Film Reviews

By Lauren & Maya

A continuation of Horizon Chapter 1, following multiple stories and the hardships of the time, with all the context of the first film, allowed the viewer to be immersed in their stories and feel many emotions. 

People at the premiere deeply cared about the story and characters, to the point where the theater would applaud when things finally happened that they had been anticipating or hoping for. Filming it on location and with minimal usage of green screens added to the effect of the landscape and gave the viewer a better understanding of which storyline it was currently following. The costuming was realistic to the times and matched the storylines and the situations of each character. 

Since this was an intermediate film in a sequence, the pacing got slow at times and certain moments could have been shortened or cut. Seeing it makes you want to watch the upcoming films due to there being no big ending or resolution. As such, the ending feels incomplete, since there is more to come. The writing, acting, and production all helped to bring viewers into that place and that time. 

People should be aware of the content of the film. This movie has earned its ‘R’ rating, so viewers should be cautious. Although it is rated ‘R’, all the things that give it this rating are carefully chosen to display the realism of the situation. 

We would recommend this film to anyone who wants to learn more about the hardships that people faced during the Westward Expansion and to appreciate a good movie.  

We rated this film 4/5 stars.

By Iris & Stella

This film centers on Agathe, an aspiring writer and librarian, in a very intimate look at her life as she deals with family trauma, figures out her place in the world, and slowly starts to let go of her past. We loved how the film is a mix of humor, real moments, and raw emotions with the constant humor as a great touch, and the intimate, documentary-style shots made it feel like we were right there with Agathe. The scenery was beautiful, and we appreciated how it showed Agathe’s journey of letting loose over time, like her changing hairstyle. Some scenes had a bit of stiff acting, which was distracting and there were also moments where the backgrounds felt a little too much, taking away from the peacefulness of the film. But, overall, these were small issues in an otherwise great piece. 

We’d recommend this film, especially for adults who enjoy real, heartfelt stories about personal growth, family dynamics, and finding love where you wouldn’t expect it. We give it a 4.5/5 rating.

By Dylan and Teya 

“Spring of the Vanishing” follows the mysteries of Nuevo Laredo, a small town near the border in Mexico, where people have been disappearing. Nuevo Laredo has a history of smuggling, and its newest product is on the line: drugs. Mexico has declared war on drugs, and in an attempt to solve the problem, Mexican Marines began patrolling the streets. The Marines depicted in the film often abuse their power, and their connections to these disappearances are starting to become less and less coincidental.

Some of the highlights from “Spring of the Vanishing” are its suspense, cinematography, and the way it follows personal stories with depth and emotion. These stunning features leave the audience with an intense curiosity and anticipation for the following storyline, wondering who to trust, and who was twisting the situation. However, some of its complex storyline gets tangled throughout the film, leaving the viewers momentarily disoriented and confused. 

Overall, “Spring of the Vanishing” tells a beautiful story of love, loss, searching for the truth, and the pain of never getting closure. We would recommend this film to those who enjoy a fast-paced, engaging movie and those who are interested in crime, mystery, and suspicious government activity. 

Because of its wonderful qualities and surprising concepts,
we would give this documentary a 4.5 /5 stars! 

By LUKA

I watched the movie “Fine Young Men," a Spanish-language film about a college student named Alf who lives in Mexico. The story revolves around his life, friends, alcoholism, and murder. Throughout the film, it follows Alf and his friends as they attend numerous college parties. In the middle of the movie, Alf’s love interest, Oliver's sister, Diana, joins the party with Alf and his friends. They all get drunk and eventually go back to one of their houses. They then continue to drink even more, leading to a tragic incident where Alf accidentally rapes and kills Diana. The rest of the film focuses on the group of friends trying to cover up the murder and finding ways to escape prison.

 I found the movie to be quite mediocre, and it seems the creators added all the drama at the end to create more story, which I believe had the opposite effect. Instead, the drama made the film feel less genuine and more like a bad, true crime movie. In my opinion, it would have been more effective if they had explored the themes of homophobia directed at Alf and Oliver, which could have significantly improved the film and the story. 

Overall I don't think this movie was that good and I probably would have done something different with my time if I knew it would be like that. I rate this film 2.25/5.