Zachary Lee
@zacharylee.bsky.social
editor, critic, journalist | bylines in rogerebert.com, The Chicago Reader, Block Club Chicago, RNS, Dread Central, Sojourners, Think Christian | CFCA Member
Pinned
Delayed in sharing, but I'm delighted that projects like All THAT'S LEFT OF YOU, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT, SINNERS, TRAIN DREAMS, THE ALABAMA SOLUTION, and COEXISTENCE, MY ASS (among others) made the Oscars shortlist. Had the privilege to write about some of these 🧵:
Reposted by Zachary Lee
"It is sympathetic to the ways we’ll migrate to digital worlds to escape the hell of embodied living, but it sweetly and gently reminds us about the beautiful inconvenience of community,” writes @zacharylee.bsky.social in praise of OBEX.
OBEX review: Albert Birney's lo-fi fantasy adventure soars
“OBEX” works best when it embraces its roots as a fairy tale of sorts, even as it feels rooted in its contemporary tenderness about the human condition.
www.rogerebert.com
January 9, 2026 at 8:00 PM
"It is sympathetic to the ways we’ll migrate to digital worlds to escape the hell of embodied living, but it sweetly and gently reminds us about the beautiful inconvenience of community,” writes @zacharylee.bsky.social in praise of OBEX.
Reposted by Zachary Lee
NEW from me:
“I was talking with one ICE agent about Matthew 25, ‘Whatever you did for the least of these, you did unto me,’ ... He told me he was going to go home and read Matthew 25 tonight. I encouraged him to take a look at Matthew 5 also for the Sermon on the Mount.” sojo.net/articles/new...
“I was talking with one ICE agent about Matthew 25, ‘Whatever you did for the least of these, you did unto me,’ ... He told me he was going to go home and read Matthew 25 tonight. I encouraged him to take a look at Matthew 5 also for the Sermon on the Mount.” sojo.net/articles/new...
Minneapolis Faith Leaders Amplify Demands for ICE to Repent
“It will be part of my mission to make sure people do not forget who Renee Nicole Good was,” Pastor Sergio Amezcua said. “She will continue to be a hero for our community for years to come.”
sojo.net
January 9, 2026 at 11:18 PM
NEW from me:
“I was talking with one ICE agent about Matthew 25, ‘Whatever you did for the least of these, you did unto me,’ ... He told me he was going to go home and read Matthew 25 tonight. I encouraged him to take a look at Matthew 5 also for the Sermon on the Mount.” sojo.net/articles/new...
“I was talking with one ICE agent about Matthew 25, ‘Whatever you did for the least of these, you did unto me,’ ... He told me he was going to go home and read Matthew 25 tonight. I encouraged him to take a look at Matthew 5 also for the Sermon on the Mount.” sojo.net/articles/new...
Utterly enraptured by Albert Birney’s OBEX, from its hypnotic sound design to how it reminds us abt the beautiful inconvenience of community, even while it's sympathetic to our digital plight to escape our embodied hells. 2026 is off to a great start. Review for @ebertvoices.bsky.social:
OBEX review: Albert Birney's lo-fi fantasy adventure soars
“OBEX” works best when it embraces its roots as a fairy tale of sorts, even as it feels rooted in its contemporary tenderness about the human condition.
www.rogerebert.com
January 9, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Utterly enraptured by Albert Birney’s OBEX, from its hypnotic sound design to how it reminds us abt the beautiful inconvenience of community, even while it's sympathetic to our digital plight to escape our embodied hells. 2026 is off to a great start. Review for @ebertvoices.bsky.social:
Reposted by Zachary Lee
Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
January 5, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
Grateful for all the outlets that served as home for my words and ideas this past year. Wanted to craft a thread of some of my favorite pieces I had the chance to write:
January 5, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Grateful for all the outlets that served as home for my words and ideas this past year. Wanted to craft a thread of some of my favorite pieces I had the chance to write:
Reposted by Zachary Lee
I wrote about Josh O'Connor in WAKE UP DEAD MAN as one of
@ebertvoices.bsky.social's best performances of 2025, and how his anguished priest –– young, dumb and full of *Christ –– is one of the most resonant depictions of spiritual struggle in years:
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
@ebertvoices.bsky.social's best performances of 2025, and how his anguished priest –– young, dumb and full of *Christ –– is one of the most resonant depictions of spiritual struggle in years:
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
The Great Performances of 2025 | Features | Roger Ebert
The staff of RogerEbert.com pays tribute to some of their favorite performances of 2025.
