Gonzo Girl (2023) Tribeca 2025

Patricia Arquette makes her directorial debut with an adaption of Cheryl Della Pietra's novel inspired by her experience as Hunter S. Thomspon's assistant.

I'm scratching my head as to why this is a special screening at Tribeca for members only. It's a two year old film that isn't very good and doesn't deserve a special slot.

While I know this is supposed to be fiction, they also want you to know that Willem Dafoe is Hunter, at least physically. He has a hat and cigaretteholder and he is excessive but otherwise it's Dafoe chewing scenery. There is really no Hunter here. It ends up being neither fish nor fowl.

For me the problem ultimately became that I didn't know why I was being told this story. The point of the tale is that Dafoe is an aging lion living on his rep. His excesses have taken their toll and he really can't write. It's nothing we haven't seen before. The only thing is who is at the center. 

I'm not going to blame Arquette. She and her cast are fine. The problem here is the script which doesn't really do anything unique.

For me this is a major miss 

Animals in War (2025) Tribeca 2025

ANIMALS IN WAR is a multi-part film made up of short films focusing on animals in the Ukraine Russia war. All are nominally based on true stories. Each story is made my a different filmmaker.

This is an uneven affair. Some of these stories are better than others, with the film's desire to have each film make a point not always working, the opening film with Sean Penn mixing the sound on footage of an eagle when war breaks out is the most pointed and is there to simply provoke a reaction. Others, like the story of a cow wandering in the landscape, or another about a rabbit that gets lost  work better.

The animals represented in the film are an eagle, a cow, a rabbit,a dog (this is heart breaking tale), fish, a goat and cats.

While I don't think any of the pieces are bad (which is a rare thing in anthology films) I don't think the films being togethe  help them all to shine. There is an expectation that their being together represents and I'm not sure that that all work together as well as they would seperately. I don't mean that as a knock, but more that their being together doesn't let each tale breath the way it should.

Worth a look for those who are interested.

THE QUINTA’S GHOST(2025) Tribeca 2025

This is one of the most terrifying films you will see all year. The film is an animated telling of Goya painting the dark paintings known as the Black Paintings, which are full of beasties and terrible things, The tale is recounted by the house where Goya painted the iages.

I have no notes. This is just a chilling film about a decent into madness and return that scared the snot out of me. This is the story of a man lost in his head who has to paint to get the darkness out. I was chilled.

Told with shifting styles the images mirror Goya's art, with even the "real" world looking Goya-esque. Watching the f.ilm my jaw hung open, rarely have I ever seen a short, much less one that isn't nominally a horror one, be so scary

I fear for what would ever happen if director James Castillo ever  made a full length horror film, we may not survive.

One of the best films at Tribeca and detined to be on my year end lists, it is highly recommended.

Natchez (2025) Tribeca 2025

This is a look at the city of Natchez in Mississippi which is reliant on the connection to the antebellum south, despite being one of the more progressive cities in the South (It was one of the first cities to have an openly gay mayor). As times have been changing the city's tourism as place with connections to the Confederacy has been dying off, as social change and the indifference of the younger generations to the past has left the city scrambling.

This is a really good film. I like how  it begins with a portrait of the city and its Garden Club in a way we expect. We think its going to show us a city in love of the fallen south, but that view quickly gives way to the battle to change the history being told. People are telling the story of life in the city beyond the rich white folks. We hear of the lives of the slaves.  And most interestingly we hear how the younger generations want nothing to do with the past. The city is not making money on tourism.

I was left pondering society, not just that of the American South but all of society.  There is a lot to unpack here, and I'm still working on doing that.

Recommended.

We Are Kings (2025) Tribeca 2025

In the early 2000's a young man has his life turned upside down when his crush walks into the Chinese restaurant and he goes off with her.

I really like this film a great deal. This is a solid little film with a great deal going on. It's got so much going on that I want this to be turned into a feature. I need more time with these characters.

I know I haven't said a lot about the film, and I'm sorry. I just loved this film so much that my desire to have more time with everyone is what I took away from the film.  I will say that if you loved DIDI from last year you are going to eat this up

Highly recommended.

Room To Move (2025) Tribeca 2025

This is a look at dancer choreographer educator Jenn Freeman soon after she is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We watch as she explores how this changes her life and prepares a show based on the diagnosis.

