★★★★ Written & Directed by: #JillBailey #ZacharyTScott Starring: #ZacharyTScott #AnnaClare #SamStinson #SteveBrudniak #JillBailey # Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick This Halloween, a peaceful town finds itself thrown into chaos, its residents now being relentlessly terrorised by a seemingly unstoppable army of sentient killer clamps (British viewers, think giant crocodile clips). With the mayor unwilling to listen and the much-anticipated office supplies convention just days away, it’s up to police chief Foster (Scott), the super-smart Dr. Lady (Bailey) and girl next door Bonnie (Clare) to save the day. As ridiculously awesome as that premise may sound, sadly hammer-horror send-up Clamps currently only exists in the form of a tightly woven and highly entertaining satirical trailer for a film that to date, hasn’t transpired. It does run quite a bit longer (nearly six minutes) and goes quite a bit deeper into itself than a trailer typically would, so at times it feels instead like it actually lands somewhere between a trailer and proof of concept piece. And this is really the only point where this otherwise finely-tuned project finds itself somewhat caught with a foot in separate doorways; the film tries to pace itself in the same way as your standard trailer, with big impactful moments and quick jumps from one narrative point to the next, but with many more of those jumps to make before it can take its bow, it is forced to reveal much more of its overarching narrative (perhaps even two-thirds) and create more of those big moments than we would typically see and starts to give a bit too much away especially towards the end as it begins to unwrap its mythos, before ending not so much in the way a trailer would but more the way the penultimate episode in a television series might with its tantalising cliff-hanger. But in the grand scheme of things, that is a minor quibble perhaps brought on most likely by a simple burning desire for more, and one must absolutely remember the clear ambition of this particular short (which was probably and deliberately never to be fully realised as a complete feature sadly), was to entertain and boy does it. There is no denying how well-executed this project is pretty much from top to bottom. It fully captures the instantly recognisable look and feel of the genre its lovingly poking fun at, complete with its grungy, grainy dark camera aesthetic, spot-on eery and piercing score and just the right level of gory practical effects. The script is well-written, funny without ever falling into over-the-top parody or jarring stupidity and fully realised as splendidly as you’d want by a cast of actors where everyone commits to their parts one hundred percent; one can only imagine the fun that was had behind the scenes, enjoyment that ultimately projects itself fully onto its audience. Taking aim at all the B horror movie cliches and silliness we have come to love and loathe and love again over the years, Bailey and Scott have clearly demonstrated not just a deep affection for this genre and desire to really do it justice with this utterly enjoyable homage, but also that they are fully adept filmmakers with an eye for story and detail and know how to leave an audience craving for more. And if there is a Clamps movie somewhere far on that horizon, I’m ready for it. #ChrisBuick

★★★ Directed by: Shayaan Written by: Shayaan Starring: Rory Walton-Smith, Vishal Kumar Film Review by: Vikas Yadav There always comes a film in your life that inspires you to a great extent. The effect it has on you goes beyond the typical viewing experience. These are the kind of films that have the power to change the course of your life or career. For instance, the lukewarm reception towards A Cure for Wellness galvanized me to write my own movie reviews. In the case of Shayaan’s Paradoxica, the filmmakers find motivation in Christopher Nolan and his latest sci-fi Tenet. However, one can also locate traces of Shane Carruth’s Primer here. Paradoxica follows two friends, played by Rory Walton-Smith and Vishal Kumar, who come across a box with the power to initiate time travel. The maker of this box is one of their friend who video calls them one day and informs about his new invention. He also tells them that someone has misused this box for their benefit (he wants to be rich). I will be vague with the characters name and the main plot because I was not able to catch the names as the audio was abstruse (subtitles would have been a life-saver), making the accents and some dialogues challenging to grasp (the sound too seems to be influenced by Tenet). But in a film like this, the name and the plot rarely matter. They are more interested in the scientific concept and how to explore the concept. So get ready to receive expositions on “inversion” in Nolan-style, where two people walk and talk to fill the gaps for the audience. There is no doubt about the fact that things will go bizarre and out-of-control, which is a common trait of any time travel film. The camera rotates in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions to heighten the disorientation. The scenes are edited in a way that makes them look dislocated. A phone, for example, is dropped outside on the road and picked up inside a house from the floor. Paradoxica attempts to join the fragmented pieces of its narrative as if