reviews
'BlackBerry' Is a Quintessentially Canadian Story of Innovation and Inferiority
Directed by Matt Johnson
PUBLISHED May 8, 2023
The BlackBerry is long obsolete in the current technological landscape, and yet it remains one of the most important inventions of the 21st...
'Pure Unknown' Traces the Struggle for Dignity in Death
Directed by Valentina Cicogna and Mattia Colombo
PUBLISHED May 8, 2023
Valentina Cicogna and Mattia Colombo's Pure Unknown begins with the rushing of water, swift and almost glowing, throwing off a soft light t...
'Coven' Explores an Uncommon Magic with Softness and Empathy
Directed by Rama Rau
PUBLISHED May 8, 2023
As Canadian director Rama Rau's camera hovers above the green vastness of, in turn, Scotland and Romania — as hesitantly sweeping drone sho...
Exclaim!'s Staff Picks: Bratboy Deliver Rock 'n' Roll Mayhem with Precision on 'Bratworld'
PUBLISHED May 8, 2023
Guitarist Bella Bébé and bassist Megan Magdelena used to play in the backing band of proggy, poppy post-hardcore songwriter Jo Passed — and...
Devours' Glittering 'Homecoming Queen' Welcomes You into Its Complicated Alienation
PUBLISHED May 8, 2023
Homecoming isn't for everyone. A heavily ritualized institutional ceremony loaded with the bombast and myth-building of parades and faux-mi...
Drain Somehow Exceed Expectations on 'Living Proof'
PUBLISHED May 5, 2023
DRAIN are undeniably at the top of their game. The Santa Cruz trio have been on the rise since releasing their debut LP California Cursed a...
Exclaim!'s Staff Picks: corook and Olivia Barton's "if i were a fish" Finds Depth in the Twee
PUBLISHED May 5, 2023
Even if you're not a TikTok user, you probably already can't avoid corook (a.k.a. Corinne Savage) and their (former Exclaim! Staff Pick) pa...
Exclaim!'s Staff Picks: PJ Harvey's "A Child's Question, August" Is Uninterested in Answers
PUBLISHED May 5, 2023
PJ Harvey abandoned theatrical bombast a long while ago, instead allowing her compositions to swirl and gather like smoke as she moved beyo...