www.rogerebert.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:45 PM
I wrote about Josh O'Connor in WAKE UP DEAD MAN as one of
@ebertvoices.bsky.social's best performances of 2025, and how his anguished priest –– young, dumb and full of *Christ –– is one of the most resonant depictions of spiritual struggle in years:
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
@ebertvoices.bsky.social's best performances of 2025, and how his anguished priest –– young, dumb and full of *Christ –– is one of the most resonant depictions of spiritual struggle in years:
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
For the Great Craft of 2025 piece for @ebertvoices.bsky.social, I wrote about Nine Inch Nails' propulsive & gritty TRON: ARES score. It’s as if the duo predicted the hellscape we might find ourselves & decided that if democracy were to fall, it could be heralded w/ thunderous bass:
The Great Craft of 2025 | Features | Roger Ebert
On some of our favorite filmmaking of 2025.
www.rogerebert.com
December 23, 2025 at 5:01 PM
For the Great Craft of 2025 piece for @ebertvoices.bsky.social, I wrote about Nine Inch Nails' propulsive & gritty TRON: ARES score. It’s as if the duo predicted the hellscape we might find ourselves & decided that if democracy were to fall, it could be heralded w/ thunderous bass:
Reposted by Zachary Lee
"Today, we go behind the camera to pick some of the great craft of the year in film, including excellence in cinematography, editing, original score, casting, and more.” Read our writers’ picks:
The Great Craft of 2025 | Features | Roger Ebert
On some of our favorite filmmaking of 2025.
www.rogerebert.com
December 22, 2025 at 9:12 PM
"Today, we go behind the camera to pick some of the great craft of the year in film, including excellence in cinematography, editing, original score, casting, and more.” Read our writers’ picks:
Reposted by Zachary Lee
"It feels as if they tried to make a score that the film would have to bend around to accommodate, rather than the other way around." Marvelous (and short) appreciation of Reznor & Ross's score for Tron: Ares," by @zacharylee.bsky.social.
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
The Great Craft of 2025 | Features | Roger Ebert
On some of our favorite filmmaking of 2025.
www.rogerebert.com
December 22, 2025 at 10:01 PM
"It feels as if they tried to make a score that the film would have to bend around to accommodate, rather than the other way around." Marvelous (and short) appreciation of Reznor & Ross's score for Tron: Ares," by @zacharylee.bsky.social.
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
Delayed in sharing, but I'm delighted that projects like All THAT'S LEFT OF YOU, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT, SINNERS, TRAIN DREAMS, THE ALABAMA SOLUTION, and COEXISTENCE, MY ASS (among others) made the Oscars shortlist. Had the privilege to write about some of these 🧵:
December 18, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Delayed in sharing, but I'm delighted that projects like All THAT'S LEFT OF YOU, IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT, SINNERS, TRAIN DREAMS, THE ALABAMA SOLUTION, and COEXISTENCE, MY ASS (among others) made the Oscars shortlist. Had the privilege to write about some of these 🧵:
Reposted by Zachary Lee
now that Wake Up Dead Man is in the wild i think we can have a conversation about how, pound for pound, bridget everett has 2025’s most impactful ~2 minutes of screen time as Louise. Somebody Somewhere streaming on HBO Max!
December 15, 2025 at 12:46 AM
now that Wake Up Dead Man is in the wild i think we can have a conversation about how, pound for pound, bridget everett has 2025’s most impactful ~2 minutes of screen time as Louise. Somebody Somewhere streaming on HBO Max!
“Only good can come out of loving & forgiving your enemy.”
For @@ncronline.bsky.social, a gift to speak w/ @@rianjohnson.bsky.social abt swearing priests, thinking abt spirituality beyond the language of warfare, & deconstructing gracefully.
For @@ncronline.bsky.social, a gift to speak w/ @@rianjohnson.bsky.social abt swearing priests, thinking abt spirituality beyond the language of warfare, & deconstructing gracefully.
A very Catholic 'Knives Out': Rian Johnson talks priests, forgiveness and complicated faith
You won't see a better portrait of a clergy person striving to embody Jesus' selfless love than in Rian Johnson's "Wake Up Dead Man," the third in his "Knives Out" whodunit series.
www.ncronline.org
December 15, 2025 at 5:30 PM
“Only good can come out of loving & forgiving your enemy.”
For @@ncronline.bsky.social, a gift to speak w/ @@rianjohnson.bsky.social abt swearing priests, thinking abt spirituality beyond the language of warfare, & deconstructing gracefully.
For @@ncronline.bsky.social, a gift to speak w/ @@rianjohnson.bsky.social abt swearing priests, thinking abt spirituality beyond the language of warfare, & deconstructing gracefully.
Reposted by Zachary Lee
Via @zacharylee.bsky.social in NCR - A very Catholic 'Knives Out': Director Rian Johnson talks about priests, forgiveness …and his own complicated faith
#KnivesOut #Hollywood #movies
#Catholic #Christian
www.ncronline.org/culture/very...