trying to make sense of the chaos, and the editing plays a crucial role in communicating this mood. We jump from one place to another and back, figuring out the proper arrangement of the puzzle. If you think Paradoxica may be too hard to follow, fret not as you only need to pay attention to understand its mayhem. You will undoubtedly be able to decipher the question, “what is going on here?” in your first viewing without putting in much effort. If this team wants to continue making more films, just make sure you pay a little more attention to the technical side of things in the future. There are shots with mirrors where you could spot the cameraman. A scene at night shows a character running with a light shining directly behind him. You could instead give the torch to the actor. Then there is the scene in front of an elevator where the staging becomes too obvious. A more natural approach would have been better than this calculated one. Take the above points as a footnote or discard them altogether—your wish. I am aware that the film is made on a low-budget. But to go up, you also need to clear obstacles. It’s good to see filmmakers tackling the complexities of sci-fi without relying heavily on extravagant computer-generated visuals. That itself deserves an extra star.

★★★★ Directed by: Ellen Hathaway Starring: Benedicta Valentina, Ryan Woods, Ellen Hathaway, Chafika Gutknecht Film Review by: Jason Knight A documentary about dancing and the joys that come along with it. Filmmaker Hathaway creates a film that explores why people choose to take up dancing and interviews primarily individuals who have immigrated to Britain from other countries and they talk about their lives, their past and the personal benefits they gain by choosing to dance. The film begins with a montage, during which Hathaway talks about herself and provides explanations regarding why she decided to make this documentary. The montage also briefly shows the interviewees. After the montage, the film moves on to the interviews, showing one person being interviewed, then moving on to the other. Each interviewee is introduced with a title card. The screen cuts to black and the individual's name and location is revealed. The person is then on screen. They are being interviewed in their homes and they are also filmed as they perform dance movements, either indoors or outdoors, including the countryside. All of them come across as intelligent and likeable individuals and they come from various parts of the world, including Algiers, Angola, France and Lebanon. Each person talks about their life, their past, how life is back in their country and what makes them want to dance. For some, dance is an expressive form of art, a way of self-expression and they find it aesthetically pleasing. For others, it is also part of their culture. Each of them has come from a different past and are living their own lives. However, they all enjoy dancing, and in a way, that brings them together and makes them equal. Dancing and music often go hand in hand and there is plenty of great music here to help make this viewing an interesting and pleasant experience. The score changes throughout and at times it is enlightening and uplifting and at others provides upbeat, modern music. Hathaway does a great job, creating terrific aerial shots. There is black-and-white news footage of the Algerian War of Independence and sequences filmed through a webcam, as one of the interviewees speaks through her computer. Voice-over is also utilized by Hathaway and the interviewees. Watching Most Free is a joyful and thoughtful experience. It introduces the viewer to several wonderful individuals and provides an insight into the beauty of dancing by giving them the opportunity to explain how it improves their lives and by showing them dancing. #JasonKnight Trailer:

★★★ Directed by: #JAntonio Written by: #JAntonio, #FrankRainone Starring: #JAntonio, #DanyelleDemchock Film review by William Hemingway It seems that lockdown is driving a lot of us stir-crazy: Mental health problems are through the roof, levels of loneliness, anxiety and depression have skyrocketed, a large body of the population is reporting a feeling of disconnectedness and now a significant proportion of schoolchildren are turning to self-harm. In terms of the cure being just as bad as the disease lockdown certainly seems to be topping that list. Rick (Antonio), too, has certainly felt the world closing in around him. Being a New Yorker he's used to the hustle and bustle of the streets, the throng of the crowds and the endless daily interactions with thousands and thousands of people. He's more worried about his relationships with those close to him, though. Stilted phone conversations with his parents and his girlfriend (Demchock) just aren't enough and he's getting no relief from the isolation at work either, so Rick has decided to take matters into his own hands. He's bought his girlfriend a new face-mask as a gift and he's going to make sure that he can hand it to her in person. The crazy is getting to her too though, and she won't even step out of her stairwell to greet him when he comes to see her. She hides behind her mask and the safety-glass door and the looming spectre of Covid to keep Rick at a distance whilst still happily accepting his attention and his gift. What's a man to do when all he wants is to