|
86%
|
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
|
"Entertaining, flashy, and action-packed, if rather lacking in substance, Into Darkness represents a continuing improvement on the franchise, with interesting implications as to the direction of future films."
|
Becky Bartlett
|
|
98%
|
Mud (2013)
|
"The disappointing denouement is far outweighed by the overall strength of the journey to that resolution."
|
Josh Slater-Williams
|
|
100%
|
A Hijacking (2013)
|
"When the credits roll, you may feel as if you too have been released from captivity."
|
Philip Concannon
|
|
47%
|
The Lords of Salem (2013)
|
"Featuring some playfully deranged fantasy and flashback sequences to compliment what is overall sober, superior horror, this budding auteur of the macabre is hitting his groove."
|
Chris Fyvie
|
|
62%
|
I'm So Excited! (2013)
|
"Almodóvar's new film feels like a conscious attempt to recapture the spirit of his earlier comedic films."
|
Philip Concannon
|
|
91%
|
Gimme The Loot (2013)
|
"Bolstered by a low-key but assured aesthetic and a soundtrack of vintage soul and doo-wop, the film is infectiously enjoyable, with frequently amusing insights and an affable shagginess."
|
Josh Slater-Williams
|
|
78%
|
Iron Man 3 (2013)
|
"Feels like a singular, fully realised entity, rather than a glorified teaser trailer for another crossover feature, and has some genuinely inspired and satisfying surprises amidst its familiar trappings."
|
Josh Slater-Williams
|
|
47%
|
Olympus Has Fallen (2013)
|
"A movie that looks like a Die Hard film, feels (sporadically) like a Die Hard film, but lacks the wit and coiled adrenaline that made that series' debut a classic."
|
Chris Buckle
|
|
81%
|
The Place Beyond The Pines (2013)
|
"With an extra hour's runtime this could have been a masterpiece. As things stand, it's an admirable curiosity."
|
Chris Fyvie
|
|
28%
|
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
|
"Subplots pop-up inexplicably and incoherently; poorly shot set pieces confound in a wilfully inane bore of a film."
|
Chris Fyvie
|
|
69%
|
The Croods (2013)
|
"Loud, dull and daft, this piece could do with crawling back to the cinematic primordial soup."
|
Chris Fyvie
|
|
52%
|
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
|
"The felling of the beanstalk is - especially in 3D - a dynamic set piece, but it is too little to elevate the film to anything more than mundanity."
|
Becky Bartlett
|
|
94%
|
Neighbouring Sounds (2012)
|
"Filho's use of space is masterful, as fine as Antonioni or Polanski, with long Steadicam tracks and crisp wide shots giving us a fine-grained rendering of the block's communal and private spaces."
|
Jamie Dunn
|
|
13%
|
Red Dawn (2012)
|
"The enemy may have changed, but the same fatuous paranoia, flag-fluttering patriotism, and flimsy grip on international politics remains."
|
John Nugent
|
|
87%
|
Robot & Frank (2012)
|
"A fairly cheap trick towards the denouement aside, this is cutely observed, thoughtful work."
|
Chris Fyvie
|
|
14%
|
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)
|
"Let's not mince words: Hansel and Gretel is not a good movie."
|
Chris Buckle
|
|
85%
|
Side Effects (2013)
|
"A ludicrous thriller disguised as a sociopolitical statement on the US pharmaceutical industry."
|
Jamie Dunn
|
|
66%
|
Spring Breakers (2013)
|
"If Michael Mann was to take a lot of hallucinogenics and shoot a Girls Gone Wild video, it might look something like this."
|
Jamie Dunn
|
|
93%
|
Sleep Tight (2012)
|
"Luis Tosar's performance is central to the success of Sleep Tight, a taut psychological thriller set in an upmarket apartment block."
|
Becky Bartlett
|
|
70%
|
The Thieves (2012)
|
"Sadly, plot padding sees the film, lengthy for a heist thriller at 136 minutes, eventually wear out its welcome."
|
Josh Slater-Williams
|
|
——
|
Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me (2013)
|
"Should satisfy both long-term acolytes and those newly curious of Big Star's timeless artistry."
|
Chris Buckle
|
|
89%
|
Shell ()
|
"Scott Graham's excellent debut feature is a triumph, a film which troubles the mind for days after viewing."
|
Alan Bett
|
|
——
|
La leggenda di Kaspar Hauser ()
|
"With an excellent, pounding soundtrack by electronic artist Vitalic, this hypnotic, mesmerising film has "future cult classic" written all over it."
|
Becky Bartlett
|
|
91%
|
Caesar Must Die (2013)
|
"Delivers a compelling and considered take on immemorial themes."
|
Chris Buckle
|
|
——
|
Bella addormentata (Dormant Beauty) ()
|
"The pitiful stories that satellite this main strand drag the film down to the level of daytime soap opera."
