Film Reviews

On the surface The Snowman looks like one of those films that could only be good. With an acclaimed director, a strong cast, interesting source material, and even Martin Scorsese in an executive producer role, what could possibly go wrong? Based on the novel by Jo Nesbø of the same name, the film follows detective Harry Hole (Michael Fassbender) as he investigates the disappearance of a woman whose scarf is found wrapped around a sinister-looking snowman near her home. He...

By Michael McNulty Boy, Taika Waititi’s sophomore feature, before collaboration with Jermaine Clement on What We Do in the Shadows secured him as co-creator of the best vampire mockumentary of all time and last year’s success with Hunt for the Wilderpeople put him at the helm of Marvel’s latest Thor instalment, is a coming of age story as playful and funny as it is tender and sad. Set in the tribal lands of the Te Whanau-A-Apanui, in the Bay of...

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...