Greetings again from the darkness. The first feature film from writer-director Sophy Romvari has been well received on the festival circuit, and it’s easy to see why so many have been drawn in by this Canadian- Hungarian production. It’s a deeply personal film with autobiographical elements from the filmmaker. The best family dramas often deliver a gut-punch, and this one certainly does … yet it’s the storytelling structure that provides hope for future gems like this.
It’s the 1990’s and a family is moving into a new place on Vancouver Island. Mom and Dad (Inringo Reti, Adam Tompa) have three sons and a daughter. Eight-year-old Sasha (Eylul Guven) is the youngest and we view the story and the family through her eyes. Even this opening sequence dishes out an ominous feeling, yet there are no specifics that cause this. Soon, Sasha is paying particular attention to oldest brother Jeremy (Edik Beddoes), whose physical appearance offers a clue … although it’s his increasingly worrisome behavior that mark him as a troubled teen and one that the parents must be concerned about. This ‘ordinary’ family becomes not so ordinary.
Being the parent of a troubled teen is a no-win situation, just as being that troubled/confused kid is tough to navigate. Dad spends a great deal of time with a camcorder, while mom carries the emotional blame. None of them can make sense of their situation, and the parents want to protect their other kids while also being supportive of Jeremy. In addition to young Sasha being our eyes, filmmaker Romvari uses a creative device to generate brilliant storytelling. We watch as a grown Sasha (Amy Zimmer) conducts a case study on the family of her childhood. This works exceptionally well for making this story extremely personal through creative filmmaking.
Other than an initial voiceover, the past is presented as the present, and we become so engrossed that the second half feels more like the future than a look back at the past. Much of this deals with memories – often quick clips of past moments where the full story is beyond recollection. The closest comparison for this film is Lynne Ramsay’s terrific WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (2011), yet Sophy Romvari uses her own life experiences to grab and hold our attention. Mental illness is more openly addressed these days, and this talented filmmaker pulls back the curtain on the effects it can have on a family.
Opened April 17, 2026 in NYC and April 24 in Los Angeles, and will expand nationwide in May.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Thoreau famously wrote, “The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation.” That quote may overstate the being of the staff at The Grand, a 100-year-old hotel that once provided service for royalty, but now the seaside inn is crumbling at the seams and desperate for guests. The feature film directorial debut from writer-director Harry Sherriff and co-written by Laurence Tratalos is quite a pleasant surprise.
Greetings again from the darkness. The concept of ‘normal behavior’ seems quite elusive these days, but clearly the uncontrollable ticks and inappropriate (for proper society) verbal outbursts of Tourette Syndrome add to life’s complexities. Writer-director Kirk Jones (WAKING NED DEVINE, 1998) takes on the true story of John Davidson, whose actions prove role models come in many forms. Although the film doesn’t dig too deeply, it benefits from the real-life actions of one man and a couple of excellent lead performances … plus the always welcome presence of two beloved character actors.
Greetings again from the darkness. The popularity and staying power of Karaoke shows just how much we enjoy singing. Even for those with crippling stage fright, singing in the shower can provide a bit of joy. But what about those with real talent? There is only so much room for the Adeles and Ed Sheerans of the world. Co-directors Angelique Molina and Abraham Troen take us inside the world of collegiate a cappella (singing without instrumentation). Now, you are likely to immediately think of either church choir, barbershop quartets, or Pentatonix … all fine singing choices, yet all a bit different than what the film documents.
Greetings again from the darkness. As evidenced by the abundance of ‘shoot-em-ups’ released each and every year, it’s clearly not that challenging for screenwriters to find a reason to have characters firing bullets at each other. Director Ben Wheatley proved his mettle with this genre in 2016 with the excellent and madcap FREE FIRE. This time out, he’s working from a script by Derek Kolstad (the “John Wick” and “Nobody” franchises) and Bob Odenkirk (well known comedy writer and star of “Better Call Saul”).
Greetings again from the darkness. For a soldier of war, making it back home is the goal; yet it’s also only a first step. What comes home with the veteran is never simple. Many films have characterized PTSD on screen, but the debut feature from writer-director Aaron Davidman digs even deeper. Slinger (Joshua Close, “Fargo”) returns home as a wounded Special Forces veteran who nearly died (perhaps he even did briefly) and now must rediscover his own self while also finding his place in a society that presents so many challenges for him.
Greetings again from the darkness. For his debut feature film, writer-director Josh Heaps pays tribute to the Italian Giallo films (originating in the 1960’s) he clearly adores. But he goes a step further by creating his own Giallo … placing a Giallo-loving film student right in the heart of a Giallo world. Clearly not a film for the masses, but for the admirers of this genre, it’s likely to bring great pleasure and entertainment.
Greetings again from the darkness. It’s a tradition that began with JAWS (1975). Every summer gets a new disaster or shark movie … something to put a bit of doubt into the minds of beach vacationers everywhere. Of course, Spielberg’s original film (from Peter Benchley’s novel) remains the best, and in addition to the slew of movies, it’s been joined by Discovery’s “Shark Week” and even the absurd “Sharknado” movies. In fact, there have been so many through the years, that we are ready for the blending of disasters like we get with this latest from writer-director Tommy Wirkola (the underappreciated VIOLENT NIGHT, 2022).
Greetings again from the darkness. The first documentary from Cindy Meehl was her award-winning profile of ‘horse whisperer’ Buck Brannaman in BUCK (2011). It was a fantastic profile of an interesting man, and Ms. Meehl’s latest provides an even more personal look at artist James Grashow and his six-decade career, culminating in his masterpiece, “The Cathedral”.
Greetings again from the darkness. As one who readily admits to unabated cringing at most romantic-comedies, it’s with a certain burst of pride that I acknowledge that this one from first time writer-director Matthew Shear is actually quite entertaining, and possesses a minimal cringe factor. There are likely a couple of reasons for this. First, Mr. Shear, who also stars in the film, has clearly been influenced by his time acting on filmmaker Noah Baumbach’s sets, and the second reason would be the most welcome presence of Amanda Peet in her first big screen role in 10 years.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 