Silver Star, a determinedly quirky little movie, is a throwback to the indie cinema of the nineties in the best way. It stands and falls entirely on the actions of two unpredictable people, thrown together through a combination of foolishness and bad decisions, and who stick together through a combination …
Ryan Coogler knew just what audiences were missing and delivered a euphoric cinematic experience as he has answered our prayer for original filmmaking with the spectacular whirlwind known as Sinners. Taking us on a dance with one or more devils and a journey through 1930s Southern US history with a …
Black Mirror, the hit dystopian anthology series, recently went into its seventh outing. Starting out humbly on Channel 4 in the UK, created by dead-pan funny guy Charlie Brooker, the show went onto new heights after he sold it to Netflix. The Americanisation of the show hasn’t landed well with …
Zeitgeisty trends combine in Peacock: how it mocks the vapid wealthy with lives so comfortable they must manufacture problems for themselves is clearly inspired by the work of Ruben Östlund. The problem is that social satire works best with a strong opinion about the behaviour being mocked. Are you teasing …
When asked to define the word eephus, many may just give up. The word sounds almost made-up if you do not come from the world of baseball. If you are a fan of the great American pastime, however, an eephus is a known quantity. It is the name for a …
The only flaw in the magnificent The Return is that, by virtue of the casting, the audience is able to predict the plot before the characters can. This is however an extremely small complaint in the grand scheme of an unusually subtle and thoughtful war movie. For one thing, it’s …
I’ve mentioned this countless times throughout my years of film criticism: not every movie needs to be narratively and thematically profound, impacting audiences so deeply with philosophical messages that their lives are forever changed. Cinema is, among many things, entertainment. So, it’s no surprise when films like Freaky Tales emerge, …
If you are fascinated with medical dramas like Grey’s Anatomy, Chicago Med, and The Good Doctor, then Pulse is the next gripping series you won’t want to miss. Set in Miami’s busiest Level 1 Trauma Center, Pulse delivers high-stakes medical emergencies, intense personal dynamics, and a storm of secrets that …
Throughout season 2, Severance has consistently been the most streamed show on Apple TV+, even outpacing Ted Lasso. No doubt the finale, Cold Harbor, will be one of the most streamed episodes of the season as Ben Stiller brings this season to its compelling conclusion. Throughout Season 2, there has been a push …
Director Erico Rassi has become one of the most fascinating voices of the newest Brazilian cinema. He combines the classical codes of the Western genre and gives them another significance. In his debut feature, the 2016 Comeback, he narrates the story of a man who lost the magnificence of his …
In 1970, Judy Blume’s eponymous novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret was published. The book, a grounded curtail pull on teenage sexuality, was met with indignation by certain literary factions of the USA, going as far as banning the book in certain states over its discussion of menstruation …
Media like James Bond and Mission Impossible deliver a sleek, action-packed adventure in the spy genre. However, what many would consider the best spy material does things differently. Instead, more thought-provoking spy-fare focuses on the process and tradecraft. Films like Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy, and A Most Wanted Man are …
Cinema represents reality by allowing us to imagine ourselves in situations that may seem far from our daily existence. In her directorial debut, Mexican director Urzula Barba Hopfner envisions the life of Corina (Naian González Norvind), an agoraphobic woman. She has an anxiety disorder that affects her when she is …
Unusually, September 5 faced one main question before its release: why has it been made? Well, since the last presidential inauguration, we have our answer. September 5 is one of those biopic-style (but not a documentary) re-enactments of tragic real-world events. Here the disaster is at the 1972 Munich Olympics, …
One of the films that generated a lot of buzz at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023 was Magazine Dreams, from writer and director Elijah Bynum. Star Jonathan Majors was definitely on the come up, starring in critically acclaimed pieces like The Last Black Man in San Francisco and Lovecraft Country and playing Kang in the MCU. …
There are only a handful of movies that have managed to capture the horrifying nature of Alzheimer’s. Films such as Still Alice , Away From Her, and The Father talk about this disease and the devastation it causes in a surreal manner. At this year’s Slamdance Film Festival, viewers got …
HBO’s The White Lotus proved a revelation upon its release in 2021. The results of seasons one and two delivered one of the most entertaining series in recent memory. Show creator and writer Mike White struck a seamless balance, providing a sharp satire and critique of the rich. Not only …
Long Day’s Journey into Night has been a core of the theatrical canon since its 1956 debut. It won the Pulitzer Prize posthumously for its author, Eugene O’Neill, and has been in worldwide repertory ever since. The role of the mother, Mary Tyrone, is one of the best in the …
In The End, Joshua Oppenheimer turns his camera from documentary towards fiction while continuing his exploration of the lies people tell themselves. The film opens with a young man (George Mackay) painstakingly painting miniature figures and landscapes onto a large diorama; on closer inspection, the diorama seems to encapsulate a …
Dawn breaks over the Maine countryside as Duke (Donald Sales) and Reacher (the remarkable Alan Ritchson) drive back to the compound and discuss the infuriating Angel Doll (Manuel Rodriguez-Saenz). In the kitchen, Reacher tries to glean intel from housemaid Annette (Caitlin McNerney) and sharp-tongued English chef Agnes (Helen Taylor), though …