They were given freedom. “Children of the Cult” (2024)

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directed by Maroesja Perizonius & Alice McShane
© 2024 Magnetfilm. All Rights Reserved.

My favourite documentary film festival has started and the first film has already crushed me from the inside. This is an incredibly important production, but let me warn you – the things you’re about to see there are beyond imagination. The film focuses on Osho Mediation Centres, which are communes all over the world. According to what I’ve learned from the documentary and from the internet (because I’d never heard of them before seeing the film), those communes do not focus purely on meditation or spiritual gatherings, but they’ve become groups of people who may literally do whatever they want. At first, you may think it’s quite enjoyable to run away from the city, spend time in nature with other people who wish for peace. However, the truth is much darker. The leader of those practices was Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, an Indian mystic, and such meditation centres have been created in numerous countries. I can’t really tell you much about the idea behind his cult, because after the documentary I really don’t want to hear about this man ever again. So if you’re actually curious about the origins of this philosophy/religion, feel free to read more about it yourselves. However, from what I understood from the film, the main idea was to give people freedom and space for their personal growth and spiritual experiences. Unfortunately, some people took such opportunity way too literally. In this documentary you will meet several adults who were members of Osho cult as children and they share their memories from that time. The darkest memories you can imagine. According to what they tell us, in that cult it’s common to have sex with minors. This disgusting practice is even praised and the adult members make sure to prepare especially little girls to having intercourses with numerous people. The longer I was watching this documentary, the more frustrated I felt. I guess the moment when I lost my temper was when the spokesperson of this whole sick movement, Ma Anand Sheela, said that those children chose to have sex and nobody should take any responsibility for that. I literally had to stop the film and have a cigarette in silence (bless you online festivals for such opportunity). How can you be so shameless to say that raping children is actually the result of their own choice?! In a commune where the children were often taken to by their parents, so their beloved guardians whom they trusted, those underaged victims had to survive. And sometimes the only way to survive was to give up and “go with the flow” – so agree to being used by those disgusting people with no dignity. No religion and no philosophy will ever explain hurting children. Period. I’m both speechless and furious after watching this documentary, but I’m begging you – make sure to see it and share it with others. Because those criminals should take responsibility for what they did and we definitely shouldn’t stay quiet about it. Also, I wish all the victims to find their peace if only it’s somehow possible…

My rating: 7/10
S.

I want to be as deaf as I can be. “Deaf President Now!” (2025)

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directed by Nyle DiMarco & Davis Guggenheim
© 2025 Apple TV+. All Rights Reserved.

When I learned about this documentary, I immediately had to see it. I’m not a deaf person, but the rights of deaf people are very important to me. And no, I don’t have any deaf family members or coworkers, but I’m learning our national sign language. Why? First, because I simply like learning languages and it’s always an interesting adventure for me to learn new words, expressions and grammatical rules (yes, call me crazy, but I like those grammatical riddles). Second, it’s because I’ve met deaf people in my life in some random situations (on the street, in a hospital etc.) and I felt frustrated that I cannot communicate with them. Especially when a deaf woman is in hospital and there’s no translator so she has no idea what’s happening to her. That was actually my hospital roommate and after a week spent together, I went out of the hospital thinking “time to learn sign language”. Now, I can tell you that the world of deaf people is fascinating, because even though they don’t hear, they can be very emotional, creative and innovative, so everyday I gain a lot of inspiration from their community. That is why today I’d like to recommend you this documentary about a significant protest organised by the students of Gallaudet University in 1988. It’s the only university in the world that is specifically designed to educate deaf and hard-of-hearing people. However, since the beginning of its existence, the university president had always been a hearing person. In 1988 there was a chance for a deaf professor to take over such position, but certain authorities decided to keep a hearing person there. And at that point, the students got furious and began a huge protest in order to finally be represented by a deaf president. You may ask why it’s so important for them? Well, as a hearing person I do agree that only a deaf person may fully understand another deaf person. Additionally, in the previous boards those important people didn’t even know ASL (American Sign Languages), which shows their ignorance and lack of understanding what kind of university they are managing. Also, a deaf president gives the students a strong motivation boost, because in the world where people with disabilities are considered more of a problem (horrible reality), there’s a man like them who’s reached the top and it gives hope. No matter if you’re deaf or not, you have the right to dream big and live successfully. So yes, deaf representation is important everywhere. If you’re curious what happened during those protests and what the outcome was, you should see this documentary. And perhaps get inspired to learn your national sign language, even a few signs to communicate. I’m sure the deaf will be thankful for your effort.

