Money laundering, political corruption, stolen billions and a secret mafia in “The Spider’s Web: Britain’s Second Empire”
Michael Oswald, “The Spider’s Web: Britain’s Second Empire” (2017) A very important and necessary documentary,
Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 4: Adam Ruins Dating): everything else except the institution of dating put under the spotlight
Tim Wilkime, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 4: Adam Ruins Dating)” (2017) If ever
BlacKkKlansman: use of race politics demeans the achievement of a black police officer in exposing the Ku Klux Klan’s evil
Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman” (2018) Filmed as a blaxsploitation-styled comedy drama, this work revolves around a
Tokyo Godfathers: a heart-warming if fussy Christmas movie on the importance of family in assuring survival and resilience
Satoshi Kon, “Tokyo Godfathers” (2003) No, this ain’t no cult yakuza film – though yakuza
Those Who Said No: a slickly made and polished film that is less than honest about the politics of the activists it champions
Nima Sarvestani, “Those Who Said No” (2015) A very polished film, complete with stereotypical mournful
Three Identical Strangers: a compelling documentary on a chilling psychological experiment
Tim Wardle, “Three Identical Strangers” (2018) That a set of triplets should be separated at
Evil under the Sun: a minor crime caper classic portraying a self-contained, self-absorbed world of the rich at play
Guy Hamilton, “Evil under the Sun” (1981) Even when he’s holidaying in an apparently perfect
Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 2: Adam Ruins Weight Loss): tackling the symptoms, not the problem behind losing weight
Matthew Pollock, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 2: Adam Ruins Weight Loss)” (2017) A
Australian and New Zealand Films
Innocent Prey: lightweight slasher film with an improbable soap opera plot and hammy acting
Colin Eggleston, “Innocent Prey” (1983) Maybe the problem is her southern Texan drawl or the
The Insult: a calculated and manipulative soap opera melodrama posing as a courtroom thriller
Ziad Doueiri, “The Insult” (2018) On one level, this Lebanese film illustrates the power of