Alex Ross Perry Shares the Songs That Inspired 'Her Smell'
Director Alex Ross Perry has come to be known as a meticulous and exact filmmaker, and it might surprise fans to know just how much of an absolute music-head he is. Perry's latest film – 'Her Smell' – is a total swerve into a booze-drenched rockstar life in which Elisabeth Moss plays a drug-addled punk rocker. To promote the movie – in Los Angeles theaters today – I asked Perry's people if he would be able to put together a list of songs that inspired 'Her Smell'. As it turned out, Perry put together a curated list of ten(ish) songs that influenced the film (thanks for giving me a chance to make another compulsive list). His knowledge of 90s grunge rock deep cuts is great, so much so that I had to ask him for spelling at one point.
I spoke with the Brooklyn-based director on the phone where he walked me through the songs. Check out the playlist below before checking out 'Her Smell' in Los Angeles this weekend.
"The Shame" by The Blood Brothers
https://open.spotify.com/track/3xPrbQzXcBvN5zYC61b2vq?si=T1IQDIiDTRG-JrcoU0a7yQ
This was the place holder in the script before "Another Girl, Another Planet" became the only choice to open the movie with. I was really listening to those lyrics, "I always flirt with death," and I knew that had to be the first thing Becky says in the movie. But prior to that though, I always thought that The Blood Brothers' song "The Shame" would be the first song.
It's a song I love from a band that really meant a lot to me. The chorus is "Everything's going to be just awful when we're around," and I was like, yeah, that's Becky. That's this movie.
"Don't Cry" by Guns N' Roses
https://open.spotify.com/track/2N2yrmodOnVF10mKvItC9P?si=axbkbKQgTEWrNM0T9mrAIA
In Act Two, when Becky's in the recording studio, it starts and ends with an original song. And I described that original song to Alicia [Bognanno, of the band Bully] as like, "this just has to sound like a really rough demo of a song that will later potentially be very good." So I sent her a demo of "Don't Cry" from Use Your Illusion. That's an example of not a good sounding demo which became just an incredible song. In fact, it's so good they put it on both Use Your Illusion I and II.
"Because You're Young" and "We're Coming Back" by Cock Sparrer
https://open.spotify.com/track/2j1KMnU8ZBBWqB9B3I2RN8?si=PWu8dFfxRPG_1LhUOwUrYw
There's this moment in the studio where Becky meets The Akergirls. I wanted her to just grab a guitar and start playing a song that feels like it's somehow commenting on what's happening in the movie. That song ended up being "Because You're Young" by Cock Sparrer.
https://open.spotify.com/track/4YnYtYWBmDM8YjfMMK0cqs?si=NGqGTTQSSD-wBmSR_ieBHw
But I got to that song because originally I was thinking of the Cock Sparrer song "We're Coming Back." So I kind of swapped out one Cock Sparrer song for another. The lyrics of "We're Coming Back" go like this, "You remember out there somewhere, you've got a friend, you'll never walk alone again." I was like, this is clearly what Becky is searching for. And clearly, the message that The Akergirls are here at that moment, even though we know that this is not going to go well. But I actually thought it was a little too positive. So in exploring other Cock Sparrer songs, came up with "Because You're Young" which goes, "You never listen to anyone because you're young." That also comments on The Akergirls in a way.
"We're Coming Back" is an older song, and "Because You're Young" was actually off of a Cock Sparrer album from like, just before the events of that sequence take place. I liked the idea that it's just on Becky's mind because she's really been enjoying that record. That kind of fit in perfectly.
"The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle" by The Sex Pistols and "Journey to the End of the East Bay" by Rancid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXc1g_LHwmc
And then for the finale, I gave Alicia [Bognanno] "The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle." In the script, it said the song is a narrative journey about being in a band with opportunities for every woman on stage to sing a couple of lines. I compared it to this song from The Sex Pistols film of the same name, which is the story of The Sex Pistols told two lines at a time by each member of the band. By that time, the band had broken up, and Johnny Rotten only sings two lines in the song, and the rest of it is sung by not just the band, but the cast of the movie.
https://open.spotify.com/track/301rOc8VF34Op3NhRfYcus?si=opEryrUVTbuoSttp_EBaDQ
I said I wanted the finale to be a narrative like "The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle" or the Rancid song "Journey to the End of the East Bay," which is about the story of Operation Ivy and their rise and break up. I was like, these are great catchy lines where six different women can each take a line or two, but also the lyrics of the songs are incredibly narrative.
