Every year at this time I slump into a chair, exhale, and think to myself "Whew! I am done typing out MSPIFF listings for the year." Then I remember Best of the Fest. The good news for you is that you can catch up on some of what you might have missed, including a couple of my favorites. If you'd like some tips, scroll all the way down for a ranked list of what I saw at the film festival, grouped into three self-explanatory categories: GO (As and A minuses) SLOW (B pluses and Bs), and NO (B minuses and below).
Special Screenings
Thursday, April 25
Zoolander (2001)
Grandview 1&2
This came out two weeks after 9/11. $12. 9:15 p.m. Saturday 11:59 p.m. More info here.
North by Northwest (1959)
The Heights
The funnest Hitchcock, hands down. Also Monday. $12. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
The Rye Horn (2023)
The Main
A midwife flees Franco’s Spain. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 11:40 p.m. More info here.
Amal (2023)
The Main
A Belgian high school teacher struggles to reach her fundamentalist Muslim students. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 11:45 a.m. More info here.
Terrestrial Verses (2023)
The Main
In a series of vignettes, Iranian individuals try to negotiate with faceless bureaucrats. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:45 p.m. More info here.
Catching Fire: Anita Pallenberg (2023)
The Main
Pallenberg is best known as a lover of two Rolling Stones, but this documentary focuses on her own creative life. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12 p.m. More info here.
Property (2023)
The Main
A rich lady is trapped in an armored car by exploited workers and I think for some reason we’re expected to be on her side? Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12:10 p.m. More info here.
Without Air (2023)
The Main
A popular Hungarian teacher is accused of promoting a “homosexual agenda.” Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 1:50 p.m. More info here.
High and Low: John Galliano (2023)
The Main
The famed fashion designer attempts to put his life back together after he disgraces himself with an antisemitic tirade. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:05 p.m. More info here.
Holly (2023)
The Main
A girl develops magical gifts after her classmates die in a fire. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:10 p.m. More info here.
Mandoob (2023)
The Main
A desperate courier in Riyadh is tempted by the easy money of a criminal life. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:30 p.m. More info here.
Copa 71 (2023)
The Main
A documentary about the 1971 competition between women’s soccer players for the world title, which took place in a packed Mexico City stadium. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 2:40 p.m. More info here.
The Blue Star (2023)
The Main
Spanish rocker Mauricio Aznar is revitalized by a trip to South America. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:15 p.m. More info here.
Bad Actor (2023)
The Main
A sex scene gone wrong sparks a controversy. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:30 p.m. More info here.
Blaga’s Lessons (2023)
The Main
An elderly Bulgarian woman is swindled by telephone scammers. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:40 p.m. More info here.
Lady Like (2024)
The Main
The origin story of RuPaul’s Drag Race fave Lady Camden. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4:50 p.m. More info here.
Animalia (2023)
The Main
A supernatural crisis strikes while a pregnant Moroccan wife is home alone. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 5 p.m. More info here.
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted (2024)
The Main
The soul eccentric gets the documentary he deserves. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. More info here.
City of Wind (2023)
The Main
A Mongolian teen, raised to be a shaman, is tempted by modern life. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:15 p.m. More info here.
Madame Luna (2024)
The Main
An Eritrean refugee gets caught up in the Italian criminal underground. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:15 p.m. More info here.
Evil Does Not Exist (2024)
The Main
In the latest from Drive My Car director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, a father living with his daughter resists plans to turn his village into a glamping resort. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:20 p.m. More info here.
Ghostlight (2024)
The Main
A construction worker joins a community production of Romeo and Juliet. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:20 p.m. More info here.
The Crow (1994)
The Parkway
RIP Brandon Lee. $9/$12. Pre-show trivia at 7:30 p.m. Movie at 8 p.m. More info here.
Soviet Milk (2023)
Trylon
A mother and daughter struggle with their relationship in Soviet Latvia. $15. 6:30 p.m. More info here.
Friday, April 26
Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World (2023)
The Main
Radu Jude's nasty, funny rant of a film about an exhausted production assistant fighting her way through Bucharest traffic to convince workers to film safety PSAs (about how their injuries were their faults, not their bosses') while taking breaks to film offensive TikToks is almost exactly the same length as Dune Part 2. Feels much longer, though—which is part of the point. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12:30 p.m. More info here.
Les Indésirables (2023)
The Main
A struggle for immigrant rights tears a small Parisian suburb apart. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4 p.m. More info here.
The Queen of My Dreams (2023)
The Main
A lesbian woman re-examines her family’s surprising past, in a style that evokes Bollywood classics. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. More info here.
Lost in the Night (2023)
The Main
A young Mexican man searches for his mother, an activist who went missing during a protest. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 9:50 p.m. More info here.
Legend (1985)
Trylon
"How can I follow up Alien and Blade Runner?" Ridley Scott asked himself. $8. Friday-Saturday 7 & 9 p.m. Sunday 3 & 5 p.m. More info here.
