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Review: ‘Sound of Falling’
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/23/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/23/25

Review: ‘Sound of Falling’

Winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes, Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling treats family genealogy like a ghost story of inherited sense memories, trauma, and heartache.

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Review: ‘The Holy Boy’
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/23/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/23/25

Review: ‘The Holy Boy’

Paolo Strippoli’s The Holy Boy is often quite original, packed with ideas and not afraid to cause discomfort as it raises questions about consent, community security, and how life cannot exist without pain.

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Review: ‘Left-Handed Girl’
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/23/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/23/25

Review: ‘Left-Handed Girl’

In this delightful and entrancing directorial debut from frequent Sean Baker collaborator Shih-Ching Tsou, a financially insecure Taiwanese family navigate the ups and downs of running a noodle stand.

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Review: ‘Frankenstein’ is a visual feast that’s both thrilling and hollow
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/22/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/22/25

Review: ‘Frankenstein’ is a visual feast that’s both thrilling and hollow

Guillermo del Toro’s dream project has been in the works for nearly two decades, which shows in its incredible craftsmanship. If only the story got the same attention.

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Review: ‘Dracula’
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/22/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/22/25

Review: ‘Dracula’

Radu Jude’s follow-up to Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World is overkill in every way and equal parts boring and insane, yet also something you should watch at least part of.

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Review: ‘Mother of Flies’
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/22/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/22/25

Review: ‘Mother of Flies’

The latest Adams family folk horror story is more focused on a dark, poetic tone than traditional scares, with its own cinematic language offering a unique dialect of contemporary horror.

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Jason Vena of Acceptance picks 5 movies to pair with ‘Phantoms/Twenty’
Pairings Cinema Sugar 10/21/25 Pairings Cinema Sugar 10/21/25

Jason Vena of Acceptance picks 5 movies to pair with ‘Phantoms/Twenty’

Acceptance lead singer Jason Vena on the movies that complement the band’s new remastered album.

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Review: ‘Sun Ra: Do the Impossible’
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/20/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/20/25

Review: ‘Sun Ra: Do the Impossible’

It’s odd how dry a documentary this is about the pioneering Afro-futurist jazz musician and band leader Sun Ra, a guy who claimed to be from Saturn.

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Review: ‘Bugonia’
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/20/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/20/25

Review: ‘Bugonia’

A smaller, tighter chamber drama compared to some of his most recent works, Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest is a poignant addition to the recent wave of “late-stage capitalism” cinema.

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Review: ‘Only Heaven Knows’
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/17/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/17/25

Review: ‘Only Heaven Knows’

Shot locally in Chicagoland, Nurzhamal Karamoldoeva’s narrative debut is an eye-opening journey into Chicago’s growing Kyrgyz immigrant community.

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Review: ‘Hedda’
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/16/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/16/25

Review: ‘Hedda’

In Nia DaCosta’s remix of a classic Ibsen play, Tessa Thompson is deliciously wicked as the titular character throwing a Gatsby-level party of decadence and decay.

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Review: ‘Train Dreams’
Bite Size Reviews Kevin Prchal 10/16/25 Bite Size Reviews Kevin Prchal 10/16/25

Review: ‘Train Dreams’

As a collection of images, Clint Bentley’s adaptation of the beloved Denis Johnson novella is a sight to behold—but that takes it only so far.

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Review: ‘Ballad of a Small Player’ is a bombastic yet predictable gambling thriller
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/15/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/15/25

Review: ‘Ballad of a Small Player’ is a bombastic yet predictable gambling thriller

Edward Berger’s excessive directing style and a brilliant Colin Farrell performance elevate what would otherwise be a mediocre algorithm movie into a mostly fun ride.

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Review: ‘Primavera’
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/14/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/14/25

Review: ‘Primavera’

Set in early 18th-century Venice, Damiano Michieletto’s directorial debut features a young orphaned violinist as the pupil of composer Antonio Vivaldi.

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Review: ‘A Useful Ghost’
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/14/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/14/25

Review: ‘A Useful Ghost’

Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s latest film is perhaps a little long and overstuffed with ideas, but also like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

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Review: Revenge dramedy ‘It Was Just An Accident’ finds humor and humanity in the unexpected
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/14/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/14/25

Review: Revenge dramedy ‘It Was Just An Accident’ finds humor and humanity in the unexpected

Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winner is not just a masterpiece from a filmmaker seemingly liberated, but a vital testament to the power of remaining decent in a world that’s increasingly anything but.

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Coverage of the 2025 Chicago International Film Festival
Assorted Flavors Cinema Sugar 10/14/25 Assorted Flavors Cinema Sugar 10/14/25

Coverage of the 2025 Chicago International Film Festival

Our reviews, red carpet interviews, and more from the 61st Chicago International Film Festival.

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PEGGY picks 6 movies to pair with ‘Coming of Age’
Pairings Cinema Sugar 10/14/25 Pairings Cinema Sugar 10/14/25

PEGGY picks 6 movies to pair with ‘Coming of Age’

Indie pop singer-songwriter Peggy Owens on the movies that complement her new EP.

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Review: ‘The Summer Book’ is a serene meditation on loss and coming of age
Bite Size Reviews Chad Comello 10/10/25 Bite Size Reviews Chad Comello 10/10/25

Review: ‘The Summer Book’ is a serene meditation on loss and coming of age

Author Tove Jansson was best known for her Moomin children’s books, but it’s her acclaimed novel that’s been turned into a feature film—and a lovely one at that.

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Review: Geopolitical thriller ‘A House of Dynamite’ is as captivating as it is frustrating
Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/9/25 Bite Size Reviews James Podrasky 10/9/25

Review: Geopolitical thriller ‘A House of Dynamite’ is as captivating as it is frustrating

In Kathryn Bigelow’s new subversive thriller, a who’s who of notable character actors try to prevent a nuclear warhead from blowing up Chicago.

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