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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 The Fall Guy Read Review average rating is 2 out of 5 On My Level Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Changing Tides Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Challengers Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Humane Read Review average rating is 1 out of 5 Cruel Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Boy Kills World Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 The Beast Read Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Infested Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Read Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Bestias Read Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Back to Black 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.

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Wicked Little Letters Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: Apr 3, 2024 Directed by: Thea Sharrock Written by: Jonny Sweet Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Timothy Spall Long before you could hide behind a keyboard and avatar, a small English village was scandalized by some expert-level anonymous trolling. Wicked Little Letters tells us that story is “more true than you’d think,” and rolls out a stellar ensemble to elevate the tale at nearly every turn. It is the 1920s in Littlehampton, England, where unmarried Edith Swan (Oscar winner Olivia Colman) still lives with her parents (Timothy Spall, Gemma Jones). Edith is known to be a dutiful daughter and devout Christian, so town tongues are wagging when she begins to receive hateful and profanity-laced “poison pen” letters in the mail. Who could be behind such unwarranted vitriol? Whaddya bet it’s that filthy Irishwoman Rose Gooding (Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley)? Rose is frequently loud, drunk and vulgar. Plus, she’s a war widow (or is she ?) with a young daughter (Alisha Weir from the upcoming Abigail ), a “reputation” and a live-in boyfriend (Malachi Kirby). Throw in the recent falling-out with Edith, and that’s enough for the town Constables (Hugh Skinner, Paul Chahidi), who arrest Rose and quickly schedule a show trial. But “Woman Police Officer” Moss (Anjana Vasan) isn’t convinced, and she risks her position by continuing to investigate the letters on her own. Director Thea Sharrock (Me Before You, The One and Only Ivan ) and first-time screenwriter Jonny Sweet don’t craft a “whodunnit” as much as they do a “whoproveit” and a “whydunnit.” The real culprit is revealed fairly early on, and the film tries to balance some British wit atop heavier themes of repression, equality, and the sanctimonious crowd who are all preach no practice. It’s historically interesting and well-meaning enough, but it reveals Sweet’s TV background through a light and obvious romp that’s rescued by heavyweight talent. Colman, Buckley and Spall are all customarily splendid, each making up for the lack of nuance in their characters with some livid-in conviction and natural chemistry. Plus, Vasan stands out in the winning supporting group as the overlooked and underestimated W.P.O. Moss. So while it’s lacking in the bite needed to leave a lasting impression, think of Wicked Little Letters as an extended cat video, one just amusing enough to take your mind off of all those nasty comments from the keyboard warriors. About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Carmen Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: May 17, 2023 Directed by: Benjamin Millepied Written by: Loic Barrere, Alexander Dinelaris, Lisa Loomer Starring: Melissa Barrera, Paul Mescal For this latest reimagining of the classic story, director Benjamin Millepied credits inspiration from Prosper Mérimée’s original novella from 1845, and Alexander Pushkin’s poem “The Gypsies” from 1824. Flashing more modern vibrancy through culturally rich music and dance, this new Carmen arrives as a wonder of visionary composition that struggles to find an equally compelling connection to its characters. The writing team of Loic Barrere, Alexander Dinelaris and Lisa Loomer crafts a surface-level tale of lovers on the run. Aidan (Paul Mescal) is a troubled Marine veteran volunteering on a night patrol along the Mexican border, while Carmen (Melissa Barrera) is trying to cross after the death of her mother. A violent altercation leads to casualties, and the two are soon trying to stay one step ahead of authorities. Millepied (choreographer and co-star of Black Swan ) knows his way around a dance number, getting an assist from flamenco specialist Marina Tamayo for sequences that sport some thrilling fluidity. The acclaimed talents of cinematographer Jörg Widmer (The Tree of Life, V for Vendetta ) and composer Nicholas Britell (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk ) are also on full display, rounding out a veteran stable of technical skill that consistently lifts the film’s imagery and scope. Mescal (Aftersun ) continues to show a gift for quiet nuance, Barrera (In the Heights, Scream , Scream VI ) finally breaks out of her reliance on posing, and the veteran Rossy de Palma (various Almodóvar projects) steals scenes as a savvy nightclub owner, but the script seems content to keep depth at a distance. Pushkin’s centuries-old themes of noble savages and the tragedy of life are too often given a heavy hand, needing a rescue by the visual poetry