John Dotson

Despite being different film subgenres, Your Lucky Day and What You Wish For are surprisingly similar. The two movies boast fantastic performers from Angus Cloud and Nick Stahl. Although Angus Cloud has passed away, his performance in the film is still a captivating force. Stahl, like Cloud, has also faced struggles, but his performance in What You Wish For may mark the beginning of a comeback for the underappreciated actor.
Both movies played at Fantastic Fest feature one-setting thrillers t...

In the present era, popularity has taken a unique shape. Platforms like TikTok have enabled short and meaningless videos to thrust someone into unexpected stardom. Dream Scenario, starring Nicolas Cage, examines the contemporary idea of fame and how it can be a delicate issue in the public eye, even for something trivial. The movie cleverly utilizes satire to communicate its message, though some viewers may perceive it as complicated due to its murky messaging.
The movie made a surprise entra...

It’s been an eventful weekend here at Fantastic Fest 2023, with lots of great films for fans of genre pieces. The festival started with a massive swing of a movie on the first night. Fans of the original Toxic Avenger are well aware of how nutso the original film is in execution. The remake is not much different and might be the most unmarketable film this reviewer has seen (in a good way).
The festival also brought Mike Flanagan’s haunting vision of one of the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The e...

The idea of space travel feels so attainable as a child. A Million Miles Away is more than just a title for this reason.
Space feels like a few steps away in youth, but naivety in a kid is endless. As adults, the idea of being an astronaut is laughable.
So when Adela, Jose’s wife (Rosa Salazar), laughs in the face of her future husband as he says, “I want to be an astronaut,” the moment is relatable.
But José M. Hernández (Michael Pena) is not just an average American kid with dreams of being...

Director and actor Kenneth Branagh’s passion for the works of Agatha Christie continues with another murder mystery for Hercule Poirot. This time, Branagh takes a swan dive into the supernatural with A Haunting in Venice, an approach he has tried with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
A Haunting in Venice is not a perfect sequel. Some aspects feel slightly undercooked within its screenplay. However, this might be the most engaging of the three films. The sequel offers horror-inspired elements that...

Aporia is relatable in so many ways. We all wish we had a button to help us undo a tragedy.
The time travel genre is an easy go-to for sci-fi inspiration. The genre is endless, with every type of story one can hope to find. The new film Aporia takes another swim in the waters of time, but it does so with a unique approach.
Rather than moving back and forth through space and time, Aporia focuses on time manipulation.
The movie doesn’t ask, “What if we can go back?” but rather, “What if we can ...

The Last Voyage of the Demeter recounts the tale of Dracula’s journey to England on the infamous ship from the novel Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Specifically, the script takes the ideas from the chapter “Captain’s Log” and expands the narrative. Early in the film, the potential is noticeable for this Dracula encounter to have an Alien-inspired story (something like Master and Commander) but with the same Xenomorph-style approach.
Instead of Alien, the vampire film has more in common with one of it...

This writer is flummoxed. Flabbergasted even. When the summer first began, there were numerous films with great potential ahead of us. However, many were disappointing, bringing in low revenue and substandard critical reception. For instance, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny failed to meet expectations. However, Gran Turismo is the diamond in the 2023 rough, and it’s a pleasant surprise by Neill Blomkamp. The filmmaker has been struggling to create quality films since District 9. That be...

The films Femme and Insomniacs After School differ in tone and genre, but they offer intriguing insights into the human experience.
Femme is a powerful story that tackles the issue of homophobia and its impact on those affected by it.
In contrast, Insomniacs After School is a more lighthearted and whimsical film that explores childhood relationships.
Both movies made their premieres at Fantasia and instantly left an impression when the credits hit the screen.
And both of them were made with a...

Restore Point finds itself in a comfortable position of sitting at the big kid table with other cinema giants such as Blade Runner. The film has a smaller budget than most films of that caliber but remains fearless of big ideas.
In an age where Marvel is producing $100 million television shows, and studios are churning out $300 million films (as if the money will fix the issues), Restore Point is an example of making a film feel expensive.
And it does so while capturing a dialogue-heavy sci-f...

River is a new addition to the time-loop genre. However, unlike the typical scenario where only one person remains in a “Groundhog Day” story, in this case, an entire hotel is affected.
The movie playing at Fantasia is like a clever blend of Groundhog Day meets The White Lotus.
The movie’s plot revolves around a group of characters caught in a time loop, and as spectators, we witness their unpredictable and hilarious conduct in real-time.
River offers a refreshing take on a genre that can oft...

Lovely, Dark, and Deep and Blackout have vastly different storylines that explore fascinating trauma-related themes.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a psychological horror film that gradually builds tension, leaving the viewer with an unsettling feeling at all times.
In contrast, Blackout takes a more traditional approach to werewolf movies but with interesting meta concepts.
Teresa Sutherland’s cosmic nightmare features a character grappling with past losses.
At the same time, Blackout uses its ly...

After months of buzz, the live-action Barbie movie finally hit theaters this weekend, and we’re diving deep into this episode of the Cosmic Circle. The world’s most famous doll has been brought to life by writer-director Greta Gerwig and her professional partner Noah Baumbach. After seeing the massively successful box office, it’s safe to say we’re in a Barbie world.
On this episode of the Cosmic Circle, we’re joined by writers John Dotson and Uday Kataria to discuss the live-action Barbie fi...

We begin with two unique films in entirely different genres to kick off our Fantasia Film Festival review coverage.
The first is a reimagining of a classic Japanese character known as Shin Kamen Rider.
Our second movie is an innovative war thriller, all told through the guise of a computer screen. That film, titled Stay Online, is a movie based on the setting of the invasion of Ukraine.
One offers wild, ridiculous, over-the-top thrills, and the other might be one of the essential films that m...

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer checks all the boxes for the distinguished director. The story involves a tortured hero navigating a problematic period, everyone wears tailor-made suits, and the women are highly depressed because of “men.” And just like Tenet and Interstellar, the film heavily dives deep into a segment of physics.
However, Oppenheimer is a creative shift for the filmmaker. The new film aims less for spectacle and more for dialogue-driven affairs.
Much like The Social Network,...