There’s a great gag at the end of Burning Men that made me wonder if the writer thought it up then worked backwards creating a story leading up to it. And that’s partly what the film itself does, when what seems like a British horror movie turns out to be more a psychological foray into… Burning Men Read More
Jane Eyre (2011) 4 stars
“I’ve never seen a city” Jane laments, worrying, as so many teenagers do, that life is passing her by: “I’ve never spoken with men and fear my whole life will pass”. Her most exciting trip is usually a damp walk to the postbox. Jane (Mia Wasikowska), just turned 18 and working in a new position… Jane Eyre (2011) Read More
Two For Joy 4 stars
For the widowed Aisha (Samantha Morton) grief itself has become the driving force, rather than the reaction; with her family caught in an enervating circle of misery where the sheer exhaustion of getting through the day prevents them from escaping. It needs a huge catalyst to kick them off the repetitive cycle onto a different… Two For Joy Read More
The Duchess 3.5 stars
Freedom is an absolute, the just-married Georgiana tells Whig politician Charles Fox in the 1770s, when it turns out that his progressive ideas to share power and wealth more equally among Britain’s citizens only really work for him if some are more equal than others. Sadly for Georgiana (Keira Knightley) her own freedom within her… The Duchess Read More
Hereditary 4 stars
A creaky floorboard and a clicking tongue. Two sounds you don’t want to hear when you’re alone in the house and the only tongue clicker you know of is your dead sister. “I never wanted to be your mother” Annie says to her teenage son Peter (Alex Wolff), “it wasn’t my fault and I tried… Hereditary Read More
The Final Girls UK: We Are The Weirdos 2 – nine horror shorts by women Short Film 4 stars
The Final Girls UK, a collective dedicated to exploring feminism in horror and highlighting women’s participation in the genre, are back with their second We Are The Weirdos tour – a selection of nine horror shorts by women. The absolute standout is Hair Wolf (5/5), directed by Mariama Diallo, which won the narrative short film… The Final Girls UK: We Are The Weirdos 2 – nine horror shorts by women Read More
The Kid Who Would Be King 3.5 stars
This is a story of derring do and derring don’ts, as 12 year old Alex Elliott’s failure to adhere to the four points of the Chivalric Code almost cause our country’s downfall. We’re in enough trouble already, and about to be enslaved during an eclipse by King Arthur”s evil half-sister Morgana (a delightfully nasty Rebecca… The Kid Who Would Be King Read More
The Interview (Short Film) Short Film 3.5 stars
It’s bad enough being asked to show your work at interviews (for which read “write something for free that we can use whether you get the job or not”). But poor Robert Stevens (Scott Michael Wagstaff), the interviewee in Stefan Fairlamb’s short film, finds this taken to a whole new level. He’s come to a… The Interview (Short Film) Read More
An American Piano (Short Film) Short Film 4 stars
Music, like war, is a great leveller. During World War Two, Youko (Leon Masuda), a little girl living in Japan with plans to train to be a concert pianist, sits at her grand piano playing Chopin. Across the way, an Allied prisoner of war listens and catches her eye. Based on a true story, An… An American Piano (Short Film) Read More
V (Short Film) Short Film 3.5 stars
Not everything you find on Google about vampires is true, says 16 year old Minnie ruefully: “I didn’t get fangs, I certainly didn’t develop some unearthly beauty!” she says as she sits in the kitchen of her flat drinking a bottle of blood she keeps in the fridge. Some things about vampires are true though,… V (Short Film) Read More
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World 4 stars
Children’s films always need to keep the parents interested too and How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World certainly has something that’ll please a lot of mums. Yes, Hiccup grows a beard – and my god he’s hot. Imagine John Krasinski in A Quiet Place crossed with one of the Chrises (I can’t remember… How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Read More
Can You Ever Forgive Me? 4.5 stars
There’s a scale for private letters from icons: $75 for a genuine Fanny Brice letter, $350 for a genuine Fanny Brice letter with a fake PS. Lee Israel, failed biographer turned successful forger, has probably stumbled upon one of the few lucrative careers in writing, so it’s a pity it’s illegal. It’s a writer’s job… Can You Ever Forgive Me? Read More
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