Aarcflick

 Our culture is obsessed with quantifying goals and keeping score, where well-being is measured by a wrist-worn device that tracks steps and mindfulness is achieved through an expensive subscription. Yet the film, Wisdom of Happiness, is like a deep breath. This discreetly powerful new documentary, centered on an intimate encounter with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, offers a rare antidote to the exhaustion of modern life. It's not a lecture, but an invitation to a luminous, quietly revolutionary true story about an extraordinary man who reminds us that the path to joy begins with a deeper connection with the world around us. Let his message soothe you. Directors: Philip Delaquis, Barbara Miller Writers: Philip Delaquis, Barbara Miller Stars: The Dalai Lama At 90, the Dalai Lama is almost energetic; he has survived empires, witnessed wars, and seen humanity invent a thousand new ways to distract itself. Yet he remains disarmingly cheerful. Wisdom of Happiness captures that parad...

 Needless to say, the title is ironic. The abject non-lead character in Kelly Reichardt's captivating and depressing heist film, set in 1970s Massachusetts, is weak, vain, and completely clueless. In the end, he becomes a strange Updikean figure, albeit one without self-awareness: he runs away without money or a change of clothes to escape the grotesque mess he has created for himself and his family. This is James, played with almost apathetic charm by Josh O'Connor; he's an art school dropout and aspiring architectural designer with two young children, married to Terri (one minor complaint is that the excellent Alana Haim doesn't have much to do). James relies on the social standing of his father Bill, a judge, played formidably by Bill Camp, and borrows large sums from his patrician mother Sarah (Hope Davis), ostensibly to fund a new project. Director: Kelly Reichardt Writer: Kelly Reichardt Stars: Josh O'Connor, Sterling Thompson, Alana Haim But James has somethi...

This animated British children's film lists five different people in the screenplay credits (two of whom contributed "additional material"); this might go some way to explaining why the story beats arrive with such metronomic precision, and the characters seem hydroponically grown in a lab. Which is, of course, ironic, given that the plot is set on a family farm where agronomist and owner Dinah (Golda Rosheuvel) decides to go organic after being inspired by her magical niece Charlie (Priya-Rose Brookwell, adorable), who can sense plants' emotions by touch. Having been recently introduced, for reasons the otherwise polished script doesn't explain, Charlie and Dinah get to know each other over the course of a few seasons, which coincidentally is the time it takes to grow a pumpkin for the town's annual competition. Charlie hopes to use the prize money to find his mother, who is rumored to have run away to become a movie star in California. Director: John McPhail...

 Despite its insightful observations about the crushing nature of the informal economy, “Good Fortune” (2025) presents such direct sincerity that it feels like a throwback. Aziz Ansari, in his second feature directorial debut, creates a charming fusion of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Training Places,” which is surprisingly devoid of mischief or physical gags. Instead, Ansari finds cathartic and relatable humor in the collective obstacles that arise from class divisions. While there are times when “Good Fortune” feels clumsy in its commentary, this funny, emotional, and heartwarming film has merit. Those familiar with Ansari’s excellent Netflix series, “Master of None,” know that he has a knack for directing, writing, producing, and starring in roles that essentially allow him to play a slightly fictionalized version of himself. Ansari stars in “Good Fortune” as Arj, whose interest in documentary filmmaking mirrors his own interest in educational arts. Director: Aziz Ansari Writer: ...

It's widely accepted that the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is a living hell. The long waits and extensive paperwork contribute to a bad attitude and general gloom. Neither the employees nor those served have much desire to be there. Now, with her new CBS comedy, "DMV," Dana Klein unravels the mystery and takes audiences behind the scenes at an East Hollywood DMV, where a motley crew of driving examiners, profilers, and document processors try to survive the day by clinging to their benefits and their sanity. Despite being generic and mediocre at first, as the series consolidates, the potential of what could be begins to shine. The pilot opens in a vehicle. The optimistic, people-pleasing examiner Colette (Harriet Dyer) is administering another test. Although her coworkers, Gregg (Tim Meadows), a now-grumpy former teacher, and Vic (Tony Cavalero), a fellow weightlifter, have nicknamed her "Easy Pass" because she rarely fails anyone, the Norman Bates-like ai...

In their neighborhood, Christmas is a huge event. It's impossible to escape without participating in the bustling Evergreen Lane, and yet, in this new season, Emily (Lacey Chabert) focuses on something a little different. She and Jared (Wes Brown) say "I do," and it's this that occupies everyone's time on Evergreen Lane. But then new neighbors move in, and the Halloween-obsessed couple inspires a whole new level of festive rivalry between the neighbors. Director: Maclain Nelson Writers: Maclain Nelson, Christopher Sey, Andy Sandberg Stars: Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky When talking about this movie, I think it's fair to say two things. The first is that Halloween movies in general aren't something I watch often, but I found Hallmark's two most recent Halloween-themed titles to be fun and different. The second is that I didn't love Haul Out the Holly, the first movie that inspired this third installment in the franchise. While I enjoy...

