ComingSoon Editor-in-Chief Tyler Treese spoke with Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig about the movie adaptation of Judy Blume’s famous book. The writer/director spoke about the impact of Blume’s work and how she knew Abby Ryder Fortson was the right pick. (Watch and read more interviews).

“Raised by a Christian mother and a Jewish father, an adolescent girl starts to ask questions about religion and faith,” reads the movie‘s synopsis.

Tyler Treese: I saw in an interview that Judy Blume said that the movie is even better than the book. To receive such high praise from the original author — what did that mean for you?

Kelly Fremon Craig: Oh my gosh, I feel like I’m still trying to process it. [Laugh]. It’s such a kind compliment. I’m just so happy Judy’s happy because that was my number one goal [in] making the movie. I really wanted her to be proud of it, you know?

She was very hesitant to okay a feature film adaptation of Margaret before this. What did that mean to you, and why do you think you were the right creative team to really do it justice?

I think when I hear Judy tell the story, she talks about these three elements coming together. One of them being, I wrote her a letter and, in that letter, I just poured my heart out, told her how much her work had meant to me, that I found her when I was 11, at a time when I really needed to know that I wasn’t the only one feeling as awkward as I was. Then it turned out that she’d actually seen my first movie, which was also just mind-blowing. She was like, “I saw your movie.” I was like, “Oh my god, Judy Blume saw my first movie!” [Laugh]. So it was that, and then that our producer, James L. Brooks, would be in the process the whole time, and she loved his work. So I think it was a combo of those things.

I thought Abby Ryder Fortson was perfectly cast in the lead role. What impressed you the most about her and made it clear that she was the right actress for this role?

She has something about her that you just root for her the minute you look into her eyes. She has this wonderful vulnerability and soulfulness, and she’s funny — she’s really quick on her feet. So she made me laugh, she made me cry, and she was the full spectrum of Margaret. It was hard to find somebody who really encapsulated her, and Abby walked through the door, and she was it. She was Margaret.

The original book came out in 1970, but these themes have really stood the test of time, and they’re just as relevant today. What do you think has made this such a timeless story?

I think that Judy Blume wrote in such an honest way. She really told the truth about what it felt like to be that age. I think when you write something truthful, it has no expiration date — it’s always true. I read it in 1990, and I thought it was contemporary. I had no idea that it was written 20 years prior. I hear that again and again. I hear that with girls who’ve read it today. She just nailed the experience.

Crossing the Streams is our look at all the offerings hitting the big streaming services each month. This time we’re making recommendations for what’s new on Hulu in April 2023, including a new season of Single Drunk Female, an enlightening documentary about Brooke Shields, and more!

Hulu Pick of the Month for April 2023

One of the best new series that hit streaming last year was also one that not enough of you watched. Happily, Single Drunk Female – Season Two (premieres April 13th) means y’all are getting a second chance. A fantastic Sofia Black-D’Elia stars as a young woman whose adventure in the big city crashes in spectacular fashion due to her alcoholism. Forced to return home to avoid jail time, she finds challenges with relationships, both new and old. The show is very funny, but its honesty on addiction and interactions ensures it’s also an emotional one. Ally Sheedy plays her overbearing mom struggling to relate to her daughter, and she does great work balancing her annoyance and love. Season one ends with a minor downer, but I’m hoping season two picks right up and deals with it in a typically authentic way.

New Hulu Originals!

Brooke Shields has been an active actor for over fifty years, and she began her career when she was just a child. Her second feature, after the religious chiller Alice, Sweet Alice (1976), was Louis Malle’s Pretty Baby, in which she played a prostitute at the young age of twelve. Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields is a new documentary looking back on Shields’ time as a child star — and it was anything but pretty. The doc explores the tone around her that treated the child like a preteen sex symbol, and it’s something that affected not only what she’s asked to do in the film but also how the general media referred to her in magazines and on shows. You don’t need to be a prude to recognize it was more than a little disgusting.

The Broken Lizard troupe is something of an acquired taste with their comedic stylings, but you’re arguably a corpse if you don’t find some laughs in the likes of Super Troopers (2001) and Club Dread (2004). The boys are back this month with Quasi (premieres April 20th), a period comedy about a hunchback looking for love but finding only death and deceit dancing between the Pope and the king of France. Adrianne Palicki joins in for the fun this time around as well to prevent it from being a complete sausage fest.

