film essay

Director Lou Pepe on the phenomenon of cinematic narcolepsy and why the very best films lull us into a dream state.

Sophie Brooks, writer-director of The Boy Downstairs, on dealing with a particular kind of negative criticism, and the lesson she took from it.

Actress Nadia Alexander on the violent reactions some viewers have had to the complex antiheroes she's played – and what she's done in response.

Recovering sex and love addict Charlene deGuzman on the transformative effect her SXSW-premiering film Unlovable had on her.

Ted Geoghegan on his new film Mohawk, a thriller about America's ugly past and the proto-Trump supporters who shaped the country.

Jim Hemphill on the grizzled performer's newly released book, and the qualities that make him exceptional.

Or a few impolite thoughts on The Young Karl Marx, by the director of that film and I Am Not Your Negro.

Writer-director Xander Robin introduces us to the disparate men he found to play father figures in his decidedly unconventional debut feature.

Mark Pellington, whose new movie Nostalgia opens today, on the driving force behind his work in film, TV, music videos and beyond.

Jim Hemphill pays tribute to the director whose aptitude at portraying potent sexuality made him the ideal fit for the Fifty Shades franchise.

French cinema's enfant terrible on his provocative new film Double Lover, #MeToo, the feminism of Deneuve and Bardot, and more.

The award-winning VFX facial artist turned documentary director explains how he used microexpressions as a storytelling tool in his debut feature.