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Never Look Away

10/7/2024

NEVER LOOK AWAY ★★★★☆
Actor Lucy Lawless' feature directorial debut. A moving and inspiring documentary about war camera-person Margaret Moth. Moth is shown in heartbreaking fashion to combine bravery, confidence, determination, and expertise. Journalists can be heroes; Moth epitomises this. NEVER LOOK AWAY would make a gripping double bill with Alex Garland’s CIVIL WAR.

Girls Will Be Girls

10/7/2024

GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS ★★★★☆
The truncated aspect ratio is usually grating. Is rare for me to think films benefit from it. This is an exception. The drama is so gripping as to forget about the hemmed in screen, while also adding to the tension and claustrophobia. A consummately acted coming-of-age movie from India.

Handling the Undead

10/7/2024

HANDLING THE UNDEAD ★½☆☆☆
Lumbering Scandi arthouse zombie horror. Derivative. Monotonous. Lethargic. Adapted from a novel by the same author as LET THE RIGHT ONE IN - read that instead of watching this. There was the potential to make this a thoughtful study of grief.

I Saw the TV Glow

10/7/2024

I SAW THE TV GLOW ★½☆☆☆
Kept waiting for this to ramp up. It never does. A tedious nod to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, THE MATRIX, etc. Fans of David Lynch’s storytelling style, this is for you. Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine are not utilised. There are hints of humour and intrigue, but go nowhere.

Kneecap movie review

7/7/2024

KNEECAP ★★★★★
My favourite film of 2024 so far. PINEAPPLE EXPRESS meets 8 MILE meets BRAVEHEART. About Irish language rappers, this is a heady mix of unrestrained energy, hilarity, and politics. If TRAINSPOTTING was about colonialism, you’d get close to what this is like.
Out next month.
My review, click here.

My Old Ass movie review

7/7/2024

MY OLD ASS ★★★★☆
The lead is about to head to university, but encounters her older self (Aubrey Plaza). A lovely comedy, with a winning mixture of deftly handled laughs, romance, charm, and emotion.
My review, click here.

Didi movie review

7/7/2024

DIDI ★★★★☆
A growing pains movie evolving from the funny to the cringe to the poignant. The lead manufactures awkwardness on an industrial scale. The performances are universally top-tier. A film full of empathy, compassion, and amusement.
My review, click here.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

7/7/2024

BEVERLY HILLS COP: AXEL F ★½☆☆☆
Scapes the barrel of nostalgia so loud I had to slink down into my chair to take cover. Leaden acting, wooden dialogue, plodding action. Feels utterly pointless.

Your Monster movie review

1/7/2024

YOUR MONSTER ★★☆☆☆
An amalgam of rom-com, theatre production flick, and revenge movie – and does none of these things satisfyingly. It squanders the talents of Melissa Barrera and Tommy Dewey, and wastes its storytelling opportunities.
My review, click here

Skywalkers: A Love Story

18/6/2024

SKYWALKERS: A LOVE STORY ★★★☆☆
Documentary on a rooftopping couple - those who (illegally) climb the tallest structures. The vertigo-inducing footage is astonishing. A shame too much of the runtime foregrounds the relationship issues, which feels like reality TV. The drama of their chosen career is edge-of-your-seat enough. I wanted more on the psychology, mechanics, and prep.

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