#KnivesOut #Hollywood #movies
#Catholic #Christian
www.ncronline.org/culture/very...
A very Catholic 'Knives Out': Rian Johnson talks priests, forgiveness and complicated faith
You won't see a better portrait of a clergy person striving to embody Jesus' selfless love than in Rian Johnson's "Wake Up Dead Man," the third in his "Knives Out" whodunit series.
www.ncronline.org
December 13, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Via @zacharylee.bsky.social in NCR - A very Catholic 'Knives Out': Director Rian Johnson talks about priests, forgiveness …and his own complicated faith
#KnivesOut #Hollywood #movies
#Catholic #Christian
www.ncronline.org/culture/very...
#KnivesOut #Hollywood #movies
#Catholic #Christian
www.ncronline.org/culture/very...
"The whole beauty of Jud is this acceptance that he’s flawed & others are flawed."
For @@ebertvoices.bsky.social, I spoke w/ Josh O'Connor abt revisiting similar themes but w/ different filmmakers, where activism intersects w/ artistry, & what Father Jud might say to his character in THE MASTERMIND
For @@ebertvoices.bsky.social, I spoke w/ Josh O'Connor abt revisiting similar themes but w/ different filmmakers, where activism intersects w/ artistry, & what Father Jud might say to his character in THE MASTERMIND
Josh O'Connor Interview: "Rebuilding," "Wake Up Dead Man," and More
The actor talks about his busy year playing priests, conmen, and yearning artists.
www.rogerebert.com
December 13, 2025 at 5:30 PM
"The whole beauty of Jud is this acceptance that he’s flawed & others are flawed."
For @@ebertvoices.bsky.social, I spoke w/ Josh O'Connor abt revisiting similar themes but w/ different filmmakers, where activism intersects w/ artistry, & what Father Jud might say to his character in THE MASTERMIND
For @@ebertvoices.bsky.social, I spoke w/ Josh O'Connor abt revisiting similar themes but w/ different filmmakers, where activism intersects w/ artistry, & what Father Jud might say to his character in THE MASTERMIND
Reposted by Zachary Lee
I sat down for a conversation with the one and only @rianjohnson.bsky.social to talk about Wake Up Dead Man, the Mountain Goats, grace, and the ordinary lives of priests.
Director Interview: Rian Johnson
The writer/director of one of our favorite movies of the year talks about writing priests and conflict that feels true.
seeingandbelieving.substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 6:04 PM
I sat down for a conversation with the one and only @rianjohnson.bsky.social to talk about Wake Up Dead Man, the Mountain Goats, grace, and the ordinary lives of priests.
Reposted by Zachary Lee
For the evening crowd: @dodgyboffin.com's interview with Rian Johnson for S&B is now live! Excited about this one.
Director Interview: Rian Johnson
The writer/director of one of our favorite movies of the year talks about writing priests and conflict that feels true.
open.substack.com
December 13, 2025 at 12:54 AM
For the evening crowd: @dodgyboffin.com's interview with Rian Johnson for S&B is now live! Excited about this one.
Grateful to contribute my top ten list which is ever changing. For now, a snapshot of the films that meant the most to me and stuck with me this year:
December 13, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Grateful to contribute my top ten list which is ever changing. For now, a snapshot of the films that meant the most to me and stuck with me this year:
One of the greatest joys of this year has been going through the GODZILLA movies with @mitchellatencio.com. GODZILLA vs. HEDORAH has stuck with me since March. Thrilled to write about the spell it put me under for @letterboxd.social:
December 13, 2025 at 5:40 AM
One of the greatest joys of this year has been going through the GODZILLA movies with @mitchellatencio.com. GODZILLA vs. HEDORAH has stuck with me since March. Thrilled to write about the spell it put me under for @letterboxd.social:
Reposted by Zachary Lee
As the closing credits of 2025 roll, Letterboxd crew and contributors round up their favorite films that they watched for the very first time this year, from underseen international gems like Forever a Woman to acclaimed mainstays like Paper Moon. boxd.it/2S8
December 12, 2025 at 4:10 PM
As the closing credits of 2025 roll, Letterboxd crew and contributors round up their favorite films that they watched for the very first time this year, from underseen international gems like Forever a Woman to acclaimed mainstays like Paper Moon. boxd.it/2S8
Reposted by Zachary Lee
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery and Conclave both depict faith at work in a world that’s dark & growing darker. Each film holds faith up to the light and asks: In times like these, what are the faithful to do?”
