Review

Film Review: Fisherman’s Friends 2: One and All lacks any of the charm or wit of its breezy predecessor

February 23, 2023

Whilst I can see the charm that audiences fell for regarding the original Fisherman’s Friends, a 2019 “feel-good” true story dramedy about the unlikely musical success of the titular Cornish fishermen, who signed with Universal Records and garnered a Top 10 placing album with their sea shanty renditions, none of that is remotely present in […]

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Film Review: Missing is a welcome twist on the found-footage genre

February 23, 2023

When the cat’s away, the mice will play.  But what happens if the cat doesn’t come home? Such is the question posed by directing duo Will Merrick and Nicholas D. Johnson in Missing, a spiritual sequel to 2018’s technologically-inclined thriller Searching; which, wouldn’t you know it, happened to be edited by Merrick and Johnson, both […]

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Film Review: Cocaine Bear is wild, high, very bloody, darkly funny, and doesn’t play well with others

February 23, 2023

They often say that truth can be stranger than fiction, and in the case of Cocaine Bear, the truth is wild, high, very bloody, darkly funny, and doesn’t play well with others.  Of course, this is only an “inspired by” truth, the type of truth that gets gloriously twisted for the sake of bombastic entertainment.  […]

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Like a Dragon: Ishin! Review: Fresh setting, familiar faces

February 22, 2023

For as much as I have enjoyed almost every entry in the Yakuza series (known in Japan as Like a Dragon), I was surprised to find I had never encountered Like a Dragon: Ishin! Funnily enough, western fans might have felt the same way, upon realising that this entry is actually a remake of a […]

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Wild Hearts Review: The hunt is on

February 21, 2023

It’s admittedly been a while since I had touched base with the Monster Hunter series. And then I saw it; the reveal of Wild Hearts, developer Omega Force and Koei Tecmo’s answer to an existing breed of hunting game, that draws on many of the techniques and mechanics of the aforementioned franchise, while adding satisfying combat, […]

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Film Review: Lonesome revels in the filthy reality of queer eroticism

February 20, 2023

You’ve really got to hand it to writer/director Craig Boreham for embracing queer eroticism and all that entails in Lonesome, a movie that revels in filth but is at its most uncomfortable when it simply lets its lead characters exist. Casey (Josh Lavery) is the embodiment of the titular state, a cowboy who has escaped […]

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Film Review: Sarah Polley’s Women Talking projects confronting but necessary conversations around abuse and religion

February 16, 2023

Based on Miriam Toews‘s 2018 novel of the same name, Women Talking is a complicated, multi-faceted look at religion and the complexity of abuse response. The easiest thing to ask someone – specifically a woman – when they mention abuse within a relationship is why they haven’t left.  It’s an outside perspective that is never […]

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Film Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is an incoherent start to the MCU’s Phase Five

February 15, 2023

After an incredibly disjointed Phase Four, all eyes are indeed on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (or Quantumania, as we will be noting for short throughout this review) to see how this particular threequel will set a precedent for the forthcoming Phase Five of the continued Marvel Cinematic Universe. If this is anything to go […]

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Ibiza Blue is a beautiful, aching drama that bathes in poetic subtlety: SBIFF Review

February 15, 2023

Given the shared enormity that was living through the pandemic at its seeming peak throughout 2020 and 2021, it’s a surprise that few films have actually addressed it in a manner that’s relatable for audiences.  Whilst films are an escape, it’s a reality that can’t forever be ignored, and co-writer/director/star Jesús Lloveras manages to infuse […]

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Film Review: She Is Love lacks a certain motivation that highlights its experimental nature

February 13, 2023

Despite its enchanting title, there’s not a lot to love about She Is Love, an experimental drama from writer/director Jamie Adams. Adhering to a spontaneity that Adams bestowed upon her cast, She Is Love has potential in its premise and lead trio – Haley Bennett, Sam Riley and Marisa Abela – but there’s ultimately only […]

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A Bit of Light‘s narrative authenticity is overpowered by unfortunate artificiality: SBIFF Review