This is most decidedly not a dance film. While the film is focused on a dancer, the film instead is a look at Freeman’s battle to deal with her autism. It’s a film that wants to put us into her head space and make us experience the world as she sees it.  The film is a lot of talk and discussion and sequences that make us experience her life.

Give this film points for not following a prescribed path, but take some away for not quite sticking the landing.  The problem  here is this film is incredibly personal. It’s a film that is so hyper focused that it’s hard to fully connect to the story we are being told. This is Freeman’s story being told in her way and it doesn’t really get out of the tunnel. Yes this is a great exploration of her story, but if you can’t stay with the hyper focus you are going to lose interest. I was good for a while , but there was a point where I began to lose interest and I stepped away for a bit.

The film isn’t bad but it feels too much like navel gazing and it isn't our navel.

A miss

THE DEGERNATE: THE LIFE AND FILMS OF ANDY MILLIGAN (2025) Tribeca 2025

This is a look at filmmaker Andy Milligan, who was one the driving forces behind Off Off Broadway before he switched to making (bad) movies. His films were no budget exploitation films that stand alone in the patheon on cinema. I mean that in both a good way and a bad way. This film is full of clips and interviews with the people who knew and loved him.

Andy Milligan is a filmmaker who haunts me. I was scarred by his films right after high school when I was gifted with a VCR and I was watching every horror film I could get my hands on.  His images are burned into my head to such a degree that two months into Unseen Films run, I wrote an appreciation that was fueled by reading The Ghastly One: The Sex-Gore Netherworld of Filmmaker Andy Milligan by Jimmy McDonough.(McDonough is in the film. And if you love movies you need to read the book, it's one of the best films on cinema I've ever read). Milligan is a filmmaker I've recommended to people who want to see unique and one of a kind films.

Josh Johnson and Grayson Tyler Johnson's film is a love letter to Milligan, his achievements and his films. It's a really good look at the man and his movies.

The best part of the film are the nterviews with the people who worked with and knew Milligan. The afore mentioned Jimmy McDonough is in the film and he acts as the through line to the film connecting everything up. I would love to just listen to him talk for hours. Also here are Hope Stansbury, John Borske, Bob Liikala and Robert Berlin  who worked with Milligan behind and infront of the camera. Sam Sherman who helped promote Milligan's films. They are a glorious collection of people who not only tell us what was going on but make us fall in love wih Milligan.

The problem with the film, and it's nothing to do with the directors, is that Milligan's films do not work as clips. I've been watching the films for 43 years and unless you can see his films from start to finish, unless you can get into that Milligan headspace from the first frame his films come off as much worse than they are. Trust me, watching sequence play out of context does the films no justice. VAPORS probably Milligan's best from the 60's and 70's looks stilted when it's just pieces. Without the headspace it creates the film looks like bad porn despite being something else.

I should mention that I am not going to champion Milligan's films as conventionally good. They are not, however they are truly one of a kind and the work of a true artist. I say that without irony, Milligan was an artist.

If you love cinema in all it's forms you need to see this film.

Recommended.

Brief thoughts on Maintenance Artist (2025) Tribeca 2025

This is a portrai of artist Mierle Laderman Ukeles—the firstArtist-in-Residence at the New York City Department of Sanitation. Ukles uses garbage and left over materials to make her art.  As she looks toward "retirement" she looks back at her life.

This film didn't work for me. The problem is not the art or the filmmaking, rather the problem is Ukeles herself. Her mannered, almost formal way of speaking makes he sound like a bad lecturer. Watching her interact with the garbage guys in some of the archival footage had me laughing. There is no sense of her being natural and she comes off as bad actress.  In a weird way her presentation makes her seem almost like a human Marcel Duchamp/ Avant Garde work of art. She is the least natural person I've ever run across in a documentary.

There is some good material here and it is worth trying, but just be aware you may not connect to the film's subject.

Bird in Hand (2025) Tribeca 2025

A woman named Bird goes home to plan her up coming wedding along the way she tries to reconnect with her mom and deal with a neighbor who bought an old house next door.

BIRD IN THE HAND is an amusing film  but it isn’t likely  to hang with you. I saw the film some 24 hours before I sat down to write about it but I found that most of the film had vanished from my memory.  That’s not an absolute knock on the film, I did enjoy it when it was on, but it does mean that down the road I will probably be wondering if I saw it when it gets a release.

