Ryan Swen/孫天行/Sun Tien-hsing
@swenryan.bsky.social
Freelance film critic, lafilmcritics.bsky.social member, list obsessive. Host of Catalyst and Witness, co-host of 24 hours don't make an ideology. USC JD, CAMS MA.
Kaneshiro is even more magnetic in pure “charismatic doofus” mode than usual, Leung and Mok do great work in selling their respective passions, and of course the weight carried by Chang’s onscreen presence swiftly establishes the personal bonafides undergirding all.
November 18, 2025 at 4:51 AM
Kaneshiro is even more magnetic in pure “charismatic doofus” mode than usual, Leung and Mok do great work in selling their respective passions, and of course the weight carried by Chang’s onscreen presence swiftly establishes the personal bonafides undergirding all.
Two Italians involved with papal films:
Marco Bellocchio
Sergio Castellitto
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCSY...
Marco Bellocchio
Sergio Castellitto
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCSY...
November 16, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Two Italians involved with papal films:
Marco Bellocchio
Sergio Castellitto
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCSY...
Marco Bellocchio
Sergio Castellitto
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCSY...
Adam Scott
Alison Brie
Dave Franco
Chris Pine (all in a row)
Alison Brie
Dave Franco
Chris Pine (all in a row)
November 16, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Adam Scott
Alison Brie
Dave Franco
Chris Pine (all in a row)
Alison Brie
Dave Franco
Chris Pine (all in a row)
Giona A. Nazzaro
Eugene Hernandez
Cameron Bailey
Azazel Jacobs
Eugene Hernandez
Cameron Bailey
Azazel Jacobs
November 16, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Giona A. Nazzaro
Eugene Hernandez
Cameron Bailey
Azazel Jacobs
Eugene Hernandez
Cameron Bailey
Azazel Jacobs
Alba Rohrwacher
Judd Apatow
J. Smith Cameron
Kenneth Lonergan
Judd Apatow
J. Smith Cameron
Kenneth Lonergan
November 16, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Alba Rohrwacher
Judd Apatow
J. Smith Cameron
Kenneth Lonergan
Judd Apatow
J. Smith Cameron
Kenneth Lonergan
The Pope meeting:
Wang Bing
Bertrand Bonello
Albert Serra
Gaspar Noé (handing him a Blu-ray others have identified as VORTEX)
Wang Bing
Bertrand Bonello
Albert Serra
Gaspar Noé (handing him a Blu-ray others have identified as VORTEX)
November 16, 2025 at 4:44 PM
The Pope meeting:
Wang Bing
Bertrand Bonello
Albert Serra
Gaspar Noé (handing him a Blu-ray others have identified as VORTEX)
Wang Bing
Bertrand Bonello
Albert Serra
Gaspar Noé (handing him a Blu-ray others have identified as VORTEX)
No clue how I’d feel about this if I hadn’t already watched the entirety of the YOUTH trilogy, which I still prefer for what feels like a greater engagement with the workplace, but the focus of many individual sequences is really stunning; very strong bookends as well.
November 15, 2025 at 4:40 AM
No clue how I’d feel about this if I hadn’t already watched the entirety of the YOUTH trilogy, which I still prefer for what feels like a greater engagement with the workplace, but the focus of many individual sequences is really stunning; very strong bookends as well.
At long last a new Stephen Cone film, thank God www.instagram.com/p/DQw7E-LDnl...
November 7, 2025 at 8:07 PM
At long last a new Stephen Cone film, thank God www.instagram.com/p/DQw7E-LDnl...
Reviewed Joseph Hsu's DOUBLE HAPPINESS, which doesn't really know how to make the most of its amusing premise and invokes an all-time great Taiwanese film in the process, for Variety. variety.com/2025/film/re...
November 1, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Reviewed Joseph Hsu's DOUBLE HAPPINESS, which doesn't really know how to make the most of its amusing premise and invokes an all-time great Taiwanese film in the process, for Variety. variety.com/2025/film/re...
Reviewed Panh Rithy's excellent new documentary WE ARE THE FRUITS OF THE FOREST, which turns from his historical focus towards a present-tense but no less urgent topic, for Variety. variety.com/2025/film/re...
November 1, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Reviewed Panh Rithy's excellent new documentary WE ARE THE FRUITS OF THE FOREST, which turns from his historical focus towards a present-tense but no less urgent topic, for Variety. variety.com/2025/film/re...
