Film Reviews
Using acute, penetrating realism, a career-best performance from Wyle, powerful secondary performances from the actors, air-tight writing incorporating pressing themes, and an unpredictable ending, Shot overwhelmingly succeeds as both a film and a statement about our culture.
Diablo Cody’s directorial debut was made back in 2013, yet got buried so deep it’s easy to not know it even existed. After watching Paradise, it became clear why it never got a proper release five years ago.
Ana Asensio’s directorial debut, Most Beautiful Island, is an intimate view of the immigrant experience not as social realist drama or romantic comedy, but as a horror story.
The Babysitter is perfectly trashy popcorn entertainment, with a distinctive, highly-stylized vision and self-satirizing bite; a lesson in embracing genre conventions rather than falling victim to them.
Prince of Nothingwood documents Salim Shaheen, a passionate Afghan director who makes dozens of low-budget films in his troubled home country, becoming idolized by many as a result.
Only two weeks into 2018, Swinging Safari is Australia’s worst film of the year thus far with its muddled need to elevate the material.
Laying blame is a difficult one because nothing is particularly awful in American Made: even the screenplay peppers a handful of decent set pieces and sequences throughout – but there’s nobody on-hand to elevate the picture.
Paddington 2 is the rare sequel that is better than the original, filled with a good natured warmth that will delight children and parents alike.
Despite an admittedly heartwarming message about not putting a price tag on ways to make others happy, there is very little to take away from Almost Paris. You’ve seen this one before, albeit better.
Desolation is a unique take on a traditional horror movie, bending genre conventions in to a unique (and thoroughly contemporary) nightmare.
Molly’s Game is a prime showcase for one of Hollywood’s most versatile actresses, but the film as a whole doesn’t live up to Chastain’s fiery performance.
Upon first viewing, Phantom Thread is utterly irresistible, but the dense themes and examinations of inter-character relationships means that it is the rare Anderson effort that will only be upgraded to masterpiece status once it has fully been processed after multiple viewings.
The Insidious franchise has quietly grown to be one of the most impressive and contemporary horror- and Insidious: The Last Key is another solid entry, despite the January release date.
A sequel to an earlier short, Don Hertzfeldt’s World of Tomorrow 2 has just as much ambition as its predecessor, with astounding animation, voice acting, and an overall worldview of existential pessimism.
Though occasionally unsurprising, Better Watch out is a strong alternative to the regular holiday viewing because of the nasty genre thrills it delivers whilst being wickedly funny.