In a perfunctory flashback that aims to give some grounding to this frictionless spy 'thriller', Ryan Gosling's protagonist (known by codename Sierra 6, or just 6) incorrectly explains the myth of Sisyphus. It is one of those portentous moments, where the story is only brought up as a thematic echo: 6 has Sisyphus' name (in … Continue reading The Gray Man (Review)
Tag: Netflix
Don’t Look Up (Review)
If Don't Look Up is about anything, and I'm already being charitable, it is how we as a society are blind to the issues around us and are complicit in their progression. It is therefore ridiculous that this film doesn't actually deal with an actual issue, instead it just conjures up straw man caricature after … Continue reading Don’t Look Up (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)
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)
Things Heard and Seen (Review)
Sometimes, you have to give a film credit for trying. And, you know what, Things Heard and Seen (another disposable Netflix film that has gained attention purely to a couple of notable stars) certainly tries. It tries to touch on wider themes: transcendental and theological horror (hinting at Blakean and more widely Romanticist concepts); cycles … Continue reading Things Heard and Seen (Review)
Over the Moon (Review)
From the very start of this animated musical, you know everything that's going to happen. Some of this is because it ticks some comfortingly familiar boxes but, mostly, the lack of narrative originality is a chore. The film also repeats regressive tropes, starting with a woefully predictable event that is a much too common an … Continue reading Over the Moon (Review)
The Midnight Sky (Review)
While so much sci-fi explores unknown and uncharted territory, The Midnight Sky decides to boldly go where every other film has been before. And boldly is charitable. This George Clooney directed, and starring, feature is an awkward mess of science fiction tropes and faint echoes of better films. The bizarre thing is, at points it … Continue reading The Midnight Sky (Review)
News of the World (Review)
It is almost impossible to write about News of the World without using the word 'capable'. It really is the perfect word to summarise not only the filmmaking but a core philosophy that the film expresses. What this means is (on a craft level), as with most films from director Paul Greengrass, you are in … Continue reading News of the World (Review)
Pieces of a Woman (Review)
If you've heard anything about Pieces of a Woman, chances are it is about the twenty-plus minute continuous shot of a traumatic home birth. It is an exceptional sequence, with masterful filmmaking in which the obtrusive camera movements add to the swell of tension and anxiety, while the unbroken shot further compounds this. It is … Continue reading Pieces of a Woman (Review)
Love and Monsters (Review)
After a brief, but rather obnoxious, narrated introduction, Love and Monsters settles into being a well executed and very tropey apocalypse movie. It ticks all the YA and post-apocalyptic boxes you would expect, going every direction you think at will - with even later twists on the formula feeling inevitable. But, when a film gives … Continue reading Love and Monsters (Review)
Assorted Opinions 