February 12, 2023

Authenticity and artificiality battle with equal gusto throughout A Bit of Light, a filmic adaptation of Rebecca Callard‘s award-winning stage production.  The theatrical origins are difficult to entirely dismiss throughout Stephen Moyer‘s drama though, with the True Blood alum not always proving steady in his narrative navigation. Anna Paquin – coincidentally Moyer’s wife in real-life […]

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Film Review: Irreversible: Straight Cut corrects narrative cohesion but maintains Gaspar Noé’s psychological devastation

February 11, 2023

Few films have shocked me in the manner of Gaspar Noé’s Irreversible. Released in cinemas some 20 years ago, it arrived off the back of its storming Cannes controversy, thrusting the relatively unknown (at least to anyone who didn’t consider themselves a “cinephile”) Noé into somewhat-mainstream relevance.  The film’s storyline, or more correctly its treatment […]

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Abigail Breslin’s tender performance amplifies the important voice of Miranda’s Victim: SBIFF Review

February 11, 2023

Boasting a truly spectacular ensemble cast and detailing both the American legal system and the “blind eye” mentality that often accompanies accusations of sexual assault, Miranda’s Victim is an occasionally shaky, but always captivating true story drama. Despite its 1960’s setting, Michelle Danner‘s film feels all too relevant in this current climate; no doubt in […]

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Film Review: Somebody I Used To Know defies genre conventionality with a welcome authenticity

February 10, 2023

That classic romantic comedy genre trope of big-city-girl-returns-to-small-home-town is one that, initially, writer/director Dave Franco and writer/star Alison Brie utilise to almost expected potential in Somebody I Used To Know, a more human dramedy than romcom romp that cements the notion that you can never truly go home again. People and places change, and no […]

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Film Review: Mean Spirited furthers filmmaker Jeff Ryan’s hold as an artist unafraid to sacrifice ego for the sake of entertainment

February 9, 2023

When watching Mean Spirited I couldn’t help but wonder why Jeff Ryan isn’t a household name.  As a director he has worked within a duo of spaces that have well been tested – the mockumentary comedy and the found footage subsect of horror – but both this and his previous effort (YouthMin) prove he has […]

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Film Review: The Son fails to interrogate its worthy subject matter in an honest fashion

February 9, 2023

The claustrophobic and emotional resonance Florian Zeller created with 2020’s The Father is unfortunately nowhere to be found in The Son, a prequel of sorts based off another of Zeller’s stage plays. A chamber piece on the subject of dementia that rightfully won Anthony Hopkins his second Best Actor Academy Award, The Father expressed subtlety […]

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Film Review: Channing Tatum is given a carnally romantic, welcomingly sensual send-off in Magic Mike’s Last Dance

February 8, 2023

In 2012’s Magic Mike, Channing Tatum‘s titular performer lamented that he didn’t want to be a “40 year old stripper”.  The irony isn’t lost some decade on where Tatum’s Mike, having seemingly failed at his planned custom furniture business, has to fall back on his expert set of skills.  And, as we would expect, the […]

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Hogwarts Legacy Review: As magical as it is memorable

February 7, 2023

I’ll be the first to admit it; I still pop in the older Harry Potter games on both the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2. My love for both the films and books aside, I simply love existing in this world and exploring the nooks and crannies that Hogwarts has to offer. So you could imagine […]

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Film Review: Spoiler Alert; this will make you cry!

February 6, 2023

Telegraphed in both its title and opening sequence, Spoiler Alert braces its audience for an unhappy ending from the get-go.  But, as much as Michael Showalter‘s handkerchief-ready drama adheres to a familiar structure within the “terminal illness romance” genre – ala The Fault in Our Stars or Holding the Man – the film thankfully isn’t […]

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Film Review: Brendan Fraser’s rich performance keeps The Whale from sinking under its own shaky commentary

February 4, 2023

Darren Aronofsky has always been one to push the extremities of his characters’ limit throughout his career.  Whether it be physical or psychological, they have all suffered past their breaking point – often to their own demise – and The Whale similarly submits to this trend, looking at an eating addiction spurned from depression. From […]

