Not content with making just the one ‘unmakeable’ legacy sequel in T2: Trainspotting, Danny Boyle goes again in adding to the seminal 28 Days Later series. Incredibly, he’s two for two. 28 Years Later, like T2, doesn’t quite touch the heights of the original but is a more than worthy sequel and a hugely exciting start to a new trilogy. It strikes the perfect balance of ‘feeling’ like the original in terms of tone and cinematography but moving things on suitably enough to offe

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery in more ways than one with How to Train Your Dragon. Not content with just wading into Disney’s waters of remaking animated classics for a quick buck, DreamWorks basically hits copy and paste on the original with this live action version. The result? A match for the original and, maybe, better than all of Disney’s attempts so far. That shouldn’t track but it absolutely does. Helped no end by the fact that the original film is so cha

It’s exciting to watch a franchise grow in real time, especially when it’s largely audience-pushed and wasn’t necessarily thought of, initially, as something that could run and run. That’s certainly the case for John Wick as spin-off Ballerina hits cinemas. The core, four-film-strong, series is excellent and TV prequel The Continental, whilst not quite as memorable, was still a nice addition (and, crucially, didn’t outstay its welcome with only a few episodes.) Ballerina is a

Lilo & Stitch was, simultaneously, a strange but optimal choice for Disney to put through the remake process. Whilst still having to rely a fair amount on CGI with the sci-fi element of the film, its status (seemingly) as slightly less ‘prestigious’ property offered the chance for the stakes to be lowered a little. The result is a bit of a mixed bag but is probably right there in the mix to be considered the best of these live action attempts. There's an argument, first of al

To be a fly on the wall of the Wes Anderson creative process must be quite some experience. The ever-meticulous director must go through some Herculean effort to ensure his precise plots can all fit into his particular aesthetic and style. His latest, The Phoenician Scheme, might just be his best work since the majestic The Grand Budapest Hotel (although a shout out here to the underrated The French Dispatch.) Anderson is a 'Marmite' director and this doesn’t change the formu

There’s more than a strong argument that the Mission: Impossible series is one of the best franchises out there (counting those that have gone beyond just a trilogy.) What’s more unusual and surprising about this is not just that it’s a TV adaptation that’s totally eclipsed its source material, but that it’s actually got stronger as it’s gone on. That’s been helped, no end, by having a consistent cast and director in Christopher McQuarrie across these past few instalments and

The Surfer is another brilliant showcase for Nicolas Cage’s endless range and charisma. It's an exercise in doing a lot within one location and a simple premise. Cage’s unnamed character wants to take his seemingly estranged son surfing by the site of his childhood home, which he is hoping to purchase. The idyllic beach is frequented by a cult-like group of men who guard the water day and night. As Cage’s character plumbs new depths to compete with this group, the film become

And, just like that, Phase 5 of the MCU comes to an end. 17 years, endless discourse, 36 films, 13 TV shows, the ‘death of the superhero film,’ the ‘death of the cinema,’ strikes and a pandemic. Not only is the MCU still going strong after all of that but Phase 6 has never seemed more exciting. Thunderbolts* is a large part of the reasoning for that and brings the batting average of this Phase up a notch. I suppose, broadly speaking, the remit of Phase 5 has been to bring the

Vampires aren’t just a guaranteed cinema-filler, they’re also some of the most versatile creations. They may have their tropes and mythos but they can be used in different genres and for different purposes. Sinners is one of the most purely enjoyable vampire films ever made. It also uses them very differently to what’s come before. This latest collaboration between director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan (here pulling double duty as twins Smoke and Stack) is all thin

Not much has come as close to articulating the phrase ‘war is hell’ than Warfare, the newest film from Alex Garland. Describing it as a film in some ways isn’t even entirely right, this is a great example of cinema as experience. Warfare is an immersive sensory overload which also serves as a tribute to the immensely brave and courageous soldiers it depicts. As a true story this feels as close to a ‘cinematic documentary’ as you can get as we follow, in effectively real time,

It does seem recently that studios have got to grips, somewhat, with the family film, especially those based on toys or videogames. For so long consigned to the trash heap, we’re seeing a slow trend in the improving column with some even making it to the very top tier (like The Lego Movie and Barbie). A Minecraft Movie joins that trend and is a worthy trip to the cinema for the adults as well as the little ‘uns. It seems one key to that aforementioned formula is simply hiring

Like its central cat, Flow has overcome immense odds and created huge chatter. Critical acclaim, awards (including the Best Animated Film Oscar), lots of conversation around its miniscule budget, statues in its home country of Latvia and, now, an extended cinema run because of demand. All of the above is fully deserved. This is a truly original, truly moving, layered and beautiful film. Very much not a film for children (although they may also love it) it is effectively a sil