My rating: 7/10
S.

There are only victims in this world. “Martyrs” (2008)

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directed by Pascal Laugier
© 2008 Wild Bunch. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve been told that this film is one of the most drastic productions ever made. And at that point my curiosity took over, so I had to see it myself. Before we move on, I have to admit that this film is absolutely hardcore and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who’s sensitive. The pictures you might see are so realistic and cruel that it takes a lot of strength to remember that it’s still fiction on the screen. You’ve been warned. The story begins with Lucie (Mylène Jampanoï, Jessie Pham as young Lucie), a girl who escapes real hell and ends up in an orphanage. There she meets Anna (Morjana Alaoui, Erika Scott as young Anna), who becomes her friend and protects her even during quite difficult times. Then we move on to the present where Lucie is an adult carrying a huge will to revenge. She goes into some house and murders all the family members believing that they were the ones hurting her as a child. Then she contacts Anna and asks her to come over to help her. Soon, we find out that Lucie is not only a murderer, but also a victim of some demonic woman. If you don’t want any more spoilers, feel free to leave now and get back after watching. Today, I feel the need to write a few words about my reflection on this story, so SPOILERS COMING. When I finished watching the film, I had two thoughts in mind. First – the ending is brilliant. The second – who’s the guy that wrote this screenplay and what’s his story? Apparently, the director and writer (one person) created this idea when he was suffering himself from deep depression. You can tell that, because this production is way too real, even if there’s the character of a demonic woman, so it must have been made by someone who’d gone through hell himself. In fact, this demon chasing Lucie is, in my opinion, her inner demon that she has to fight alone. Nobody else sees it, yet they see Lucie hurting herself. That’s pretty much an ugly picture of what depression may look like. Running away from such demon seems terrifying, exhausting and overwhelming, so at some point people just give up and decide to end it all. Some viewers may see it a classic slasher, I see a very important message coming out of it, especially the character of Lucie. And there’s Anna, her best friend, who’d love to help her, but sometimes we just can’t. We’re only humans. However, except this part of the story, I also appreciate the idea of looking for the answer about the afterlife. Obviously, it’s drastic, like the whole film, but also presenting how helpless human are. We have no idea what’s after death and we would really have to torture people to perhaps get a hint. Helplessness may lead to horrible actions. A lot of people are talking about the ending, but I’ll keep it to myself, because I’d like you to watch the film and come up with your own idea. In case you want to talk about it, feel free to message me. But to sum up – this is a damn good horror.

My rating: 7/10
S.

You don’t get old at the table. “Nonnas” (2025)

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directed by Stephen Chbosky
© 2025 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

