Kacey Musgraves Was Light as Air in Toronto
"Healing doesn't happen in a straight line," sang Kacey Musgraves on "justified," the lone cut from 2021's star-crossed wedged near the
Isabel Glasgow •Nov 9, 2024
comedy reviews Archive
Rosier Carry It All on 'elle veille encore'
A title that translates to "she is still awake" feels particularly fitting for a week like this one, when every seasonally affected
Megan LaPierre•Nov 8, 2024Mustafa Was a Mountain in Toronto
Toronto could not have been more ready for Mustafa's return. Decked out in all the colours of the keffiyeh and limited edition merch
Ozioma Nwabuikwu•Nov 8, 2024Jeremie Albino's Throwback 'Our Time in the Sun' Speaks to Today
Jeremie Albino's fourth solo album is the kind you can put on for your parents, one that might have your grandpa tapping his slipper
Kaelen Bell•Nov 8, 2024Pain Is Generative on Mount Eerie's Beautifully Mundane 'Night Palace'
When Phil Elverum released 'A Crow Looked at Me' in 2017 — a raw, dazzling and heartbreaking album that explored his partner Geneviève's
Marko Djurdjić•Nov 8, 2024Les Breastfeeders Are Back and No Bullshit on 'La ville engloutie'
From Jane's Addiction to Oasis, reuniting rock bands have made the headlines for the wrong reasons recently. On the other side of that
Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo•Nov 7, 2024'Small Things Like These' Finds Gothic Horror in the Magdalene Laundries
Fresh off last year's award-winning success in the worldwide phenomenon that was 'Oppenheimer,' Cillian Murphy is back in the more modest
Barbara Goslawski •Nov 7, 2024Godspeed You! Black Emperor Led Toronto Through the Dark
A loop is something destined to repeat itself until an opposing force stops it or gets in the way: a bump, a swipe, a cut, a flame
Marko Djurdjić•Nov 6, 2024Janette King Conjures Magic on 'Incantation'
Following Janette King's career has been an intriguing affair; the Montreal artist weaves so many moods and genre-excursions into her
Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo•Nov 6, 2024'The Piano Lesson' Strikes a Healing Chord
Eight years after Denzel Washington brought August Wilson's play 'Fences' to cinematic life, another Washington is trying his hand at one of
Courtney Small•Nov 6, 2024Sabrina Carpenter's Vancouver Show Was Can't-Miss TV
On Monday night in Vancouver, thousands of miniskirts and pink dresses descended upon the Pacific Coliseum for the last stop on the Canadian
Eden DaSilva•Nov 5, 2024Hugh Grant Makes Radiohead's "Creep" Even Creepier in 'Heretic'
From awkward red carpet interviews to becoming a self-proclaimed Blackpink fan to a brush with tabletop roleplaying in 'Dungeons & Dragons'
Karlie Rogers•Nov 5, 2024Haley Heynderickx Grows in New Directions on 'Seed of a Seed'
Softness and quiet lie at the heart of Portland-based folk artist Haley Heynderickx's music, but fans know to find enormous beauty in
Aly Laube•Nov 4, 2024Tyler, the Creator Is Legacy-Building on 'CHROMAKOPIA'
The word "mature" can be a backhanded compliment for a musician, since it tends to imply that what came before was a bit juvenile. That's
Alex Hudson•Nov 4, 2024SHEBAD Take a Sensual, Spiritual Oath on 'Music Is the Answer'
SHEBAD has a certain kind of effortless synergy. As the title of the Guelph collective's debut album reflects, they pour themselves into a
Megan LaPierre•Nov 4, 2024Chinese American Bear Channel the Blog-Rock Greats on 'Wah!!!'
