With a title as straightforward as they come, the horror thriller “Itch!” gives you some idea of what you’re in for. Yet to his credit, writer-director Bari Kang has more on his mind than gripping tension and queasy body horror. He throws in a number of potentially meaningful themes. And while they do provide “Itch!” with some added weight, they don’t all work as intended. That leaves the movie to rely on good old-fashioned scares and suspense.

“Itch!” isn’t much into backstory or world-building. I’m guessing it’s partly due to the film’s limited budget. But it’s also something Kang isn’t especially interested in. Instead he crafts a more character-driven survival horror experience, set (mostly) within a tense single-location setting, and with a mysterious deadly threat that grows more terrifying as more is revealed about it. That’s the backbone of “Itch!”, and the movie works when it stays focused on its genre beats.

Kang also stars as Jay, a widowed single father whose young daughter Olivia (Olivia Kang), hasn’t spoken a word since her mother died. Jay helps run his father’s retail store in downtown New York City which is where the majority of the movie takes place. While his dad (Steven Alonte) stays home caring for his ailing wife, Jay mans the place with their long-time cashier Lisa (Mia Ventura Lucas).

But the tension sets in once we learn about a highly contagious outbreak that is spreading across the city at an alarming rate. Those infected fight an unbearable itch stemming from painful rashes that make their skin feel like it’s burning. We never learn the cause – is it medical, chemical, supernatural? But the setup creates as a harrowing scenario, especially once newscasts report hospitals are overwhelmed by self-inflicted injuries, airports are grounding all flights, and the more seriously infected are turning erratic and violent.

This comes fully into focus after a lady comes to Jay’s store covered in sores and screaming about an unbearable itch. Jay seals his store as more aggressive infected gather outside. With him is Olivia, Lisa, a panicking customer, Henry (Douglas Stirling), and a disgruntled former employee named Miguel (Patrick Michael Valley), along with his pregnant niece Gabriella (Ximena Uribe). Together the six attempt to survive the threats that lie both outside and within. Clashing personalities, fear, and paranoia become as dangerous as the deadly infection that threatens them all.

Unfortunately some of the characters do veer into archetype territory which slightly derails some of the drama. But the bigger hindrances are the various attempts at social commentary that rarely land as intended. The film has a pretty cynical point of view which manifests itself in several glaringly obvious ways. Whether it’s on-the-nose statements about the homeless and refugee communities, or a strangely out-of-the-blue reflection from Henry. There’s certainly nothing wrong with having something to say. But here the ham-fisted attempts mostly ring hollow.

Those few distractions aside, Kang does a terrific job keeping his audience fully engaged. And he impressively shows that you don’t need a big studio budget to do it. The tightening psychological tension itself is enough to keep us locked in. But Kang never forsakes the horror elements, using a cool variety of practical effects in creating some effectively bloody scares. And while not all of its messaging works, the blistering itch is a compelling and unsettling metaphor which gives this solid indie chiller an added jolt. “Itch!” is now available on VOD.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

Brandt Anderson makes his feature film directorial debut with “I Was a Stranger”, an ambitious thriller that examines the refugee crisis during the Syrian Civil War through five distinctly different and individually affecting perspectives. Anderson impresses with his confident direction and his clear-eyed storytelling, both of which feature big swings from a fresh filmmaker who clearly isn’t afraid of taking chances.

Anderson’s non-linear story is segmented into five chapters, each centered around one of the film’s five central characters. The individual narratives overlap, and in some cases converge, adding several dramatic layers that allow us to see the central conflict from different angles. It’s a serious-minded film that doesn’t shy away from the suffering which it draws from countless true accounts. It’s deftly and sincerely handled, in ways that leave us shaken to our core.

Anderson’s intensely human story begins and ends in Chicago which is where we meet Amira (Yasmine Al Massri). She works at a downtown children’s hospital, but just eight years earlier she was in her war-torn home country of Syria working as a pediatric radiologist. Anderson transports us back in time where we see the principled Amira finishing up a hectic 72-hour shift in an Aleppo hospital. But when a horrific tragedy strikes her family, Amira and her daughter Rasha (Massa Daoud) scramble to flee the country.

