Infested film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Théo Christine, Finnegan Oldfield directed by Sébastien Vanicek. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Infested Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Apr 23, 2024 Directed by: Sébastien Vanicek Written by: Florent Bernard, Sébastien Vanicek Starring: Théo Christine, Finnegan Oldfield Remember Quarantine (or Rec , for that matter)? Remember that moment when you realize you’re locked inside an apartment building, trapped with the ravenous undead? OK, so that but spiders. Nice, right?! Sébastien Vanicek’s Infested (co-written with Florent Bernard) doesn’t steal from other movies as much as it mines the primal fears that have plagued the most effective horror movies from the beginning. Kaleb (Théo Christine) is a well-meaning dumbass. He lives in a dump of a high rise, but he loves the place, loves the neighbors, and cherishes the memory of his mother. That’s why, unlike his sister Manon (Lisa Nyarko), Kaleb doesn’t want to leave. In fact, he’s made a cozy home in his room for any number of exotic little beasties—the latest of which he just picked up from the super-secret back room of a dodgy shop. “Careful, it’s probably poisonous,” the shopkeeper calls as Kaleb carries his rubber-banded plastic container and the very poisonous, extremely nasty spider inside. Jumping ahead, Kaleb does not heed the warning. Apartment horror can be so creepy when it’s done well: dark hallways, grimy elevators, creepy parking garages, too many floors until safety, and loads of places for spiders to nest. Vanicek makes excellent use of these spaces, and he shows solid instincts for creature FX—when to go practical, when to show little, when to show lots (and lots and lots). But his film succeeds on the lived-in world of these neighbors and friends. Christine (Gran Turismo ) delivers messy, loving authenticity as the guy who cares deeply and screws up everything. Finnegan Oldfield (Final Cut) is even better, and he brings with him a realism and natural charisma that cements the rag tag band of survivors as human beings to root for. That realism doesn’t extend fully to the arachnid horror. Their reproductive mechanisms, their feeding habits, growth spurts—well, they’re not supposed to be from deep space or a nuclear accident, so the extremes seen in the building definitely strain credibility. But damn! That doesn’t make it any less creepy! You may find yourself shaking out your sleeves and pulling the drawstring tight around your hoodie. I did. But at least the cockroaches are under control. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Film news - Fast and Furious 9 Our Return to Cinemas. Find out more at UK Film Review. Fast and Furious 9 Our Return to Cinemas Chris Olson Monday, April 26, 2021 at 12:11:37 PM GMT+1 UNIVERSAL PICTURES LAUNCHES ‘OUR RETURN TO CINEMAS’ WITH VIN DIESEL IT’S TIME TO COME BACK TOGETHER FAST IS BACK JULY 8 #FAST9 STARRING VIN DIESEL, MICHELLE RODRIGUEZ, TYRESE GIBSON, CHRIS “LUDACRIS” BRIDGES, JOHN CENA, NATHALIE EMMANUEL, JORDANA BREWSTER, SUNG KANG, WITH HELEN MIRREN, WITH KURT RUSSELL, AND CHARLIZE THERON DIRECTED BY JUSTIN LIN STORY BY JUSTIN LIN & ALFREDO BOTELLO AND DANIEL CASEY PRODUCERS NEAL H. MORITZ, VIN DIESEL, JUSTIN LIN, JEFF KIRSCHENBAUM, JOE ROTH, CLAYTON TOWNSEND, SAMANTHA VINCENT Vin Diesel has a message for the world - and that is that it's time to come back together over movies! Fast & Furious 9 will be launched in cinemas in the UK July 8th and will be one of the most anticipated films of the year. Action-packed and star-studded, check out the Fast & Furious 9 Trailer. The King's Man UK Home Release Date Announced The Latest King’s Man Film Will be Available on Digital February 9 and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 21. Read Now BFI Future Film Festival announces 2022 Awards Jury and full programme Find out who the jury is for the 2022 BFI Future Film Festival. Read Now The Wonderful: Stories From The Space Station UK Release Date The Wonderful: Stories from the Space Station is a Dog Star Films production in association with Fisheye Films. Directed by Clare Lewins (I Am Ali, Kareem: Minority of One, The Lost Tapes of Memphis.). Read Now Redemption of a Rogue UK Cinema Release Date Read Now Cryptozoo Coming to Mubi This October Having made a splash at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, filmmaker Dash Shaw's upcoming fantasy animation Cryptozoo is a highly anticipated film coming to Mubi later this year. Read Now Another Round UK DVD And Blu-Ray Release Date Announced Following its acclaimed cinema release, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of Thomas Vinterberg’s intoxicating Oscar winner, ANOTHER ROUND, starring Mads Mikkelsen, on early EST 24th September 2021 and DVD, Blu-ray and Digital on 27th September 2021. Read Now Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow DVD and Blu-Ray UK Release Date Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow To Land Early On Digital (August 10th) and 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD September 13th. Read Now My Little Sister Gets October UK Release Date My Little Sister is due for a cinema release in the UK, on Friday 8th October 2021. Read Now Grimmfest Reveals Line-Up for 2021 Film Festival After a year of “home invasions” in the form of virtual screenings and online events, this October sees Grimmfest returning to the cinema