Toni Stanger

Features
Contains spoilers for I Care a Lot
J. Blakeson’s third feature film, I Care a Lot, follows the life and crimes of Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) — a sociopathic con artist who makes her living ripping off old people. It’s an intriguing focus for a film, but one that makes us ask “what’s the real message here?” Marla charms the oblivious Judge Lomax (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) to appoint her as legal guardian over eldery people, under the guise that they can no longer look after themselves. S...

In Matt Spicer’s Ingrid Goes West, Ingrid Thorburn (Aubrey Plaza), a 20-something year old woman, becomes obsessed with Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen), an Instagram influencer, to the point of stalking and befriending her. Ingrid is portrayed as mentally unstable, and while the film makes no attempt to single out a mental illness by name, it does suggest a reason for her sudden decline: the death of her mother. We don’t know anything about Ingrid’s life beforehand, but she appears to have th...

Rory had three different boyfriends over the course of Gilmore Girls, and which one was the best for her often divides the fandom. I’m very proud to be Team Jess and I am going to use the trusted Fuck Marry Kill structure to analyse Rory’s relationships with Dean, Jess and Logan…
Spoilers ahead for Gilmore Girls and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
KILL DEAN
It’s quite abrupt, I know, but aftercareful consideration, I’ve decided that I have no choice but to kill Dean. Originally, I was going...

Disclaimer: I’m not familiar with the comics so I’m not commenting on the source material.
In Patty Jenkins’ highly-anticipated sequel to Wonder Woman (2017), we’re reintroduced to Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) 66 years after her adventures with pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) during World War I. Now living in the year 1984, Diana works as a senior anthropologist at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, but she still finds time to secretly fight crime as Wonder Woman. Although no one knows ...

Christmas is a time for love, family, warmth… and this Letterboxd list of Christmas films featuring heterosexual couples wearing red and green. While the list plays for laughs, it highlights how manufactured straight Christmas films are and how inundated audiences have become with them. LGBTQ+ stories that take place over the holidays are few and far between, even though we’re in dire need of comforting seasonal films because it’s arguably one of the most difficult times of year for those who...

Revenge Ride opens with a flashback of Maggie (Serinda Swan) on a first date that ends with her being raped. Here she was younger, more delicate and naive, the type of girl who wears a dress. Soon after, Maggie joins an all-female biker gang known as Dark Moon, and three years later, she’s still there — but she’s different now. She dons a biker jacket, leather paints, face piercings and has taken up smoking. She’s described as tough and ruthless, but this isn’t necessarily behaviour we see fr...

This essay was edited by culture writer Sydney Urbanek, who has a newsletter dedicated to pop divas.
I’ll always remember how The Simple Life introduced Paris Hilton: “Model. Jet setter. Target of the tabloids. And heir to the 360 million dollar Hilton fortune.” While Paris was already enjoying some paparazzi attention in 2003, the reality series, which aired in December of that year, launched her into stardom, alongside best friend and co-star Nicole Richie. Alexandra Dean’s new documentary,...

Set on the fractious Irish border, Cathy Brady establishes the tone of her feature-length debut, Wildfire, by opening with archival footage of the conflict and terrorism linked to The Troubles, and more recently, the divide caused by Brexit. The social and political unrest simmers in the background of the film’s main story, as the small town suffers from old wounds that its residents won’t let heal — including the suicide of a mentally ill woman who left behind two young children.
Wildfire is...

In Jennifer Sheridan’s original debut feature, Rose: A Love Story, husband Sam (screenwriter Matt Stokoe) and wife Rose (Sophie Rundle) live a secluded life together in England’s snowy woods. Sam spends his days in the freezing cold gathering wood, setting rabbit traps, and looking after them both, whereas Rose stays inside writing novels, on a typewriter like she’s Jack Nicholson in The Shining, and managing her mysterious blood condition. As time goes on, their quaint existence is interrupt...

It’s that time of year where I bring you another collection of short horror films to enjoy this Halloween. Previously, I’ve listed short films for Reel Honey and The Simple Cinephile, so be sure to check those out if you’re after a larger selection.
2020 has been a strange year that isn’t over just yet. It’s forced many of us to stay indoors for long periods of time, but these unfortunate conditions can be utilised this Halloween season to make the holiday more enjoyable. There’s no better wa...

Set in 1971 Tennessee, Death Ranch follows three African-American siblings — Clarence (Travis Cutner), Brandon (Deiondre Teagle) and Angela (Faith Monique) — who are all on the run from the police. They take refuge in an abandoned ranch, unaware that their hideout is on the hunting grounds of a cannibalistic strand of the Klu Klux Klan. Soon enough, they are captured and tortured and must fight fiercely to make it out alive.
At first glance, this is a troubling plot to tackle, especially as i...

In Ten Minutes to Midnight, a violent hurricane traps late night radio host Amy Marlowe (Caroline Williams) and her staff at WLST for the night. Upon arrival, Amy is bothered by a nasty bite on her neck, which a coworker suggests she gets checked out because bat bites can only lead to rabies. The doctor can wait, though, because Amy has a show to do. But before she goes on air, her boss Robert (William Youmans) announces that she’s being replaced by Sienna (Nicole Kang), who will shadow her e...

Mike Flanagan, who is one of the best horror directors working today, returns to the small screen with The Haunting of Bly Manor, the second instalment in his anthology series, The Haunting.

The first season, The Haunting of Hill House, was based on Shirley Jackson's novel of the same name, and was updated by Flanagan, who delivered a masterclass in storytelling. The series examined dysfunctional families, trauma, and grief, in combination with chilling supernatural elements.

Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House, based on Shirley Jackson’s novel of the same name, was an absolute master class in emotive storytelling, story adaptation, and filmmaking. This time, Flanagan continues to reinvent great stories of the past as the second installment of The Haunting explores Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw”. The Haunting of Bly Manor doesn’t quite live up to Hill House, but it’s still one hell of an experience.
Our story begins in 1987 with Dani Clayton (Victoria...

In Alastair Orr’s Triggered, which was written by David D. Jones, a group of nine friends in their early 20s sit around a campfire in the woods. We’re introduced to their sharp banter, petty drama and frivolous gossip, but things don’t pick up until Erin (Liesl Ahlers) wanders into the trees to pee with privacy. While away from the others, she spots a shadow of a man who chases after her and successfully knocks her out. She wakes up to a painful head injury, blood dripping down her face, and ...