Tag: Drama

On Earth, Don’t Scream When Xeno Comes Calling!

Jim Henson Company’s Creature Shop brings Croak to life with practical charm and heart. Xeno thrives on Lulu Wilson’s performance, though its predictable story keeps it from soaring.

Xeno movie poster featuring Croak the alien by Jim Henson Creature ShopBlue Fox Entertainment
Spoiler Alert

When Xeno features designs from Jim Henson Company’s Creature Shop, there’s every reason to check out this film. I couldn’t help but think of the Xenomorphs from Alien and even Marvel’s Venom. And what we see works best in shadow, where we’re not meant to see every detail. Parts of the body suggest something more amphibious than skeletal, slimy than decayed, and once you see its face, you’ll either be unsettled or charmed.

Even in the press, this film is labelled a darker riff on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and it’s easy to spot the Spielbergian tropes director Matthew Loren Oates is leaning on. The premise of a teen bonding with an alien is competently handled, but rarely feels new. What’s presented is less about Beauty and the Beast and the leanings towards How to Train Your Dragon are noticeable. I like my pets/companions to be more feral.

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Five Favourite Fantasia Short Films — Weird, Wild & Wonderful

We’re not done with this festival yet as there are five favourite Fantasia short films to put on the spotlight!

Fantasia 2025 Movie Poster and Five Favourite Fantasia Short FilmsThe 29th annual Fantasia Film Festival has wrapped, and I’m already looking forward to what next year will bring. I’m still catching up on all the fantastic works showcased this year, especially the short films—and I’ve carefully taken the time to highlight the ones that truly stood out. This roundup features my five favourite Fantasia short films. Two were compelling enough to deserve their own dedicated posts: L’écrivain (The Writer) and Mother of Dawn—follow the links to read more about those.

Dreaming of a Whale

Premiered July 19, 2025

Dreaming of a Whale is a dreamlike short film written and directed by Shuzuku. This tale follows a young girl who hears a mysterious message on the radio—an emotional broadcast that is poetic and beckoning. Compelled by this cryptic signal, she sets out on a journey that leads her to the shoreline, where the truth behind the message and its narrator may finally surface.

Visually, the film is striking. The animation has a soft, textured quality reminiscent of early Studio Ghibli works. The colors and movement feel as though viewed by a soft lens, blurring the line between memory and imagination. Whether achieved through analog or digital techniques, this visual approach deepens the sense that we’re inside a waking dream.

The story itself feels intentionally minimal—more of a tone poem than a plotted narrative. We follow the girl not to get answers, but to feel what she feels. It reminded me of Queensrÿche’s “Silent Lucidity.” This song overlays perfectly with the film’s visuals because it delivers the yearning–that sense of needing to find that inner peace which exists in both works.

Ultimately, Dreaming of a Whale leaves you with a quiet hope—that both the girl and the disembodied voice on the radio find peace in their journey, whether it ends on land or beneath the waves.

Dreaming of Whale Short Film

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When Jia Zhangke’s Caught By The Tides is Sweeping Into Art House Screenings Nationwide….

… viewers interested in what life is like in China will find it rather maudlin. What people need to know about Caught by the Tides is that it’s made from bits and pieces of other films, and in what ties everything together is its focus on the leading lady.

Jia Zhangke's Caught By The Tides Movie PosterCaught by the Tides is a curious film that can be tough to deconstruct. When writer/director Jia Zhangke is assembling bits from his other works, the result can feel like a jumble. He either never had in mind a plan to create this latest movie, or he just wanted to play around. Even I had to check where the footage came from. The movies he pulled from are Unknown Pleasures, Still Life, and Ash is Purest White. I’ve only seen one, but the rest were a mystery.

I suspect the idea for this film comes from the idea that whatever random pieces of celluloid film are from the cutting room floor, he can collect into a tale. The film partially captivated me at times, but, like the receding tide, my interest waned. At least I can appreciate the moment where the protagonists are dancing to Butterfly on Dance Dance Revolution.

