Film
The Existential Crisis of Free Leonard Peltier
The film was made to agitate for the release of the wrongly imprisoned Indigenous activist. Despite last-minute edits after his clemency, it still shows some cracks.
Dan Schindel
Dan Schindel is a freelance writer and copy editor living in Brooklyn, and a former associate editor at Hyperallergic. His portfolio and links are here .
Film
Zodiac Killer Project Is a Parody of the True Crime Genre
The documentary is an incisive critique of how cliché-bound the genre has become, encouraging viewers to ask more from it.
Interview
The Story of the Godfather of Asian-American Media, Told by His Son
“The best film I could make was one that only I could tell as his son,” Tadashi Nakamura told Hyperallergic about legendary director Robert Nakamura.
Guide
Not-to-Miss Documentaries at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival
Several nonfiction works playing at the festival are timely, whether in their current subject matter or relevant reflections on the past.
News
David Lynch, Conjurer of the Uncanny, Dies at 78
The visionary film director and artist was an institution unto himself — primarily of cinema, but also painting, music, photography, and culture at large.
Film
The Emotional Valences of Brutalism
Historically, cinema has invoked the architectural movement as an easy shorthand for villainy. In The Brutalist, though, it embodies a proletarian dream.
Film
Werner Herzog’s Anticlimatic Exploration of the Human Brain
The filmmaker seems out of his depth in Theater of Thought, too willing to let his subjects make questionable claims without pushing back or delving deeper.
Film
Five Video Essays for the Holiday Season
Killer bananas, Grand Theft Auto telephone poles, online gambling, and other ways to fill a little downtime.
Film
The Beautiful Infinity of Tetris
A new documentary-game includes an interactive timeline, interviews, and of course, playable versions of the game.
News
The Illusive Films of Sergei Parajanov
Each of the director’s films adapts a folktale, short story, or novel, or pays tribute to a historical figure — but never in a straightforward way.
Interview
The Woman Who Launched the Japanese #MeToo Movement Tells Her Story
“I wanted to question power,” Shiori Ito told Hyperallergic regarding her new documentary. “The system was always the focus.
Film
A Woman Who Tried to Kill the President Tells Her Story
Suburban Fury sits with Sara Jane Moore to learn how the politics and culture of the 1970s drove her toward Gerald Ford with a gun in her hand.