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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 2 out of 5 Devon Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Whippy Read Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Civil War Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Sting Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Who We Were Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Monkey Man Read Review average rating is 2 out of 5 The First Omen Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Femme Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Wicked Little Letters Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Remembering Gene Wilder Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Godzilla x Kong: Thew New E,mpire Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Lousy Carter 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 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 Alicia Moore Sep 22, 2021 3 min COVID 19 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 Reviewed! Submit Your Short Film Film Type Landscape Still Upload supported file (Max 15MB) I want to subscribe to the filmmakers newsletter. I accept terms & conditions of the Privacy Policy. Select an item (£) 7-Day Written Review - £39 7-Day Written Review + Podcast Review - £69 PLEASE NOTE: The cost to Skip the Queue and a 1-Week Turnaround is £39. For FREE REVIEWS or other turnaround times - See Options HERE . Submit Your Film 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 alexjames96 Nov 16, 2023 2 min What Remains Short Film Review alexjames96 Nov 16, 2023 2 min Sheep F-cked In the Head Short Film Review Chris Olson Nov 13, 2023 3 min Filmmaker Interview with Aimie Willemse alexjames96 Oct 13, 2023 2 min Uncharted Expedition Short Film Review alexjames96 Oct 13, 2023 2 min The Mountain Short Film Review alexjames96 Oct 13, 2023 2 min The Incredible Story of the First Woman Film Director Short Film Review Chris Olson Sep 30, 2023 2 min The Stupid Boy short film review More Film Reviews Guilty Swati Verma Devon William Hemingway I am the Wanderer: Director's Cut Jason Knight My Obsession with Death Chris Buick Clodagh Jason Knight Alleviate Joe Beck Whippy Patrick Foley The Other John James Learoyd What I'm Hiding From You Jason Knight Rooftops Swati Verma The Siren Chris Buick Music to Die For Jason Knight Who We Were Patrick Foley Rwd Fwd Swati Verma James Joe Beck Lochgoilhead Forever Chris Buick Waiting for a Train Jason Knight Dolce Far Niente James Learoyd Make a Wish James Learoyd Dustlight Chris Buick Shear Disturbance James Learoyd Deep It Swati Verma Trigger William Hemingway A Wild Life Joe Beck RedSin: Martyrs of Dissent Chris Buick 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.

Filmmaker Interview by William Hemingway Hi Antonia, Thanks for sitting down with us to chat about your films and filmmaking. Where in the world do we find you today and how are you doing? I am in Santa Monica, California – about 6 blocks from the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles. I’m a surfer – so being near the ocean helps. You’ve just completed a Director’s Cut of your film Sleep No More. Can you give us a little background to the story of the film and say what it was that made you want to revisit it again? What differences can the audience expect from the new version? I grew up and hung out with troubled teens, as I was one too -- the ones your parents don’t want you to hang out with. Many of them were small town crooks, and the more talented ones burglarized homes in Santa Monica - on the nicer side of town – the side of town where my mother owned a home. So the initial inspiration for this story centered around my best-guy friend, who was a first class musician, extremely handsome, and a master thief. The reason I wanted to revisit this film was for a number of reasons, first and foremost there were a few scenes I felt shouldn’t be in the film and I also wanted to adjust the ending a bit. Originally, we had a different ending, but the producing team felt strongly that the original ending with some adjustments would be best for the film, and I couldn’t help but agree. Sleep No More also began life as a short film, My Left Hand Man. Can you talk us through some of the process of developing the film from one format to the other? How was that process for you personally? I wrote My Left Hand Man solo, but I had a partner on the feature length script. Anne Heffron has a dark, unique sense of humor, so she brought in her own unique style. A lot of the bits that are absurd, like Miss Rose sitting at the bottom of her empty pool sun bathing, came from her bizarre and often absurd sense of humor. Also, we added a lot of characters to the feature version, so once we wrote back stories for those characters and determined how they connected and intertwined with the lead characters we had a lot to play with. The plot is still the same as the short though. I remember when I was really young and had told my father I wanted to be a writer, he said that all the plots had already been written by Shakespeare and so my focus should be on creating interesting characters and how they navigate through the story. You’ve talked before about the film being representative of your time growing up in LA without it being entirely autobiographical. What was it that you saw in the characters that made you want to tell their story? This film is about my family – it’s actually quite personal – but in a highly fictionalized setting and format. I mean no one can argue that the film industry is not the most moral and ethical industry – and I literally grew up surrounded by film folks. My uncles and step dad were in the industry too. Everyone and everything I was exposed to up until middle school, when I hung out with kids from the bad parts of town, was entertainment industry centric. Not to mention my family went through an incredibly violent and highly publicized murder when I was barely out of elementary school. So even though I wasn’t consciously connecting it – the ending of my film is influenced and connected to the murder of Dorothy