Devan Suber
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freelance critic and writer of film+tv. words in @thefilmstage, @awardswatch, Joysauce...
he/him | extremely homosexual | vaguely Indian. devansuber @ gmail
Articles by Devan Suber
PFF35 Day Nine: Observational Cinema
Credit: Janus Films I realized yesterday that because of the way scheduling has shaken out, I haven’t gotten to as many after hours showings as I normally would in years past. There haven’t really been a ton of surprises to be honest. Maybe it’s just because I’ve become more aware of what’s out there, maybe it’s because I’ve been actively trying to be somewhat more critical and honest. There’s still two days left for a surprise, and tomorrow at least has two of my most anticipated.
Movies have finally figured out survival horror
For as long as they’ve endeavored to make video games more than mere quarter-recirculatory systems, developers have borrowed from the movies. Gaming and cinema are both visual mediums at heart, and Final Fantasy II didn’t need advanced photorealism to do a simple riff on Star Wars.
Director Bassam Tariq brings Black Muslim culture to the sad dad genre
Ahead of the film’s wide theatrical release on Friday, I spoke to the Pakistani American filmmaker about his inspirations, making a “Muslim film,” and sad dads. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Devan Suber: You’ve said before that the idea has been kicking around for awhile, but you started writing the film during COVID. What gave you the motivation to finally start it? Bassam Tariq: It started when COVID hit and the world stopped.
Sense and Sensibility Review: Georgia Oakley Brings Keen Eye to Jane Austen Adaptation
It’s always tempting to discuss Jane Austen adaptations in comparison with their predecessors, especially when the most famous example here is Ang Lee’s version that earned Emma Thompson her second Oscar. Georgia Oakley recognizes this; rather than trying to reinvent the wheel or subvert this text, she instead delivers a sublime take that more than justifies returning to the well once more.
‘Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty!’ pays homage to filmmaker’s mother
This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Devan Suber: What drew you both to this story, Josef in terms of the fictional autobiography, and Rinko in terms of the lead role? Josef Kubota Wladyka: The film isn't biographical, but it's more an homage to the spirit of my mom. She's probably the main reason I became a filmmaker—her love of cinema, art, and of course, dancing. She's 82 years old and still competing in ballroom dancing.
Resident Evil Review: Zach Cregger Crafts an Ideal Tribute to an Iconic Series
Resident Evil, as a game series, has always borrowed heavily from cinema, whether it be the fixed angles and Kiyoshi Kurosawa inspirations of the first title to the Texas Chainsaw riffs in the 7th. It’s less about the zombies, more the feeling of powerlessness and weird puzzles. Zach Cregger understands this on a deep level.
Na Hong-Jin’s ‘Hope’ is action packed, but barely scratches the surface
Hope, which hits theaters Wednesday, starts off promising, though. Hope Harbor police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min, The Wailing) is taken by his cousin Sung-ki (Zo In-sun, soon to appear in Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love) to examine the corpse of a bull with a rather large gash in it. The chief arrogantly believes it’s a tiger but is quickly dissuaded from that rather quickly when he’s called back to the town and discovers a disaster zone, with most of the human population dead.
Director Alexander Ullom wants you to sit with the horror in ‘It Ends’
What’s more, he’s remarkably self-assured and intuitive, making excellent use of a small budget to craft a tense yet philosophical thriller that taps into generational anxieties without pandering. Ahead of its nationwide release last week, I spoke to Ullom about his journey to the big screen, his influences, and the tribulations of independent filmmaking. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Coyote vs. Acme Review: A Resurrected Comedy That Delivers
An attempted burial might have actually been the best thing to ever happen to Coyote vs. Acme. The live-action/Looney Tunes hybrid was originally slated for HBO Max in 2023 before being dropped down a black hole by Warner Bros. Discovery in the name of tax write-offs. For a while, it seemed destined to be lost to history, existing only as leaked screenshots, clips of Will Forte falling into a pool, or a “Meep Meep” chorus being recorded.
Gregg Araki wants to make sex fun again
Devan Suber: It's been 10 years since your last film and you've been doing TV in the interim. What made you decide it was time to return? Gregg Araki: Well, you know, I was on vacation in Tahiti, just laying on a beach, sipping a coconut, and thought, “Well, oh, maybe it's time.” [Laughs]. No, this movie has been 12 or 13 years in the making. Originally it had a female intern and a male boss, more like a comic 50 Shades of Grey.
Tony Review: Matt Johnson Finds the Right Ingredients In Anthony Bourdain Biopic
To the public, Anthony Bourdain was a carefully constructed persona: the fine-dining chef who waxed poetic about the joys of “regular” food and traveled to far-flung locales that made him want to throttle Henry Kissinger on shows like Parts Unknown. He would be the first to admit he wasn’t perfect, cataloging his faults in bestsellers like Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw while sharing his thoughts on various blogs and social platforms up until his tragic suicide in 2018.
Assad Zaman on playing a multi-faceted, centuries-old vampire
This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Devan Suber: Did you read any of The Vampire Chronicles when you signed on? If you did, do you still want to stay surprised since so much has changed? Assad Zaman: A little bit of both. With adaptations, you want to have the essence and soul of the source while finding new things. I read The Vampire Armand when I first got the part, because I knew that in season one I would be in the background more.
Leviticus Review: Accomplished Aussie Horror Feature Blends Paranoia and Love
Being queer—especially in this rapidly regressive age—means becoming acquainted with a base level of fear for most of your life. It is something you learn early on: not only when you must discover who can be trusted with your survival, but whether they might betray that trust later. Violence takes so many forms that it can lead to a sort of paranoia that folds in on itself. Adrian Chiarella’s Leviticus understands this intimately.
‘The Vampire Lestat’ TV Review: Your Vampire’s Favorite Vampire Returns for His Rock ‘n Roll Era [A-]
Much of the lead-up to The Vampire Lestat has focused on the musical angle as the titular character becomes a rockstar in the modern age. It may boast a new name, a new focus, and even a fancy new title sequence but luckily, the show formerly known as Interview With The Vampire hasn’t lost an ounce of its proverbial bite.
Obsession Review: A Nasty, Humorous Horror Breakout
Even if he hadn’t recently landed the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake, you’ve likely heard the name Curry Barker. He’s the latest in the recent spate of former sketch comedians/YouTubers turning to horror-directing with an online feature under his belt. Obsession—his theatrical debut—fully lives up to both his promise and the title. For whatever familiarity lies within it, there’s a strong seed just begging to flourish into something great.
Blue Film Review: Masterful Two-Hander Confronts Flaws with Empathy
“Provocation” has become watered-down in recent times. All it takes to provoke someone is tossing off a bunch of half-assed offensive statements or aiming your cannon at every divisive mainstream issue on a quest to push people’s buttons. Getting a reaction out of people is easy; actually making them consider things is another matter entirely. Blue Film, by that token, is provocative in the truest sense of the term. Elliott Tuttle’s film seeks to unsettle, question, and, yes, provoke you.
‘Blue Film’ Director Elliot Tuttle and Stars Reed Birney and Kieron Moore Break Down Their Hotly Transgressive and Thought-Provoking Film
Elliot Tuttle knows that he’s playing with fire. His feature debut Blue Film – starring Reed Birney and Kieron Moore – was rejected from multiple film festivals last year, both large and small thanks to its nonjudgemental focus on a pedophile and his desires.
PFS SpringFest 2026 Round-Up
I more or less stuck to the schedule of my previous post, save moving a couple entries around, adding some, while skipping others by the end. Some of that was due to previous engagements, others I was just feeling a tad worn by the end and not entirely sold. Apologies to The Napa Boys and Maddie’s Secret in that case; the former should be on VOD now, the latter is opening this summer. For the most part I liked a lot of what I saw.
Supriya Ganesh of ‘The Pitt’ has high hopes for Dr. Samira Mohan
Don’t let that overshadow her work. As Dr. Samira Mohan, Ganesh provided an empathetic anchor and continued examinations of the crumbling American health care system. I spoke with her ahead of the season two finale to get her thoughts on the season as well as its unfortunate relevance to modern times. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Devan Suber: Between The Pitt premiering and the second season finale, you’ve had quite an interesting year.
Faces of Death Review: Smartly Crafted Remake Investigates the “Sicko” in All of Us
When Faces of Death was originally released in 1978, the mere thought that you could watch actual people die was enough to sell the movie, even if it ended up being mostly faked (thus not a “true” snuff film). Flash-forward about 40 years or so, and your Mass Media Studies teacher can show you footage of R. Budd Dwyer’s suicide on LiveLeak; not even a few months after that, The Verge publishes an article detailing how Facebook moderators routinely watch such videos, if not worse.
Revelations of Divine Love Review: A Charmingly Evocative Medieval Tale with Modern Resonance
Medieval life happened so long ago that our natural inclination is to view it from an alien remove and marvel at how someone actually lived like that. This is silly, of course: human nature stays fairly consistent throughout history, as do plagues, unrest, or the preparations needed for a holiday.
Some Predictions On The 98th Academy Awards
Awards season officially comes to a close on Sunday and with the Guilds officially sown up I figured I might as well post some predictions on them. Probably isn’t going to be all that dissimilar from what a lot of other places are saying with the precursors and all, but this year does feel like the first in a while that there’s an actual race happening at the end.
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie Review: An Ambitious Comedic Triumph
Spoiler culture may be one of the lowest forms of film conversation, but there are times when it simply must be invoked. This is to say that Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie presents a conundrum: the best way to experience it is to go in knowing next to nothing beyond the general premise—not even so much as the trailers or synopsis reveal. Matt Johnson and Jay McCarroll’s cult-favorite web and TV series transfers beautifully to the big screen.
Pillion Director Harry Lighton on Portraying Realistic Sex and Rethinking Queer Narratives
Harry Lighton’s Pillion was one of the highlights of last year’s Un Certain Regard at Cannes, garnering wide acclaim and a fair amount of titters for its frank sex scenes. Lighton’s feature debut, after the 2017 short Wren Boys, earned him the Best Screenplay award in the section.
Devan Suber’s Top 10 Films of 2025
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2025, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists. Like many who will be reading this, 2025 was a… let’s say tumultuous year for me. The last year ended with a combination layoff and second Trump presidency followed by David Lynch dying early in the year. At the same time though, it felt like something of a breakthrough for me.
'Lesbian Space Princess' is a queer story from a BIPOC perspective
DS: Transphobia in feminism has become such a major issue politically, was that something you were aware of when writing? LV: It’s hard as a queer artist because you obviously are aware, but you’re also trying to write something authentic to you and your perspective. It’s really scary what’s happening over in the UK. EHH: We were really conscious of things like the labrys (a double-headed axe). It used to be a TERF symbol and we debated including it.
PFF34 Day 10 and 11: End of the road
The list, as it were. As mentioned previously, because of a hectic schedule and less films than expected on the final day, I’m just going to combine both days into one and end with a summary. Silent Friend (Ildikó Enyedi): B If ever there was a vibes movie, this one’s it. Most of the time I enjoyed the imagery; it gets real interesting somewhere around the second act with the student in the 70s taking care of the houseplant that may be able to communicate with some sort of language.
Mistress Dispeller Review: Subdued Doc Explores Saving Marriages in China
For as long as there have been relationships, there have also been affairs. It is perhaps one of the most durable narrative devices, so universal that just about anyone can find a perspective into such a story. To this, Elizabeth Lo’s Mistress Dispeller brings quite the intriguing concept: a Chinese service that women can hire to get their husbands to break up with their mistresses, thus preserving their marriage.
‘Lurker’ Review: Writer-Director Alex Russell Crafts a Symbiotic Power Struggle with Paranoid Pop Star Thriller [B+]
Online fandom and fame-hunger have gotten so intense in the last decade or so that it’s a bit surprising there haven’t been more films like Lurker. The debut from writer-director Alex Russell (The Bear) may draw deep from the well of similarly unhinged social-climber films like Nightcrawler or Ingrid Goes West (or, for those who recognize star Archie Madekwe, Saltburn) but the attention given towards modern pop stardom injects enough of a jolt to feel like it’s got something new to say.
Nautilus Review
Just the right amount of dumb, casual fun. This post might contain affiliation links. If you buy something through this post, the publisher may get a share of the sale. Updated: June 25, 2025, 5:19 a.m. Nautilus’ two-episode premiere airs Sunday, June 29 on AMC at 10pm ET. New episodes air Sundays through August 17. Some skepticism about AMC’s Nautilus is warranted.
Sister Midnight Review: Offbeat Black Comedy Highlights the Modern Indian Woman
Recent times have been a boon for films by or about Indian women. On top of Cannes Grand Prix winner All We Imagine As Light, 2024 also saw the premiere or release of Suchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls, Sandhya Suri’s Santosh, and Kiran Rao’s controversial Best International Feature pick Laapataa Ladies. Into that mix comes Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight, an offbeat black comedy partly about the difficulty of being a modern Indian woman.
Shadow Force Review
20 hours ago ‘What We Have Been Singing?’: Sherri Shepherd Stunned After Learning the Truth About Patti LaBelle’s Most Iconic Lyrics Sherri Shepherd is apologizing after talking dirty to another woman’s husband — and Patti Labelle might be to blame. Shepherd had Kerry Washington … Now The Greatest Heist Anime Shows Of All Time Heist stories are adrenaline-filled, action-packed narratives brimming with high stakes, intricate schemes, and unexpected twists.
The Pitt Season 1 Review
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways You’ve seen one medical drama, you’ve seen them all, right? Conventionally attractive actors in scrubs and labcoats, tensions (romantic and otherwise) brewing among the staff, mysterious maladies diagnosed and/or cured before the credits roll.
Gazer Review: A Hypnotic, Distinct Directorial Debut
One’s tempted to compare Gazer to many of the films it riffs on. For starters, there’s Memento, Christopher Nolan’s breakthrough film about a man unable to form short-term memories and caught up in a seedy criminal underbelly. Ryan J. Sloan’s debut may not feature such a radical structure, but with its gauzy 16mm look and engrossing story, it does something almost as important: announce a distinct directorial vision.
David Lynch’s influence on video games goes deeper than Twin Peaks.
There’s been an outpouring of grief following the announcement of David Lynch’s death on Jan. 15 at the age of 78. Among the assorted tributes online were several posts from prominent developers from the gaming industry, including Remedy Entertainment’s Sam Lake, Hidetaka “Swery” Suehiro, and Pacific Drive developer Ironwood Studios.
Scam Goddess is an empathetic, entertaining adaptation of the popular podcast
Laci Mosley loves scams. For more than five years, the actor and comedian—known for series like A Black Lady Sketch Show, Florida Girls, and the currently airing Going Dutch—has hosted the Earwolf podcast Scam Goddess, in which she and a guest preach to the CONgregation about swindles, robberies, fraud, and the like.
Murder In A Small Town is a decidedly cozy procedural
There is a lot of lamenting nowadays that they don’t make TV like they used to, and it doesn’t get more “like they used to” than Murder In A Small Town. Fox’s adaptation of the Karl Alberg series of books strikes a tone reminiscent of 2000s-era WB shows like Everwood and Gilmore Girls: It’s lightly comedic, airy, and everything is centered around a quirky small town.
Dìdi Review
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The Leftovers Was Damon Lindelof's Anti-Puzzle Box Show
Features Closure remained intentionally, tantalizingly out of reach in the post-apocalyptic drama. Justin Theroux in The Leftovers (Photo: Everett Collection) While promoting The Leftovers ahead of its premiere in 2014, series co-creators Damon Lindelof and Tom Perotta hit on one theme particularly hard: There would be no answers about the nature of the Departure, in which 2% of the world’s population disappeared without a trace.
Halt and Catch Fire understood video games better than any other show
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Halt and Catch Fire understood video games better than any other show
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10 years later, Halt and Catch Fire got video games better than other shows
Image: AMC Despite numerous advances in the medium, video games largely remain something of a (usually solitary) frivolity, at least when it comes to on-screen depictions. Even when a show is ostensibly about games — your Players, your Mythic Quests — it’s really all about the interactions that occur outside the games, or the process of their creation. Halt and Catch Fire would appear to fit into this.
Halt and Catch Fire understood video games better than any other show
entertainment news 2 hours ago In a Violent Nature almost made me physically ill, and I loved it Polygon - Pete Volk • 2h I watch a good amount of horror — I’m not as devoted as some of my colleagues, but I consider myself relatively well versed in the genre, and conditioned to the depths of depravity it occasionally explores. I’ve also been known to enjoy gory movies, even outside of horror. I’m well documented on … Teeth 5 hours ago Grinding Your Teeth?
Netflix's A Man in Full Is a Solid Watch, and Nothing More
Jeff Daniels in A Man in Full (Photo: Netflix) While Atlanta has become a hotspot for filming thanks to significant tax incentives, it’s still a bit of a novelty whenever a film or TV show actually uses the city as its setting rather than, say, try to pass off the High Museum of Art as the British Museum. Even shows famous for being set there, like Atlanta and The Walking Dead, left the confines of the city eventually, not to mention making a somewhat generous interpretation of locales.
Andy Daly Tried to Review Life, and Ended Up Exposing the Flaws in 'Objective' Criticism
Andy Daly, after way too many pancakes (Screenshot: Review) 10 years ago, Comedy Central's Review posed a question to the prospect of our singular, only life: “But is it any good?” One man set out to answer it, and, in the process, would proceed to blow up his own life and the lives of nearly every other person he met. That man was Forrest MacNeil, played by perhaps the only man who could’ve played him: beloved character actor (and actor of characters) Andy Daly.
AMC Crime Drama Parish Doesn’t Pick Up Speed Until It’s Too Late
Reviews Giancarlo Esposito's got a fast car, but Parish doesn't have a plan to get us out of here. Giancarlo Esposito in Parish (Photo: AMC) Giancarlo Esposito has had many iconic roles — Buggin’ Out, Mike Giardello, El Presidente — but only one is associated with AMC: Breaking Bad drug kingpin Gus Fring. It’s tempting to bring up that show when talking about Parish, a new crime drama on the same network, but that would set expectations unfairly high.
Under The Skin Still Has The Power To Unsettle And Provoke
Revisit Jonathan Glazer's disturbing contemporary sci-fi classic about a mysterious alien on the hunt. T he first sounds you hear in Jonathan Glazer’s Under The Skin (2013) are complete gibberish. We’re not sure whose voice it is, but it’s as if they’ve never even spoken words out loud. These noises play over a small blue pinprick that expands into a blinding white sphere. Overlapping concentric circles merge together in what looks like an eclipse.
Celebrating 'Fringe', the Last of the Sci-Fi Procedurals
Jasika Nicole, John Noble, Anna Torv, and Joshua Jackson in Fringe (Photo: Everett Collection; Primetimer graphic) There may not be another show in recent memory so definitionally a “cult hit” as Fringe. It premiered to great anticipation as J.J. Abrams’ next big project after Lost, but soon fell out of the conversation with a season that hewed a bit too close to The X-Files (not helped by the release of the second movie, I Want To Believe, earlier that year).
'The Lord of the Rings: Gollum' debuts this month—here’s how to preorder Original
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.. Everyone’s favorite nasty little guy is getting his own game. Daedalic Entertainment’s “The Lord of the Rings: Gollum”— first announced in 2019—will allow players to explore Middle Earth as Gollum in a prequel to the events of Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. There’s a lot more where this came from.
'God of War Ragnarok' debuted its New Game Plus Mode this week Original
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. It’s time to return to the Nine Realms once again. “God of War Ragnarök”—one of 2022’s best games—received a patch on April 5, 2023 adding a New Game+ mode, along with several new outfits, enchantments and more. The update can be downloaded on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 for free. Make smart choices without hours of googling.
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