. And I came out the other side impressed less by mattress fungus and more by the occasionally poignant conversation about what it means to exist in a world of (tenuous) connections. Review

I found the interminably bleak and interminably gray film to be something of a slog. For what it’s worth, Eline Shumacher’s performance in the lead is impressive. Review

The tension and squirm-inducing scenarios director Christian Tafdrup is able to squeeze out of this premise is impressive. Review

While I could see this film being less effective upon second viewing, the mood piece that is Skinamarink is designed to get under your skin. It got deep under mine — etched its way below the surface and then started scratching. Review

The hokey hard-boiled dialogue. The lack of a compelling story line. The belabored final set piece, burdened by a flashback structure that reveals an inconsequential and uninteresting twist. Review

Deadstream is a horror comedy that does a good job parodying the annoying, opportunistic online creators who stage reckless and exploitative stunts for a quick buck. Review

This ultimately left the last act of the film somewhat wanting, as I found myself searching for depth in a character who had become flattened into an archetype. Review

With gorgeous animation and a heartfelt story, The Girl From the Other Side is brimming with color and emotion. Review

Give Me Pity uses its abstract qualities to create a disquieting tension, allowing von Haselberg’s performance to slowly crescendo into debilitating mental anguish. Review

It doesn’t all hang together cohesively, but individual moments are interesting tonally, and the performances are consistently good. Review

The film is not perfect. The second act lags, and overall entertainment value hinges on how one takes to the campy tone. But it is hard to deny that the film is visually impressive. Plus, the score kicks ass. Review

The ending of Please Baby Please feels like a true ending. A statement of intent. An emotion put to music as good as any musical could do it. I’m enamored with it. I’m enamored with Please Baby Please. Review

I preferred this crime mystery to the horror set pieces, which are few and far between and pretty standard fare for a low-budget ’70s horror film. Perhaps one does not work without the other, but King’s manic performance and Lieberman’s clever use of scene transitions propel the mystery forward better than how the film utilizes the horror elements. Review

There is something to the way the flashback sequences are shot that is queasy yet aesthetically pleasing. Not to mention Simon Yam’s excessively dialed up performance as the killer, which really makes the film. All in all, though, the tone did not sit right with me. Review

The unique world De la Iglesia creates for Mutant Action is undercut by these final two acts, leaving me with little to chew on as I watch unseemly characters doing unseemly things. Review

The film is lightly charming but also somewhat tedious and repetitive. In any case, it is certainly the most heartfelt film about misplaced genitalia I’ve ever seen. And that is about the most ringing endorsement I can give for this odd little film. Review

When the two styles meet in the second half of the film, the result is fairly electric fight choreography. Review

Veronique Jadin’s film is adequately humorous, but its increasing lunacy grows somewhat tiresome. Review

For all of its conventionality, Special Delivery is nevertheless entertaining. Well-paced and exciting in spurts, it makes good use of reliable tropes for an experience that flies by. And the first extended driving sequence is a wonderfully staged set piece. Review

Swallowed blends dialed down body horror into a crime thriller story. Taking place in a handful of spare locations, the film feels adequately claustrophobic as it slowly winds to a dark second half. Review

Stafiej has produced a formally dynamic film worth considering. Review

The Witch: Part 2 is not as cohesive as one would hope from a sequel to the much loved The Witch. But on a technical level, it surpassed my expectations, leading to some great sequences. Review

The problem with Crimes of the Future is not depravity; it is the lack of a cogent follow-through on its shock value. For all of its incisions, it just doesn’t cut very deep. Review