Student Film Reviews

Film reviews from theaters, couches, and film festivals

1. Riley McCaffrey 03.02.24 / 5pm

   Hi Maya, this was a really creative and effective way to really describe the heart of the film. “I hear your dissociation. Your dreams. Your indifference. The machines. Your silence.”

   I honestly really loved it.
2. Elyssa Crutchfield 03.03.24 / 12pm

   I think writing this from the point of view of the house is a really powerful way to explore the themes of the film, especially the condemnation of the family to ignore what is happening right next door. “It’s up to you./ Speak up.” And I think thats just as important a message today as it was during the 1940’s.
3. Lillian Dutra 03.08.24 / 7pm

   How creative! Loved this review from the perspective of the house in this film. In many ways this film is hard to watch, the idea that a family could have a happy, almost beautiful “normal” life, on the edge of a concentration camp is almost unconceivable. Yet, this film manifests the reality. Director Jonathan Glazer allows us into this house and its people, and then confronts that world with the modern day reality of the Auschwitz Museum to show the consequences. As you stated “… It’s up to you. Speak Up.” What a great takeaway.
4. Yael Rosenhan 03.11.24 / 7pm

   Hello Maya,
   This is such a creative way to review this film, you truly added your own depth to the already deep meaning of the film and it’s visuals. I watched this film at the Palm Spring Film Festival and was amazed by how subtle it was, yet the impact was profound. The film highlighted how mundane life was for these people, yet their monstrous actions lurked as a shadow. The film used sound very creatively, while the visuals might look pleasant at times, the sound of screams and the concentration camp, as well as the furnace loomed as a constant reminder of the evil being the mask. I thought this was reflective of how they portrayed the characters, seemingly normal, they pure hatred and evil behind their facade. Overall, I found this film extremely impactful and hard to watch at times, and I really liked the way you expressed your review of the film.
5. Atlas Cummins 03.15.24 / 12pm

   Maya, this is an incredibly creative way to review such a film. I found that when writing my personal view of the film for my journal, I couldn’t find words that felt like they justified the emotions I felt. This does it perfectly. The juxtaposition in the lines is beautiful, “The gas. Your French perfume.”, “I smell your dinner. Your acceptance.” and “I am a house. My mouth is nailed shut.” genuinely gave me chills. This feels like the most appropriate way to review a film such as this one. I remember watching this film for the first time and fighting the urge to vomit when I was walking to my car because of how powerfully it communicated its message, but I felt the reviews and commentary on the film were lackluster when compared to the film itself. The mise-en-scene, specifically the shots with no dialogue but lots of visually striking images, stuck with me for weeks after watching. I didn’t feel that your review was lackluster at all when compared to the film. Brilliant work for such a heavy film.
6. Steven Vivaldi 03.15.24 / 1pm

   Hi Maya,
   This is a creative approach to review a film. We as the audience are like this house (I think that is what you were going for). You captured the realism in that this film is so mundane. The banality of this type of evil is so chilling. Your poem reveals all the senses we can hone in on with subtlety. Your nod to dissociation is important because it is still bewildering. Statistically, not all of these people can be psychopaths. My favorite line of yours that captures the situation is “I feel your confinement. Your happiness.” In the end it seems you desire hope for this family to do the right thing. Alas, we see they are beyond ethics and morality.
7. Sophea Pheng 03.15.24 / 11pm

   I have not seen this film but I am aware of the director’s speech at the Oscar awards. I felt that he was trying to express the idea that there are atrocities happening near us that we are simply happy to not see. There have been a lot of people trying to explain what he meant in his speech but I think he was brave to even bring up the idea that our current lifestyle encourages this sort of ignorance of the state of things.
8. Andrea Weaver 03.15.24 / 11pm

   Maya, the core of Jonathan Glazer’s “Zone of Interest” is eloquently captured in your review “Juxtaposition”. Your thoughtful analysis of the film’s intricate themes and excellent cinematography strikes a deep chord. The film’s subtle depiction of beauty, oppression, and social critique is highlighted by the analogy of the home as an omniscient observer, which is very powerful. Your deft interpretation of the visceral events depicted on screen gives the story more depth and encourages readers to fully submerge themselves in the movie’s universe. In addition, your exhortation to “speak up” in the face of quiet serves as a potent reminder of the transformational power of movies to elicit thought-provoking conversation and motivate action. I appreciate your thoughtful review!
9. Mia Velazquez 04.13.24 / 5pm

   Maya, excellent creative of “Zone of Interest!” In your review, you really captured the disturbing and stark contrasts in the film. The beautiful gardens and pool, next to the billowing smoke from the gas chambers of Auschwitz. I love how it is written from the perspective of the house, that sees, feels, and hears the horrors of the death camp next door. It’s a chilling film and you did such a great job capturing that feeling. Also, at the end of your review, the house asks the reader to “speak up” against one of the darkest periods in history.

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