Stephen Nagel’s short film, Day Zero, was made with zero budget – achieved by shooting on mobile phones, pulling in actor friends to perform, and borrowing props wherever he could. That kind of filmmaking situation is something I bear in mind when reviewing a micro or zero budget film, though ultimately, whatever its cost, it… Day Zero (Short Film) Read More
Bird Box 3 stars
A stern and cold-voiced woman tells two 5 year olds named Boy and Girl that they’re going on a dangerous journey and if they don’t do what she says she will hurt them. It’s a frightening opening to this film about motherhood, not just because of the calamity it hints at but also because this… Bird Box Read More
A Quiet Place 4.5 stars
With A Quiet Place, director and co-writer John Krasinski proves himself to be a master of relentless (and I mean relentless) tension, which doesn’t stop until the final frame. This film is only 90 minutes’ long but it’s a 90 minute crescendo of suspense, peppered with shocks and heartbreak. This is a battle for survival,… A Quiet Place Read More
Breathe Easy 3.5 stars
You know the apocalypse is only going to get worse when you’re British and your mate says “oh and we’ve run out of beer”. Turns out the world ends not with a bang but with a young man’s whimper, that the stash of Fosters is all gone. In Britain, anyway. Elsewhere it’s more urgent and more violent, as… Breathe Easy Read More
War For The Planet Of The Apes (3D) 4 stars
As if we didn’t need reminding, mankind’s hubris will be our downfall, nature will find a way, and oh karma’s a bitch. War For The Planet Of The Apes starts with an attack as a battalion of human soldiers sent by the vicious and desperate General (Woody Harrelson) come for Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his family in their… War For The Planet Of The Apes (3D) Read More
Comfort Blanket Movies For When The World Is Going To Hell In A Handcart (i.e. Now)
The world is pretty dark right now, but once you’ve filled your understairs cupboard with cans of baked beans, plus that Long Life UHT milk that come the Apocalypse no one will actually drink (“things are bad enough, I’ll have that cold coffee black if you don’t mind”), you’ll need something to fill the time before the… Comfort Blanket Movies For When The World Is Going To Hell In A Handcart (i.e. Now) Read More
Pandemic 3.5 stars
God why are zombies always so MESSY? Streets strewn with debris, rubbish everywhere, sofas and chairs lying in the road, any old how. Tidy people just don’t seem to succumb to these near-constant apocalyptic worldwide infections, do they. They should use this information when creating a vaccine. Or maybe the tidy people are simply stuck… Pandemic Read More
10 Cloverfield Lane 4.5 stars
This is a great film that demonstrates that even during an alien invasion you still have to worry about perverts and murderers. But which is worse? Michelle is urgently packing a bag as she leaves the flat she shares with her fiancé Ben. I’m always impressed with women urgently packing in films – they grab a… 10 Cloverfield Lane Read More
Reign of Fire 3.5 stars
This is a cautionary tale about being careful what you wish for – in this case, an extended London Underground, where digging disturbs a creature left down there for centuries. And I’m talking a giant dragon, not some poor 16th century commuter desperate to get back to his olde hovel in Southwark. Reign Of Fire… Reign of Fire Read More