connect and yet is knocked back at every turn? Maybe a chance encounter will offer him the release he needs to let his emotions finally run wild. And so, writer, director and star J. Antonio gives us the latest in a long line of lockdown stories, as though this is the only vein rich enough to be mined for creative output in the last year or so. He also follows in the footsteps of several other writers/directors who have chosen the 'Loner' as their eponymous lead in recent films, most of which follow a similar structure and have the same redemption/loss struggle at their heart. Certainly Rick/J. Antonio is not unique in his story, he just feels that way because he's been on his own for so long, and most viewers will know before the film even opens that 'Loner' (ie. lone 30's male) is a thinly veiled pseudonym for 'psychopath'. While there is nothing new in Antonio's film in terms of narrative or characterisation, there are some really nice visuals on offer to keep the viewer relatively amused for ten minutes. Images of empty streets in New York, even while the lights are still blazing forth messages and advertising, are very striking and hold a certain pathos. In the middle of the story Rick watches a music video on TV which is shot with genuine craftsmanship in terms of lighting, composition and evocation of theme; in fact it is so well made that it looks really out of place amongst the rest of the film and could genuinely be a real music video in its own right. Sadly the bulk of the film doesn't match up to that high and is let down by poor acting, a simplicity of direction and a lack of any real story. While there are shades of brilliance it's not enough to carry the feel of the film and Antonio should really look at where his talents and interest lie in order to pursue that path in future. All in all it's a decent attempt at an old, worn story, set in a time we can all identify with but with only short pieces that stand out to the viewer. Maybe, after Antonio 'reconnects' with his own relationships, the next film will be better.

★★ Directed by: #EvanSchneider Written by: #MarcPowers Starring: #MarcPowers, #JenDrummond, #JordanTofalo Film Review by: Patrick Foley I blame The Walking Dead for ruining the entire post-apocalyptic genre. Where the likes of The Road and Children of Men deep-dived into harrowing character studies and moral quandaries in the aftermath of a disaster, the long-running zombie drama seems to have fooled us all into thinking that boring and repetitive fireside mopes and wistful stares into the distance as a bearded, disheveled (though still undeniably handsome) leading man delivers yet another monologue is the extent of the storytelling potential that exists beyond the end times. Amaranthine falls into this trap, offering little with its setting or characters that has not been seen before. In between his dreams of a blissful former life, Caleb (Marc Powers) struggles through a world ravaged by an unknown destruction. Scavenging what he can to survive, he lives out a solitary existence searching aimlessly for a wife he has long lost. But a chance encounter with Shayleigh (Jen Drummond) leaves him at a crossroads – does he continue his lonely quest, or rediscover the ability to make human connections? There’s nothing particularly wrong with Amaranthine. It is a short, stylish survival story with decent performances and a reliable plot. It is a shame that it is just completely forgettable. There is little thematically that audiences won’t have seen before. A grizzled, mournful loaner trying to rediscover his (it’s always his, it seems) humanity in a grey, rural wilderness is a tale that has been told a thousand times now, and usually with more to engage audiences than Amaranthine offers. The first half of the film is its strongest – as Caleb scavenges the land looking for supplies. The wordless journey, accompanied by an ethereal and atmospheric score is stylish and moving, saying more than any discourse would. The campfire scene which forms the film’s second half stunts its momentum, replacing the artistic cinematography with a clunky, cliched conversation which would be right at home on a Walking Dead-style derivative. Whilst Powers and Drummond aren’t particularly at fault, the lack of chemistry between the two only exasperates the drab dialogue they have to work with. The film does shine with its cinematography. The shimmering dream sequences illuminate Caleb’s lost love, and contrast well with the ashen and barren landscapes he explores in the real world. The film effectively portrays its post-apocalypse setting – no small feat given the small-scale nature of the project. The film’s first half does raise the question of whether it would have been a more interesting and successful idea to tell Caleb’s story entirely in this explorative format and style, given the impactful results achieved purely through the direction and camerawork. The campfire scene feels like a reversion to expectations of the genre – something that only hurts the film’s quality and originality. There is not much in Amaranthine that will resonate with viewers other than die-hard survivalist fans. The intriguing and visually interesting exploration scenes are not enough to carry what ends up being another run-of-the-mill post-apocalypse film that has unfortunately come along long after the genre went stale.