The second chapter follows Mustafa (Yahya Mahayni), an devoted soldier in the Syrian Arab Armed Forces and a blind Assad loyalist. Mustafa steadfastly subscribes to the belief that good soldiers follows orders. But he’s challenged by his conscience after a savage order from his commanding officer is carried out right before his eyes. Suddenly Mustafa begins to question his allegiances which puts him in the crosshairs of the regime he once vehemently defended.

From there we jump ahead one month to meet Marwen, (Omar Sy), a smuggler who may be the most compelling and complicated of the five key characters. Based in Turkey, Marwen has two distinctly different sides. At home he’s a burdened single father caring for his ailing young son. Away from home, he’s a ruthless human smuggler who preys on desperate refugees looking for a way out of the country. For a hefty price, he loads families onto inflatable boats under the cover of night and sends them out into the dark Mediterranean Sea. Whether they make it or not is irrelevant to Marwen. “The pay is the same.”

The fourth chapter centers around Fathi (Ziad Bakri), a loving husband and father trying to get his family out of a Turkish refugee camp. But escaping won’t be easy, and getting off the island will be even more treacherous. The movie wraps up with Starvos, a valiant Greek Coast Guard Captain (Constantine Markoulakis) who patrols the Aegean Sea. Despite saving thousands of fleeing refugees, Sarvos remains haunted by the many others he was unable to save.

While it’s fairly easy to guess where some of the stories will intersect, other instances will catch you by surprise. As Anderson moves us from one chapter to the next, he artfully uses specific moments and even characters from other segments to make meaningful connections. It’s a narrative device that helps answer several key questions while propelling the the overall story forward. Anderson’s assured direction and the cast’s emotionally textured performances does the rest.

“I Was a Stranger” may disappoint those looking for a deeper analysis of the nearly 14-year Syrian Civil War. And it steers clear of the politics and policies that perpetuate such suffering. But in fairness, Anderson‘s focus is on the refugee crisis that sprang from the war, viewing it through the eyes of those impacted most. It’s a bleak and often heart-wrenching film that doesn’t sugarcoat the harsh realities of the crisis. Yet it’s not without glimmers of hope which are seen in the many sacrifices. It all imbues the movie with a gravity and urgency that can be felt from the film’s crushing first chapter right through to its sobering final shot.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Jafar Panahi continues his own style of guerilla filmmaking in his latest feature, “It Was Just an Accident”. Panahi once again offers an incisive critique of the ruling regime in his home country, Iran. He has been arrested multiple times, imprisoned, and at one point banned from filmmaking on charges of “propaganda”. Yet he has continued to make movies in Iran, often in secret and with the help of outside distributors. Such is the case with his latest neorealistic work.

“It Was Just an Accident” has been widely lauded across the globe, even winning the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. It now sits as France’s entry for Best International Feature Film category at the upcoming Academy Awards. His film offers a clear-eyed examination of dehumanization at the hands of brutal authoritarian regimes as well as the lasting psychological trauma that comes with it. More personally, it wrestles with ethical questions surrounding revenge and the grip it can have on someone.

Written by Panahi, the film opens with a man (Ebrahim Azizi) driving late at night with his wife and daughter. After accidentally striking a dog, his car runs for a few miles before breaking down, conveniently in front of a garage. The man walks into the garage, a noticeable squeak from his prosthetic leg sounding on every other step. A young mechanic kindly goes out to fix his car. But another man named Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) hides upstairs, terrified of something we don’t know.

With his car fixed, the man drives his family home with Vahid secretly following behind. Vahid stakes out the family’s house until morning and then follows the man into town. When the time is right, Vahid abruptly pulls up next to the man, knocks him unconscious, kidnaps him, and then drives him out to the middle of the desert. Once there, Vahid throws the man into a fresh grave and begins to bury him alive.

Up to this point, Panahi has kept us in the dark which adds a thick layer of suspense to his story. But he begins peeling back that layer as the man begs for his life. Through their exchange we learn that Vahid believes he has abducted a man nicknamed “Peg-Leg” who has seriously wronged him. But questions arise when the terrified man disputes his claims. And this launches the story into a borderline outrageous direction that juggles visceral human drama with pitch-black comedy.

