A filmmaker working on the documentary about the mysterious disappearances of first-born children in a coastal town in the Philippines has her own son mysteriously disappear. This is a really unusual film that really defies description. The plot is pretty straightforward but it goes into all sorts of weird directions involving myths and legends involving the sea as well as a mysterious cult. Can I describe it as David Lynch-like? Eh, yes and no. Without a doubt inspired but this…

This is the latest film from a director I like whose name I can't spell without copy-pasting from IMDb/Wikipedia. After he hears that his parents are divorcing and think he's a burden, a 12-year-old boy runs away and disappears. His parents look for him but confront the truth that they may think they're better off without him. Trust Russia to make a film about an unspoken issue for some people that may open deep wounds in the human psyche. This…

Whoah. This is an intense, exhilarating (just like the blurb in the posters say) film. An ambitious young jazz drummer gets tormented both physically, psychologically and emotionally by a brutal teacher who pushes him beyond his limits in order to realize his full potential and achieve greatness. What follows is not an emotional, feel-good inspiring tale (well, not-so-much) but a brutally honest examination of what it means to achieve one's ambitions. The buzz around JK Simmons' performance is well-earned, IMO…