★★★★ Directed by: Pritanko Ghatak Written by: Pritanko Ghatak Starring: Shubhranil Bhowmick, Shreyasee Mistry, Ritobina Chakrabortty Film Review by: Jason Knight This experimental short mixes fantasy with reality and provides an insight into the mind of a young man, who appears to be lost and confused. A young man talks about his emotions. The narrative is nonlinear. He interacts with two other young women, discussing various subjects with them, regarding what is real and what is not and opens up about the difficult upbringing he had with his father, who drank and was abusive. He also plans to see a psychologist. It makes one wonder what is reality here. The two girls seem to represent Imagination and Dream. Are the two girls actual people or are they figments of the boy's imagination? The way he talks to them and the words he uses signify that they (the girls) are his emotions and he is struggling to make sense out of them. Sometimes the man is inside a room and sometimes on a beach at night or an alley, and the girls appear there too. Most of the talking comes from the boy, as he goes into monologues. But is he actually talking to anyone, or just to himself? What are his issues? The filmmakers utilize a variety of editing techniques and do so very effectively. There are wonderful sequences that combine match cuts and dissolve transitions, with closeups of eyes and lips. There is also fast cutting and times when the image is out of focus, creating a dream-like feeling. The protagonist's voice-over works well throughout the film. The music adds significant value. It primarily consists of gentle and sentimental piano music, creating a moving atmosphere. What this emotional drama is about is something that appears to be open to interpretation. Themes of love, family and romance are present and it is up to the viewer to decide what the film is trying to communicate. Overall, it is a beautiful achievement, with good acting, a touching score and very creative editing. It deserves praise and provides a thoughtful experience. #JasonKnight

★★★★ Directed by: Juefang Zhang Written by: Juefang Zhang, I-Chuan-Lee Starring: Meghan Miller, Tom Jarmusch, Martin Ortiz, Rose Yao, Ann Sackrider, Cliff Lobrutto Film Review by: Jason Knight A rather unusual and dramatic series of events takes place inside a small bus. A bus full of passengers is on the move. Then the bus driver stops and informs the passengers that they need to wait for the replacement driver to arrive, because he has reached his maximum working hours and if he carries on driving, he will be fined. Among the passengers are a pregnant woman, a retired nurse and a couple. Suddenly, a man enters the bus, carrying a bag full of cash and frantically requests that the driver takes him to his destination at once. The pregnant woman then faints and the man with the bag offers to pay each of them a large sum of money, if they agree let him reach his destination first and then take her to the hospital. This short crime thriller's narrative takes place entirely inside the bus and examines how money influences people and corrupts them. When the woman passes out, the passengers are all very concerned and after the man with the bag first offers money, some are tempted, while others hold on to their morality. However, when significantly more money is offered, all passengers (including the driver) have a complete change of heart and eventually, they end up paying for their selfishness. The story begins with normality, with things becoming more and more awkward and tense as it progresses. The characters are interesting, the acting is believable, the plot is intruiging and the audience will be eager to know how things are going to turn out. The suspenseful and dramatic score goes well with the scenes, creating the right atmosphere. The filmmakers also make effective use of slow motion. Detour provides a very thoughtful experience by looking at the value of money and how it can make people become heartless and prioritize it above everything, including the suffering of others. #JasonKnight

