Let me just say this upfront: From Scratch is for all the romantics. If you want a good tearjerker, a beautiful rom-com that punches you right in the heart, and something based on a true story—well, Tembi Locke (inspired by her memoir), opened up her diary for us. And what she gave us is a love story
From Scratch (2022) Review – A Love Story That Will Break You Beautifully Read More »
Let me tell you about Ran. This Japanese classic is hands down one of the best book-to-movie adaptations you will ever watch. And for my readers who know the books always set the bar high, imagine adapting a Shakespeare play and actually doing a good job. No, scratch that. An incredible job. Ran is based on King Lear by William Shakespeare. But director
Ran (1985) Review: One of the Best Book-to-Movie Adaptations You Will Ever Watch Read More »
Pixote: A Lei do Mais Fraco (1981), directed by Héctor Babenco, is one of those films that hits you once—and then just stays with you. Written by Babenco and Jorge Durán, this Brazilian classic was restored in 2025, but honestly, it feels like it could have been made yesterday. That’s how little the world has
Pixote (1981) Film Review – A Story That Never Left the Streets Read More »
It was actually the trailer that got me hooked. And since I’m a Christian myself, I was really curious to see Ann Lee brought to life on screen. The movie is based on the real-life Ann Lee (1736–1784) , the founder of the Shakers (officially the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing). She is believed
The Testament of Ann Lee – Faith, Performance, and a Missed Spiritual Depth Read More »
Before Christianity, before missionaries, before the slave trade—Africans had their own gods. What many today call juju was, and still is, African Traditional Religion. Every community had spiritual leaders. These weren’t just background figures—they were central to society. Consulted before wars, Present in marriage decisions, Involved in major community choices, and even influential in selecting
Yeelen (1987) – Brightness and the Power of African Storytelling Read More »
Was looking for movies that laid the groundwork for African cinema—the pioneers, the godfathers, the early voices in directing, acting, and storytelling—I stumbled on this classic: Straight out of Senegal, this film is directed by Ousmane Sembène, one of the most respected and influential figures in African cinema. Sembène isn’t just a director—he’s often called
There are movies you watch, and then there are movies that watch you right back—the ones that burrow into your brain and set up camp. For me, that film is Perfect Blue. It was my first-ever anime film, a recommendation from a random guy on Reddit who probably has no idea he changed my cinematic life.
“I smoke, I snort, I’ve killed and robbed—I am a man.” A city where what defines you as a man is crime. This Brazilian favela, born from good intentions, became a place where drugs, guns, rape, and chaos wrote every chapter. I remember watching this movie when I was young. I didn’t remember much else—only
City of God(2002): When a City Tells a Story of Drugs, Guns, and Chaos Read More »
There’s a quiet realization that hits you when watching certain documentaries: some of the best acting you’ll ever see doesn’t happen in traditional films—it happens in reenactments. That thought struck me while watching Clark Gregg portray Dr. Bruce Ivins, the scientist at the center of the 2001 anthrax attacks investigation. Gregg, widely known for his
I’ve come to a conclusion lately: I love silent movies. The more I watch, the more I respect the directors and actors for being able to show me without telling me—or, I suppose, it’s “tell me without telling me.” There’s an honesty to it that modern films, for all their technology, rarely achieve. One film
The General (1926) Feels More Real Than Anything Made Today Read More »
