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HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Sideworld: Terrors of the Sea Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Aug 1, 2022 Directed by: George Popov Written by: Jonathan Russell Starring: George Popov Inspired by the British folklore they’ve explored in two features, Hex and The Droving , director George Popov and writer Jonathan Russell turn away from fiction, delivering spectral dread in truer tales. Their second documentary in less than a year, Sideworld: Terrors of the Sea swims dark waters alongside ghost ships and sea monsters. Popov’s voiceover establishes a Twilight Zone quality: Truth and lies do not relate in such a simple equation when the line between fact and fiction is enshrouded in mist and shadow. Beyond that threshold is a place that can change our perspective on everything we think we know. I call this place the Sideworld. Earlier this year, Popov and Russell led us into this mist and shadow with the first installment of their doc series, Haunted Forests of England . Their second effort opens with more of their characteristically haunting cinematography. The film breaks into four chapters: Ghost Ships, Sea Monsters, Spectral Sailors and Mermaids. Each chapter consists of a number of tails, always highlighting one in particular with some primary or secondary source material to mine. Though the Flying Dutchman has its fame, the majority of the stories spilled on these shores are little known legends with historical documents for basis. The Wildman of Orford and other tales offer fascinating historical curiosities, while outright ghost stories delight in their sad, scary way. Popov’s voiceover remains somber throughout, avoiding the campfire fright style of storytelling and instead rendering his tales with reverence. In fact, Popov and Russell’s sympathetic point of view continually asks whether the monsters in these tales are not actually the humans. Brisk, informative, creepy fun, Sideworld: Terrors of the Sea uncovers welcome treasures of haunted folklore. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Amazon Prime < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Duke Film Review average rating is 1 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: May 2, 2023 Directed by: Kyle Acosta Written by: Kyle Acosta Starring: Romi Jay, Kasio Collins, Kyle Acosta, J. Adam Young Not to be confused with the charming 2020 British comedy drama starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren about an elderly gentleman in the sixties who steals/borrows a painting by Goya from the National Gallery just to make some point about not paying his TV license, The Duke by writer/director/producer/star Kyle Acosta is a film about something else entirely. Supposedly. It's not easy to tell what Acosta's film is actually about though, as some of the basic markers, even for a low budget, amateur, indie film, just aren't there. A decent audio track, for example, you would think would be one of the basic things to get right, so that your dialogue can be heard, story can be exposed, characterisation can be expanded upon and the audience actually taken along for the ride whilst knowing just what the actual heck is going on. Not so in The Duke . Right from the off, in one of the most ridiculously constructed opening scenes in film history, the conversation between the characters can hardly be heard. Two bad boys enter a bar, saying something about who knows what, and they harass the bartender into giving them drinks even after last orders. Then a female bartender turns up and tries to get the bad boys out of the way, for which she ends up getting punched in the stomach and apparently raped out in the parking lot, all the while the male bartender does nothing about it, not even calling the cops. Suddenly an old man turns up, in a wide brim hat and trenchcoat, followed by an ugly little pug – The Duke (Acosta). We don't get to see his face but we know he must be important because he gets his own audio track which, as opposed to the others', we can hear because he has clearly recorded his lines in a recording booth, getting his mouth as close to the microphone as he can to breathe the words out in a low, raspy voice. Naturally, the old man saves the day and makes the bad boys pay but that's not all. He has other motivations for being there that night and he's not letting go of one bad boy in particular until he gets what he wants – which could be anything at this point as the audio stops us from understanding at least half of what is going on on screen. Things don't get any better as the film progresses, when after a scene involving the bad boy's father (Young) who apparently has history with The Duke (although God knows what), we switch to Eli (Jay) who looks like he's a security guard at a casino