Zatôichi

0801
Zatôichi review

"Kitano's version is playful and quirky, but also pretty badass and harsh when need be. The film looks great, sports a sublime soundtrack and Kitano himself shines as the titular character."

Triangle

0802
Triangle review

"Triangle looks stylish, sports a great soundtrack, leans on a superb central trio and highlights the talents of its lauded directors. A true flagship project if there ever was one."

Umbrella Flower

0803
Umbrella Flower review

"The stellar lead performance by Tadanobu Asano, the crisp styling, and the balance of delicate drama with some rougher edges turn this into a quality film.~"

T2 Trainspotting

0804
T2 Trainspotting review

"T2 Trainspotting is a damn good companion piece to the first film."

Blazing Famiglia

0805
Blazing Famiglia review

"Blazing Famiglia looks appropriately gritty, it sports a fine soundtrack, some great performances and a cool plot with a proper dramatic foundation."

The Kiyosu Conference

0806
The Kiyosu Conference review

"The Kiyosu Conference is good, solid, old-fashioned fun. Mitani has a great cast to his disposal and goes with colorful visuals and an upbeat soundtrack."

Life Show

0807
Life Show review

"A pleasantly executed film featuring a strong lead and some good solid drama, splendid scenery and just breaths the couleur locale."

The Loafers

0808
The Loafers review

"Miki has a unique, dead pan sense of humor that pushes the film forward. I can only hope he continues to make films in the same vein as his work doesn't really compare to anything else out there."

The Machinist

0809
The Machinist review

"While many of its peers have trouble keeping themselves standing the second time around, The Machinist thrives on a strong and gloomy atmosphere, intriguing characters and a stand-out performance."

The Secret World of Arrietty

0810
The Secret World of Arrietty review

"Ghibli fans will know what to expect when they go and see this film."

August in the Water

0811
August in the Water review

"Probably one of his most accessible films, though there is still plenty of wonder and authorship to be admired."

Kingfisher

0812
Kingfisher review

"Sheng delivers a visually superb film, provides a good score and a set of strong actors. The drama element is impressive for this type of film, the thriller elements are more than sufficient."

Hate

0813
Hate review

"Thanks to the strong performances of the central cast, the stylish black-and-white cinematography, and the fitting soundtrack it is still an impressive film with a gutwrenching finale."

The Battling Angel

0814
The Battling Angel review

"The Battling Angel is a movie with obvious shortcomings, but offers plenty in return to direct your mind away from them. Whether you can solely depends on what you expect from it."

Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below

0815
Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below review

"That said, there is still plenty to be excited about. Shinkai serves you 116 minutes of visual wonder."

A Sun

0816
A Sun review

"A lush and beautiful-looking film, with powerhouse performances, strong drama and some very poignant scenes. A film that finally brings Chung the broader validation he deserves."

Mr. Long

0817
Mr. Long review

"Mr. Long is visually pleasing, it features a fine soundtrack and has a stellar lead actor that carries the film with ease."

The Hunger

0818
The Hunger review

"I expected just another mediocre 80s horror flick, but ended up with a stylish, perplexing and completely unique vampire film that hasn't lost much of its shine almost 40 years later."

Suffocation

0819
Suffocation review

"More important is the suffocating atmosphere that takes a firm grip on the audience, strengthened by the close-up photography, consistent color palette and strong performance of Ge."

Chernobyl Diaries

0820
Chernobyl Diaries review

"Parker does everything to make sure that all the things are there for a good night of tense and thrilling horror fun, whether it will actually work depends on how you like your horror films served."

Sauna

0821
Sauna review

"Sauna is an impressive experience, solid in just about every department. Extremely strong lead, nice and fitting visuals, great soundtrack and intriguing storyline."

Love on Sunday

0822
Love on Sunday review

"Love on Sunday is an endearing film with a warm, summery vibe, strong performances and effective drama without any false sentiment."

Sleepwalker

0823
Sleepwalker review

"Like I said before, Sleepwalker is a pretty simple film. Everything is neatly revealed and tied up at the end, the plot doesn't contain any real big twists and runs smoothly from start to finish."

Eden Lake

0824
Eden Lake review

"Eden Lake is a prime example of British harshness combined with good old-fashioned horror, increasing the insanity notch by notch and delivering a great finale."

Them

0825
Them review

"The duo went on to make the unfortunate US adaptation of The Eye and each went their own separate way after that. A real shame because as a duo they showed great promise directing horror films."