To be honest the one over riding thought  about the film is that it is one of a number recent films where mothers try to connect with their mothers who are distant and self-absorbed. It seems like a number of filmmakers are trying to sort out their own lives. What I find extremely interesting is that the woman at the center are handfuls them self. They are all not your typical female characters.  I like that we are getting women who are complex, even at the cost of them not being wholly likeable.

In the present film Bird is a handful, and not particularly a warm and fuzzy person. She does what she wants, to the extent of breaking into her mother’s house and insisting on staying there to plan the wedding.

As a result of filmmakers not following the same path we are getting films that break the mold, and even if they are not giving us completely likeable characters we are not getting films we’ve seen a dozen times before.

Rebirth (2025) Tribeca 2025

Set in a future where abortion is illegal, this is the story of a woman who is unable to to take a day off from work and decides to take a black market abortion bill jut before her shift as a waitress. The pill unfortunately has unexpected side effects.

The basic story is based on an actual story. The denouncement is not and it seems to infer a larger story waiting to be told.

This is a neat little film. For most of it's running time it's an uncomfortable thriller about a working woman having to deal with evil bosses and shitty customers while being sick. Its a film that hit. s the memories of anyone who has ever worked in a crappy job. The urgency about abortion and a woman's right to make her own descisions about her body add additional levels of tension and emotion.

I really liked this film, though I'm not certain about the denouncement. As I said above the film the film infers that this story is going to be expanded because it brings up a ton of questions in the final moments.

Questions or no, this is a solid little film and one you need to see. 

Recommended

Just Sing (2025) Tribeca 2025

This is a look at the University of Southern California’s VoCals. They are an a ccapella group who perform musical number of the sort you see in the PITCH PERFECT FILMS.

This is a really good film. Full of wonderful people and infectious songs, JUST SING will make you feel good.  It's a delightful trip with a group singers as they share their lives and prepare for the collegitae championships.

Fifteen minutes into the film I was texting my brother to take my niece to see this film. She is currently in a high school level group that is dsoing the same thing and I know that she is going to eat this film up.

What an absolute delight.

I'm sorry I don't have much more to say than that. It's not because I don't have the words, but simply words aren't necessary because this film simply exists on an emotional level.

Recommended.

Brief thoughts on HORSEGIRLS (2025) Tribeca 2025

As a mother  (Gretchen Mol) deals with a not very good medical diagnosis, she worries about what will happen to her autistic daughter (Lillian Carrier).  However there maybe hope as the young woman gets a job at a Halloween Store and joins competitive hobby horse dance team.

This is a nice little film. While the film hits many of the expected notes for a film like this the cast sells this. Both Mol and Carrier are delights and we will gladly follow them anywhere. The pair makes this a small gem of a film that is worth your time.

Recommended.

Re-Creation (2025) Tribeca 2025

In 1996 French filmmaker Sophie Toscan Du Plantier was murdered near  her home in West Cork. While journalist Ian Bailey was suspected by the police he was never charged in Ireland. He was tried in absentia in France and found guilty. RE-CREATION is speculation on what might have happened in the jury room if Irish authorities had taken it to trial.

There have been numerous documentaries investigating the case including a Netflix limited series that Bailey sued  over. I've seen several of them and I am intrigued by the case. I still am not certain as to what happened. This is another attempt to make sense of the murder.

While some of the promotional material suggests that this is an examination of the facts of the case that will allow the audience to decide, this is actually a polemic that is arguing that Bailey may not have been the killer. I don't have a problem with that but there are issues with some aspects of the film.

The first problem is that director/star Jim Sheridan is a friend or aquaintence of Ian Bailey. (I'm still not 100% certain how friendly they were/are). While that's fine unto itself, presenting this film as a wholly neutral film (we are supposed to make up our own minds) doesn't work. The problem wouldn't exist if Sheridan wasn't in the film, but the fact  is he acting as the foreman and is steering the discussion and he does so in a manner that isn't natural. This is more a dramatic lecture not a dramatic film.

