‘Kingsman: The Golden Circle’ Review

The announcement of Matthew Vaughn’s follow up to his surprise smash-hit Kingsman: The Secret Service, was met with pretty much no resistance; it is a rare case of a sequel being sought out and recognsised by audiences as being more than a money grab, but a continuation of something clearly set up in the first…

A Guide To: Denis Villeneuve

With the release of Blade Runner 2049 coming up, I thought I’d take a look at the man at the helm, whose impressive feature filmography should settle some of the nerves of the diehard fans. Denis Villeneuve has emerged as one of the most consistently excellent filmmakers working today, and in the past few years…

‘Wind River’ Review

The third film in Taylor Sheridan’s unofficial ‘American Frontier’ trilogy (after writing Sicario and Hell or High Water, he now writes and directs this film), is a similarly enthralling tale of another facet of the American life, and in another part of the country. This is a chillier tale both in setting and atmosphere, but…

Why I Love Callback Lines

One of the most effective ways to bring storylines or emotions full circle is to use a callback line. It can be a brief reminder to the audience of where the characters started out, and thus how far they’ve come, and, if used well, can add strong emotional resonance to a scene. Most notably used…

‘It’ Review

Following the scary clown craze that erupted last year, thankfully 2017’s clowns have been relegated to the big screen. In this, the first big screen adaptation of Stephen King’s mammoth classic (or at least, the first half), the scares are balanced with comedy and teenage banter, leading to something more akin to a coming of…

‘Detroit’ Review

After five years, Kathryn Bigelow is back with another real-life drama, but one set further in the past than her last two, however this is still sadly, and frighteningly, relevant. Set in the 1967 Detroit riots, the film centres around a situation that arises as a result of gunfire on a group of police and…

‘Patti Cake$’ Review

It seems almost miraculous that Patti Cake$ made it to my local multiplex. A small Sundance indie, not based on source material, and with barely any recognizable names, sadly isn’t usually given such a mainstream platform. Patti Cake$ takes its chance to show the story of people we don’t often see up on the big…

‘Annabelle: Creation’ Review

For the prequel to a spinoff-prequel, in theory, this film really shouldn’t be good, but somehow it manages to defy what past ventures have taught us, and provide an effective, if entirely conventional, set of scares. Set in the home of a toymaker (the one who made Annabelle, of course), years after his young daughter…

‘Rough Night’ Review

Sadly, this summer it seems to have been a challenge to try and find a good comedy…disappointment seems to be the norm, and anything mediocre or above is practically a gem. Rough Night is, unfortunately, another disappointment, despite the proven comedic talents assembled in front of and behind the camera. It’s Jess’ (Scarlett Johansson) bachelorette…