sabbath queen

Sandi DuBowski’s over twenty-years-in-the-making doc Sabbath Queen emerges less of a character portrait of its main subject, queer rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie, and more of a probing of the strengths, follies, dichotomies and burdens of the Jewish faith.

My Film-Forward review here.

 

heretic

I've happened to watch a string of recent films challenging religious institutions (Sabbath Queen and Conclave).

Heretic, along with two earlier horror films this year (the brutal, anti-Catholic Immaculate and to a lesser, softer extent, The First Omen), also probes religious hypocrisy. Hugh Grant is masterful, but the claustrophobic (though well-designed) set and his character's mansplaining monologues are wearying. Still worth a watch. Chloe East shines.

My Film-Forward review here.