Movie Reviews: Six More from Tribeca Festival 2024
By Eric McClanahan
Group Therapy
Niel Berkeley’s strike-era documentary pulls six comedians together to discuss the intersection of mental health and comedy, as moderated by Dr. Doogie Howser, himself, Neil Patrick Harris. Mike Birbiglia, Atsuko Okatsuka, Tig Notaro, Gary Gulman, London Hughes, and Nicole Byer all discuss their experiences in a theater of the round, with a live audience to react as well as docu-cutaways to elucidate finer points. Funny, poignant, and illuminating. Each participant brings a different lens to the proceedings but Gulman and Notaro were the most notable.
Hunters on a White Field
Two experienced hunters bring a third along on their annual hunting trip, the last to be held at the cabin owned by a brother whose wife is extricating him from the family. Hunting, dining, and boozing, the friends find an easy bond, until one morning they awake to find all the wildlife has vanished. The world is silent, and their game has gone. Unable to imagine a weekend without conquest, they opt to hunt one another. It’s a damning portrait of masculinity, but as told through a foreign lens which has much more loose interpretations of masculinity, it really helps drill down to the core of men’s need for hierarchy, for winners, and ultimately, for destruction.
Rent Free
Determined, they try to spend a year couch-surfing with friends without paying rent, saving all of their pennies to try New York again on their own terms. Stretching the bonds of friendship, both with their transient landlords and each other, the pair learn more about themselves than the skyrocketing costs of housing in America. The film weaves the narration with real estate placards for each stay, which can either delight or terrify viewers who are familiar with the film’s locations.
She Loved Blossoms More
The dynamic between the three leads is the heart and soul of this film, and the climax is unlike anything I’ve seen. A truly original and affecting story of loss, hope, and cynicism. I recommend this film to all fans of mind-bending, genre-defying storytelling. Body horror, sex and jealousy, a time-traveling wardrobe, and classic gothic mansion horror all combine to create a truly unique experience.
Some Rain Must Fall
After accidentally injuring the classmate of her daughter, Cai’s quiet existence spirals out of control as she pushes herself further toward an awakening of her authentic self. Distanced from her parents, distant from her daughter, and actively divorcing her husband, Cai is desperately trying to feel something real in the box her life had manufactured for her.
The Weekend
At her stubborn insistence, (an ultimatum, actually) he agrees to take her to visit his family for a weekend so that she can get to know her imminent in-laws. His reluctance gradually makes sense as the weekend descends into chaos, unleashing shocking secrets of his family’s past and a grim reminder that some people have good reason to distance themselves from their roots. Very much in the spirit of Jordan Peele’s GET OUT with its central setting, claustrophobia, outsider perspective, and overall sense of dread.
Coming up on the podcast, we’ll have an interview with Some Rain Must Fall director, Qiu Yang whow very eloquently spoke with me about the process of crafting the story and capturing the emotions as a voyeur within the secrets of one family.
Follow us here for more film festival coverage and movie reviews. For more on Group Therapy, watch our red carpet coverage here.
Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on June 21, 2024.
