Author Archives: Sam S-P

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About Sam S-P

Writer and film fanatic fond of black comedies, sci-fi, animation and films about dysfunctional families.

Second Cut’s Top 10 Films of 2025

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Sam S-P

https://secondcutpod.substack.com/p/second-cuts-top-10-films-of-2025 SSP

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Review in Brief: The Ballad of Wallis Island (2025)

Posted on December 24, 2025 by Sam S-P

Much like the similarly rural Wales-set BRIAN & CHARLES, THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND is an elliptical, low-key and bittersweet tale of lost souls finding meaning. Rich superfan Charles (Tim Key) underhandedly reunites former musical and romantic partners Herb (Tom … Continue reading →

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Review in Brief: The Shrouds (2024/25)

Posted on December 22, 2025 by Sam S-P

David Cronenberg plumbs his real-life grief trauma to fuel one of the most twisted yet affecting sci-fi horrors for years. Following his invention of technology allowing mourners to view a live feed of their loved ones’ decomposing body from their … Continue reading →

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Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) Review

Posted on December 18, 2025 by Sam S-P

https://secondcutpod.substack.com/p/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery SSP

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Review in Brief: The Phoenician Scheme (2025)

Posted on December 11, 2025 by Sam S-P

“I feel very safe myself”. On the whole I think I’m much more of a fan than many others of Wes Anderson’s latest career stage where his unmistakable style has never been more prominent but he continues to experiment with … Continue reading →

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Review in Brief: Bring Her Back (2025)

Posted on December 9, 2025 by Sam S-P

A horror movie hasn’t made me cry for a while. BRING HER BACK creeps up on you, then pummels you with short, sharp shocks of nightmarish imagery before blindsiding you with incredibly vulnerable emotionality. Arriving to live with their new foster … Continue reading →

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Wicked: For Good (2025) Review

Posted on December 3, 2025 by Sam S-P

https://secondcutpod.substack.com/p/wicked-for-good-2025-review SSP

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Insulate (2025) Short Film Review

Posted on December 1, 2025 by Sam S-P

https://secondcutpod.substack.com/p/insulate-2025-short-film-review SSP

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Sam’s Noirvember 2025

Posted on November 30, 2025 by Sam S-P

Film 1 – Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956). Fritz Lang’s final American film is a clever story well told, though somewhat lacking the mastery of style from his early career. Film 2 – Le Samouraï (1967). Jean-Pierre Melville’s endlessly influential … Continue reading →

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Bugonia (2025) Short Cut Review

Posted on November 22, 2025 by Sam S-P

https://secondcutpod.substack.com/p/bugonia-2025-short-cut-review SSP

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