Double Features: Wake Up Dead Man and Conclave
Wake Up Dead Man and Conclave depict faith at work in a world that’s dark and growing darker. Both films hold faith up to the light and ask: In times like these, what are the faithful to do?
www.brightwalldarkroom.com
December 11, 2025 at 8:06 AM
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery and Conclave both depict faith at work in a world that’s dark & growing darker. Each film holds faith up to the light and asks: In times like these, what are the faithful to do?”
Reposted by Zachary Lee
I talked to Kleber Mendonça Filho and Wagner Maura for THE SECRET AGENT over @nextbestpicture.bsky.social, diving into the importance of memory, political amnesia and I had to ask about the best split diopter shot of the year:
nextbestpicture.com/the-next-bes...
nextbestpicture.com/the-next-bes...
The Next Best Picture Podcast - Interview With "The Secret Agent" Star Wagner Moura & Filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho
“The Secret Agent” is a historical political thriller film written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho that follows Armando (NYFCC Best Actor winner Wagner Moura), a former professor caught in the p...
nextbestpicture.com
December 10, 2025 at 6:20 PM
I talked to Kleber Mendonça Filho and Wagner Maura for THE SECRET AGENT over @nextbestpicture.bsky.social, diving into the importance of memory, political amnesia and I had to ask about the best split diopter shot of the year:
nextbestpicture.com/the-next-bes...
nextbestpicture.com/the-next-bes...
"So long as we stoke the fires of memory, we’ll never lose the people, places, and experiences that have made us."
In your EOY catch-up, don't miss LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN. Now on VOD; my full review over at @movie-web.bsky.social:
In your EOY catch-up, don't miss LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN. Now on VOD; my full review over at @movie-web.bsky.social:
This Stunning New Animated Movie Is the Best Coming-of-Age Tale in Ages
Consider your heart warmed.
movieweb.com
December 10, 2025 at 5:45 PM
"So long as we stoke the fires of memory, we’ll never lose the people, places, and experiences that have made us."
In your EOY catch-up, don't miss LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN. Now on VOD; my full review over at @movie-web.bsky.social:
In your EOY catch-up, don't miss LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN. Now on VOD; my full review over at @movie-web.bsky.social:
"If you squint your eyes at it, [the story of the Holy family] is sort of a superhero origin story."
Lotfy Nathan's THE CARPENTER'S SON is available on VOD now. I chatted with him for @sojo.net about the film’s depiction of hell, tapping into the horror DNA of the Bible, and set superstitions:
Lotfy Nathan's THE CARPENTER'S SON is available on VOD now. I chatted with him for @sojo.net about the film’s depiction of hell, tapping into the horror DNA of the Bible, and set superstitions:
Unto Us a Scary Child Is Born
‘The Carpenter’s Son,’ a new Nicolas Cage horror movie, uses the apocryphal ‘Infancy Gospel of Thomas’ as inspiration.
sojo.net
December 10, 2025 at 4:44 PM
"If you squint your eyes at it, [the story of the Holy family] is sort of a superhero origin story."
Lotfy Nathan's THE CARPENTER'S SON is available on VOD now. I chatted with him for @sojo.net about the film’s depiction of hell, tapping into the horror DNA of the Bible, and set superstitions:
Lotfy Nathan's THE CARPENTER'S SON is available on VOD now. I chatted with him for @sojo.net about the film’s depiction of hell, tapping into the horror DNA of the Bible, and set superstitions:
Reposted by Zachary Lee
Pleased as punch to contribute the intro to @ebertvoices.bsky.social's Top Ten Films of 2025 list, and extol the virtues of Jafar Panahi's intense, mournful IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT.
Great crop of flicks, and an even better basket of blurbs to describe them.
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
Great crop of flicks, and an even better basket of blurbs to describe them.
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
The Ten Best Films of 2025 | Features | Roger Ebert
The best films of 2025, as chosen by the regular film critics of RogerEbert.com.
www.rogerebert.com
December 9, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Pleased as punch to contribute the intro to @ebertvoices.bsky.social's Top Ten Films of 2025 list, and extol the virtues of Jafar Panahi's intense, mournful IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT.
Great crop of flicks, and an even better basket of blurbs to describe them.
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
Great crop of flicks, and an even better basket of blurbs to describe them.
www.rogerebert.com/features/the...
Reposted by Zachary Lee
Really happy with the CFCA nominees this year! www.rogerebert.com/festivals/on...
"One Battle After Another," "Sinners" Lead Chicago Film Critics Association Nominees | Festivals & Awards | Roger Ebert
The 2025 Chicago Film Critics Association nominees.
www.rogerebert.com
December 9, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Really happy with the CFCA nominees this year! www.rogerebert.com/festivals/on...