Jared Mobarak

[Fantasia Review] The Alchemist Cookbook

I have no clue why Sean (Ty Hickson) messes with the titular book in Joel Potrykus' The Alchemist Cookbook. He doesn't seem to care about money while living as ...

[Review] Summertime

While a romance on its surface, Catherine Corsini's Summertime is really about freedom. The central relationship between Delphine (Izïa Higelin) and Carole (Céc...

[Review] Fathers and Daughters

The works of director Gabriele Muccino aren't for everyone. I can't speak on his Italian films, but the American ones are unavoidably cloying and sentimental in...

[Review] Buddymoon

When Flula Borg showed up in the Pitch Perfect 2 trailer I found myself smiling at his success. It was a cameo keen to capitalize on his YouTube DJ fame and una...

[Review] The Purge: Election Year

The escalation of terror has dialed up a few more notches as writer/director James DeMonaco takes us further down the hole of first world genocide in The Purge:...

[Review] Sleeping Giant

Winner of the Best Canadian First Feature at TIFF and Best Canadian Feature in Vancouver after bowing at Cannes last May, Andrew Cividino's feature-length debut...

[Review] The Phenom

I admittedly didn't think too much on The Phenom after watching its trailer. There was a good cast, its look behind the curtain of fame seemed intriguing, and t...

[Review] Careful What You Wish For

The real mystery is how Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum's Careful What You Wish For got itself a theatrical release in the first place — no matter how limited. I'm no...

Jared Mobarak

Jared Mobarak is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic for The Film Stage, Art Director for Buffalo, NY film series Cultivate Cinema Circle, and member of OFCS and GWNYFCA. You can follow his cinematic viewing habits at Letterboxd.