Those are some of the men. So now, falling over to the back half: (starting with) the song "Blue" by Elastica; specifically the live version that's on YouTube from Glastonbury.
"Blue" by Elastica (Live at Glastonbury)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew7QoNGHung
Agyness Deyn (Marielle Hell) and I were sending Lizzy (Elisabeth Moss) a lot of music because Lizzy, by her own admission, had never listened to very much or any of this new stuff. Agyness is like an encyclopedia of all punk music, all female music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. She grew up in Manchester and her taste is impeccable. I thought I was going to be the one educating people, and she educated me – not even just about the songs because I know that song and I know that album.
When Lizzy saw this Glastonbury performance after all the songs we'd sent, she was like, this is what I think the band feels like: dual female harmonies, it's not really punk, it's not really pop, it's catchy, it has the guitar chords and rhythms of punk. It's a song that you can play at a festival of 30,000 fans.
"Tell the World" by Vivian Girls
https://open.spotify.com/track/0kf7kUyMVHOD8nNThEo4kc?si=gR_uz1LQR_a6l-7jo6YL-A
This is a Vivian Girls song called "Tell the World" that I really like. Vivian Girls is a band I listened to in New York like 10 years ago when I was working at Kim's Video. My friend Ames Scott was friends with the band and he turned me on to them. We had their seven inch before they got big and Ames was like, this is it, this is the future, this is the next thing. I was so into their music, I met some of them a couple of times through him – although I'm sure they don't remember. I think the Vivian Girls are really, really incredible and kind of didn't get their due. Vivian Girls were on my mind a lot while writing this movie.
I think a lot of their music really holds up, there's something low-fi and catchy about it. But as a trio, they were something that I was thinking about for both Something She and The Akergirls. The song "Tell the World" has this perfectly fuzzy, distorted rawness to it that kind of sounded like a song from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.
"Fuck and Run" by Liz Phair (Live at Matador 21st Anniversary)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DFpJBEKugY
It was kind of a late in the game idea, but there's a video on YouTube of Liz Phair performing her song, "Fuck and Run" from the Matador 21st Anniversary celebration. And it's one of my favorite songs off of Exile in Guyville, period. In the live version, she's joined on stage by Ted Leo, which had nothing to do with her music or anything, but for some reason, he walks out on stage with a tambourine to join her on this song. It just feels like you can picture being at this big celebration where 15 bands are playing one or two of their most popular songs. And then everyone just kind of comes out and jams with each other.
So that song in general – and her in general – but specifically this video of her performing at this kind of big anniversary celebration was really on my mind a lot. And I look at that video pretty often.
"No Looking" by The Raincoats and "Hollywood Dream" by The Runaways
https://open.spotify.com/track/1rANkGdRoHdiZYcOG63TuW?si=7WSSXoROTuSbF0ihFrrQkA
The last two songs are The Raincoats song "No Looking," and The Runaways song "Hollywood Dream." "No Looking" is just a song that plays over the end credits of the movie. So this is the one that's kind of a cheat: that song is like a tonal finality in the way that it sounds like it's coming from both the left and right speaker and then it just comes together at the end. That is like Her Smell in a microcosm to me.
That song was very inspirational. The Raincoats are essential, a big bang of all of this female punk music, and certainly one of the earliest and most important acts that we looked at. That song really was on my mind a lot when thinking about how to end the movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuHIX05rVZ8
And then The Runaways' "Hollywood Dream" is the song I've always loved. I would describe the last 10 minutes of Her Smell as a Hollywood ending with a big reunion. Every character in the movie is there. Everyone gets to see feedback. You have a moment of triumph. Becky's daughter runs into her arms, a Hollywood ending. And then, this deep cut Runaways song. The only ending for a Hollywood ending is "Hollywood Dream," in my opinion. You end this movie about women in rock by throwing it back to The Runaways, it's just like the circle is closed.
It's a very obscure song, it was a B-side on a live album that might even be a bootleg, and it's always been on YouTube. And we pulled it off YouTube to edit with and then when we had to get it for the sound mix, Universal Music Group had to create it for us because there was no proper version... it's not on iTunes or Spotify or anything. It was a fun, deep cut. Even if you love The Runaways, maybe you haven't heard this. Those were the two songs that speak to what the ending is meant to feel like.