★★★ Directed by: Jim Gillespie Written by: Lois Duncan, Kevin Williamson Starring: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Freddie Prinze Jr and Ryan Phillippe Film Review by: Rachel Pullen I Know What You Did Last Summer Movie Review Living by the ocean has its perks, I mean in the olden days they used to think sea air would cure a variety of illnesses - we all know that not to be true but hey, they tried! But sadly living by the sea has its downsides: tsunamis, seaweed stench, and having your mangled corpse tossed into its murky depths, what a downer. For the teens of I Know What You Did Last Summer they thought that tossing some dude’s body in the sea would save them from any responsibilities...i.e prison, but boy were they wrong, and if you have lived under a rock for years and not seen the many parodies and pop culture references that this film spawned after its release, then I shall give you a quick briefing of the story. Four sexy young teens spend their last day of summer vacation getting drunk and humping on the beach before they all leave to go to university (or college for our American readers), but on the way back they run over some man in waders and lob him into the sea in order to protect their futures. But oh no, one year later they all receive a letter saying I know what you did last summer...get it? That's the name of the film, amazing, anyway, they all reunite to try and solve who could be responsible for the post-it notes of doom. What they think was a simple hit and run was in fact some kind of murder/second almost murder as they find out they hit a dude who had just done a murder and the dude they thought they had murdered was not quite dead and so he came back and did some more murders to avenge his attempted murder....in short, murders only happen in summer, and this film likes to have murders happen - a lot. Murders aside, why should you watch I Know What You Did Last Summer? Number one hey why not! It’s a laugh riot, some of the script is so bad you actually cringe for the actors having to say it, it’s a so bad it’s good kind of thing. Number two, the storyline although seemly a little silly is not dull at all, you stay engaged, the pacing is consistent to keep you interested in uncovering the layers to the tale and the reveal, although a little predictable is still worthwhile and enjoyable. And despite spawning some of the most parodies from a horror movie ever, the acting is a solid effort, all these actors were it kids of the ‘90s and you can see why, each holding their own character, developed and stylised on the screen. You really buy into what they are selling, so much so I loved and hated them all at different times as their character arcs were exposed, I also loved and hated some of the fashion choices...ahh the 90s and people wearing what flannel shirts over everything, good lumberjack based times. So there are actually two more sequels to this film, exciting times, I cant wait to see what aqua-based revenge they have in store for me, maybe death by waterfall or someone drowns in an egg cup of water which I heard is possible. So kids what have we learnt from this week’s Throwback Thursday Film Review? .Murders are exclusive to summer . The ocean won’t necessarily help you hide a body . And if you wear a flannel shirt you can achieve anything. #RachelPullen #ThrowbackThursday

★★★ Directed by: #LeelaVarghese Written by: #SeatonKaySmith Starring: #AkksheyCaplash, #EmmaHarvie, #SeatonKaySmith, #VeronicaClavijo Short Film Review by Taryll Baker When Matt accidentally shrinks himself and is captured by the ants whom he has unwittingly been squashing, he must find a way to escape their clutches and his impending death sentence. Opening with Matt (Akkshey Caplash) making a tutorial video with some kind of shrink technology, a quick twist of fate sends him shrinking down to the size of an ant. He is then greeted by the very ants he forms the likeness of. They take him hostage and some humorous dialogue commences. Leela Varghese’s witty ant-centric short film takes a funky approach to carry us on a journey to a world within our world that we always overlook. Beneath our large stomping feet are the many frantically scattering ants, escaping their death with every tiny step. As comedic sci-fi films go, this is quite the entertaining — very small adventure — that explores growth and change but in a light-hearted way. The cast is fairly good, though a smidge cheesy, which I’m certain is intentional. There’s not a huge amount of moving pieces and given its intriguing concept, this can be quite disappointing. I was expecting something more from this short, but what I got was just… well, good. A pumpy electronic score by Chiara Costanza accompanies the