You Must Remember This…
Jack Salvadori comments on the latest news that Netflix has acquired Warner Bros.
The Millennial Moralism of ‘Good Fortune’
Tyler Hummel reviews ‘Good Fortune’, directed by Aziz Ansari.
‘Father Mother Sister Brother’: Reviewed
At the Venice Film Festival, Jack Salvadori reviews Jim Jarmusch’s latest film ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’
The Naked Truth About The Naked Gun: Or, Our Sociological Need to Laugh
Are we remembering how to enjoy ourselves? Jack Salvadori ponders the recent success of this season’s big ticket comedy remake.
Star Power and Auteur Swagger: Inside the Venice 2025 Lineup
Jack Salvadori gives a brief rundown of what to look forward to at this year’s Venice Film Festival
Modernist Folklore: Sowing The Narrative and Inheriting The Wind
On the centenary of the Scopes Trial, Tyler Hummel explores the manner by which cinema and theatre have come to transform and even usurp this once famous court case in the American mind.
Why ‘The Big Red One’ Hates WWII Movies
In anticipation of this year’s 4th July celebrations, Tyler Himmel explores a neglected WWII film which bridges depictions of 1950s optimism and the pervasive cynicism of post-Vietnam America.
The Phoenician Scheme: A Review
A run of the mill Wes flick, or the peak of his unique vision? Adam Gorecki investigates the latest by this iconic director.
Our Man in Cannes: ‘Sentimental Value’ Reviewed
Author: Jack Salvadori Some places are more than just coordinates on a map. They’re emotional vaults; sanctuaries of memories. For me, the Grand Théâtre Lumière in Cannes is hallowed ground. It’s where, one late, wine-blushed night in 2021, I first stumbled upon The Worst Person in the World. That film didn’t just move me: it…
Vintage Reviews: ‘Dragonwyck’ (1946)
Shieldmaiden gives her take on a vintage study of the consequences of selfishness, this time playing out across the fault lines of faith and disintegrating feudal ties.
Our Man in Cannes: ‘Splitsville’ Reviewed
Jack Salvadori reports on how the highly anticipated follow-up to ‘The Climb’ has taken Cannes by storm.
Our Man in Cannes: ‘Die My Love’ Reviewed
Die My Love Lynne Ramsay comes in swinging with a jagged, intoxicating fever dream that grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go. Die My Love is a razor-sharp portrait of postpartum despair, psychological free-fall, and the quiet, daily violence of domestic life. Bold and uncompromising, it’s hard to believe that it’s adapted…
Our Man in Cannes: ‘Eddington’ Reviewed
Jack Salvadori reviews this dark, neo-Western Covid drama.
Denying the Gods: A Review of ‘The Return’
Author: Tyler Hummel Our modern interactions with the past are as fascinating as they are frustrating. Modern man is overwhelmed by, as the Christian apologist C.S. Lewis once put it, a chronological snobbery that principally prefers modern thought to ancient. Conversely, traditionalists and classicists prefer the old over the new, believing it to be a…
The Most Awaited Films at Cannes 2025
Author: Jack Salvadori Ah, Cannes… That glittering mirage on the French Riviera where champagne flows, critics lose sleep, stars lose weight, and sunglasses are worn indoors with unearned conviction. The shiniest red carpet is being unfurled, as next week the 78th Cannes Film Festival prepares to dazzle cinephiles and industry elites. This year’s edition leans…
Before And After: Francis’ Papacy On Film
Author: Tyler Hummel I admire the late Pope Francis. That’s a controversial statement nowadays, particularly for an Anglican who regularly breaks bread with the Chesterton Society. Regardless, the recently passed Roman Bishop was a good man, placed in the hardest job in the world, who sought to change the world and address prickly issues like…
Faithful: Can Old Dogs Be New Mythology?
Author: Jaedon Abbott Folklore is the cry that echoes through all of storytelling. It never shuts up. Our earliest stories were myths shared ‘round a fire and their structures and themes are perpetually replicated and reinvented. Lucy Linger’s Faithful is keenly aware of its folk story roots and nobly presents Scotland’s rich mythological traditions as…
Mickey 17 Review: In Space, Nobody Can Hear Your Ethics Lecture!
