Songs My Brothers Taught Me offers a restrained, lyrical perspective on reservation life, with portrayals of marginalized communities that are nuanced yet purposeful and cathartic. Themes of adult dysfunction, poverty, and quiet neglect dominate the narrative with a focus on realism and identity. John Winters(John Reddy) is defined by his identity in his community and the trauma that comes through systemic discrimination. Landscapes in Songs My Brothers Taught Me are integral

Homebound is a powerful indictment of modern-day India with rich character drama and a personal character piece at the forefront. Themes of religious and caste discrimination are explored in Homebound. Ghaywan's films focus on the exploitation and suffering of marginalized people deemed outside of the normative society. In Homebound, religious discrimination is linked to caste discrimination, with the rise in Islamophobia in modern-day India. Homebound is a more cynical film,

Juice is powerful and unflinching. Highlighting the banal evils of patriarchal societies and caste discrimination, it's a striking and effective piece of work from a confident filmmaker. Gendered roles and spaces are common in Indian households that are patriarchal constructs in nature. It's a society that entraps women in labor while exploiting and casually humiliating them in everyday life. Characters trapped by circumstance seem to be a recurring theme in Ghywan's work (i.

Masaan is a poetic meditation on the cycle of life and death. Themes of discrimination, grief, loss, separation, freedom, and cyclical systemic abuse are explored and conveyed through the protagonist's arcs. Masaan conveys the idea that people are trapped in small towns with forces bent on keeping them in the same manner. Devi's exploited by the police, and Deepak's lower caste badge finds him unable to be with the love of his life. This is juxtaposed with Benaras and its im

Ironheart is a flawed yet fascinating show. It's a character study wrapped in bloated legacy-quel fan service armor. However, Ironheart presents an interesting counterpoint to Sinners on the idea that creative compromise is a necessary aspect of art. Ironheart works best when it focuses on Riri's personal life, drawing from her trauma, lived-in experiences, and her interactions with her family, guiding her motivations. It gives the series an emotional anchor and depth. This a

IRON Man 3 is a marked improvement and the best Iron Man film of the trilogy. Iron Man 3 subverts the power fantasy and soft propaganda that permeate the first 2 Iron Man films and the MCU. Iron Man 3 provides some of the richest material and a neat character arc for RDJ's Tony Stark. Iron Man 3 presents Tony Stark as a three-dimensional character, with his arrogance, ego, and flaws coming to the surface. Consequently, the film frames Tony's Iron Man suits as a metaphor for a

Iron Man 2 is the MCU's first major misstep. Interesting ideas are buried within convoluted worldbuilding, Cold War stereotypes, and glossy power fantasy for a passive, middle-of-the-road summer blockbuster. Iron Man 2 is preoccupied with themes of legacy, as well as American capitalism, as reflected in the characters of Tony Stark and Ivan Vanko. Tony Stark is the embodiment of the military-industrial complex, while Vanko is the victim of American capitalism. However, Iron M

Eyes of Wakanda feels like excess content. While part of the D+ Streaming Model, it evokes a certain sense of tiredness and fatigue about the brand and its future, given that the streaming bubble is being broken. Eyes of Wakanda is formally an ambitious show that critiques isolation, specifically Wakanda's self-isolated utopia, while dabbling in various genres and conventions. However, Eyes of Wakanda often feels aimless with no thematic coherence. Eyes of Wakanda lacks ident

Iron Man built the groundwork for the MCU with a blend of military propaganda and power fantasy, framing superheroes as noble soldiers fighting wars against vaguely defined political enemies(Ten Rings). Iron Man is recontextualized for the American military industrial complex and its commentary on the War on Terror. However, its commentary tends to skew the American military complex in a favorable and neutral light, making it a fantasy. Iron Man's muddled arc is about a war p

Devs is a science fiction piece that needs to be savored. Hinging on themes of determinism, free will, and commentary on Tech Worship...

Sinners is a cautionary tale about cultural appropriation and the importance of ownership. It’s the first film that resonates with the...

Wakanda Forever is too ambitious for its own good. It's a film largely built around the struggle for its distinct identity in the face of...

Black Panther is an outlier in the MCU, if not radical and not as subversive. Driven by the formulaic structure of the MCU, however, it...

Creature Commandos is a minor work by James Gunn and an effective coda in this stage of his career. Centering its themes of bodily...

Creed is an incredible legacy sequel. Themes of legacy, legitimacy, race, masculinity, identity, and time are preoccupied by the...

Peacemaker Season 1 is a gonzo triumph. It's a humanist tale juxtaposed against a B-movie narrative and black humor. Themes of parental...

Fruitvale Station is a rebuttal to the notion of post-racial America and a piece of the Obama-era cinema. Its skepticism of post-racial...

Fig is a cynical piece of work. Pertaining to cycles of abuse, it explores discrimination, sexism, violence, and family dissolution. The...

Ryan Coogler's Locks communicates through silence. Themes about identity, discrimination, African-American experience, self-esteem,...

Scooby-Doo Monsters Unleashed is oddly prescient on blockbuster cinema for the worse. Overstuffed with lore minutiae and fan service, it...