LOW LIFE
Written by Hunter Milano and Noah Rotter and directed by Tyler Michael James, Low Life finds YouTube personality Benny Jansen, who goes by the name “Creep Dunk,” in hot water when one of his subjects shows up at his house. Everyone is about to experience a nightmare. 
Lucas Neff, whom I loved in Fear, Inc, plays Jason, the target of Benny’s sting. His effortless performance had my palms sweating. Neff’s emotional highs and lows elicit a visceral reaction. Jake Dvorsky is Sam, and co-writer Hunter Milano plays Ryan. Both are Benny’s buddies and unwitting co-conspirators. Do not write either of these performances off as sidekicks because each gives a nuanced and enthralling performance. 
Benny’s deep-seated unresolved trauma motivates his revenge under the guise of heroism. Wes Dunlap‘s performance is mesmerizing. He displays alpha confidence accompanied by simmering hurt and fear. When things go haywire, Dunlap leaves it all on the screen. It’s one hell of a turn. 
A ping pong match of intensity, Low Life benefits from rapid and thoughtful editing. But it’s the script that continues to shock. At every turn, I had my head in my hands. My heart was constantly racing, waiting for the other shoe to drop. How Milano and Rotter craft a script that ramps up the severity of the situation blew me away. Twist after twist, Low Life is one of the year’s best screenplays.
Tyler Michael James’ taut cat-and-mouse thriller
LOW LIFE lands on North American VOD on August 25th from XYZ Films.
About XYZ Films
XYZ Films is an independent studio whose mission is to empower visionary storytellers from every corner of the planet. XYZ was founded in 2008 by Nate Bolotin, Nick Spicer, and Aram Tertzakian and has expanded in recent years into documentary, talent management, and distribution. Some of the company’s classic titles include THE RAID franchise, 2017 Sundance winner I DON’T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE, and Panos Cosmatos’ psychedelic revenge thriller MANDY.
Director Abi Damaris Corbin brings to life the true story of Brian Brown-Easley. John Boyega plays the real-life ex-Marine who, in a last-ditch effort to get the money the VA owes him, threatens to blow up a Wells Fargo with two female managers inside with him. Breaking is an intense thriller that keeps your heart in your throat from beginning to end. It is one of the most extraordinary stories of principle I’ve ever seen. 
John Boyega presents the audience with a masterclass of human desperation. Each beat screams off the screen, even in his silence. This man has clear signs of PTSD, but his sincerity and circumstance have you rooting for him. The emotional nuance blew me away as Boyega is simultaneously patient and commanding. This performance deserves every award possible. You cannot ignore it.
With a title like Get Away if You Can, I sat down expecting a 90-minute sea-set thriller with the potential for a high body count. Instead, I was treated to a thoughtful meditation on love, purpose, and gender.
The filming locations are stunning – the filmmakers deftly navigate the cramped interiors and deck of the sailing yacht, giving a sense of scale and place at all times. The island drawing Domi’s (Dominique Braun) attention might be part of the “islands of despair”, but it is truly gorgeous. As in, I can understand having a fight with your spouse over an island like this. If despair looks like this, sign me up. Scenes away from the boat and island are purposeful, and further our associations with the two leads. Through flashbacks and phone calls, Domi’s world is shown to be lush, green, and free. TJ’s flashbacks, on the other hand, are grounded in steel, machinery, and work. The settings smartly reinforce the opposing dynamics pulling at the two lovers.
Since much of the film’s plot finds TJ and Domi in conflict, we don’t get to see much direct chemistry between the two leads. Braun’s Domi has a heavy load to carry, and we feel her appetites and frustrations. Martin’s TJ is given less to work with, expressing his frustrations by guzzling red wine and gorging himself on saltines. Ed Harris gives a compelling supporting turn as Alan, the father of Martin’s character. Alan is a stern man from a military background. But, more than this, he seems to embody toxic masculinity itself. Harris’ restrained physical performance speaks volumes – this is a man who can make chewing a piece of steak simultaneously hilarious, intimidating, and hostile. Harris’ energy lurks even in scenes where is physically absent.
I found the film’s climax to be brave and thoughtful. You may not agree with the choices the characters make, but you can understand the journey that has brought them to that moment. Despite some choppy waves, there’s ultimately a lot to like about this boat trip.
