Author Archives: Sam S-P
Review: The Open House (2018)
My first new movie of 2018 is a Netflix Original, mostly because between moving house and being ill, I haven’t managed to get to the cinema to see any Oscar Bait in January. OPEN HOUSE has a lot we’ve seen … Continue reading
Review in Brief: The Big Sick (2017)
I’ve seen THE BIG SICK twice now, and both times it got me at exactly the same moments. These weren’t particularly emotionally manipulative or maudlin scenes, but the weight of emotion that had built up over the two hours of … Continue reading
Review in Brief: The Limehouse Golem (2016/17)
THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM is an odd, inconsistent beast. I liked that this murder-mystery takes place in a gritty, nasty vision of Victorian London: children being sold and horrifically abused, seedy backstreet businesses, no desirable place in society unless you’re lucky … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Beach Rats (2017)
BEACH RATS is a digital age twist on the classic coming-of-age/sexual self-discovery tale. Young men who are not yet “out” or are unsure who or what they are looking for in a physical or romantic relationship can escape online, test … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Logan Lucky (2017)
I’ve never been a fan of Steven Soderbergh’s OCEAN’S ELEVEN: I find it insufferably smug, over-stylised and that it thinks it’s far cleverer than it actually is. Thankfully LOGAN LUCKY doesn’t share such pretensions, nailing on what it is from … Continue reading
Review: The Death of Stalin (2017)
If there’s a darker comedy out there than THE DEATH OF STALIN, I’m not sure I want to see it. This is the blackest of black humour, a seemingly impossible situation to derive laughter from, but Armando Iannucci somehow manages … Continue reading
Review in Brief: The Dark Tower (2017)
The most disappointing thing about THE DARK TOWER is what might have been. Of course you can’t judge a hypothetical movie, only what was actually released, and what was released has been considerably cut down. A fascinating premise, dense mythology … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Most Beautiful Island (2017)
MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND is a creepy and tuned-in allegorical suspense thriller. From profound observations of the economic migrant experience, from being “tired of the possibilities”, when you are unlucky to be good-looking in case New York “eats you”. We follow … Continue reading
Review in Brief: Batman vs Two-Face (2017)
Along with the live-action movie and RETURN OF THE CAPED CRUSADERS, this makes for a nice nice little trilogy, not to mention a fitting tribute to Adam West. BATMAN VS TWO-FACE has all the sorts of gags you’ve come to … Continue reading
SSP Thinks Film 