Exploring thorny issues through a dialled-up plot, Jonatan Etzler’s English-language debut is an unsettling black comedy that intrigues and entertains but sometimes struggles to strike the right balance between comedy and horror, leaving the two elements fighting for space. The film centres on Maria (Saoirse Ronan), a primary school teacher, struggling to be the teacher…
Announced with all the hope that Ridley Scott, an adaptation of a bestseller and a cast of top actors (some old hands, some recently risen stars) could bring, The Dog Stars unfortunately lands with a resounding thud. A disjointed, disengaged misfire, it offers little more than a perplexingly empty couple of hours. Set after a pandemic that…
Into our increasingly isolated world comes this comedy about both literal isolation on a remote island and the isolation that can be felt even with people around you. Laugh-out-loud funny and subtly poignant in turn, The Incomer is a real treat that feels like a rare find in the current theatrical landscape. Two adult siblings, Isla (Gayle…
This week Spiderman: Brand New Day overtook Titanic to claim the title of 4th highest grossing film of all time (not adjusted for inflation). It is a phenomenal feat for a film that has only been out for a little over a month, but, as with pretty much every new entry onto that famed list nowadays, it raises the question…
Will Gluck’s contributions in the comedy/rom-com sphere have run the gamut. From the enduring modern classic, Easy A, to the likeable Friends with Benefits to the painful (yet shockingly successful) Anyone But You. Returning to the genre with a more high-concept premise, he unfortunately cannot reconcile the dystopian nightmare of the film’s backdrop with the attempted fizzy genre tone,…
The teen coming-of-age comedy-drama has been pretty absent from cinemas in recent years, but George Jacques brings it back with a new setting. The result is heartfelt and elevated by strong performances, even if it serves as more of an engaging couple of hours than something with lasting impact. We meet 17-year-old Ivy (Bella Ramsey),…
A film with a great elevator pitch – suburban 80s street gets transported back to the Jurassic period – The End of Oak Street capitalises on its Jurassic threats to offer plenty of genre thrills and a throwback to great family movies. Whilst it doesn’t reach the heights of the influences it wears on its sleeve, it…
Having debuted with one of the best comedies of the last decade (Booksmart), Olivia Wilde returns with her third feature to claim yet another. The Invite is a hysterical chamber piece, an incisive character study and impeccable showcase for its cast, with a poignancy bubbling beneath which surfaces by the final act. Based on the Spanish film, Sentimental, The…
With the release this week of Toy Story 5’s official song from Taylor Swift, and my recent rabbit hole of movie song playlists on Spotify, I’ve been thinking a lot about the iconic movie songs of yesteryear and their absence in modern cinema. It feels like a true movie soundtrack hit is so rare these days,…
Documentarian Daniel Roher makes the switch to features with this close to pitch perfect thriller that manages to cross genres in style to announce him as an exciting talent in this new arena and offers Leo Woodall a great vehicle for his talents. Niki (Leo Woodall), a once-promising virtuoso, works as a piano tuner with…
