AVClub: Movies revolving around a mysterious disappearance reliably generate intrigue, whether or not they ultimately prove satisfying as an actual mystery. Sometimes, the film provides an answer to what happened to the missing character(s)—even if, as in The Vanishing, it’s decidedly not the answer (nor the means of revelation) that the long-searching protagonist wants. Other classics, like L’Avventura and Picnic At Hanging Rock, deliberately eschew any sort of resolution, leaving both the nature of events and their meaning open to interpretation. Neither Heaven Nor Earth, the feature debut of French filmmaker Clément Cogitore, falls into the latter category. Set among soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, near the Pakistani border, this virtually action-free war movie (which premiered at Cannes last year with the English-language title The Wakhan Front) will frustrate anyone seeking concrete explanations. Its haunting atmosphere, however, in conjunction with its half-harrowing, half-sleepy milieu, keeps the film fascinating until it finally fizzles.
Nekki has announced that the forthcoming gun fu game, SPINE, will receive a movie adaptation to expand the franchise.
Anthracite Review: This Netflix thriller makes us go down several engaging roads and the twists and turns are delicious.
Stolen Review: Elle Márjá Eira makes an attempt at creating a story revolving Sámi people of Sweden.
