Sabbath is supposed to mean peace. Rest. A retreat from chaos and noise, a way to center yourself in something larger. But Marc DuBowski’s Sabbath Queen takes the idea of Sabbath and flips it on its head. Peace? No, this film isn’t about peace. It’s about friction. Not the kind that tears things apart, but…
It’s not every day that a documentary comes along and invites you to reexamine a word as loaded as “witch.” Sophie Sankey’s Witches is that kind of film—sharp, personal, messy, and intentionally hard to pin down. Watching it is like stepping into a kaleidoscope: fractured pieces of history, culture, and personal pain twist and turn…
The moment you step into Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, you’re met with a sense of gravity. Raoul Peck doesn’t just tell a story; he weaves an atmosphere, inviting viewers to grapple with a life that was at once deeply ordinary and extraordinary. Ernest Cole, a South African photographer who captured the raw edges of…
Afghanistan, under the grip of the Taliban, is a land haunted by the weight of oppression and loss. But Bread and Roses—a documentary directed by Sahra Mani and produced in part by Jennifer Lawrence—cuts through the shadows like a defiant cry. It’s raw, painful, and absolutely essential. Watching it is like staring into a mirror…
There’s a special kind of awe that hits you when you’re confronted with a mind like Leonardo da Vinci’s. Watching Leonardo da Vinci, the latest documentary masterpiece from Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon, you can’t help but sit back and marvel. This isn’t just a biographical sketch; it’s a kaleidoscopic dive into one…
Elton John’s life is a tapestry woven with flamboyant performances, staggering fame, personal heartaches, and eventual redemption. Never Too Late, a film biography co-directed by David Furnish (John’s husband and manager) and RJ Cutler, ventures into the intricate layers of this icon’s life. It feels grand, yet oddly restrained—like it wants to dive deep but…
Prince William’s documentary We Can End Homelessness sets out with a noble aim: to tackle a massive social issue in the UK that, sadly, isn’t confined to British borders. Homelessness is a heartbreaking problem across the globe, and it’s easy to see why a member of the royal family might want to address it. The…
Dawn Porter’s Never Too Much isn’t merely a stroll down memory lane of Luther Vandross’s career, nor is it just another documentary full of the usual facts and figures. Instead, it’s a heartfelt invitation to meet the man behind the music. For those of us who have a special place for Luther’s voice and vision,…
There’s something almost hauntingly tranquil about Youth (Homecoming). It’s not an easy movie, not something you watch in passing or put on for background noise. Wang Bing’s film—part of a larger trilogy that digs deeply into working-class life in modern China—is almost a meditation on what it means to live, to labor, and to be…
In Dahomey, Mati Diop crafts a mesmerizing, thought-provoking piece that peels back the layers of cultural identity, exploring the intersection of history and modern identity with stunning artistry. This documentary doesn’t just explain what was lost when cultural artifacts and symbols were taken from the people of Dahomey—it gives those stories room to breathe, letting…