Tag Archives: Mental Illness

What Should We Have Done? (2023) ☆☆☆(3/4): The memories of his schizophrenic sister

Japanese documentary filmmaker Tomoaki Fujino’s 2023 documentary film “What Should We Have Done?” is often difficult to watch for good reasons. Mainly consisting of old video clips showing a number of personal moments from Fujino’s deeply troubled older sister and … Continue reading

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The Son (2022) ☆☆(2/4): The disappointing second film by Florian Zeller

Florian Zeller’s second film “The Son” is disappointing for seeming to have all the right elements to give us a fairly good family drama on the surface. Again, Zeller adapted one of his acclaimed plays along with Christopher Hampton, but … Continue reading

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Beau Is Afraid (2023) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Who is afraid?

Ari Aster’s new film “Beau Is Afraid” often frustrated me even when I appreciated its artistic ambition to some degree. It is deliberately obtuse and baffling as its unstable (and unreliable) hero bounces from one kind of nightmarish setting to … Continue reading

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Empire of Light (2022) ☆☆(2/4): Sincere but muddled

Sam Mendes’s new film “Empire of Light” is rather indecisive and muddled in its sincere love letter to movie theaters. On one hand, it attempts to emphasize the wonder of cinema, but nothing much sticks on the wall even though … Continue reading

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Wildcat (2022) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A troubled vet and his ocelots in Amazonian jungle

Documentary film “Wildcat”, which is currently available on Amazon Prime, left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, it is supposed to be about how one troubled vet reached for his mental healing via fostering ocelots in the middle of … Continue reading

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The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Behind all those funny cat pictures of his

“The Electrical Life of Louis Wain” is supposed to appeal to many cat lovers like me out there, but it is not exactly a cheerful experience in my humble opinion. As a biographic period drama about an eccentric dude who … Continue reading

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Nitram (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): A distant but chilling character study by Justin Kurzel

Jusitn Kurzel’s new film “Nitram” is a distant but chilling character study based on the real-life figure who perpetrated a shocking mass shooting incident in Tasmania, Australia in 1996. Although it is a pretty uncomfortable experience to say the least, … Continue reading

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The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): That tragic incident

“The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain” shook me up a lot when I watched it at last night. Based on one tragic real-life incident which occurred in one poor neighborhood of White Plains, New York during the early morning of November … Continue reading

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The Mad Women’s Ball (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): Trapped in a madhouse

French film “The Mad Women’s Ball”, which was released on Amazon Prime a few weeks ago, is a harrowing tale of one young woman suddenly trapped in a madhouse of the 19th century. While the movie is often chilling to … Continue reading

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Words on Bathroom Walls (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): His little mental secret

“Words on Bathroom Walls” is another typical coming-of-age drama about a troubled adolescent romance, but it is more thoughtful and sincere than expected. While it handles its story and characters well with considerable care and attention, the movie does not … Continue reading

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