Stratten. Also, Luke Kleintank’s character, Beckett is based partly on myself but mostly on my best guy-friend I mentioned above, the master thief, who quite tragically robbed my mother’s house when I was 16. I found out much later that it was him, and that betrayal crushed me. He apologized and I did forgive him. My group of friends helped me understand the mind of a thief – they get a thrill out of it – some can’t help but steal while others do it if they are desperate for money. My friend’s mother was mentally ill and couldn’t work, so he struggled financially growing up. There are a strong variety of themes throughout Sleep No More, ranging from Shakespeare to comic books to abusive relationships. Can you talk us through how you used these themes to develop your story and why you wanted to use them in your film? Great question. So, growing up, cinema was like Jesus or God in our house; great cinema was all-knowing and could teach you anything you needed to know about life, art and humans. Cinema was literally worshipped, and it pervaded everything we did and said. On the flip side of that was TV, there was NO TV at my father’s home, if we wanted to watch something it had to be a movie, and his collection was not contemporary, all but a few were made before 1959. Then at my mother’s home, she took the remote with her to work, so we were rarely allowed to watch TV and she frowned upon it as well. Now keep in mind this was before The Sopranos and what I call the Golden Age of TV which began with that show in 1999 – which, ironically, my father ended up being an actor in. In general, other things such as traditional school, college and things like morality and how to conduct oneself as a parent were secondary to art. My childhood was anything but idyllic, my parents fought amongst each other and in the media and in books. My father was a huge success when I was quite young, but struggled to work in the 80’s and 90’s, while my mother had huge success throughout the 80’s and 90’s. But still cinema was the WORD. In Sleep No More, I took these ideas to the extreme - Shakespeare is cinema and comic books are TV. I have studied Shakespeare, read every play, and have gone to see many of his plays whenever I’m in London. I identify so much with so many of his works, perhaps because my childhood at times felt like a never-ending drama and that at times it was very public and a lot like theatre. So, I really wanted to intertwine Shakespeare’s mythos into my first feature. And yes, I would die to direct a Shakespeare play in the UK! Even though the patriarch is a hopeless gambler and alcoholic, who puts his entire family in jeopardy, he won’t tolerate bad grammar, comic books or state-mandated education. He lives in a fantasy world of Shakespeare and conducts himself like one or several of the Bard’s characters. You wrote this film with your writing partner Anne Heffron, was this something that you felt you needed or wanted to do from the beginning or was the process of coming together more organic? Is having a writing partner something that you are keen to do again in the future? This was the second screenplay we wrote together, the first one she asked if I wanted to write a screenplay with her and I was struggling with a novel I couldn’t finish so that sounded a lot more fun. Since I had grown up in the film business, I figured it has to be easier than writing a novel, which it most certainly was, at least for both of us. That first screenplay, a road trip film about a mother who sets out to find a daughter she gave up for adoption as an infant, got a lot of attention in Hollywood and so we naturally wanted to write another script together. Anne went on after that to write a memoir and is working on other prose and I kept writing screenplays, but if there is ever a project where we can write together again, I’d be down. Before deciding to direct you had already been in the film business for some time. You’ve been an executive producer, producer, production assistant, post production supervisor, writer, director and actor. How invaluable was this experience when you finally came to direct and did you find that you used skills learned from these other roles as you were heading up your own film? I used all my skills, all of them. I produced mostly after I had directed, and I didn’t enjoy that at all, but I wanted to help my dad get his film made, so I went for it and I was able to help make that happen, which he was very grateful for, and of course I am now too, since it turned out to be his last film. Most of my other credits you mentioned: acting, production assistant, assistant editor credits were “before”.  I quit the business for 11 years, during that time I fell in love, left Los Angeles, got married, and had a child. I actually swore I’d never return to film. Then came “after”. After I began writing with Anne and then I directed my first short, I knew that all along I was destined to direct. The notion of being a director had literally never occurred to me. When I was young, my father had so many ups and downs, so much unemployment and disappointments, I just couldn’t imagine living a life that way. Ironically, I’ve been confronted with similar challenges he faced, but I am so passionate about making films that I will never walk away again. Just like dearly departed father. He was very encouraging, and he would have told me if I was a terrible director or writer, my parents didn’t mince words, or bullshit about talent, not ever. You grew up and started your career in the Hollywood film industry, but making Sleep No More, and the original short My Left Hand Man, meant that you were now involved in independent filmmaking. How much does the process differ in getting a film made and seen when you are doing it all independently? What do you feel are the benefits/drawbacks of making an independent film? What I would do to make a studio film! To have access to all the money I need and a support system of trained professionals. I just don’t have that in the indie world. I miss the studios terribly. Independent filmmaking is brutal, I worked at WB, Sony and Paramount and I had no idea at the