From the demented mind that brought us Violent Night—the 2022 holiday action-comedy starring David Harbour as a murderous Santa—comes a giant load of creativity and charm. And for me, as a Norwegian American, a tinge of pride as well. Ja, vi elsker!
The incredible actress who played Marianne in Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) is also a director — a fact I didn’t learn until after watching The Balconettes (2024) at this year’s Seattle International Film Festival. Chalk that up to my usual policy of going into movies cold. And honestly, it paid off.
I started off this year’s SIFF strong with a back-to-back binge of 40 Acres followed by Spermageddon. I watched them both at SIFF Cinema Downtown, and it’s still hard for me not to call this iconic venue by its original name.
I walked into the SIFF 51st Opening Night Gala screening of Four Mothers knowing exactly nothing about it. No trailers, no logline, no coverage from when the film won Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival. Just the title and a faint notion that maybe it involved mothers.
The 51st Annual Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) kicks off this week, and while we’re ready to dive headfirst into a new crop of indie darlings, international gems, and midnight oddities, we thought it was the perfect time to take a look back at the cinematic feast we devoured last year.
