Aarcflick

 Cheekatilo, by Sharan Koppisetty, starring Shobhita Dhulipala, is a suspense drama that revolves around the investigation of a serial killer and reflects on society's prejudices against women. The rape and murder case of a young couple garnered media attention, but for the wrong reasons. The news anchors focused on questioning the woman's morality, as sex toys were found at the crime scene. Sandhya Nelluri, a television journalist, was frustrated with the mainstream media's constant need for sensationalism. She had recently quit her job for that very reason, and felt she had to speak up after Bobby was raped and murdered. Bobby was an intern at the company where she worked, and had suggested to Sandhya that she consider starting her own podcast. Bobby's dream was to work on a podcast with Sandhya, but her life was abruptly cut short. Sandhya had witnessed the crime scene, and since the police seemed baffled and the media uninterested in finding answers, she felt she ha...

 The film follows a stressed-out, overly responsible teenager whose quiet life is disrupted when a runaway moon girl lands in her apartment, drags her into a neon-drenched virtual world, and convinces her that becoming pop idols together is a reasonable life choice. Watching Cosmic Princess Kaguya! is like opening twenty browser tabs at once, letting them autoplay, and still somehow feeling emotionally invested. This film is loud, frenetic, sweet, chaotic, touching, sometimes exhausting, often charming, and self-aware enough to know when it's being ridiculous. It reimagines the classic Japanese folktale of Princess Kaguya as a futuristic romantic comedy with idol musical elements and a dash of sci-fi, and then cranks all the creative dials to eleven. Sometimes it works wonderfully. Other times, it causes narrative whiplash. Most of the time, it's wildly entertaining, even when it's downright annoying. Directors: Gavin Harrison, Shingo Yamashita Writers:Saeri Natsuo, Shingo ...

 A Letter to My Youth, or Surat Untuk Masa Mudaku, is a new Indonesian coming-of-age drama film streaming on Netflix, with a touching premise and competent execution. The plot centers on an elderly man named Simon Ferdinan, who suddenly finds himself in the difficult position of being the caretaker of a local orphanage, while his life plans are quite different and bleak. Overall, A Letter to My Youth is nothing extraordinary, but its emotional nature will impress and entertain fans of Asian dramas. A Letter to My Youth begins with a man named Kefas, who is awakened from a daydream in his home office by his wife, Rania, as he is supposed to join the party being held at their residence to celebrate their daughter Abigail's tenth birthday. After cutting the birthday cake and Abigail finally being able to play with her friends, the girl jumps into the swimming pool of the luxurious villa that is their home, but this immediately upsets Kefas.  Director: Sim F. Writer: Daud Sumolang...

In this era of late-stage capitalism, the monotony of working just to make ends meet can feel like living in a simulation. In the latest Prime Video thriller, “Steal,” created by Sotiris Nikias, Zara (an impeccable Sophie Turner) finds herself in the middle of the biggest heist in British history. Zara must decide how to get out of this situation in order to survive. A gripping drama full of unexpected twists, “Steal” is an examination of unchecked greed and how far some people are willing to go to get the life they believe they deserve. “Steal” begins on an ordinary day in London. Zara, a mid-level employee at Lochmill Capital, a pension fund trust, is trying to recover from a night of heavy drinking that has left her with a nosebleed and a hangover. Nevertheless, she goes about her morning as usual, showing the new intern, Myrtle (Eloise Thomas), her workstation and chatting with her friend and coworker, Luke (Archie Madekwe).  Creator: Sotiris Nikias Stars: Sophie Turner, Jacob ...

Adriana, a former figure skater, decides to replace her sister Elise after an injury shatters the family's Olympic dream. From the start, the atmosphere of "Finding Her Edge" seemed very pretentious. And in the first episode, which felt interminable, I realized that this series was not original at all, as I had thought. The plot revolves around Adriana (played by Madelyn Keys), who has abandoned her dreams and career in figure skating.  Creators: Jeff Norton, Shelley Scarrow Stars: Madelyn Keys, Harmon Walsh, Alexandra Beaton She constantly lives in the shadow of her older sister, Elise, a figure skating champion who aspires to the Olympic Games. Elise's coach is her father, a former world champion, and her late mother. The pressure on Elise is immense. An accident causes an injury, and Elise, along with the Russo family's dream, crumbles. And yes, if you're thinking that Adriana will take her sister's place to fulfill the family dream, you're right. S...