Author: Tyler Hummel The films of Bong Joon-Ho have a consistency to them that makes them fascinating to revisit. Being one of the most successful directors of the Korean New Wave, his works have gained tremendous traction in America—most notably when his most recent film Parasite won Best Picture at the 2020 Academy Awards. Six…
Vintage Reviews: The House That Dripped Blood (1971)
Author: Shieldmaiden The House That Dripped Blood is a 1971 British horror film directed by Peter Duffell. Starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Nyree Dawn Porter, Denholm Elliott, and Jon Pertwee. The film is a collection of four short stories concerning a series of inhabitants of an old house. All of the stories were originally written,…
And the Oscar Goes to Indie Cinema: A Golden Night for Anora
Author: Jack Salvadori. Hollywood finally pulled it off. For once, the Oscars season didn’t feature any seismic snubs, head-scratching upsets, or infamous “Hollywoops.” The Academy didn’t trip over its own feet and fall flat on the Dolby Theatre stage. This year’s winners made sense, with choices that, decades from now, won’t leave cinephiles screaming, “HOW…
On ‘Vermiglio’ And The Martyrdom of Lucia
Author: Tyler Hummel The young Lucia wears the gown of her patron saint. As the eldest daughter of a large Roman Catholic family living in the remote Italian village of Vermiglio, she has taken on the local responsibility of her town’s annual festival for the Feast of St. Lucy, wherein her face is covered with…
Vintage Film Reviews: Wake of the Red Witch
Author: Shieldmaiden Wake of the Red Witch is a 1948 adventure film, set on the high seas, and the tropical jungles of a Caribbean island. While it’s not a pirate movie, it certainly involves theft and underhanded behaviours. It is an American adventure film that falls into the romantic, adventure and melodrama genres. Directed by…
Release The Costner Cut — An Appeal To Release And Support Original Films Like Horizon
Author: Tyler Hummel. Tyler is a Wisconsin-based freelance critic and journalist, a member of the Music City Film Critics Association, a regular film and literature contributor at Geeks Under Grace, and was the 2021 College Fix Fellow at Main Street Nashville. 2024 was the year that the box office ceased to function. Film has changed…
AI-Pocalypse Now- The Brutalist on Trial: Guilty of… Sound Design?
Author: Jack Salvadori. Jack is an Italian-born, London-based film critic, columnist, and filmmaker. With award-winning short films showcased at over 60 international festivals, he’s now developing both, a feature film and a theatre play. A familiar face at Cannes, Venice, and London Film Festivals, Jack spends most of his time at the BFI, watching everything…
Marvelification of Sci-fi and its Consequences – Star Trek: Section 31 Review
Author: Dinah Kolka. Dinah is the founder of Decadent Serpent and a graduate of Edinburgh Napier University with a BA(Hons) in English Literature. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Salisbury Review and The Mallard. She was also published in the Scottish Book Trust’s 2018 anthology Rebel. In 2023, Dinah self-published her…
Muse, Tell Me of a Complicated Man – ‘A Complete Unknown’ film review
Author: George Marsden is a graduate of Glasgow University, where he read English and Classics. His writing has appeared in IM-1776, The Mallard, and Sublation Magazine, among other outlets. As song writing is the only form of modern poetic expression with a mass audience, George thinks it merits special critical attention. He also aims to…
On David Lynch’s Passing: A Mystery On And Off The Screen
Author: Tyler Hummel. Tyler is a Wisconsin-based freelance critic and journalist, a member of the Music City Film Critics Association, a regular film and literature contributor at Geeks Under Grace, and was the 2021 College Fix Fellow at Main Street Nashville. As I sat in my college classroom overlooking Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago, I…
The Brutalist: A Cinematic Masterpiece Rediscovered
Author: Jack Salvadori. Jack is an Italian-born, London-based film critic, columnist, and filmmaker. With award-winning short films showcased at over 60 international festivals, he’s now developing both, a feature film and a theatre play. A familiar face at Cannes, Venice, and London Film Festivals, Jack spends most of his time at the BFI, watching everything…
Fine Wine Horror Cinema: What is Classic Horror?
Author: Ross Hepburn. Ross is an avid fan of horror and a founder of HauntedBurgh, a ghost tour company operating in Edinburgh. It’s the start of a new year, which, as usual means preparing for my private tours, but also marking in my calendar the release dates for new horror film releases. So far, the most…
Coming Soon in 2025: Movies You’ll Forget by 2026
Author: Jack Salvadori. Jack is an Italian-born, London-based film critic, columnist, and filmmaker. With award-winning short films showcased at over 60 international festivals, he’s now developing both, a feature film and a theatre play. A familiar face at Cannes, Venice, and London Film Festivals, Jack spends most of his time at the BFI, watching everything…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Posts
Film Reviews
Features
Pitch to us!
We are always looking for volunteers to contribute. If you’re interested in writing for us, you can write for us as a contributor or you can also join as a columnist. Drop us an email with your pitch and we’d be delighted to discuss this further. For more information go into the Submissions section or press the Contact button below. Thank you for your ongoing support.
Support us
Decadent Serpent is driven by the passion of our volunteers, but we need your support to keep growing. Your donation helps us maintain the platform, fund our creative ventures, and bring you more of the insightful content you love. Every contribution, no matter how small, makes a difference in supporting the arts and culture. Thank you for helping us thrive.