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At This Year’s Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, These Three Short Works Deserve Special Attention

Time flies at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and what’s offered is a look at the shorts that show why the magic is alive for new talents looking to make a difference.

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival LOGOSome folks may well say the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival moved quite fast this year. I seem to recall that some years had more days added to it than others, and I’d have to check my archives to verify if that’s true or not.

As I reported before, I’ve chosen to look at the shorts presented this year and I suspect half of what’s presented will be available at other similarly themed events. When my focus is on the genre of magical realism, what I offer is a look at these shorts which really caught my attention above all other screenings. Sadly, when doing remote coverage, some films might not be accessible, and that’s okay. They may show up at Fantasia Film Festival or another local Asian celebration of movies next, and I’m crossing my fingers!

Ruya

Sany (Bernadette Balagtas) is a dreamweaver, and in this world, they are more than storytellers. They interpret life’s major events and it’s woven into a tapestry. Not everyone can read the colours and patterns put into the t’nalaks. I couldn’t help but want to be reminded about how strings intertwine in what The Fates from Greek legend weave; however, those threads have a different meaning. And unlike what the dreamcatcher does, what’s made here is more about remembering one’s heritage more than anything else.

Ruya Movie Picture Still

Sadly, after she suffers a heart attack, she can’t continue making this long piece of cloth. And it’s up to her daughter Ruya (Yssamei Panganiban) to understand what this tapestry means to the family. And when not everyone is familiar with indigenous Filipino culture, what’s revealed is fascinating!

I was captivated by the later moments as the film attempts to explain who Fu Dalu, the Spirit of Abaca, is. Even then, what this story presents is scratching the surface. Afterwards, I researched further, and I’m glad the aboriginal fascination with the Dreaming isn’t limited to Australia!

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A Nerd’s Guide to the 2025 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

Although the number of genre films seems small in this year’s Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, the number of drama are always high as the 2025 event is ready to rumble starting tomorrow!

Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival LOGORuns: May 1st to 7th, 2025

When I have a fondness for films made in Asia, I’m always excited to see what the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival will screen. This event kicks off tomorrow, and I’m always curious about who may become the next Bong Joon Ho. Or rather, wonder if this event will premiere the next exciting genre flick! My coverage over the years always considers this side of the show before extending the list to other movies that pique my interest.

And while some years offer more fantastical works than others in the short film category, there’s still some good drama to find! This top picks in what to see also considers this category too.

Chinatown Cha-Cha
China, Directed by Luka Yuanyuan Yang

CHINATOWN CHA-CHAThe 92-year-old previous nightclub dancer Coby Yee decides to get back on stage again after joining the senior dance troupe Grant Avenue Follies. Together they go on a tour for the last time, bridging once isolated Chinese communities in the US, Cuba, and China.

From Okinawa With Love
Japan & USA, Directed by Hiroshi Sunairi

In the 1970s, Okinawan photographer Mao Ishikawa worked as a barmaid for African American GIs and published an impressive photography book.

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In the Movie Trapezium, Not Every Idol Singer Will Have Another’s Back

Although Trapezium is not a true look at the Japanese idol industry, what’s presented certainly scratches the surface.

Trapezium Movie PosterAvailable to view on Crunchyroll

Another star is born and whether the anime movie Trapezium truly explores what goes on in creating an idol singer depends. This tale is allegedly based on a story by Kazumi Takayama, a former member of Nogizaka 46. If true, the insights are not that many. I believe this film is more of a satire than anything else.

When this character drama is atypical, there’s none of that hyper intensity from Pompo the Cinephile (movie review) here. Here, the much slower story focuses on Azuma Yuu (Asaki Yuikawa), whose desire to be famous requires her to be something worse. While she’s almost like Ally Campana from the aforementioned film, her charming attitude isn’t immediate. Ranko (Reina Ueda), Kurumi (Hina Yomiya) and Mika (Haruka Aikawa) are her friends. Together, they are training to be Japan’s next top talent.

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