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4/5
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Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
(2023)
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Tori Brazier
|
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget brings all the charm of the first movie as Aardman sticks to what it does best – heart, humour and a staggering attention to detail.
Posted Nov 13, 2023
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2/5
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Trolls Band Together
(2023)
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Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
|
Aimed to appeal to parents who grew up on 1990s boybands, it features NSYNC’s first original song in 22 years. So, that’s a plus for some, right?
Posted Oct 26, 2023
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3.5/5
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Nyad
(2023)
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Tori Brazier
|
The controversy around Nyad’s swim is not acknowledged by the film, the best decision it does make is to recognise the sportswoman’s divisive personality... [Bening and Foster] also share a superbly convincing chemistry as friends of decades’ standing.
Posted Oct 11, 2023
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4/5
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Maestro
(2023)
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Tori Brazier
|
Maestro does serve up a huge amount of movie in that it goes in rather hard on its attempt to be an artsy, prestige biopic with a capital ‘B’, and is subsequently a little uneven in its approach with pacing, humour, and storytelling.
Posted Oct 09, 2023
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4/5
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All of Us Strangers
(2023)
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Tori Brazier
|
All of Us Strangers is a haunting and entirely relatable musing on grief and the bond between a child and their parents, regardless of any separation of time and age, that will drag out your own emotional reaction to the story as the credits roll.
Posted Oct 09, 2023
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3.5/5
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Partygate
(2023)
|
Sabrina Barr
|
The format of Partygate can be slightly jarring to watch at times, with its mixture of dramatisations, true-life anecdotes from real people, educational captions and breaking of the fourth wall.
Posted Oct 06, 2023
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3.5/5
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The Bikeriders
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
The Bikeriders works as a stylish and dirty ode to a toxic lifestyle that’s long been glamourised by American culture – especially the world of fashion – and thanks to its picture-perfect cast.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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4/5
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Priscilla
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
In a film that is gorgeous to behold, the writer and director nails the feeling of a being a giddy teenage girl, swept along by the real-life fantasy of being desired by one of the most famous men on the planet.
Posted Oct 05, 2023
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4/5
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The Great Escaper
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
There’s a bittersweetness to the film that is likely to be unexpected by many viewers... and it’s all the better for it.
Posted Oct 04, 2023
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3/5
|
Saw X
(2023)
|
Aisha Nozari
|
Although a little long and – believe it or not – fluffy at points, Saw X finesses the existence of an introspective man behind all the blood and guts, no thanks to Bell’s killer performance and a relatively nuanced origin story of sorts.
Posted Sep 28, 2023
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4/5
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The Creator
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
The dystopian sci-fi flick mines territory that’s been extensively covered before courtesy of a fable about the imminent threat of AI – but with such rich and fertile ground on offer, Edwards’ new tale gives us something different.
Posted Sep 26, 2023
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3/5
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My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
Even at the third time of asking, Vardalos has lost none of her talent for bringing an authentic and heartfelt depiction of the Greek experience to the big screen, ably supported by a committed cast.
Posted Sep 07, 2023
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3/5
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The Nun II
(2023)
|
Alicia Adejobi
|
Michael Chaves goes to town using the space to set up his jump scares and it works perfectly – newspaper and magazine pages have never been so creepy...
Posted Sep 07, 2023
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4/5
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The Blackening
(2022)
|
Alicia Adejobi
|
Cinematically, The Blackening is the first time the jokes have been on us Black folk but actually felt so darn good.
Posted Aug 28, 2023
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4/5
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You Hurt My Feelings
(2023)
|
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
|
The film is ultimately saved by a self-awareness of its own absurdly privileged viewpoint.
Posted Aug 08, 2023
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4/5
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Joy Ride
(2023)
|
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
|
The directorial debut of Adele Lim can be something of a hot mess, but that’s part of its charm.
Posted Aug 04, 2023
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3.5/5
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Haunted Mansion
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
It’s not a perfect film, but Haunted Mansion is more likely to have you keen to hurry back than you might expect.
Posted Jul 25, 2023
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4/5
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Talk to Me
(2023)
|
Andrew Gaudion
|
A well-executed concept, that’ll grab you tightly by the hand and refuse to let go until its doom-laden finale.
Posted Jul 25, 2023
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4.5/5
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Oppenheimer
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
The film is engaging, even over its three-hour running time -- which genuinely feels more like two -- and it’s an intoxicating trait of Nolan’s that he treats his audience like they have brains ready to exercise.
Posted Jul 19, 2023
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4.5/5
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Barbie
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
... A summer movie so unexpected and so unpredictable that it will demand repeat viewings and future essays galore.
Posted Jul 19, 2023
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4/5
|
Smoking Causes Coughing
(2022)
|
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
|
This brilliant oddity is truly a film like no other.
Posted Jul 07, 2023
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3/5
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Elemental
(2023)
|
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
|
A bit like Inside Out meets Zootropolis – but not as fully worked out as either – it’s a movie of lovely, radiant moments.
Posted Jul 07, 2023
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5/5
|
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning, Part One
(2023)
|
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
|
Dead Reckoning Part One is this summer’s best action blockbuster and possibly the best Mission yet – and, yes I do say that every time.
Posted Jul 05, 2023
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2/5
|
Club Zero
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
Club Zero is an odd affair, in which a film that appears to have all the promise of a subversive, satirical thriller has a hard time properly digesting and presenting its subject matter.
