Brutal and excellent. An Indian underground fighter answers the call to fight against a tyrannical regime and corrupt politicians. Monkey Man has been at least five years in the making. A passion project of actor Dev Patel, (who exploded on to the scene in Slumdog Millionaire in 2008) he would star as the lead, produce,…
Review: Wicked Little Letters
A neat little story that delivered more than advertised. Set in the 1920s, a English seaside town is emotionally rattled by obscene, profanity-riddled letters written and posted by an anonymous individual. A unorthodox investigation begins to track down the culprit. It is like 1920s social media! Directed by Thea Sharrock, director of television’s The Hollow…
Review: Ghostbusters – Frozen Empire
Sony might be getting the hang of this whole “Ghostbusters” thing. Following the events of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the Spengler family have moved into the old New York firehouse, and with it the mantle of protecting the city from ghostly invaders. But an ancient evil stirs, and all of the Ghostbusters need to rally against it…
Review: Dune – Part 2
As it was with past franchises, a second part of a narrative always feels a little… awkward. But Dune: Part 2 delivers the same quality and mystique as the first part. Following the events of Dune (2021) Paul Atreides finds himself among the Fremen, the natives of the planet Arrakis, hiding out from the Harkonnens,…
Review: Bob Marley – One Love
Musical biopic with a mystical edge. Could have been a little longer? It is the mid-1970s, and Jamaica is in turmoil since gaining its independence from the United Kingdom. Musical sensation and icon of the country, Bob Marley, plans to put on a show to lessen hostilities. But is his chilled demeanour more naiveté than…
Review: Argylle
It is so flashy but ultimately tiring. An author becomes hugely popular with a series of spy novels. But when a real spy organization is threatened by the alarming comparisons to their real-life operations… she is about to go on a globe-trotting adventure of her own. Director Matthew Vaughn exploded onto the scene with Layer…
Review: The Holdovers
Quirky characters, moving stories, heartache, wrapped in a cosy and familiar blanket. 1970 Christmas time, a boys boarding school must house the kids who have nowhere to go for the festive period. This task is given to one of the faculty’s older and most curmudgeonly teachers. Can any of these reluctant individuals find sympathy in…
Review: Poor Things
Beautiful, surreal, hilarious, dark, compelling. So very nearly perfect. Bella Baxter, a creation of a surgeon who creates weird chimera lifeforms, wants to be free of her “father’s” trappings and explore the world. She galivants off with a debauched lawyer, to start a journey of self-discovery. Poor Things has got a lot of coverage and…
Review: Night Swim
Haunted house? No, haunted swimming pool. American family the Wallers look for a new home, and come across one that even has a swimming pool. This would help the father, Ray, who is in need of physical therapy… But is there something evil lurking in the waters? With production studio Blumhouse and James Wan’s names…
Best and Worst of 2023
2023… It has been a difficult year for me personally, and I welcomed the increase in cinema this year since the pandemic as it was a means of escapism and distraction. But it has also been a difficult year for cinema! The start of the year (in the lead up to award season) saw several…