Black Phone 2 is a bold and daring sequel that delves heavily into the supernatural and nightmarish, trading some of the psychological subtlety of its predecessor for grander, bolder touches. Directed and co-written by Scott Derrickson (with C. Robert Cargill), the film picks up the story four years after the events of Black Phone 2, revisiting the horrors of The Grabber in a new era and with higher stakes. At its core, Black Phone 2 is as much about trauma, family, and faith as it is about gore and supernatural horror, and in attempting this amalgamation, it delivers both thrilling moments and shocking missteps. The plot reintroduces us to Finney Blake (Mason Thames), now 17, struggling to live with the weight of being the sole survivor who killed The Grabber years before. He's haunted not only by memories, but also by the persistent whispers of the black phone itself: a spectral line connecting him to past victims and a sinister force beyond death. His younger sister, Gwen (Madel...

Limitations can be a driving force for creativity when faced by passionate artists, especially in the world of film. And when it comes to cinematography, what greater flexibility is there than limiting yourself to a single take and refusing to use the shortcuts offered by editing? Understandably, this kind of advanced skill is rare in the independent world due to the enormous difficulty of achieving flawless productions without the time and resources of Hollywood, but it's not impossible. So Australian filmmaker Luke Sparke (known for this year's Primitive War) decided he wasn't going to let something as silly as "budget" stop him from creating a respectable one-take thriller. The result of his ambitious cinematic experiment was the apocalyptic creature feature Scurry. Director: Luke Sparke Writer: Tom Evans Stars: Jamie Costa, Emalia, Peter O'Hanlon Written by Sparke's frequent collaborator Tom Evans, Scurry resembles the director's previous projects ...

It seems Thais are really into crime thrillers this year, as this is the second one I've watched on Netflix. It's also the second starring Chakrabongse Chulachak, and I must add that the role is quite similar for this half-British, half-Thai actor. Everybody Love Me When I'm Dead tells the desperate story of a father named Toh, trying to make ends meet for his daughter, Snow, who came into the family almost miraculously.  Toh struggles to provide his family with the lifestyle they dream of, and when his daughter needs to get into a prestigious school, he becomes desperate for money. It's then that his subordinate, Pet, who is also in need of money, suggests to Toh the idea of ​​stealing from the deceased's accounts. What ensues is a convoluted tale of greed and shocking plot twists. Director: Nithiwat Tharatorn Writers: Sopana Chaowwiwatkul, Nithiwat Tharatorn Stars: Vachirawich Aranthanawong, Chulachak Chakrabongse, Naracha Chanthasin The film starts off very crude...

Splinter Cell: Deathwatch reduces its characters' desires, goals, ambitions, and thirst for revenge into bite-sized, easily digestible bites, ideal for fast-food consumption. Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, based on the Ubisoft game series, follows franchise star Sam Fisher (Liev Schreiber, Caught Stealing), retired from his job at Fourth Echelon. Living quietly on a farm, the legendary spy agent is forced back into the fold when current agent Zinnia McKenna (Kirby Howell-Baptiste, The Sandman) suffers a botched operation, and Fisher is her only chance to escape. Back, she must help her former agency stop a plot that could upset the world and kill millions. Creator: Derek Kolstad Stars: Liev Schreiber, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Janet Varney I've only played one Splinter Cell game (it was either Splinter Cell: Blacklist or Splinter Cell: Conviction), and I haven't played it for more than five or ten minutes due to bugs. Based on my limited experience, I can say that the game seemed ...

Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore is the most comprehensive documentary about Marlee Matlin that could have existed, and by that I mean it goes far beyond Marlee Matlin. The actress, who became the first deaf person to win an Oscar for Children of a Lesser God in 1986, has a fascinating personal story recounted here, but equally interesting is the impact she has had on the entertainment industry and within the deaf community, which is similarly explored. Watching this film is a reminder of the importance of this cultural figure. On a personal level, the documentary chronicles how she landed her Oscar-winning role, complete with audition footage. Matlin speaks candidly about her subsequent romance with co-star William Hurt, the abuse she suffered at his hands, and the pre-#MeToo resentment she felt knowing he was still working despite, as she puts it, everyone knowing what he did to her. The role of drugs and alcohol in their relationship is also explored. Director: Shoshannah Stern Star...

“Frankenstein” is a masterstroke, a thrilling rebuttal to the conventional wisdom about dreamlike projects. The writer-director creates something almost new, and certainly rich and strange, from a story we all thought we knew well. The 21st-century film achieves this by staying faithful to its 19th-century source. Not exactly faithful: Mary Shelley's novel was completed in 1818, and the film is set in 1857, several years after the author's death. Setting the story squarely in the Victorian era anchors it in elements of the period more familiar to the contemporary viewer, one assumes; it also allows its visionary (at least at first) scientist Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) to use electricity more intensively when animating his creature. Director: Guillermo del Toro Writers: Guillermo del Toro, Mary Shelley Stars: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz But del Toro's setting is entirely inspired by the original. The film begins near the end of the novel, in the Arctic,...

