A good horror movie gravitates around a strong central metaphor. With the original Candyman, the premise leads to a lot of wider symbolic opportunity: an evergreen centre that can be applied in multiple ways and in different contexts. Nia DaCosta's reboot, and semi-sequel, takes full advantage of this. In fact, it gets lost in taking … Continue reading Candyman (2021) (Review)
Tag: 2021
The Green Knight (Review)
A simple premise turns into a mercurial tale as myth envelops reality. Those who feel greatness within their reach forgo goodness entirely, striving to become the legend. Here, this morality tale is infused with surrealist flair to create a haunting vision. The pace is slow, a perfect match for a man's journey to a fated, … Continue reading The Green Knight (Review)
No Sudden Move (Review)
When watching Steven Soderbergh's latest, the first thing that stands out is how it is shot. The whole film has a distorted look. Things aberrate at the edges of the screen and there is an almost fish-eye effect; though, it's more like watching on an old non-flat screen TV. This is produced by period appropriate … Continue reading No Sudden Move (Review)
The Sparks Brothers (Review)
The entire purpose of Edgar Wright's documentary is to showcase Sparks to the world. Everybody involved here clearly thinks the band are superb, and that they deserve veneration and a wider listenership. I mean, there are even parts when Wright explains his film's purpose. These parts, well, they give it a TV documentary, or DVD … Continue reading The Sparks Brothers (Review)
Pig (Review)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Shiva Baby (Review)
Filmic comedy is rarely as modern or as razor sharp as it is in Shiva Baby. While we live in an age of fabulous and diverse comedy, from fresh - or previously underrepresented - perspectives, this has been somewhat relegated to television, short form video and podcasts. The contemporary comedy film still often feels formulaic … Continue reading Shiva Baby (Review)
Assorted Opinions 