A Million Miles Away - Movie Review

The Movie: A Million Miles Away

The Director: Alejandra Márquez Abella

The Cast: Michael Peña, Rosa Salazar, Bobby Soto, Sarayu Blue, Veronica Falcón, Julio César Cedillo, Garret Dillahunt, Eric Johnson, Michelle Krusiec

The Story: A biopic about José M. Hernández and his path from a farm worker to becoming an engineer and an astronaut. A tale of perseverance, community and sacrifice to accomplish a seemingly impossible dream.

Cassandro - Movie Review

The Movie: Cassandro

The Director: Roger Ross Williams

The Cast: Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, Raúl Castillo, El Hijo del Santo, Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio

The Story: Follows the true story of Cassandro, the ''exotico'' character created by Saúl Armendáriz, gay amateur wrestler from El Paso who rose to international stardom.

#ChadGetsTheAxe - Movie Review

The Movie: #ChadGetsTheAxe

The Director: Travis Bible

The Cast: Spencer Harrison Levin, Michael Bonini, Taneisha Figueroa, Cameron Vitosh, Brandon Doyle, Shun Hagins

The Story: Four social media influencers live stream their trip to Devil's Manor, former home to a satanic cult.

Oppenheimer - Movie Review

The Movie: Oppenheimer

The Director: Christopher Nolan

The Cast: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey, Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Florence Pugh, Benny Safdie, Michael Angarano, Josh Hartnett and Kenneth Branagh

The Story: The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.

Shortcomings - Movie Review

The Movie: Shortcomings

The Director: Randall Park

The Cast: Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki, Debby Ryan, Tavi Gevinson, Sonoya Mizuno, Jacob Batalon, Timothy Simons

The Story: A trio of young Bay Area urbanites--Ben Tanaka, Miko Hayashi, and Alice Kim--as they navigate a range of interpersonal relationships, traversing the country in search of the ideal connection.

Barbie - Movie Review

The Movie: Barbie

The Director: Greta Gerwig

The Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell

The Story: Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

Liquor Store Dreams - Documentary Review

The Documentary: Liquor Store Dreams

The Director: So Yun Um

The Story: The autobiographical documentary follows two Korean American children of liquor store owners in Los Angeles who must reconcile their own dreams with those of their immigrant parents.

Joy Ride (2023) - Movie Review

The Movie: Joy Ride

The Director: Adele Lim

The Cast: Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, Sabrina Wu, Ronny Chieng, Meredith Hagner, David Denman, Annie Mumolo, Timothy Simons, Desmond Chiam, Baron Davis, Lori Tan Chinn, Alexander Hodge, Chris Pang

The Story: Follows four Chinese-American friends as they bond and discover the truth of what it means to know and love who you are, while they travel through China in search of one of their birth mothers.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1 - Movie Review

The Movie: Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1

The Director: Christopher McQuarrie

The Cast: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Frederick Schmidt, Cary Elwes, Mark Gatiss, Indira Varma, Rob Delaney

The Story: Ethan Hunt and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands.

The Childe / 귀공자 - Movie Review

The Movie: The Childe / 귀공자

The Director: Park Hoon-jung

The Cast: Kim Seon-ho, Kang Tae-ju, Kim Kang-woo, Go Ara

The Story: In a desperate attempt to secure funds for his mother’s surgery, an amateur boxer searches for the wealthy estranged father he’s never met. But after a lead takes him from the Philippines to Korea, he is relentlessly pursued by a quirky yet highly dangerous man.

Mad Heidi - Movie Review

The Movie: Mad Heidi

The Director: Johannes Hartmann, Sandro Klopfstein

The Cast: Alice Lucy, David Schofield, Casper Van Dien, Katja Kolm, Kel Matsena, Almar G. Sato, Max Rüdlinger, Werner Biermeier, Pascal Ulli, Rebecca Dyson-Smith, Milo Moiré, Yves Wüthrich

The Story: Swiss mountain girl Heidi is abducted by brutal government troops and must defend herself and fight a war against a cheese-fueled machinery of hate.

Past Lives - Movie Review

The Movie: Past Lives

The Director: Celine Song

The Cast: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro, Moon Seung-ah, Leem Seung-min

The Story: Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. 20 years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of love and destiny.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse - Movie Review

The Movie: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse

The Directors: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson

The Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, Daniel Kaluuya, Mahershala Ali, Oscar Isaac

The Story: Miles Morales catapults across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - Movie Review

The Movie: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

The Director: Steven Caple Jr.

The Cast: Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Velez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Tobe Nwigwe, Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh, Liza Koshy, John DiMaggio, David Sobolov, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Pete Davidson, Cristo Fernández, Tongayi Chirisa

The Story: During the '90s, a new faction of Transformers - the Maximals - join the Autobots as allies in the battle for Earth.

The Boogeyman (2023) - Movie Review

The Movie: The Boogeyman

The Director: Rob Savage

The Cast: Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivien Lyra Blair, Marin Ireland, Madison Hu, LisaGay Hamilton, David Dastmalchian

The Story: Adapted from a short story by Stephen King.

Fast X - Movie Review

The Movie: Fast X

The Director: Louis Leterrier

The Cast: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jason Momoa, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, John Cena, Jason Statham, Sung Kang, Alan Ritchson, Daniela Melchior, Scott Eastwood, with Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Brie Larson, Rita Moreno

The Story: Dom Toretto and his family are targeted by the vengeful son of drug kingpin Hernan Reyes.

Guardians of the Galaxy volume 3

The Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy volume 3

The Director: James Gunn

The Cast: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter, Maria Bakalova

The Story: Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own - a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.

The Little Mermaid (2023) - Movie Review

The Movie: The Little Mermaid

The Director: Rob Marshall 

The Cast: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy

The Story: A young mermaid makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress a prince.