on display. This Carmen tells us “dancing will you heal you.” Indeed, it’s one of the cures for what ails a less than passionate romance. About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Cassandro Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Sep 14, 2023 Directed by: Roger Ross Williams Written by: Davie Teague, Roger Ross Williams Starring: Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa There’s rarely a good reason to miss a performance from Gael García Bernal. Even when the material around him doesn’t exactly work, he always does. His performances tend to be marked with a quietly observant, charming resilience. In Cassandro , the narrative feature debut from documentarian Roger Ross Williams, Bernal amplifies that charm and resilience with an energy and magnetism that dares you to look away. Bernal plays Saúl Armendáriz, a real life El Paso amateur lucha librador. Saúl loves wrestling, loves his mother, quietly loves another closeted librador, but wants more. Because of his size, he’s been pegged a “runt” which means, in the pre-determined and choreographed matches, he must always lose. He doesn’t want to lose. What Williams and Bernal channel is lucha libre – this unusual and rarely represented world – as a microcosm for society. The odds are stacked against Saúl. He cannot win. It’s not allowed. It’s not the role he gets to play. So, he decides 1) to find a really good trainer (Roberta Colindrez, understated and excellent), and 2) play the “exotico” – that is, a wrestler who performs in drag. Exoticos never, ever get to win. And yet, the persona allows Saúl to be a little bolder, a little louder, a more vivid version of himself. It’s empowering. Cassandro still has to lose to the likes of El Gigántico because “lucha libre is a fairy tale and good must always triumph over evil.” But as his skill and charisma earn him fans, suddenly that old fairy tale feels less important to the promoters who decide match outcomes. Ross’s documentarian instincts serve the film beautifully, as the world of lucha libre is never treated as a sideshow. There’s humor here, but we laugh with characters rather than at them. And though Cassandro hits the beats you’d expect from a dramatic biopic journey, moments feel authentic rather than manipulated for dramatic effect. The entire ensemble shines, but Bernal owns the screen, his ever present smile a heartbreaking and beautiful image of the resilience and determination that fueled an icon of wrestling and LGBTQ culture. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, LGBTQ+, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Garage Listen to our review on the film podcast What our film review said: READ FULL REVIEW This is a bleak but very well made short film that shows how PTSD affects people and raises awareness of that condition. The story is tragic and vividly exposes the tormented life of the protagonist. It will most likely leave the viewer with a thoughtful experience. Proudly supporting MediCinema for our 2022 film festival.

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Moon Garden Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Jun 14, 2023 Directed by: Ryan Stevens Harris Written by: Ryan Stevens Harris Starring: Haven Lee Harris, Augie Duke, Brionne Davis If you are looking for a wondrously macabre fairy tale, a nightmare that’s both fanciful and terrifying, writer/director Ryan Stevens Harris has a tale to tell. Moon Garden delivers a journey through the fertile imagination of 5-year-old Emma (Haven Lee Harris). We know from Act 1 that she funnels what she picks up from the world around her into delightfully odd, even spooky fantasies for her toys to act out. So, when trouble that’s been brewing at home (and spilling into Emma’s playtime fantasies) unexpectedly puts the tot in a coma, that fantasy world drowns out reality and Emma finds herself on a very big journey indeed. Of its many successes Moon Garden can boast set design, creature design and stop motion work at the top. All are very solid, and all collaborate to evoke a big, dark, scary world where logic bends but wonder never dies. Creature design – particularly the first creature – lives up to the expectations set early when we see Emma’s toys. And the film benefits immeasurably from a charming and believable central performance by young Harris. Excellent editing helps to make her physical journey seem more plausible, but her laughter and tears never feel less than genuine. Augie Duke, playing Emma’s distraught mother, and Brionne Davis as Dad Alex are less impressive, although it may be that the artistic vision is so much stronger in the fantastical storyline that the real-world of the parents received short shrift. Other characters glimpsed briefly within the otherworldly realm are more compelling, aided by stagey old school costuming. Wisely, the filmmaker blurs lines between good and evil, giving the story itself a kind of fluidity that feels appropriate to a dreamscape and also keeps you constantly surprised. The story, and to a degree the entire film, is hokey but Moon Garden generates more than enough of the macabre in old school fairy tales to evoke a wondrous nightmare energy. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Joshua Boulton Joshua Boulton is a film critic at UK Film Review who provides excellent reviews of the latest films. Follow On Twitter Read My Film Reviews