Here's the full playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/user/21rg4fgfopi9y8cdyk8w41jq0/playlist/3Jaw2EhAELiaViYxXoOP5u?si=0DkvZogtQryEaMBvJJSbUQ
Interview has been edited for clarity and length
'Dogman' Review: The Obedient and the Untameable
DOGMAN (2018)
Starring Marcello Fonte, Edoardo Pesce, Nunzia Schiano
Directed by Matteo Garrone
Screenplay by Ugo Chiti, Matteo Garone, Massimo Gaudioso
Distributed by Magnolia. 103 minutes. Not Rated.
It's right there in the title, begging for the audience to ask the question: are humans really separate from our animal ancestry? Dogman explores what it means to be a human and animal all at the same time, whether those are obedient or wild and untamed. This Italian drama, which was nominated for the Palm d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, is a dark tale that explores the very nature of morality when a person reaches their breaking point.
Marcello (Marcello Fonte) is a meek and mousy dog groomer, whose own frail figure resembles that of a timid chihuahua. Marcello's gentle soul allows him to form connections with dogs of all kinds, as well as with the other men of stature in town, including the brutish Simoncino (Edoardo Pesce), whose violent outbursts have made the town turn on him. It's Simoncino who coaxes Marcello into unlawful events, whether it's driving him to burglaries or having him peddle snuff which Marcello does. Things ultimately lead to new heights when Simoncino involves Marcello in a planned burglary against a fellow local, to which Marcello faces his breaking point: will he stay a trained, obedient dog? Or will he go rabid?
Dogman is an altogether gripping watch, composed of darkly lit shots of a town that has a small radius for the film, figuratively resembling Marcello's bleak life there. If there's a lack of geographic locations, Dogman covers a lot of ethical, moral space for audiences to think about. Marcello's performance as the character of the same name is transfixing, his oversized and gummy smile showing his empathy and kindness, and his love for his daughter and dogs shows the purity of his soul – that is, until the stakes are at their highest and he faces more violent ambitions (he received the award for Best Actor at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival). If you're looking for a dark, gritty dose of Italian cinema that will make you re-look at humans and animals alike, Dogman is the movie for you.
Now playing at the Landmark Nuart.
'Amazing Grace' Bursts With Soul
Bursting its way onto the big screen, Amazing Grace is a concert film that will blow you away. While audiences may be familiar with Aretha Franklin's hits, few have heard the 'Queen of Soul' sing Gospel. And to not only hear her but also watch her sing Gospel is to witness the divine.
Taking place over two nights at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, Amazing Grace is a collection of moments where you're either clapping and dancing in your chair, feeling the tears stream down your face, or trying to catch your breath. The live recorded album – backed by a full band – would go on to become the best selling Gospel album of all time.
Shot by famed film director Sydney Pollack in 1972 with the backing of Warner Brothers Music, over 20 hours of footage was captured to bring this epic anthem to life. However, for technical difficulties and monumental editing challenges- like matching Aretha's vocals to the picture (Pollack didn't use a clapboard to sync the takes)- the film was ultimately shelved. Until now.
Amazing Grace features Aretha singing alongside the Southern California Community Choir, which is, collectively, as equal a force to Aretha. Conducted by Alexander Hamilton, he is a charismatic star in his own right. And Aretha's brother, Reverend James Cleveland, who plays piano and evangelizes throughout is great.
Then there is Aretha herself. At just 29 years old, to watch her sing is so immaculate and divine. Her voice is like having heaven come down for that hour and a half. It is further proof that legends like her can inspire, touch, shake, and move humanity. Amazing Grace captures a moment in time that should inspire this and future generations for time to come.
AMAZING GRACE (2019)
Starring Aretha Frankin, Reverend James Cleveland, C.L. Franklin
Directed by Sydney Pollack
Distributed by Neon. 87 minutes. Rated G
In 'Native Son', a Literary Classic gets a Modern, Punk Adaptation
'Native Son' opened this year's Sundance Film festival at the Eccles theater where it played as part of the US Dramatic competition. Upon the end of the film's screening, it received large audience applause in which its director – first-time feature filmmaker Rashid Johnson – and cast – including Ashton Sanders, KiKi Lane, and Nick Robinson were all in attendance. Here's our quick take on what you need to know about the film.
