Anna Swanson

Anna Swanson is a Senior Contributor who hails from Toronto. She can usually be found at the nearest rep screening of a Brian De Palma film.
Maleficent

A Reminder That ‘Maleficent’ is a Live-Action Retelling Done Right

By Anna Swanson 

This villain origin story deserves more credit than it’s been given.

Female Directors

10 Great Horror Movies By Women

By Anna Swanson 

Hang up a “No Boys Allowed” sign on the clubhouse door and let’s get to watchin’.

Horror Debuts

10 Great Directorial Debut Horror Films

By Anna Swanson 

You never forget your first.

Joker

Double Take: Unpacking The Controversies of ‘Joker’ and ‘Jojo Rabbit’

By Anna Swanson, and Meg Shields 

Two films about radicalization made waves at TIFF, but what do these vastly different movies actually have to say about the subject?

Brad Astra

‘Ad Astra’ and Crafting a Film Around a Performance

By Anna Swanson 

James Gray puts a lot of faith in Brad Pitt, and it pays off tenfold.

Personal History Of David Copperfield

‘The Personal History of David Copperfield’ Review: Aims For Whimsy But Comes Up Short

By Anna Swanson 

Armando Iannucci’s take on Dickens is a stilted and tedious step down from ‘The Death of Stalin.’

Roger Deakins Tiff

Roger Deakins Discusses ‘The Goldfinch,’ What Almost Put Him Off ‘Skyfall,’ and Film vs. Digital

By Anna Swanson 

They say you should never meet your heroes. We interviewed ours.

Knives Out

‘Knives Out’ Review: A Whodunit That’s Fun But Faulted

By Anna Swanson 

If nothing else, Rian Johnson’s film is definitive proof that Daniel Craig has impeccable comedic talents.

Lucy In The Sky

‘Lucy In The Sky’ Review: A Film So Abysmal It’s Almost Impressive

By Anna Swanson 

Noah Hawley and Natalie Portman throw everything they have at a wall. None of it sticks.