Film — Blog — Linh S. Nguyễn

Villains, Fighting, and the Reduction of Complex Stories

Perpetuating the same narratives of conflict in mass media not only dictates a cultural hierarchy of what is considered important but also creates distance in how we are able to see ourselves represented in stories at large.

Pop cultureLinh NguyenMarch 29, 2024Avatar, storytelling, TV show, Film, Disney

Greta Gerwig's "Barbie": A Story That Holds

Gerwig’s films resist storytelling structures that serve masculinity. From Frances Ha (2012) to Barbie (2023), her stories embrace and celebrate what is traditionally considered feminine. They depict the truest parts of existing as a woman in the world.

Pop cultureLinh NguyenAugust 11, 2023Barbie, Movies, movie, Film, cinema, Cinema, TV, Feminism, First World Feminism

National Indigenous History Month: A Reading List

Fiction can convey ideas that reports cannot — but it’s not a replacement for fact and history. Meanwhile, data is one form of storytelling but also not necessary to validate lived experiences and truths. Reading widely across genres is key.

Literature, Pop culture, AdvocacyLinh NguyenMay 31, 2021Books, Literature, Film, TV, Movies, art, Indigenous, allyshipComment

Asian Heritage Month: In The Mood for Art

May is Asian Heritage Month and what better way to celebrate in isolation than by enjoying books, shows, and movies by Asian creators?

Literature, Pop cultureLinh NguyenMay 19, 2020Books, Literature, Asian Canadian, Film, TV, TV show, Reel Asian, Movies, artComment

Little Women: The Feminist Film We Needed

This film was a beautiful, nuanced depiction of girlhood and womanhood that I had been craving for years.

Pop cultureLinh NguyenJanuary 21, 2020Feminism, Film, Literature, Little Women, Movies, Pop Culture, representation, womenComment

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before: A Lead Like Me

This film gave me permission to feel worthy exactly as I am.

Under the Stars: Life of Pi

I made my way over to Regent Park last week for the 4th film in their (amazing) Under the Stars: Movies in the Park season lineup and was met with a giant inflatable screen on the lawn -- and so much more.

Toronto, Pop cultureLinh NguyenAugust 6, 2019city, Film, life of Pi, outdoor, Regent Park, summer, torontoComment

Little Girls' Dreams

Is it a bad thing that little girls grow up dreaming the dreams they're told to?

Examining The Under-Representation of Asian Heroes through The Last Jedi’s Rose Tico

She is the first Vietnamese woman I’ve watched fight in a blockbuster movie, yet a critical examination of fans’ reception shows us the limits of accepting diversity in Hollywood.

I Didn’t Love Wonder Woman (But Do I Need To?)

I didn't want it to be a typical superhero movie. I wanted it to be the best one, to prove to myself and to my family and to the world that a female-directed action film starring a woman could be right up there with the best.

Pop cultureLinh NguyenJune 14, 2017cinema, DC, Feminism, Film, Marvel, review, Superheroes, Wonder WomanComment

Computer Guys and Kung-Fu Masters

If Hollywood wants to take a stand against discrimination and inequality, as so many Academy members have expressed, representation is the most basic first step.

Pop cultureLinh NguyenFebruary 25, 2017cinema, Pop Culture, Film, Action Films, Hollywood, Asian Canadian, representationComment

If Only Just Fantastic Beasts

The merits of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them end when we venture beyond what this title encompasses.

Pop cultureLinh NguyenNovember 27, 2016Fantastic Beasts, Film, Harry Potter, Newt Scamander, Warner BrosComment

Fantastic Beasts proved to be anything but

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them suffers from conflicting tones, awkward pacing, forced set-up, and incomplete plot points.

Hot Docs in review: three documentaries worth your while

These films explore humanity from all angles.

Pop culture, TorontoLinh NguyenMay 12, 2016cinema, documentaries, Film, hot docs, reviews, toronto

HotDocs 2016 on now until May 8

Over 200 works featured by filmmakers from Canada and around the world.

Pop culture, TorontoLinh NguyenApril 30, 2016cinema, documentaries, events, festival, Film, hot docs, toronto

Why We Need Cinderella

After months of dense analyses and complicated interpretations, it was inexpressibly refreshing for me to see such a simple story with a good, clear meaning: good things happen to good people.

Pop cultureLinh NguyenDecember 15, 2015Cinderella, Disney, Feminism, Film, MoviesComment