time how great I had it. It’s become so hard to make a film. There are stops and starts and financiers who pull out at the last minute; there are actors who drop out that cause the picture to fold; and distribution is a killer. The main reason I’m putting out this film now is that the original distributor went bankrupt shortly after buying my film and my film got buried in lawsuits, so it really never saw the light of day. To the best of my knowledge it never got a chance in Europe, so the public at large both here and overseas had no access to it. Your parents, Peter Bogdanovich and Polly Platt, were both big players in their own ways in the filmmaking business, your father as a director and your mother as a producer and production designer. Do you feel that the types of careers in the film industry still follow some sort of typecasting in terms of gender? Do you feel that you were more accepted, as a woman in the film industry, when you were working in the more ‘unseen’ roles and was there ever any doubt for you about becoming a director? Were there ever any difficulties that you faced from other people’s perception of women’s roles in film? My parents taught me so much about filmmaking – SO MUCH. We talked about making movies and how to make movies all the time - at every meal, in the car and while watching films, on set and on vacation. My mother was a genius, I was there the day she brought home Matt Groening’s Life In Hell cartoon and told me she was taking it to Gracie Films as this guy had the goods! There are many, many more stories like that about my mom’s ability to discover talent. I told her I wanted to work in film when I was about 10 and so she took it upon herself to mentor me, even though she often pushed me towards science and college all the time (I was very good at math, chemistry, biology and physics). I think she pushed me towards other fields as she wanted me to have a steady income. But it never stuck. I think it’s much easier to be a male film director. I have very close friends in the VFX industry who will call me from set and tell me some young male director who has no clue how to direct is at the helm and it’s a disaster. They tell me they wish I was the director, and I wish I were too! I get calls from editors too about the very same thing. When I was working in the more “unseen” roles I thought about editing, but never directing, until I started directing theatre and writing screenplays later in my life. I think all women have been exposed to sexual harassment at work, my mother told me quite a few stories, but kept it to herself, as she would have for sure lost her job back then. I have dealt with those issues and never went public about it, but I don’t tolerate that anymore under any circumstances, and I would certainly deal with any such conduct immediately on my film set. It really has changed ME TOO and I’m so happy about that. The last few years, I have been very fortunate to find a group who are all about the work and I feel safe to create and build projects with them. You’ve previously mentioned that you learnt a lot through osmosis by watching your parents work, which must have been an incredible experience for you growing up. Since you’ve carved your own path for yourself and come back to filmmaking have you been inspired by anyone else in the filmmaking industry or perhaps by other writers, stage directors or other professionals? My father was not necessarily attracted to stories about crime, murder and violence, but as a kid I was. Although I love a wide range of films and filmmakers I was always drawn to dramas and dark subject matter. I was obsessed with Francis Ford Coppola’s early works and Apocalypse Now changed my life. Ridley Scott’s early works like Blade Runner is a film I’ve watched over and over, and many other of his earlier films. The directors that have inspired me since right before and after I become a director would be Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson - I study There Will Be Blood and Boogie Nights – to me they are both master classes in contemporary cinema. I adore David O. Russell – Three Kings is literally one of my favorite films. And then there is Alejandro Inarritu – he’s got to be my favorite contemporary film maker – from his first film, Amores Perros, which I saw in the theatre in 2000 when it came out, to The Revenant. Now that doesn’t necessarily mean I want to make all gritty and violent films, I’ve actually been leaning towards dark comedy lately, as I feel the world needs to laugh right now. What’s next for you after this? Are there any projects that you currently have on the go and what are you looking forward to that you can see in your future? Yes! I am directing a fantasy comedy/drama about a Catholic boarding school for child geniuses, who set out to build a rocket that will get them to heaven. It’s more otherworldly rather than pure fantasy. It’s incredibly unique and very inspiring. My producer, Josh Russell, also happens to be a brilliant screenwriter, and he wrote it. I am very excited to explore this genre and the comedy is what really drew me in – I can’t wait to make people laugh. After that, I have a WWII script that my parents wrote in 1968 – it’s like Schindler’s List meets Ocean’s 11 – it’s unbelievable and I’m going to cast mostly Europeans for this and of course shoot in Poland where the story takes place. Where can people get to see the new cut of Sleep No More and how can we keep up to date with what’s happening with the film and any other Antonia Bogdanovich projects? Sleep No More comes out in the US for a limited theatrical day and dates in July – it will be on Prime Video, VOD, Apple + and a few other streamers, too. In the UK, we aren’t sure yet, but after the Cannes film festival I will be able to tell you more, as we are selling foreign distribution there. #WilliamHemingway #FilmmakerInterview

