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4/5
|
The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future
(2022)
|
James Perkins
|
Chilean director Francisca Alegría brings us a gorgeous and heartbreaking family drama entwined with a powerful environmental message in The Cow Who Sang A Song Into The Future.
Posted Mar 24, 2023
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4/5
|
The Killer
(2023)
|
Martin Unsworth
|
Boasting superbly choreographed fight scenes, The Killer is John Wick on steroids. Slickly filmed, it motors along at a breakneck pace and oozes cool like only Asian cinema can.
Posted Mar 23, 2023
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2/5
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Walking the Edge
(1985)
|
Chris Jackson
|
Things pick up slightly in the last half an hour, but ultimately lead to a flat conclusion that does very little to leave a lasting impression.
Posted Mar 23, 2023
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4/5
|
Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham
(2023)
|
Ed Fortune
|
The Doom That Came To Gotham is exactly as weird, crazy and fun as its premise suggests, and if you’re a fan of all things animated Batman or just like weird horror, you should see this.
Posted Mar 21, 2023
|
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4/5
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The Last Hunter
(1980)
|
Starburst Staff
|
Margheriti deploys the gore liberally and arguably better than some of the better-known horror fare.
Posted Mar 17, 2023
|
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4/5
|
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
(2023)
|
Paul Mount
|
Fury of the Gods delivers a fast-paced, zesty four-colour concoction that, amongst the chaos and confusion, delivers some handy homilies on the importance of friendship, family and loyalty.
Posted Mar 17, 2023
|
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5/5
|
John Wick: Chapter 4
(2023)
|
Hayden Mears
|
Chapter 4 takes its mythology far more seriously than it does its action, which, rather incongruously, ends up a boon rather than a bane.
Posted Mar 16, 2023
|
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3/5
|
Le Plein de super
(1976)
|
Rich Cross
|
A meditative reflection on the themes of friendship, aspiration and male identity, which just happens to unfold in and around a Chevrolet station wagon.
Posted Mar 16, 2023
|
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5/5
|
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
(2023)
|
Ed Fortune
|
... This movie might finally convince you to grab some dice and some friends. It’s dumb fun throughout and we sincerely believe that this is the start of a gloriously fun franchise!
Posted Mar 16, 2023
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5/5
|
The Wrath of Becky
(2023)
|
Martin Unsworth
|
Outrageously over the top, The Wrath of Becky goes against the grain when it comes to sequels – particularly when they don’t contain input from the core behind-the-scenes crew – in that it’s even more fun than the original.
Posted Mar 13, 2023
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2/5
|
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey
(2023)
|
Joel Harley
|
This pooh stinks, sure, but it’s not without its charm, finding frustrating moments of wit and levity amidst the punishing cynicism.
Posted Mar 13, 2023
|
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4/5
|
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster
(2023)
|
Martin Unsworth
|
The film is an emotional roller coaster; amongst the horror (which gets incredibly gory – the effects being particularly impressive) there’s real heart at the centre of the tale.
Posted Mar 13, 2023
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|
|
65
(2023)
|
Jack Bottomley
|
Adam Driver and his young co-star Ariana Greenblatt are fantastic, in this tight, to the point, survivalist, story, with a script trimmed of fat, excellent special effects and thunderous bang for buck show opposite some quieter moments of human heart.
Posted Mar 13, 2023
|
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4/5
|
Unwelcome
(2022)
|
Paul Mount
|
Unwelcome is striking and singular and a very welcome addition to the ranks of quirky British genre movies.
Posted Mar 10, 2023
|
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3/5
|
The Whale
(2022)
|
Beth McMillan
|
Aronofsky offers an honest and authentic portrait of a man struggling to come to terms with his past and move forward, but he does so seemingly without knowing what message Charlie’s story is supposed to impart...
Posted Mar 10, 2023
|
|
3/5
|
Scream VI
(2023)
|
Joel Harley
|
Scream VI finds a renewed sense of ferocity and inspiration – but struggles to stay one step ahead of the viewer. It’s a brutal, often shocking attempt at subverting the franchise, but is only about half as clever and unpredictable as it thinks it is.
