There will be a very specific audience that Enola Holmes will work for: it provides a base level of empowerment, has an accessible hook and includes popular actors. However, though the film will work for a target audience of (primarily) young girls, that doesn't mean that it does enough for them. It ticks off all … Continue reading Enola Holmes (Review)
Memories of Murder (Reissue Review)
After making history with his modern masterpiece Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's highly acclaimed 2003 drama, Memories of Murder, has been reissued by Curzon (available at some cinemas or for rental from their website). After enjoying a limited run when first released, the film has been somewhat unavailable in the United Kingdom since, this reissue therefore being … Continue reading Memories of Murder (Reissue Review)
Cuties (Review)
Unfortunately, Cuties will be forever overshadowed by the extreme negative reaction to its marketing and perceived premise. A loud proportion of the internet has threatened to boycott Netflix - or just this film - despite having never seen it, purely based on what they think it is. The complaints are bizarre, and fundamentally don't match … Continue reading Cuties (Review)
I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Review)
There are films that defy description, and then there are Charlie Kaufman films. In the wake of the release of Tenet, a film positioned as the saviour of cinema, it is this Netflix produced feature that really illustrates the power of the medium - fundamentally, I'm Thinking of Ending Things is a true illustration of … Continue reading I’m Thinking of Ending Things (Review)
In My Room (Review)
Towards the start of Mati Diop's (director of the fantastic feature, Atlantics) lockdown based short film, we see her writing an email in which she is explaining her pitch for the film we are watching. It's playfully meta, yet also incredibly vérité, and sets the tone for the rest of the film. We are seeing … Continue reading In My Room (Review)
The New Mutants (Review)
After years in developmental limbo, The New Mutants finally exists. However, this latest release in the increasingly troubled X-Men franchise exists in a deeply unengaging and often incomprehensible state. After an infamously difficult production cycle for this film, with frequent delays and reshoots, it's perhaps commendable that this film even exists at all - however, … Continue reading The New Mutants (Review)
Rising Phoenix (Review)
An inspiring and informative Netflix produced documentary focusing on Paralympic athletes and the history of the Games. This wide subject matter does lead to some imbalance - and certain stories feeling unfinished or underexplored - but the film definitely serves as a fantastic introduction to the subject: a great incentive to learn more for yourself. … Continue reading Rising Phoenix (Review)
Tenet (Review)
Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster comes with the promise of saving cinema: an unparalleled, thought provoking spectacle that will bring back the masses (safely, of course). Few films could bear this burden and, unfortunately, to repurpose a cliché actually used in Tenet (more on the clunky dialogue later) the film arrives not with a bang but … Continue reading Tenet (Review)
Random Acts of Violence (Review)
Violent art that interrogates its own violence is nothing new - and if you're creating violent art self reflection is indeed healthy. Jay Baruchel's Random Acts of Violence sets out to explore the overriding question around all violent art: is it ethical? Does violent art perpetuate violence? Does it reflect violence in the creator? Is … Continue reading Random Acts of Violence (Review)
The Old Guard (Review)
There are things to like in The Old Guard. First of all, it is a pleasingly diverse film in a very natural feeling way: we have two female leads; the film's major romance plot is between two men (and is achingly romantic in the way that we, sadly, too frequently see reserved for heterosexual relationships). … Continue reading The Old Guard (Review)
Assorted Opinions 