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Alfred Castaneda

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

Alfred leads Shade Studios’ editorial desk including press coverage for film and music festivals. He is a veteran in creative strategy and has self-produced documentary features and shows.

Publications:

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
The Best Summer (2026) EDIT “The Best Summer is better suited to be either a source for a better-made music documentary or a live concert DVD extra.” – Shade Studios Jan 28, 2026 Full Review Buddy (2026) 81% EDIT “[Buddy] is proof that original storytelling is alive and well, even if it pulls from a bevy of influences.” – Shade Studios Jan 23, 2026 Full Review Meadowlarks (2025) 88% EDIT “The actors do their best to give the one-dimensional dialogue some life, but the entire film fails to get much of this emotion across.” – Shade Studios Jan 20, 2026 Full Review Unidentified (2025) EDIT “It takes a big leap of faith to believe that Nawal could even pull some of her clandestine and investigative actions off like she does, but if you can fathom it – this will entertain you.” – Shade Studios Jan 20, 2026 Full Review Olmo (2025) EDIT “It’s a beautifully written, superbly acted gem. A feel-good film that enchants for just the right amount of time.” – Shade Studios Jan 20, 2026 Full Review Retreat (2025) 80% EDIT “This feature debut from director Ted Evans is more ambitious than it is enjoyable.” – Shade Studios Jan 20, 2026 Full Review Charlie Harper (2025) 57% EDIT “There is no shortage of appetite for films about toxic romances, especially ones with attractive leads, but you’ll likely forget about this story the moment you step out of the theater.” – Shade Studios Jan 20, 2026 Full Review Ky Nam Inn (2025) EDIT “To call Ky Nam Inn a Vietnamese clone of Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love would be unfair, but it’s so clearly influenced by that classic that it’s hard to ignore.” – Shade Studios Jan 20, 2026 Full Review Ballad of a Small Player (2025) 48% EDIT “There’s a twist, but overall, it’s remarkably uneven in a way that All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave weren’t.” – Shade Studios Jan 20, 2026 Full Review Good News (2025) 91% EDIT “It’s an intentionally silly ride, with equally silly visual effects that leave much to be desired.” – Shade Studios Jan 20, 2026 Full Review The Wizard of the Kremlin (2025) 49% EDIT “Wizard would have been a more compelling watch if Assayas elected to leave some of the fluff out and focus on the power broking.” – Shade Studios Jan 20, 2026 Full Review The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo (2025) 95% EDIT “Gaze is a sweet, kind-hearted film whose strength is the believability of its colorful characters.” – Shade Studios Jan 20, 2026 Full Review The Running Man (2025) 63% EDIT “For all the original’s faults and cheesiness, this modern version takes itself too seriously and what we’re left with is a sometimes fun, yet ultimately uneven actioner that tries to do too much.” – Shade Studios Jan 15, 2026 Full Review Sisu: Road to Revenge (2025) 95% EDIT “Each ridiculous and enjoyable set piece out does the previous one in absurdity, but Helander is so committed to the insanity of this franchise from the first movie that we never question the action's believability.” – Shade Studios Jan 14, 2026 Full Review Greenland 2: Migration (2026) 51% EDIT “This could have been a more compelling story, but instead it feels repetitive, as if one was playing a role-playing video game side quest.” – Shade Studios Jan 12, 2026 Full Review Marty Supreme (2025) 94% 9.5 / 10 EDIT “Anchored by a career-best performance that will define Timothée Chalamet for decades to come even more than Paul Atreides in Dune, Marty Supreme is that rare slice of delectable cinema pie that shows what top-notch storytelling is capable of.” – Shade Studios Dec 21, 2025 Full Review Song Sung Blue (2025) 78% EDIT “Song Sung Blue will make you want to pour some eggnog and put on Diamond’s Christmas album – spoiler: it’s schmaltzy and light-hearted too. A perfect pairing.” – Shade Studios Dec 13, 2025 Full Review Bugonia (2025) 88% EDIT “Perhaps one of the most shocking films this year, Bugonia has a compelling story to tell, even if it takes a bit too long to get to a thrilling third act.” – Shade Studios Oct 23, 2025 Full Review Is This Thing On? (2025) 86% EDIT “It’s a completely watchable film, held up by strong performances from Will Arnett and Laura Dern, even if many moments fall as flat as the jokes themselves.” – Shade Studios Oct 12, 2025 Full Review Father Mother Sister Brother (2025) 81% EDIT “As much as we may love these individual actors in this uneventful work, there’s not enough there to make their characters memorable. There is nothing here from Jarmusch that we haven’t seen him do before or better.” – Shade Studios Oct 6, 2025 Full Review Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025) 61% EDIT “In an age of over-stuffed and hagiographic films about musical artistry, we finally have one that explores the inner fragility of a rock star that many fans don’t realize can exist. Even for The Boss.” – Shade Studios Oct 4, 2025 Full Review A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE (2025) 75% EDIT “A House of Dynamite takes itself seriously but the tense momentum it builds fizzles out with a narrative structure that can't support it. ” – Shade Studios Oct 2, 2025 Full Review Anemone (2025) 53% EDIT “Anemone is at times hypnotic and an always consistently profound work that confronts personal trauma head on, even if it doesn't all come together at the end.” – Shade Studios Sep 28, 2025 Full Review Jay Kelly (2025) 75% EDIT “There are times when Jay Kelly comes across as self-indulgent and all too convenient, but its outweighed by Baumbach’s magnificently textured gravitas.” – Shade Studios Sep 25, 2025 Full Review Pillion (2025) 100% EDIT “Although the graphic kink dominates the first half of the film, it’s really an absorbing love story between two extremely different men in a power dynamic where rules are sometimes made up as you go along.” – Shade Studios Sep 24, 2025 Full Review
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