What would you do to survive all alone in the woods? Do you have enough common knowledge to rescue yourself? A visceral watch, Distress Signals takes Popcorn Frights 2022 audiences on an undoubtedly intriguing journey. The title alone plays double duty in this surprisingly nuanced film focused on survival. Distress Signals is a complete genre shift from Terence Krey and Christine Nyland‘s previous film festival hit, now streaming in Shudder, 
Daniel Fox‘s cinematography (particularly the nighttime scenes) combined with a triumphant score by Shaun Hettinger is something to behold. Filmmakers used the elements to their storytelling advantage. The light, the terrain, the flora, and the weather become characters in the plot. Don’t get too comfortable. The final act will flip the script into one intensely harrowing narrative.
Both leads deliver strong performances. Hirsch’s Mike is an artist. While he wants the prize money, his easygoing demeanor hints at a more privileged background. Hirsch gives a grounded performance – his career has taken some strange turns since his bravura turn in 2007’s Into the Wild. Here he again proves he will excel when given roles where he can use physicality to convey emotion. Bosworth’s Kate is more guarded and driven – she recites mantras to herself every morning in the bathroom mirror. I loved the versatility of Bosworth’s performance – keep an eye on the techniques Kate employs to motivate and keep Mike focused on the prize throughout the film.
The seemingly simple premise becomes one of the most intense and harrowing films I’ve ever seen. I didn’t have a fear of heights before 
The screenplay by Mann and 
The sometimes sparse, menacing score by 
Grace Kaufman is Abbie. As a college student, she possesses a casual abandon to her behavior. Her age-appropriate nonchalance is perfectly balanced with Hall’s ever-evolving intensity. Tim Roth is a master manipulator as David. He’s downright frightening. His backstory as a groomer is beyond upsetting. Roth gives off a slimy aura that makes the viewer’s full body cringe. Rebecca Hall
The heightened sound editing chills the senses. It’s a palpable stress-inducing choice that accosts the audience. You’ll have to remember to breathe while watching Resurrection. Andrew Semans‘ writing astounds me. He understands the fear and gaslighting so many women live with daily, then takes it to the nth degree. It’s also about telling your story. Resurrection is relentlessly terrifying and grossly relevant. Believe women.
It’s no secret that all the best genre films come through Fantasia Film Festival. 2022’s fest comes just in time to distract us from all the actual horrible things happening in the world.
Six films we’ve seen at previous festivals and their reviews can be found below. Highly recommend each of them for a myriad of reasons.
Director 
The first thing you’ll notice about Black Box is the sharp cinematography work. It’s unmissable as the film opens in one long take. The camera glides from inside the cockpit, down the aisles, into the rear of the aircraft, to land squarely on the titular object. It’s a stunning and terrifying beginning of a taut thriller. Mathieu is a gifted acoustic engineer tasked with transcribing the audio that leads up to the crash of Atrian 800, where 300 passengers and 16 crew members perished. When details begin to shift, Mathieu’s obsession with the truth spirals. 
Paired with the Netflix documentary 
Pierre Niney
Ingenuity and one hell of a plot make Fantaspoa 2022 selection 
The visceral tension created by writer-director 
Two women attempt to escape a cult by hiking through the desert. When plans go awry, deception, confusion, and brainwashing pit them against one another. 
The screenplay’s wordplay, score, and scene blocking heightened every moment. There was never a dull moment. The endless mindfuckery rubbed my nerves raw. I found I had left fingernail impressions on my palms without realizing it. The paranoia and tension in the dialogue had my head spinning. Are these women gaslighting one another, is one of them a villain and is this even real? These are some of the questions I had while sorting through the madness that is 
Could we put together a cuddly list of family-friendly Easter films? Probably. But where’s the fun in that? Here is a list of films where a rabbit is featured in one way or another. Most are straightforward. A few, well, I guess you’ll have to watch them and figure out why they’re there. Happy Easter, and happy hunting for those pesky wabbits.
Peter Rabbit and his three sisters — Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-Tail — enjoy spending their days in Mr. McGregor’s vegetable garden. When one of McGregor’s relatives suddenly moves in, he’s less than thrilled to discover a family of rabbits in his new home. A battle of wills soon breaks out as the n
In the early 18th century, England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne, and her close friend, Lady Sarah, governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new s
As each episode begins, the filmmakers behind the miniseries DECEIT make it abundantly clear that the show involved a plethora of research. In 1992, a woman named Rachel Nickell was brutally murdered in front of her two-year-old son. Police believed they found the guilty party based on an expert forensic profiler. After bringing top undercover officer Sadie Byrne into the mix, they devise an elaborate operation to obtain a confession. 
Eddie Marsan
Chris Pine
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