By Roger Costa
THE MOTHER AND THE BEAR
A winning elegant comedy addressing cultural clash, identity conflict, new beginnings and self-discovery seen through the perspective of a middle-aged delusional Korean woman. Recently arrived to the heavy winter of Winnipeg, she’s trying to adapt while in pursuit of an enchanted prince for her comatose daughter, who slipped on ice and suffered a head injury. Award-winning Korean actress Kim Ho-Jung is wonderful as Sara, crafting her darkly comic character as a blend of melancholy, desperation and confusion that feels like a vibrant homage to the heroines of Fellini. There’s something sophisticated and pastiche at equal levels that results in perfect chemistry.
Award-winning Chinese/Canadian filmmaker Johnny Ma’s third directorial outing is a wondrously charming and inspirational story of maternal love and feminine eagerness. While looking at the determination and desperation of this immigrant forced to experience a cultural clash through magical realism, witty humor and unexpected fantastical turns, Ma explores the dynamics of family values and generational conflicts, such as traditions, estranged connections and the yearning for affection. It is also a love letter to Winnipeg, its snowy scenario and pacifist lifestyle, the bright sunny lights and diversity, and references to the dreamy language of Guy Maddin.
While her daughter is asleep, Sara realizes she’s got to give life another chance. The hanging picture of her late husband is gradually forgotten as she engages in the search for a match for her daughter. The trouble part is that she’s chatting with the contenders online, pretending to be the daughter (in her mind she is just “warming up” the expected engagement) and occasionally receiving nude shots. When the identity of the man is revealed, things descend into madness, and Sara has a moral decision to make.
Touching and humorous, this is a refreshing and visually engaging look at motherhood and the power of family values.
(A Dekanalog Release. Opens Friday, January 2nd at IFC Center).
WE BURY THE DEAD
A sudden military disaster devastates Tasmania, an island next to Australia, claiming the lives of more than 500.000 people and threatening the surrounding area. Searching for her missing husband, a woman faces lethal challenges along the way when she learns that some of the infected victims became famine zombies.
Giving the zombie-genre a new twist and a witty treatment, Australian writer-director Zak Hilditch delivers the chills with efficient and attractive narrative, anchored by a charismatic heroine. Daisy Ridley gives life to Ava, a woman reflecting on her marriage crisis while risking her own flesh to reunite with her missing hubby. Ridley has a strong and hypnotizing presence, making it easy to connect with her character. Especially when she gets disappointed along the way, the audience intensifies the hopes to get her on the winning side.
Fast paced, sarcastic and frenetically gore, Hilditch infuses new energy into the zombie genre with positive results.
(Vertical Entertainment. Opens Thursday, January 1st at Regal Union Square and others).
THE PLAGUE
An outcast teen tries his best to fit in among the others at a summer swimming camp, where competitiveness and premature male toxicity are the standards of a merciless clan of bullies. Set in 2003, this haunting and utterly intense psychological thriller announces the talent of its filmmaker and young actors. First there’s a passionate and visionary directorial debut, meticulously well crafted (genre-bending, sound, imagery, choreography); then, there is the confirmation that Everett Blunck is rising to the top as one of America’s leading young men, delivering his second acting achievement this year (the first was “Griffin in Summer” in which he is an aspiring playwright struggling to bring his work to life while falling in love for the first time). Embodying teen angst, anxiety, and compassion, he confirms his undeniable potential, confidence and dramatic depth as Ben, the camp’s perceptive newcomer.
There’s something unique about this young performer, a strange and deeply affecting charisma, a blend of humbleness and confidence that is instantly relatable and humane.
And then there’s the breakthrough performance by 13-year-old Kayo Martin, a skater and boxer from New York City who steals the scene and becomes the highlight of the film as Jake, the nasty and aggressive leader of the kids’ hierarchy group. He perfectly embodies the dark aspects of arrogance and extreme behavior, but also the inner fragility and insecurities of his tormented character.
While trying to dodge the pressure, Ben befriends the weirdest kid among them, a lonely boy who has been targeted as having “the plague”, a mysterious skin infection. That element is portrayed through horror perspective, giving the narrative a body-horror sub-genre that works brilliantly without getting excessive or gruesome and intensifies its nightmarish style.
Making his directorial debut in cinema, Charlie Polinger leaves an impressive mark as a fresh filmmaker who knows exactly his visuals and language, delivering a masterclass in character study. Influenced by his memories, and demonstrating a similar aesthetic to Kubrick’s, Polinger makes something profound, unpredictable and utterly suspenseful – which would make the late master proud.
Nominated for 3 Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature, Blunck for Best Leading Performance and Martin for Best Breakthrough Performance this is a remarkable and assured debut.
(An IFC Films Release. Now Playing at IFC Center. Opens wide on Friday, January 2nd).
CHRISTMAS CAROLS (Ta kalanta ton Hristougennon)
Do miracles really happen? Is it possible to cure a hardened heart? How can we demonstrate empathy without judgment or without going through hardship?
These are some of the questions raised in this heartwarming Greek adaptation of the famous Christmas fable. Offering a reflection on love, spirituality, compassion, human values and dignity mirrored by socio-economics divisions, director Hristos Kanakis crafts a truly moving existential saga about redemption and second chances.
With a fabulously captivating cast, the film follows the story of a wealthy, greedy man who’s confronted by his attitudes on Christmas eve, leading him to a self-analysis on how he treats the people around him and its consequences. Told as a dreamlike experience, where three ghosts take him through different phases of his life, the film is enhanced by its perfect technical qualities such as the beautiful art direction, precise cinematography, smart editing and harrowing sounds. The technical achievement is spectacular, as good as any Disney production.
Highly entertaining and gorgeously produced, this is an accomplished and crowd-pleasing example that faith-based, family friendly and Christian-inspired narratives can find audiences with an open heart for uplifting stories. This is one of the best times you’ll have at the movies this Holiday season.
(In Greek with English subtitles. Now Playing exclusively at Cinema Village, 22 East 12th Street, between 5th Avenue and University Place, Manhattan. Special Group Rates including Free Popcorn available. Email main@cinemavillage.com to inquiry).
12 HOURS IN OCTOBER
Tracking the horror and chaos of the Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians, director Danny A. Abeckaser makes an impressive thriller and an important statement on the ongoing war. But that isn’t enough to save this from mere dramatization of the facts. Despite having a couple of excellent actors, most of the cast feel misplaced and unable to maintain themselves in character. Some scenes are so embarrassing, the viewer can feel they are trying to hide a subtle laughter or discomfort. Yet, the material depicted here really is horrifying and gruesome. It’s hard to watch the bloodshed and the attacks, and the villains really transport the terror and anxiety of that dreadful day. Sometimes they sound cartoonish but overall, they perform their terrorism accurately to the point you think they are popping out of the screen. The problem is mostly with the sound effects and the dramatization: it really feels staged and most of the actors playing held hostages are sufferable. Yet, the film survives for its courageous take on that day, exposing the horrors of the longest war in history.
(A Deep-C Release. Available On Demand on January 6th 2026).
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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