The heavy breathing nearly ever present in the audio landscape of Nosferatu settles over the film like a fog over the senses. The curse of Nosferatu takes hold as soon as the opening scene begins and Ellen’s dance with shame and her sexuality begins to unfold for the viewers. Regret, shame, and repression manifest in the climbing shadows on the walls, haunting the life Ellen has conjured for herself. Corsets, chloroform, and restrained limbs try to subdue an already unmoored…

Some wounds do not close; I have many such

Yorgos Lanthimos, director of the recent THE LOBSTER, and THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER returns to the director’s chair with a period piece, THE FAVOURITE. The film explores the power dynamics of the reign of Queen Anne (Colman), and how her close subjects (Stone, Weisz) fight for her intimate approval. Lanthimos’ unique style of filmmaking leaves its imprint on the film, including his signature cynicism. The films closing shot is…

We are alone. No matter what they tell you, we women are always alone.

Alfonso Cuaron makes his comeback with the breathtaking ROMA, set in Mexico City in the 1970s. Cleo, the live-in help of a seemingly picturesque family, is the focal point of the film. Cuaron specializes in showcasing the humanity of people, and in ROMA he focuses on the depth and hardships of Cleo. The uncelebrated backbone to this family, Cleo is a matriarchal figure, which thematically comes…