Film Reviews

From the outset it is clear that The Ritual has ambitions to be more than just another tired and predictable horror film. Following the death of their friend Robert (Paul Reid), a group of university friends, now in their early thirties, forgo the traditional boys holiday and instead go on a hiking trip to Sweden as their late friend had suggested. Luke (Rafe Spall), who was present when Robert was killed, is still troubled by guilt and has recurring nightmares...

By Jim Mackney “Blade Runner 2049” is directed by “Arrival” director, Denis Villeneuve and executively produced by original Blade Runner director, Ridley Scott. The sequel takes place 30 years after the previous film and continues along the same existential lines; questioning the characters position in the world and what it means to be alive. There was a moment in the film when I realised there had been very few ‘set pieces’. This isn’t in any way intended as criticism. In fact...

By Jim Mackney A satire following the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, adapted by Armando Iannucci, David Schneider and Ian Martin from the French graphic novel series by Fabien Nury and Thierry Robin. It doesn’t sound like a barrel of laughs and it isn't. In truth the film like the finest satirical films, has a jet-black heart that stinks to high heaven like a corpse that has been left out in the sun. None of the characters have redeemable...

Films about enigmatic real life characters often go to large efforts to find and discover their chosen figure. In Loving Vincent this search is a bit more literal. Vincent van Gogh (Robert Gulaczyk) was an ardent letter writer during his life and after his death Joseph Roulin (Chris O’Dowd), a local postman, was left with an undelivered letter from Vincent to his brother. Unable to post it himself, he entrusts his son, Armand Roulin (Douglas Booth), with the job. After...

By Michael McNulty Marianna Palka’s fourth feature, Bitch, is a flawed, but strangely captivating film.  A fantastical tale of a woman living on the brink of breakdown who is one day pushed over into a full scale meltdown of canine proportions. Jill (Marianna Palka), mother of four and wife of philandering, never present father, Bill (Jason Ritter), exists in a state of high anxiety, her mind scratching at the doggy door of collapse.  Their kids are an obnoxious bunch blind...

By Jim Mackney Seeing Ronald Reagan address the American from behind his desk in the Oval office is not the heart warming scene you may imagine. The image is eerie, as is the rest of The Reagan Show, a documentary that feels out of step with the world at large and feels ultimately facile. “The Reagan Show”, directed by Pacho Velez and Sierra Pettengill, is a bland film made from archive material. The film’s slim runtime of just under eighty minutes,...

Based on Tomihiko Morimi’s bestselling novel of the same name, The Night is Short, Walk on Girl takes place over a single eventful night and follows Otome as she parties, gets drunk for the first time, visits a book fair, and takes part in a university festival. All the while she is pursued by Senpai who is in love with her. Well this is at least what I thought was going on, as the erratic nature of the story makes...

By Jim Mackney Poverty, whiskey, home truths and a little bit of laughter. These fragments make up the adaptation of Jeanette Walls’ memoir, “The Glass Castle”. The film barrels along, and at a crisp 2hrs 7mins in length it doesn’t outstay its welcome. It reaches for the stars and goes for emotion in capital letters. “The Glass Castle” is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and stars, Brie Larson as Jeanette Walls and Woody Harrleson as her father, Rex Walls. The...

With its highly anticipated sequel set for release in the next couple of weeks there is no better time to see the original that lies at the heart of all the excitement. To coincide with this, as well as the 35th anniversary of its initial release, Blade Runner has been remastered and reissued in stunning 4k. As many of you will know, the story is set in 2019 where we find detective Deckard (Harrison Ford), a retired blade runner who...