Cathy Brennan

Cathy Brennan
Tomatometer-approved critic
Publications: Sight and Sound, Time Out, VODzilla.co, One Room With A View, TAKE ONE Magazine

Movie Reviews Only

T-Meter Title | Year
No Score Yet Landscapes of Resistance (2021) What makes Landscapes of Resistance so remarkable is the way it successfully frames anti-fascist resistance as an expression of love. - Sight and Sound EDIT
Read More | Posted Feb 19, 2021
5.7/10 88% Riders of Justice (2021) Reading the film as a screenwriter's dive into his own navel saves Riders of Justice from utter tedium, but it comes at the expense of a more human story that could have been told with genuine feeling. - VODzilla.co EDIT
Read More | Posted Feb 15, 2021
3.3/10 72% A Call to Spy (2020) A Call to Spy will be of some small interest to those studying how feminist politics can be co-opted, but the poor script and uneven structure make it a miss for all but the most ardent fans of wartime dramas. - VODzilla.co EDIT
Read More | Posted Nov 6, 2020
6.7/10 92% Wildfire (2020) Wildfire is a messy, frustrating story, and that's probably the only way it could have been. - VODzilla.co EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 22, 2020
8.3/10 92% Another Round (Druk) (2020) Another Round becomes more than a comedy about middle-aged men attempting to regain lost vigour, or a sombre message piece about the perils of alcohol dependency. Instead, it leaves the audience questioning drinking culture and the forces that drive it. - VODzilla.co EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 22, 2020
86% Lingua Franca (2020) LINGUA FRANCA is an important film, not just in the sense of representation, but also in the way it portrays the relationship between xenophobic and transphobic logics - TAKE ONE Magazine EDIT
Read More | Posted Oct 22, 2020
3/5 77% Halston (2019) Hard-partying designer Halston goes under the microscope in this hit-and-miss doc. - Time Out EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 20, 2019
4/5 87% Colette (2018) Keira Knightley is magnetic in a Paris-set period drama with a dollop of queer feminist energy. - Time Out EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 20, 2019
5/5 100% América (2018) This stunning Mexico-set doc about three brothers caring for their ailing grandma leaves a mighty impression. - Time Out EDIT
Read More | Posted Sep 20, 2019
3/5 76% Ip Man 3 (2016) Unfortunately this narrative competes with perfunctory plotlines that make for an unfocused film. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Apr 9, 2019
2/5 11% Dirty Grandpa (2016) Dirty Grandpa had potential to be a good gross-out comedy, but it's mostly just gross. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Apr 9, 2019
4/5 100% Carmin Tropical (2015) Carmin Tropical is a tender look at the friendship between two trans women. Although a tad slight, the internal complexities of Mabel's character make it a thoroughly rewarding watch. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Apr 5, 2019
2/5 83% Chevalier (2016) Athina Rachel Tsangari's Chevalier is a timely arrival as it zeroes in on the minutiae that constructs the modern male identity. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 28, 2019
4/5 85% Sweet Bean (An) (2016) Sweet Bean is brimming with humanity, featuring characters that aren't normally seen onscreen. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 28, 2019
4/5 83% The Net (2016) Kim Ki-duk succeeds in offering a more complex perspective on a political situation that is all too often joked about in the West. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2019
3/5 100% The Age of Shadows (2016) Despite requiring a trimming and boasting poor characterisation, Miljeong is still an enjoyable film thanks to its use of tension and brutal action sequences. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2019
1/5 67% American Anarchist (2017) If this had been a short documentary made by a filmmaker with some scruples, then there could have been a work worthy of its subject. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2019
2/5 No Score Yet Spira Mirabilis (2016) The baffling Spira Mirabilis is too self-absorbed to be of much appeal to audiences. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2019
5/5 86% King of the Belgians (2016) The humanity of its characters and the originality of its premise make it a most refreshing watch that will go down a treat for anyone looking for something on the lighter side. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2019
4/5 100% The Distinguished Citizen (El ciudadano ilustre) (2016) It can be viewed as too cynical for its own good, yet The Distinguished Citizen is an all-round solid film filled with both laugh and food for thought. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2019
4/5 100% Safari (2016) Seidl allows the activity to condemn itself through unrehearsed footage and long, painfully awkward silences. Those who can stomach the scenes of slaughter, however, can find a unique perspective on hunting. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2019
3/5 68% Voyage of Time: Life's Journey (2016) It's pretty, and occasionally it taps into a feeling that approaches profundity. However, those moments are not enough... - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2019
2/5 No Score Yet Tommaso (2016) It is normally quite exciting if you don't know where a film is going. In Tommaso however, that uncertainty is frustrating. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2019
1/5 61% My Art (2018) In every scene it's clear which feeling Simmons is trying to evoke, so it's all the more frustrating that she fails in every attempt. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2019
4/5 No Score Yet Piuma (2016) Piuma is a hilarious and affecting coming-of-age story that conveys its light-hearted nature in every aspect of the production. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 26, 2019
4/5 87% Jackie (2016) It is a great film in its own right thanks to terrific direction, subtle performances and the best soundtrack of the year so far. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 8, 2019
4/5 84% Hacksaw Ridge (2016) Hacksaw Ridge will not be for everyone. However, the genuinely surprising gear-shift at Okinawa is a memorable feat of filmmaking. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 8, 2019
4/5 91% Frantz (2017) Frantz swings the audience constantly between hope and despair for its characters thanks to a combination of winning performances, clever plotting, and stunning visuals. It's a pleasure to watch from beginning to end. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Mar 5, 2019
1/5 43% Brimstone (2017) Brimstone sucks. There's nothing good about it, from the acting to the writing. And what's bad is made worse by the long runtime. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Feb 22, 2019
3/5 83% A Woman's Life (Une vie) (2017) A textured film that may just be too dour for its own good. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Feb 19, 2019
2/5 78% The Revival (2018) Holds a lot of potential. However, the conclusion will infuriate a lot of gay audience members, and the lack of scale and cinematic flair makes it a trudge to watch. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Feb 14, 2019
4/5 No Score Yet My Own Private Hell (Inferninho) (2018) A beautiful queer tale about odd balls. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Feb 14, 2019
5/5 92% Hard Paint (Tinta Bruta) (2018) With an inevitably bittersweet ending that rings true, Hard Paint is a phenomenal film about being young and queer. - One Room With A View EDIT
Read More | Posted Feb 14, 2019