If you’re starting the week with as much energy as I do (which is surely below zero), then you may need some nonnas in your life! Nonnas – meaning grandmas. Their sarcasm, their hugs and also their cooking. Even though I’m an adult myself and I’m the one cooking now, I still miss my grandmas’ dishes. They were experts in the kitchen and I have no idea how they were doing it, but everything tasted better at their place. No matter how hard I try to repeat some recipe, I always miss one thing – I’m not my grandma. That’s it. And if you share similar reflections with me, then this film will cheer you up. We get to know Joe (Vince Vaughn), a middle-aged man who’s just lost his beloved mother. The man is obviously grieving and searching for a way to feel better. That’s also a very emotional moment in his life, so he suddenly finds some motivation to make huge changes. Joe comes up with an idea to open an Italian restaurant where the chefs would be grandmas of Italian origin. At first even his family considers it a ridiculous way to waste money, but Joe is stubborn and does everything to make his new little dream come true. Isn’t it adorable? But before you melt completely, let me just add that this film is based on a real story of Joe Scaravella who’s the owner of such restaurant with nonna-chefs. When it comes to the idea itself, I find is marvellous. Not only we can eat delicious dishes, but also those women get a chance to stay active and keep working. And I believe it’s incredibly important, because a lot of elderly people feel useless and unwanted – which is absolutely not right. They have so many skills and we should be learning from them as long as it’s possible. When it comes to the film, I guess it’s a cute comedy that is here to make your day a bit brighter. And from time to time we really need such good vibes, so I’m sharing them with you and I hope you’ll have fun with those Italian nonnas.

My rating: 6/10
S.

If there’s certainty, there’s no need for faith. “Conclave” (2024)

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directed by Edward Berger
© 2024 Focus Features. All Rights Reserved.

I watched this film some months ago, but I wasn’t sure whether I should write about it. On the one hand, I find it a quality production, on the other, I knew that if I wrote about it, I would have to mention the topic of religion and it’s something I’d prefer to avoid. But considering the fact that we’ve just witnessed a real-life conclave, I feel like it’s a good time to remind you about this film. Perhaps some people from Vatican wouldn’t like to put a spotlight on it, but here I am to put the whole arsenal of lights. As you might be guessing from the title, this is a story about a conclave that has to be organised due to the death of the pope. If you’re not a religious person, let me just add that a conclave is the assembly of cardinals (so very important men in Vatican) who elect the pope. So the film starts with the death of the last pope and such meeting has to be organised to choose a new one. And that’s where the rollercoaster of mysterious events begins. You see, a lot of people, especially very religious ones, may believe that those men there are truthful, with pure hearts and only best intentions. However, this story shows that no matter whether it’s presidential election or pope election – there’s drama, there’s conspiracy and there’s business. Because even if all those cardinals wear beautiful costumes and carry a Bible everywhere, they are still people and people are almost always the same. We may observe how different approaches to religion and faith those candidates for the new pope have and what they do in order to win in the end. And sometimes, they do things that perhaps wouldn’t be praised by the man they normally believe in. This film is very intense and presents what’s there, behind the closed doors. From the cinephile point of view, it’s wonderful because of two main reasons to me. First, the camera work. The shots are quite unusual and sometimes the camera is way too close to the actors, which has its pluses because we may feel even more overwhelmed by the actions and the emotions. And yes, I find it a big advantage, because the point of this film is to make us feel uncomfortable about what happens there on a daily basis. Second, the cast and the acting – it’s marvellous and I’m definitely not surprised about those Oscar nominations because they were well-deserved. Perhaps if the Academy members had watched all the films, they would have voted for “Conclave”. But as we know, the only job they have as those members hasn’t been done properly so far. Let’s hope they’ll actually see what they’re voting for before next year. Back to the film, from my personal point of view it is an important production, because it shows something that a lot of people ignore or pretend not to see. I’m not religious and yes, I am against religious organisations, because I believe they do not use their potential in the right way. What they proclaim is incredibly noble, but at the same time, I see no actions along with that. When I see all those men in expensive costumes and gold rings telling us to take care of others, while the only ones they care about are themselves, then I’m sorry – I prefer to be an atheist who gives a hand to those in need. I don’t need any religious label to be a decent human. I don’t need to read any fat books to know that if someone is hungry, we should feed them. I wish the same number of people who watched yesterday’s pope election could at least for a moment look at the ones in need and perhaps do something good. That’s what the world needs. Anyway, enjoy the film and maybe reflect on the reality we’re living in.

My rating: 7/10
S.

