Julianna Perez

Movie Review: Jungleland
by Julie Perez
Where do you go when you’ve made a home out of rock bottom?
Jungleland is an interesting take on the classic boxing movie, it stumbles into the grit and heart of the genre while finding new ways to tell a familiar story. When a loss in a boxing match leave brothers, Lion (Jack O’Connell) and Stanley (Charlie Hunnam), in debt to Pepper (Jonathan Majors) they agree to drop off Sky (Jessica Barden) in Reno on their way to San Francisco. San Francisco holds...

Movie Review: Wander Darkly
by Julie Perez
When Adrienne (Sienna Miller) and Matteo (Diego Luna) suffer a tragic accident, it results in them reliving their relationship, in order to get past it. Written and Directed by Tara Miele, Wander Darkly serves as a study of the brain and as a study of how hard it works to protect us from the tragedies of life. If ever you needed a reminder of lucky we are to exist, then use this film as that. Tara Miele did a beautiful job with the screenplay; within...

Review: Happiest Season
by Julie Perez
Here’s a sentence that sounds ridiculous when you first read it: Happiest Season is the first-ever-backed-by-a-studio queer romcom.
Written and Directed by Clea DuVall, Happiest Season tells the story of Abby (Kristen Stewart) and Harper (Mackenzie Davis), who are forced back in the closet when they visit Harper’s family for Christmas. Harper has yet to come out to her family so they arrive at her parent’s home with the story that Abby is Harper’s roomma...

Movie Review: Farewell Amor
by Julie Perez
Farewell Amor is a story of an Angolan immigrant family attempting to reconnect, while overcoming the time that they lost and will never get back.
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY EKWA MSANGI, Farewell Amor tells a story that will stand the test of time. This story of immigration is told by a loving lens and each character is so well thought-out that you find yourself rooting for this family the entire time. When Walter (Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine) is joined in B...

Review: LP’s Virtual Concert
by Julie Perez
I am convinced that most of the world’s problems could single-handedly be solved by the strength of LP’s whistle.
At a time when we’re all, for the most part, stuck indoors and not interacting with many people it’s been interesting to witness how different musicians are becoming innovative when trying to connect with their fans. The question is, are these virtual connections just as powerful as in-person ones?
LP is the latest artist to put together...

Review: Yes, God, Yes
by Julie Perez
Oh! To be a teen in a chat room having a sexual awakening.
Yes, God, Yes follows sixteen-year-old Alice (played by Natalia Dyer) growing up in the early 2000’s and going to a Catholic school. One day after school, she finds herself in an AOL chat room and the conversation quickly becomes explicit. Being the good catholic school girl that she is, she finds herself immediately guilt-ridden. Which is how she ends up at a private religious retreat attempting r...

The Chicks (formerly known as the Dixie Chicks) are back with a new name and an album full of grandiose statements.
No strangers to speaking their mind; the trio have recently released their comeback album and Gaslighter feels like three hearts being put on display for the world to see. Though the album’s release was postponed due to the pandemic, it absolutely feels like it was gifted to the world at a perfect time. The Chicks had already proved to be artists who beautifully weave their narr...

The year is 2000; you’re obsessed with your Razr flip phone, you spend more hours on AIM than you can count, TRL is your favorite TV show and *NSYNC is about to change the pop music world with their latest album No Strings Attached.

I remember the day that I discovered who *NSYNC was; my mother and I were in a store and as we strolled past the video section, the *NSYNC *N the Mix VHS tape caught my eye.

I had no idea who these guys were but I knew that I needed them in my life. I spent the re...

Review: Saint Frances
Kelly O’Sullivan has crafted a beautiful and inspiring story of resilience with her film Saint Frances and though often too real to face, this film serves as a wonderful reminder to survive amidst the chaos.
Saint Frances follows thirty-four-year-old Bridget (Kelly O’Sullivan) just as her life is slowly starting to come together. At the beginning of the film, Bridget meets Jace (Max Lipchitz) a nice guy who seems to have the best intentions just as she lands a job as a n...

Review: Go Back to China
It’s a tale as old as time; a spoiled-rich girl finds the meaning to hard work and becomes a better person. We’ve all seen it before and yet, Director/Writer Emily Ting has found a fresh new take on a familiar story. Go Back to China follows Sasha Li (played by Anna Akana) after her father cuts her off and forces her to move back to China to help the family toy business.
Anna Akana absolutely shines on screen and though you start off genuinely questioning the likabili...