Aarcflick

The series follows four Indonesian women, Party, Ance, Biyah, and Chinta, who leave their home to start a new life in Queens, New York, grappling with hardship, friendship, and identity in the years leading up to Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens. I just finished Ratu Ratu Queens: The Series, and here's the thing: I laughed, I was annoyed, I sighed, and then I smiled. Not everything fits together perfectly, but it has enough heart and enough rawness to make it worthwhile. Online TV streaming services. Stars: Nirina Zubir, Tika Panggabean, Asri Welas Set about eight years before the film Ali & Ratu Ratu Queens, this series focuses on how these four women ended up together, what tore them apart, what brought them together, and how they try to move forward. Party tries to hold on to her apartment and her dignity, even when work is shady and immigration rules are stricter than her resolve. Ance is a single mother whose daughter is growing by leaps and bounds and asking herself uncomfortab...

Director Kogonada's understated aesthetic and screenwriter Seth Reiss's imaginative intentions seem at odds with a cold and distant love story. Cinema often demands a certain suspension of disbelief. But what happens when a film demands too much, without offering the viewer emotional reasons to justify the leap? That, in short, is the experience of watching "A Big Bold Beautiful Journey," an idiosyncratic romantic fantasy that never quite sells the unforgiving love story that develops between its two incredibly attractive commitment-phobes, Sarah (Margot Robbie) and David (Colin Farrell), who meet at a wedding. Director: Kogonada Writer: Seth Reiss Stars: Colin Farrell, Margot Robbie, Jennifer Grant This is a shame, as director Kogonada is undoubtedly the kind of observant artist capable of extracting reservoirs of humanity and melancholy in the most unexpected places, from the edges of modern architecture ("Columbus") to an android's data bank ("Af...

A child befriending an alien isn't a new story, but in Xeno, writer-director Matthew Loren Oates makes two key decisions that explain why this one feels different. The first is that the film takes this idea very seriously, as it deals with more mature issues than one might expect, and the consequences of this friendship can be quite serious. The second is the alien itself, which isn't the adorable, cuddly puppet one might expect from a description of the basic premise. No, this alien being looks like something straight out of a horror movie: with its sleek, predatory appearance, shiny dark scales, sticky yellow blood, and black pools of eyes. We haven't even described the alien's mouth yet, which protrudes in such a way that it's the first thing anyone viewing it head-on would notice.  Director: Matthew Loren Oates Writer: Matthew Loren Oates Stars: Lulu Wilson, Paul Schneider, Wrenn Schmidt Technically, the teeth are even more prominent, jutting at irregular angles...

 Quiver Distribution has acquired North American rights to the South African action thriller "Hunting Jessica Brok" and plans to release it in US theaters this fall. Directed by Alastair Orr and written by David D. Jones, the film follows a retired covert operations specialist trying to build a quiet life in South Africa. When the ghosts of her past resurface, her world is violently turned upside down, forcing her back to the life she thought she had left behind and forcing her to use all her skill and resilience to save her daughter's life and her own. Director: Alastair Orr Writers: David D. Jones, Garth McCarthy, Alastair Orr Stars: Danica De La Rey Jones, Clyde Berning, Richard Lukunku "Hunting Jessica Brok" stars Danica De La Rey Jones, Clyde Berning, Richard Lukunku, Katherine Neethling, Anthony Oseyemi, and Hlubi Mboya. It is produced by Tshepiso Chikapa-Phiri and Joel Chikapa Phiri for Known Associates Entertainment and Ariye Mahdeb for A-Game. The film ...

OTT platforms are often accused of stifling creative voices, of surrendering to the very formula they once sought to resist by supporting bold, original projects. Take Netflix as the most obvious example. What began with the release of something like Sacred Games (followed by other interesting twists like Leila and Ghoul) soon fell into mediocrity with Bard of Blood, Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, Mismatched, Kota Factory, Class, and Dabba Cartel (the list is long, but you get the idea).  There have been excellent Netflix originals here and there (Kohrra, Guns & Gulaabs, Delhi Crime, Killer Soup, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein), but these have proven to be exceptions, not the norm. To see just how bad things have gotten—how creativity has been taken over by unimaginative, risk-averse studio heads—watch The Ba***ds of Bollywood, a dramedy from the mind of Aryan Khan. Stars: Bobby Deol, Lakshya, Raghav Juyal Directors often debut in a world or material that feels familiar to them, as it hel...

At the Platonic Hotel Blue Moon, we meet the hotel owner, Mrs. Nezahat, and her two daughters, Gülten and Nedret. Nezahat tells us the story of the hotel. She and her husband founded it together, and since his death, she and her daughters have run it. The hotel barely receives guests, except for an elderly couple who use Mrs. Nezahat for their own purposes. It is quite deserted until one day the situation changes with the arrival of a guest. Speaking of the daughters, Gülten, a 33-year-old woman, wants to get married, but constantly lowers herself. Meanwhile, the youngest, Nedret, also wants to get married, but is eager to find her soul mate. Mr. Kaan is determined to buy the hotel. He is described as a very selfish man who only cares about business. Mrs. Nezahat, however, makes it very clear that she will not sell the hotel. And so, to convince her, Mr. Kaan arrives at the hotel in person, but in disguise (remember the aforementioned guest?). He doesn't tell her who he is or what ...

 I went into Same Day with Someone expecting something tender, a little predictable, maybe a few tears, but hoping for something new in the time-loop genre. For the most part, the film offers charm and also irritation. It's not great, but it has enough personality and heart to make me glad I saw it. Mesa (played by Jarinporn Joonkiat) is well-positioned: she has control, prestige, and an organized life. Then disaster strikes. On August 8, everything that can go wrong does: the priceless artifact she's supposed to preserve is destroyed, her fiancé calls off the wedding, and her identity is shaken. Then the time loop kicks in, and we find ourselves on the same day again and again. The first loops are frantic, sometimes unpleasant, but there's an arc: Mesa is forced to abandon perfectionism and delve into empathy. Directors: Rangsima Aukkarawiwat, Yanyong Kuruangkura Stars: Grégory Matthias Garcia, Jarinporn Joonkiat, Metinee Kingpayome What I liked: The film makes good use of...