fast-paced, comical imagery, alongside a pretty decent edit from Christine Cheung. Science+ falters in the SCIENCE, but explores the FICTION quite well. It dabbles in the meaning of existence and awareness of other life, with physical actors in campy ant costumes bringing forward a sensibly strange and somewhat amusing feeling to the script. Due to its nature, I found it a hit and a miss. Some things landed while others didn’t. Featuring on the YouTube channel DUST, Science+ is just one of many films presented weekly. There’s a lot of interesting sci-fi content including shorts such as this, which I think is a pretty neat idea. It brings together a wide community of filmmakers who have an admiration for science fiction and crazy concepts, delivering these to an easily accessible audience. Science+ isn’t the most incredible film, in fact it does lack in the visual effects department. There are many scenes that feel quite unloved — backdrops seeming a little too out of focus or blown out — which probably comes down to lack of time or money. That said, there’s a neat little story beyond that and it’s quite a laugh if you’re into this sort of thing. I wouldn’t recommend this to the hardest of hardcore sci-fi fans, but if you can appreciate the smaller productions that bring forward a message with a fancy twist, then Science+ should be to your liking. #TaryllBaker

★★★★ Directed by: #NathanGeering Written by: #NathanGeering Starring: #NathanGeering Short Film Review by: Emily Davison A black man struggles with his position and sense of identity in modern society in this contemporarily relevant short film. Still a Slave (2020) is directed, written by and stars Nathan Geering and with a running time of only five minutes, the film still manages to convey a powerful, thought-provoking message by reflecting on the Black Lives Matter movement. This pertinent topic of discussion is focused on through the lens of Geering’s vision and highlights the ways in which many black people in the UK still feel that they are slaves and is an artistic response to comments posted on social media undermining the movement. The film is unique in its presentation, with a refreshing artistic portrayal of this sensitive theme through emotive poetry spoken in a voice over by Tashinga Matewe and starring a single performer with the prop of flaming rope dart to illustrate how people of colour feel trapped within society. Ryan Harston’s cinematography is wonderful, capturing the break of dawn (or dusk) and the lead’s contemplative, intense interaction with his environment and the fire dart beautifully. The film’s impact is strengthened by the closing credits indicating that the shooting location was Morecambe, one of Britain’s oldest slave ports, making the visuals and audio that came before all the more emotionally involving and striking. There is some distressing, disturbing imagery presented in the short and all five minutes are used effectively, with not a second wasted to communicate the harsh reality to hear about what it is really like to live in the UK as a black person, making for potent, gripping viewing. Nathan Geering’s performance as the unnamed lead, who crawls from the sea and acts with the fire dart alongside the poetic narration, is equally as entrancing as the broody visuals. He demonstrates an impressive physicality with his interactions with the fire dart, performing many admirable movements and break dances, as well as allowing the rope to wrap around his body in an unsettling fashion as if being choked. The film’s ideology of black people feeling as if they are slaves within UK society is reflected on in the audio narration, however the main identification of this issue is symbolised and embodied by Geering himself as he fights the metaphorical and physical restraints society has imposed on him. It is an incredibly passionate performance and certainly leaves a significant impact once the film closes. Still a Slave is by no means an easy watch, but it is not meant to be. The film’s original artistic vision through compelling poetry and entrancing, haunting visuals offer an emotionally involved contemplation on the identity and position of black people in modern society. This is a very relevant film that demands observance for the importance of its message and social commentary. #EmilyDavison

