21st Century Cult

Join us at The Frida Cinema as we continue to celebrate the work of legendary filmmaker David Lynch, presenting his final directorial feature: INLAND EMPIRE. Nikki (Laura Dern), an actress, takes on a role in a new film, and because her husband (Peter J. Lucas) is very jealous, her co-star Devon (Justin Theroux) gets a warning not to make any romantic overtures -- especially since the characters they play are having an affair. Both actors learn that the project is a remake of an unfinished film in which the stars were murdered. Regarded by many as the most cryptic film of Lynch's extensive oeuvre, INLAND EMPIRE was named the second best film of 2007 by Cahiers du cinema.

Our 21st Century Cult series marches along as we present the controversial 2002 film Secretary, starring James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal! he film follows Lee Holloway (Gyllenhaal), a socially awkward young woman recently released from a mental health institution, who takes a job as a secretary for the demanding and enigmatic lawyer E. Edward Grey (Spader). As their professional relationship evolves into an unorthodox BDSM dynamic, Lee begins to reclaim her sense of agency and identity, while Edward confronts his own vulnerabilities and desires.

Our 21st Century Cult series kicks off February with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Michel Gondry's surrealist sci-fi romance! Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (who won an Academy Award for his screenplay) capture the mixed emotions of love and loss in a way that no filmmakers have done before or since. Starring Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey in career highlights for both, the film tells the story of a bitter breakup which results in a pair of ex-lovers hiring a radical medical company to erase all memories of each other – and the internal struggle that ensues to try to hold on despite having so many reasons to let go. Upon its release, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind received critical acclaim, with the movie earning the Movie of the Year award from AFI and being frequently cited on Best of 2000s lists to this day.

21st Century Cult takes a dark detour with Crimson Peak, Guillermo del Toro's 2015 gothic romance.  The film follows Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), an aspiring writer haunted by the ghostly warning to "Beware of Crimson Peak." After a whirlwind romance, she marries the enigmatic Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and moves to his decaying ancestral mansion, Allerdale Hall, alongside his mysterious sister, Lady Lucille (Jessica Chastain). As Edith unravels the sinister history of the Sharpe family and the house itself, she discovers dark truths lurking beneath its beautiful, crumbling facade.