Search a Film Thing
About SSP
Sam Sewell-Peterson
Writer and film fanatic fond of black comedies, sci-fi, animation and films about dysfunctional families.
Personal Links
I’m also on Twitter:
My Tweets-
Fresh Thoughts on Film
Archived Thoughts on Film
Category Archives: Film Review
Review in Brief: Women Talking (2022)
It’s a clear sign of writer-director Sarah Polley’s skill and awareness that her beautiful, hard-hitting and verbose piece about processing sexual assault isn’t wall-to-wall misery. Yes, the debate this community of Mennonite women are having is important and will change … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Film Review, Review in Brief
Tagged Drama, Hildur Guonadóttir, Jessie Buckley, Luc Montpellier, Rooney Mara, Sarah Polley, Women Talking
Leave a comment
Review in Brief: Tár (2022)
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but TÁR is a bit good. An often uncomfortably close character study of a complicated genius, we follow conductor Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) hailed as the greatest of her generation as she goes through … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Film Review, Review in Brief
Tagged Cate Blanchett, Drama, Noémie Merlant, Oscars, Psychological Horror, Tár, Todd Field
Leave a comment
Review in Brief: Decision to Leave (2022)
Park Chan-wook’s latest is less extreme than the films he’s most famed for (that’s the Vengeance Trilogy, particularly OLDBOY for most audiences) but is just as dazzlingly stylish and intriguing to unpack, a good deal sexier (OK, not sexier than … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Film Review, Review in Brief
Tagged decision to leave, Oldboy, Park Chan-wook, Park Hae-il, Tang Wei, Thriller, World Cinema
Leave a comment
The Quiet Girl (2022) Review
Posted in Film, Film Review, The Film Magazine
Tagged Carrie Crowley, Catherine Clinch, Colm Bairéad, Drama, The Quiet Girl, World Cinema
Leave a comment
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) Review
Posted in Film, Film Review, The Film Magazine
Tagged Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Jonathan Majors, Marvel, MCU, Paul Rudd, Peyton Reed, Sci-fi, Superhero Movie
Leave a comment
Brian and Charles (2022) Review
Posted in Film, Film Review, The Film Magazine
Tagged Brian and Charles, Chris Hayward, Comedy, David Earl, Jim Archer
Leave a comment
Review in Brief: Something in the Dirt (2022)
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s follow-up to the weird THE ENDLESS and the (slightly) more mainstream SYNCHRONIC is another low-key, cerebral sci-fi, this time filmed mostly in Moorhead’s own LA apartment out of Lockdown necessity. Two new neighbours discover a … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Film Review, Review in Brief
Tagged Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Sci-fi, Something in the Dirt, Synchronic, The Endless
Leave a comment
Review in Brief: Pearl (2022)
X was a huge surprise horror hit earlier in 2022, so when the news dropped that director Ti West and star Mia Goth had simultaneously shot a prequel movie in secret, fans were eager to see what came next (or … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Film Review, Review in Brief
Tagged Horror, Mia Goth, Pearl, Ti West, X
Leave a comment
Review in Brief: Living (2022)
How can you improve on a classic from a master? You lean into the period detail, come at it from a new cultural perspective and make the meditation on mortality even sadder. Based on Akira Kurosawa’s IKIRU, Oliver Hermanus’ (director … Continue reading
Posted in Film, Film Review, Review in Brief
Tagged Aimee Lou Wood, Akira Kurosawa, Bill Nighy, Drama, Ikiru, Living, Oliver Hermanus
Leave a comment