This is a disaster movie, no doubt. Only the cause of the disaster is the mechanical plotting of Hung Tzu-hsuan. We already know the formula: a high-speed train, a bomb that will detonate if the train slows down, a hero (or several) trying to stop the explosion and evacuate the passengers, all while trying to uncover the identity of the criminal. Substitute the train with a car, a boat, a bus, or any other vehicle, and you'll get more or less the same set of scenarios, the same disaster formula.  Director: Tzu-Hsuan Hung Writers: Yi-Fang Chen, Tzu-Hsuan Hung, Wan-Ju Yang Stars: Po-Hung Lin, Vivian Sung, Bo-Chieh Wang In 96 Minutes, director Hung Tzu-hsuan, along with co-writers Yang Wan-ju and Evonne Chen, ups the ante by placing two bombs on two different trains. Furthermore, if one bomb is defused, the other automatically detonates. What motivated our evil genius to devise such a wicked plan? The answer lies in the opening scenes, where a police officer says that to save the live...

In the summer of 2024, it seemed impossible to escape the neon green and lowercase text of Charli XCX's sixth studio album, Brat. For a film about the seemingly endless season of wild parties, Charli and director Aidan Zamiri took a decidedly different approach than traditional concert films, which typically feature behind-the-scenes glimpses of life on tour and rehearsals leading up to a big show in front of a crowd of euphoric fans. "The Moment" is something else entirely, a bold foray into the mockumentary genre that satirizes the pressures of pop stardom and the struggle for creative control. It doesn't always work, but Charli XCX, as always, delivers a wild party. Following an exaggerated version of the star herself, Zamiri's "The Moment" opens strong: Charli XCX dancing amidst strobe lights flashing from green to blue to red, with a flashing lights warning. It's September 2024, a few months into the new "Brat" era, but the party atmos...

 An artist grapples with the tensions of work, motherhood, and a husband who simply won't let go in the deceptively modest new film from the Icelandic director, a follow-up to "Godland." "Separated" is a fraught and transient term in human relationships, prone to contradictory definitions by couples long inclined to conflict: a prelude to a definitive ending for one, a conciliatory pause for the other. In Icelandic director Hlynur Pálmason's striking and emotionally intense marital drama "The Love That Remains," artist Anna (Saga Gardarsdottir) is ready to separate, or rather <i>be</i> separated, from her sailor husband Magnus (Sverrir Gudnason), while he stubbornly maintains his presence in the house they share with their three children, and even occasionally in her bed. It's a semblance of domestic stability that she finds increasingly less comforting. Director: Hlynur Pálmason Writer: Hlynur Pálmason Stars: Panda, Saga Garðarsdót...

 “Moses the Black” is a new, graphically violent yet spiritually powerful film in which worlds collide, both horizontally and vertically. The project, produced by 50 Cent and starring Omar Epps and rappers Wiz Khalifa (who delivers a standout performance) and Quavo, originated from an idea by producer, screenwriter, and director Yelena Popovic. Following her film “Man of God,” about the Orthodox Archbishop Nectarios of Aegina, Popovic set out to make a new film about Saint Moses the Black, the ancient Ethiopian monk considered one of the “Desert Fathers,” heroic souls who lived lives of self-denial and simplicity in the deserts of Egypt. Director: Yelena Popovic Writer: Yelena Popovic Stars: Chukwudi Iwuji, Omar Epps, Wiz Khalifa Father Josh Johnson, in his book “On Earth as It Is in Heaven: Restoring God’s Vision for Race and Discipleship,” offers this summary of the life of Moses, who is venerated as a saint in both the Orthodox and Catholic traditions: One of the greatest Africa...

