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Heathers: has this 1988 classic passed its ‘use by’ date?
Heathers has been a cult classic for 35 years. It’s about killing off the mean girls and bullies who make high school life a nightmare. Is it still possible to watch it without thinking of how many American kids head for school every day knowing it might be the day they die?
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The Devil to Pay, time for a reckoning
The Devil to Pay, set in the isolated world of the Appalachian mountains, tells a powerful story of retribution. Danielle Deadwyler leads the cast in this tense and atmospheric tale of long term feuds, unwritten laws, betrayal, and liberation.
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Boston Strangler: the reason you’ve heard of him
Everyone has heard of the Boston Strangler. It’s a famous case. Notorious. But did you know it was two women reporters, Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, who broke the story and connected the dots between a series of murders the police hadn’t tied together? This is their story.
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A Cowgirl’s Song: country music to the rescue
A Cowgirl’s Song uses country music as the backdrop for a story about family, success, and life’s hardships. Cheryl Ladd leads the cast of talented performers as they sing their way around Chickasha, Oklahoma.
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The Silent Twins, this true story comes close to good
The Silent Twins tells the true story of two young Black twins growing up in Wales who refused to talk to anyone but each other. Learning more about their case sounds interesting, but the film left too much out for me to give it high marks.
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Mercy’s Girl, it could have been better
Mercy’s Girl, written and directed by Emily Lape is a low budget indie from lead actress Emily Lape. It’s amazing she got this film made for $25,000. You can see it’s a story she really wanted to tell.
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Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power, let it blow your mind
From writer and director Nina Menkes, Brainwashed: Sex-Camera-Power explains how the politics of shot design on our screens affects sexual assault and employment discrimination against women. The documentary uses over 175 film clips to make its point.
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Faraway, charming comedy about finding your island
In Faraway an older woman finds herself and her past in Croatia on a gorgeous island. It’s funny and clever and directed by Vanessa Jopp.
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Stromboli, a drama from The Netherlands about healing
Stromboli stars Dutch actress Elise Schaap in a story about one woman’s twisted and emotional journey toward healing. She leaves The Netherlands for a get away. She heads to the volcanic Italian island of Stromboli with a suitcase full of vodka and a plan to stay in the tiny cottage she rented and be drunk […]
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Women Talking, the choices are not easy
Women Talking, written and directed by Sarah Polley, based on a book by Miriam Toews, looks at the decision making process among a group of Mennonite women who lived in a remote colony in Bolivia. When it comes to stories about empowered women taking control of their own destiny, this is an outstanding one.
Reviews of movies and TV focused on women