© 2026 The Couch Critic
2021. When 22-year-old Vitaly leaves his mother Tetyana and his beloved sister Eugenia behind in Ukraine, he dreams of starting a new life in Munich, Germany. Struggling to find where he belongs in a foreign country, he eventually joins a student theater group. Everything changes with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as Eugenia and Tetyana are forced to flee. Overnight, two harsh realities land on Vitaly’s doorstep: the global political situation and his own family conflicts.
The feud between the veteran singers and the newcomers came to an end after one of the singers was found dead at the Yenna Music Entertainment Singers’ Dormitory. The mystery surrounding Lola Lolipop’s death and the attempted murder of Cici Bohay set a chilling tone for the other singers, prompting Evi Aurora, Syakila, Iis Gulali, and Debora to decide to unravel the mystery of the murder. Unfortunately, their decision has put their own lives in danger; now, one by one, they are being marked as sacrificial victims.
Introvert Mikko is anxious that he won’t be able to come out of his shell during the weekend at his relatively new spouse’s cottage. His spouse Hanna is certain that Mikko will make a great first impression on her chosen family, the three friends that they are hosting. When it’s time for the sauna Mikko has not, despite all his attempts, figured out the sauna dress code of this new social bubble. As he steps into the sauna, Mikko realizes he’s the only one wearing swimwear—everybody else is naked. This traumatising event causes mixed emotions which Mikko is unable to shake away. Mikko tries to come out of his shell with his own way but everything ends up going even worse.
Sonja Aigner, born in South Africa and now living in Germany, reflects on identity and belonging after a DNA test reveals connections across the world.Through a quiet and intimate conversation, the film explores what it means to come from a place and whether that answer is ever complete.
yellow bellow can you get me to orange so i can see green but that won't do because i still need to smell blue and that can't be too far from red.
A young couple shares a deep passion about food and desire for each other. They put all their efforts to satisfy all their fantasies, until they come with the ultimate culinary experience. One must be eaten and the second must feed from the other’s flesh.
Andre Rieu's annual concert celebrating the magic of Christmas.
A group of friends find themselves trapped in a deadly situation as a mysterious killer begins hunting them one by one during the final hour.
Born In Blue is produced using Unreal Engine and set in Mount Gambier (Berrin), South Australia. The story follows Lumy, a young girl who grows up in New Zealand before moving with her father to the quiet volcanic town beside the Blue Lake. In the late 1800s, time traveling villains arrive from the future, drawn to a powerful phenomenon beneath the lake and seeking Lumy herself. At the lake’s edge, her father sacrifices his life to protect her, altering the course of time. Marked by trauma and a mysterious bond to the water, Lumy grows up driven by grief and unanswered questions, turning to science while unaware she is still being hunted. Years later, alongside fellow scientist Ashton, she uncovers the truth the same force beneath Berrin fuels both the villains’ technology and her own ability to move through time. Realising what she has inherited, Lumy prepares to fight back and protect what her father died to save.
A man is anxiously waiting for a pay phone to ring, while a dark presence is observing close-by.
Grace has spent the summer looking after her dad, who is still mourning over the loss of his wife who died when Grace was a child. When her unpredictable older brother Oscar brings his friends to stay with them, Grace is forced to confront her relationship with the past and her expectations of the future.
A reflective soul journeys through memories of love, loss, and identity, ultimately embracing humility and the eternal cycle of transformation, reminding us that even fallen stars can rise again.
This experimental found-footage film uses state and corporate propaganda to explore the relationship between extractive industry infrastructure and audiovisual materials in Canada's colonial project.
A woman's desperate search for her missing sister leads her deep into a forbidden, cursed forest where past trauma resurfaces and the line between reality and hallucination begins to blur. As terrifying secrets emerge, she must confront her deepest fears to uncover the truth.
All sciences emerge from two questions. History is not science but a field of knowledge. It caused a tragedy of projection and coping of Hegel and his students, leading to a fascinating mistake; art history.
A young man addicted to sex sees a great opportunity to become a film critic.
Joel Tuinstra's next film for the 2027 HOCO film fest
