Kaylie SzarekThoughts on Dìdi: A Heartwarming Addition to a Familiar GenreThere are only three things that seem to be a certainty in life: death, taxes, and the coming-of-age movie. Whether it be nostalgia for a…2h ago2h ago
Kaylie SzarekThoughts on Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal PersonIt would seem that gone are the days in which the vampire film struck fear into the hearts of its mortal audience. These days the…Aug 15Aug 15
Kaylie SzarekCafes in Korea: About Life Coffee in BusanJust beyond the bustling Haeundae Strip sits the quaint cafe street of Haeridan-gil. Nestled away in a quiet corner next to a parking lot…Jul 30Jul 30
Kaylie SzarekKinds of Kindness: Intriguing Ideas that Never Fully MeldMere months off the release of Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos has set another idiosyncratic work loose into the world. The anthology film…Jul 8Jul 8
Kaylie SzarekGodzilla Minus One: How the Riveting Blockbuster Understands its MonsterTakashi Yamasaki’s Godzilla Minus One opens on the final days of World War II. Kōichi Shikishima is a kamikaze pilot who, in an effort to…Jun 13Jun 13
Kaylie SzarekLove Letter to Tokyo: Lessons Learned in the World’s Largest CityJapan is a country that lingers loudly on the minds of many westerners. Its history is an exquisitely detailed tapestry with threads of…Jun 6Jun 6
Kaylie SzarekEvil Does Not Exist: A Visually Arresting, Foreboding Eco-ParEvil Does Not Exist, the latest film by Japanese director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi, opens with a symphonic score playing behind sweeping shots of…May 28May 28
Kaylie SzarekI Saw the TV Glow: An Ambitious Story that Gets Swept Up by StyleComing of age in the American suburbs can prove to be a formidable challenge, to say the least. Since its inception, the suburb has been…May 20May 20
Kaylie SzarekThoughts on The Idea of You: Surprisingly Sincere Wish FulfillmentThe fantasy of having a whirlwind romance with a rich, famous, and exceedingly attractive superstar has captivated the imaginations of the…May 16May 16
Kaylie SzarekThoughts on Challengers: An Electrifying, Sensuous Power PlayLuca Guadagnino’s Challengers opens on a low-level tennis match between two seemingly unlikely competitors. One is an all-star champion…Apr 25Apr 25