What are girls for? “Woman of the Hour” (2023)

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directed by Anna Kendrick
© 2023 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

Before watching this film I was just slightly curious, but after… this is one of the best thrillers told from a woman’s perspective. If you’re discouraged by the average ratings, let me tell you what’s going on here (without too many spoilers) and I hope you’ll see the film yourself. We’re meeting Sheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick), a young woman from Pennsylvania, who’s about to take part in a TV show called “The Dating Game”. During the show there’s a wall dividing the stage to two parts – Sheryl is sitting on the left together with the host, and there are 3 male candidates sitting on the right. The woman has to ask questions to the 3 men and finally decide which one she chooses to go on a date with. As I said at the beginning, this isn’t a romance or romcom full of overly cute dialogues – it’s a damn good thriller. You see, one of the men sitting behind that wall is actually a murderer, who’s killed several women but hasn’t been caught. Sheryl obviously doesn’t know about it, so there’s still a chance she might choose him. Will she? That’s for you to see. So, to be precise, this is a story about a serial killer, but told from the perceptive of a woman that happens to meet him on that show. To spice things up, this film is based on real events and such man did exist. His name was Rodney Alcala and the number of his victims is still unknown, but experts estimate it’s 130… 130 women could have lost their lives because of that one man. I had chills when I read about it and I’m thankful that Anna decided to make this story more visible. This production is actually her debut as a director and despite some average reviews, I believe she did a marvellous job. Somehow, maaaaybe it’s a coincidence, but most negative reviews are coming from male reviewers… It is quite interesting, especially since this film has a lot of female energy, in my opinion. I mean, Anna very much focused on the emotions of all the women presented there. She showed genuine trust that women may have at first when meeting someone, she showed determination when a victim is trying to escape, she showed trauma that’s present after losing someone’s best friend etc. Personally, I felt each character very much and she led the actors in a magnificent way. In fact, the scene where Sheryl (so Anna herself) is walking away at the parking lot is incredibly powerful. I’m not saying that men won’t understand this film – of course they will and there’s no discrimination, because all you need is a pinch of empathy. That’s it. However, women might understand it better because they might have been in such situations. Walking alone at night with your keys in a hand imitating a weapon. Feeling dizzy each time you need to pass some stranger standing there and staring at you. Feeling like a bird in a cage when someone on the train or bus sits next to you and starts flirting. Or simply saying “no” and seeing the rage on the other person’s face. I’ve been there, several times, and I know exactly what Anna wanted to express with this film. Once again, I’m thankful for this production and I really hope you’ll decide to see it. Especially if you’re a man who says “but not all men”.

My rating: 8/10
S.

This is our music. “Blue Giant” (2023)

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directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa
© 2023 Nova Media. All Rights Reserved.

Me and anime do not really match. I’ve seen some anime productions in my life and unfortunately, I cannot share the same level of excitement with its fans. There’s something quite annoying in the way those animations are created, so no matter how interesting the story is, I cannot really focus on it because of that. To all anime lovers – I’m sorry, but that’s just the way I am. However, do I appreciate the effort and work people put into making such films? Absolutely yes! Because even if it’s not my cup of tea, it’s still very demanding to produce anime. But recently, I was recommended to see “Blue Giant” and despite my lack of interest in anime, I gave it a try. The story focuses on Dai Miyamoto (Yuki Yamada) who is a young man dreaming of becoming a successful saxophone player. He goes alone to Tokyo to give himself a chance to be noticed by someone. However, as you might be guessing, being an artist is extremely difficult, especially if you play such an instrument like saxophone and you wish to play the music that is generally not the most popular – jazz. We follow the man doing everything to make his dreams come true, which is a horribly difficult path. First, I appreciate this film for showing the struggles that artists have to deal with. It’s not only about money and surviving, but also about the mental pressure that they constantly feel. People telling them they are not enough or that they should try doing something “serious” instead. Keep seeing empty chairs in the audience and still not giving up. That’s something I admire in artists and it’s what I wasn’t able to handle myself. Second, I really enjoy listening to jazz and this film is full of wonderful tunes. Hiromi Uehara did a marvellous job with the soundtrack and even if you don’t like anime but you like damn good music, you must see this film. I have to admit that at some points I was closing my eyes to focus on the music itself and not the animation. Once again, I’m sorry anime fans, but the animation and editing in this production didn’t work well with the soundtrack to me, so in order to appreciate it more, I had to look away from time to time. Personally, I believe that if they remade “Blue Giant” into a live action film, it would be a solid candidate for several Oscars. And the Oscar for music would be given without any voting. Anyway, I’m glad I had a chance to discover this production and I hope you’ll check it out as well. Because jazz is hot and intense, and that’s the way we like it.

