There are still compelling visuals and some character beats that are moving, but it's all wrapped up in a package that's so chaotic that I found it less compelling than I had hoped. (Watched on the Sundance Festival Screening Portal) 5/5

And there are so many characters and so many plot threads that it becomes hard to invest after we're introduced to the third or fourth thread. 4/

It's a film that never fully commits to its concept, hovering between myth and reality, never fully embracing the magical realism that is baked into the premise. 3/

I really loved so much about the concept and the atmosphere, a queer exploration of mythology, all centered around one city (and one nightclub) as purgatory while characters seek happiness and fulfillment in the afterlife. 2/

It's a really compelling short. (Watched on the Sundance Festival Screening Portal) 3/3

I really appreciated the repetition and the ever-escalating grotesquerie of the imagery. I also really loved the ending note - maybe there can be some hope to be found in the midst of a world of chaos and darkness. 2/

The framing of the food and the family members throughout creates moments of grotesque horror, and the comedy is sharp and pointed. It all does get a bit overwrought and on the nose by the end, but I still found it incredibly poignant. (Watched on the Sundance Festival Screening Portal) 4/4

...the situations Noa encounters are familiar to anyone who has had to navigate a new disability with their loved ones. 3/

Whether it's the awkward gawking, the ignoring of her need for accommodations, the constant pushing of inappropriate (and frankly dangerous) food and treatments, or the pity from well-meaning relatives... 2/

Conflating the two takes away from both of their legacies. (Watched on the Sundance Festival Viewing Portal) 4/4

The other was a politician who, while I personally admire and appreciate many of the things he did while in office, was not Martin Luther King, Jr. And I think even he would agree with that. 3/

The animation is fun and vibrant. But the conflation of Obama and King is a little troubling - one man was a Civil Rights Leader, a flawed man certainly, but a man who sought specific changes in society. 2/

The script is sloppy, even if the actors are wonderful in it. (Watched on the Sundance Festival Viewing Portal) 4/4

...the worldview on display is pretty skewed and shallow. I know it's a short, but we're never given any insight into why we should care whether the protagonist succeeds or fails or what pressures at home might give him insight into changing his position. 3/

But when the point of the film is that the folks making laws that affect people are out of touch with the people, and the illustration of your point is that your average person would be happier to have a job making less rather than to risk losing that job if the minimum wage gets raised... 2/

I don't doubt that this will remain near the top of my list of favorite films by the end of this year. (Watched on the Sundance Festival Screening Portal) 7/7

This is a film that understands the way that men in power prey on women, but this is also a film that understands the power of kindness from a stranger. 6/

All of the performers are wonderful, and even though this is ostensibly Agnes's story, the film allows for depth and character growth for most of the supporting cast. 5/

The nonlinear structure, with each new segment introduced by a title and chapter heading, replicates the nonlinear ways that our brains process trauma - and provides a cinematic grammar to transpose the film's literary setting onscreen. 4/