 Along with the otherwise disappointing Sons of the Neon Night, the long-awaited Back to the Past, another high-profile Hong Kong film that earned its infamous "urban legend" reputation due to its extensive post-production process, has finally been released to the public. It has been a long wait for this passion project of Louis Koo, which he originally conceived between 2013 and 2014, before his company One Cool Film Production acquired the rights in 2017. Presented as a sequel to the 2001 40-episode TVB television series A Step into the Past, which marked the last time Koo acted on television before deciding to focus primarily on boosting his film career, the film takes place nearly two decades after the events of the series. Having recently revisited the series, here's a summary of what happened: Hong Siu-Lung (Louis Koo) is a Hong Kong G4 unit inspector in the present day who agrees to travel back in time via a specially constructed time machine under the supervision ...

 “Islands” is an unusual film. It’s a mystery in many ways, but also a character study, chronicling the days of a washed-up tennis player grappling with the monotony of his life while working as an instructor at a resort in the Canary Islands. A lot happens with the characters, but co-writer and director Jan-Ole Gerster isn’t interested in accelerating the film’s dramatic pace, instead maintaining a leisurely rhythm, allowing viewers to analyze the story and the characters’ reactions.  The film isn’t conventionally impactful, despite hinting at some Hitchcockian elements, but it manages to be an interesting work to explore, as Gerster uses its beautiful settings to immerse the audience in the central situation, and there are details present for those patient enough to look for them. “Islands” creeps into the viewer’s mind, and while there’s no grand dramatic escalation, there are dramatic textures to explore, which helps maintain interest in a rather slow-burn crisis. Director...

Telling yourself "This is bigger than us" proves to be an essential survival tactic in "Iron Lung." Not only for the doomed protagonist of the sci-fi film, trapped in a rusty submarine and forced to explore a literal ocean of blood to gain his freedom, but also for the diverse audiences confronting YouTuber Markiplier's grueling and ambitious directorial debut, which finally arrives in theaters this weekend. In this harrowing single-location thriller, adapted from David Szymanski's 2022 horror video game, filmmaker and star Mark Fischbach (known online as "Markiplier") traps viewers alongside him in the role of Simon, a prisoner aboard the Eden space station. Following a catastrophic event known as the Rapture Silence, humanity's last stand is merely the starting point of a project that demands endurance before offering immersion, ultimately revealing both the promise and peril of large-scale creator-led video game adaptations. At times, the 36...

Cinema has changed a lot in recent years; what was once the main form of entertainment has lost that title to video games, streaming, and social media. Therefore, it seems that not all movies deserve to be seen in theaters; buying a ticket, paying for gas, and other expenses is costly, and audiences have to choose carefully. That's where reviews come in, and in this case, Shelter, Jason Statham's new film, is one of those movies that's better watched at home. Jason Statham has built his career on consistency and reliability: you know what his movies offer, and you won't be disappointed. He cares about his work and will do everything he can to entertain you, but let's be honest, Statham's films aren't art-house cinema, nor does he aspire to be, which is perfect, because if you just want a movie about a guy kicking ass, then Shelter is the film for you. Director: Ric Roman Waugh Writer: Ward Parry Stars: Jason Statham, Harriet Walter, Bill Nighy Screenwriter W...

Dylan O'Brien co-stars in this creepy and hilarious survival thriller as its cunning, high-powered executive antagonist. When Rob Reiner cast Kathy Bates in “Misery,” it felt like a miracle had occurred. Not only because Bates was a relative unknown, but because Reiner perfectly understood how to weaponize the actress’s apparent sweetness for suspense. The legendary 1990 film hinges on Bates’s total transformation into Annie Wilkes, an unremarkable woman overlooked by the world who reveals her vengeful nature when the rules are broken. Director: Sam Raimi Writers: Damian Shannon, Mark Swift Stars: Edyll Ismail, Xavier Samuel, Chris Pang Sam Raimi’s “Send Help” operates in a similar register with a crucial modern twist. Rachel McAdams isn’t a secret waiting to be discovered. She’s an Oscar nominee (“Spotlight”), a romantic comedy icon (“The Notebook”), and one of the great comedic villains of the 21st century (“Mean Girls”). Casting her opposite Dylan O’Brien in a two-hander surviva...