Action Shenanigans

There are great action movies that hit, and there are those that seem to stumble with audiences for no good reason. Haywire (2011) is one of the latter. While it’s tainted some in retrospect with Gina Carano in the lead, there’s no denying that at the time, she delivered exactly what Steven Soderbergh’s beautifully one-note action romp needed. She shows real skills with the numerous fights, and the film doesn’t shy away from the brutality just because she’s a woman. That angle is actually part of the point here, as her targets throughout are a litany of male stars succumbing to brutal beatdowns at her capable hands, feet, and thighs. Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, and Bill Paxton round out the cast, and the film just rocks.

Movie audiences are a fickle bunch, but by any standard, they should have eaten up Pete Travis’ Dredd (2012). Released the same year as Gareth Evans’ The Raid, the film also focuses its eye on a high-rise filled with baddies taken down by one tough cookie. Karl Urban plays the popular comic character here and does great work committing to the bit and bringing the snarling, beatdown goods. The action is fantastic, heavy on gunfire but sprinkled liberally with brawls and more. Olivia Thirlby makes for an engaging partner, but Lena Headey steals the show as the big bad — she’s gloriously mean and efficient to the very end. As with Haywire above, we never got the franchise the film deserved (for vastly different reasons), but at least we can watch it again now, thanks to Hulu.

While those two action gems came from filmmakers we didn’t necessarily expect them from, The Last Stand (2013, premieres April 6th) comes from a director who was already established in genre filmmaking. It’s unfortunate then that Kim Jee-woon’s venture into Hollywood is the weakest of the three here. The premise is simple and solid enough as a big bad busts loose and heads for the Mexican border in a souped-up car with only an over-the-hill, small-town sheriff standing in his way. Unfortunately for him, though, Arnold Schwarzenegger is that sheriff. The action is fun enough but attempts at comedy trip over themselves as the script can’t find the right tone. Still, it’s well worth a watch.

90s Bangers

Discussions about the best serial killer thrillers are incomplete without mention of Jon Amiel’s Copycat (1995). Suspenseful, suitably unsettling, and legit thrilling, the film sees a killer taking notes from history’s most reviled serial murderers. Holly Hunter is the detective on the case, and Sigourney Weaver is the agoraphobic psychologist drawn into the game of cat and mouse. Dermot Mulroney, William McNamara, Will Patton, and Harry Connick Jr. are along for the creepy ride. Seriously, if you’ve somehow missed this one over the years, now is a great time to amend that poor life decision.

Ed Zwick’s Courage Under Fire (1996) brought together two of the biggest stars at the time, Meg Ryan and Denzel Washington, in an atypical film about honor, sexism, and war. Washington is an Army investigator struggling with his own choices tasked with looking into a female soldier’s worthiness for the Medal of Honor. He uncovers a lie fueled by cowardice and piss-poor attitudes, and in the end, he finds that there is good in people if you take the time to look for it. The film is ultimately an emotionally powerful one while also delivering some solid wartime action beats along the way.

As with Haywire above, The Negotiator (1998) is hurt in retrospect, given the real-world behavior of its lead actor, but if you can put that aside, it’s still an absolutely killer thriller. F. Gary Gray directs the hell out of this story of a police negotiator (Samuel L. Jackson) who finds himself framed for crimes he didn’t commit. His response? He takes people hostage and is forced to work through a different negotiator (Kevin Spacey) to solve his case. We get action beats, plot twists, and some great character work between the leads, and you can never go wrong with a supporting roster that also includes J.T. Walsh, David Morse, Ron Rifkin, John Spencer, Paul Giamatti, and more.

The Complete Hulu List for April 2023

Follow all of our monthly streaming guides.

Related Topics: Crossing the Streams, Hulu

Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since before you were born, which is weird seeing as he’s so damn young. He’s our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists ‘Broadcast News’ as his favorite film of all time. Feel free to say hi if you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.

