#REVIEW: “THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE”

By Mr. Will Wong 1992 Domestic Thriller THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE not only went on to become a very popular film, it was one of the time's most profitable movies. Michelle Garza Cervera brings this haunting story to today's audience, updating points of relevance while still maintaining some of the original's magnetic creepiness. We love a good tale of obsession, specifically ones about intruders. Something about the everyday person overcoming a threat to protect what matters most to them ... Read more

#REVIEW: “THE MASTERMIND”

Review by Nicholas Porteous for Mr. Will Wong The Mastermind is Kelly Reichardt's heist movie. That's the pitch. Known for her thoughtful, slow-paced approach to storytelling, Reichardt might be the last person you'd think of to tackle anything thriller-adjacent. But she's not here to tackle anything. In her latest, ironically-titled vision, she quietly and carefully unravels the genre with the help of Josh O'Connor, playing a man with a plan that collapses in on itself in the least ... Read more

#REVIEW: “THE BLACK PHONE 2”

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong The Black Phone 2 is a darker, creepier sequel that delivers on scares and story. It’s been a few years since Finn (Mason Thames) defeated serial killer the Grabber (Ethan Hawke). Now 17, he’s been struggling with life after his captivity. His life gets more complicated when his younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) begins receiving calls from the black phone and sees disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp. The ... Read more

#REVIEW: “GOOD FORTUNE”

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong Many films have been told about taking down the upper-class, or eating the rich. There’s also been many body/life switching films made. But there hasn’t really been a film that’s merged these two worlds. With Good Fortune, Aziz Ansari asks, “Why eat the rich when you can BE the rich?” And that’s how he’s written and directed a film about today’s classism while delivering on the comedy. Gig worker Arj (Ansari) can’t catch a break. He ... Read more

#REVIEW: “AFTER THE HUNT”

Review by Nicholas Porteous for Mr. Will Wong From the first frame of After the Hunt, it’s clear that Luca Guadagnino intends to play with fire. He invokes Woody Allen with his unmistakable font and minimalist opening credits style, and we’re thrust into the hallowed halls of Yale, where a mixed group of students and professors debate the merit of classic philosophers who surely would have been written off in a modern political context for problematic behaviour. On its face, this ... Read more

#REVIEW: “KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN”

Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong The origin of Kiss of the Spider Woman traces back to 1976 with the novel of the same name by Manuel Puig. It was then adapted for the stage by Terrance McNally in 1993, where it became a multiple Tony Award winner. Then in 1985, it was adapted for the big screen, where it won Best Actor  for Willian Hurt and became the first independently-produced film to be nominated for Best Picture. So, it’s fair to say that the history of this ... Read more

#REVIEW: “ANEMONE”

Nicholas Porteous for Mr. Will Wong Daniel Day-Lewis returns for the first time since Phantom Thread (2017) with Anemone, a small-scale drama about a hermit with an unsavoury past, and his brother (Sean Bean)'s solitary mission to reunite him with his estranged son (Samuel Bottomley) and ex-wife (Samantha Morton). The already-messy dynamic between the brothers is even further complicated by Bean taking Day-Lewis' place in the family as both husband and father during his ... Read more

#REVIEW: “ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER”

By Mr. Will Wong Visionary Paul Thomas Anderson returns with his latest opus ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, a suspenseful Action-Thriller-Comedy that mirrors the current state of America, as politics have shifted to the right. Told over a deceptively-short 161 minutes, this is a masterclass in acting and storytelling, and a bright spot for Cinema in 2025. Everyone must pay for their pasts in ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. We meet the French 75, a group of violent revolutionaries fighting against a ... Read more

#REVIEW: “ELEANOR THE GREAT”

By Mr. Will Wong Acclaimed Actress Scarlett Johansson tries her hand and directing in Dramedy ELEANOR THE GREAT, giving veteran Actress June Squibb a vehicle for recognition with a stellar performance, incredibly at the age of 95. Hot off its Festival run, including a tiff50 debut, this Film centers on Eleanor (Squibb), who is about to lose her Holocaust-surviving friend Bessie (Ritz Zohar). Feeling alone, with the sense that her daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht) is looking to admit her to a ... Read more

#REVIEW: “THE SMASHING MACHINE”

By Mr. Will Wong Easily one of the hottest tickets at tiff50, Actor/Writer/Director Benny Safdie is coming into awards season with his latest effort, THE SMASHING MACHINE, in an admirable position. The Biopic about Mixed Martial Arts legend Mark Kerr diverts from the typical Sports Drama, giving us a film that more rests its focus on obstacle, resilience, and the emotional costs of success on a grand scale. We meet Kerr at the top of his game, an undisputed king who fights for big prize money ... Read more