ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

Female Film Critics 24/375

Minnie Driver

News 

WEEK IN WOMEN: Alicia MacDonald’s FINDING EMILY in U.S. Theatres via Focus Features – Brandy McDonnell reports

Brandy McDonnell , , , , , , ,

British filmmaker Alicia MacDonald’s first feature, Finding Emily, comes to U.S. theaters on Aug. 28 via Focus Features. The award-winning MacDonald already has created an impressive body of work that spans film, television, commercials and short films. She has worked with global leading brands such as McDonald’s, Walkers, Toyota, Jaguar, Google and more. Her airline safety film for TUI – Safety: A Global Film – gained industry recognition at the British Arrows advertising awards and was listed in Campaign’s Top 5 Ads of the Year. Her short films Bad News and Domestic Policy won gold at the Young Director Awards and played in the New Creators’ Showcase at Cannes Lions, respectively.

Read more
Movie of the Week 

MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 21, 2025: THE ASSESSMENT

Jennifer Merin , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Director Fleur Fortune’s somber sci-fi drama The Assessment puts a bleakly dystopian spin on the old saying that “if you wait for the perfect time to have a baby, you’ll never have one.” With unsettling keenness, it explores the psychological stress that a couple (played by Elizabeth Olsen and Himesh Patel) undergoes while being evaluated for their potential as parents in a world where parenthood is strictly regulated by the government.

Read more
Reviews 

THE ASSESMENT – Review by Liz Whittemore

Liz Whittemore , , , , , ,

Director Fleur Fortuné masterfully creates universal scenarios that induce tension, and then she cranks up the volume. The Assessment authentically mimics the anxiety and stress between couples once children enter their world. There is no denying the film is a twisted form of therapy and trauma exercise and a surprising climate change warning. It perfectly captures the pure chaos and sacrifice of parenting. The Assessment is a horrifying power trip.

Read more
Reviews 

THE SERPENT QUEEN – Review by Susan Granger

Susan Granger , , , , , , , , ,

The two seasons of Starz’ soapy historical drama The Serpent Queen focus on Catherine de Medici (Samantha Morton), who breaks through the fourth wall, explaining how and why she ruthlessly exerts her enormous power to rule France for 15 years. Set in the 16th century, the first season begins as Catherine (Samantha Morton) strategically recounts her youth in flashbacks to her young protégé Rahima (Sennia Nanua), cautioning her repeatedly to “trust no one.” By the second season, Rahima (Emma McDonald) has become an adult.

Read more
Reviews 

ROSALINE – Valerie Kalfrin

Valerie Kalfrin , , , , , , , , , ,

Welcome to Rosaline, a retelling of Shakespeare’s tragic love story from a modern comedic bent—and centered on the woman who infatuated Romeo before he gazed upon Juliet. Blending period settings and costumes with anachronistic language and humor reminiscent of 2001’s A Knight’s Tale, it’s an amusing enough adventure that gets better as it goes along.

Read more
Movie of the Week Reviews 

AWFJ Movie of the Week, Nov. 10-16: BEYOND THE LIGHTS

Nikki Baughan 0 Comments , , , , , , , , ,

Opening Nov. 14, AWFJ’s Movie of the Week is Beyond the Lights, the new drama from writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees). British actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as a talented young musician on the brink of superstardom who finds herself struggling with her new-found fame Read on…

Read more