Cinefiles: Movie Reviews

Shockwaves have been sent around the film world after Indy, an 8-year-old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever owned by filmmaker Ben Leonberg, brings home the gold for Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller at the 9th Annual Aftra Film Awards. Indy, the star of GOOD BOY, receiving their Astra Award from home with owner  Ben Leonberg Indy starred in the film Good Boy , a 2025 elevated horror thriller told entirely from the dog's perspective. The performance was noted for not needing to use any CGI or AI assisted software for the dog. The dog's owners, Ben Leonberg and Kari Fischer who also made the film, trained the dog themselves, using a series of dog treats and tricks to get the dog to perform on cue. As adorable and uplifting as this story is (who doesn't love that face?), it has not come without a little controversy. Many hollywood insiders and film industry people have come out against the decision to award the dog, saying that it is disrespectful and degrading to all...

It is unfair to say that Elevated Horror  is a new term, or even a new idea, because elevated horror films have been around for well over 50 years now. I would rather call it more of a trending term in the horror movie zeitgeist. At least for me, I wasn't aware of the term until this past year. However, it perfectly describes the trend that is happening in the horror movie genre today. For those that are unfamiliar with the term, "elevated horror" is a horror movie subgenre that is categorized by the use of complex themes, artistic style, emotional depth, and a heavier focus on the craftsmanship of making the film instead of relying on graphic content: blood, gore, sex, etc.  Now, most horror movie fans would say that any good horror movie that's worth its weight in blood already does that. There is a lot of debate as to which horror movies would be considered a part of this category. For example: in the film In A Violent Nature (2024), the film uses a unique style of...

***SPOILERS AHEAD*** Who knew that a movie about Ping Pong would make for one of the most exciting movies of 2025?  In one of his first solo ventures following the "amicable" departure from his brother Benny, Josh Safdie's Marty Supreme is a fast-paced, roller coaster of emotions that is sure to delight critics and audiences alike. Starring Timothee Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Fran Drescher, "Mr. Wonderful" Kevin O'Leary (from Shark Tank fame), and Tyler the Creator, this film will make you laugh, cry, cringe, and cheer. It's hard to define what genre this film falls under, which is probably the point. Similar to how it is unfair to call Rocky a simple sports film, this film is far more than just a movie about table tennis.  Set in 1952 New York City, Marty Supreme tells the story of young shoe salesman Marty Mauser, who dreams of proving himself to be the greatest Table Tennis player in the world, which would bring more attention to th...