★★ Directed by #JenniferHarrington Written by #JenniferHarrington Starring #DaisyeTutor #EmilyGros Film Review by Hope Madden People really hate social media influencers. I mean, somebody must love them or who is it they influence? But horror definitely does not love them. Influencers have become the go-to objects of horror in recent years, seen as the vacuous product of a narcissistic culture that doesn’t value—or even make—human connections. Meet Mia (Daisye Tutor). The rising makeup influencer has way more followers than her two besties and her boyfriend, so they’re unhappy when she pulls out of their livestream event this Saturday to dog sit for her sister. But being selfless is totally on brand for Mia, and another makeup influencer just died trying to protect her own dog from a canine killer. Is it guilt? Is it opportunism? Neither. It’s a setup for the premise of Shook. Mia is home alone with Chico (the dog, who’s awfully cute). But she’s never unplugged and soon someone is playing life or death games with her. Writer/director Jennifer Harrington’s film really begins with a plot as old as the genre. It could be the babysitter and the escaped lunatic, the point is to have a vulnerable (and acceptably stupid) young woman alone, trying to protect those in her charge from an unseen and menacing force. So, it doesn’t start out fresh, but movies have made a go of this plot. Harrington layers in newer cliches derived from our collective, plugged-in anxieties. The result is When a Stranger Calls meets Scream meets Unfriended. It feels exactly that derivative, a fact that doesn’t entirely sink the film. It definitely never lives up to its opening, though. Harrington makes her most incisive comment about the performance art that is influence culture as she pans back from a glamorous, opening red carpet photo shoot to show the bleaker reality of the staged event. It’s a smart, cinematic revelation that works on two levels. Thematically, it underscores the film’s point about the artifice of Mia’s life. As a horror movie, we’re suddenly aware that someone is watching – someone who sees all of it. Watching Shook, you'll find solid filmmaking followed by two acts of uninspired, sometimes idiotic, sometimes enjoyable horror. #HopeMadden

★★★★★ Directed by #ChloeZhao Written by #JessicaBruder #ChloeZhao Starring #FrancesMcDormand Film Review by Hope Madden Nobody sees American poverty as honestly or as poetically as filmmaker Chloé Zhao. Those who saw Zhao’s sublime 2018 cowboy story The Rider will recognize her romantic fascination with the American West. That’s not the only thumbprint the filmmaker leaves on her third feature, Nomadland. She weaves a spontaneous, near-verite style into lonesome, wide vistas of a rugged America we think of as lost to time. In doing so, Zhao creates a lucid dream where struggle as reality is somehow beautiful but never sentimental. The incandescent Frances McDormand stars as Fern, an itinerant widow since her hometown of Empire, Nevada ceased to exist once the gypsum mine closed. We join Fern on her journey sometime after that collapse. She’s just beginning to customize “Vanguard,” the van that serves as her new home. In that same loose style that’s marked Zhao’s previous films, Nomadland follows Fern through her days, boxing product for Amazon in the winter, working vacation rest stops and tourist destinations in season, and traveling the country in the meantime following work, looking for a safe place to park, and getting to know this country. Zhao—who writes, edits, and produces as well as directs—based the screenplay on Jessica Bruder’s nonfiction book. Empire was a real place. Fern is a fictional character, but those who mentor her in her new life—including the endlessly endearing Linda May and brilliantly saucy Swankie—are, indeed, real nomads. McDormand is perhaps the only perennial Oscar contender who could fit so seamlessly in this tapestry. Without an ounce of vanity or artifice, her performance allows this film to be one of resilience and promise. Given that Normadland is, in fact, the story of a penniless Sixtysomething widow who lives in a van, that is in itself a minor miracle. But that’s the film—a minor miracle. Perhaps only in a year when the billion-dollar franchises were mainly held at bay could we make enough space to appreciate this vital and beautiful reimagining of the rugged American tale of individualism and freedom, which is almost always also a story of poverty. #HopeMadden