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Dear Evan Hansen Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: Sep 23, 2021 Directed by: Stephan Chbosky Written by: Steven Levenson Starring: Ben Platt, Julianne Moore, Kaitlyn Dever It’s not that Evan himself is hard to like, even flawed and unlikeable main characters can be ambitious and welcome. The real challenge for the big screen adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen is turning the young man’s choices into something truly hopeful and inspiring. Evan (Ben Platt, whose Broadway performance garnered one of the musical’s many Tony awards) is a painfully shy, anxiety-ridden high school senior getting assignments from his therapist that involve writing letters to himself. Through a convoluted mixup that actually lands as plausible, one of those letters ends up in the hands of Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan), another troubled young man who can’t make friends. When Connor takes his own life, his mother (Amy Adams) and stepfather (Danny Pino) read the letter and reach out to Evan, looking for comfort from someone they believe must have been their son’s best friend. It’s a cruel and horrible lie, one that Evan ultimately indulges because it makes his own life better. Evan gains friends, he becomes close to Connor's wealthy family while his own mother (Julianne Moore) works late to makes ends meet, and he gets alone time with Connor’s sister Zoe (Kaitlyn Dever), who just happens to be Evan’s longtime crush. While the facade can’t last, it’s one that’s chock full of possibilities for another shallow YA specialness parade. But director Stephen Chbosky and writer Steven Levenson do manage to craft moments of truth that help offset the manipulative atmosphere. Chbosky’s (The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Wonder ) choice to have the cast sing live is a smart one, bringing a needed intimacy to the music and giving Platt the chance to really impress. But while Chbosky often maneuvers into and out of the music with style, too many of those set pieces seem tentative, with only a few of the songs (“Requiem,” “Words Fail,” “So Big, So Small”) resonating beyond the frequent and generic “I feel seen” messaging. Platt truly has a wonderful voice, but he has trouble trading what served him so well on the stage for a more nuanced film approach to emoting. Yes, at 27 Platt is a bit too old now for the role, but that’s less of a problem than surrounding him with such authentic screen talent. As Evan becomes less of an awkward outcast, Platt’s screentime with Adams, Moore and especially Dever (who gives the film its most honest moments) only highlights a need for understatement that Platt and Chbosky don’t address. At a robust 137 minutes, Dear Evan Hansen has plenty of time to grapple with the moral conundrum at its core, but ultimately falls just short of the more universal insight it seeks. The film shows us teens that are stressed and over-medicated, with feelings of inadequacy compounded by social media expectations and misunderstood by families and peer groups. Then when tragedy occurs, the shock opens avenues for exploitation and personal gain. Evan takes one of them. There are teachable moments there, and the soaring melodies of Dear Evan Hansen will put occasional lumps in your throat. But is Evan’s journey a thoughtful and cautionary parable, or a shameless exploitation in itself? In the end, neither. Much like its flawed main character, it’s a mess of awkward and misplaced intentions, as likely to generate facepalms as it is a loving embrace. About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Glade Of Ardet Lili Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Mar 8, 2023 Directed by: Matthew Webb Written by: Matthew Webb Starring: Stefania Barr, Paris Warner, David H. Stevens, Stacey Jenson If you go down to the woods today you're in for a big surprise. At least Ester (Barr) and Mabel (Jenson) are, as sometime in what looks like the early 19th Century in the New World, they head out to gather mushrooms and other yummy goodies from nature's bounty. There's a strong classical score that accompanies the girls as they tramp through the undergrowth, letting us know that something of note is afoot within the spaces between the trees. It's not long before the girls take a short break to sample some of what they have collected and the forest begins to take on the semblance of an ethereal garden with magic filling the air. Heading out into a small glade on her own, Ester wants to touch the magic and begins to pick more mushrooms from a dark patch of soil that also contains a small spiral formation of stones. Each mushroom picked releases a dark cloud of spores which herald an ominous portent, but that's not enough for Ester and she nabs one of the stones too, bringing forth a dark spirit who wishes her natural habitat to remain untouched by unclean human hands. When the spirit, Ardet Lili (Warner) first appears she is a marvel to behold; a malevolent woodland sprite as dark as shadow who delights in having new playthings to unleash her inner demons upon. She quickly takes possession of Ester's feeble human body and ascribes pain gleefully throughout the mind of her puppet. Mabel then rushes to get help from the nearby local priest (Stevens). Up until now the young girls' tale has been told entirely through music, as composer Christopher Doucet's evocative score channels the soul of the forest and its otherworldly inhabitants beautifully. Even