Must cinematic dystopias be defined by miserablism and a visual aesthetic that emphasizes the mechanical, industrial, and/or antiseptic? If you go by the strict dictionary definition of "dystopia," then the answer is probably yes; but one of the wonders of Her is that it dares to sketch a dystopia defined instead by heart-on-the-sleeve emotions and warm pastel colors. Spike Jonze's vision of a society in which technological convenience is precipitating the extinction of true human connection isn't far removed, in…

Almost two months after I've seen this movie, I'm still trying to decide what I think of it. It's certainly effective, accomplishing everything it sets out to do. Robert Eggers is scarily self-assured at the helm of his first feature film, creating an atmosphere of uncanniness and spiritual dread that is unwavering and flawlessly oppressive. If The Exorcist is a horror movie for Catholics, then The Witch is a horror movie for Protestants: Because the individual (not the institutional church)…