After an incredibly disjointed Phase Four, all eyes are indeed on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (or Quantumania, as we will be noting for short throughout this review) to see how this particular threequel will set a precedent for the forthcoming Phase Five of the continued Marvel Cinematic Universe. If this is anything to go…
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Given the shared enormity that was living through the pandemic at its seeming peak throughout 2020 and 2021, it’s a surprise that few films have actually addressed it in a manner that’s relatable for audiences. Whilst films are an escape, it’s a reality that can’t forever be ignored, and co-writer/director/star Jesús Lloveras manages to infuse…
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Despite its enchanting title, there’s not a lot to love about She Is Love, an experimental drama from writer/director Jamie Adams. Adhering to a spontaneity that Adams bestowed upon her cast, She Is Love has potential in its premise and lead trio – Haley Bennett, Sam Riley and Marisa Abela – but there’s ultimately only…
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Authenticity and artificiality battle with equal gusto throughout A Bit of Light, a filmic adaptation of Rebecca Callard‘s award-winning stage production. The theatrical origins are difficult to entirely dismiss throughout Stephen Moyer‘s drama though, with the True Blood alum not always proving steady in his narrative navigation. Anna Paquin – coincidentally Moyer’s wife in real-life…
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Few films have shocked me in the manner of Gaspar Noé’s Irreversible. Released in cinemas some 20 years ago, it arrived off the back of its storming Cannes controversy, thrusting the relatively unknown (at least to anyone who didn’t consider themselves a “cinephile”) Noé into somewhat-mainstream relevance. The film’s storyline, or more correctly its treatment…
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Boasting a truly spectacular ensemble cast and detailing both the American legal system and the “blind eye” mentality that often accompanies accusations of sexual assault, Miranda’s Victim is an occasionally shaky, but always captivating true story drama. Despite its 1960’s setting, Michelle Danner‘s film feels all too relevant in this current climate; no doubt in…
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That classic romantic comedy genre trope of big-city-girl-returns-to-small-home-town is one that, initially, writer/director Dave Franco and writer/star Alison Brie utilise to almost expected potential in Somebody I Used To Know, a more human dramedy than romcom romp that cements the notion that you can never truly go home again. People and places change, and no…
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When watching Mean Spirited I couldn’t help but wonder why Jeff Ryan isn’t a household name. As a director he has worked within a duo of spaces that have well been tested – the mockumentary comedy and the found footage subsect of horror – but both this and his previous effort (YouthMin) prove he has…
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The claustrophobic and emotional resonance Florian Zeller created with 2020’s The Father is unfortunately nowhere to be found in The Son, a prequel of sorts based off another of Zeller’s stage plays. A chamber piece on the subject of dementia that rightfully won Anthony Hopkins his second Best Actor Academy Award, The Father expressed subtlety…
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In 2012’s Magic Mike, Channing Tatum‘s titular performer lamented that he didn’t want to be a “40 year old stripper”. The irony isn’t lost some decade on where Tatum’s Mike, having seemingly failed at his planned custom furniture business, has to fall back on his expert set of skills. And, as we would expect, the…
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I’ll be the first to admit it; I still pop in the older Harry Potter games on both the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2. My love for both the films and books aside, I simply love existing in this world and exploring the nooks and crannies that Hogwarts has to offer. So you could imagine…
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Telegraphed in both its title and opening sequence, Spoiler Alert braces its audience for an unhappy ending from the get-go. But, as much as Michael Showalter‘s handkerchief-ready drama adheres to a familiar structure within the “terminal illness romance” genre – ala The Fault in Our Stars or Holding the Man – the film thankfully isn’t…
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Darren Aronofsky has always been one to push the extremities of his characters’ limit throughout his career. Whether it be physical or psychological, they have all suffered past their breaking point – often to their own demise – and The Whale similarly submits to this trend, looking at an eating addiction spurned from depression. From…
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If the horror genre has taught us anything it’s that cabins are never going to be the cosy, safe getaway that each inhabiting character tends to think it will be. But even in the realms of the horror genre, Knock at the Cabin, the latest from genre auteur M. Night Shyamalan, has a few tricks…
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Forspoken is a fantasy adventure with a lot of heart and soul at its core. While some of its magic gets lost in translation, the expansive open world, unique controls and intriguing combat system help the game feel fresh more so than not. The cinematic scope of the story and main missions give it a…
