It never rains but it pours as we like to say in weather-obsessed Britain, and that’s certainly true of Invasion Planet Earth. Not literally. This isn’t Geostorm. But our planet, already on the brink of a world war, is faced with an alien invasion. Simon Cox’s feature (he directed, produced and co-wrote the screenplay) has been… Invasion Planet Earth Read More
Mickey And The Bear 4 stars
Hank, a veteran of the Iraq War, now spend his days looking for ways to dull the pain of PTSD and his painkiller addiction. His daughter Mickey, nearly 18, looks after him, their parent-child relationship turned on its head in too many ways. A coming-of-age drama about trying to escape when others are trying to… Mickey And The Bear Read More
Playmobil: The Movie 3 stars
I have a soft spot for Playmobil, and not only because it’s easier on parental feet when you tread on it in the dark than arch-nemesis Lego, which like its tie-in films is considerably sharper-edged than this smooth German rival. But while Playmobil:The Movie lacks the bite of the Lego films, this is still a colourful,… Playmobil: The Movie Read More
Playmobil The Movie (kids’ review!) 3 stars
My name is Cassian and I’m 7. This is my review of Playmobil The Movie which I saw today with my mum and my brother. A sister and brother called Marla and Charlie find out their parents have died in a car accident, so Marla has to stay at home to look after Charlie (who… Playmobil The Movie (kids’ review!) Read More
Midsommar 3.5 stars
Coming out of Midsommar I immediately saw a very blonde woman dressed in a blue and white folksy-style dress, her expression friendly yet with sinister undertones, and nearly legged it, before realising it was my own reflection in a shop window. Midsommar‘s crowd of smiling, fair-haired, prettily dressed cult members are ominous to us from the… Midsommar Read More
Replicas 1.5 stars
There’s something pleasingly pointed about a man jokingly claimed to be immortal starring in a movie about creating a form of immortality. Sci-fi cloning film Replicas was also co-produced by Keanu Reeves, whose youthful visage and apparent appearances in portraiture through the ages baffles many who apparently can’t tell the difference between two men with dark… Replicas Read More
Amaurosis trailer: no longer unseen
A shocking family event, a strange new friend who may or may not be all he seems, and an isolated Lake District location – all the elements are there in indie thriller Amaurosis. Previously released in the UK with the title The Unseen, this is an effective and eerie film about the effects of grief…. Amaurosis trailer: no longer unseen Read More
The Aftermath – 1 minute video review Includes Video 2.5 stars
READ MY FULL REVIEW OF THE AFTERMATH
The Aftermath 2.5 stars
How much can be rebuilt after it has been smashed to pieces? That’s the big question in The Aftermath – a postwar love story that attempts to to examine the realities of reconciliation, whether between people or countries. The film is about rebuilding broken relationships as much as broken cities, with the ambiguities of war… The Aftermath 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
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
Mary Poppins Returns 4 stars
After IT last year I’ve avoided films involving colourful balloons and adorable small boys called Georgie, but this one rather took me by surprise. Luckily Mary Poppins Returns is not a horror in any sense but a beautiful fantasy, especially when little Annabel Banks calls a plumber for their flooded kitchen and he’s able to come… Mary Poppins Returns Read More