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Film Reviews Here at UK Film Review we like to tackle all kinds film reviews. Our writers come from all walks of life, and feel passionate about critiquing the movies they watch. From the latest Theatrical Releases to Short Films, Indie Films, Documentaries and even Animation, the contributors of UK Film Review are as eager to please as Dev Patel in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011). If you are a filmmaker, or are working in film PR and want to promote one of your clients, please get in touch using the Submit Your Film button under the drop-down menu for Home. Take a look at our list of film reviews below from some of the hottest releases in UK cinemas. Simply click the image of the review you would like, or the title of the movie. Or use the search button to find the movie you are looking for. We have given any feature length film a star rating (out of 5) in order to help viewers sort the Citizen Kanes from the Waterworlds, the Inceptions from the Transformers. Michael Bay will be given a fair film review from our writers, but that probably will not go in his favour. Speaking of Filmmakers, head over to our Filmmaker Features page for awesome articles about some of the best filmmaking geniuses who ever lived. Movie Trailers are also available, either underneath the film reviews, or on the Movie Trailers page. And lastly, if you like your film reviews verbalised. Simply because reading is boring and listening is marvellous, then make sure you Subscribe to the UK Film Review Podcast. Our critics offer up some banterous opinions on the best and worst movies across all genres. Head over to the Podcast page, or click this link to go straight to iTunes. If you would like to read or view any of the following, simply use the navigation. Alternatively, you can click on one of the images to read the film reviews here, or simply have a ganders at the lovely movie artwork on display. Remember to listen to film reviews on our regular film podcast. GET REVIEWED average rating is 3 out of 5 Ukraine's Gold Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Starve Acre Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Empty Your Pockets Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Oddity Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 My Best Nut Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Crumb Catcher Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 The Ballad of Straw Hat Sam Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Fly Me To The Moon Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Soulmate Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Longlegs Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Dandelion Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Mafia Read Review Chris Olson Mar 8 2 min Film Podcast - Dune: Part 2 Chris Olson Mar 1 3 min Film Podcast: George Clooney Rowing Biopic Scoops Film of the Month Jan 20, 2023 3 min TAR FILM REVIEW Taryll Baker Oct 13, 2022 2 min Empire of Light - Film Review Oct 11, 2022 3 min Bones and All LFF Review Oct 7, 2022 3 min White Noise (2022) LFF Review Sep 20, 2022 2 min Sanctuary TIFF Review UK Film Review Sep 13, 2022 5 min FrightFest 2022 Highlights May 25, 2022 3 min Top Gun: Maverick Film Review Apr 23, 2022 3 min The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent Film Review Spoilers in our film reviews As with all digital forms of expression sometimes people may find something that upsets them online. Spoilers can often be one of these things! Whilst we do our best to ensure that major plot points, twists, character deaths and celebrity cameos are not found in our reviews, it can sometimes be difficult to judge what each and every film lover on the planet would to be a spoiler. If you feel that one of our film reviews contains one too many details then please do let us (politely) know using our social media platforms. We may then take serious action, such as expelling the critic responsible from this and every other movie publication past and present, declaring war against the studio for leading our writer into temptation, or we may do nothing at all. To be honest, it is most likely going to be the latter unless some serious rules have been broken. You may also see some movie trailers in our reviews that could also contain potential spoilers. In which case anyone who is hoping to avoid these should probably not click the play button on them. Or click the play button, turn the sound down on your device, then leave the room for a least 28 minutes whilst the trailer finishes and leaves your life naturally. You may be wondering what you could do with all 28 of those minutes! Why not read some more film reviews on another device? Or make a short film of your cat playing with a piece of string? Spend it wisely guys and gals.

