The Director's Series: Maria Schrader, She Said


Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey.

She Said (2022)
Starring: Zoe Kazan, Carey Mulligan, Andre Braugher, Patricia Clarkson, and Ashley Judd
Director: Maria Schrader
About: This is the final entry from a female director. Schrader probably isn't the most decorated female director on this list, but this film lands in the top spot for me because of the film itself. It's created by women, it features women, and it tells a story that is important in protecting and advocating for women. It's also a film that deeply moved me. It is the last film I gave five stars. It's deeply emotional and beautifully told. I love Kazan and Mulligan here. I love the raw performances and the courage, especially from Ashley Judd playing herself. I am also a big fan of journalism films, and this one nails it. The truth dies in the dark. Films like this are a reminder of that. This should have been a bigger film when it was released.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Now Playing

Image
  It was an interesting week for new releases in theaters. Below is my take on the two big theatrical films from the weekend. You can keep up with everything I’m watching by following me on Letterboxd @knighthawk7734. Boy Kills World (Theaters) Starring : Bill Skarsgard, Jessica Rothe, Famke Janssen, Brett Gellman, and Michelle Dockery Synopsis : We have seen a lot of action films this year. Many have featured violent sequences, but some have been more artful than others. The new film, Boy Kills World, provides plenty of violence. It’s right there in the title. But where it falls short is in building something compelling beyond the killing spree. We’re introduced to a Boy (Skarsgard) early in the film. He tells us that his world is ruled by the Van Der Koy family, whose head, Hilda (Janssen) keeps the people in line through an annual Culling, where she kills “enemies.” Our protagonist’s mother and sister were among her victims. The Boy barely survived; saved by the Shaman (Yayan Ru...
Read more

2010 Rewind: The Book of Eli

Image
It's hard to believe, but 2010 was 15 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 2010 that are turning 15 in 2025. Today, it's a dystopian story featuring Denzel Washington. Eli: People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious and what wasn't. We threw away things people kill each other for now. The Book of Eli Starring: Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Jennifer Beals, and Gary Oldman Director: Allen and Albert Hughes About : I have a love/hate relationship with this movie. It's a dystopian tale featuring Denzel Washington in a dark and intriguing story. I have never totally loved it but it has long stuck with me. There's a style to the violence and storytelling that's interesting. The choice of visual tones is interesting. But, mostly, it's the way the film taps into Scripture that has been appealing. Is it perfect? Far from it. In fact, it might be too literal in some of its takes on the ...
Read more

2005 Rewind: The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Image
  It's hard to believe, but 2005 was 20 years ago. Over the next few weeks I'm going to be looking at some stand out films from 2005 that are turning 20 in 2025. Today, it's the start of an animated franchise. Father Moore : Once you've looked into the darkness, I think you carry it with you for the rest of your life. The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) Starring : Jennifer Carpenter, Laura Linney, and Tom Wilkinson Director : Scott Derrickson About : We've seen plenty of exorcism films in the past. I break it down into two groups. In the first, the film uses the rite of exorcism as a plot device for a horror film. For the most part, that's how The Exorcist plays out. In the second group, the film is interested in exploring the religious aspects of exorcism. That's the category this film falls into. It was directed by Derrickson, who attended Biola University like me, which is one of the reasons I was interested in seeing it. It plays out like a courtroom dram...
Read more