Posted Mar 10, 2023
|
|
|
Hello Dankness
(2022)
|
Starburst Staff
|
... The film paints an evocative portrait of Trump era America that, below all the humour and drama, contains an unmistakable anger at its heart.
Posted Mar 10, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
Vengeance
(2022)
|
Sol Harris
|
After an admittedly slow start, Vengeance kicks into extremely compelling gear...
Posted Mar 10, 2023
|
|
4 / 5
|
Hello Dankness
(2022)
|
James Hanton
|
Soda Jerk address both the significance and shallowness of pop culture, a balance they strike almost perfectly to craft one of the year’s most distinctive cinematic events.
Posted Mar 08, 2023
|
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3/5
|
My Inner Demon: A Geraldson Tale
(2021)
|
Martin Unsworth
|
My Inner Demon works as both a found footage film and video therapy session, with added grimness to keep the horror hounds on board.
Posted Mar 08, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
Creed III
(2023)
|
Joel Harley
|
After two films focusing on Adonis the fighter, this entry explores the man as a father, son, husband and brother. It’s the Rocky V of Creed films...
Posted Mar 08, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
Project Wolf Hunting
(2022)
|
Martin Unsworth
|
Despite the schlock, it’s skilfully choreographed and builds up a surprisingly engrossing atmosphere.
Posted Mar 08, 2023
|
|
2/5
|
Children of the Corn
(2023)
|
Martin Unsworth
|
Despite having a few eerie moments, Wimmer’s version of Children of the Corn is a rehash of a property that was fairly tired to begin with.
Posted Mar 08, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
Luther: The Fallen Sun
(2023)
|
Joel Harley
|
The Fallen Sun is tremendously exciting work, so long as one doesn’t squint too hard.
Posted Mar 08, 2023
|
|
3/5
|
Cocaine Bear
(2023)
|
Joel Harley
|
At its best, Cocaine Bear showcases a surprisingly savage wit – an ambulance chase being the film’s highlight, ripped straight out of the Final Destination 2 playbook, and given a Wet Hot American Summer overhaul.
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
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3/5
|
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
(2023)
|
Joel Harley
|
Not even Rudd’s effortless charisma can save the characters from feeling lost against a background of grey-brown sludge and unremarkable landscaping.
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
Infinity Pool
(2023)
|
Paul Mount
|
It descends into a miasmic whirlpool of sex, violence, and depravity, but it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Infinity Pool hasn’t really got much to say beyond the fact that people do some fucked-up things sometimes. Who knew?
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
|
3/5
|
Play Dead
(2022)
|
Martin Unsworth
|
Despite the ridiculous scenario, Play Dead does provide some tense, nerve-wracking action as Chloe attempts to avoid the creepy coroner.
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
|
3/5
|
Linoleum
(2022)
|
Nigel Watson
|
Colin West gives us a mid-town, mid-life crisis movie that aspires to the profundity of 2001: A Space Odyssey but like Cameron’s rocket, it doesn’t quite reach those cinematic heights.
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
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4/5
|
Mister Creep
(2022)
|
Jack Bottomley
|
Mister Creep feels authentic and atmospheric, suspensefully building its own lore and making its believable dark web-baiting internet mythology stand out, even when some well-worn horror tropes are present and correct.
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
|
5/5
|
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
(2022)
|
Jack Bottomley
|
The Last Wish is a spellbinding, funny, and gorgeous piece of animated storytelling that restores this franchise to past glory. The real cat in the hat is back, and his boots are very much made for walking!
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
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4/5
|
The Fearway
(2023)
|
Paul Mount
|
The resolution is quite clever if a little under-developed, the cinematography is superb for a low budget feature and the film works to create a sense of tension and unease rather than full-blooded horror (there’s nothing gory or unpleasant here).
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
|
1/5
|
Skinamarink
(2022)
|
Sol Harris
|
The one shot which does work to elicit genuine fear – almost justifying the unpleasant, grainy, dark cinematography throughout the film – is far too reminiscent of a standout moment from last year’s Barbarian to do much in the way of redeeming the film.
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
|
2/5
|
The Outwaters
(2022)
|
John Townsend
|
And, as with all bad found footage films, the camera is barely justified. The opening tedium does at least warrant its usage, adding credence to the setup. In the near hour of jumbled carnage that ensues, there’s just no reason for anyone to keep filming.