Do you want to add a personal touch to your vehicle and stand out from the crowd? Have you considered getting personalised number plates in the UK? Not only do they make your car unique, but they can also be a great investment. But how do you go about obtaining them? In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of getting personalised number plates in the UK and help you find the perfect one for your vehicle. Let’s get started!

What are Personalised number plates?

Personalised number plates are a great way to add a personal touch to your vehicle. They can be used to show off your individuality or to show support for your favorite team or cause. Personalised number plates can also be a great gift for a friend or family member.

There are a few things you need to know before you buy personalised number plates. Firstly, you need to be aware of the rules about what you can and can’t have on your plate. Secondly, you need to decide what type of plate you want. Thirdly, you need to choose a reputable supplier who can provide you with high-quality plates.

The rules about what you can have on your personalised number plate are set by the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). You can find out more about the rules on their website. Generally speaking, you are allowed to have any combination of letters and numbers on your plate, as long as it is not offensive or misleading.

How to get Personalised number plates in the UK?

If you want to add a personal touch to your car, then you may want to consider getting personalised number plates. You can either buy them outright or lease them for some time.

To get started, you will need to find a reputable dealer who specializes in personalised number plates. Once you have found a dealer, you will need to provide them with some basic information such as your name, contact details, and the type of vehicle you drive.

The dealer will then be able to search their database for available plate options that match your criteria. Once you have chosen a plate, the dealer will be able to process the paperwork and arrange for the plate to be fitted to your vehicle.

If you decide to lease a plate, then you will need to make sure that you keep up with the payments. If you miss any payments, then the dealer has the right to repossess the plate.

Once you have your new personalised number plate, it is important to remember that you are responsible for keeping it clean and visible at all times. If the police spot a dirty or obscured number plate, then they have the power to issue a fine.

The benefits of having Personalised number plates

There are many benefits of having personalised number plates. For one, it can make your car stand out from the rest. Personalised number plates can also help you to identify your car, especially if you have a common model or make.

Additionally, personalised number plates can increase the value of your car and make it more desirable to potential buyers. Finally, having a personalised number plate can simply be a fun way to express yourself and add some personality to your vehicle.

How to choose the right Personalised number plates

There are a few things to consider when choosing personalised number plates. The first is the age of the vehicle. If the vehicle is less than 3 years old, then you’ll need to get new number plates made. Secondly, think about what message you want to portray with your number plate. Are you looking for something funny or serious?

Once you’ve considered these factors, it’s time to start shopping around. There are a few different ways to get personalised number plates. You can buy them outright from a retailer, or you can lease them from a company that specializes in this service.

If you’re looking for the best deal, then it’s worth considering leasing. This way, you’ll only have to pay for the plates while you’re using them. Once you return them, there’s no further cost. However, if you’re planning on keeping the plates for a long time, then buying outright may be the better option.

Whichever option you choose, make sure to do your research and compare prices before making a decision. With so many companies offering this service, it’s important to find one that offers good value for money.

Conclusion

Personalised number plates in the UK are a great way to make your vehicle stand out from the crowd and show off your unique personality. With so many options available, it’s easy to find something that fits you perfectly.

From classic styles to contemporary designs, there is sure to be something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a single plate or something more elaborate, personalised number plates can add an extra touch of class and individuality to any car. Get creative with your custom design today!

So when the latest episode of Star Trek: Picard made abundantly clear to everyone but Jean-Luc that Beverly Crusher’s less-irritating boy was not the son of her late husband Jack Crusher, fans were right to be as surprised as Picard. To be sure, writers (lightly) laced a will they/won’t they romance throughout the seven seasons of TNG. And Picard showrunner Terry Matalas has been open about his plans to revisit that romance for the series’ third and final season.

But few could have guessed that the driving force of that reunion would be a secret son sired between the two of them. It’s hard to say when exactly this would have happened, as the final TNG movie Nemesis showed no signs of them being interested in one another. Given that the movie is just over 20 years old, and that the Picard season three premiere “The Next Generation” makes clear that Beverly has been away for decades, the math itself makes for some shaky logic. Furthermore, the actor Ed Speleers, who plays the young Jack Crusher, is in his mid-thirties.

