Review: ‘Drive Away Dolls’: May the Best Coen Win

The film Drive Away Dolls seems like it should be great. It’s written and directed by Ethan Coen, a man known for his collaborative directing efforts with his brother Joel Coen on beloved films such as No Country for Old Men and Inside Llewyn Davis. The brothers have also collaborated on writing films like Fargo and The Big Lebowski. But after years of collaboration, the brothers decided to split and make films on their own. Drive Away Dolls is the first Ethan Coen film since that split. The film follows two lesbians, Jamie and Marian, as they take a road trip to Tallahassee, Florida. As they drive, they are unaware of the special cargo they accidentally ended up with and who is after it. Drive Away Dolls is your basic Coen crime comedy. Only it’s not as good.

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Review: ‘The Zone of Interest’: The Horror of Complacency

From the very first trailer, The Zone of Interest is instantly captivating. The blips of beautifully crafted shots mixed with the unnerving score interspersed with reviews expressing the film’s urgency.  The film is written and directed by Johnathan Glazer (Under the Skin, Sexy Beast and Birth) and is loosely adapted from the novel The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis. The film follows Nazi officer Rudolf Höss and his family as they live a shockingly normal life while sharing a wall with the concentration camp Auschwitz. The Zone of Interest makes us confront the unimaginable; forcing the viewer to grapple with the ability of human beings to ignore the unspeakable happening right in front of their eyes. 

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Review: ‘The Iron Claw’: Sins of the Father

The story of the Von Erich family is one of triumph and tragedy. To many pro wrestling fans, they are considered royalty. From a young age director Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Nest) had an ambition to create a film detailing the family’s life. Not only were the Von Erichs renowned for their wrestling skills, they were also known for a string of familial tragedies. In his third feature film The Iron Claw, Durkin set out to tell their story.

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Review: ‘Saltburn’: Lost Minds and Lost Plots

Since its debut, Saltburn has proved to be very divisive. A film that has caused many online to say, “you either love it or you hate it.” The director of the movie is Emerald Fennell, who made her first feature film called Promising Young Woman in 2020. A film that would go on to receive three Oscar nominations, winning Fennell her first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Now in 2023, Emerald Fennell made her directorial return with the film Saltburn. A psychological dark comedy thriller, about a college student who becomes enamored with another student and his life of luxury. 

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