Native Son is the story of a young, low-income African American male who, after securing employment in the world of a wealthy white family, finds himself at the center of an accidental death that puts him in the direct cross-hairs of cultural tensions. Adapted from the classic 1940 novel, first time feature film director Rashid Johnson (along with Pulitzer Prize-winning screenwriter Suzan-Lori Parks) have made this updated version entirely their own: by highlighting the story's underlying social issues and wrapping them up in his polished punk aesthetic, it's a story that feels as timely now as it must have been then.
Visual contemporary artist Rashid Johnson's previous work is in diverse mediums such as painting and sculpting. But with Native Son, his feature film debut, he brings an experienced visual eye to the project, which is the film's most seductive and impactful quality. Where Johnson most noticeably swerves from the source novel, is in the depiction of our protagonist, Bigger (Ashton Sanders), or "Big," as the neighborhood calls him. With his cropped green buzz cut and safety pinned leather jacket, Big is the epitome of visual identity exploded. He challenges both personal and racial expectations of what "blackness" should be by listening to such diverse and non-hip-hop music as Bad Brains and Beethoven. You'll remember Ashton Sanders as teenage Chiron from last year's Best Picture winner Moonlight, and here again, Sanders plays a cryptically reserved character. But as he slinks his way around the streets of North Chicago, he brings a new level of magnetism and menace to his acting range.
Rashid Johnson also succeeds in bringing wonderful talent to the movie: there's KiKi Lane, who most recently gained name recognition by starring in the acclaimed If Beale Street Could Talk, here playing Big's girlfriend Bessie; Nick Robinson plays Jan, as impoverished young activist; and the captivating Margaret Qualley plays Mary Dalton, the alluring daughter of Big's new employer (an always wonderful Bill Camp plays Mr. Dalton). They, along with the rest of the actors in this film, are so perfectly cast together that – to put it in art terms – feels like the right mixture of harmonious colors in Johnson's artistic palette.
It's undeniable that Rashid Johnson is a flourishing visual artist and one who we should all be watching to see what he does next. The biggest obstacle holding Native Son back from being even more impactful is in the jumps in its tonal shifts, which happen when the story plays on and the stakes are raised. The story's pivotal and climactic plot point is surprising, but this hard crank of the wheel feels a bit disorienting. The fallout of this moment leads the movie to make a statement that we didn't know it would have to make. Yet for this slight distraction, it would be wrong to not also acknowledge the number of complex ideas, all stylized through Johnson's artistic formats. It's no wonder why HBO bought the film from A24 hours before the film made its world premiere at the Sundance festival.
'Native Son' will be available to stream on HBO this Saturday.
'Us': An American Nightmare
Last year's Get Out ended up being more than just one of the scariest and wildly original movies of recent times: Jordan Peele's first feature, about a group of African Americans who become enslaved through mind control after getting hypnotized by a family of wealthy Whites, became a pop cultural lightning rod for people to discuss the modern Black experience of living in America and the anxieties felt in Trump-era politics. As Ryan Rojas writes, Peele is back with a film that's even more layered and focused towards expressing a sentiment that gets at the Black experience's earliest historical roots of enslavement to an equally arresting degree (this review is spoiler-free).
For such a stunning achievement of a debut, it's no wonder that audiences have been looking forward to whatever Peele's follow-up film would be with feverish excitement. And now, Peele is back with another suspense thriller – Us – which is equally ambitious in its masterfully layered allegory
It's this duality that makes Us work on two operatic levels: a familiar yet pulse-pounding set-up of a family trying to survive a home invasion, as well as a wildly conceptual existential dread-fest that ties in such gigantic conversations as race in America. When an African American family (a detail that isn't relevant to the story until you think about it symbolically afterward) vacations at their beach house, haunting memories can't help but pop up for Adelaide (Lupita Nyong'o), who remembers an experience she had when she, as a little girl back in 1986, wandered away from her family one night at the boardwalk, only to find herself face to face with another girl – her exact self. It's enough to make for a traumatic childhood that makes her feel not quite herself, and sets the stage for years later when her family becomes the targets of home invaders – frighteningly and inconceivably enough, being each of their actual selves.