While all of these things can be explained away one way or another, the best reason to accept this surprise Picard twist is that this story beat has been used before in Star Trek history. Midway through The Wrath of Khan, Kirk and members of his crew beam aboard Regula I seeking Dr. Carol Marcus, a scientist with whom Jim had a former relationship. He’s immediately attacked by a young man, who angrily affirms that he is Dr. Marcus. When Carol arrives, Kirk puts two and two together: the young man is David, the son he fathered with the older Dr. Marcus.

Of course, viewers couldn’t do that math because the movie doesn’t show its work. Wrath of Khan is a sequel to the TOS episode “Space Seed,” bringing back Ricardo Montalbán’s hammy genetically-enhanced baddie Khan Noonien Singh, and even making reference to a his “beloved wife,” who may be Marla McGivers, the Starfleet lieutenant who joined Khan on his exile in that episode. But Marcus did not appear in any other story, nor did Kirk ever mention fathering a child with anyone, so Wrath of Khan has an easier time getting away with the twist.

When compared, the circumstances aren’t exactly the same, though. While Kirk and Picard both had a son with a doctor from their past, Wrath of Khan suggests Kirk already knew about David’s existence but was banned from being a part of the boy’s life by his mother. Kirk’s surprise in his first scene with David comes more from seeing his son as an adult for the first time, as he never thought that would be the case. It’s a whole different ballgame for Picard, who seemed to have no idea that Jack was out there at all. But now that Picard Jr. is here, let’s hope he fares better than Kirk’s kid did.

David left the Star Trek universe as quickly as he entered, getting killed off by Klingon Captain Kruge in The Search for Spock (David’s performer Merritt Butrick, did get to return as a different character for a season one episode of TNG). But his death provided motivation for not only Kirk’s anger with Kruge in Search for Spock, and for going into the past in The Voyage Home, but also became a key plot point when bad actors tried to undermine the Khitomer Accords in The Undiscovered Country.

Leslie Grace has offered some additional insight into DC’s scrapped Batgirl movie that is sure to make fans wish they would have been able to see it. She talks about what an awesome experience it was for her to watch the movie, and also teases some “amazing action sequences” that it would have featured with Brendan Fraser, who played the villain Firefly.

During a recent interview with Collider, Grace said:

“I truly had one of [the best] experiences with Batgirl. In terms of the experience of shooting, we were all so excited for people to see a lot of the action, a lot of the practical shots we did with fire. Our movie was full of practical fire, which was really hard to shoot. Brendan [Fraser], our villain, our Firefly, he was just so outstanding. I felt so blessed to have him as my sparring partner. We had so many amazing action scenes together where we were beating each other up, but hugging in between takes because he’s just so sweet.”

It’s a shame that we won’t be able to ever see this movie. I would have really liked to see how the story played out. But, it’s also cool to hear about all of the practical shots with fire and Fraser’s Firefly getting some cool action sequences!

The actress went on to say she would have “loved people to see those moments” and also shared some hopes that the movie could have a future somewhere.

“You have the experience, and you keep on rolling, and I feel so blessed, all in all, that I have those memories and hopefully maybe in some future, some clips will arise and people will get to enjoy a little bit of it. But for now, we’ll just have to keep it going in comic folklore, I guess, with all of our memories and our stories while we can.”

The movie was directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah from a script written by Christina Hodson, who previously wrote Bumblebee as well as DC’s Birds of Prey and The Flash. Kristin Burr, who recently worked on Cruella, produced the movie. The directors were pretty bummed out by the film being canceled, and previously said:

“It was a traumatic experience. [El Arbi and I] went through all the emotions. At that time, it was pretty unprecedented, so it was like movie history, but in a crazy way. There was still a lot of work to be done but they just said it was financial decisions and so that’s that and the movie can never be released.”

Hopefully one day we will get to see some of the action footage from this Batgirl movie. Maybe one day someone will make a documentary about it.

