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Debbie Lynn Elias

Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:

Debbie Lynn Elias has been a published film critic for over 30 years with weekly reviews and interviews carried in publications in print and online around the globe. (Her first published review was in January 1977 covering "Network".) She is also creator and host of the weekly radio show, "Behind The Lens" on Adrenaline Radio. An award-winning producer and writer, she spent years honing her technical and creative skills in tv and film production, as well as journalism and film criticism, and uses that training, education, and experience to bring unique and interesting perspectives to her film reviews and interviews. A longtime advocate and supporter of independent film and first-time filmmakers, Debbie is still active in film production, often serving as a consultant providing a critical eye to filmmakers during post-production, and focuses much of her attention and analysis on the indie film world. She also moderates, hosts premieres, post-screening Q&As, in-depth panel discussions, and more. Long a champion of film and television preservation efforts, she is a member of the prestigious Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia.

Publications:

Reviews

Movies TV Shows
Roof (2026) EDIT “What could have been a clever experiment becomes a quietly compelling, human-scaled thriller that lingers long after the rooftop fades from view.” – Behind The Lens Jan 27, 2026 Full Review Stop Time (2025) EDIT “A quietly assured film that allows meaning and emotion to surface, slowly and deliberately, through craft.” – Behind The Lens Jan 18, 2026 Full Review Relentless (2025) 3/5 EDIT “Relentless is brutal, yes—but its true savagery lies in how it exposes the ease with which we confuse power with innocence and desperation with guilt. ” – Behind The Lens Jan 17, 2026 Full Review The Man With the Hat (2026) EDIT “The Man With The Hat reminds us that history doesn’t survive by accident—it survives because someone chooses, every day, to care.” – Behind The Lens Jan 15, 2026 Full Review SHEEPDOG (2025) 77% EDIT “Steven Grayhm approaches PTSD not as an event, but as a condition that reshapes time—stretching the past into the present and pressing quietly on every relationship in its orbit. It is authentic and honest, intimate and personal.” – Behind The Lens Jan 14, 2026 Full Review 31 Candles (2025) 100% 3/5 EDIT “The film’s quiet strength lies in what it isn’t. 31 Candles resists becoming a conventional rom-com. Romance is present, but it isn’t the point...uneven, occasionally funny, sometimes grating, but never entirely without heart.” – Behind The Lens Jan 12, 2026 Full Review Greenland 2: Migration (2026) 51% 5/5 EDIT “A rare blend of emotional intimacy and visceral spectacle, Greenland 2: Migration stands as Ric Roman Waugh’s most humane and affecting work to date, where heart, home, and hope triumph.” – Behind The Lens Jan 8, 2026 Full Review The Mannequin (2025) 56% EDIT “[The Mannequin] demonstrates a confident understanding of how sound, space, and restraint can elevate familiar genre elements as [Jon] Berardo proves himself a director attentive to craft and cohesion.” – Behind The Lens Dec 30, 2025 Full Review In Your Dreams (2025) 86% EDIT “A dazzling, full-throttle adventure through the wild world of sleep.” – Behind The Lens Nov 21, 2025 Full Review Dead of Winter (2025) 75% EDIT “A heart-pounding, terror-filled tale of survival that gives way to poignant emotional beauty thanks to a powerhouse performance by Emma Thomson, superb lensing and an all-encompassing sensory experience of sound and score.” – Behind The Lens Sep 29, 2025 Full Review London Calling (2025) 48% EDIT “A fun-filled, almost throwback, “road trip buddy action comedy”... where heart, humor, and hijinks abound...What elevates the simplicity of the story...[is] the chemistry between Josh Duhamel and Jeremy Ray Taylor. ” – Behind The Lens Sep 21, 2025 Full Review Waltzing with Brando (2024) 56% EDIT “An award-worthy best performance of Billy Zane’s career. Jon Heder steps outside the box and ups his game. A wonderful adaptation by Bill Fishman. Superb production values all around. A love letter to the "real" Marlon Brando. ” – Behind The Lens Sep 19, 2025 Full Review I Really Love My Husband (2025) 89% EDIT “"I Really Love My Husband" is a tough slog through a one-week, one-year-delayed honeymoon of Teresa and Drew.” – Behind The Lens Sep 16, 2025 Full Review Sew Torn (2024) 95% 4/5 EDIT “Sew Torn is creative and original, visually vibrant and stimulating, whimsical and a bit quirky, and quite entertaining and fun, with everything perfectly threaded through the cinematic needle to create a fabulous tapestry. ” – Behind The Lens Jul 16, 2025 Full Review Grace Point (2023) 90% EDIT “A wonderful surprise! A smart and smartly written script...celebrates the twists and turns and traumas of life with poignant thoughtfulness.” – Behind The Lens Mar 23, 2025 Full Review The Shade (2023) 73% 3/5 EDIT “Writer/Director Tyler Chipman wastes no time in drawing us into the darkness of THE SHADE...setting the stage for difficult themes of mental illness, suicide, abandonment, grief, and more.” – Behind The Lens Oct 21, 2024 Full Review Amber Alert (2024) 63% EDIT “A taut, nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat thriller with a fresh spin on rideshare stories with the integration of a child abduction as a plot driver.” – Behind The Lens Oct 4, 2024 Full Review Coup! (2023) 81% EDIT “Dark, twisted, wry, hilarity punctuated with touches of whimsy, delivering socio-political commentary on every level. ” – Behind The Lens Sep 6, 2024 Full Review The Thicket (2024) 80% EDIT “There is a captivating brutal, visceral beauty to the Western thriller THE THICKET... an attention to visuals while balancing that with performance and story...[Juliette] Lewis is award-worthy. ” – Behind The Lens Sep 6, 2024 Full Review Joe Crist (2024) EDIT “An easy breezy and fun meld of faith, comedy, and the Old West.” – Behind The Lens Jul 22, 2024 Full Review The Imaginary (2023) 91% EDIT “Eye-popping, heartfelt storytelling that is pure enchantment.” – Behind The Lens Jun 15, 2024 Full Review East Bay (2022) 78% EDIT “A very thoughtful and purposeful film that beautifully utilizes mixed visual grammar and musical composition to metaphorically elevate and engage an already solid story and outstanding performances.” – Behind The Lens May 24, 2024 Full Review Art of Deception (2019) 3.0/5 EDIT “It may be a bumpy ride from start to finish but it’s worth a watch just for the third act and Jackie Nova’s performance.” – Behind The Lens Feb 19, 2024 Full Review ClearMind (2024) 100% EDIT “A fresh and unique approach to storytelling blending various genres into a darkly comedic yet suspenseful and thought-provoking commentary on grief, reality, and revenge-fueled fantasy.” – Behind The Lens Jan 1, 2024 Full Review Lost Cos (2022) EDIT “A visually expressive and engaging film [that] takes us into the world of cosplay, comics, and burlesque...with everything from comic book heroes and villains to two-bit neighborhood hoods and old-school trope detectives.” – Behind The Lens Dec 8, 2023 Full Review
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