Seattle "mando-pop" duo Chinese American Bear channel the best of golden-era blog-rock: the romantic haze of the Pains of Being Pure at
Alex Hudson•Nov 4, 2024Chappell Roan Was Multifaceted and John Mulaney Kept His Streak Going on a Triumphant 'SNL'
John Mulaney returned to his old workplace and had an excellent sixth hosting turn, including a Mulaney Musical with Pete Davidson, while
Vish Khanna•Nov 3, 2024The Cure Proved There's Still More Shadow to Explore in London
The mood was set before the Cure even set foot on stage at London's Troxy. Entering the venue, expectant fans were met by the sound of rain
Matty Pywell•Nov 2, 2024'Juror #2' Explosively Cross-Examines Moral Quandaries
In many ways, the American courtroom was seemingly tailor-made for the movies. Spiritually and architecturally freighted by spectres of
Alexander Mooney•Nov 1, 2024Nap Eyes Float Through 'The Neon Gate' and into Somewhere Special
Sometimes a band gets their album title just right, a phrase or a single word that tells you everything you need to know about the music
Kaelen Bell•Nov 1, 2024'Spirit in the Blood' Muddles Its Worthy Message
"We just wanted to be brave!" declares 15-year-old Emerson Grimm (Summer H. Howell) at a pivotal moment in Carly May Borgstrom's thriller
Courtney Small•Nov 1, 2024'Dahomey' Is a Poetic Meditation on Decolonization
In the documentary 'Dahomey,' Franco-Senegalese director Mati Diop masterfully presents an interrogative and poetic meditation on
Marie Saadeh•Nov 1, 2024'Emilia Pérez' Wows with Fresh, Vibrant Performances
Musical crime comedy 'Emilia Pérez' began to make waves after the film won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and its female
Rachel Ho•Nov 1, 2024Jennifer Castle's 'Camelot' Makes a Fantasy of the Real
Jennifer Castle's latest album requires a bit of patience. Not because it's difficult or dull, but because it's sometimes best to meet
Kaelen Bell•Nov 1, 2024Skye Wallace Is One Step Closer to Their Destination on 'The Act of Living'
Since debuting with the cinematic folk-rock suite 'Living Parts' in 2014, Skye Wallace has pondered life and death through their music
Leslie Ken Chu•Oct 31, 2024Pom Pom Squad Step into Somewhere New on 'Mirror Starts Moving Without Me'
It's sort of fitting that 2024 would open with Jane Schoenbrun's second millennial-existentialist horror film 'I Saw the TV Glow' and
Josh Korngut•Oct 31, 2024'Here' Pushes the Boundaries of Technology but Forgets About Characters
Previously directing cinematic titans such as 'Back to the Future,' 'Cast Away' and 'Forrest Gump,' Robert Zemeckis is back with 'Here.' But
Holly Hunt•Oct 31, 2024Halsey Finds a Few Hats That Fit on 'The Great Impersonator'
Halsey is no stranger to impersonation. The 2010s Tumblr darling, born Ashley Frangipane, has lived many lives in their decade-long career
Karlie Rogers•Oct 31, 2024Yoo Doo Right Expand Their Limits on 'From the Heights of Our Pastureland'
One of the most spellbinding bands in a city full of them, Montreal's Yoo Doo Right have become an impeccably well-oiled machine both live
Dave MacIntyre•Oct 31, 2024Magi Merlin Explores New Corners of Her Chameleonic Cosmos with "Bip"
Naming Magi Merlin's 2022 EP 'Gone Girl' as one of the best albums of that year was no overstatement, with its soulful molten core and
Megan LaPierre•Oct 29, 2024Lia Kuri Synthesizes Climate Crisis and Caretaking on 'Motherland'
I basically haven't shut up about Afternoon Bike Ride, Lia Kuri's trio with David Tanton and Éloi Le Blanc-Ringuette, since Exclaim!'s
Megan LaPierre•Oct 25, 2024Laura Marling's 'Patterns in Repeat' Unites Greenwich Village and Greenwich, London
It's hard to make folk music in the mould of '60s/'70s singer-songwriters without sounding like mere imitation. With Halloween coming up
Alex Hudson•Oct 25, 2024'Venom: The Last Dance' Has Been Regrettably Marvel-Pilled
Viewers waited three years for the arrival of 'Venom: The Last Dance,' the supposed final film for Marvel and Sony's intergalactic odd