Best in show is a tie between Bomo Illuma’s segment, in which Jane meets an ex-lover named Tayo (Chido Nwokocha) on a beach where, ten years earlier, it became painfully apparent that racial and cultural differences (she’s white, he’s Black) were fated to prevent them from going the distance; and Jeong’s segment, which reunites Jacobs with “Community” castmate Joel McHale as another of Jane’s former flames. Illuma’s deployment of different textures, colors, and lighting schemes to contrast past and present evokes the work of Barry Jenkins, and it’s remarkable how much agonizing detail the segment manages to impart about the reasons for the couple’s failure without spelling anything out. Much of the dramatic heavy lifting is done through closeups of Jacobs and Nwokocha, and by Alex Krispin’s score, which serves as an endoskeleton for the entire project, though it’s too subtle to proclaim that aspect of its function. 

Jeong’s segment is the polar opposite: McHale’s character meets the heroine on a hiking trail, leading to a walk-and-talk that feels like this film’s answer to Richard Linklater’s series of “Before” movies. Its centerpiece is a nearly six-minute, unbroken shot of the characters talking about past mistakes and regrets, scrubby hills behind them. The dialogue is cringey in the way that earnest conversations between exes tend to be. It’s as embarrassing and touching as a confessional exchange overheard in public. Jacobs and McHale had scorching comic chemistry on “Community,” and Jeong surely drew on his familiarity with them as both artists and people. But there’s more going on here than fan service. Both performers show sides of their talent that “Community” never tapped. And there’s a raw vulnerability to both that’s disarming. 

Did I like “The Seven Faces of Jane”? I love the idea of it, I love that it exists, and I’m not sure how much I can ultimately say for or against it, considering that everything good and bad is baked into the methods that the performers and filmmakers committed to. Reviewing a film this unusual, uninterested in playing by conventional rules, and devoted to the concept of freedom (damn the consequences) is perhaps like reviewing a game of charades. Most of the time, it’s just a game, something you do to pass the time with friends. But every once in a while somebody pulls a title from the hat and acts it out with such virtuosity that you feel like handing them an Oscar. Too bad it’s not possible on this platform to give each segment of an anthology its own star rating. If there were, Jeong and Illuma’s segments would get three-and-a-half stars. The rest run the gamut from a half-star to two: you’ll know them when you see them.

Iconic Roles is a look at some of the best performances in film and television by actors and actresses.

Hollywood’s favorite up-and-coming actor Timothée Chalamet turns 27 today. Chalamet is considered one of the most talented actors of his generation, earning that reputation shortly after making his feature film debut in 2014’s Men, Women & Children. Recently, he has joined forces with director Luca Guadagnino for Bones and All, where Chalamet portrays a cannibalistic teenager. Producers and directors are lining up to work with the New York City-born actor, who is currently attached to several projects, including a leading role in the upcoming Wonka musical and James Mangold’s Going Electric biopic on Bob Dylan.

Here is a closer look at some of the best Timothée Chalamet movies.

Elio Perlman in Call Me by Your Name (2017)

The first collaboration between Chalamet and Guadagnino resulted in a much-appreciated coming-of-age story. In a hot Italian summer, Elio (Chalamet) falls in love with his father’s 24-year-old graduate-student assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer). In spite of his young age, Chalamet showed great maturity in portraying a sexually pulsing teenager and his chemistry with Hammer was undeniable. His efforts were rewarded with an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, making Chalamet the third-youngest nominee ever. Call Me by Your Name is highly regarded by critics and received dozens of nominations across main associations in the industry, including a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars.

Kyle Scheible in Lady Bird (2017)

Coming-of-age stories are a constant in this part of Chalamet’s career, and rightfully so, given the actor’s young age. In 2017, the actor also took part in another critically-acclaimed movie, Lady Bird. Directed by versatile artist Greta Gerwig, the story follows the struggle of a young woman called Christine McPherson (Saoirse Ronan), who gives herself the identity of “Lady Bird.” Among other struggles, Christine has a complicated relationship with Kyle (Chalamet), a bass player in a band with a French name. Undoubtedly, Ronan steals the show in the appreciated story, but Chalamet puts on a great display of small-town snobbery. The movie received five nominations from the Academy, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Nic Sheff in Beautiful Boy (2018)

The complicated father-son relationship depicted in Felix van Groeningen’s English-language film debut underlined one’s more Chalamet’s impressive skills. Even when he shared the stage with a veteran like Steve Carell, Chalamet rose up to the task. The story involves several intense scenes, including a drug overdose hospitalization. Still, Chalament’s performance didn’t go unnoticed, as he took home a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Golden Globe Awards. While Beautiful Boy didn’t pass the box-office test and failed short to top its production budget, it is still considered one of the best Timothée Chalamet movies.