Posted Jun 10, 2023
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3/5
|
Firebrand
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
Despite stellar performances and an intriguingly unknown central concept for the story, this historical drama, directed by Brazilian filmmaker Karim Aïnouz, fails to dazzle as expected.
Posted Jun 10, 2023
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3/5
|
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
James Mangold understands the ingredients fans hope for from an Indiana Jones adventure, offering them up with the flashback, the traditional Nazi villains, an impressive female lead and plenty of sly banter.
Posted Jun 02, 2023
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4/5
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Strange Way of Life
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
Good things come in small packages thanks to Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke’s chemistry.
Posted Jun 02, 2023
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4/5
|
May December
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
There's a lot to unpack in May December, but with such a taboo central topic, excellent performances and Haynes' flair for both style and the unexpected, you are sure to be reeled in.
Posted Jun 02, 2023
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3/5
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The Old Oak
(2023)
|
Anna Smith
|
While it’s not a must-see, The Old Oak has an important point to make.
Posted Jun 02, 2023
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4/5
|
La Chimera
(2023)
|
Anna Smith
|
Josh O’Connor excels in this gritty yet poetic Italian-French-Swiss drama.
Posted Jun 02, 2023
|
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3/5
|
Asteroid City
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
For those with no patience for Wes Anderson whimsy, it’s probably best to skip altogether – this alien encounter feature is sure to alienate most of those who aren’t hardcore fans.
Posted Jun 02, 2023
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3.5/5
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Killers of the Flower Moon
(2023)
|
Anna Smith
|
This is a Scorsese film, and if you’re coming to it for DiCaprio, De Niro, and bloody-minded gangsters, you won’t be disappointed – though you might be ready to say goodbye to them before this winds to its overlong conclusion.
Posted Jun 02, 2023
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3.5/5
|
Black Flies
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
Black Flies is a grim tale, and not a recommended watch for the more delicate cinema fan, but its message and lack of subtlety certainly hit home.
Posted Jun 01, 2023
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4/5
|
The Little Mermaid
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
It seems we’ve finally been presented with a remake that has something to say. And most of this is down to a star-making turn from leading lady Halle Bailey.
Posted May 22, 2023
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3/5
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Tár
(2022)
|
Tori Brazier
|
With [Cate] Blanchett, you can tune most of the naff pretension that sometimes sneaks through in Tár’s musings, but coming out of the lips of anyone less assured and it would fall painfully flat.
Posted May 09, 2023
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5/5
|
All Quiet on the Western Front
(2022)
|
Tori Brazier
|
This new All Quiet on the Western Front may deviate quite significantly in places from its source material, but it remains as powerfully heartbreaking as ever.
Posted May 09, 2023
|
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3/5
|
Pinocchio
(2022)
|
Tori Brazier
|
The faithfulness of this film sees it play justified homage to its inspiration, although often at the expense of offering anything particularly worthy of the whole remake.
Posted May 09, 2023
|
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3.5/5
|
I Came By
(2022)
|
Tori Brazier
|
I Came By is definitely elevated by [Hugh] Bonneville’s steely turn as Sir Hector, using his veneer of civility and harmlessness to trick and ensnare.
Posted May 09, 2023
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3.5/5
|
Persuasion
(2022)
|
Tori Brazier
|
For every viewer cheering on an Austen adaptation doing something new and a bit exciting there’s another in need of smelling salts.
Posted May 09, 2023
|
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3.5/5
|
The Northman
(2022)
|
Tori Brazier
|
It provides all the weirdness, gore, beauty and singularity that you would expect from this director’s take on a Viking tale of vengeance.
Posted May 09, 2023
|
|
3.5/5
|
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
(2023)
|
Tori Brazier
|
An unwieldy and unexpectedly emotional mess that will win you over.
Posted May 05, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
Evil Dead Rise
(2023)
|
Rebecca Sayce
|
Brilliantly unhinged from start to finish, fans of the franchise are sure to love this gorefest.
Posted Apr 21, 2023
|
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5/5
|
Suzume
(2022)
|
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
|
Yet another dazzling and delightful animation from Japanese director Makoto Shinkai.
Posted Apr 14, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
Scream VI
(2023)
|
Larushka Ivan-Zadeh
|
Characters are distinctive, the script is witty and the action-packed direction deserves top marks.
Posted Mar 09, 2023
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|
|
A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou
(2023)
|
Keith Watson
|
Jamie Demetriou is certainly possessed of a scattershot comic imagination that misses as well as hits. But when he hits, he’s very funny.
Posted Mar 02, 2023
|
|
5/5
|
Finding Michael
(2023)
|
Adam Miller
|
An extraordinary documentary about grief, hope and adventure.
Posted Mar 02, 2023
|
|
3/5
|
Sharper
(2023)
|
Anna Smith
|
Moore is tremendous; other performances vary perhaps a little more than they are meant to...
Posted Feb 25, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
What's Love Got to Do with It?
(2022)
|
Anna Smith
|
A fun, big-hearted blend of culture.
Posted Feb 25, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
M3GAN
(2022)
|
James Mottram
|
It may not make a ‘scariest movies ever’ list, but it’s thoroughly entertaining – funny, offbeat and surprising.
Posted Jan 14, 2023
|
|
4/5
|
The Pale Blue Eye
(2022)
|
James Mottram
|
A class act from start to finish.
Posted Dec 23, 2022
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