Saturday, April 27
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Alamo Drafthouse
Do nerdy kids still over-quote this? I sure hope so. $14. 6:30 p.m. More info here.
Pineapple Express (2008)
Emagine Willow Creek
Emagine's month-long stoner series continues. $11. 4:20 p.m. More info here.
Lies We Tell (2023)
The Main
A feminist twist on a 19th century Gothic novel. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12:30 p.m. More info here.
No One Asked You (2023)
The Main
Lizz Winstead and her crew travel the U.S. supporting the right to abortion. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4 p.m. More info here.
Bonjour Switzerland (2023)
The Main
Comic mayhem ensues when French is made the official language of Switzerland. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $15. 7:10 p.m. More info here.
MSPIFF43 Somali Shorts Showcase
The Main
Six shorts screening as part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival's "Best of the Fest" encore. $10/$15. 9:45 p.m. More info here.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Parkway Theater
Will you people keep it down? I’m trying to watch the movie! With live shadow cast performance by Transvestite Soup. $10/$15. Midnight. More info here.
Banff Center Mountain Film Festival Tour
The Riverview
The annual selection of adventure films from Midwest Mountaineering. $29. 7 p.m. More info here.
Sunday, April 28
An American in Paris (1951)
Alamo Drafthouse
That Gene Kelly sure can dance. Not so sure about his painting though. $10. 11 a.m. More info here.
The Matrix (1999)
Emagine Willow Creek
Never heard of it. Also Wednesday. $9. 1 & 7 p.m. More info here.
The Fishing Hat Bandit (2024)
The Main
The story of John Whitlock, who robbed 22 Minnesota banks in 18 months. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4 p.m. More info here.
The Idea of You (2024)
The Main
Anne Hathaway gets with a younger man. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:15 p.m. More info here.
The Trouble With Harry (1955)
Trylon
Hiding a dead body is hard. $8. 7 p.m. Monday-Tuesday 7 & 9 p.m. More info here.
Monday, April 29
Three Colors: Red (1994)
Alamo Drafthouse
Point: No woman has ever been more beautiful than Irène Jacob is in last and finest installment of Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colors trilogy. Counterpoint: Jacob may be more gorgeous in Kieślowski's The Double Life of Véronique. $10. 6:15 p.m. More info here.
The Evil (1978)
Emagine Willow Creek
A doctor opens a drug rehab center at the gateway to Hell. $6. 7:30 p.m. More info here.
Laurel Massé: How Can I Keep From Singing? (2024)
The Main
A documentary about the founding member of the Manhattan Transfer. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 4 p.m. More info here.
LaRoy Texas (2023)
The Main
A bumbler who tries to kill himself is mistaken for a hitman, and he just kinda rolls with it. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7 p.m. More info here.
Tuesday, April 30
Ginger Snaps (2001)
Alamo Drafthouse
Awoo! Teenage werewolf girls. $7. 6:15 p.m. More info here.
Foremost by Night (2023)
The Main
A Spanish woman struggles to reunite with the biological son she gave up for adoption. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12:45 p.m. More info here.
Girls Will Be Girls (2024)
The Main
A star student falls for a new boy from Hong Kong—and so does her mom. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. More info here.
Sugarcane (2024)
The Main
An investigation into an Indian residential school rocks a nearby reservation. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 7:10 p.m. More info here.
Paranormal Activity (2007)
The Parkway
Suspecting the supernatural, a young couple sets up a camera so they can terrify themselves. $9/$12. Pre-show trivia at 7:30 p.m. Movie at 8 p.m. More info here.
Wednesday, May 1
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Grandview 1&2
In the '80s, teens could have abortions in movies. THE EIGHTIES! $12. 9:15 p.m. More info here.
Listen Up! (2023)
The Main
A Pakistani family in Oslo tries to fit in. Part of the Minnesota-St. Paul International Film Festival. $10/$15. 12:45 p.m. More info here.
Tape Freaks May
Trylon
Time for some more VHS treats from the analog freaks. $5. 7 p.m. More info here.
Opening This Week
Follow the links for showtimes.
Alien (1979)
Celebrating a 45th anniversary with a re-release is weird imo but I won't complain because, hey, it's Alien.
The Beast
Léa Seydoux plays three roles. More like Léa Sey-trois? (PS I stole this joke from Em.)
Boy Kills World
A revenge thriller starring the latest Skarsgård.
Breathe
Jennifer Hudson and her daughter struggle to survive on an oxygen-less Earth.
Challengers
Zendaya's plans for a threesome are interrupted when her space shuttle breaks apart 73 seconds into its flight.
Hard Miles
A social worker at a youth prison leads a team of cyclists on a grueling trek through the Grand Canyon.
