Lena Wilson, Author at The Playlist

‘Ibelin’ Review: Finding Freedom, Friendship And Secrecy In Online Gaming [Sundance]

January 27, 2024 1:00 pm

Media representation of disabled people is challenging to get right — too saccharine, and you’re veering towards inspiration porn, too maudlin, and you’re implying that a disabled life might not be a life wort...

‘Reinas’ Review: A Sensuous Summer Set During Peru’s Self-Coup [Sundance]

Lena Wilson

January 27, 2024 9:33 am

Festivals, News, Reviews

“Reinas,” the latest from director Klaudia Reynicke, is a quiet but vivid tale of summer days in Lima, Peru. The script, which Reynicke co-wrote with Diego Vega, depicts a family drama against a backdrop of po...

‘Sebastian’ Review: A Nakedly Solipsistic Quarter-Life Crisis About A Sex Worker [Sundance]

Lena Wilson

January 22, 2024 10:00 am

Festivals, News, Reviews

It’s notoriously difficult to make films about writers. Writing — literally sitting down at a keyboard and banging out words — is about as fun to watch as paint drying. So filmmakers make much of the research ...

‘Of An Age’ Review: Gorgeous Tale Of Gay First Love Is A Little Too Perfect

Lena Wilson

February 17, 2023 2:47 pm

News, Reviews

The writer-director Goran Stolevski, who made nine short films before his feature debut at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, shows no signs of slowing down. His first feature was “You Won’t Be Alone,” a fera...

‘Consecration’ Review: Nuns And Demons And Scotsmen, Oh My

Lena Wilson

February 9, 2023 3:36 pm

News, Reviews

One of the first things you see in “Consecration,” directed by Christopher Smith (“Triangle,” “Black Death”), is a nun with a gun. That nun is Mother Superior, the unhinged leader of a group of radical sisters...

‘Victim/Suspect’ Review: In Netflix’s New Crime Doc, Accusers Become The Accused [Sundance]

Lena Wilson

January 24, 2023 10:01 am

Festivals, News, Reviews

After growing up on a steady diet of “Law & Order: SVU,” Dianey Bermeo wanted to be like Olivia Benson, helping victims of sex crimes by bringing their assailants to justice. She gave up on that dream afte...

‘Mamacruz’ Review: In This Spanish Tale Of Sexual Rediscovery, A Grandmother Comes To Her Senses. [Sundance]

Lena Wilson

January 22, 2023 5:20 pm

Festivals, News, Reviews

From Jesus’s ripped physique to the Song of Solomon, there’s something about Christian iconography that’s just a little bit sexy. And if you haven’t noticed that yet, you certainly will after seeing “Mamacruz,...

‘Beyond Utopia’ Review: Harrowing Documentary Shows A Family’s Escape From North Korea [Sundance]

Lena Wilson

January 22, 2023 1:55 pm

Festivals, News, Reviews

There’s a popular song in North Korea called “Nothing to Envy.” Lines include, “Who can ever break our strength? / We are not afraid of any storm or stress” and “Our home is the bosom of the Party / We are all...

‘Skinamarink’ Review: The Scares In This TikTok-Viral Indie Horror Are All In Your Head

Lena Wilson

January 13, 2023 5:49 pm

News, Reviews

In 2008, psychologists Jennifer Whitson and Adam Galinsky scared people into seeing things that weren’t there. In a study, they simulated loss of control in one group of participants, then showed their subject...

The 25 Most Anticipated Horror Films Of 2023

Lena Wilson

January 12, 2023 10:53 am

Features, News

2022 was a great year for horror, with savvy niche distributors like IFC Midnight, Shudder, Neon, and A24 putting out some fantastic flicks and big studios going for broke on gonzo titles like “Barbarian,” “Sm...

Author Lena Wilson