The small break of new releases at the start of the new year allows for a much less stressful, and sometimes even more enjoyable, media binge: a crop of Chicago-made web series that can be viewed from the comfort and safety of your home.
Author Archives: Cody Corrall
Posted inFilm
That Cold Dead Look in Your Eyes
Onur Tukel’s latest film takes a page—or several—out of the pretentious art school handbook.
Posted inFilm
Dead & Beautiful
David Verbeek’s Dead & Beautiful is a charming satire with some real teeth to it.
Posted inFilm
Cannibals, vampires, and visions, oh my!
After 18 months of virtual programming, Facets reopened its doors in September to Chicagoans buzzing to see independent films on the big screen. But the return to in-person screenings is not the only thing different at Facets—the storied cinema house is trying something different this season with a series of “Alternative Horror” picks. Programmed by […]
Posted inFilm
Julia Ducournau takes the wheel with Titane
It’s been five years since Julie Ducournau’s debut feature Raw made audience members at the Toronto International Film Festival allegedly pass out and throw up. Her highly-anticipated—and Palme d’Or winning—sophomore effort, Titane, continued the trend with reported walkouts from disgusted audience members at the Cannes Film Festival, and a reported faint at its TIFF premiere. […]
Posted inFilm
I’m Your Man
Film has always been a fascinating medium to examine the intersection of love and technology. From more recent examples like Her and Ex Machina, to the various iterations of The Stepford Wives, and even as far back as Metropolis—there’s an intrinsic curiosity about humans and machines, and if they can ever coexist. Maria Schrader’s I’m […]
Posted inFilm
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
From a true story, to a 2011 television documentary, to a hit West End musical, and now a feature film—it seems that everybody really is talking about Jamie. And for good reason: there’s an inescapable charm to 16-year-old Jamie New (Max Harwood), who leaves his life in Sheffield to chase his dreams of becoming a […]
Posted inFilm
Martyrs Lane
Expanded from the 2019 short film of the same name, Martyrs Lane tells a deeply personal ghost story inspired by Gothic and Spanish folklore. Ten-year-old Leah (Kiera Thompson) feels her mother growing increasingly distant from her and she doesn’t know why—but she finds answers, and comfort, in a cherub-looking child (Sienna Sayer) who visits her […]
Posted inFilm
The Night House
The Night House is a strong argument for more films that let Rebecca Hall be a scream queen. Feeling the ripple effects of her husband’s recent, unexpected death, Beth (Hall) copes as well as you could expect. She drinks, re-watches old wedding tapes, and covers her pain by projecting a wry, dark sense of humor. […]
Posted inMovie Review
Homeroom
In Homeroom, the stars are the students of Oakland High School as they confront not just the regular highs and lows of high school, but also pushing to remove police officers from their district, rapid budget cuts, and the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Posted inFilm
Ma Belle, My Beauty
Marion Hill’s debut feature is a sun-kissed, but half baked, portrait of non-traditional romance. Set against the French countryside, Ma Belle, My Beauty explores the recent marriage and international move from New Orleans between aspiring jazz performers Bertie (Idella Johnson) and Fred (Lucien Guignard). Bertie starts to feel isolated by the overwhelming whiteness of France […]