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The original Dead Space, released in 2008, still holds up as one of the greatest sci-fi horror games of all time. But 2008 also feels like a long time ago in gaming terms. As a result, Dead Space’s remake feels like that same relevant experience, made all the more satisfying thanks to minor gameplay choices…
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The Fire Emblem series has seen consistent success for its various gameplay implementations and winding narratives that seem to steer the franchise forward in both new and exciting directions. Fire Emblem Engage might be the latest entry in the franchise, but makes dedicated choices to bring the series back to its roots, instead focusing primarily…
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Director John Swab, a gritty aesthetic, and the gruff likeability of Frank Grillo have proven a welcome parcel over the last few years, and following on from both Body Brokers and Ida Red is Little Dixie, a formulaic but no-less investing thriller that exists in a rough, dirty reality. Though there’s plenty of genre tropes…
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Vampirism has often been utilised in genre features as a metaphor for an addiction of sorts. In Brad Anderson‘s Blood, screenwriter Will Honley (Escape Room: Tournament of Champions) furthers not only the addiction thematic, but blends it with the notion of chronic illness, what that can do to the afflicted’s caretaker, and a mother’s instinct…
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Whilst it’s fair to be tired of the “elevated horror” tag that so many genre pieces aim for nowadays, and the attachment of the-little-studio-that-could A24 only fans the fire, one needn’t worry with Talk To Me, an Australian-made horror effort that’s been acquired by the aforementioned studio for US distribution following wild reactions out of…
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There’s complexity within the rather simplistic narrative of Other People’s Children, Rebecca Zlotowski‘s affecting French drama about a certain definition of motherhood. Headlined by a captivating Virginie Efira, last seen dominating Paul Verhoeven’s controversial Benedetta, Other People’s Children focuses on her Rachel, a 40-year-old teacher – single and childless – whose blossoming relationship with Ali…
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When you have a film led by such reliable talent as Richard Gere, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon and William H. Macy, it’s understandable to believe that the hands you’re in will guide you to a safe destination. And perhaps that’s the problem. Maybe I Do is entirely too safe to make any lasting impression beyond…
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There’s a lot to be said about mental health – and here, specifically, obsessive-compulsive disorder – within the short minutes of Just Right. So much so that you can’t help but wish Camille Wormser‘s charmingly off-centred comedy was expanded to feature length, but, as it stands, it’s no less funny and affecting as a commentary…
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It goes without saying that the topical interest in Kristen Roupenian’s 2017 short story “Cat Person”, which ran in The New Yorker, before going viral online, is ripe for a filmmaker to adapt and expand. Unfortunately, director Susanna Fogel can’t quite secure a grip on proceedings, clumsily handling the film’s tone and undermining its central…
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The wealthy whites and their easy skewering is a narrative mentality that we have been witness to in a variety of practices as of late. But unlike The White Lotus and The Menu, two of the most recent examples of such a temperament, Brandon Cronenberg‘s Infinity Pool pushes further past being just a little wicked…
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There’s a lot to digest within the 158 minutes of Todd Field‘s ambitious Tár, so much so that lead Cate Blanchett practically devours it whole and spits out a venomous toxicity in return. It’s an, at-times, icy black comedy and a tragic character study melded within the cancel culture mentality and the #MeToo movement. It…
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Up until this very day, Persona 4 Golden holds a very special place in my heart. I’m not a huge fan of the JRPG genre as a whole, but more so titles within the genre. As a result, Persona 4 Golden stands as my favourite Persona game to date and my favourite game on the…
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While Persona 4 Golden stands as one of my favourite JRPG titles of all time, I feel as though I never gave Persona 3 Portable a fair chance. This time around, I was delighted to find that this entry holds up in many ways, thanks to its deep and nuanced combat and dark story, even…
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Don’t let the title fool you, What’s Love Got To Do With It? has nothing to do with Tina Turner. Instead, the titular question is a rhetorical of sorts that documentary filmmaker Zoe (Lily James) ponders when she hears that her life-long best friend (Shazad Latif‘s Kaz) is interested in an arranged marriage, and subsequently…
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A brutal movie to endure, Elijah Bynum‘s Magazine Dreams speaks to the strive for physical perfection within men and how such toxicity can consume them from the inside out. On that outside, Killian Maddox (Jonathan Majors in a demanding, raw performance that should already be favourited come award season next year) has the type of…
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