when they speak to one another their words cannot be heard but now, suddenly, Ester's screams echo into the trees and the priest begins to recite his incantations to his own higher power. The way the sound and the visuals match up in Matthew Webb's dark fairy-tale, The Glade Of Ardet Lili is nothing short of spellbinding. There is a real sense of maleficence which abounds amongst the scenes and the physicality of both Warner and Barr's performances also really add to that. Unfortunately the words of the priest take you out from the magic somewhat but not enough to ruin the blackness and intrigue of the story being told. Both Stevens and Jenson support the narrative well and fit their performances into the feel of the film as best they can. The way that Webb has crafted his film feels like he has taken every effort to pour his own magic into it. The chapter headings are in pictures rather than words, each identifying the theme of the scene without needing to say a thing. The special effects remain wispy and light, even if not entirely convincing, but still giving the feel of an ethereal realm. Then the depiction of Ardet Lili herself, so graceful yet so dark, fully turns the tale into a morbid horror show that asks questions of the viewer as to where the evil really lies. The Glade Of Ardet Lili peeks out from the undergrowth and jumps out at you from behind the stumps of fallen trees. It is a beautiful creation depicting a magical world which allows just a sliver of sparkling fairy dust to seep through into the lives of its audience. About the Film Critic William Hemingway Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Astrakan Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Aug 31, 2023 Directed by: David Depesseville Written by: Clara Bourreau, David Depesseville Starring: Mirko Giannini, Jehnny Beth, Bastien Bouillon A confounding, beautiful, effective feat of visual storytelling, Astrakan delivers a poignant study in the creation of a troubled youth. Samuel (Mirko Giannini) has recently come to stay with foster parents Marie (Jehnny Beth, Paris, 13th District ) and Clément (Bastien Bouillon, Night of the 12th ) and their two sons. Director David Depesseville opens on the family’s zoo trip. All seems well until they stop at Marie’s parents’ farm for some milk. Marie’s exhausted from chasing the boys around. Clément is angry at the amount the family spent. Samuel’s to blame, but there’s not much they can do, they need the pension he brings in. It’s a conversation ­– one of many – where a quiet, observant Samuel witnesses with some confusion his place in this world. There’s nothing preachy or maudlin about Depesseville’s film as it shadows a year or so in the life of a boy who wants to feel loved, a boy who’s simultaneously drawn to and revolted by sex because of its confusing sense of powerlessness. Of a bullied boy, never self-pitying, who longs for some kind of protection and, without it, little by little finds ways to feel powerful and noticed. The entire cast is sublime, but young Giannini captivates attention every moment he’s on screen. Depesseville’s approach, based on a scrip he co-wrote with Clara Bourreau, delivers a sensitive exploration of a very rocky coming-of-age. There are few real villains here, and fewer still heroes. The physical manifestations of Samuel’s untold prior traumas are seen by Clément as rebellious outbursts requiring a beating, while Marie enlists the help of some kind of family aura reader. If Children’s Services thought the family was not doing well together, they might take Samuel from them. She immediately points out that they need the pension. The film amounts to a series of beautifully filmed, emotionally moving sketches, tender, empathetic and tragic. The gorgeous cinematography, though welcome, feels almost at odds with the realism of the content, but Depesseville brings the entire vision to an unusual and somewhat mystical conclusion that benefits immeasurably from the almost impressionistic beauty of the entire tale. Astrakan is an impressive, moving slice of life that understands what turns a child into something troubling. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS On My Level Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Apr 30, 2024 Directed by: Grace Morgan Written by: Grace Morgan and Jasmine Otley Starring: Amy Lang, Haleem Clift, Edie Lambden The age-old problem of bullying has long been the bane of schoolchildren the world over and is something we have all experienced, in one form or another, from one side or the other, at some point in our lives. Even though bullying in schools has been around since the dawn of formal education, each successive generation seems to think that they have a monopoly on the angst and distress caused by this seeming rite of passage, with today’s generation being no different. However, what the schoolchildren of today may be able to lay claim to as a bigger danger being faced, which perhaps no other cohort has had to deal with, is the introduction of lethal weapons into the mix. Sadly, as was only very recently evidenced in a high school in Wales, knife crimes, stabbings and even murders amongst teenagers are on the rise, with 16-24 year olds now being the most likely demographic to be a victim of such a crime. And this is to say nothing of what’s happening across the pond in America. As such, what director Grace Morgan, along with her producing and writing partner Jasmine Otley, are trying to