in Las Vegas. There then comes a scene involving a woman holding a knife to some guy's knackers in the ladies' restroom which is impossible to determine why it's there, as yet again the dialogue can't be heard, but also because it's a preposterously stupid scene with no lead in or follow up to give it context. We slowly get led in to Eli's life, again through an endless series of pointless scenes with conversation that can't be heard, and we watch him (we can at least do that) get embroiled in The Duke's affairs. I guess that The Duke is supposed to be a gritty crime drama with its hard men characters, over marginalised and hyper sexualised female characterisation, Las Vegas underworld and desert locations, and the odd chase/fight scene or gunplay. It's only a guess though as most of the story doesn't come across in the visuals, which to be honest seem random at best, and the rest of what might actually be there is lost in the dialogue that can't be heard. In the end The Duke is just unwatchable. The film-maker(s) haven't done enough to make sure that their feature is suitable for public consumption and therefore it can't hope to be watched or understood by any audience. The question is really, would the film have been any better or actually made any sense if the audio was of any use? And the answer is probably, No. The scenes we witness are poor and badly constructed and the camerawork is only serviceable in places while at other times being downright terrible with the camera being put into the wrong positions. There's not a lot to recommend The Duke , it's not a well made or well thought out film, so it's probably best to make it one to avoid. About the Film Critic William Hemingway Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Round Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Julian Gaskell | Posted on: Jun 17, 2022 Directed by: A. G. Balázas Written by: A. G. Balázas Starring: Gary Wales, Kyle Pennington, Brad Bishop An indie short by A. G. Balázas that sees two contestants participate in a dystopian style drinking game with its roots firmly set in the present day. The ‘Game Master’ (Brad Bishop) enters the room wearing a hazmat protective suit and sets a small table with some drinking shot glasses, one of which he adds a mysterious white powder before pouring in the drink. He randomly rearranges the shot glasses in preparation for a Russian roulette style drinking game where the stakes are high. He finally loads a tape to the video camera before leaving the room. Next, we see the first contestant (Gary Wales) sat waiting in the room looking nervous and timid. In walks the second contestant (Kyle Pennington) with a bold swagger who sits confidently beside him. Both their brows are sweating by now as they eye each other up, the timer is ticking and then the buzzer goes signally it's time to choose their first shot glass to down. The contestants are quite different. The 1st contestant seems much more reluctant to play the game, whilst the 2nd contestant shows an intimidating arrogance. He's watchful of the first contestant, looking to make sure he is drinking properly. The dialogue between them is minimal but telling in what is an oppressed situation. The one contestant is clearly enjoying the game much more the other even though both are in the same predicament. There’s a nice sci-fi element to this brought about by the synth music and the CGI used in the game, which are both really effective, but oddly in juxtaposition with the overall staging of the short, where little attempt has been made to disguise its rudimental requirements. The location looks like a garage lock up, with some regular kitchen furniture put inside and the performers look casually dressed in their own clothing, which gives the proceedings more of a theatrical rehearsal impression (at least the Game Master gives some semblance of being in character wearing a boiler suit). This is in total contrast to the futuristic CGI graphics that are used in its ending that give the impression of some pretty powerful substances at work and some impressive technology that is not currently available today. Presumably these are to be washed over as time or budgetary restrictions for the imagination to fill in the gaps. It makes a nice premise for a reality TV game show in the ilk of a Hunger Games or Squid Games where great rewards await the winner with the losers left to face the ultimate consequence. About the Film Critic Julian Gaskell Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Triple Cross Film Review average rating is 1 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Jun 25, 2023 Directed by: Mirzamlk Written by: Mirzamlk Starring: Mohib Beg Mirza, Ansh Beg Mirza, Mirza Rakshanda Khan In the opening credits of writer/director Mirzamlk's film, Triple Cross we get to see some hyperstylised visuals