The presentation here is so smooth that it can be hard to fathom just how much effort it took Andersen and company to animate all of the motion studies; love Stockwell's clipped narration, and Andersen choosing *that* of all the motion studies to recreate.
October 19, 2025 at 3:04 AM
The presentation here is so smooth that it can be hard to fathom just how much effort it took Andersen and company to animate all of the motion studies; love Stockwell's clipped narration, and Andersen choosing *that* of all the motion studies to recreate.
Understood quickly the divergence between the narration and the actors, if only because Amalric's voice is so distinctive, and the way each brings to life the other feels simpatico with the symbiotic relationship between people and plants; terrifically strange single CG image.
October 19, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Understood quickly the divergence between the narration and the actors, if only because Amalric's voice is so distinctive, and the way each brings to life the other feels simpatico with the symbiotic relationship between people and plants; terrifically strange single CG image.
Many thanks to Alula for inviting me to moderate their opening night Q&A with Hou Hsiao-hsien’s longtime editor Liao Ching-sung! He described Hou’s presence as “a sun,” shared delight over A CITY OF SADNESS’s sync sound, and that they’re still in constant contact ❤️❤️
October 18, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Many thanks to Alula for inviting me to moderate their opening night Q&A with Hou Hsiao-hsien’s longtime editor Liao Ching-sung! He described Hou’s presence as “a sun,” shared delight over A CITY OF SADNESS’s sync sound, and that they’re still in constant contact ❤️❤️
Better late than never: for my first of three reviews from NYFF 2025, I fittingly wrote about Kent Jones's LATE FAME and Ira Sachs's PETER HUJAR'S DAY, two fascinating approaches to 1970s New York artistry, for Taipei Mansions: taipeimansions.com/2025/10/14/a...
October 15, 2025 at 1:03 AM
Better late than never: for my first of three reviews from NYFF 2025, I fittingly wrote about Kent Jones's LATE FAME and Ira Sachs's PETER HUJAR'S DAY, two fascinating approaches to 1970s New York artistry, for Taipei Mansions: taipeimansions.com/2025/10/14/a...
There’s actually (thankfully) less sex and much more weed than one might expect considering the title, and I like how Lee leans into his still present youthfulness here; the use of other corporeal interests as substitutes for intimacy is a nice touch; perfect final image.
October 5, 2025 at 4:00 AM
There’s actually (thankfully) less sex and much more weed than one might expect considering the title, and I like how Lee leans into his still present youthfulness here; the use of other corporeal interests as substitutes for intimacy is a nice touch; perfect final image.
Couldn’t begin to speculate as to why Lee and Tsai collaborated on this (only the former is co-credited on the screenplay) or what each brought; for a good ten year period Lu Yi-ching really went through the emotional ringer in every film either one of them directed.
October 5, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Couldn’t begin to speculate as to why Lee and Tsai collaborated on this (only the former is co-credited on the screenplay) or what each brought; for a good ten year period Lu Yi-ching really went through the emotional ringer in every film either one of them directed.
Extra strange to consider this in context of its original intention as a companion to GOODBYE, DRAGON INN, with its multiple locations and themes (and final shot) more akin to e.g. WHAT TIME IS IT THERE?; second film in two days to feature Internet cafe Counter-Strike.
October 5, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Extra strange to consider this in context of its original intention as a companion to GOODBYE, DRAGON INN, with its multiple locations and themes (and final shot) more akin to e.g. WHAT TIME IS IT THERE?; second film in two days to feature Internet cafe Counter-Strike.
Even having seen Yeo’s follow-up I was still unprepared for the decisiveness of the POV shift, and in particular the expanded textural possibilities that it affords; anything that has such a sincere and bewitching tribute to de_dust is something distinctive.
October 5, 2025 at 2:45 AM
Even having seen Yeo’s follow-up I was still unprepared for the decisiveness of the POV shift, and in particular the expanded textural possibilities that it affords; anything that has such a sincere and bewitching tribute to de_dust is something distinctive.
Really did think the serial killer subplot would be much more central but the way it anticlimactically ties back in is well judged, less sold on a lot of the more rote school dynamics; some very good Internet cafe and biking scenes, along with the snappiness of the ending.
September 28, 2025 at 4:06 AM
Really did think the serial killer subplot would be much more central but the way it anticlimactically ties back in is well judged, less sold on a lot of the more rote school dynamics; some very good Internet cafe and biking scenes, along with the snappiness of the ending.