Alex WilliamsAFI Fest 2017: Daniela Vega is Terrific in A FANTASTIC WOMANThe last decade or so has seen a rise in LGBTQ-themed cinema, heralded by Brokeback Mountain’s breakthrough into the public consciousness…3 min read·Dec 1, 2017----
Alex WilliamsAFI FEST 2017: All the Mustachioed Character Actors in the World Can’t Save HOSTILESThe films of writer/director Scott Cooper have a common thread running through them, often exploring a haunted sort of masculinity. Jeff…4 min read·Nov 22, 2017----
Alex WilliamsAFI Fest 2017: I AM NOT A WITCH Falls Short of SpellbindingAFI Fest is traditionally a great place for debut films to reach a Los Angeles audience, and so far, this year is proving to be no…3 min read·Nov 15, 2017----
Alex WilliamsAFI FEST 2017: Westerns Get a Tune-Up With THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWNWriter/director Jared Moshe didn’t make much of a splash with his first film, Dead Man’s Burden, which had a short festival run before a…3 min read·Nov 15, 2017----
Alex WilliamsCriterion Review: THE PIANO TEACHER is Haneke at His CruelestTo call the films of Michael Haneke difficult is like calling a Texas summer warm; it’s not wrong, but it doesn’t quite capture the unique…4 min read·Oct 18, 2017----
Alex WilliamsFantastic Fest 2017: SUPER DARK TIMES is a Bleak Addition to the Coming-of-Age GenreComing-of-age films are a reliable programming staple of every film festival, but only the most deranged entries into this genre tend to…3 min read·Oct 9, 2017----
Alex WilliamsFantastic Fest 2017: GERALD’S GAME is Another Top-Notch Stephen King AdaptationThe vast library of Stephen King novels and short stories is being adapted at a greater rate than ever, and the back half of 2017 has…3 min read·Sep 28, 2017----
Alex WilliamsFantastic Fest 2017: REVENGE Confronts a Controversial GenreOne of the chief functions of horror is to test the boundaries of good taste, and the most brazen pusher of envelopes is often the…4 min read·Sep 28, 2017----
Alex WilliamsFantastic Fest 2017: THOROUGHBREDS is a Thoroughly Entertaining Dark ComedyIt’s tough to nail down what makes a good black comedy. Leaning too far into the darkness of it can ruin the comedy, while pulling punches…3 min read·Sep 26, 2017----
Alex WilliamsFantastic Fest 2017: ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE is a Genre Mash-up with Blood, Guts, and Lots of HeartIt’s all too easy to engage in hyperbole when seeing a good film in a festival environment. When said film has its very first screening at…3 min read·Sep 23, 2017----