It’s been a while, but The Cut Critic is back!

In this episode, I dive into a cinematic shift I’ve been obsessed with: the resurgence of gothic and surrealist cinema.

This isn’t a usual episode about a single film. Instead, we’re looking at how modern filmmakers are turning inward, using gothic aesthetics, surrealism, and psychological intensity to explore identity, emotion, and anxiety in ways realism can’t.

We're looking at the collapse of the 1960's–70's American studio system to today’s streaming-heavy landscape and see how indie studios like A24 are supporting filmmakers with bold, visually and emotionally distinctive work.

This shift we're discussing in this episode even influenced my experimental short film, Sweet Sweet Felicity (2025), which premiered in June 2025. It is a Lynchian delight that leans fully into gothic and surrealist modes, with emotionally symbolic storytelling.

Here’s a link to watch it: Sweet Sweet Felicity

References / Suggested Viewing:

• A Decade Under the Influence (Dunne & Pepe, 2003)

• Easy Riders, Raging Bulls (Biskind, 1998)

• Midsommar (Ari Aster, 2019)

• The Substance (Vanessa Fargeat, 2024)

• Nosferatu (Robert Eggers, 2024)

• Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro, 2025)

• Selected films by Yorgos Lanthimos: The Lobster (2015), The Favourite (2018), Poor Things (2023), Bugonia (2025)

If this topic interests you as much as it does me, drop a comment or send an email to thecutcritic.podcast@gmail.com

I might just dive even deeper next time.