La Chimera
Alice Rohrwacher's latest follows the exploits of some Italian grave robbers who specialize in plundering Etruscan tombs, as guided by the mystical gifts of a rumpled British ex-con named Arthur (Challengers' Josh O’Connor, who does rumpled better than anyone this side of Clive Owen). Arthur's real search, however, is for his beloved Beniamina, the details of whose existence remain a mystery. His quest does give us an excuse to spend time in the presence of her wonderfully dotty mother (Isabella Rossellini, who does wonderfully dotty better than anyone, full stop). Rohrwacher's absurdism is loose and light. more fairy tale than Fellini, with a flair for rural naturalism that finds a striking vividness in the everyday and imagines utopian regroupings beyond the grasping politics of wealth. A-
Limbo
A detective struggles to solve a cold case in the Australian outback.
The Mummy (1999)
Now a 25th anniversary re-release makes sense to me.
The Old Oak
In what director Ken Loach says is his final film, tensions arise when Syrian refugees relocate to a British mining town.
Spirited Away
A perfect movie.
Unsung Hero
Some Australians become Christian music stars in Nashville. A true story—just like the Bible!
We Grown Now
Coming-of-age movie set in '90s Cabrini-Green.
Ongoing in Local Theaters
Follow the links for showtimes.
Dune: Part 2 (read the full review here)
The first part of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation was a well-crafted slog, occasionally spectacular but often merely studently, as the director seemed intent to prove that he deserved the assignment. But with all the power players set in place, Part Two does an awful lot right. Villeneuve distills the essence of the novel’s currents of deception and misdirection into a legible screenplay while generating some truly uncanny moments. And as Paul Atreides, Timothée Chalamet shows us a man who makes a pragmatic decision to exploit the dogmatism of his followers because he believes that every other choice will cause more death and destruction, or who at least rationalizes his motives that way. With IP-recycling now the culture industry’s standard cannibalistic practice, Villeneuve, like Paul, imagines himself the good guy in this scenario, respectful of the traditions placed in his care rather than merely exploitative. But also like Paul there are forces at play beyond his control. So what happens when Villeneuve’s hero threatens to become a butcher? Stay tuned for Part 3. B+
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire
Love Lives Bleeding
If you head in to Love Lies Bleeding to watch Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian fuck each other and murder dudes—and why else would you be there?—you will not be disappointed. In true noir fashion, Jackie (O'Brian) is a drifter, en route from an Oklahoma childhood to a bodybuilding competition in Vegas, stopping off in New Mexico because that’s the sort of place these stories happen. Here she meets Stewart's Lou and the bodies start to hit the floor. As the knot tightens around the lovers, generating a titillating claustrophobia à la Jim Thompson, the question becomes whether Lou’s brains will save Jackie or Jackie’s brawn will save Lou, or whether theirs is the sort of love that dooms them both. Not till the final scene are the roles they’ve chosen to play in this relationship finally clear. (Love, Glass seems to say, means never complaining about disposing of your sweetheart’s murder victims.) I’ll admit, for a half-hour or so I worried that director Rose Glass’s euphorically nihilist lesbian death trip was too nutty to be a good movie and yet not nutty enough to be a great one. After [SPOILER REDACTED], that concern just felt silly. A-
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Monkey Man
Dev Patel's directorial debut is a brutal action-revenge flick with some confusing but admirable politics, targeting Hindu nationalism and featuring an army of trans warriors rising up from the streets. Patel stars as an unnamed, sullen man (after The Green Knight and this, I suspect dude may never smile in a movie ever again) caught up in a nasty underground fighting circuit; he infiltrates ritzy Indian society to deliver the big payback to the crooked police chief who razed his village and killed his mother. He isn't exactly a natural behind the camera: The movie crawls to a halt midway before a Rocky training montage set to tablas carries it into the home stretch. And he doesn't always shoot the bloody, imaginative fights to their advantage, with a little too much camera action and close ups a little too tight on the combatants. But if you like your action unrelentingly grim, he's your man. And your monkey. B
Wicked Little Letters
This sort of naughty British comedy for grandmas always has a much higher caliber cast than it deserves—poor old Timothy Spall certainly deserves better, as does poor young Anjana Vasan. As for Olivia Coleman and Jessie Buckley (wow, a The Lost Daughter reunion of sorts), they're just slumming; here the former is an uptight, upright Christian prude who accuses the latter, a foul-mouthed Irish gal, of sending her obscene letters. You'll guess the culprit before the big reveal and figure out where the courtroom scenes are headed as well. But if plucky middle-aged women banding together to hatch a plan and bouts of clumsy cussing are your cup of tea, the kettle's on. C
MSPIFF Movies I Saw, Ranked
GO
Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World
About Dry Grasses
Daughters
In Our Day
Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted
Evil Does Not Exist
Chicken for Linda!
Copa 71
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
Green Border
Sugarcane
SLOW
Lies We Tell
Àma Gloria
Remember Every Night
Terrestrial Verses
Janet Planet
In the Land of Brothers
In the Blind Spot
Sira
Last Summer
In Flames
LaRoy, Texas
Dead Mail
Bad Press
White Plastic Sky
NO
The Beast
Name Me Lawand
MMXX
Thelma
Sleep
Once Again (For the Very First Time)
Richland
Luther Never Too Much
Bad Actor
Silent Roar
Tuesday
