DVD & VOD

Netflix is famously tight-lipped about the viewership data for their Original releases, and in the case of Mute this might be for the best. For one wonders why anybody would, after the first five minutes, want to sit through the remaining two hours. Duncan Jones, whose minimalist, lo-fi science fiction delight, Moon, saw him thrust into the burgeoning pool of promising directors, was followed by an equally confident display of filmmaking prowess in the form of Source Code. Jones’ third...

“This experiment could unleash chaos” remarks Donal Logue’s faceless news pundit about a third of the way through this unexpected, and frankly unnecessary addition to the Cloverfield saga. Though the first two films – 2008’s Cloverfield and 2016’s 10 Cloverfield Lane – didn’t share any direct DNA within their separate narratives, they did both function as effective post-9/11 paranoia pieces; melding blockbuster thrills with timely considerations on how we can feed on and be consumed, both individually & collectively, by...

“The things you forget,” ruminates Lois Smith’s Marjorie mournfully towards the start of Michael Almereyda’s futuristic contemplation on memory and mortality. Now in her mid-80s, Marjorie suffers from a vascular form of dementia that causes her to regularly lose touch with the memories of her past. Living with her daughter Tess (Geena Davis), and son-in-law Jon (Tim Robbins), she spends much of her time staring blankly into the distance; a vague, indefinable confusion etched into her eyes – reprising her...

It is tempting to call Daphne an anti-romantic comedy but, while it is that to some degree, it’s also a much more complex and far reaching character study. Daphne (Emily Beecham) is a 31 year old chef living and working in London. The film is essentially a slice of her life, a brief period in which she’s dealing with casual sex, a potential relationship with a bouncer (Nathaniel Martello-White) who might promise more than that, a mother (Geraldine James) who...

The melancholic tones David Bowie mournfully set the mood for Jimmy Murakami’s revered adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ traumatic graphic novel. Originally released in 1986, when the world was gripped by the threat of nuclear war, When The Wind Blows was celebrated at the time for its humane consideration of a horrific hypothetical that many believed could soon become a devastating reality. Briggs pivots his narrative around the “Protect and Survive” information booklet that was available at the time, and designed...

By Simon Columb  Mean, affected by a tragic condition and with a haunting, arresting gaze, Ava is a memorable tale. Directed by Léa Mysius, this debut can meander and lose a little energy, with plot devices dropped by the way side early on, but it has an intriguing focal point in its lead protagonist who is keen to escape her middle-class, yet lonely life. Ava is also a vulnerable and broken 13-year old girl. Bravely portrayed by newcomer Noée Abita...

As malignant intolerance and nationalism spreads through Europe and America, there is a powerful urgency in Annalisa Piras’ concise 60 minute documentary, Europe at Sea, that should make it mandatory viewing. Although it is a political document addressing the European Union’s approach to global and European issues, its message is uniquely human; “No country in the world of today is a big one.” The documentary centres on Federica Mogherini, who at 43 is the youngest person to head the Foreign...

By Sam Inglis In the woods, somewhere in the US, Paul, Sarah and their son Travis (Joel Edgerton, Carmen Ejogo and Kelvin Harrison Jr) have sheltered themselves in their house. A deadly plague has swept through the country. They are among the survivors, and trying to remain that way. One night they hear a noise and discover Will (Christopher Abbott), who says he thought the house was empty and was looking for supplies for his wife Kim and young son...

“Dunkirk was a great defeat, and a great miracle.” For those who thought Christopher Nolan’s shattering summer spectacle could have benefitted from greater historical context need look no further than Leslie Norman’s epic wartime classic from 1958, which is now being re-released on DVD & Blu-Ray with a gorgeous 2k restoration. A dramatisation of the dramatic events that led to Operation Dynamo, in which the British Army succeeded in rescuing over 300-thousand men from the shores of France, Norman tells...