A family of four staring back at their exact opposites, they see these attackers all clad in red jumpsuits, brandishing scissors as weapons and noticeably all mute – except for Adelaide's doppelgänger, Red (also played by Nyong'o). From there, it's a story of the family trying to out-live their attackers, who aim to do away with them and take their place in this world. But of course, this being a Jordan Peele story (Peele also wrote and produced the film), the more we learn and the more that's revealed, the audience is only taken deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole of what all ultimately can be seen as an allegory about American history and who we are as Americans, to an uncomfortable yet unflinching degree.
Peele, a previous funnyman whose background on the two iconic sketch shows Mad TV and Key and Peele helped shape him into the brilliant premise inventor that he is, proves more amazingly here that it’s his deep understanding of film history that makes him such a gifted talent (the Hitchcock comparisons have been flying his way as of late). While this review could spend even more time unpacking the visual references that are everywhere in the film and their significance (while still not touching on everything), quite simply put, Us is everything an audience could want in a movie. And one of the best parts is Peele marries his uncompromising vision with the mindset of being big-screen popcorn entertainment, giving Us the opportunity to be seen and discussed by people of all types. And this is what films – the best, paradigm-shifting films – are supposed to do. We should not only escape into something for 100 minutes and return to modern life unchanged, but come back from the experience more learned, or at the very least, willing to confront real-world discomforts. So beyond being one of the most unsettling films of this or any other recent year, Us achieves importance that will be recognized, re-watched, and discussed for years to come.
116 min. 'Us' is rated R for violence/terror, and language. Now playing in theaters.
'Apollo 11' Review: The Moon Landing in Re-Mastered Magnificence
The thing about history is that, if you weren't there to experience it, the power of its story lies in the level of the technology of the times that was able to capture it for future generations to lay witness. As present and future students of history, we will learn some of the most transformative and world-changing moments in human experience through what may be seen as the antiquated technologies of old photographs and bits of film. While these images and sequences may be iconic in their simplicity and singularness, it still leaves the viewer to wonder what else went into that moment. Fortunately, we now live in a time where there is a dedication to historical restoration and education that can amplify and nearly re-create the times – which is what the new documentary Apollo 11 does.
The feat of re-presenting history in a way like never before is what we see in Todd Douglas Miller's documentary Apollo 11. History is re-created through not only the restoration of archival footage – most of which has never been seen before – but also re-mastered for the big screen (unfortunately, by the time this review has come out, Apollo 11 will have ended its IMAX run). The footage, which originally captured this world-changing event in July 1969 and was intended for some yet-to-be-planned project, has been magnificently re-mastered for the big screen in a way that is entirely mind-blowing.
Beyond seeing this archival footage – starting from the days spent prepping the launch at Cape Canaveral and leading up to the history-making shuttle launch attended by thousands of people surrounding the site – is Apollo 11's captivating editing. The reason why the film is so gripping is that it's edited to feel as suspenseful as a Hollywood movie, something more than just a documentary composed solely of historical footage. Seeing inside NASA's command centers and the antiquated technologies and huge computers that communicated with the astronauts in space – Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins – feels more like a time machine than a space shuttle. Seeing each of the different – and many – coordinated shuttle launches and dockings to land on the moon, and then finally home, all come together in a magnificent way. It's no wonder why Apollo 11 won the editing prize at Sundance this year.
Apollo 11 is an insurmountably captivating viewing experience. While history can feel so abstract and unreal, it goes to show the unbelievable risk and achievement that was landing on the moon. We all have an idea of the moon landing in our minds – to a millennial like me, it is the photo of Neil Armstrong standing next to the American flag on the deserted moon. Hopefully for others, watching Apollo 11 will inspire more to look up in the sky and take awe, which is what all movies can hope to set out to do.
Apollo 11 is rated G. 93 minutes. Now playing at ArcLight Theaters.
'Climax' is a Demonic Freak Out on the Dance Floor
While the expressive movement of dance is quite a transportive and personal release, a night out at the club is still just sweaty gyrating.
While the ego is taking a momentary back seat during the simulation of possession through musical pulsations, you're not losing all control, no matter how much you might hope to be- because losing all control would be utterly terrifying. Yet for director Gaspar Noé, losing all control, and seeing what depths of human depravity one succumbs to in those moments of pure helplessness, is exactly what he's most fascinated in putting on the big screen.
