Greetings again from the darkness. The line between right and wrong may be more blurred than ever these days, yet we’d be mistaken if we were to assume that the line was once distinct and clear. Rick Rowley (Oscar nominated for his 2013 documentary DIRTY WARS) offers the disturbing details of the investigation into the 2010 event that led to the death at the border of an undocumented Mexican immigrant named Anastasio Hernandez – Rojas.
Though undocumented, Anastasio Hernandez-Rojas had lived in San Diego for 26 years, worked as a pool builder, and been married to Maria. They had five U.S. born kids. The first interview is with Rodney Scott, who was Chief of the Border Patrol of the San Ysidro port of entry in 2010 at the time of the even. As the former Chief, he claims not to know all of the details other than that the security cameras at the time were ‘props’ used as deterrents, which is why no video footage of the incident was provided.
The film takes us through the non-existent investigation by the police – the detective states the Border Patrol treated it as a medical event, rather than a use of force, so no witness statements were obtained and the scene was cleaned. We see some of the agents being deposed by Maria’s attorney, Gene Iredale, and learn of the autopsy results. Investigative Reporter John Carlos Frey spends a great deal of time trying to find details on what appears to be a cover-up. When he connects with an eyewitness, iphone footage leads to public marches for justice in 2012. He ends up working with a former BP agent, as well as the Southern Border Communities Coalition.
A Grand Jury investigation lasts more than three years and results in no agents being prosecuted, and another investigation begins to determine if International Human Rights Laws were violated. By 2022, even Congress is convinced a proper investigation is warranted. Shadow units, such as Critical Investigation Team (CIT) are discovered – and referred to as “Border Patrol Cover-up Units”.
There is little here to provide us with faith in our institutions, especially these days. Homeland Security manages the 20,000 Border Patrol Agents, and it has since been discovered that Anastasio Hernandez-Rojas was tased while face down with hands cuffed behind his back. The methamphetamine in his toxicology could have been from the meds administered at the time of treatment. It’s little wonder the film is subtitled, “Death at the Border”. Rick Rowley delivers a powerful HBO documentary at a time when clear answers are difficult to come by.
Premieres on HBO on December 29, 2025
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy this one. You don’t need to be an old man either. Since I am both, you can only imagine the appreciation I have for writer-director Carson Lund and his co-writers Michael Basta and Nate Fisher as they deliver a nostalgic and humorous look at how men deal with glory days of old and a rapidly changing landscape that looks to erase the past and their memories.
Greetings again from the darkness. Dysfunctional families are frequently at the center of movies – often used for comedic effect. But this latest family drama from writer-director Joachim Trier (THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD, 2021) is something different. It’s something much more powerful. Trier delivers a film of characters struggling with the real effects of the tangled web of emotions that occur when family dynamics take the inevitable twists and turns.
Greetings again from the darkness. Longtime movie lovers usually cringe with announcements regarding movie remakes. Of course, some work out pretty well: A STAR IS BORN (2018), THE THING (1982), TRUE GRIT (2010); while others deserve backlash: PSYCHO (1998), ROLLERBALL (2002), THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2003). When the news hit that writer-director Tom Gormican (THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT, 2022) was going to remake ANACONDA (1997), it wasn’t so much a cringe reaction as it was a giant question mark … Why remake a movie that on its best day could only be labeled a fringe cult favorite? Once the leads of Jack Black (after Nic Cage dropped out) and Paul Rudd were announced, it made much more sense. This was to be a comedic take on an original film that featured quite a few accidental comedy elements.
Greetings again from the darkness. We give thanks to the movie Gods for filmmakers like Josh Safdie, as there is zero chance that he will ever make a movie that bores us. This is his first solo movie in many years after frequent collaborations with his brother, Benny (UNCUT GEMS, 2019; GOOD TIME, 2017). But fear not, because working alongside the writer-director are other frequent collaborators: screenwriter Ronald Bronstein, cinematographer Darius Khondji, composer Daniel Lopatin, and costume designer Miyako Bellizzi.
Greetings again from the darkness. ‘Do what you love’ and ‘Pursue your passion.’ That’s the traditional advice we give youngsters, so they won’t grow up to live a mundane life filled with regrets. Perhaps there is no better example of living your dream than the real-life love story of Mike Sardina and Claire Stengl-Sardina. These two Milwaukee residents not only found a path to sing on stage, they also found true love with each other.
Greetings again from the darkness. Horror films are a dime a dozen (meaning there is no shortage from the genre), so it’s a revelation when a filmmaker has a legitimate feel for psychological horror – the kind that creeps us out and (likely) causes a nightmare or two. Such is the case for writer-director Paul Bickel. The scariest place on Earth is between our ears, and Bickel attacks the space by keeping us guessing as we attempt to solve the mysterious events occurring on screen.
Greetings again from the darkness. The next entry in the HBO Music Box documentary series comes from director Amy Scott and provides a textbook example of what can happen when a band hits it big ‘overnight’. It’s not always pretty, and sometimes it’s downright uncomfortable. Counting Crows’ popularity exploded with the release of their 1993 debut album, “August and Everything After”. The hit single, “Mr Jones” was all over the radio, only to be followed by an even better song, “Round Here”. The band and their music were ubiquitous.
Greetings again from the darkness. Director Paul Feig hit it big with the outrageous comedy BRIDESMAIDS in 2011, and then he got a lot more interesting as a filmmaker by directing screen adaptations of Darcey Bell novels that were so popular with Book Clubs – A SIMPLE FAVOR (2018) and ANOTHER SIMPLE FAVOR (2025). There’s no need to mess with a good thing, right? This time he’s directing another Book Club favorite, Frieda McFadden’s 2022 novel. Adapted for the screen by Rebecca Sonnenshine, the movie subjects three gorgeous actors to some off-the-chart twisted and devious turns.
Greetings again from the darkness. The phrase ‘Third time’s the charm’ loses impact when the first two times were also charmed. Such is the case for writer-director Rian Johnson and his ‘Knives Out’ trilogy (so far). The filmmaker has really tapped into the joy of whodunits for those of us who are big fans of the genre. This third one has a darker tone and feel than the first two, but many of the elements remain in place – including a stellar ensemble of well-known actors, some whom only appear briefly.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 