which seem to promise a slick, modern thriller filled with guns, intrigue and smoke – lots of smoke. The credits roll as images of the three main characters are displayed and held, either staring intently into the camera or holding a pose that is presumably deemed to be cool, or mysterious, or exciting in whatever strange, bizarro world we seem to have stumbled into. For a film with only three real characters the credits take an incredibly long time to get through, but as we'll find out, this is only a gentle introduction into the vast emptiness and repetition of the rest of the film. Once we are into the movie proper, we find that the 'story' is split into chapters with each scene given a banal heading that supposedly helps us to understand what it's all about. Generally these chapter headings add nothing, but actually, when every scene takes place in the same empty, black space, with the same effusive smoke bubbling up from God knows where – constantly, and the same lighting options of full brightness straight on, or full brightness from behind are all we've got to choose from, the headings can sometimes be useful to differentiate one part of the film from the other. Despite the film being called Triple Cross , which you'd think would suggest lots of twists and turns and wiliness going on, there is literally no story to speak of in this lengthy two hour marathon. The characters never get properly introduced, with only one member – the henchwoman (Khan) – actually getting a name-check as far as I can remember, and the audience's guess as to what's actually going on is as good as anyone else's, especially the writer's. It seems that one guy (Ansh Beg Mirza) who I'll call Buzzcut on account of his hairstyle, has been hired to kill another guy (Mohib Beg Mirza), who I'll call Curtains due to the flowing locks which frame his face, and the whole film revolves around the stand-off which occurs when the two mercenaries meet. If you want any explanation or backstory as to why this is happening though – tough. This is literally the extent of what's going on in Triple Cross and even if you think you like the look of the slow-mo visual style and the over-dubbed hyper design of the sound effects, there is just no way that playing these things constantly on repeat can sustain a two hour film – and it doesn't. Very soon the constant crashing of thunder (in the foreground), the same single synth chord, the one and only drum beat and the replay of every single action shot from three or four different angles, will let the viewer know that what they are watching is an empty, vacuous, void and that the whole production is the epitome of style over substance. Add into all this the fact that everyone's talking in metaphor and that some scenes are literally up to fifteen minutes of the same shots and VFX on repeat, especially the matchstick and final shoot-out scenes, it's difficult to think of anyone who would be able to sit down and watch this for its entire runtime. Anything that actually happens could have been wrapped up in twenty minutes but Mirzamlk and their crew want you to spend two hours on this nonsense. Two Hours! Don't. About the Film Critic William Hemingway Indie Feature Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS A Borrowed Paradise Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Jun 16, 2023 Directed by: Peter Dorn-Ravlin Written by: Peter Dorn-Ravlin Starring: Katan Sosnovec, Scott Menzies, Ricci Dedola Deep down all of us are searching for a way out. Both in terms of the grander scale of life itself, in which we endlessly toil and only escaping in few, joyous pleasures, and on a smaller scale, from the environments in which we find ourselves and the relationships that we become trapped in. Life, the world around us, and the relationships that we hold are both the greatest blessings in the world and the eternal curse of humanity. ‘A Borrowed Paradise’ understands this, and reflects this idea to a certain extent, though whilst It philosophically conveys its message, this is done almost painfully through some turgid and inept filmmaking. That ‘A Borrowed Paradise’ is a deeply personal film to writer-director Peter Dorn-Ravlin is clear through the profundity with which he attempts to deal with a troubled adolescence. It’s a story which everybody, or the vast majority of people, can relate to, as teenager Theo (Katan Sosnovec) faces severe challenges to the stability of his mental health. Granted, the problems which young Theo faces are of greater significance than those everybody is likely to encounter during their school years, as he has to face up to the devastating loss of his mother (Ricci Dedola) and the damaging spiral of alcoholism that this has caused in his father (Scott Menzies). The title itself is of interest, perhaps a reflection of the sparing moments of joy spent