Nathan Chizen•Oct 25, 2024'Anora' Revels in the Wholesome Chaos of Its Sex Work Cinderella Story
When word broke that Sean Baker's 'Anora' had received top honours at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, cinema junkies everywhere shared a
Josh Korngut•Oct 25, 2024Maggie Rogers Was Proof of Concept in Toronto
When I interviewed Maggie Rogers in 2022, she existed at the centre of a rare Venn diagram I was also precariously occupying as someone
Megan LaPierre•Oct 23, 2024Tess Parks's 'Pomegranate' Savours the Taste of Life as it Really Is
Listening to Tess Parks's third solo album 'Pomegranate,' I couldn't stop thinking about critic Malcolm Jack's encapsulation of the
Alisha Mughal•Oct 23, 2024Soccer Mommy's 'Evergreen' Offers Plenty of Comfort and Few Surprises
Nashville's Sophie Allison has been releasing albums as Soccer Mommy at a fairly steady two-year clip since her rise as a classic
Luke Pearson•Oct 23, 2024Bruce Springsteen's 'Road Diary' Introduces the Concept of Concerts
Before the screening of Bruce Springsteen's 'Road Diary' documentary, a TIFF programmer came out to introduce the film and made an off-hand
Alex Hudson•Oct 23, 2024Katie Gavin Is a Little Too Relaxed on 'What a Relief'
After three successful albums with MUNA, lead singer Katie Gavin steps out solo with What a Relief. The album highlights Gavin's
Rachel Kelly•Oct 22, 2024A Budding Cinematic Talent Sprouts in 'Seeds'
Many of us learned about colonialism in school, but 'Seeds' reminds viewers that Canadian colonialism isn't simply a thing of the past
Alex Hudson•Oct 22, 2024Momma Capture a Mythic Muse on "Ohio All the Time"
"I never got Ohio / Baby, now I do," is the lyrical anchor of Momma's first new material since 2022's 'Household Name,' the lauded third
Megan LaPierre•Oct 22, 2024'Conclave' Takes a Modern Look at a Middle Age Practice
The idea of the papal conclave began in the late 1200s following Pope Gregory X's decree in an attempt to shield the process of selecting a
Rachel Ho•Oct 21, 2024Mk.gee Makes the Guitar Sound New Again on "ROCKMAN"
It's been about 70 years since electric guitar became the dominant instrument of popular music — a role it held for many generations
Alex Hudson•Oct 21, 2024MJ Lenderman Was Understated and Unhurried in Toronto
Four days before MJ Lenderman stopped in Toronto to promote his new album, 'Manning Fireworks,' the Asheville, NC musician announced he
Ian Gormely•Oct 20, 2024Billie Eilish Soared and Michael Keaton Was the Ghost with the Most on a Pretty Solid 'SNL'
Michael Keaton did a fine job hosting, Billie Eilish gave us someone to look up to, and Alec Baldwin, Maya Rudolph, Dana Carvey, and Andy
Vish Khanna•Oct 20, 2024True Crime Doc 'Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara' Explores the Sketchy Side of Fandom
Tegan and Sara have been open with and generous to their fans across their 20-plus-year career. On top of releasing 10 studio albums, they
Laura Stanley•Oct 18, 2024'Rumours' Brings a Uniquely Canadian Sensibility to Political Satire
Canadian humour exists on a unique plane from the rest of the world. It's a type of comedy that's hard to describe — not quite British, not
Rachel Ho•Oct 18, 2024'We Live in Time' Offers a 365-Degree Look at Love
Often, love stories caught on film present an account of either the beginning of a relationship (concluding with a loving embrace and the
Rachel Ho•Oct 18, 2024Naomi Scott Will Have Horror Fans Grinning in 'Smile 2'
Parker Finn's 2022 feature directorial debut, 'Smile,' could have been easy to pigeonhole as a younger sibling to 'It Follows.' The two
Karlie Rogers•Oct 17, 2024Porridge Radio Look to the Heavens on 'Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There for Me'
A Porridge Radio song is catharsis in action. Lead singer Dana Margolin always sounds like she's on the precipice of passing out, which
Dylan Barnabe•Oct 17, 2024