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Film Review: M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin is as tender as it is terrifying as it navigates the end of days

February 2, 2023

If the horror genre has taught us anything it’s that cabins are never going to be the cosy, safe getaway that each inhabiting character tends to think it will be.  But even in the realms of the horror genre, Knock at the Cabin, the latest from genre auteur M. Night Shyamalan, has a few tricks […]

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Forspoken Review: A middling mashup

February 2, 2023

Forspoken is a fantasy adventure with a lot of heart and soul at its core. While some of its magic gets lost in translation, the expansive open world, unique controls and intriguing combat system help the game feel fresh more so than not. The cinematic scope of the story and main missions give it a […]

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Dead Space Review: A sci-fi horror epic returns for a new generation

February 1, 2023

The original Dead Space, released in 2008, still holds up as one of the greatest sci-fi horror games of all time. But 2008 also feels like a long time ago in gaming terms. As a result, Dead Space’s remake feels like that same relevant experience, made all the more satisfying thanks to minor gameplay choices […]

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Fire Emblem Engage Review: Round up the rings

January 31, 2023

The Fire Emblem series has seen consistent success for its various gameplay implementations and winding narratives that seem to steer the franchise forward in both new and exciting directions. Fire Emblem Engage might be the latest entry in the franchise, but makes dedicated choices to bring the series back to its roots, instead focusing primarily […]

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Film Review: Little Dixie is a dirty actioner elevated by the vulnerable masculinity of Frank Grillo

January 31, 2023

Director John Swab, a gritty aesthetic, and the gruff likeability of Frank Grillo have proven a welcome parcel over the last few years, and following on from both Body Brokers and Ida Red is Little Dixie, a formulaic but no-less investing thriller that exists in a rough, dirty reality. Though there’s plenty of genre tropes […]

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Film Review: Blood is a dark, metaphorical look at addiction, wrapped up in the guise of a vampire-themed horror film

January 30, 2023

Vampirism has often been utilised in genre features as a metaphor for an addiction of sorts.  In Brad Anderson‘s Blood, screenwriter Will Honley (Escape Room: Tournament of Champions) furthers not only the addiction thematic, but blends it with the notion of chronic illness, what that can do to the afflicted’s caretaker, and a mother’s instinct […]

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Talk To Me shocks and lingers with dread as it submits to the cruel and comedic capabilities of the horror genre: Sundance Film Festival Review

January 28, 2023

Whilst it’s fair to be tired of the “elevated horror” tag that so many genre pieces aim for nowadays, and the attachment of the-little-studio-that-could A24 only fans the fire, one needn’t worry with Talk To Me, an Australian-made horror effort that’s been acquired by the aforementioned studio for US distribution following wild reactions out of […]

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Other People’s Children is an affecting French drama about the complexities of motherhood: Sundance Film Festival Review

January 28, 2023

There’s complexity within the rather simplistic narrative of Other People’s Children, Rebecca Zlotowski‘s affecting French drama about a certain definition of motherhood. Headlined by a captivating Virginie Efira, last seen dominating Paul Verhoeven’s controversial Benedetta, Other People’s Children focuses on her Rachel, a 40-year-old teacher – single and childless – whose blossoming relationship with Ali […]

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Film Review: Maybe I Do‘s star-studded cast give more than the tired comedy does in return

January 28, 2023

When you have a film led by such reliable talent as Richard Gere, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon and William H. Macy, it’s understandable to believe that the hands you’re in will guide you to a safe destination.  And perhaps that’s the problem.  Maybe I Do is entirely too safe to make any lasting impression beyond […]

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Just Right is a beautiful, comedic look at obsessive-compulsive disorder: Slamdance Film Festival Review

January 27, 2023

There’s a lot to be said about mental health – and here, specifically, obsessive-compulsive disorder – within the short minutes of Just Right.  So much so that you can’t help but wish Camille Wormser‘s charmingly off-centred comedy was expanded to feature length, but, as it stands, it’s no less funny and affecting as a commentary […]

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