Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
Revisiting Mission: Impossible (1996)
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Hi Reader, What makes the Langley vault sequence so memorable? The gum bomb? The characters who only have a couple of scenes? What other film wrings this much tension from a floppy disk and a drop of sweat? Ep. 174: Mission Impossible (1996) with Angelo MureddaThis week on the podcast, fellow film critic Angelo Muredda joins me to dig into why the original Mission: Impossible still stands apart. Not just because it was directed by Brian De Palma, but because of the elegance of its storytelling — how it builds tension and trusts the viewer. We talk about: 🎬 How the film teaches you how to watch it
🎥 Visual storytelling that matters
🎭 Performances with texture
📍 What sets this one apart
🎧 Listen now: 💡 Enjoying this kind of deep dive into film craft and storytelling? Every month in Reel Ruminators, we watch one unforgettable film together — and explore what makes it tick, what it stirs in us, and why it stays with us. The journey — from discovery to reflection to discussion — is engaging, surprising, and genuinely fun. This month’s film is something rare: a joyful, funny, and unexpectedly uplifting story — from Palestine. You don’t need to be an expert. Just bring your curiosity. I’ll bring the context, the prompts, and the kind of conversation that makes great films even better. 👉 A new month (and a new film) just started: Click here to join us for this month’s film What still hits hardest for you in Mission: Impossible? Just hit reply and tell me what’s stuck with you. Cheers, Alex
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Seventh Row
Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
Hello Reader, This June, you’re invited to watch a story about identity and family — where politics show up in relationships, not speeches. Nothing traumatic happens on screen. Instead, you get duty and ritual, love and relationships — and the kind of arguments you only have with the people who know you best. Why I chose it: It’s short — just 1h36m, easy to fit in It’s feel-good and thoughtful — goes down easy, stays with you It’s not streamable in North America — but the director has...
Hello Reader, Welcome to your June edition of The Globetrotting Watchlist. This month, we’re focusing on Palestinian cinema — films that grapple with occupation, resistance, and identity, often under impossible constraints. Inside Reel Ruminators, I’ve programmed a Palestinian film you can’t stream anywhere else in North America. It’s a rare find, and a powerful one — so I wanted to build a broader cinematic lens around it here. In this newsletter, you’ll find a selection of publicly...
Hello Reader, We talk a lot about endings. (Did it stick the landing?) We sometimes talk about openings. But put them together, and you unlock something about the film. That’s what this week’s episode is all about. Last week, I talked about Jane Austen Wrecked My Life as a whole: what makes it one of the best films of 2025. This week, I’m zooming in on how it begins and ends. Because in a film this thoughtful, those bookends carry serious weight. It’s not just about how the story opens and...