My rating: 7/10
S.

It’s not enough to survive, you’ve got to live. “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” (2025)

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directed by Michael Morris
© 2025 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Oh Bridget… I can’t even name the number of times you cheered me up after another failed relation. Whenever I had a broken heart, she was there with me to sing “All by Myself”, drunk, in a cute pyjamas. I simply adore this woman, although the third film was already slightly disappointing to me – you absolutely cannot compare it to the first two. That is why I had quite mixed feelings about the 4th part. On the one hand, I was excited because Bridget is back, on the other… what could go wrong…? Well, the first thing that hits us like a metal chair (SPOILER COMING) is that her one and only love, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth), has died, so Bridget (Renée Zellweger) is now a widow with two children, Billy and Mabel (Casper Knopf & Mila Jankovic). Before you get frustrated, let me just add that it’s exactly what happens in the book as well, so it wasn’t the filmmaker’s choice. To all Darcy’s fans – I feel you… Anyway, Bridget is a happy mother of two adorable kiddos, but she’s single again, so her friend comes up with an idea to create Bridget’s profile of Tinder. She’s a bit unsure about it at first, but that leads to dating Roxster (Leo Woodall), a much, much younger man. In the meantime, we also get to know Scott Walliker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Bridget’s children’s teacher, who is just there somewhere in the background, but as you might be guessing he may become quite significant at some point. First things first – I’m not disappointed about this part. In fact, I feel like this one is better than the third one and we get to experience the good old Bridget Jones. As much as I am sad about the death of Mark, there are two good sides of that. One – Bridget gets to date a much younger man, which is still some kind of a taboo topic. The other way round? No problemo. But when the woman is the older one in the couple, then it seems unusual. So I’m glad that we’re fighting with the age stereotype and show that love may be found literally in any combination. And two – I’m glad for the character of Scott, the teacher. He’s a middle-aged man who has always wanted to find true love and start a family, but it’s just never happened. And that’s something we often see being pictured about women – that they “failed” to find that special someone and have children. But it works both ways – there are such men as well. And it’s not about failing, but about something I personally call “fate”. We may be disappointed that life hasn’t worked out the way we wanted, but there’s something else coming. Something different, maybe better, but surely something specifically for us. This film also covers the topic of men’s loneliness, which is an important thing to talk about. And Bridget? She’ll manage anytime, anywhere. Just like all of you reading it. Thank you Jones for being just the way you are; in your silly little boots, silly little dress and absolutely enormous pants.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I feel like everything ended. “Drowning Dry” (“Sesės”, 2024)

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directed by Laurynas Bareiša
© 2024 Afterschool Production. All Rights Reserved.

