Welcome to CFTCA’s monthly digest for August 2025, a roundup of recent reviews, features, interviews, and more by CTFCA critics.
Film Reviews
Pools | Reviewed by Konnor Beaulier | Read the Full Review
“Hayes’ debut delivers remarkable character development for its star, boosted by a fantastic lead performance from A’zion, but struggles to maintain a strong, coherent flow.”
Find more of Konnor’s work on Film & Froth.
Honey, Don’t | Reviewed by Elizabeth Mulloy | Read the Full Review
“‘Oh Honey, nooooo.’ That was the only thought I had while watching the latest misfire from Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke.”
Find more of Elizabeth’s work on The Celluloid Correspondent.
Nobody 2 | Reviewed by Dom Sinacola | Read the Full Review
“Though guts are literally spilled and beautiful jawlines sliced into pieces of salami, practical stunts employed liberally, Tjahjanto drives this summer vehicle like he’s unchallenged by the course.”
Find more of Dom’s work in the Portland Mercury.
Weapons | Reviewed by Darren Zakus | Read the Full Review
“Weapons is a truly one of a kind horror epic that spins a grand, ambitious story told through multiple perspectives that conjures up some moments of blood curdling terror that only Zach Cregger could scare up, resulting in one of the year’s best films and a horror experience unlike anything in recent memory.”
Find more of Darren’s work on Movie Scene Canada.
Highest 2 Lowest | Reviewed by Elizabeth Mulloy | Read the Full Review
“So does Highest 2 Lowest meet the same standards as Kurosawa masterpiece? Of course it doesn’t. But is it able to stand up on its own two feet? Kind of.”
Find more of Elizabeth’s work on The Celluloid Correspondent.
Retrospectives
Bamboozled | Reviewed by Todd Pengelly | Read the Full Review
“It seemed that nobody, in the year 2000, was open to a satire chock full of low-budget visuals, derogatory language, and blackface; and so, with such a small cultural imprint upon its release, Bamboozled should be a film lost to time. Instead, it’s proven to be timeless.”
Find more of Todd’s work on For Reel.
Summer of Sam | Reviewed by Taylor Beaumont | Read the Full Review
“Summer of Sam, though less racially-charged in its tensions than his previous features, is no less poignant in its depiction of this fear-driven volatility.”
Find more of Taylor’s work on For Reel.
The Wind Will Carry Us | Reviewed by Marta Djordjevic | Read the Full Review
“The Wind Will Carry Us works so well because it builds on a familiar tension of any creative: wanting to capture life and accidentally interfering with it.”
Find more of Marta’s work on Rewind and Revive.
Television
Alien: Earth | Reviewed by Darren Zakus | Read the Full Review
“Alien: Earth expands the beloved horror franchise to our planet with a brilliant evolution of the series’ hallmarks, giving way to more compelling and captivating thematic explorations of technology, corporate greed and humanity, alongside nasty and violent alien kills that will have audiences both terrified and eagerly anticipating what showrunner Noah Hawley has in store.”
Find more of Darren’s work on Movie Scene Canada.
Features
An Evening with Francis Ford Coppola | By Dom Sinacola | Read the Full Piece
Dom takes us inside the iconic director’s Portland stop on his Megalopolis Tour.
Find more of Dom’s work in the Portland Mercury.