It’s difficult to review a film where the less you know going into it, the better. It’s, therefore, with trepidation that I discuss Don’t Worry Darling and all there is to say about plot is in a seemingly idyllic, albeit old-fashioned, 1950’s ‘American dream’ styled working town not all is as it seems. What exactly is wrong is the lingering feeling you’ll have for the vast majority of the runtime and, it’s fair to say, the lack of plot reveal and lack of any real drip-feeding

A whodunnit set within a whodunnit? Now, that’s a nifty multiversal idea and one nailed with aplomb by See How They Run, the debut directorial feature from Tom George. A fictionalised tale in a real setting: the proposed director for a film adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap is mysteriously killed at a party celebrating the play’s 100th performance in 1950’s London. What follows is at once murder mystery, spoof and comedy that doesn’t baffle the audience and flits

I’ve always liked the ‘style or substance’ debate with movies. There seems to be an overarching assumption that they are distinct categories but then something comes along to slot into the sweet spot between the two. Bullet Train is one such example, taking the ‘train-set’ mantle from Snowpiercer and Murder on the Orient Express and supercharging it with the Quentin Tarantino-esque style of Bad Times at the El Royale, this is a brilliantly fun ride worth taking. It’s one of t

It seems that with every Marvel Phase 4 film, the first thing to comment is always that Marvel have got to a stage where they can do quite literally anything they want. This was always used as an initial positive, praise given to the credit in the bank they’ve gained from the sheer level of consistency they’ve achieved with the MCU thus far. Thor: Love and Thunder also needs to be prefaced with this same statement: Marvel can do anything they want. Whether that’s a positive o

If you’re looking for a biopic, you’ve come to the right place. It seems churlish to think that a nearly-three-hour film could feel incomplete but when said film concerns the life of Elvis Presley, the thought makes more sense. 'A Little Less Conversation', a little more action please is not something that applies to Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, a wild ride through the life and times of one of the most vital musicians that ever was. 'Suspicious Minds' will be instantly converted by

Ok, so Lightyear is an 'in universe' film and the influence for Andy getting the Buzz toy in the first Toy Story. A film-within-film setup which, if you’re a believer in the ‘Pixar Theory’, makes this universe suddenly as dense as the MCU. As time has gone on, it’s tended to seem like Pixar, and Disney, almost have a ‘one for you, one for us’ mentality. They release solid gold and highly original 5-star movies amongst the inevitable sequels and remakes. Sadly, Lightyear was a

A downside to the dominance of the superhero genre has finally revealed itself: other traditional blockbusters really have to do something different to stand any chance of making a lasting impression. It’s a statement tinged with sadness as it’s the final film in what has been a pretty solid sequel trilogy but, unfortunately, Jurassic World Dominion doesn’t quite do it. It’s been an enjoyable journey and this final entry sits with its recent brethren as being a solidly entert

A simple statement right upfront: Top Gun: Maverick is THE example of how to do a ‘plenty-of-years-later’ sequel with some, or all, of the same cast. Against all the odds, and following a film which so embodies its time period, this has become the blueprint for the ‘future-quel.’ It achieves this by being nothing less than a big, fun, silly Blockbuster (capital B required) with the perfect amount of self-seriousness and cheese. It just all works, helped a little by the fact t

You wait so long for a film about the multiverse and then two appear in cinemas at once. Whilst the all-conquering MCU shows no signs of dropping standards with the excellent new Doctor Strange film, it’s its spiritual brethren in the smaller screen next door that you may be better off buying a ticket to: Everything Everywhere All at Once. Not only is this gem better(!) than Doctor Strange, it may just be one of the films of the century so far. Impossibly original and difficu

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is glorious proof that Marvel have gone beyond satiating audience expectations and initiating newcomers. It must be difficult for them. With so many prior films and TV shows that audiences need to have seen to get enjoyment out of this film, there must have been someone in the boardroom asking for a little more exposition or flashback-like content. The fact that they’ve stuck to their guns and kept the film as a rollicking, thrill-r

There are some films where you don’t just get entertainment, you get an ‘experience.’ Sometimes you can even hold on the entertaining part. They can immerse you, rattle you and leave you feeling like you’ve endured something. The Northman certainly fits within this bracket. This is no casual Viking action film. Prepare for a little bit of dog murder, multiple horse beheadings, a barn full of children being burned alive, mother snogging and your protagonist killing a man with

A review of the new Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, by Rita Skeeter. "Not sure if you could deem this film an adaptation of my far superior book (The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore) but it certainly seems like that’s the suggestion the Wizarding World team want to make with this third entry in what must now be getting close to being deemed one of the most disappointing franchises in recent memory. Telling the story of Newt Scamander was an intriguing step in t