The Wasteland List: 35th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival Day 6
How often do you sit there thinking about what to watch? You might have an endless watchlist that keeps piling up (I certainly have one myself). Sometimes you are just in the mood for a type of film or a certain filmmaker or actor and want to take yourself into a deep dive. As someone who watches so many movies, I have people asking me for recommendations all the time. One of the best feelings as a cinephile is recommending a film and that person loves it. Take this wealth of cinematic knowledge and experience and enjoy some recommendations on me. Genre. Subgenre. Filmmaker. Actor. Composer. Writer. Genre. Story. Trope. Cliché. Any other cinematic elements or them. Here is The Wasteland List:
35th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival Day 6
Look Back (2026)
How can you remake a nearly perfect anime film like Look Back? When an acclaimed filmmaker like Horikazu Kore-eda takes the reins, you have something quite special. Tatsuki Fujimoto manga is a powerful story about two friends connecting over their love of art and drawing. Kore-eda’s film is a gorgeous and beautiful film that has perfect sensitivity and warmth. The endearing connection between Fujino and Kyomoto has plenty of connections and chemistry. You fall for this friendship so quickly and authentically with a heavy bit of tragedy that shakes you to the core. The performances of these young women feel so earnest and genuine which allows the experience to hit so deeply. The third act of this film is a bold swing and its emotional avalanche, and bold surrealist elements elevate the film to a masterful cinematic experience. But the real masterful stroke is the intimacy and beauty of the creative process and Kore-eda highlights the drawing process so closely. The sound design of the film is quite compelling and engrossing. Look Back is one of the most impressive films for the rest of this year.
Minotaur (2026)
How does a modern Russian context update a classic tale of adultery and betrayal? Minotaur is a thriller by director Andrey Zvyagintsev which tells the story of a top executive of a Russian company who is navigating the Russian/Ukraine war while uncovering his wife’s adultery. One of the most frustrating elements of this thriller is that it lacks tension throughout much of the film. The camera work is inspired and crafts an engrossing cinematic space, but Zvyagintsev just lacks the bite to elevate the story being told. The pacing is also quite frustrating as there was a leaner and meaner film in there. But the performances are strong with Iris Lebedeva standing out the most as the adulterous wife. Hollow and lost in her marriage and joyous and electric when with her lover, you see such strong range in this compelling performance. The climactic confrontation in the film certainly delivers and as the two sides of this narrative converge in a horrible cover-up allows the film to stick its landing quite well. Flawed yet effective, Minotaur is still a strong effort from a talented filmmaker like Zvyaginstev.
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