Animated sequels can be a challenge; sometimes, the sequel isn’t as good as the original (Shrek the Third is a perfect example). Other times, the sequels can be better than the original (Shrek 2). In DreamWorks Animation’s case, they now have two franchises that have maintained their quality throughout their sequels …
James Nunn’s One Shot had the biggest potential out of any direct-to-video actioner Scott Adkins led in so long: an action film staged like a one-take in which Adkins would topple as many baddies as possible as if the audience were playing a video game. And while it certainly contained its moments of pure spectacle, …
The year is 2041, and death before one’s time does not necessarily mean the end of one’s life in Robert Hloz’s sleek sci-fi thriller. Restore Point takes its title from this new technology, managed in a central database in a nondescript metropolis of tarnished chrome (perhaps Prague in the future, though signs of its …
5Lbs of Pressure, the newest film from writer and director Phil Allocco, showcases a dangerous world where people live between the cracks of society. Starring Luke Evans, Rory Culkin, Alex Pettyfer, Stephanie Leonidas and Rudy Pankow, the film is 15 years in the making and is so worth the wait. In the movie, …
Love stories often rely on two characters being in the right place at the right time. Falling Into Place – a melancholic slow-burn love story from writer/director Aylin Tezel – follows in the timeless vein of the recent phenomena Normal People and One Day: the meeting of its characters may feel like destiny, but trials of time, …
Isaac Asimov was a Russian science fiction writer who died in the early 1990s. He wrote extensively about the future and discussed AI and robots in many of his stories. Much of his work was written before our modern world of robot vacuum cleaners and self-driving cars, but much of Asimov’s …
Road trip films have always been a staple of American cinema, and Emma Westenberg’s new feature sets out in this nostalgic vein as she tackles the highs and lows of family bonds. In Bleeding Love, which had its Scottish premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival after an earlier 2023 South by Southwest world premiere, …
If you’ve ever had the chance to make a movie, chances are your mind will be tormented during the development, production, and post-production stages. While watching the rushes or beginning to edit your film, your mind may not enjoy what’s unfolding and will quasi-force you to come up with new …
This cinematic triumph transcends expectations, blending epic action with unforgettable performances. In 2021, Denis Villeneuve stunned the world with the first part of Dune and made everyone believe he is one of the most extraordinary filmmakers of this generation. Since then, fans have eagerly waited for the Canadian director to come forward with the …
Bring Him to Me, director Luke Sparke’s new movie starring Barry Pepper, Jamie Costa, Rachel Griffiths, and the legendary Sam Neill, is out now, and we had a chance to catch up with him and get all the details about the thriller. Bring Him to Me is a gritty crime showcase that feels like a noir graphic novel. The …
Content warning: How to Have Sex and this review touches on the subjects of sexual assault. Please approach both with caution if this topic is triggering for you. I heard very little about Molly Manning Walker’s debut film, How to Have Sex, so I went into it without many preconceptions. What I got …
The world of Hollywood comedians is an interesting one. Comedians like Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, and Whoopi Goldberg (to name a few) started in stand-up comedy. Those comedians turned out to be some of the best actors of their generation. In the following years, other comedians (i.e., Bill Burr, Andrew Santino, and Illiza Shlesinger) did the same …
Most of us can remember what it was like to be in grade school. There was always some Tommy likes Sally type of drama between pubescent boys and girls, but rarely were there incidents of any note that got the whole school on high alert. Most of those types of …
When one thinks of letter writing in the contemporary age, we tend to think of it as a forgotten art form where communicators shared feelings of friendship through the personal means of delivering a handwritten message. Friendship is the last thing contained in the letters of Wicked Little Letters. Instead, we get …
Queer stories aren’t a new concept. If you look at film history, especially before the Hays Code, you’ll see a vast collection that has been influenced by queer filmmakers since the beginning of Hollywood, even if it’s through fashion, set design, etc. Queer love stories have begun to find a …
Michael Winterbottom has one of the most prolific filmographies of any contemporary British filmmaker. From docudrama miniseries like This England to black comedies like Greed to Palme d’Or competing projects like 24 Hour Party People, Winterbottom has shown bold experimentation and a refusal to be bound to one singular approach to media. His latest, the period drama Shoshana, is a …
Denis Villeneuve’s much-awaited sequel to 2021’s spi-fi epic, Dune, is the first truly great film of 2024. Dune: Part Two’s scope is awe-inspiring, its pacing is electric, and the themes it explores are suspenseful and thought-provoking. While a faithful adaptation to its behemoth-sized source material, the ways in which it inverts the formula of …
Ray Yeung’s elegant and tender film All Shall Be Well begins with protagonists Angie (Patra Au Ga Man) and Pat (Maggie Li Lin-Lin) existing happily together as an elderly lesbian couple, their bond silent, no unnecessary words spoken between them as they eat, get ready and walk along an autumnal path. They’ve been …
Mia McKenna-Bruce Gives a star-making performance in this quietly devastating drama. The first thirty minutes or so of Molly Manning Walker’s feature directorial debut, How to Have Sex, is highly disorienting. Walker zips through one scene after the next at a breakneck pace as she posits the story as a coming-of-age tale where a group …
In 2021, Claire Keegan’s novel on the Magdalene laundries Small Things Like These was released to acclaim, going on to be shortlisted for the famous Booker Prize. The turnaround between a book’s release and a film adaptation being made can vary, with some taking years to find their adaptive footing. In the case of Small …