Film Reviews

One of the strengths of the series since the pilot episode has been the characterisation of not only our regular band of misfits, but also the ancillary characters that prop up the world of Annville. ‘Monster Swamp’ sees Jesse fade into the background, in favour of fleshing out the side characters and the writing team does this admirably – continuing to weave the webs that connect the members of this community. The episode opens with imagery that wouldn’t be out...

After an action packed episode 2, Preacher returns to its famed slow boil this week using this latest outing to unpack the characters and reward the audience with some startling revelations. Spending the first two episodes tearing through Texas, we open with Tulip trading in the map she stole in the pilot – it turns out it was mere currency for the last known address of an ex-accomplice. Whilst we don’t see what the map contains, it’s great to finally see...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt/@Afrofilmviewer As we are seemingly embarking on a more skeptical and paranoid, right-leaning era, it's more than a little disheartening that Trumbo pulls it's lefty punches and holds no real political relevancy. Whether this is partly due to the film being made way before the feverish excitement of Trump delirium, or the simple fact that director Jay Roach is only really interested investing in the political aspects Hollywood's golden age with the spikes removed. These are...

Review by Leslie Byron Pitt Gabriel Ripstein’s minimalist 600 Miles has a naïve, young gun runner (Kristyan Ferrer) deciding that the best thing to do with an injured ATF agent (Tim Roth) is to take him hostage. It’s a novice mistake and one that many could only see happening in the fictional world that certain crime films inhabit. That said, one thing Ripstein’s feature does well, it is illustrating just how green the young lead of the story is.  It’s...

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...