Reviews of Music, Movies, Anime & More

More than just a simple nostalgia trip, the new full-length finds Slowdive building on their celebrated sound.

Originally released in 1988, this album feels like the blueprints of what would eventually come to be known as vaporwave.

Ambient soundscapes that are as foreboding and ominous as they are beautiful.

A blend of modular electronics and stirring ambient passages.

Highly evocative electronic music, unused synthesizer movie scores, and vaporwave composed before vaporwave was a thing.

The gently unsettling aspects of Nico Niquo’s ambience makes it all the more beautiful and intriguing.

Still Walking explores family drama with grace, and never once slips into Hollywood melodrama.

Kim Ji-woon’s “kimchi western” is all about style as substance.

Summer Wars adroitly balances sci-fi geekiness, technology-focused social commentary, and family melodrama.

I love the idea of a Takashi Miike samurai film, but 13 Assassins just doesn’t live up to its promise.

Yes, there’s lots of ping pong, but also a surprisingly nuanced exploration of the thin line between friendship and rivalry.

Mamoru Oshii’s films are usually more satisfying and challenging than this.

I’ve yet to see a Wong film that didn’t impress me on some level, but I’ll admit it was difficult to make it through Ashes of Time.

A simply brilliant adaptation of one of the most classic horror stories of all time.

The first Evangelion walks a tricky line between appealing to otaku without feeling like a shameless cash-grab.

Vexille’s CGI strives for powerful sci-fi storytelling but frequently lands in the uncanny valley.

Part semi-autobiography, part self-exorcism, part post-modern narrative, and a career rejuvenation for Van Damme.

Deeply heartfelt, with captivating visuals and indelible images, Ink handily sidesteps its flaws.

Morisset’s extreme, even experimental style is the perfect visual counterpart for Sigur Rós’ beautiful sonic onslaught.

Fish Story is ultimately an examination of how even seemingly random events are subtly connected in ways that nobody can truly foresee.