Student Film Reviews

Film reviews from theaters, couches, and film festivals

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1. Alexis Renteria 02.28.26 / 11pm

   This sounds like a very compelling film. You describe it as having such depth and emotional pull, I am eager to see the film for myself.
2. Cameron Sheahan 03.17.26 / 5am

   I like how you focused on the shopping cart scene in your review. This gave your review a visual focus on the film rather than simply providing a plot summary. The way you interpreted the shopping cart as a symbol of the burdens that the man must carry throughout his life was strong and powerful. The visual elements of the scene prior to the man’s introduction into the film also supports your thoughts of the cart and its symbolism. Your discussion of the man in the ocean was strong and supported your interpretation of the film using visual symbolism to convey the isolation and emotional pain that he feels during such a difficult time in his life. Such an image is important within the film to allow the audience to understand the man’s emotions.
3. Amarisse Camargo 03.19.26 / 11pm

   I feel that your review of “The Heart Is A Muscle” does a good job of getting across what the film’s imagery means, particularly the grocery cart image as an example of how people carry emotional weight for their entire lives. I believe your interpretation of the film relates to some of our in-class discussions of how filmmakers have used symbolism and visual storytelling to create a theme in a film without relying on dialogue.

   Your mention of the ocean was another excellent way to show how filmmakers are able to portray someone’s internal feelings or emotions through setting. We’ve seen this done with both classic and modern cinema.

   Finally, I like how you were able to connect the father’s past to his current behavior. This shows how the filmmaker has developed the character based on what happened to him before.
4. Melia Rigsby 03.20.26 / 3pm

   Hi! Your response to “The Heart Is A Muscle” did a great job of highlighting the different scenes and how they related to the concept of the film as a whole. I enjoyed your descriptions of the scenes that you focused on as well as the writing and word choices you made. Your review of this movie definitely makes me want to check it out! I also enjoyed the emotional connections that you described at the beginning of the review! Your description of the ocean and what it symbolizes (isolation and vastness) was very thoughtful and helped me to gain a better feel for this movie and what it might be about.
5. Isabel Konz 03.20.26 / 8pm

   This is a great review! It seems like based on this review that this film touched you emotionally. The review really explains the theme of the film and the connection to the title which was interesting to read about. I can tell by this review the emotional depth of the film. I liked how you chose specific scenes such as the shopping cart one and dissected them in the review. After reading this review, it’s clear that you understand the weight of this film and you caught all the symbolism.
6. Kylee McDougal 03.20.26 / 11pm

   I loved how this review focuses on the deeper meaning behind The Heart is a Muscle. One of my favorite parts is when you talked about how the past shapes somewone into who they will or do become. When you went in and explained the begenning scene with the grocery cart and explained hpow strong it is becuase it connects a simple visual to a much larger idea about carying burdens though life. This is a great idea of symbolism thoughought film. Overall your review is extremely stong and not only explained the big ideas but also the use of camera angels and the emotional impact of the story
7. Gavin Peifer 03.21.26 / 2pm

   I really liked what you did with focusing on the visual form of this movie in lieu of simply giving a summary of the movie. Breaking down the first shot of the shopping cart as an example of a film’s ability to use the placement of a camera to convey symbolic meaning prior to understanding the narrative itself was an excellent choice. Your tying the opening shot back into the final scenes of the film are great examples of how a film will often use both the start and finish of the film to reinforce themes.
8. Makenna Tobin 03.22.26 / 9pm

   I like how your review emphasizes the symbolism in The Heart Is a Muscle, especially the shopping cart scene as a representation of carrying emotional burdens through life. Your interpretation of the continuous movement of the cart effectively connects to the idea of pushing forward despite one’s past, which adds depth to the film’s message. The way you described the ocean scene was also very strong, clearly illustrating the father’s internal struggles and sense of isolation through visual imagery. This connects well to concepts we’ve discussed in class about how filmmakers use setting and visuals to express emotions without relying heavily on dialogue. Overall, your analysis does a great job of linking the film’s imagery to its broader theme of how past experiences shape identity.
9. madeline L 03.25.26 / 11am

   In your review of “The Heart is a Muscle” you start of with a bang; mentioning the imagery of a shopping cart at eye level. This pulled me in immediately because this I hope everyone had the luxury of this being such a childhood memory regardless if you liked the shopping or not. After reading your review it to me shows symbolism for growth ! We start off with something comforting such as that childhood memory then you suddenly bring up another image that is the complete opposite, almost cold ! We are being guided through this world then all the sudden we are alone in this big vast life given the choice to sink or swim using the tools we were taught. In the end I think you did a great job at connecting the imagery with the message the director was conveying to you personally. Thank you for sharing !
10. Kevin Anigbogu 03.25.26 / 3pm

    I thought that your review did a great job of explaining the deeper meaning behind the movie, particularly in terms of the impact of the past on one’s identity. I also appreciated your description of the scene with the grocery cart, as it demonstrates the impact of imagery on storytelling without the need to use any dialogue at all. This is particularly relevant to some of the symbolism that we have been discussing in the classroom, as well as the way that imagery is used by filmmakers to depict certain ideas. The scene at the ocean that you described was particularly poignant, as it also depicts the idea of emotional isolation and inner turmoil through imagery. I agree that the message of the movie, particularly in terms of the impact of the past on the present, is particularly strong and relatable. Overall, your review does a great job of explaining the way that the movie uses imagery and editing to tell a meaningful story.
11. Diego Martinez 03.26.26 / 2am

    I really enjoyed how your review focused on the emotional impact of the film and how childhood experiences contribute to shaping one’s identity. You described the opening scene of a shopping cart moving forward while the father and his son grab a large amount of potentially unnecessary items, this a great example of implicit meaning and visual storytelling. Without any dialogue, the film uses composition and moment to express themes of survival and routine. Your review also captures how the film explores narrative and symbolism to study trauma. It makes me think about how cinematography and perspective influence the audience’s understanding of character at an internal level. Thank you for sharing this film, looking forward to watching and further analyzing it.
12. Yusen Sato 03.26.26 / 10pm

    After reading the review, at first the title of this film is really interesting and attracting many audience’s eye. Also, I would say this film is not high concept movie, it is more like independent movie. Because, I feel like it’s difficult to understand everything deeply of this movie. However I really liked how they try to explain a strong message in this movie. In the opening scene, it had no context- just visuals, which is also interesting because we have to try to understand the message that they want to tell to the audiences without context. Also, what stood out to me the most was there are so much meanings even in a quick scene.
13. Joan Kivela 03.27.26 / 12am

    The emotional beats of this land like haymakers in its best moments (which are often). the compositional ideas here are really well done, and the cinematic work dances perfectly at its side to make the points land heavily. this is all my personal view, of course, but it was amazing to witness in motion.

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