Hayley Croke

Luca Guadagnino’s ARTIFICIAL is a modern epic dissecting ego, vanity and power in the tech world, anchored by the brilliant Yura Borisov and Andrew Garfield. Every hand touching the production is firing on all cylinders to create one of Guadagnino’s most ambitious stories to date and delivering audiences one of the best films of the year. Feel the AGI? More like feel the end of time. My review for @LoudAndClearRvs @TheNYFF #Artificial

I saw everything and reviewed it for @LoudAndClearRvs and I have to say… it is the definitive film of the year. Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s direction is nothing short of revolutionary, transcending the bounds of what documentary filmmaking can look like. It constantly references and questions Fielder and Oppenheim’s ability to look at Holmes and the documentary through a subjective versus objective lens and, in seeing Fielder’s intense struggle with forming a solid opinion on his film’s subject, demonstrates to audiences just how nuanced the web of Elizabeth Holmes and the questions surrounding her is. Check out my review below #YouCanSeeEverything @A24 #NathanFielder

I ended this year’s NYFF with MAKING MARIE ANTOINETTE and I couldn’t think of a more fitting film to conclude a film festival honoring both filmmakers and filmgoers ♥️ In Eleanor Coppola’s final documentary we witness a posthumous conversation between mother and daughter, honoring one another’s talents and understanding one another in an entirely new light. What started as a movie a mother made to capture the genius of her daughter ended up being a daughter’s way of honoring the talent of her mother- more thoughts for @LoudAndClearRvs #NYFF #MakingMarieAntoinette #SofiaCoppola #EleanorCoppola

Tom McCarthy’s A STATEMENT is a masterclass in ensemble filmmaking. While there are notable standout performances from Paul Giamatti, John Turturro and Amy Ryan, every actor strikes a perfect chord with their role to turn in a truly special theatrical performance. The film pleads the need for collective action and brings empathy and humanity to an issue that feels like it’s beyond the scope of one individual person’s comprehension. More thoughts for @LoudAndClearRvs @TheNYFF #NYFF #AStatement

Jordan Firstman’s CLUB KID reinvents and reinvigorates what a coming-of-age film can look like, mixing hearty humor with a profound interest in self-discovery. One of my favorites of @TheNYFF so far. Check out my review for @LoudAndClearRvs ! #ClubKid #JordanFirstman #NYFF

ONE MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT is a meandering, albeit earnest attempt from Nicolas Pariser to craft a story analyzing love and identity amid a mid-life crisis. More for @LoudAndClearRvs #OneMinutetoMidnight #Venezia83

If there’s one thing THE SPIRAL proves, it’s that Paolo Strippoli is the real deal. With pitch-perfect performances from the central cast, a sound design and score emphasizing the eerie atmosphere of the film’s psychological labyrinth and visuals that underline the unpredictability and volatility of the story, THE SPIRAL proves to be one of the biggest surprises from the 2026 Venice Film Festival. More thoughts for @LoudAndClearRvs #TheSpiral #PaoloStrippoli #Venezia83

Gael García Bernal’s HOMBRE AL AGUA is a futile and disorienting attempt to dissect class inequity, modern masculinity and identity. It feels like conceptually, each idea is set up for exploration but quickly abandoned at the sight of the next, seemingly more exciting concept that lies ahead. More for @LoudAndClearRvs #HombrealAgua #Venezia83

I was blown away by WOMAN UNKNOWN. May el-Toukhy and Maren Louise Käehne’s story will stay with you long after you leave the theater, weighing countless arguments against one another in an attempt to answer a question that can never truly be solved. Their film adroitly layers questions of morality against acts of survival, weighs social status against the concept of identity/self and asks audiences how they think the complicit should be sufficiently punished in a world that was never just to begin with. More thoughts for @LoudAndClearRvs #WomanUnknown #Venezia83

At the crux of FLESH IMPACT lies a beautiful tribute to actresses past and present dealing with the freedom fame may grant you as well as the cage it may bind you in. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s short serves as a loving yet honest tribute to the career that she, Ellen Burstyn, Dakota Johnson and Marilyn Monroe have all chosen in pursuit of the power that artistic expression could grant them. Loved reviewing this short film for @LoudAndClearRvs #FleshImpact #Venezia83

THE ECHO CHAMBER, despite the best efforts of Alicia Vikander and Luca Marinelli, is too overwrought with abstract contemplation to pack a punch. It takes too long to get the story off the ground and then only seems to navigate its downward spiral in a menial manner. The film works to capture the feel of Bertolucci’s storytelling, but isn’t able to spark the same innovation that would allow the story to fully soar. Further thoughts over @LoudAndClearRvs #TheEchoChamber #Venezia83

OASIS: DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER gives us rare access to a vulnerable side of the Gallagher brothers. While the band themselves don’t seem terribly concerned with their legacy, more so their narrative, Will Southern and Dylan Lovelace’s work to include the fans as much as possible in this project highlights just how strong the band’s is. The documentary serves as a loving look at the community that has gathered to celebrate the return of Oasis that demonstrates how sorely they have been missed. More over @LoudAndClearRvs #Oasis #OasisDontLookBackInAnger #Venezia83

While I am shocked I could not be happier!! WOMAN UNKNOWN is still rattling in my brain. Check out my review for @LoudAndClearRvs