Music Video Reviews One of the most exciting sub-genres our critics review is music videos. They are often incredible pieces of storytelling, either in their own right or aligned with the song playing over them. On this page you will find a great selection of music video reviews from the team of critics at UK Film Review. ​ If you are a filmmaker or artist who would like us to review your music video, submit your film here . ​ When it comes to reviewing a music video, the process differs slightly from perhaps a narrative short film or documentary. The music has to be explored far more intimately than if it were a soundtrack because that's where the story originates from rather than being added further down the line. Music videos do conform to genres but these are often musical genres rather than film categories, for example pop, folk, rock, rap etc. So this will also influence the music video review our critics write because the target audience is going to be considered. ​ Music videos may take a variety of forms or even combine different aspects to create a different effect on the viewer. For example, it is common for a music video to contain a small narrative, as well as live performance footage. Top filmmakers making music videos will be able to immerse you into the song and story without leaving you feeling like you have just watched a promo piece. ​ Choreography is also a common trait in music videos, with dance sequences and flash mobs recurring - often in pop music videos. Editors of music videos will have their work cut out to ensure the choreography looks tight and engaging without it feeling staged or lifeless. ​ Hopefully the array of music video reviews you see below will include some gems for you to peruse. Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the article, as we often include the actual music video so you can watch it for yourself. Rooftop Screamers Joe Beck Hot Chip Eleanor Swati Verma A New Kind of Life Jason Knight Vaarwell - Quarter Life Crisis - EP Campaign Patrick Foley KYTLY - "Neverending" Patrick Foley Rebel Rob Jones Millais Flower Honey - Sugarless Rob Jones Som.1-Ultimatum Jason Knight My Brain Does Not Compute William Hemingway alexjames96 Jun 6 2 min Ain’t my Vibe Short Music Video Review alexjames96 Mar 17 2 min Cinerama (Music Video) Short Film Review alexjames96 Dec 19, 2023 2 min Homecoming (Music Video) Short Film Review alexjames96 Nov 16, 2023 2 min Sheep F-cked In the Head Short Film Review Theo Aug 1, 2022 2 min Service for The King short film review Chris Olson Sep 28, 2021 2 min Stroke Code Music Video Review More Film Reviews

Short Film Reviews Welcome to the UK Film Review page for short film reviews . Here you will find some of the best and brightest sparks in a sea of cinema. Filmmakers from across the globe submit their short films to us to be reviewed, and our Contributors lovingly dissect them. If you would like one of our team to write a film review of your short film, please use the form below or visit our Submit Your Film page Our short film reviews are written by passionate film critics across the UK and aim to highlight and promote terrific filmmaking when we find it. We are always honest with our reviews, so if you are looking to submit your short film for review, please do so knowing that we will not alter what we have said because you don't like it. There is a wealth of amazing talent in the short film industry, and we hope by writing film reviews about this underexposed creativity we can get your movies to a new audience...but we need your help. Please join in the chatter on our social media channels so that we can grow our community and share the joy. Use the buttons in the footer to Like us on Facebook, Follow us on Twitter, and Subscribe to us on YouTube #supportindiefilm. Get Your Short Film Reviewed ↓ Lawrence Bennie Jul 15 3 min Bridge Short Film Review alexjames96 Jun 6 2 min Bird Drone Short Film Review alexjames96 Jun 6 2 min Ain’t my Vibe Short Music Video Review alexjames96 Jun 6 2 min Surprise Short Film Review alexjames96 Apr 19 2 min A Happy Ending Short Film Review alexjames96 Apr 19 2 min Shear Disturbance Short Film Review alexjames96 Apr 19 2 min Watch What I Do Short Film Review alexjames96 Mar 17 2 min After Hours Short Movie Review alexjames96 Mar 17 2 min Cinerama (Music Video) Short Film Review Chris Olson Mar 1 3 min Film Podcast: George Clooney Rowing Biopic Scoops Film of the Month Chris Olson Feb 22 3 min Film Podcast: Anthony Hopkins drama crowned "Film of the Month" alexjames96 Feb 17 2 min Mannequin Short Film Review alexjames96 Feb 17 2 min The Separation Short Film Review alexjames96 Feb 17 2 min Bare Foot Short Film Review William Hemingway Jan 18 8 min Filmmaker Interview with Jiwon Lee alexjames96 Dec 19, 2023 2 min Dominion Short Film Review alexjames96 Dec 19, 2023 2 min Homecoming (Music Video) Short Film Review alexjames96 Dec 19, 2023 2 min Sunset Drive Short Film Review Chris Olson Nov 28, 2023 5 min Filmmaker Interview with Alexander Ratter alexjames96 Nov 16, 2023 2 min Purely Cosmetic Short Film Review More Film Reviews Ukraine's Gold Patrick Foley Trace Jason Knight On The Corner Of Nowhere Jason Knight Empty Your Pockets Patrick Foley WIRED Joe Beck Awakening William Hemingway Elixir Jason Knight A 10 Minute Swim Chris Olson My Best Nut Patrick Foley The PAntry Jason Knight King Ed Jason Knight The Ballad of Straw Hat Sam Patrick Foley Pain Chris Olson I Don't Like Shitting In Public William Hemingway Love in the Time of Caller ID Joe Beck The Robbery Jason Knight Soulmate Patrick Foley Going Dutch Chris Olson Strike Jason Knight Mafia Patrick Foley Love in the Time of Caller ID Jason Knight Optillus James Learoyd Dear Imelda Jason Knight Ten With a Flag James Learoyd The Milk Situation William Hemingway Load More Reviews What is a short film review? A short film review is often written by a movie critic and it's their opinion on a film that is less than sixty minutes long. Short film reviews still explore every aspect of a movie. How do I write a short film review? Writing a short film review needs to cover multiple aspects of the movie. Including the script, the characters, performances, cinematography, score & sound design, editing and so on. How long should a film review be? A film review should be as long as the house style. Some publications provide lengthier reviews than others. A general minimum word count would be 300. How much money do film critics make? Film critic salaries depend massively on their publication. Many film critics are freelancers, meaning they get paid per review and sometimes this is based on word count. Making money through film reviews can be challenging.

★★★★ Directed by # TaraAghdashloo Written by # GemmaBarnett Starring # GemmaBarnett, # BiancaBeckles, # PaulineTomlin Film Review by: Lawrence Bennie Booking a doctor’s appointment, or simply just being able to get through to speak to a doctor, has tragically become an all-too familiar obstacle across the country and beyond, pre- and post-pandemic.  In Bridge , the debut short film from writer and star Gemma Barnett, the audience are placed in the middle of such a situation; only for things to take a surprising turn. A co-production from BBC Films and Kusini Productions, Bridge is also the second short from Iran-born filmmaker Tara Aghdashloo.  Interestingly, Aghdashloo’s film has its origins in Gemma Barnett’s own award-winning poem which later formed the springboard for the script written by both Aghdashloo and Barnett herself.   Working through the daily barrage of surgery calls, Greenfield Gardens receptionist Bridget (Barnett) takes a call from Kirsty Taylor (Bianca Beckles).  Struggling to breath normally at home, and endlessly stuck in a queue on the phone, Kirsty eagerly wants to speak to a doctor.  Unexpectedly, Bridget becomes confidant to Kirsty when the pair recall they went to the same school and, against the endless tide of cold, clinical calls, they gradually establish a connection.   The talented team of writer and director begin their story with the striking shot of an elderly-looking couple gracefully dancing through a swirling mist, only for it to be shattered by the sudden appearance of a somewhat ominous figure and the irritating clanging of a phone’s alarm clock.  Here, we find Bridget – disinterested and disconnected from the world around her.  Kudos here to Director of Photography Kia Fern Little who creates a marvellous image of light blue brightly beaming through Bridget’s bedroom window as she lies demotivated before slowly rising to begin another day of monotony and despondency.  The world outside is far from dark, but Bridget is lost in an unhappy realm of her own, only underlined further when an abrasive cyclist (Charlie Atkins) snaps at her over a near-collision.  Arriving at work, Bridget is pounced on before the clock even strikes 8am.  Her only form of connection appears to with her colleague Jenny (Pauline Tomlin) who nonetheless forebodes that the day is going to be “a busy one”.  Bridget then mans the torrent of demanding phone calls, whilst Jenny deals with the stream of walk-ups.   The strength of Bridge  film lies in its realism and Aghdashloo lends these scenes a real sense of credibility and marked understatement.  Even when things are abruptly disrupted by Kirsty’s call, the script doesn’t slip into melodramatics.  Instead, Aghdashloo keeps it simple and real throughout and it really is here where the performances of Barnett and Beckles bring the piece to life as their relationship unfolds.  Notably, Aghdashloo and Barnett choose to integrate Kirsty directly into the story.  