as a family, or alternatively of the fleeting pleasure and joy given to Theo’s father, Derrick, through his alcohol addiction. Such philosophical messaging - further conveyed through the religious allegories retained throughout - and the sentimentality which the film displays are all well and good, but those two factors alone do not make up for poor quality filmmaking. Dorn-Ravlin attempts to impose the film with a directorial style ill-fitting to the subject, with an almost documentarian shaky camera and sharp, sudden zooms not suiting the domestic tone of the film, firmly a stable, sombre drama in character. Though such directing shows a certain skill in terms and competency behind the camera, it doesn’t complement the film, and undermines the seriousness of catastrophic on-screen actions - for example, the dramatic weight of Derrick withdrawing a firearm from a drawer is downplayed by the quick zoom in, and almost as sharp zoom out, as though the viewer doesn’t understand what a gun is and how damaging they can be. The editing is similarly reductive to the film’s sombre, level tone as a whole, with flashbacks to Theo’s mother and father’s past tinted too heavily and occurring too sharply, to truly aid the non-linear storytelling, instead making each cut back to the past jarring, and too stark a difference from the brutalism of Theo’s life without his mother. The script, though it successfully outlines the films message and philosophy, similarly causes problems to the film as a whole. Dialogue is a key issue, with the philosophy so obvious because characters say it all, conveying nothing through subtext or leaving anything the viewer’s imagination. As such it is cloggy and robotic, particularly when characters begin reciting poetry in a manner that no human being, at least no sane human being, has ever spoken. This adversely affects the performances of the entire cast, who, though no doubt talented, struggle with the sheer density of the script, and end up overacting to the point at which they sound mechanical. The clarity and success of ‘A Borrowed Paradise’ in outlining Peter Dorn-Ravlin’s beliefs are central to the films faults, with an over reliance on dialogue in the screenplay reflective of the poor filmmaking throughout. As such, ‘A Borrowed Paradise’ fails as a film where perhaps it may have worked to a greater extent as a novel, which would allow its creator’s interesting ideas and thoughts to be further fleshed out without becoming bogged down by problematic technical aspects of filmmaking. About the Film Critic Joe Beck Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Emily Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Feb 22, 2023 Directed by: Frances O'Connor Written by: Frances O'Connor Starring: Emma Mackey, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Fionn Whitehead Wuthering Heights was always a conundrum of Gothic literature. It is mean, its tragedies ugly, its heroes selfish and boorish. It’s a dark and misanthropic piece of fiction often mistaken as romance. Lucky for all of us, Frances O’Connor appreciates the twisted nastiness of the novel and suggests a vividly unusual inner life for its author in her feature debut, Emily. Emma Mackey stars with an understated but authentic weirdness as the misfit Brontë sister. Emily doesn’t seem suited for teaching, or for much of anything. The stories she tells are childish and they embarrass her sisters, and she won’t let anyone read what she’s writing. She seems to disappoint everyone around her except her brother, Branwell (Fionn Whitehead). In O’Connor’s loose biopic, Emily finds the space to explore once her sisters are gone off to teach and she is alone with Branwell. The filmmaker slyly inserts memorable scenes from Brontë’s novel as moments, here more innocent, between brother and sister. These moments work on many levels, but mainly because writers draw from their own lives. The dynamic complicates and Emily’s transformation deepens as an unexpected, almost involuntary suiter comes into the picture. Untethered by the judgments of her sisters, Emily is free to determine her own course and the journey is intoxicating to witness. Mackey glows as her character slowly, finally comes into her own, giving us a dimensional, tender and delicately genius young woman you yearn to know better. Whitehead charms in a slightly underwritten but nonetheless poignant role. Oliver Jackson-Cohen – so different than the unrelenting narcissist of The Invisible Man – delivers the greatest arc of any character as assistant parson William. His performance is never showy, but moments of vulnerability give the film its heartbeat and heartbreak. O’Connor breathes life with all its chaos, misery and joy into the Brontës’ 19th century. Emily feels less like the vision of a newcomer than the product of a passionate kindred spirit. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Travel Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Julian Gaskell | Posted on: Jul 1, 2022 Directed by: Claudio Melis Written by: Claudio Melis Starring: Unknown A music video for the newly released track “Travel ” from Sardinian music producer Claudio Melis from his new album Sraka . The synopsis of the video talks about two angels who have fallen from heaven, trapped in a dream world they are forced to perform a bizarre ritual for the watching gods. The dark ambient music playing is matched by an equally dark atmospheric story. Set in a forest landscape, presumably in Sardinia, its contrasting light and dark shadows of the trees amongst the rocky terrain provide an ethereal backdrop. The camera slowly pans down to earth from the sky to a girl laid on the ground in a distorted like heap. Dressed all in white with her eyes bandaged she slowly stumbles to her feet and gropes her way through the woodland. She’s being watched by someone dressed in a dark cloak and gas mask who follows her as she finds someone else similarly laid on the floor, presumably also fallen from the heavens. Together they wander through the trees before they begin a love-making dance ritual in the presence of the god with the soundtrack continuing throughout. Both the video and the music are dark and atmospheric in sound and appearance but they don’t necessarily synchronise together especially well. The synth music sounds more like an ambient loop than telling a story from beginning to end. Some of the peaks and troughs in the track match the movements, but overall it seems caught between being a movie and a music video with the music not quite rising to the high crescendos to match the climatic end to the story. The camera shots establish the atmosphere of the video well but lack a cinematic edge in their framing and grading to really take it to the next level. There’s perhaps a lack of sharpness to the images, which although some are done for filmic effect, filming under the canopy of the forest perhaps requires additional lighting, that would make this a far more complicated and expensive music video to shoot. I quite liked the acting that had the awkward air of being blind and lost in an otherworldly wilderness and showed some dramatic suffering too. Unfortunately some of the supporting props left a lot to the imagination but didn’t necessarily detract too much from the story once you bought into the production and brought their own pastiche stamp to the video. About the Film Critic Julian Gaskell Music Video < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Prey Listen to our review on the film podcast What our film review said: READ FULL REVIEW The acting is very strong and Turk is quite convincing as an angry, suicidal man who also believes that there might still be hope in his life. Webster is great as the determined 'older man' who is convinced that his life has no meaning and must end. Proudly supporting MediCinema for our 2022 film festival.

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS It's A Beautiful View Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Sep 2, 2022 Directed by: Anthony Aitman Written by: Joe Facer, Bradley Mell Starring: Anthony Aitman, Joe Facer, Bradley Mell There are moments in ‘It’s A Beautiful View’ which threaten to be interesting - indeed it features a fairly intriguing baseline story - however, it never shifts out of first gear, and instead just trundles along at the same monotonous pace for its eight-minute runtime. ‘It’s A Beautiful View’ tells a generational story, with Charlie (Bradley Mell) at it’s forefront, as he visits a peaceful beach where he used to spend each Sunday with his grandfather. The two had a close relationship, and as Charlie reminisces about that bond, John (Joe Facer), and George (Anthony Aitman) also pop up on the beach, seemingly as Charlie’s forefathers. It’s a concept which could have been fresh and intriguing, but is instead turgid, too plodding and sentimental for its own good, becoming bogged down in poorly written ruminations. Aitman directed the short, whilst Facer and Mell wrote the script, so this is a tight-knit production, and whilst it’s always evident that the trio care about what they’re doing, you do wonder whether perhaps they gave themselves slightly too long a leash. The decision to tell most of the dialogue through voiceover is disappointing, given that the actor is left staring out into the admittedly beautiful view. Perhaps we could have seen the different actors interact, as though united on some spiritual plain which connects the living and dead, but alas, they just stand there staring wistfully out to sea. ‘It’s A Beautiful View’ may look good - the title fits the picture - but it doesn’t play good. An idea which undoubtedly works better on paper than