Paul Atreides in Dune (2021)

Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic story is arguably the most ambitious project Chalamet has been involved in so far. The scale and scope of this movie are awe-inspiring, and Chalamet fits well in the role of noble House Atreides’ heir. In the story, Paul needs to do whatever it takes for his and his family’s survival after the sudden assassination of his father, Duke Leto. Dune is currently the second-most profitable movie he has worked on after Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, where Chalamet portrayed the young version of Tom Cooper in a couple of scenes. Chalamet will return as Atreides in the upcoming Dune: Part Two sequel.

Yule in Don’t Look Up (2021)

It’s never easy to carve out some space to shine when the movie you’re working on involves Hollywood royalty like Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, and Jennifer Lawrence, among others. Yet, Chalamet’s Yule is unforgettable partly because of the iconic mullet he’s donning. On the verge of an apocalypse, the MSU doctoral candidate in astronomy Kate Dibiasky (Lawrence) befriends a young shoplifter (Chalamet) because, ‘F— it, we’re all gonna die.’ The movie is a ferocious satire of society and how little attention people pay to scientific warnings. Adam McKay’s film scored four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay, and it’s also considered one of the best Timothée Chalamet movies.

A24

British director Joanna Hogg and actor Tilda Swinton have known one another for a long time. Swinton appeared in Hogg’s 1986 short film Caprice, the director’s final project at England’s National Film and Television School. Swinton and her daughter, Honor Swinton Byrne, both starred in Hogg’s deservedly celebrated The Souvenir (2019) and its 2021 sequel. The years of collaboration between the two, however, have reached a new peak with The Eternal Daughter, a mystery set at an exceptionally eerie and foggy hotel in Wales.

Swinton gives two performances in the film. We see her first as Rosalind, an elderly woman traveling to the hotel with her daughter, Julie, also Swinton. If those names sound familiar, that is because they are the names of Honor and Tilda’s mother-daughter characters in The Souvenir films. Appropriately, those films haunt this one, a gothic tale in the tradition of the so-called “woman’s films” of Classical Hollywood and featuring a ghost story in the spirit of Scooby-Doo. (What higher compliment can there be than that?)

With a long drive up a remote, foggy road and a fitting tune on the flute in accompaniment, the film’s opening sets an immediate tone and atmosphere that will be carried throughout. Hogg manages to capture that very specific blend of cozy and creepy. The kind that brings about the urge to tuck oneself into a blanket so that only one’s eyes are revealed. It is a duality not unlike the one Swinton’s Julie experiences in the film. The Wales hotel at which they stay used to be their family home. Rosalind shares stories of growing up there, hearing the nearby bombs in Liverpool during the Second World War. And thus, for Julie, the trip carries with it many positive associations. She relishes spending time with her mother and learning more about her past. But when she walks the grounds, particularly at night, sounds, winds, and feelings haunt her mind.

Much of the film plays like a dream. Julie and Rosalind seem to be the only guests at the hotel. The clerk at the front desk (Carly-Sophia Davies), who also works as a waitress at the hotel’s restaurant, treats them with a consistent, unearned rudeness. Such moments provide comedic relief to an otherwise serious film but leave the viewer even more disconcerted. Something is afoot, but we do not know what. There is a mystery to be solved, but what that mystery is, we do not know until it is over.

In her two performances, Swinton manages to deliver the painful nuances of the mother-daughter relationship. Julie carries with her a kind of guilt. She tries her best to care for her mother. But she also wants to coax stories of the past from her for a film she is working on. At times, she records her reluctant mother without her consent. Hogg and Swinton depict the kind of relationship that is loving but not always intimate. The kind that reveals how we can be close to someone without fully knowing them. When we see Julie and Rosalind in conversation, Hogg shoots them mostly in shot/reverse shot. A decision presumably born, in part, out of ease for shooting a single actor carries with it the effect of exacerbating this feeling. Of showing how while they may be physically close, an emotional chasm exists.

