Letterboxd — Your life in film

Russian writer-director Philipp Yuryev's coming-of-age feature, The Whaler Boy, is available for rental tomorrow via virtual cinemas and other VOD platforms. Critic Andrew Wyatt has a review:

Our regular contributors at The Lens -- Kayla McCulloch, Joshua Ray, and Andrew Wyatt -- have assembled a list of their favorite films of 2021. No rankings here: Just a curated list of 30 excellent films that made 2021 a standout year for cinema. Adjust your Watchlists accordingly.

Acclaimed director Asghar Farhadi's new drama A Hero screened this past November at SLIFF, and tomorrow it opens in select local theaters. Critic Kayla McCulloch has a review of the master Iranian filmmaker's latest:

After 18 years, it's time to re-enter the Matrix. Critic Andrew Wyatt has a review of Lana Wachowski's The Matrix Resurrections, opening in theaters tomorrow and simultaneously available to steam from HBO Max.

Director Guillermo del Toro's remake / re-adaptation of the classic noir Nightmare Alley opens in theaters on Friday. Critic Andrew Wyatt has a review:

Aaron Sorkin's Being the Ricardos is now playing in select theaters, and will be available to stream from Amazon Prime on December 21. At The Lens, critic Kayla McCulloch has a review:

Steven Spielberg's long-awaited adaptation of West Side Story finally opens in theaters today. At the Lens, critic Joshua Ray has a review:

Benedetta, Paul Verhoeven's long-awaited period drama about lesbian nuns in Renaissance Italy, finally opens in theaters tomorrow. Critic Andrew Wyatt has a review:

Amalia Ulman's debut feature El Planeta screens at the Webster University Film Series tomorrow. (One night only!) Critic Kayla McCulloch has a review of this tongue-in-cheek comedy about two women navigating life in a Spain that's still reeling from the 2008 financial crisis:

Critic Andrew Wyatt takes a timeout from SLIFF to praise his favorite game of 2021, Arkane Studios' puzzle-box shooter, Deathloop. He calls it the "perfectly shaken whiskey sour" of AAA video games, and attempts to unpack why its design feels so fantastic:

As the final week of SLIFF rolls on, critic Kayla McCulloch spotlights another recommendation from this year's festival lineup: Chloé Mazlo's tone-, style-, and genre-hopping romantic drama, The Skies of Lebanon. Screening Thursday night!

Critic Andrew Wyatt spotlights an under-the-radar gem from this year's SLIFF lineup: Arie and Chuko Esiri's unconventional immigrant story, Eyimofe (This Is My Desire). Screening this Saturday at 12:30 p.m.!

Critic Andrew Wyatt spotlights another recommendation from this year's SLIFF lineup: Hong sang-soo's lean but deceptively rich drama, The Woman Who Ran. Screening Friday night!

Critic Kayla McCulloch spotlights another narrative feature at this year's St. Louis International Film Festival: Dan Mirvish's alternate-history screwball comedy, 18 ½. The film will be screening this Wednesday night at the Tivoli Theatre.

Critic Kayla McCulloch has an appreciation for one of the highlights of this year's St. Louis International Film Festival: Grégory Magne's sensual romantic drama, Perfumes.

Director Scott Cooper's first foray into horror, Antlers, opens everywhere tomorrow. Critic Andrew Wyatt has a review:

Director Todd Haynes' documentary The Velvet Underground is now playing in select theaters and is also streaming on AppleTV+. Critic Joshua Ray has a review:

Director Denis Villeneuve's long-awaited adaptation of Dune finally opens in theaters everywhere this Friday, and will also be available to stream from HBO Max. Critic Andrew Wyatt has a review:

Director Mia Hansen-Løve's new drama, Bergman Island, opens locally today. Critic Kayla McCulloch has a review:

Director Jessica Beshir's debut feature Faya Dayi opened in select cities last month, and it will be screening nightly this weekend (Oct 15-17) at the Webster University Film Series. Critic Andrew Wyatt has a review:

Critic Joshua Ray is covering the 2021 Nashville Film Festival for CSL. Today he spotlights three international narrative features: Window Boy Would Also Like a Submarine, The Tale of King Crab, and Green Sea:

Critic Joshua Ray is covering the 2021 Nashville Film Festival for CSL. Today he spotlights three indie narrative features: Porcupine, Queen of Glory, and Old Henry.

Critic Joshua Ray is covering the 2021 Nashville Film Festival for CSL. Today he spotlights three LGBTQ+ features: the documentaries Trans in Trumpland and Socks on Fire; and the narrative drama See You Then.

Critic Joshua Ray caught Japanese director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy at the New York Film Festival recently. At the Lens, he has a review of this latest feature from a filmmaker who is fast emerging as one of the greats of the 21st century:

Critic Joshua Ray is covering the 2021 Nashville Film Festival for CSL, and he has the first of several dispatches highlighting the films he's been screening. Today he looks at three features about music: the documentaries Fanny: The Right to Rock and I'm Wanita and the narrative drama Poser:

Director Maria Schrader's sci-fi fable I'm Your Man opens locally this Friday, and will be available on VOD on Oct. 12. Critic Andrew Wyatt has a review:

The 13th Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s cinematic legacy. Prior to the August 29 festival screening of François Truffaut's Two English Girls (1971), critic Robert Garrick provided an introduction to the film. A written version of this introduction can be found at CSL's The Lens:

Director Matías Piñeiro'a Isabella opened in select cities earlier this month, and will screen nightly this Fri - Sun at the Webster University Film Series. Critic Kayla McCulloch has a review:

Critic Andrew Wyatt takes a break from film to look at the indie "tactical storytelling" game Wildermyth, examining how this whimsical, genre-bending RPG teaches players to embrace narrative messiness:

The Nowhere Inn, director Bill Benz's metafictional feature about the musician St. Vincent, opens today in theaters and is also available to rent from major online platforms. Critic Joshua Ray has a review:

Blue Bayou, the new drama from writer, director, and star Justin Chon, opens today in select theaters. At the Lens, critic Kayla McCulloch has a review:

Tsai Ming-liang's Days opened in select U.S. cities last month, and will be screening nightly this Fri-Sun at the Webster Univeristy Film Series. Critic Andrew Wyatt has a review of the Taiwanese filmmaker's new drama, his first in eight years:

Director Jia Zhangke's new documentary, Swimming Out Til the Sea Turns Blue, screens this weekend at the Webster University Film Series. At The Lens, critic Andrew Wyatt has a review:

In a new essay, critic Joshua Ray looks at three recent films -- Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, Sundance darling CODA, and 1990s UK period drama Beats -- and how they express the agony and ecstasy of music:

Director Sean Penn's Flag Day is now playing in theaters. Critic Kayla McCulloch has a review of the film, which is based on a true story and stars Penn's daughter, Dylan Penn:

The new animated feature The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf premiered on Netflix last week, where it serves as a prequel to the streaming giant's live action series The Witcher and as standalone dark action-fantasy story. Critic Andrew Wyatt reviews this latest anime-style production from South Korea's Studio Mir (The Legend of Korra, Voltron: Legendary Defender):