She remains not just a disembodied voice over the telephone but becomes a secondary character as we cut away to see her anxiously struggling but, somehow, holding it all together at home.  By contrast, we are then also brought closer into Bridget’s own psychological world through a series of flashbacks depicting the failed relationship between Bridget and her disappointed boyfriend (Sam Landon).  Again, Aghdashloo retains the admirable simplicity throughout and it’s convincingly effective.   By the story’s end, Bridget has begun to reconnect with her life and the world around her thanks to her chance encounter with Kirsty.  Of course, it is not an unfamiliar narrative, but Barnett’s story is told with subtlety and sincerity by her director and the performances of each of the cast bring a believability to its beats.  # LawrenceBennie

★★★★ Directed by # BrianFollmer Written by # BrianFollmer Starring # KerriRomeo # AdamLeotta # BrianFollmer Film Review  by: Lawrence Bennie Writer-director Brian Follmer brings a unique, atmospheric erotic drama to the screen with Little Deaths.  A winner at 2023’s Canadian Cinematography Awards and MiraBanART Music and Design Festival, Follmer’s daring film boasts two outstanding performances from Kerri Romeo and Adam Leotta.   Admist the outbreak of a catastrophic pandemic and political revolution, young American couple Emily (Romeo) and David (Leotta) flee their homes to enjoy solace, companionship and ecstasy whilst the outside world is torn apart by violence and disease.  When the inevitable becomes clear to them, Emily and David make the ultimate decision that will give them control of their own fates and happiness.   With its familiar story of near-apocalyptic survival, Little Deaths  could easily fall into cliché and a run of standard generic troupes.  However, much like Emily and David’s choice and pursuit of pleasure, Follmer takes us down a very different and often very surprising route.  The result is a piece which will incite some controversey, but at the very least is compellingly fresh and original.  Here, we have very much a story about different worlds.  There is the world of the relationship between Emily and David, where an instant spark quickly leads to a deeply intense physical connection between the couple.  Then, there is the physical world itself which they look to escape from them but ultimately, and perhaps paradoxically, brings them closer together than ever before.  Finally, there is the sensual world between Emily and David.  It is here where the couple yearn to lose themselves and stay, escaping from the grim realities slowly ravaging society and which threaten to come between them.    The result is an absorbing romantic drama built around a series of intensely erotic love scenes.  These surely will prove controversial for some, but one can’t overlook the courageousness of Romeo and Leotta’s performances; all their scenes together, intimately and not, are extremely authentic and the various worlds of the story crafted by Follmer are always believable and compelling.  It’s also a credit to the skills of Romeo and Leotta that we completely buy into their relationship and that we’re drawn into their world with them.   Yet, for all Little Deaths’ highly charged   eroticism, it is the scenes away from the bedroom which are the most effective.  Most notably, there is a harrowing moment where Emily and David witness a friend perilously ill in a church, later followed up with the powerful scene where David discovers his own fate.  Here, Leotta is heart-breaking.  It is the film’s best scene.   As Emily, Romeo’s performance is equally impressive.  As David is slowly eroded by his illness, Emily remains committed to their vow to seek ultimate pleasure.  Rather than succumbing to the disease, she instigates the idyllic alternative of the couple dying whilst making love.  Consequently, the film’s final sex scene cannot fail but to be underlined by an air of irony as Emily almost ruthlessly demands her desires at the expense of the ailing David – is this an act of pure love or selfish lust?  It makes for sensual yet, at the same time, uncomfortable viewing as Emily’s morality (intentional or not) sharply comes into question at this point.  It is a testament to the talents of Follmer, Romeo and Leotta that Little Deaths offers more than a string of meaningless sex scenes; there is a depth, ironic, and even haunting, quality to them.  And, indeed, to Follmer’s film as a whole. # LawrenceBennie

