• You Were Never Really Here

    March 15, 2018 - By 

    If ever there was a filmmaker that could be referred to as uncompromising and exuding integrity, then Lynne Ramsey (We Need To Talk About Kevin) is certainly up there with the best of them. After The Lovely Bones was snatched away by Peter Jackson in 2009 and Jane Got A Gun resulted in her walking off the set due to producer interference, Ramsey’s steadfastness has paid off with this stunning trip of a film, that has the great Joaquin Phoenix in an awesomely committed role. One that may be his greatest yet. Joe (Phoenix) is a mentally scarred US military veteran,…

  • Red Sparrow

    March 6, 2018 - By 

    Based upon the book of the same name by ex-CIA agent Jason Matthews, Red Sparrow is a modern-day spy thriller by director Francis Lawrence (Hunger Games: Catching Fire, I Am Legend) that harks back to the days of the cold war thrillers of the 70s/80s but fails to update it appropriately, coming across as a piece of vitriolic propaganda and little else. Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) and the rest of the top-notch cast try their damndest to give it some credibility but the story and premise make for a predictably silly and gratuitous affair on many levels. Dominika Egorova (Lawrence)…

  • Journey’s End

    February 12, 2018 - By 

    On the 100 year anniversary of the end of The First World War, director Saul Dibb (Suite Francaise) and writer Simon Reade (Private Peaceful) have adapted R.C. Sheriff’s 1928 play, based on his real-life experiences, to serve as a timely, gut-punch of a reminder of the horrors of this dark period in our history. And with an exceptional British cast and an absolutely astoundingly detailed production, Journey’s End is a surefire war classic. Set during the last year of the war in 1918, the story centres around British infantry unit C-company, as they make their way to the frontline trenches in…

  • Hostiles

    January 22, 2018 - By 

    Scott Cooper (Black Mass) is a writer/director who always delves into the gritty underbelly of the US, casting an unflinching eye over its history and social traits. With Hostiles, he moves into the Western genre, and right from the shocking opening sequence, you know you are not in for a good ole boy, John Waynesque movie. And while he does occasionally move into the realm of cliche and generic storytelling that lurks in all his movies, I can’t help but admire his take on Donald E. Stewart’s (Patriot Games) manuscript and this much-flaunted genre, as he’s taken great pains to…

  • Justice League

    November 21, 2017 - By 

    With a production plagued by many problems, including hugely expensive reshoots and, most notably, director Zack Snyder’s (Watchmen) departure due to personal tragedy, Justice League seemed to be fighting an uphill battle right from the get-go. But this is no excuse for this soulless abomination and the monumental waste of talent that has been churned out by DC/Warner Brothers; one that will more than likely set them back a lot after the success of the far superior Wonder Woman. After the death of Superman (Henry Cavill), Earth has been left vulnerable to an unknown evil that spurs Batman (Ben Affleck) into…

  • The Killing of a Sacred Deer

    November 13, 2017 - By 

    If an up close and personal view of a real open heart surgical procedure is rather off-putting, then you aren’t going to get off to a great start with the latest movie from Greek writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster). But as with all his previous work, like the dementedly clever Dogtooth, The Killing of a Sacred Deer will be an acquired taste for those that like to delve into the surreal and absurd. And while it doesn’t quite have the originality and socially-aware bite of his previous films, this is still a worthy addition to his repertoire that benefits greatly…

  • The Death of Stalin

    November 3, 2017 - By 

    Armando Iannucci is a writer/director better known for his groundbreaking and highly acclaimed work on television shows like I’m Alan Partridge and The Thick Of It. But, as shown with recent films like the razor-sharp political satire In The Loop and his latest, The Death Of Stalin, Iannucci can now be revered as one of the UK’s top filmmakers. And while his latest is a little light on historical accuracy, there is no doubt that this is a fine piece of absurdist satire, bolstered by an exceptional cast. On the 5th of March 1953, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin – one…

  • The Ritual

    October 23, 2017 - By 

    With The Ritual, director David Bruckner (VHS) bolsters the recent rise of smart indie horror, bringing together a talented cast to recreate the Adam Nevill novel with suitably unsettling and outright creepy results; one that pays distinct homage to the usual ‘monster in the woods’, jump-scare tropes but still manages to transcend them with an intelligent script, great production and acting and deft directing. On a night out in London, a tight-knit group of five friends’ relationship is rocked when one them is brutally murdered during a robbery. The four remaining mates decide to have an upcoming stag do in…

  • The Snowman

    October 13, 2017 - By 

    The Snowman is one of those films that has surefire hit written all over it. Tomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) in the director’s chair, screenwriters with some great films under their belts and a cast that includes the ultra-talented Michael Fassbender (Hunger), Charlotte Gainsborg (Nymphomaniac), J.K Simmons (Whiplash) and Val Kilmer (Heat). So how in Lord’s name this film turns out to be such an absurd, at times hilarious, howler is absolutely baffling. Based on the bestselling book by Jo Nesbo, The Snowman tells the story of a woman who mysteriously disappears on the first night snowfall. The case…

  • Flatliners

    October 12, 2017 - By 

    Right from the get-go, as the opening title and credits roll and the messy CGI effects and warbling audio bites of people talking about near-death experiences nauseatingly assault your senses, you get a sinking feeling that director Niels Arden Oplev (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) and writer Ben Ripley (Source Code) have created something terrible. Lo and behold, this new take on the 90s non-classic Flatliners will most certainly join the ever-expanding ranks of atrocious remakes that the Hollywood conveyor belt has, in recent times, been churning out with merciless efficiency. Flatliners tells the story of a group of…