 Joanne Mitchell makes her feature directorial debut with Broken Bird, her short film, Sybil. Based on a story by Tracey Sheals and written by Mitchell and Dominic Brunt, it tells several stories about loss and grief, the most important of which is that of Sybil (Rebecca Calder), a mortician who presents herself as a modern-day Louise Brooks. She attends open mic nights where she reads obtuse poetry and dreams of being in love with Mark (Jay Taylor), a man who works at the Roman funerary museum. Then there's Emma (Sacharissa Claxton), who has lost her son and is drinking herself into oblivion, which begins to affect her work as a police officer and prevents her from investigating her case. Director: Joanne Mitchell Writers: Dominic Brunt, Joanne Mitchell, Tracey Sheals Stars: Rebecca Calder, James Fleet, Sacharissa Claxton Meanwhile, Sybil's imagination runs wild, constantly disappointed by real men and choosing to court those who have died and cannot disappoint her. Sadness ha...

 Knife Edge: Chasing Michelin Stars caught my attention because of its premise, which is neither a cooking competition nor a Chef's Table clone. Instead, the Apple TV+ series follows chefs and restaurants in their pursuit of a Michelin star, the coveted symbol of excellence awarded to restaurants by a tire company. The show, from Gordon Ramsay's production company, "follows the fates of elite chefs at some of the world's most unique and celebrated restaurants to determine whether they will earn, retain, or lose" Michelin stars. Stars: Jesse Burgess Immerse myself in work environments to see how a competition works in real life? Yes, please! While I recommend it, I must also point out that, like the service at a new restaurant, Knife Edge is inconsistent in what it offers. At first, the series feels more like a cleverly filmed and edited local news segment than a documentary. We wander in and out of three New York City restaurants, meeting people, but never really ...

Meet Ron Trosper, a loyal office worker in a small town in Ohio. Ron works for a shopping mall construction company, and his latest project is the first one on which Ron has been appointed project manager, despite the misgivings of some of his superiors. Today is his big day. He'll be giving a speech at the launch! Ron is the creation of Tim Robinson, the former Saturday Night Live writer and actor who reinvented the American sketch show in 2019 with "I Think You Should Leave." In a new half-hour, eight-episode series that begins as a workplace comedy before delving into the mystery-thriller genre, his alter ego is a typical Robinson character, a variation on the typical comic protagonist who has to bear the burden of being the only sane man in every room.  Creators: Tim Robinson, Zach Kanin Stars: Tim Robinson, Zuleyma Guevara, Eileen Noonan Ron is genuinely beset by absurdity, misfortune, idiocy, and the selfishness of others, but he always manages to react in a way tha...

Those everyone agrees are terrible and easily opposed? From where I see them, the Sackler family, their enablers, and their competitors are on the run. Those who profit from the opioid epidemic have contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths in the United States. And with series like Netflix's "The Fall of the House of Usher" and now CBS's "Matlock," they are shown as the truly destructive force they are. "Matlock" uses this premise to great effect. Kathy Bates harnesses her formidable powers as Madeline "Mattie" Matlock, the protagonist, this time with a hidden (and righteous) agenda. Bates's Matlock knows what people see when they look at her, if they look at her at all. She is invisible to many, underestimated by almost everyone, considered a harmless (and kind) old woman. She has some of those qualities, but she is also incredibly cunning, able to use those expectations to her advantage wherever she goes. She also knows how to...

The series follows Kang Tae-pung, the privileged but impulsive heir to a small trading company, whose family faces collapse during the 1997 South Korean financial crisis, intertwining his downfall with that of Oh Mi-seon, an overworked accountant. I have to admit, Typhoon Family knows how to make a strong entrance. Episode 1 bursts in like a drama student who just learned the word "serious" and can't stop using it. In the first fifteen minutes, we see family tension, financial woes, romantic strife, and at least three people sweating over spreadsheets. It's ambitious, stylish, and emotionally charged, and also wildly uneven, boastful, and at times so direct it could easily come with a PowerPoint presentation. Stars: Lee Jun-ho, Minha Kim, Sung Dong-il Let's start with the good news before I start complaining like a disappointed uncle. The series looks fantastic. The cinematography bathes each crisis in a dull, melancholic glow; The 1990s Seoul skyline feels nostal...

It Was Just an Accident, directed by Jafar Panahi, has garnered worldwide acclaim and received the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. With a minimalist and seemingly simple format, the film begins with a discreet roadside incident, but what unfolds is much more than a revenge story: it is an in-depth exploration of truth, illusion, repressed rage, and the echoes of collective trauma. Panahi, as always, avoids explicit exposition and invites the viewer on an inner journey, guided by deeply wounded yet still restless characters; characters who, to his credit, are masterfully developed, each embodying a fractured dimension of contemporary Iranian society. However, the viewing experience, especially in the first fifteen minutes, is anything but easy.  Director: Jafar Panahi Writer: Jafar Panahi Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi The film begins ambiguously, with minimal context and a slow pace that disorients the viewer. Even seasoned international audience...