Sealed Off (2023) – Movie Review and Summary (with Spoilers)
“Sealed Off” acts as a reminder that nowhere you go, or what time period, men can be trash. Also, there are certain parts of history that, for some, have been muzzled a bit.
From the Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey, New York’s NewFest, Tribeca Film Festival, and Urban World Film Festival, to the famed Sundance Film Festival, here you’ll find our film festival coverage (which contains movies, shorts, and episodic content).
“Sealed Off” acts as a reminder that nowhere you go, or what time period, men can be trash. Also, there are certain parts of history that, for some, have been muzzled a bit.
When you learn how to fight back, it is hard to show restraint when there remain bullies in the world, as shown by “The K-Town Killer.”
Pitching any kind of film, short film included, and getting financing is hard – but imagine trying to pitch to your dad and uncle who don’t get your vision that much.
A half-Tongan girl is being raised by her White mother, surrounded by her mother’s family, and finds herself enchanted by a pocket of her father’s culture in a local market.
Alcoholism is a disease which can get passed down from generation to generation but separately, then together, a mother and daughter seek out help with their addiction.
“Starling” balances being cute and sad as a young spirit returns home for their birthday.
Work can often get in the way of romance, especially when survival is more paramount than quality time.
“Fairytales” is an exception to what you usually get when you see a young person in that it isn’t a coming-of-age tale or a sterile children’s story, but what it is like to be a kid.
With the type of animation which pushes you to think something nefarious could happen, “Witchfairy” sets you up for one thing but pleasantly gives you another.
Presenting multiple examples of advocating for others and yourself, “Restless Is The Night” is both cautionary and a call to action.
“Corvine” reminds you how much the support of parents matters when you are a little kid.
“The Mecca of Comedy” is an intriguing look into the DC comedy scene, but it could use another edit and more comedy.
“Blood for Dust” is a moody film that examines upwards mobility in America, yet the movie struggles to give you a reason to care for its protagonist.
Alongside being visually stunning, almost AAA video game quality at times, “Deep Sea” is an emotional experience, especially as it enters its third act.
“Let the Canary Sing” is an intimate portrayal of struggle and joy for Cyndi Lauper’s voice and activism.
In “I.S.S.,” it appears Ariana DeBose plans to actively avoid the usual Oscar slump a lot of people, especially people of color, experience via a sci-fi drama where there is a nuclear war and a battle for the International Space Station.
“The Line” is a wonderful showcase for Austin Abrams’ talent as it wastes both Halle Bailey and Angus Cloud.
“Suitable Flesh” may lack an explanation regarding what is happening, but you’ll be so locked in you may forget your questions until after the movie is over.
“Perpetrator” is more interested in ways to use and shoot blood than truly give life to its characters and anything it sets up plot-wise.
Tracee Ellis Ross continues to push beyond her comedy empire with the kind of role which deserves to be in awards contentions.
“The Listener,” focused on a peer crisis hotline worker, is a stirring, frustrating, and potentially tear-inducing film.
“The Graduates,” thankfully avoids showing a school shooting, but what’s left leaves you wanting more.
“Our Son” presents a shift in Billy Porter’s career from being the loudest in the room due to his booming voice to being the most notable due to his performance.
With themes of bullying, death, assault, and more, “Lonely Castle in the Mirro” is an immensely emotional experience.
If you ever wondered what a woman may think when dating a man, both the positive and negative, “Cat Person” is here to illuminate you.
In this quiet southern drama, a family scandal is complicated by the information revealed on a daily basis.
If Teyana Taylor is going to give up on her music career, the gift of her performance in “A Thousand And One” makes up for it.
“Shortcomings” desires to push back against the spectacle of representation as it dives into the day-to-day conversations of an unlikable lead.
In this epic exploration of an Iranian Mother and her American-raised daughter’s relationship, you get a story that feels like a friend revealing a recent discovery of their family history to you.
“Fancy Dance” may have a name that makes you think you’ll watch something lighthearted, but as it dives into indigenous people’s continued injustice, you only get that in doses.
“Little Richard: I Am Everything” is more than a documentary on the architect of Rock n’ Roll, but an Ivy League course, shrunk to a little over an hour and a half, about his social and musical impact.
“Sometimes I Think About Dying” is a dry and awkward romance that sometimes has moments of sweetness but is often tiresome to watch.
What starts as a cute love story set in the financial world becomes the type of film that will infuriate you and make you yell at the protagonist about what they need to do to win you back.
“Young. Wild. Free” is more than a cute but very chaotic love story. It also allows Sierra Capri to be the rare depiction of the chaotic, life-altering female lead thus far, almost exclusively played by White women.
By having a small cast with volatile emotions paired with a fat suit that is used to elicit sympathy, “The Whale” may make you cry, but its lasting impact is questionable.
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” may have a disappointing mystery, but its zany and comedic characters compensate for that.
In this moving, biographical first feature from writer/director Elegance Bratton not only gives a stirring film but pulls from Jeremy Pope and Gabrielle Union the best performances of their careers.
Love blossoms, and apparently in a literal sense for Lily, as a new classmate catches her eye.
Male intimacy, and what western society is still adjusting to, makes “Close” a notable exploration of a loving friendship between two boys.
The overall goal of Wherever I Look is to fill in that space between the average fan and critic and advise you on what’s worth experiencing.
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