Film Feature by Chris Olson UK Film Club was back in March with a new episode of their film podcast. Hosts Brian Penn and myself (Chris Olson) brought you a jam-packed show with a heavy dolloping of great movies to check out, across the spectrum of film. As with all episodes of UK Film Club, the podcast covered theatrical releases (in cinemas), streaming movies, independent cinema (short films & features), and a nostalgia pick. It was one film that impressed Brian the most though and his coveted Film of the Month award went to Wicked Little Letters starring Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Timothy Spall, Anjana Vasan and more. In Brian's written film review, he summed the plot thusly: Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley) is a feisty Irish girl who brings her daughter to the sleepy town of Littlehampton in the 1920s. Her husband died during the Great War and aims to start a new life in a tight knit community. However, trouble is afoot when she falls out with God fearing neighbour Edith Swann (Olivia Colman), who mysteriously receives poison pen letters laced with profanity. Her father Edward (Timothy Spall) is an upstanding member of the community and repulsed by such vile prose. Soon these wicked little letters are dropping through everyone's letter box. Read our full Wicked Little Letters Review here https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/reviews/wicked-little-letters Soon to be on home entertainment release, I look forward to checking out Wicked Little Letters. Other movies covered in the film podcast episode 13 of UK Film Club included: Bob Marley: One Love - a biopic about the legendary music artist. Brian found this to be a safe but effective film, perhaps a little too sterile for its own good. Dune: Part 2 - a fan of Part 1, this second outing seemed to have lost its magical appeal with Brian, who likened it more to Marvel movies. If you want another film podcast opinion, check out the episode by The Fantom Zone on the UK Film Review Podcast - it goes into incredible detail! Spaceman - a Netflix movie starring Adam Sandler, this was an interesting film to say the least. It will make you think about all manner of humanity but leave you pondering how you felt about the journey. I Bring Joy - a powerful and potent indie feature film. Written and directed by filmmaker David Stuart Snell, this female-led thriller set in London pulls no punches with an incredible story about a dancer who finds a new way of life after almost being mugged. Everyone - written and directed by filmmaker Marcus Flemmings, this indie comedy set in a restaurant and told in real-time was a big hit with both me and Brian - a firm recommendation! Dagr - a fantastic found-footage film about two social media influencers attempting to run a scam who end up on the receiving end of some serious scares. Expertly done and proof that films on phones can be excellent! The ACTT - a humble and comedic short film about a community theatre group attempting to organise their new show. Full of classic theatre stereotypes and playful jibes at the scene, it's a fun movie. Beneath a Mother's Feet - from filmmaker Elias Suhail, this gripping and movie short film about one woman's struggle to be a mother and widow makes for essential viewing. Absolutely knockout! The UK Film Club podcast is one of several shows on the UK Film Review Podcast and can be found on all top platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, PodBean, Pocket Casts and more.

★★★ Starring: #KieranReeves, #ZainUllah, #TeniOsho, #ArchieClark, #OliviaBurley Directed by: #Shayaan Short Film Review by: Alexandra James After Hours is a short crime film that explores some extremely dark themes. The film begins in a flat, people have been drinking, but there is one girl in particular who seems to have taken drunkenness to another level and unfortunately for her, this leaves her in a very dangerous and vulnerable position. The audience at this stage can guess what happens next for this young girl, and its at this point the story takes a sinister turn. Director Shayaan who also created North Nights has a clear passion for crime and gangster theme short films and has created his own cinematic style and its interesting to see this carry through to the film After Hours. You can see there is a particular look and feel to each of his films and its great to see this established style develop within his projects. Many of the camera angles used throughout this film were diverse and set this film at an impressive level in terms of quality. There were occasions that the film appeared too dark in places so became difficult to make out what was taking place, however, the car scenes and within the parking garage were all fantastic and helped to create this into an action-packed short. Moreover, the main protagonist was a great choice of actor, the character was filled with rage and needed to establish that dominance over others, so it was crucial that he was able to tap into that deep emotion and convey his pain and torment. I would liken this actor to Stephen Graham, who can portray a wide range of emotions in such a deep and raw way that the audience are able to feel that character’s pain. This is a crucial skill to adopt for any actor and makes for an exciting and dramatic film. Unfortunately, not all the actors were up to this standard, and this can simply be put down to inexperience and lack of confidence, this is a skill that can be acquired over time, it meant that some of the characters seemed very detached from the scene and looked somewhat emotionless when dealing with some extremely heavy and dark subjects. It was also difficult to understand how the characters were connected to one another and the story sometimes became lost amongst the chaos. With a short film, the audience need to be able to connect with the characters and know the link between them to follow the central story. When trying to determine this, the story becomes confused, and it can be hard to remain engaged. Keep it tight and concise, with such an action packed and dramatic piece we need to establish whose who so that we can watch the turmoil unfold and develop. All in all, there are some great elements to this film and Shayaan should continue to develop his projects further and delve deeper into the world of crime films, this is a clear passion of the directors that should be explored.