Without giving too much away, Vahid sets out on a mission to verify the identity of the man he believes is Peg-Leg. Along the way he’s joined by a colorful group of characters: a bookshop owner named Salar (Georges Hashemzadeh), a wedding photographer named Shiva (Mariam Afshari), a young bride-to-be Goli (Hadis Pakbaten) and her fiancé Ali (Majid Panahi), and Shiva’s hot-tempered ex, Hamid (Mohammad Ali Elyasmehr). Each bring their own unique personalities and each have their own unique testimonies of Peg-Leg’s brutality.

Over time Panahi uses his characters to unveil Peg-Leg’s crimes which get more disturbing with each revelation. And while each remembers the haunting squeak of a prosthetic leg, they all struggle to know for sure if the man they are holding is the same man who ruthlessly tortured them. Their uncertainty leads to tension which Panahi uses to pose some weighty moral questions. Is there justification in their actions or are they blinded by their trauma and their thirst for vengeance?

Nothing about that synopsis sounds amusing yet Panahi finds ways to bring levity to the otherwise heavy subject matter. Not only does it lighten things up, but it adds another layer of authenticity. While “It Was Just an Accident” has a rebellious spirit that pleads to a nation’s conscience, it at times seems more existential than pointedly political. It makes the film more than a simple indictment of theocratic fascism. It has more human implications which resonate from its mysterious start to its hauntingly ambiguous ending.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Actor Bradley Cooper continues to make a name for himself behind the camera with his latest film, “Is This Thing On?”. As a director, this is Cooper’s third feature following his 2018 box office hit “A Star is Born” and his 2023 Leonard Bernstein biography “Maestro”. Much like his previous two efforts, the intensely hands-on Cooper once again shows his love for character-centric, emotionally resonant stories rooted in human experience. And similar to his earlier films, his latest reveals someone born to be a filmmaker who’s still looking for his first truly great movie.

“Is This Thing On?” is a form-fitting entry into director Bradley Cooper’s small but compelling oeuvre. It explores another complex relationship; it features another struggling protagonist; and it once again uses artistic expression as a key element in the main character’s journey. Cooper himself took the lead in his first two films. This time it’s Will Arnett, and he delivers the best performance of his multifaceted career.

The story begins with Alex Novak (Arnett) and his wife Tess (Laura Dern) agreeing to separate after many years of marriage. The split is amicable, but neither seems confident of what to do next, especially regarding their two young sons. They keep the news a secret for as long as possible, even hiding it from their eccentric best friends, the acerbic Christine (Andra Day) and her obnoxious husband Balls (Cooper). But eventually they’re forced to open up to their friends and family.

As the former couple attempt to navigate this awkward and confusing new phase, Alex is left lost and rudderless. He does his best co-parenting while trying to maintain some semblance of a friendship with Tess. But while alone, Alex struggles to find his identity. That is until he stumbles into a New York City comedy club during open-mic night. There he blithely takes the stage and to his surprise, he immediately wins over the crowd.

Alex begins frequenting the club, taking the microphone whenever he gets a chance. He discovers that he’s not only good at being funny, but performing stand-up offers him a cathartic release. It also becomes a way of processing everything he’s going through. Over time he begins connecting with other comics and finding a place within their tight, intimate community. Meanwhile Tess gets back into coaching volleyball – a passion of hers since her playing days.

Cooper’s willingness to spend time on Alex and Tess’s individual journeys has a significant impact on their story. As the two find happiness away from each other, they begin recalling the happiness they once shared. We see glimmers of it in their interactions, enough to make us wonder if they still have a shot together. But Cooper avoids the easy path, routinely reminding us of the anxiety and uncertainty often found in struggling relationships.

Ciarán Hinds and Christine Ebersole get some good moments as Alex’s loving yet opinionated parents. And there are several small supporting performances that energize Alex’s comedy group. But Arnett and Dern drive the movie, each bringing their own personality and sensibility to their characters. It’s an especially strong turn from Arnett who deftly juggles well-calibrated humor with emotional vulnerability. It’s a tricky role, but one he handles with awards-worthy know-how.

“Is This Thing On?” has occasional slow patches and a handful of second-half exchanges that seem yanked out of the blue. There’s also a certain odd cameo that is a little too distracting in the moment. But Bradley Cooper overcomes those gripes by giving us characters who earn our investment. He makes us care about them and their bittersweet journey in a way that keeps us involved till the end. And Cooper does it all while reinforcing himself as a filmmaker of such depth and passion that his movies demand our attention.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS