Break the Chain (PDXFF 2017) - Documentary Review

The Movie: Break the Chain

The Directors: Laura E. Swanson and Kirk Mason

The Story: The film chronicles two survivors of Human Trafficking - providing a detailed look at how trafficking goes unnoticed within our backyards. Kwami, a child survivor of Labor Trafficking, was enslaved for nearly five years with three other children in Ypsilanti, Michigan before anyone noticed. Debbie, a survivor of Sex Trafficking, takes us through her experience of being sold for sex around the Detroit-Area between the ages of 13 and 18. - BreakTheChainFilm.com

Secret Santa (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: Secret Santa

The Director: Adam Marcus

The Cast: A Leslie Kies, Michael Rady, Michelle Renee Allaire, Pat Destro, Drew Lynch, Curtis Fortier, John Gilbert, Nathan Hedrick, Megan Helbing, Petra Areskoug, Ryan Leigh Seaton, Debra Sullivan, Michelle Allair, Freddy John James, Eddie Jordan III

The Story: A dysfunctional Christmas party turns deadly when an unexpected gift brings out the evil in everyone and turns the yuletide festivities into a fight for survival.

The Hollow Child (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: The Hollow Child

The Director: Jeremy Lutter

The Cast: Jessica McLeod, Hannah Cheramy, John Emmet Tracy, Jana Mitsoula, Genevieve Buechner, Connor Stanhope, Johannah Newmarch

The Story: A troubled foster teen, Samantha, works to expose a dangerous supernatural impostor in her new family and rescue her foster sister.

Thor: Ragnarok - Movie Review

The Movie: Thor: Ragnarok

The Director: Taika Waititi

The Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Mark Ruffalo, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, Anthony Hopkins, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tadanobu Asano, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi

The Story: This is what Thor and Hulk were doing during Civil War.

Blue (HIFF 2017) - Documentary Review

The Documentary: Blue

The Director: Karina Holden

The Story: Blue is a provocative journey into the ocean realm, witnessing this critical moment in time when the marine world is on a precipice.

Brown's Canyon (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: Brown's Canyon

The Director: John Helde

The Cast: Lisa Every, Eric Jordan, Carter Rodriquez, Jenn Ruzumna, Sara Rucker Thiessen

The Story: Two self-help gurus plan to resuscitate their careers by co-hosting a women’s mindfulness retreat in the Utah wilderness. When surprise guests, a mudslide and a bowl of spoiled chili thwart their plans, their own lives unravel over one awkward weekend.

The VelociPastor (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: The VelociPastor

The Director: Brendan Steere

The Cast: Gregory James Cohan, Alyssa Kempinski, Fernando Pacheco De Castro, Jesse Turits, Daniel Steere,

The Story: After losing his parents, a priest travels to China, where he inherits a mysterious ability that allows him to turn into a dinosaur. At first horrified by this new power, a hooker convinces him to use it to fight crime. And ninjas.

Wol-ha: Very Bad Moon Rising (PDXFF 2017) - Movie Review

The Movie: Wol-ha: Very Bad Moon Rising

The Director: Oh In-chun

The Story: Commissioned by a mysterious international collector with a large sum of money, a party makes an expedition to find “the tomb of Kisaeng Wolhyang”.

Thank You for Your Service - Movie Review

The Movie: Thank You for Your Service

Director: Jason Hall

The Cast: Miles Teller, Haley Bennett, Joe Cole, Beaulah Koale, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Amy Schumer, Erin Darke, Scott Haze, Omar J. Dorsey, Brad Beyer

The Story: A group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life, while living with the memory of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they've left the battlefield.

Only the Brave - Movie Review

The Movie: Only the Brave

The Director: Joseph Kosinski (Oblivion)

The Cast: Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Connelly,

The Story: Based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of elite firefighters risk everything to protect a town from a historic wildfire.