on screen, it’s a film which could have been so much more, and invited so much more emotion than the bland shrug of the shoulders which it garners. About the Film Critic Joe Beck Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Circus Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Swati Verma | Posted on: Apr 20, 2024 Directed by: Mohsin Tariq Written by: Mohsin Tariq Starring: Syed Saad Farrukh, Mustafa Zeeshan The writer director Mohsin Tariq presents a conversation between two male protagonists Syed Saad Farrukh and Mustafa Zeeshan giving us a different perspective on life and happiness therefore increasing audience engagement with the content. The plot of the short film revolves around the coming back of the circus in the city, and so does a roadside mascot costume artist who hopes for a change in his otherwise monotonous and tedious life. Circus begins with a series of long shots of a busy street cut to the mascot costume artist busy with his day-to-day schedule of going to work and entertaining the children. The set design, location, colour pallet, lighting, sound, dialogues, costume, hair, makeup, and props are kept natural to provide depth to the topics being discussed in the film and also give the viewers a sense of being involved with it. The makers utilise the visual imagery and symbolism to convey the challenges and inner turmoil of keeping up with his monotonous routine adding a sense of realism and relatability in the minds of the viewers making the story inspiring for them even when the running time of the film is short. In terms of performance, Syed Saad Farrukh plays the roadside mascot costume artist who is extremely busy with daily life and he grapples with the need to maintain his image as a happy go lucky performer while struggling with his inner turmoil. Farrukh utilises voice modulation, body language, facial expression, and eyes to portray the calm demeanour the costume artist maintains to depict and complement the theme/situations in the script. Mustafa Zeeshan plays the small child who meets the roadside mascot costume artist and discusses happiness and life in general. Zeeshan beautifully provides an innocent viewpoint into this discussion making it interesting for the audience even if the topic was a serious one. Circus compares life to be similar to a play where people tend to come finish their act and leave and God is the supreme director who is responsible for the smooth functioning of life. The short film talks about the importance of being honest and loyal to one’s work commitment because people have certain expectations from the person both in short/long term. The cinematic piece explores the corelation between being happy and also being rich. The creative piece highlights that everyone tends to choose their definitions of happiness as per the changing situation in their respective lives and it tends to be dissimilar for different people. Circus also sheds light upon the fact of the survival of the fittest one should always try to overcome all the apprehensions and be ready to fight as well as survive every day to combat new challenges life puts us through. Circus talks about how crucial it is to spend time with oneself alone to understand what one wants to do because everyone is unique. To conclude, I would like to appreciate the writer/director and the creative team for giving us the opportunity to think about happiness and life and many other things related to the same because we tend to be so busy in life that we don’t find time to discuss it and be thankful for what we have received from the Almighty. About the Film Critic Swati Verma Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Nanny Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Nov 30, 2022 Directed by: Nikyatu Jusu Written by: Nikyatu Jusu Starring: Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Singua Walls Senegalese transplant Aisha (a transfixing Anna Diop) cares for a little girl whose mother works too much and whose father is often away. Aisha’s care is tinged with her own deep well of sadness and guilt at handing the care of her own son Lamine over to a friend back in Senegal. But this job will allow her to finally pay for the flight to bring Lamine to NYC, and just in time for his birthday. Writer/director Nikyatu Jusu’s feature debut employs fantastical elements, but her Nanny is never an outright horror film. Aisha’s visions, though thoroughly spooky and potentially dangerous, speak to the fear, powerlessness and profound sadness facing a woman forever making impossible choices, regardless of the country. Jusu gives these folklore-rooted images purpose as Aisha awakens to the real nightmare that the American Dream so often becomes. As self-pitying employer Amy (Michelle Monaghan) works long hours to compete in a man’s world, she shorts Aisya’s pay while taking