Following in the tradition of many great gothic films, like Rebecca (1940), for example, The Eternal Daughter understands the ways in which homes can act as sponges, soaking up the emotions and the memories of those who lived there, even when they have gone. After Julie triggers a sad memory of Rosalind’s, mother comforts daughter by reminding her, “That’s what rooms do. They hold these stories.” Later, Julie forms a friendly relationship with the night manager at the hotel, Bill (Joseph Mydell), who talks about his deceased wife. Both bond over memories of their families and their shared isolation.

The conversation between Bill and Julie deals with the nature of memory. Bill shares stories of walking the grounds, where memories of his deceased wife come back into his mind. Their exchange comes to mirror much of the film’s emphasis on the physical spaces of the building. Dialogue-heavy scenes are bookended with long shots of hallways, sometimes with Julie hurrying down them and other times just empty shots of the misty night. Memory is liquid. It travels. And it comes to us when we move about the world. When we are confronted with the ghosts, human or otherwise, of our past.

In the roles of Julie and Rosalind, Swinton captivates on every level. Hogg brings us close enough to see and hear nearly every word that comes out of her mouth and movement she makes. And yet we remain at just the right distance to maintain the mystery. The more we get to know her, the more disoriented we become. It is a virtuosic blend of performance and direction.

The Eternal Daughter is the kind of film that will only grow better with subsequent viewings. Its rewatchability is due in no small part to Hogg, who, with this film, shows once again why she is one of the finest directors working today. And, if she is not already there, nearing the zenith of her craft.

The Eternal Daughter debuts in theaters on December 2, 2022. Watch the film’s trailer here.

Related Topics: A24

Will DiGravio is a Brooklyn-based critic, researcher, and video essayist, who has been a contributor at Film School Rejects since 2018. Follow and/or unfollow him on Twitter @willdigravio.

Opening Narration:

Mr. Schmidt, recently arrived in a small Bavarian village which lies eight miles northwest of Munich… a picturesque, delightful little spot one-time known for its scenery, but more recently related to other events having to do with some of the less positive pursuits of man: human slaughter, torture, misery and anguish. Mr. Schmidt, as we will soon perceive, has a vested interest in the ruins of a concentration camp—for once, some seventeen years ago, his name was Gunther Lutze. He held the rank of a captain in the SS. He was a black-uniformed strutting animal whose function in life was to give pain, and like his colleagues of the time, he shared the one affliction most common amongst that breed known as Nazis… he walked the Earth without a heart. And now former SS Captain Lutze will revisit his old haunts, satisfied perhaps that all that is awaiting him in the ruins on the hill is an element of nostalgia. What he does not know, of course, is that a place like Dachau cannot exist only in Bavaria. By its nature, by its very nature, it must be one of the populated areas… of the Twilight Zone.

Death’s Head Revisited is a powerful episode of The Twilight Zone the story of which centered on a former SS officer named Gunther Lutze who visits the Dachau concentration camp a decade and a half after World War II. While there, he smugly and sadistically recalls the torment he inflicted on the inmates. He is then haunted by them and when called out for his inhumane actions, Lutze just says he was following orders.

Lutze ends up being put through the same horrors he imposed on the inmates in the form of tactile illusions, including being shot by machine guns at the gate, hanging by the gallows, and tortured. He is left with these final words, “This is not hatred. This is retribution. This is not revenge. This is justice. But this is only the beginning, Captain. Only the beginning. Your final judgment will come from God.”

What makes this episode makes you think about the lasting impact of war and how the victims of war never really heal or rest.

Closing Narration:

There is an answer to the doctor’s question. All the Dachaus must remain standing. The Dachaus, the Belsens, the Buchenwalds, the Auschwitzes – all of them. They must remain standing because they are a monument to a moment in time when some men decided to turn the Earth into a graveyard. Into it they shoveled all of their reason, their logic, their knowledge, but worst of all, their conscience. And the moment we forget this, the moment we cease to be haunted by its remembrance, then we become the gravediggers. Something to dwell on and to remember, not only in the Twilight Zone but wherever men walk God’s Earth.

The Masks – Season 5 Episode 25