|
Jamie Dunn
|
|
79%
|
A Late Quartet (2012)
|
"A Late Quartet has numerous subplots fighting for attention, the unfortunate result being that many of them, and thus the film itself, feel under-realised."
|
Josh Slater-Williams
|
|
——
|
Vito (2013)
|
"What remains of that great voice in archive form is a huge part of the film's success ..."
|
Josh Slater-Williams
|
|
100%
|
The History Of Future Folk ()
|
"Though made with a light touch, the entertaining Future Folk potently explores both the power of music and connection with people, achieving a surprisingly sweet sincerity with its high concept."
|
Josh Slater-Williams
|
|
88%
|
Much Ado About Nothing (2013)
|
"Whedon's inventive framing, delicate means of shifting focus and glowing, ethereal use of light make for a stylish and absolutely credible vision, of which much ado would be well-earned."
|
Kirsty Leckie-Palmer
|
|
——
|
Pablo's Winter ()
|
"When rendered this beautifully, time standing still is no bad thing."
|
Jac Mantle
|
|
——
|
Breakfast With Curtis ()
|
"A grown-up a bizarrely charming cinema experience."
|
Helen Wright
|
|
——
|
Songs For Amy ()
|
"Never mind songs for Amy, what this film needs is a lament."
|
Jamie Dunn
|
|
83%
|
Something in the Air (2013)
|
"Authentic autobiographical detail is what makes Something in the Air sing."
|
Jamie Dunn
|
|
40%
|
Men at Lunch ()
|
"While some interviewees proffer genuine insights worth pondering, these can't balance the film's wayward focus and runaway aggrandisement."
|
Chris Buckle
|
|
73%
|
Love Is All You Need (2013)
|
"Pacing aside, this really is quite delightful."
|
Chris Fyvie
|
|
——
|
La cinquième saison ()
|
"File with The Turin Horse and Melancholia as one of the great end of the world movies of the 2010s."
|
Jamie Dunn
|
|
88%
|
In the House (2013)
|
"With its exploration of voyeurism and manipulation, In the House covers similar territory to Ozon's earlier Swimming Pool, but is distinguished by its crafty sense of humour."
|
Philip Concannon
|
|
100%
|
Village At The End Of The World ()
|
"Beautifully-shot and purposely unsentimental, Village... is an insightful study of lives in transition."
|
Chris Buckle
|
|
80%
|
Tower ()
|
"An anaemic take on the We Need to Talk About Kevin nature/nurture debate."
|
Alan Bett
|
|
90%
|
Good Vibrations ()
|
"The characters remain distant and fail to secure any real empathy from the viewer."
|
David McGinty
|
|
94%
|
Our Children ()
|
"A film which tackles serious issues that are both intensely personal and widely political, but which fails to offer understanding of subjects which are perhaps simply incomprehensible."
|
Alan Bett
|
|
89%
|
Compliance (2012)
|
"The film ultimately feels exploitative, especially in its schematic selectiveness about what to show or not."
|
Josh Slater-Williams
|
|
67%
|
Stoker (2013)
|
"There are still the odd pleasantly arresting sequences here and there, but by the film's end it seems apparent that no underlying purpose or thoughtful idea has actually driven this relentless, hollow mess."
|
Josh Slater-Williams
|
|
65%
|
Mama (2013)
|
"While well executed, Muschietti's feature debut lacks the originality and flair to have much staying power, though it ends on a high with an unexpected, oddly bittersweet conclusion."
|
Becky Bartlett
|
|
44%
|
The Paperboy (2012)
|
"The Paperboy hints at something great, but squint past the trickles of perspiration and you're left wanting."
|
John Nugent
|
|
——
|
Wadjda (2013)
|
"A satisfying and skilfully made film is always something to celebrate, but largely due to the circumstances from which it arose, Wadjda feels like one of the year's most vital."
|
Philip Concannon
|
|
93%
|
Indie Game: The Movie (2012)
|
"Aptly demonstrates just how much they are willing to sacrifice to that end, bearing hardship and putting lives on pause to reach that final product of a completed game."
|
Nicola Balkind
|
|
90%
|
Bernie (2012)
|
"A beautifully constructed, smartly scripted and very funny tall tale of down-home values and darkness in the most unlikely of places."
|
Chris Fyvie
|
|
93%
|
Lore (2013)
|
"The result is a stimulating portrayal of an under-examined aspect of Nazism's terrible legacy."
|
Chris Buckle
|
|
66%
|
The We and the I (2013)
|
"The film's claustrophobic one-location setting is continually opening out thanks to comic digressions and gonzo flashbacks, which are vividly brought to life in Gondry's trademark sticky-back-plastic style."
|
Jamie Dunn
|
78%
——
——
85%
45%
40%
