Nicholas Bell

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Los Angeles based Nicholas Bell is IONCINEMA.com's Chief Film Critic and covers film festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Cannes and TIFF. He is part of the critic groups on Rotten Tomatoes, The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA), FIPRESCI, the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) and GALECA. His top 3 for 2023: The Beast (Bonello) Poor Things (Lanthimos), Master Gardener (Schrader). He was a jury member at the 2019 Cleveland International Film Festival.

Exclusive articles:

Review: Robot and Frank

" Robot and Frank, the feature debut of director Jake Schrier, sounds like it has the potential to land in independent cinema quirk hell, but surprisingly manages to hit all the right notes with its quiet arc. While it’s mostly a comedy featuring light dramatic streaks and science-fiction buttressing, at its core it features a much more melancholy tone, only furthered by an excellent turn from Frank Langella."

Arbitrage | Review

Analogous.

Robot and Frank | Review

We all need a PAL.

Excision | Review

A darkly comic horror gem.

Review: The Pact

McCarthy’s debut is evidence that short films are indeed an art form and, if successful, do not necessitate a feature length running time. In fact, the tightest elements abound in the first third of the film, which shares the narrative of the short. McCarthy certainly nails a decent creepy atmosphere in his first few frames, but this convoluted turkey quickly kills any genre frills it tries to master.

Breaking

A Bit of Light | 2026 Venice Film Festival Review

Under the Cherry Moon: Asgari Lets the Sun Shine...

One Minute to Midnight (Un peu avant minuit) | 2026 Venice Film Festival Review

The Man Who Snubbed Women: Pariser Performs a Patriarchal...

NAZA | 2026 Venice Film Festival Review

Destroy Everything You Touch: Abraham & Szor Explore the...

The Fire Within You (Il fuoco che ti porti dentro) | 2026 Venice Film Festival Review

The Shrill Seekers: De Angelis Turns to Comedic Caricature For...
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