Greetings again from the darkness. Dysfunctional families are frequently at the center of movies – often used for comedic effect. But this latest family drama from writer-director Joachim Trier (THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD, 2021) is something different. It’s something much more powerful. Trier delivers a film of characters struggling with the real effects of the tangled web of emotions that occur when family dynamics take the inevitable twists and turns.
An incredible two-segment opening prepares us for what’s coming. We see a very cool house that’s at the center of a 6th grade essay written as if the girl were the house – seeing and feeling all that happens within the walls. This bumps against a segment where Nora (Renate Reinsve, who was superb in Trier’s THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD) is a lead actress experiencing extreme stage anxiety just prior to the curtain rise of her stage performance in Chekov’s “The Seagull”. The two scenes may appear unrelated, but in Trier’s film, everything ties together to create the whole of human experience.
Nora and her married sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, A BEAUTIFUL LIFE, 2023), an historian, are close to each other and to differing degrees estranged from their filmmaker father Gustav (Stellan Skarsgard, “Chernobyl”) who shows up for the funeral of his ex-wife, the girls’ mother. An awkward reunion is made worse when Gustav tells Nora that he wrote a script for her. She wants nothing to do with him or the script. It’s hard to tell if Gustav is offering the role as a peace offering to his daughter, or if he is taking advantage of her success on stage to secure financing for the film … it’s been 15 years since his last.
I disclose all of that to give you some idea of the intricacies involved in these relationships. Things only get more complicated when Gustav casts a popular American actor, Rachel Kemp (the always amazing Elle Fanning) in the role meant for Nora … in a film about Gustav’s mother, his daughter, and his grandson … and the family house. That house is the centerpiece to much of what has occurred and what occurs as the father tries to re-connect with his daughters. The eavesdropping through the stove is a nice touch that exemplifies the communication problems for the family members.
As good as Ms. Fanning and Ms. Lilleaas are, there are a handful of scenes between Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgard that are among the most resonant scenes of the year. And the film itself (replete with nods to Lasse Hallstrom and Ingmar Bergman) is also one of the best of the year. Rarely does a family drama perfectly capture the entanglement of emotions, memories, and art. This one succeeds through directing, writing, acting, and cinematography (Kasper Tuxen).
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Longtime movie lovers usually cringe with announcements regarding movie remakes. Of course, some work out pretty well: A STAR IS BORN (2018), THE THING (1982), TRUE GRIT (2010); while others deserve backlash: PSYCHO (1998), ROLLERBALL (2002), THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2003). When the news hit that writer-director Tom Gormican (THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT, 2022) was going to remake ANACONDA (1997), it wasn’t so much a cringe reaction as it was a giant question mark … Why remake a movie that on its best day could only be labeled a fringe cult favorite? Once the leads of Jack Black (after Nic Cage dropped out) and Paul Rudd were announced, it made much more sense. This was to be a comedic take on an original film that featured quite a few accidental comedy elements.
Greetings again from the darkness. We give thanks to the movie Gods for filmmakers like Josh Safdie, as there is zero chance that he will ever make a movie that bores us. This is his first solo movie in many years after frequent collaborations with his brother, Benny (UNCUT GEMS, 2019; GOOD TIME, 2017). But fear not, because working alongside the writer-director are other frequent collaborators: screenwriter Ronald Bronstein, cinematographer Darius Khondji, composer Daniel Lopatin, and costume designer Miyako Bellizzi.
Greetings again from the darkness. ‘Do what you love’ and ‘Pursue your passion.’ That’s the traditional advice we give youngsters, so they won’t grow up to live a mundane life filled with regrets. Perhaps there is no better example of living your dream than the real-life love story of Mike Sardina and Claire Stengl-Sardina. These two Milwaukee residents not only found a path to sing on stage, they also found true love with each other.
Greetings again from the darkness. Horror films are a dime a dozen (meaning there is no shortage from the genre), so it’s a revelation when a filmmaker has a legitimate feel for psychological horror – the kind that creeps us out and (likely) causes a nightmare or two. Such is the case for writer-director Paul Bickel. The scariest place on Earth is between our ears, and Bickel attacks the space by keeping us guessing as we attempt to solve the mysterious events occurring on screen.
Greetings again from the darkness. The next entry in the HBO Music Box documentary series comes from director Amy Scott and provides a textbook example of what can happen when a band hits it big ‘overnight’. It’s not always pretty, and sometimes it’s downright uncomfortable. Counting Crows’ popularity exploded with the release of their 1993 debut album, “August and Everything After”. The hit single, “Mr Jones” was all over the radio, only to be followed by an even better song, “Round Here”. The band and their music were ubiquitous.
Greetings again from the darkness. Director Paul Feig hit it big with the outrageous comedy BRIDESMAIDS in 2011, and then he got a lot more interesting as a filmmaker by directing screen adaptations of Darcey Bell novels that were so popular with Book Clubs – A SIMPLE FAVOR (2018) and ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR (2025). There’s no need to mess with a good thing, right? This time he’s directing another Book Club favorite, Frieda McFadden’s 2022 novel. Adapted for the screen by Rebecca Sonnenshine, the movie subjects three gorgeous actors to some off-the-chart twisted and devious turns.
Greetings again from the darkness. The phrase ‘Third time’s the charm’ loses impact when the first two times were also charmed. Such is the case for writer-director Rian Johnson and his ‘Knives Out’ trilogy (so far). The filmmaker has really tapped into the joy of whodunits for those of us who are big fans of the genre. This third one has a darker tone and feel than the first two, but many of the elements remain in place – including a stellar ensemble of well-known actors, some whom only appear briefly.
Greetings again from the darkness. Raise your hand if you were once a kid. Well then, you likely had some experience with a monster under the bed or in the closet. You may have even had an imaginary friend. It no longer matters how your parents handled scary bedtime for you during childhood, but writer-director Bryan Fuller offers a fantastical tale on what could happen if you don’t believe your kids! Mr. Fuller is best known as the creator of the terrific (and dark) TV series “Hannibal”, and he once again collaborates with Mads Mikkelsen, the titular star of that show.
Greetings again from the darkness. There may be no more effective way to change the outside world’s perspective of a culture or country than through music. That’s the path Wizkid is taking to re-introduce the world to his home country of Nigeria and transform the image. Documentarian Karam Gill continues his focus on those in the music industry who have loftier goals than just hit records.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 