Poor Things is a dramatic science-fiction film that has been praised by critics and audiences alike. The film tells the story of a pregnant woman who commits suicide and is then brought back to life with the brain of her deceased child inside of her. The audience follows Bella Baxter as she is raised by controversial scientist Godwin Baxter, gets engaged to his nervous assistant Max McCandles, visits Europe with ladykiller Duncan Wedderburn and ultimately meets her sadistic husband Alfie Blessington. This movie is recommended to fans of classic science-fiction stories, early horror movies and avant-garde cinema.

On the positive side, the acting performances in this movie are convincing throughout. Emma Stone shines as the protagonist who at first showcases child-like behaviour, then grows into a rebellious teenager before becoming a lustful young woman and ultimately a mature lady organizing changes in her life. Up next, the visual effects of this movie are absolutely outstanding. The shots in black and white ooze with atmosphere and recall early horror and science-fiction cinema. The use of colours in this movie is particularly vibrant, memorable and imaginative. Several scenes look like paintings rather than moving pictures. The sound effects of this film are executed with precision, intellect and balance. The soundtrack of this movie is equally diversified, eclectic and entertaining. The story comes around with a few creative ideas here and there such as the protagonist's shocking impressions of hunger in Alexandria or her meeting the husband of her former life in London.

On the negative side, this movie is certainly too long as it clocks in at one hundred forty-one minutes. Several passages drag on for far too long such as the scenes at the hotel in Portugal or the parts at the whorehouse in France. The story itself isn't particularly innovating either as it recalls several classic horror stories such as Bride of Frankenstein. One could get the impression that this movie often values eye candy over intellectual depth.

Still, Poor Things is a movie that deserves its praise. It convinces with strong acting, wonderful locations, impressive sound effects, memorable soundtrack and incredible visual effects. The plot could have been more unique and several scenes overstay their welcome. Ultimately, it's great that such artistic movies are commercially successful in this day and age and prompt the next generations to inspire and move their audiences alike.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is an experimental, fast and quirky fantasy movie with humorous elements featuring a balanced cast combining veteran actresses and actors such as Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan with young and talented newcomers such as Stephanie Hsu and Tallie Medel.

The movie revolves around laundry shop owner Evelyn Wang who faces quite a few challenges in her life. Her elderly father keeps criticizing her, she fails to show any affection to her delicate husband who wants to divorce her, her daughter feels misunderstood regarding her sexual identity and her poorly aged business is facing bankruptcy. Just as everything seems to be falling apart, Evelyn Wang gets the opportunity to experience different scenarios based upon important life choices she has made. The elderly woman experiences her career as a famous actress, as a martial artist or a lesbian with deformed fingers. However, all these alternative realities are menaced by the anger, deception and despair of her daughter. Evelyn Wang must find a way to connect with her daughter in order to find her way back to reality and solve her numerous problems.

On the positive side, this movie convinces with creative, fluid and unexpected storytelling. The different realities are colourful, exotic and funny. The movie comes around with multiple surprises out of left field that will keep the audience watching until the very end. The acting performances keep the movie together as especially the veteran actresses and actors convincingly play characters with depth, heart and soul.

On the negative side, the film's storytelling can at times be overwhelming and needs a lot of acceptance, focus and patience to be enjoyed to the fullest. The story itself is walking on thin ice and filled with quite a few stereotypes hidden by the bubbly characters and alternative realities.

At the end of the day, Everything Everywhere All at Once is a movie that will divide the masses. Some might call it pretentious nonsense offered at a headache-inducing speed while others will praise its unconventional storytelling and unique characters. No matter where you stand on the issue, one thing is undeniable: this movie is unlike any other you have ever watched and therefore worth everyone's attention. Personally, I'm glad to see that there are still movies that manage to surprise me and push cinematic experiences to a new level.

I'm usually not a big fan of animation movies and the last film of the genre that I would truly consider excellent is Wall-E with its outstanding characters, stunning locations and essential environmental messages. I coincidentally watched parts of Turning Red when I visited a friend whose two-year old daughter is a big fan of the movie and I really appreciated what I saw. When I took the plane a few days later, I decided to watch the entire film and my positive first impressions were not only met but even exceeded.

There are several elements that make this film stand out. First and foremost, it talks about accepting yourself the way you are, with all your strengths and weaknesses. This empowering message is more important than ever in a time when many people have developed mental health issues during the ongoing pandemic. This lesson is valuable and timeless, making it a movie anyone should be able to empathize with.