The other problem is that a great deal of what we see and hear are things that would never go before the jury. The conceit of this being an actual jury discussion is never really followed as the jury discus evidence that would not have been presented to them (such as statements of one of the witnesses who changed her testimony). I wouldn't have cared but as a real trial film this film collapses. (Yes I know what goes in the US is not what would happen in Ireland, but some of the evidence was listed as questionable by some of the documentaries)

While I like the film, its an intriguing concept, I really wish that Sheridan had simply made a documentary. He could have said what he wanted with out wrapping it in material that forces the facts and the fiction to grate against each other (why do you have Colm Meaney silently play Bailey when Bailey appears in actual photos? And why use Vicky Krieps  when all she does is just ask questions?)

My resenvations aside the film is worth a look, especially if you like true crime tales.

Tatami (2023) opens Friday

Leila, an Iranian Judo champion, travels to Georgia with her team for a competition. When the possibility of her having to compete against an Israeli athlete arises (something forbidden by the government) she is ordered to fake an injury. When she refuses she and her family are threatened.

This solid political thriller is based on actual events. The Iranian government has been manipulating things for ther own ends for years and we can feel the real world tension bleeding off the screen. You can sense how this is going to go. What sets the film apart, though, is that there is a point where the film turns. The film doesn't take the expected route to the end, and we are better for it.  I say that because when the film turned the film lifted up a couple points in my eyes.

Shot in a moody black and white with a deliberate aspect ratio that creates a sense of claustraphobia TATAMI grabs us early and drags us along.

Recommended

Terror Night (2025) Tribeca 2025

Josefine puts the baddest bass box in her car and then goes on a date with her boyfriend. The trouble is someone has a problem with the loud music.

First I have to say stay through the credits.

After that I need to say that that this is a wicked little horror film with a humorous edge. I'm not going to say what happens, but it will make you say WHOA.

One the best horror shorts I've seen in a long time. While I hope that this doesn't go to feature (its a tightly wound short), I will be first in line of it does.

Recommended.

Brief thoughts on HOW I LEARNED TO DIE (2025) Tribeca 2025

A young girl with cancer discovers she has a 60% chance of dying from an upcoming surgery. She then decides to live it up in the time she has "left".

This is a solid little film. Its very funny and very charming and I want to see it again. And I suspect its a possibility since the film has the feel of a proof of concept film. If that is the case, sign me up.

Recommended.

Brief thoughts on SISTER! (2025) Tribeca 2025

James a transfemme is stalked by Tessa who claims to be her half sister via sperm donor. James wants no part of it but Tessa insists they spend time together.

This is a loud comedy that seems to have been cut from the sitcom cloth. Sure the language is not for prime time TV, but the comedy is old school. It's very much of a type and whether you click with it or not is going to depend on if you like the humor.

This did make me laugh, but not enough to recommend.

Brief thoughts on TERROR MAKES YOU SLENDER (2025) Tribeca 2025

A guy gets hustled by a woman looking for money. When she gets caught, her mark gives her advice and she seeks pay back

 Odd rambling film has some good performances and a great sense of Harlem, but beyond that I'm not certain it adds up to much. Yes, you will have no idea where this is going, but at the same time I'm not certain there is anything in the ending.

A miss.

(And despite the title it is not a thriller or anything like it)

A pointer towards We Are Pat (2025) Tribeca 2025

Director Rowan Haber looks at the Its Pat sketches from Saturday Night Live and how it connected with some people.

Pat was a character whose gender was not specified and who made people uncomfortable. I never found Pat anything more than just okay. I know why Pat had a series of sketches, but  at the same time it seemed to be rather one note. Watching this film I hoped to find out what the wonder of Pat was.

I'm still hoping to find out.

No that's not right, intellectually I know why Pat resonates with people but at the same time, Pat's wonders elude me. Thats's not to say the film is bad, it's not it just didn't connect to me.

If you're interested in Pat, then give the film a try. Otherwise give it a pass.

The Square (2024) Tribeca 2025

THE SQUARE is an animated film from Korea. Its set in North Korea and it  follows a Swedish Diplomat who begins a clandestine romance/friendship with a woman who works as a late night traffic cop.

This is a small scale anime influenced romance of sorts. Because of the situation in the country there is a limit to how far the couple can take things. It is a kind of doomed romance that ends up taking on the mantle of a political thriller as the couple tries to remain out of harms way.

While this is good little film, it is rather slight. This is the cinematic equivalent to the Harlequin romances which entertain you for a couple hundred pages before being promptly forgotten when the film is done.

Worth a look if you’re curious but nothing you need rush out to.