Sometimes you have to try and separate a film from the time in which its released. For whatever reason, we often see spurts of films within the same genre get released at the same time. From A Bug’s Life and Antz to the smorgasbord of space movies we got a few years back (The Martian, Gravity, Interstellar, First Man, Ad Astra et al.) and, of course, the superhero deluge. After some fallow time, it seems the post-apocalypse is in vogue again in recent times with TV hits The L

Original doesn’t always mean good and, to further go against most every review I’ve ever written, not all ‘Black Mirror-esque’ ideas necessarily make for great films. One Night Only is, however, an interesting one and might be fairly divisive. So, against what you may see from the trailers and posters, this is a romantic comedy film but set very much in some sort of quasi-future, dystopian version of America where The Purge is real except, instead of crime being legal for one

The End of Oak Street is J.J. Abrams' next stab at Steven Spielberg homage after Super 8. Producing rather than directing this time around this film almost tries to present itself as the true, original sequel to Jurassic Park and, were it to be bestowed with the Jurassic moniker, it’d probably sit pretty high in the rankings It immediately feels like a lost eighties classic. This suburban America of 1982 feels real, from the film stock to the shot choices, the soundtrack and

Finding freshness in the horror genre is always exciting and Obsession perfectly blends the old and new. Using the ‘monkey’s paw’ fable as its base but finding ways to escalate the tension and horror through a low budget, this is filmmaking par excellence from first time director Curry Barker. As lovestruck Bear wishes his friend Nikki loved him ‘more than anyone in the world’ increasingly twisted and frightening versions of that reality start to unfold. Each set piece ratche

Strangely, I don’t think there’s actually too much to say about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Seemingly, Marvel’s slight retraction from its previously relentless schedule has suitably whetted audience appetites with a huge box office and tangible hype for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. The MCU has hardly ever let us down and Brand New Day is absolutely adamantium-solid filmmaking at the usual blockbuster scale. Moving Peter Parker’s story logically on whilst also remaining it

The Odyssey is every bit as epic as its source material, its ever-bubbling reputation, its box office, its aspect ratio, its ear-pummelling sound and its now legendary director. You already know that and have, likely, already experienced it. Showing off vast technical achievement in terms of sound design, practical effects, location work, costuming, visuals and skill with new IMAX equipment it is mandated that you do see this in the biggest screen you can find. Like a few fil

Should Disney stop this live action remake train? Critical consensus would certainly suggest so with nearly ubiquitous bad reviews, accusations of money grabbing and now, possibly, diminishing audiences. However, is the latest addition to the roster, Moana, a tad unlucky for arriving at the moment that this endeavour is really taking a bashing? I’d say the answer to that is a resounding yes. It’s undeniable that, from a critical and filmmaking perspective, these remakes have,

You’ve got to admire a one-setting, script-driven, ‘play-like’ film. The Invite is a top drawer example from Olivia Wilde and almost reinvents the classic screwball comedy for the modern era. As one couple (Wilde herself and Seth Rogen) invite their upstairs neighbours (Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton) for a dinner party they get more than they bargained for in every which way. At times a farce, a comedy, a drama and a psychological study of relationships, this is a very shar

It’s only the second film in the fledging, new DC Universe and already we’ve resorted to type. Despite all the potential shown and, hopefully, still on the horizon and all this particular story could have been, Supergirl is your standard and rote ‘modern’ superhero film. For every bit of promise here, and don’t worry there is a few to go into, the overwhelming whiff of studio interference and playing it safe casts a cloud as dark as much of the film itself. And there’s the ru

Has there been a fifth instalment in a franchise that feels timely, relevant and also holds up to its predecessors? It’s a small collection but one that Toy Story 5 can happily add itself to. It’s easy to be skeptical about this considering Pixar’s inconsistent sequels, the disappointing Lightyear and the ever-increasing awareness of the ‘business’ side to Disney and its many partners, but this film justifies its own existence and delivers on the quality. It’s a forehead-slap

A man coming out of prison and trying to locate his buried stolen loot is a plot top-line where you probably imagine you know exactly what comes next. The Last Viking is very much not that film. This Danish delight contains multitudes. There’s a flavour of ‘Coen Brothers, missing money crime’ sure, but it’s sprinkled with outright comedy, trauma, violence, heart and a dive into personality disorders. To say too much would be to spoil the surprises (there are two incredible ru

We all know Steven Spielberg and aliens is a perfect match but, whilst Disclosure Day offers a suitable amount of nostalgic delight in that regard, it also feels a little outdated. Let’s not get this wrong, this is a terrifically made, immaculately shot, ‘big feeling' blockbuster that is a true family film like only Spielberg can create. It’s just, perhaps, a film that would maybe be better thought of if it was released 10 or 20 years ago. The story of disclosing long-held go