Up next, this film combines Canadian and Chinese cultures. These are two of the most fascinating cultures in our world in my book and I state this as a German. Canada represents democracy, equality, freedom, multiculturalism and nature like no other country in the world. Chinese culture on the other side is incredibly varied, rich, creative, colourful and ancient. Discovering different elements of both cultures at the same time in this film is like traveling to new exotic places while our movements are limited, opening your mind without having to listen to a dry class and dreaming yourself far away as you are watching the movie go by in the blink of an eye.

The characters are particularly charming as well. If you think that this film is rather for girls because the main characters are female, you have got it all wrong since the characters' challenges, dreams and experiences in their teenage years are something any teenager or adult can relate to and any baby or child could already learn about. You will be rooting for these quirky characters while they are going through challenging changes.

The plot itself is also quite interesting and mixes comedy, drama and fantasy in equal part, making this a highly entertaining coming-of-age film dealing with topics such as family, friendship, identity, liberty and loyalty. The overarching theme could also be described as emancipation or finding your true self.

At the end of the day, Turning Red is an absolutely timeless coming-of-age film with wonderful characters, locations and morals that could be watched by anyone from a toddler over a child to a teenager, an adult or even elderly people. Few movies manage to entertain, inspire and touch such a vast audience. If you haven't watched Turning Red yet, make sure to give it a shot as this is a solid candidate for best movie of the year.

Cold War is a short film with a length of eight and a half minutes that can be categorized as drama or thriller. It has been directed by Australian filmmaker Richard Gray who has been involved in movies such as Summer Coda, Broken Ghost and Robert the Bruce. This short film has been released on DVD with the film Sugar Mountain set in a similar environment and featuring a similar tone. This short film features Yulia Klass as mysterious woman who also has a cameo as a nurse in Sugar Mountain. The only other character in this short movie is a quiet Soviet soldier played by Robert Patrick who is known for films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Wayne's World and Gangster Squad. This short film tells the story of a Soviet soldier who makes his way across Bering Street in order to defect to Alaska. As he arrives on the coast of an isolated island, he gets surprised by a mysterious woman. Without being able to speak English, he tries to communicate his intentions to her.

This short film is based upon historical facts and comes along with a very short but twisted story. Not one single word is spoken in the short film which makes the gestures of the actor and the actress even more meaningful. The atmosphere is tense, mysterious and even dramatic at times. The gloomy natural landscapes provide further dark vibes. The moody soundtrack blends in perfectly. Despite its restricted length, this short film feels almost plodding which goes along with its overall smooth pace.

In the end, Cold War is a good short film and an interesting tribute to Alaskan and Soviet history. The actor and actress manage to impress without uttering a single word which is quite unusual. The story is overall simple but has one minor twist that is quite intriguing. If you have purchased the very good drama and thriller Sugar Mountain, make sure to check out this similarly solid short movie in the bonus section.

Random Acts of Violence is a highly experimental low budget pseudo-documentary satire that I've picked up for three bucks some time ago. The story revolves a young adult of British origin living in New York City who is getting tired of gentrification. In order to introduce some changes in this boring city, he randomly start killing people while being filmed by some associates. His sinister actions soon start to interfere with his personal social life. However, the rest of society, politicians and even the police don't seem to care. The young adult tries to go one step further as he decides to assassinate a candidate running for mayor to finally get some attention.

The story itself is already quite unusual but there are many more things that will get your attention. The movie is an experimental low budget effort with almost no special efforts that gives it the vibe of a self-made documentary. The lead character, while being a complete lunatic, is quite charismatic and played quite uniquely by lead actor Ashley Cahill who is fairly unknown and deserves more attention. The quirky locations show the diversity of New York City in a unique way as they explore trendy bars, new restaurants and elegant apartments. The movie's ending comes around with an absurd but fitting twist that makes you laugh and think at the same time. This is certainly a movie you won't forget anytime soon.

Obviously, this type of movie is an acquired taste. The story is rather shallow. The movie portrays brutal violence in random ways that make it look like ordinary events. Even though pretentious reviewers seem to see a profound meaning behind the movie, there actually isn't one. This film feels like an experimental art house project by some nonconformist film school students.

In the end, Random Acts of Violence is unlike any other film you have ever seen and will ever watch. It's experimental at all costs. Some people are going to hate it with passion, others are going to adore its unconventional style without any compromises and then there are going to be people like me who are situated somewhere in between. This film is like a guilty pleasure because I like it despite its gruesome random violence. I would however only recommend this movie to people who like experimental movies and aren't afraid to push their boundaries.