The rug pull of Pig is now widely known, but how it does it is still so compelling. After several years of a whole lot of 'it is John Wick but...' films, known goofy-action-icon Nicholas Cage taking on the 'John Wick but..' mantle, this time trying to get back his Pig, seems like an enjoyably … Continue reading Pig (Review)
Category: Films
Summer of Soul (Review)
Music festivals have always been about more than just the music. Questlove's beautifully curated documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival understands this perfectly. This amazing film lets us experience the music and the atmosphere, but also effortlessly contextualises everything, selling the historic import and delving into the wider topics while still delivering one hell … Continue reading Summer of Soul (Review)
The Suicide Squad (Review)
After an abysmal attempt to get this franchise on screen in 2016, the Suicide Squad are back, this time helmed by the director they were trying to imitate in the first place. The previous film was a clear attempt to capture what Guardians of the Galaxy did for Marvel, and was an overt failure (on … Continue reading The Suicide Squad (Review)
Space Jam: A New Legacy (Review)
Let's get this out of the way: Space Jam 2 is a mess. It is an unnecessary, repetitive and cynical sequel to an already – let's be honest – not very good film. It is lessened by a limp performance from LeBron James (though he's arguably less bad than Michael Jordan in the first); an … Continue reading Space Jam: A New Legacy (Review)
Inside (Review)
Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade is one of the best films of the last few years. It displays a nuanced understanding of relevant topics; has a clear point of view; works as a character study (and drama) as well as a message movie and, most importantly, finds the right voice for its story. The content in … Continue reading Inside (Review)
In the Heights (Review)
Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the acclaimed stage show really wants you to know it is a film. It is all spectacle all the way through, with fantastical inflections that could never happen on stage. The camera is also incredibly pronounced: we shift constantly in large musical numbers (of which there are many, too many), … Continue reading In the Heights (Review)
Army of the Dead (Review)
Somewhere, deep in the bowels of Zack Snyder's latest cinematic mess, is a passable and fun zombie movie. You can see it from time to time, you can even sense that it exists on the page as some of the moments have a ludicrous energy and just commit to stupidity in a way his Dawn … Continue reading Army of the Dead (Review)
In the Earth (Review)
Ben Wheatley's career continues to be fascinating. Dark, independent features like Kill List and A Field In England (and Sightseers) led him to adapting J.G Ballard's High-Rise, and - now equipped with more resources than ever - he followed that up with a low-key, single location shoot-out film with a star-studded cast (the wonderful Free … Continue reading In the Earth (Review)
Cruella (Review)
Though a step up from the atrocious Mulan, Cruella is another poor live-action outing from Disney. This time, they've taken a slight step towards originality, moving away from adapting their animations and instead making prequels to them. An interesting choice, especially when the films never needed prequels in the first place. Rather than letting Cruella … Continue reading Cruella (Review)
Mortal Kombat (2021) (Review)
It would not be a cynical reboot if Mortal Kombat didn't spend the whole film setting up a much more interesting sequel. This frustrating trend reaches perhaps its zenith in this non-movie that could exist as the opening act of a more interesting film, or could be ditched completely. We spend an hour and thirty-nine … Continue reading Mortal Kombat (2021) (Review)
Assorted Opinions 