offer us in On My Level , is a window into just what’s going on in the classrooms, changing rooms and sports fields of the school system in this country. Sophie (Lang) is having to deal with her own set of ‘mean girls’, whose bullying is by all accounts at a really low level, but constant. She is excluded from groups and teams, has to endure endless sniggering and giggling from behind her and is the recipient of some hurtful remarks. Her adoptive brother, Dan (Clift) on the other hand is having to face a similar barrage of meanness and hatred but with the usual amount of male brutishness and physical domination also added in for good measure. Together they try to find a way out of their victimhood; one which will silence the bullies forever. As the story progresses, we watch as a lot of Sophie’s problems can be solved by a simple standing up for herself, something which is encouraged by her brother, Dan. However, the further into things we go, the more we find that Dan’s supportive suggestions stray into bad idea territory and that he may be doing Sophie more harm than good. This could all be down to the fact that Dan is dealing with his own problems, which are more physical in nature, but it could also point to something more destructive, something hidden and more nefarious in its aspect. As you might expect, On My Level is told from a teenager’s standpoint, with teenage actors, in a teenage setting. Each short scene is directly to the point in what it shows and says, and has the feeling of being complete and discrete within itself. As each scene adds to the narrative from the one before, with its own lead in, conflict or exposition, then lead out, it becomes easy to see where the joins are, therefore creating a disconnect with the audience. The children do well enough at playing children but in terms of emotion, subtlety, expression or performance, it all comes across with usual amount of these you would expect from a regular teenager. With Grace Morgan barely out of her teens herself, what she has created here is representative of her experience and outlook. The story is presented in staccato like scenes, with only functional dialogue and poor movement of character and scenario, giving everything the feel of a high school project. The suggestion also, that the victims of bullying are the dangerous ones to watch out for, does not sit well and seems to misrepresent the realities behind the statistics of youth knife crime, completely sidestepping the whole influence of gang culture and imported violence into our schools. About the Film Critic William Hemingway Short Film, Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Hard Goodnight Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Mar 25, 2023 Directed by: Seth Magana Written by: Seth Magana Starring: Jf Davis, Bo Myers, Joseph Rene, Jason Lee Boyson Two elderly men collaborate with neo-Nazis in order to illegally acquire much-needed money. William (Davis) is a former Hollywood stuntman and actor who now owns a movie theater. However, the cinema is not doing well financially and unless he raises money quickly, he well have to close it permanently. Reluctantly, he is persuaded by his friend Bo (Myers) to do a deed for a bunch of neo-Nazis, which is to rob a van containing church donations. This feature follows a concept that is based on law-abiding people turning to crime out of desperation, which almost always leads to terrible consequences. However, this film is not an adrenaline-filled ride. It is a slow-burning story that focuses heavily on William's character and his strong friendship with Bo. The screenplay follows the two friends as they spend time together, prepare for the robbery and it has a resolution that is a bit overlong. People get hurt and like many films that have a plot about good guys turning to crime, it makes the statement that crime does not pay. There are tense moments, but drama, tragedy and contemplating the past is what mostly dominates throughout. William is quite an intriguing hero, a quiet, lonely former stuntman, who drinks a lot and has a passion for old movies (particularly Westerns), which is evident as he only shows films from the Golden Age of Hollywood at his theater and has a room with movie posters from that era decorating the walls. He is a man who is living in the past and is haunted by a devastating act. Bo appears to be the only person William truly has in his life, who looks out for him, yet has a declining health. Rene has an interesting role as the head of the neo-Nazi group, a calm, calculative and manipulative guy with a unique haircut and an obvious disregard for other people. Director of photography Mason Hunsicker deserves commendations for the cinematography and interestingly, there is a sequence that was filmed in black-and-white. Although this sequence is unexpected, by utilising black-and-white and due to its content, it appears to pay homage to early film noir films. The soundtrack includes a selection of good songs and there is tense and sinister music. Praise also goes to the creativity during the closing credits. With his first feature film, Magana tells an intriguing story about old age, nostalgia, friendship, regrets, neo-Nazism and crime. It is mainly a character study and could be classified as a Western neo-noir crime film. It has interesting characters and strong acting and it pays homage to the Western and film noir genres. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >