‘May December’ mystifies the melodrama in one of the year’s best movies

Share: Before cancel culture had its torches and pitchforks out for anyone at the center of controversy, there were scandals. Fueled by tabloids and morbid curiosities, nothing made national news quite like an appalling figure that raised uncomfortable questions about what it means to be human. “May December,” the new film directed by Todd Haynes, seeks to scrutinize scandal for all its melodramatic, unholy glory through a pitch-perfect script by Samy Burch. Led by career-best performances from Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, “May December” initially …

‘Annihilation’: Elevated visuals through practical effects

Share: More recently, science-fiction thrillers have revolved around common themes: space, the future, or a virtual world. “Annihilation” does not take that route at all. Although there are no real markers to show that it takes place in any time period, it is easy to infer that it takes place within the decade. Just this alone sets the film apart from many other fantasy and sci-fi thrillers of today. While having its flaws, “Annihilation”, written and directed by Alex Garland and adopted from Jeff VanderMeer’s …