Film Feature by James Learoyd There is an argument to be made that Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki is the most important filmmaker living today. His work is not just innovative and groundbreaking in technical terms, but the images him and his team have created have transcended their cinematic roots. Characters at his hand have become staples of Japanese culture and loving obsessions of children and adults around the world, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the case of My Neighbour Totoro - Studio Ghibli's mascot for over three decades. So, who is Totoro? Well, he's a big, round, furry spirit creature with disconcertingly large teeth... but he is, of course, much more than that. Totoro, among other things, represents kindness, security and adventure; an escape from the children's uncomfortable reality in which their mother has taken seriously ill. It's as simple as a story can be; two kids stumble into a magical world of fantastical creatures. And yet, in 1988, this fairytale would change animation and cinema forever. It's a landmark of filmmaking for a multitude of reasons, not least of which is this filmic simplicity. Quaint and beautiful, it genuinely places you in the mindset of the young sisters Satsuki and Mei even if you're watching as a grown-up. Like most of Miyazaki’s work, a lot of the poetry comes from the nuanced nature of the fantasy world and its fully formed ideas, and this leads to deeply emotional moments. Think, for instance, of the motif of the moonlit Totoro playing a note from his flute while perched on a tree branch; or, it goes without saying, the bus stop scene in the rain - one of the most iconic images in Ghibli's history. With moments like these, it comes as delightful news that My Neighbour Totoro is returning to cinemas in the UK and ROI (hence ‘Neighbour’ and not ‘Neighbor’) so that devoted enthusiasts and the newly initiated alike can witness the classic on a proper screen. With this exciting news coming but a year after his Oscar winning masterwork The Boy and the Heron, it's safe to say that it's a good time to be a Miyazaki fan. To celebrate, let us remind ourselves of Hayao Miyazaki's unmatched body of work and three of the most stunning moments from his movies -- these are moments which utilise storytelling and animation as an art form at its purest; to move the viewer in often unexplainable, sensory ways. This is something Miyazaki became more and more adept at doing, unlike any other director of children's films, over time. Some of the following analysis I wrote for an unpublished piece on Miyazaki composed a few years ago. Additionally, I have quoted from his two books STARTING POINT: 1979-1996 (VIZ MEDIA, 1996) and TURNING POINT: 1997-2008 (VIZ MEDIA, 2008) – two terrific and comprehensive collections of essays, interviews and lectures by Hayao Miyazaki, translated by Beth Cary and Frederik L. Schodt. The Simple Joys of Kiki’s Delivery Service This is my personal favourite of Hayao Miyazaki’s movies and a film I’m comfortable calling my favourite of all time (it’s between that and Robert Altman’s Nashville). Kiki represents optimism in a world so often composed of the opposite. As a young witch going out into the world on the witchy ritual of a full moon, she leaves her home with a stumble, a smile and a spring in her step - ingeniously setting her character up for how she’ll respond to all the hardships found in her year away from home. On her journey in the new village, she encounters humans who take her in and provide her opportunities; however, she also encounters people who dismiss her (with dismissal and a lack of compassion being the greatest of evils within this story). The most wonderfully crafted example of this is that of the old woman wishing to bake a pie for her granddaughter. Practically an entire act of the film is devoted to Kiki showing enough kindness to assist with the preparation of this gift, and the most subtle yet heart-wrenching element of the encounter becomes the indifferent reaction of the recipient. The secondhand shock and disappointment Kiki experiences at the granddaughter’s response to a loving sentiment is something that pains her in ways she can’t understand and is never resolved. It’s the most upsetting the film gets, and the maturity of Kiki’s sadness is something so subtle and true that even adults must find its lesson to be cripplingly real. It teaches empathy and compassion, but - on a slightly bitter note - it demonstrates how unfair the world can be. Kiki learns that all she can do is be kind; that you can’t control the feelings and actions of others, and she becomes all the stronger because of it. - This in a kid’s film! During production of Kiki’s Delivery Service, Miyazaki wrote a short essay in which he explains that “our goal in completing this film is to send an expression of solidarity to young viewers who find themselves torn between dependence and independence.” (1988) Clearly part of coming to terms with this transition for Miyazaki is understanding that people are often incomprehensible or even unkind. Growing Up in Spirited Away One of the most effective audience surrogates in the entire canon of Miyazaki’s work, Chihiro is introduced to a