Next Sohee / 다음 소희 - 2023 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Next Sohee / 다음 소희

The Director: Jung Ju-ri

The Cast: Bae Doona, Kim Si-eun

The Story: High school student Sohee starts job training at a call center, but she faces pressure of greedy company which leads to her death. Detective Oh Yu-jin, who has something in common with Sohee starts to follow traces to reveal the truth.

Adolfo - SIFF 2023 Capsule Review

The Movie: Adolfo

The Director: Sofia Auza

The Cast: Juan Daniel Garcia Treviño, Rocio de la Mañana

The Story: When Momo, Hugo and his cactus, Adolfo meet one night, they are heading in opposite directions. Their encounter will not only magically change the course of their lives, but also encourage them to embrace the beauty of the unexpected.

Chile ‘76 - 2023 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Chile '76

The Director: Manuella Martelli

The Cast: Aline Küppenheim, Nicolás Sepúlveda, Hugo Medina, Alejandro Goic

The Story: Chile, 1976. Carmen heads off to her beach house. When the family priest asks her to take care of a young man he is sheltering in secret, Carmen steps onto unexplored territories, away from the quiet life she is used to.

Irati - 2023 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Irati

The Director: Paul Urkijo Alijo

The Cast: Eneko Sagardoy, Edurne Azkarate, Itziar Ituño, Elena Uriz, Kepa Errasti

The Story: Follows Irati, a young girl who will guide a group of christian and muslim warriors through a journey in an ancient mythological world where everything that has a name exists, in an attempt to recover a lost treasure.

A Disturbance in the Force - 2023 SIFF Capsule Review

The Documentary: A Disturbance in the Force

The Directors: Jeremy Coon, Steve Kozak

The Story: Investigating the infamous The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978) with the behind-the-scenes story of how it got made.

Year of the Fox - 2023 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Year of the Fox

The Director: Megan Griffiths

The Cast: Sarah Jeffery, Jane Adams, Jake Weber, Balthazar Getty

The Story: The story follows Ivy, a teenager navigating Aspen's party scene amidst her adoptive parents' bitter divorce. As she watches her community provide cover for predatory behavior, Ivy struggles to find her path without losing herself.

Egghead & Twinkie - 2023 SIFF Capsule Review

The Movie: Egghead & Twinkie

The Director: Sarah Kambe Holland

The Cast: Sabrina Jie-A-Fa, Louis Tomeo, Asahi Hirano, Ayden Lee

The Story: After coming out to her parents, an Asian American teenage girl takes off on a road trip to meet her online crush with the help of her nerdy best friend.

TheTwoOhSix Picks - 2023 Seattle International Film Festival

This year, there are 264 movies (features and shorts) from filmmakers in 74 countries/regions around the world with just about any genre you can think of represented in some fashion. It was tough to narrow this down to just a few selections so my list includes 20 different feature films, documentaries, and shorts blocks. Each title links to the movie's corresponding page on the SIFF website.

Evil Dead Rise - Movie Review

The Movie: Evil Dead Rise

The Director: Lee Cronin

The Cast: Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, Nell Fisher, Mirabai Pease, Richard Crouchley, Anna-Maree Thomas, Mark Mitchinson, Jayden Daniels

The Story: A twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

Suzume / すずめの戸締まり - Movie Review

The Movie: Suzume / すずめの戸締まり

The Director: Makoto Shinkai

The Cast: Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura, Eri Fukatsu, Shota Sometani, Sairi Ito, Kotone Hanase, Kana Hanazawa, Matsumoto Hakuō II

The Story: A modern action adventure road story where a 17-year-old girl named Suzume helps a mysterious young man close doors from the outer side that are releasing disasters all over in Japan.

Cabeceo and Flat Earther - Short Films Feature

The Short Films: Flat Earther and Cabeceo

The Director: Brian Crewe

The Stories:

Flat Earther: Martin and Cassandra's promising second date takes an unexpected turn when their conversation challenges personal beliefs and their assumptions about each other.

Cabeceo: A passionate Argentine Tango dance fantasy featuring a woman exploring the sensual and dangerous possibilities presented by a potential new lover.

John Wick 4 - Movie Review

The Movie: John Wick 4

The Director: Chad Stahelski

The Cast: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Clancy Brown, Natalia Tena, Marko Zaror, Ian McShane

The Story: John Wick uncovers a path to defeating the High Table.

Creed III - Movie Review

The Movie: Creed III

The Director: Michael B. Jordan

The Cast: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad

The Story: Adonis has been thriving in both his career and family life, but when a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces, the face-off is more than just a fight.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania - Movie Review

The Movie: Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania

The Director: Peyton Reed

The Cast: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, William Jackson Harper, Katy O'Brian, Bill Murray

The Story: Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne, along with Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, explore the Quantum Realm, where they interact with strange creatures and embark on an adventure that goes beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.

Irreversible: Straight Cut - Movie Review

The Movie: Irreversible: Straight Cut

The Director: Gaspar Noé

The Cast: Monica Belucci, Vincent Cassel, Albert Dupontel

The Story: "One night. An unforgivable act. A tale told in reverse." Now re-cut and told in chronological order.

TheTwohSix Top Ten Favorite Movies of 2022

Here its is, the list you've been waiting for. TheTwoOhSix Top Ten Favorite Movies of 2022. In a year that I wasn't able to watch as many movies as I have in the past, there were still several that stood out from the rest and below, you will find my absolute favorites.

Knock at the Cabin - Movie Review

The Movie: Knock at the Cabin

The Director: M. Night Shyamalan

The Cast: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn, Rupert Grint

The Story: While vacationing at a remote cabin, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse.