Sean Gilman

A film critic in Tacoma, Washington. Bylines at The Criterion Collection, the Mubi Notebook, Frame.land, InReview Online, Seattle Screen Scene and more.

Paid-members only

Misumi Kenji

Liquid Swords in the Age of ICE, or Parenting Tips from the Lone Wolf and Cub

Paid-members only

Contemporary Chinese (Streaming) Cinema

The Shadow's Edge (Larry Yang, 2025) and The Sixth Robber (Chris Huo, 2025)

Oshii Mamoru

Angel's Egg and The Red Spectacles (Oshii Mamoru, 1985 & 1987)

Two restorations of Oshii classics are in theatres now

Paid-members only

Herman Yau

A Gilded Game (Herman Yau, 2025)

Paid-members only

Devils on the Doorstep

Glass Heart (Goto Kotaro and Kakimoto Kensaku, 2025) & CITY the Animation (Ishidate Taichi, 2025)

Paid-members only

The Spooky Bunch

Evil Cat (Dennis Yu, 1987) and The Cat (Lam Nai-choi, 1992)

Paid-members only

Sakamoto Yugo

Baby Assassins Everyday! (Sakamoto Yugo, 2024)

Paid-members only

Ernesto Díaz Espinoza

Affinity (Brandon Slagle, 2025) and Diablo (Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, 2025)

Paid-members only

Mariko Tetsuya

Dear Stranger (Mariko Tetsuya, 2025)

Paid-members only

Louis Mandylor

Prisoner of War (Louis Mandylor, 2025)

Tan Siyou

Amoeba (Tan Siyou, 2025)

Director Tan Siyou’s debut film Amoeba makes a fitting companion to Yamashita Nobuhiro’s Linda Linda Linda, which I wrote about in this space a week ago. Both films concern the coming of age of young high school aged women who filter their varied teen experiences through the media

Yamashita Nobuhiro

Linda Linda Linda (Yamashita Nobuhiro, 2005)

Yesterday was the first day of school for my kids, which I would suggest should be a national holiday for stay-at-home parents, but then, there wouldn’t be school on a national holiday and that would defeat the purpose. I celebrated in the usual way: watching Linda Linda Linda, a

Paid-members only

Guan Hu

Dongji Rescue (Guan Hu & Fei Zhenxiang, 2025)

Strange Tales

Fantasia Festival 2025

Reviews of Rewrite, Honeko Akabane's Bodyguards, Holy Night: Demon Hunters, and Sham

Strange Tales

NYAFF 2025 Part Two

Reviews of Muromachi Outsiders (aka Samurai Fury), Deep in the Mountains, The Informant, and The Stone.

Strange Tales

NYAFF 2025 Part One

Reviews of three films from Hong Kong (Possession Street, Behind the Shadows, Smashing Frank) and Chinese director Vivian Qu's latest, Girls on Wire

Sonomura Kensuke

Ghost Killer (Sonomura Kensuke, 2024)

Ever since I learned of the existence of Ghost Killer, about a year ago now, it has been my most anticipated film. Now it’s opening here in the US (on digital first and then on 4k and bluray), thanks to the fine people at WellGo USA, and I simply

Devils on the Doorstep

Japan Cuts 2025 - Part Two

Reviews of She Taught Me Serendipity, See You Tomorrow, So Beautiful Wonderful and Lovely, and The Gesuidouz

Devils on the Doorstep

Japan Cuts 2025: Part One

Wherein I review Three Kurosawas, Two Serpent's Paths, and One Iwai which stars One Nakayama Miho who plays Two Different Characters

Paid-members only

Tsui Hark

An Introduction to the Tsui Hark Retrospective at The Cinematheque in Vancouver, BC

Paid-members only

Shiraishi Kazuya

11 Rebels (Shiraishi Kazuya, 2024)

Paid-members only

Yuan Muzhi

Scenes of City Life and Street Angel (Yuan Muzhi, 1935 and 1937)

Paid-members only

Tsui Hark

All the Wrong Clues (...for the Right Solution) (Tsui Hark, 1981)

Paid-members only

Strange Tales

The Best Non-Chinese Language Films of the 21st Century (Thus Far)- Part Two (1-50)

Paid-members only

Strange Tales

The Best Non-Chinese Language Films of the 21st Century (Thus Far)- Part One 110-51