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
M3GAN
(2022)
|
Paul Mount
|
... Whilst M3gan is a bit too broad to serve as Black Mirror-style ‘cautionary’ tale, its strength lies in the fact that Megan is a machine created by humanity rather than animated by some supernatural entity or other.
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
|
3/5
|
The Pale Blue Eye
(2022)
|
John Townsend
|
Bale does what Bale does, inhabiting a brooding, secretive character similar to many he has played in the past, while Melling’s Poe is superb, flirting with camp caricature yet remaining nuanced and unpredictable.
Posted Mar 01, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
The Menu
(2022)
|
Sol Harris
|
... A genuinely hilarious send-up of everything in the world of art, from those who create to those who consume. While this isn’t unique subject matter, the way that the plot unfolds is.
Posted Jan 12, 2023
|
|
3/5
|
Scare Package II: Rad Chad's Revenge
(2022)
|
Ben Bradley
|
These are entertaining enough, but the spoof element is a little too on the nose at times. Lifting entire set pieces from popular movies might be fun but does come across a little lazy.
Posted Jan 09, 2023
|
|
3/5
|
Wolf Manor
(2022)
|
Martin Unsworth
|
Genre fans will have fun with the references and the gore, and the more casual horror viewer will enjoy it as an undemanding diversion.
Posted Jan 09, 2023
|
|
5/5
|
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
(2022)
|
Jack Bottomley
|
Glass Onion takes audiences on the same journey as Blanc himself, misdirecting us beautifully and making you intentionally overthink the story... when at heart, the nature of this particular mystery is something far more ridiculous.
Posted Dec 29, 2022
|
|
3/5
|
Nocebo
(2022)
|
James Perkins
|
Nocebo's overall message, and bizarre midsection make this a worthwhile watch in the thriller genre but one that will ultimately have you scratching your head whilst being hit in the face with a haphazardly handled core message...
Posted Dec 21, 2022
|
|
2/5
|
Expired
(2022)
|
Rich Cross
|
Any credit writer-director Ivan Sen might be given for the movie’s distinctive ambience, has to be weighed against the fact that this is a style of filmmaking seemingly unconcerned with the need to engage an audience.
Posted Dec 21, 2022
|
|
5/5
|
Avatar: The Way of Water
(2022)
|
Jack Bottomley
|
This is a pure cinema experience, not to be missed, and Cameron never resists the urge to throw absolutely everything he has into this clear work of passion.
Posted Dec 16, 2022
|
|
1/5
|
The Nutcracker and the Magic Flute
(2022)
|
Jack Bottomley
|
The characters and their story do not have any kind of memorable feel... when a sequence in a kitchen sees an angry chef get ready to cook some unlucky turkeys, it is hard for the viewer not to think that the biggest turkey is the film they are watching.
Posted Dec 16, 2022
|
|
2/5
|
#FLOAT
(2022)
|
Jacob Walker
|
What is a solid concept at heart falters with poor execution and lack of coherence.
Posted Dec 14, 2022
|
|
5/5
|
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
(2022)
|
Jack Bottomley
|
A spellbinding, innovative, and original take on a story so many will think they know inside and out… but they don’t.
Posted Dec 14, 2022
|
|
3/5
|
Freeze
(2022)
|
Martin Unsworth
|
The story might be a little over-ambitious for the budget, but it makes a decent fist of Lovecraft lore, which is more than some more luxurious productions have done.
Posted Dec 12, 2022
|
|
4/5
|
Troll
(2022)
|
Paul Mount
|
A great piece of unassuming monster mayhem, a refreshingly Nordic take on tropes and cliches that Hollywood has mined to the point of exhaustion over the years.
Posted Dec 08, 2022
|
|
4/5
|
Violent Night
(2022)
|
Jack Bottomley
|
David Harbour is everything here as Santa, and carries the film as effortlessly as the sack on his back.
Posted Dec 08, 2022
|
|
3/5
|
The Mean One
(2022)
|
Joel Harley
|
Lampooning both The Grinch and Hallmark-type Christmas cheese, this gory horror comedy has great fun with its lime green monster.
Posted Dec 07, 2022
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