strange world which is grounded in the realistic struggles of contemporary living. The society and system depicted in Spirited Away proves to be quite harsh: the first thing that Chihiro is instructed to do is attain a job scrubbing in the great bathhouse, otherwise she may cease to exist (not your average fairytale task). As the story progresses, she begins to adapt well to the domineering Yubaba’s social system through the guidance of her friend Haku, but at the film’s end when Chihiro remembers Haku’s non-spirit name, setting him free, a sequence so painfully beautiful and oddly specific is formed. As the two fall from the night sky, they grasp each other’s hands and float through the air; Chihiro cries tears of joy and exclaims her gratitude, having now remembered that his non-human form was that of a river that inexplicably saved her as a child (to those of you who haven’t seen the film, I realise that this is practically impossible to explain). Joe Hisaishi’s euphoric score swoons as the film reaches its emotional heights, creating a moment that feels as if all the colour and drama is spilling through the screen. It’s vivid, overwhelming and the detail of Chihiro’s tears floating upwards into the sky is simply unbelievable. Discovering (or Rediscovering) the World with My Neighbour Totoro Hayao Miyazaki wrote the following in his original project plan for the film: “ My Neighbor Totoro aims to be a happy and heartwarming film, a film that lets the audience go home with pleasant, glad feelings. Lovers will feel each other to be more precious, parents will fondly recall their childhoods, and children will start exploring the thickets behind shrines and climbing trees to find a totoro. This is the kind of film I want to make.” (1986) - and if almost forty years of merchandise, artwork and repeat family viewings across generations have demonstrated anything, it’s that he succeeded in this ambitious idea. On my most recent viewing of the film, I was struck by how much it doesn’t care to differentiate between what is real and what is fantasy; perhaps because, in the mind of a child, there is nothing to differentiate between - no reason to make rational what is inherently otherworldly. And that is what this movie offers which few others do: a fairytale narrative, viewed through the perspective of a child, which need not overexplain its filmic universe, despite being filled with wonderful little details placed there almost for the sake of fun and play (the fascinating design of the cat bus conflicting with the sheer absurdity of a cat being a bus, for example). “It was a dream, but it wasn’t a dream! It was a dream, but it wasn’t a dream!” These are words exclaimed by sisters Mei and Satsuki during one of the most captivating moments in the movie. Following a day of Mei wishing her seeds to grow with no luck, the children enter the fantasy world wherein Totoro and his spirit buddies magically turn the seeds into a ginormous, majestic tree. The next morning, instead of being upset that the tree is no longer there, they are thrilled that the plants have grown but a few inches... It was a dream, but it wasn’t a dream! - because who cares, it’s all one big adventure! The characters are filled with excitement about the natural world (not necessarily fantasy), and thus the audience are encouraged to reconsider their own world with that very same excitement. It's a pleasure to discuss one of my favourite artists, and tracking the evolution of the work's themes and craft is a deeply fascinating experience, especially when that work is as rich and layered as this. I haven’t even discussed The Wind Rises – the only film of his which effectively takes place in the real world, and one of his crowning achievements as far as I’m concerned; or the delightful Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro – Miyazaki's first feature (made before Ghibli formed) which demonstrates that, while his artistic sensibilities have changed, he is a born storyteller. What better time than now to watch or revisit these gems; what better time than now to re-release such a comfort as Totoro. In our oversaturated landscape of children's media, we realise that what the films by Hayao Miyazaki and his hardworking team have provided are refined, imaginative and often deeply reflective pieces that embrace the freedom of imagination and encourage empathy. My Neighbour Totoro - a movie as visually awe-inspiring as it is life-affirming - is no exception. So, do yourself a favour and go see it on the big screen. It's not an experience to be missed. Thanks to Elysian Film Group and Anonymous Content, both subtitled and dubbed versions of the film will be available in cinemas from August 2nd in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. Totoro will be there waiting... sitting on his branch, playing his flute...