If I tell you that I know just a little bit about the Lithuanian cinema, that would already be an exaggeration. Unfortunately, one of the reasons why we don’t get to learn about some films is because they are not that widely available, especially with at least English subtitles. Thanks to my friends from Klassiki, I’m able to explore the world of cinema despite any barriers. This time I had a chance to see a Lithuanian drama, which actually surprised me, but first – a few words about the plot. We get to know Ernesta and Justė (Gelminė Glemžaitė & Agnė Kaktaitė), two sisters, both married and both with children. All together they decide to spend some time at a summer house by a lake. Sounds like a beginning of a lovely story? Oh no… even though the sisters have a strong bond, their husbands, Lukas and Tomas (Paulius Markevičius & Giedrius Kiela) don’t seem to have much in common. One is a snooty professional sportsman, another is a couch potato with a specific sense of humour. As you might be guessing, their salaries also differ from each other, so there’s another topic to have some argument about – money. And for about a half of the film I felt like there’s not much happening on the screen, except quite interesting shots, but those are technicalities. I need some decent story! And luckily, I stayed patient, kept watching and realised – there’s much more hiding behind the boring conversations. I don’t want to spoil it, because discovering the actual idea for the film is the most entertaining part, but I can just tell you that the story is not told in a linear way. In case you don’t know what that means – it’s when during the film you’re not presented the events in the right order, but the filmmaker makes you jump from the present, to the future, to the past etc. This way, they may catch your attention and force you to figure out what happened yourself. Personally, I really like this way of making films, so that a huge plus from me. However, if I may complain a bit – it all seemed a bit too phlegmatic to me. I understand that it could have been done on purpose, to catch us off guard before revealing the actual plot twists, but to me it was a bit too much. If you use such “sleepy” camera work, as I like to call it, meaning the shots are long and the editing quite limited, then you need more emotions coming from the actors. To me, those actors could have played differently, but that was the director’s choice to keep it more realistic, more neutral. I bet some people may appreciate such idea more, but it wasn’t my piece of cake. However, I did like the general story, the non-linear way of telling it, and also I liked the songs the sisters were dancing to. A small plus, but it’s a plus after all. Also, I just want to put a spotlight on the characters of the sisters and how those women are presented here – no matter what happens in their life, what their men are fighting over – the ladies are always there for each other. And I guess that’s a lovely picture of female support. I recommend you to see it and discover some Lithuanian cinema.

My rating: 6/10
S.

You witnessed a death and now it’s latched onto you. “Smile 2” (2024)

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directed by Parker Finn
© 2024 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

What about taking the most genuine symbol of kindness and turning it into something completely opposite to scare people? Yeah, great success, let’s make another part. So here it is. If you haven’t seen “Smile”, I guess you can still watch part II without any worries, yet I’m personally a fan of watching films in the right order, so it’s up to you. If you’ve seen the first film, then this one continues with the main idea of the “smiling-demon-parasite-something”, just with a new protagonist and new adventures, if I may call them this way. We get to know Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), a pop music star, who’s been struggling with drugs addiction, but is willing to get back on stage. In the end, that’s her job, money doesn’t grow on trees and business is business, right? However, she hurts her back and in order to get rid of pain, she meets with a dealer to get some Vicodin from him. Unluckily, her dealer is Lewis (Lukas Gage), who is the current host to the smiling demon/parasite/whatever thing. In case you forgot how it works from the first film: the cursed person kills themselves in front of another one and this way the curse changes the host. And so on, and so on. But right before killing themselves, the victim smiles in the most unnatural and creepy way – so that’s where the title comes from. Anyway, seems like Skye is now the new host and she starts having hallucinations, which step by step are making her lose her mind. But before I leave you to watch the rest yourselves, let me just add – there is a way to stop this chain and save oneself. How? That’s even creepier than the smiling demon itself, so now I’ll actually leave you to discover it on your own. Just like with the first part, I enjoyed this horror as well, because it’s something fresh. As I said at the beginning, the filmmakers took the idea of smiling, which has rather positive connotations, and presented it as a symbol of something evil, which in a smart way plays with our brains. Of course, it’s not the first time someone uses a smile this way – lots of bad characters were smiling while doing their usual bad things, but here the smile is in the spotlight, which makes it even more disturbing. Besides, when the character starts having hallucinations, the film itself makes us feel as if we, the viewers, were having them. There are some jumpscares, but I guess the scariest part is this uncomfortable feeling from the beginning till the end. Naomi Scott had a difficult role to play and she nailed it, so here’s a pinch of appreciation for her as well. I guess I liked both parts equally and I can’t wait what they might come up with in part 3. Considering the ending, they might already plan about a thousand parts more. Good luck with that.

My rating: 6/10
S.