Film Reviews

Review by Ben New There are two basic types of proper rubbish films; ones that know they are rubbish and ones that don’t. The perfect example of the latter would be Tommy Wiseau’s The Room which, although could be described as the Kruger-Dunning effect 24 times a second, becomes almost an extra-terrestrial meditation on what a film is. I am Wrath, however, is closer to the former. It is safe to assume director Chuck Russell, whose credits include The Mask,...

When AMC brought us The Walking Dead six years ago no one but the most avid fans of the comic series could have imagined it would become the most successful TV show in history, spawning spinoffs, video games and making creator Robert Kirkman a household name. Heck my parents watch it religiously week after week and they normally can’t stand the sight of gore or the zombie genre. Speaking of religion, Preacher premièred in the UK exclusively on Amazon Prime Video last night....

Review By Michael McNulty You may find it difficult to decide how to feel about Youth, Paolo Sorrentino’s most recent cinematic offering.  Set in a luxury spa hotel in the Swiss Alps, the film has a quiet melancholy about it with an undercurrent of comedy flowing beneath the surface. Youth’s rich visuals are beautifully stylised, but the film feels indulgent and overly sentimental and lacks a forward movement that limits its emotional engagement. It’s about two old, successful friends reflecting...

Reviewed by Miranda Schiller @mirandadadada Mavis! explores the life and career of Mavis Staples, from her beginnings as a young girl performing gospel songs with her dad Pops and her siblings as the Staples Singers, through their transition to soul, some of her most important collaborations, and the ups and downs of a career in a changing musical industry. With interview footage from herself, prominent collaborators and friends, and ample concert footage, it's an engaging portrait of a never-tired singer...

Review by Ben Holliday/@bholliday Bad Neighbours 2 follows a trend of sequels that weren’t asked for nor needed but thankfully, that is where the similarities with poor 2016 comedy sequels end. The Nicholas Stoller helmed sequel is full of laughs and most surprisingly of attempts to tackle societal issues. With life having surged on since the events of the first film, Mac Radner (Seth Rogen) and wife Kelly (Rose Byrne) are preparing to sell their house and move on to...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt/@Afrofilmviewer Carl Bernstein: All these neat, little houses and all these nice, little streets... It's hard to believe that something's wrong with some of those little houses. Bob Woodward: No, it isn't.    - All The President Men, 1976, Alan J. Pakula. Like so many recent Oscar Winners. It’s easy to feel, much like the #OscarSoWhite hubbub, that Spotlight has already seemed to be forgotten. The likes of Mad Max: Fury Road and its director is still...

Review by Ben Holliday X-Men: Apocalypse is the latest entry in the 16 year old franchise and marks the fourth time director Bryan Singer has helmed an X-Men picture. Unfortunately, it may be time for him to move on from the genre he helped create. The film starts off strong enough with a visceral set piece introducing us to the main villain Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac) in ancient Egypt. In fact the first half an hour or so flies by, bringing...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt Note: This review contains what could be considered mild spoilers Twenty four year old Joy (Brie Larson) and her son Jack (Jacob Trembley) live as hostages inside a squalid shed in Ohio, which they describe as Room. They eat, sleep and exercise all within this tiny space as captives of a man they name “Old Nick” who routinely abuses Joy. Jack (a product of abuse) is often hidden from Nick by Joy, who does her...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt Moments after the title credits for Everybody Wants Some pop on the screen, it’s clear to many that College was never like this. But director Richard Linklater’s latest feature is the type of coming of age film that allows a few viewers to wallow into the fantasy that this college is what they wish it would be. Considered a spiritual successor to the hazy 70’s set cult hit Dazed and Confused (1993), Everybody Wants Some,...