Category Archives: Review in Brief

Review in Brief: The House (2022)

THE HOUSE is an unexpected, twisted delight and is unlikely to be unseated as the most striking animated feature of 2022 until ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE arrives towards the end of the year. This is an anthology of stories revolving around … Continue reading

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Review in Brief: The King’s Man (2021)

THE KING’S MAN just doesn’t work on so many levels. It has a big tone problem to begin with, and far too many scenes of people standing around explaining what World War I was. Sworn pacifist the Duke of Oxford … Continue reading

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Review in Brief: Nightmare Alley (2021)

Following his Oscar win for THE SHAPE OF WATER, Guillermo del Toro could have done anything; Hollywood was his. He eventually decided on NIGHTMARE ALLEY, mounting a twisty and epic in scope noir-psychological-thriller based on an obscure novel from the … Continue reading

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Review in Brief: Boiling Point (2021/22)

One-shot films are a statement and can make or break the story you’re trying to tell. BOILING POINT is elevated by the camera never cutting, the tension of a hectic restaurant kitchen and a nightmare Christmas service rarely giving you … Continue reading

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Review in Brief: Scream (2022)

Re-quels (reboot/sequel hybrids) are the flavour of the month in Hollywood and they vary wildly in execution. SCREAM is on the upper end of the scale, with a killer (pun intended) first half and just the right amount of fanservice … Continue reading

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Review in Brief: Petite Maman (2021)

Céline Sciama’s latest film PETITE MAMAN is an absolute delight, a gentle little exploration of family, friendship and grief. Ever wondered if you’d get along with your parents if you could meet them when they were children? Young Nelly gets … Continue reading

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Review in Brief: The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

Well this is about as good as a really meta belated follow-up to THE MATRIX was ever going to be, which given Lana Wachowski’s return to direct the project means, pretty damn good. Decades after the events of the Matrix … Continue reading

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Review in Brief: The Souvenir: Part II (2021)

Not many indie films get sequels, but Joanna Hogg’s semi-autobiographical drama following grieving film student Julie (Honor Swinton Byrne) was a story that demanded continuation. It’s a compelling tale that will make a profound emotional connection with many, and many … Continue reading

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Review in Brief: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Despite a few laboured franchise references and a script that’s not always firing on all cylinders, SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME serves as a crowd-pleasing and fittingly ambitious third part of the Jon Watts/Tom Holland trilogy. Peter’s (Holland) secret identity has … Continue reading

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Review in Brief: Limbo (2020/21)

Black comic immigration drama LIMBO couldn’t have a better backdrop than the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, literally removing displaced people from the rest of the world and placing them in a state of purgatory. Syrian musician Omar (Amir El-Masry) and … Continue reading

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