It's club-gone-crazy in Climax, Noé's latest psychotic head explosion of a film. Following a troupe of dancers on their last night before leaving France for America to embark on a tour, these young dancers – each with their own personal histories between each other – take to cutting loose, and unknowingly getting drugged by an unattended sangria bowl. It's an eventual acid-laced mental unraveling, built-in slow, sinful sensation, and all soundtracked to the fuzzy deep bass waves vibrating through the walls (Justice and Daft Punk among the cuts). Pulsations of pleasure turn inescapable and horrific, turning everyone (including Sofia Boutella) into their most helpless, animalistic and amoral selves, making for a haunted house experience on a demonic dance floor.
If it wasn't known before, Climax is not rated, which is something you should absolutely know before going into it. While watching any Gaspar Noé film (he's also the mind behind Enter the Void) can be a torturous event, it's also the rare, unflinching look at what can best be seen as an exploration of human behavior. Sex, drugs, and graphic violence (and sometimes all three at the same time) are heightened to their most extreme, pushing one over their rational senses to helplessness and depravity. While Noé's last film, Love, shocked audiences, it did so with its sentimentality. In Climax, it's a return to devilish form which had my head-spinning from start to finish – when I wasn't trying to watch through my hands.
If you haven't been spooked off just yet (and I certainly hope you haven't), I'd strongly stress that there is so much to love about this movie, and certainly as much to show how skilled a filmmaker Noé is: a compilation of single-cut interviews open the film, followed by a choreographed dance routine (shot in a single take, one of the film's highlights), as well as his trademark neon strobe style title credits. Climax is not for the faint of heart. And it's certainly more than just for music or dance fans, this is for outright risk-takers who want to be utterly disturbed and shocked. It's bass bumping, twisted and dark. And sometimes that's exactly what you're looking for.
CLIMAX (2019)
Starring Sofia Boutella, Romain Guillermic, Souheila Yacoub
Directed by Gaspar Noé
Written by Gaspar Noé
Distributed by A24. 95 minutes. Streaming on Amazon Prime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi69nL_VrTE
Spirit Awards Honor 'If Beale Street Could Talk' and the Best of Indie Film
If you regularly follow our coverage, you’ll know that Morgan and I both strive to share with you what we feel are among the most exciting and special films that don’t always find themselves being discussed in the conversation. So with that in mind, we wanted to share with you some of the lesser-known films of 2018 that were honored at a different awards event, one that we covered on the red carpet (check out our site for our video coverage) as well as in the press room.
Taking place the day before the Oscars every year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards celebrate the best of films that are independently produced and made outside of the rigid – and often political – studio system. Despite their countries of origin, budgets, and the talent attached, all of the films recognized at the Spirit Awards have one thing in common: they all embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision.
And the winners are...
While the Oscars awarded Best Picture to Green Book, the Indie Spirit Awards gave Best Feature to If Beale Street Could Talk, the big-screen adaptation of James Baldwin’s literary classic directed by Barry Jenkins (who was also awarded for Best Director, as well as honored last year for the incredible Moonlight). If you’ve yet to see it, Beale Street was truly one of the most beautiful movies made last year, its level of artistry and emotive resonance will surely leave an imprint on those who seek it out.
Best Male Lead went to Ethan Hawke in First Reformed – and while Hawke, unfortunately, couldn’t attend the event, his performance in the film was committed and definitely one to celebrate. Best Female Lead went to Glenn Close in The Wife, who – while sharing her thanks on the podium and in the press room – brought her dog, Pip, onto the stage, stealing the show. Best Supporting Male went to Richard E. Grant in Can You Ever Forgive Me? and Best Supporting Female went to Regina King in If Beale Street Could Talk.
Other notable awards went to Can You Ever Forgive Me?’s Nicole Holofcener for Best Screenplay, Eighth Grade’s Bo Burnham for Best First Screenplay, and Sorry to Bother You’s Boots Riley for Best First Feature. The Robert Altman Award, which is given to an ensemble cast, director, and casting director of a film considered to be a "maverick" of the year, went to Suspiria, and the John Cassavetes Award went to En El Séptimo Día.
Looking ahead
While the landscape of movies has evolved so much over the past few years, leaving unique films to compete with the latest binge-worthy television show on any number of streaming services, Cinemacy aims to share with you, our readers, interesting films of little-known awareness but are among the top artistic achievements of the year. And with the Film Independent Spirit Awards (and Oscars) now concluded, we set our sights ahead to 2019 and what will no doubt be another exciting year in film.