advantage of her time. Reuniting with Lamine feels less and less likely. Helplessness, hopelessness and anger grow. Jusu’s lighthanded with true horror, a choice that benefits the film because its honesty is horror enough. Diop conveys more with a glance or a sigh than any scaly monster or hairy spider could ever display. Her command of this character’s melancholy and rage is extraordinary. The addition of Leslie Uggams as Aisha’s love interest Malik’s (Singua Walls) grandmother introduces exposition and explanations that feel slightly forced, particularly compared to the nuance defining the rest of the film. But it’s a slight fault in an otherwise beautiful, devastating movie. Like Jenna Cato Bass’s Good Madam , Nanny identifies the uneasy social structure that guarantees inequity, and all the accompanying horror it produces.. Jusu’s tale sidesteps the true genre punch, though, which may leave some viewers unsatisfied. But, even for its diabolical sirens and eight-legged tricksters, it’s Nanny ’s naked honesty that makes it so scary. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, Amazon Prime < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Legend of McCarthy and Little Bill Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Patrick Foley | Posted on: Feb 9, 2022 Directed by: Thomas Wheeler Written by: Thomas Wheeler Starring: Jack Waldouck, Stan Morgan, Bella Maclean The Legend of McCarthy and Little Bill is an ambitious comedy-western which plays with common tropes and character types to produce a hit-and-miss short film with some genuine laughs, though moments of drift prevent it from achieving its full potential. Petty thieves McCarthy (Jack Waldouck) and Little Bill (Stan Morgan) accidentally achieve notoriety when an encounter with famous bounty hunter Buddy Love (Matthew Moorhouse) ends in bloodshed. The pair go on the run, hopelessly unequipped to evade the law, and fellow hunters out for their heads. Their journey across States leads them into encounters with an eccentric cast of characters, as it becomes more and more evident, that they cannot outrun their fate forever… McCarthy and Little Bill clearly borrows lovingly from the western genre, as well as from Tarantino’s own spaghetti-western inspired films to produce a fun and enjoyable short. The film is brought to life by its colourful characters and impressive cast, all of whom relish in putting on their finest cowboy drawl in a way that infects viewers with the same enthusiasm. The characters themselves are classic staples of wild-west media, and there’s no points for originality to be dished out. But as a fun cowboy romp, it’s hardly a detriment. The States-spanning story feels largely a vehicle to introduce said characters and move the titular McCarthy and Little Bill into new set pieces with the rest of the cast. The film does stumble upon certain themes and meanings, like loyalty, choosing between love and friendship, and living up to society’s expectations. But by and large, there is little for audiences to sink their teeth into outside of the characters themselves. What the viewer takes out from the film will largely depend on their level of passion for Westerns going in. Production of the film varies, with the costume design of the characters feeling overly clean and polished as opposed to the gritty, muddy and weathered Wild West the story is supposed to be set in. The sets are also an issue – with one scene in particular very clearly filmed in a modern hotel room which completely kills the immersion. These are the challenges many films with budget restrictions face. However, it is made all the more noticeable by the fact that the film actually has some seriously impressive moments elsewhere. The open landscapes and cabin set are beautiful and scenic, whilst the town in which the film’s big finale takes place is also wonderfully realised. It is an unfortunate reality of filmmaking that negatives often stand out more than positives. Inconsistencies go beyond the production, with certain chapters of the film balancing its pace and story progression far better than others. The opening of the film with Buddy Love is an engrossing and tense game of cat-and-mouse – which is the film’s highlight. It’s conclusion also provides a rip-roaring and satisfying end. But between these, the film seems to lose focus and drift away from its strengths in chapters 3 and 4 with moments that meander rather than advance, and dialogue that loses the edge demonstrated elsewhere. There’s a lot of fun to be had with The Legend of McCarthy and Little Bill, and whilst a certain degree of buy-in is required from the audience to forgive its flaws, it will resonate with anyone looking for a colourful cowboy adventure. About the Film Critic Patrick Foley Digital / DVD Release, Short Film, Web Series < All Reviews Next Film Review >