at last. Read Now Helen Mirren Narrates Powerful Documentary Escape From Extinction Kaleidoscope Entertainment presents Escape From Extinction, a powerful feature documentary narrated by Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren, coming to selected cinemas from 17th September celebrating ‘Great Big Green Week’ (18-26 September). Read Now Supernova UK DVD and Blu-Ray Release Date Following critical acclaim and standout performances, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of the heartbreaking British love story SUPERNOVA, arriving on EST 24th September 2021 and DVD and Blu-ray on 27th September 2021. Read Now The Djinn UK Release Date The story follows a mute twelve-year-old, Dylan Jacobs, as he discovers a mysterious book of spells inside his new apartment. Read Now Come Play UK Digital Release Date Jacob Chase’s directorial debut feature COME PLAY tells the story of Oliver, a solitary autistic boy who comes across a creepy children’s story on his new tablet. Read Now 15m Giant Starfish in Leicester Square Ahead of UK Release of The Suicide Squad British actor Peter Capaldi (BBC’s Doctor Who, World War Z) ‒ who stars in THE SUICIDE SQUAD alongside Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and John Cena as genius scientist ‘Thinker’, was bravely photographed with the imposing creature Starro in London’s Leicester Square earlier today in celebration of the film’s UK release this coming Friday. Read Now West Side Story In Cinemas December 2021 From acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, the 2021 remake of West Side Story will be coming to cinemas in December 2021. Read Now The Last Job UK Digital and DVD Release Date Screen icon Richard Dreyfuss takes on The Last Job in a brand new, all-action thriller, that stars Modern Family’s Mira Sorvino as his daughter. This rip-roaring gangster movie hits the UK on DVD and digital this August from 101 Films. Read Now Rise of the Footsoldier Origins UK Cinema Release The eagerly-awaited RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER: ORIGINS, starring legendary leading man Vinnie Jones, is showing exclusively in cinemas from September 3, courtesy of Signature Entertainment. Read Now Random Acts of Violence UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Date Jay Baruchel writes, directs and stars in his horror debut Random Acts of Violence, which makes its UK Blu-ray debut from Acorn Media International in conjunction with Shudder, following its success on the streaming service. Read Now Spirited Away 20th Anniversary Special Edition SPIRITED AWAY COLLECTOR’S BOXSET WITH DVD & BLU-RAY DOUBLEPLAY AVAILABLE 27 SEPTEMBER 2021 Read Now A New World Order Premieres in UK 23 August Black Mirror meets A Quiet Place in gripping sci-fi thriller A New World Order from director Daniel Raboldt in his feature debut, which gets its UK premiere on DVD and digital 23 August 2021 from Reel 2 Reel Films. Read Now

A Manchester Story film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Figen Murray, Clint Boon, Michael Cox, Dr. Cath Hill, Adam Lawler directed by Anton Arenko. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS A Manchester Story Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Mar 31, 2022 Directed by: Anton Arenko Written by: N/A Starring: Figen Murray, Clint Boon, Michael Cox, Dr. Cath Hill, Adam Lawler A powerful, moving and inspiring documentary about the generous and courageous contributions and achievements that people in Manchester completed, following the devastating attack that was carried out by a suicide bomber at the Manchester Arena on the 22 of May 2017, shortly after a concert by American singer Ariana Grande had taken place. Basically, the structure of this documentary consists of several individuals being interviewed. These individuals consist of people who where deeply affected by the terrible event, some of which where present at the arena when the explosion occurred. These people explain how their life was affected by the attack and how they were motivated them to take action and do things that will help their community and these include organising an event involving hundreds of bikers, making sure that traumatised survivors get the support they need, setting up a choir called the 'Manchester Survivors Club' and tatooing images of the Machester Bee on people. These actions were done with the intention of honoring the ones who lost their life because of the incident and to show that the city of Manchester has not been broken by the event and that the people who live there are strong, united and able to overcome destructive events and their aftermath. Some of the interviewees include Eve Senior, a young dancer who was severely injured and was determined to dance again. Michael Cox, a biker who helped organise a massive gathering of bikers for strength and support, Figen Murray, who lost her son Martyn Hett due to the incident and decided to do her part in making security tighter at public events and tattoo artist Sam Barber, who started spreading tattoos of the Manchester worker bee, which is an emblem of the city and represents unity. All the interviewees come across as friendly, caring and intelligent and it is emotional listening to their stories and they also show that they are determined to be strong and help others. Aside from the interviews, there is also footage of crowds attending events, paying tribute to the victims and footage of the interior of the arena during that fateful night. There are photographs of some of the victims, the interviewees and of people participating in events such as the choir and motorcycle event and many photos of the Machester Bee, either as a sticker or a tattoo. Tris Dunn does an amazing contribution with the beautiful and dynamic score, which provides a melancholic atmosphere and a feeling of hope. This documentary reveals the power of the human spirit. It introduces the viewer to some hard-working and warm-hearted individuals, whose refusal to let a terrible tragedy bring them and their community to their knees and whose determination to help, move forward and make a difference proved that love, spirit and unity prevail. This viewing is highly recommended. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film, Documentary < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Film news - Riders of Justice UK Release Date Announced. Find out more at UK Film Review. Riders of Justice UK Release Date Announced Chris Olson Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 12:26:12 PM GMT+1 RIDERS OF JUSTICE UK RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCEMENT Riders of Justice will be released in Cinemas & Digitally On Friday 23rd July Highly trained military veteran Markus returns home to care for his daughter after his wife dies in a tragic train accident. Meanwhile, a survivor of the explosion, mathematics geek Otto, becomes convinced that the incident was part of an assassination plot involving dangerous crime gangs. When Otto and his hacker friends, Lennart and Emmenthaler, decide to confront the short-fused Markus with their suspicions, a chain of events begins which leads the mismatched group into a violent and ill-conceived revenge mission. Read our Riders of Justice film review . The King's Man UK Home Release Date Announced The Latest King’s Man Film Will be Available on Digital February 9 and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 21. Read Now BFI Future Film Festival announces 2022 Awards Jury and full programme Find out who the jury is for the 2022 BFI Future Film Festival. Read Now The Wonderful: Stories From The Space Station UK Release Date The Wonderful: Stories from the Space Station is a Dog Star Films production in association with Fisheye Films. Directed by Clare Lewins (I Am Ali, Kareem: Minority of One, The Lost Tapes of Memphis.). Read Now Redemption of a Rogue UK Cinema Release Date Read Now Cryptozoo Coming to Mubi This October Having made a splash at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, filmmaker Dash Shaw's upcoming fantasy animation Cryptozoo is a highly anticipated film coming to Mubi later this year. Read Now Another Round UK DVD And Blu-Ray Release Date Announced Following its acclaimed cinema release, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of Thomas Vinterberg’s intoxicating Oscar winner, ANOTHER ROUND, starring Mads Mikkelsen, on early EST 24th September 2021 and DVD, Blu-ray and Digital on 27th September 2021. Read Now Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow DVD and Blu-Ray UK Release Date Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow To Land Early On Digital (August 10th) and 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD September 13th. Read Now My Little Sister Gets October UK Release Date My Little Sister is due for a cinema release in the UK, on Friday 8th October 2021. Read Now Grimmfest Reveals Line-Up for 2021 Film Festival After a year of “home invasions” in the form of virtual screenings and online events, this October sees Grimmfest returning to the cinema at last. Read Now Helen Mirren Narrates Powerful Documentary Escape From Extinction Kaleidoscope Entertainment presents Escape From Extinction, a powerful feature documentary narrated by Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren, coming to selected cinemas from 17th September celebrating ‘Great Big Green Week’ (18-26 September). Read Now Supernova UK DVD and Blu-Ray Release Date Following critical acclaim and standout performances, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of the heartbreaking British love story SUPERNOVA, arriving on EST 24th September 2021 and DVD and Blu-ray on 27th September 2021. Read Now The Djinn UK Release Date The story follows a mute twelve-year-old, Dylan Jacobs, as he discovers a mysterious book of spells inside his new apartment. Read Now Come Play UK Digital Release Date Jacob Chase’s directorial debut feature COME PLAY tells the story of Oliver, a solitary autistic boy who comes across a creepy children’s story on his new tablet. Read Now 15m Giant Starfish in Leicester Square Ahead of UK Release of The Suicide Squad British actor Peter Capaldi (BBC’s Doctor Who, World War Z) ‒ who stars in THE SUICIDE SQUAD alongside Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and John Cena as genius scientist ‘Thinker’, was bravely photographed with the imposing creature Starro in London’s Leicester Square earlier today in celebration of the film’s UK release this coming Friday. Read Now West Side Story In Cinemas December 2021 From acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, the 2021 remake of West Side Story will be coming to cinemas in December 2021. Read Now The Last Job UK Digital and DVD Release Date Screen icon Richard Dreyfuss takes on The Last Job in a brand new, all-action thriller, that stars Modern Family’s Mira Sorvino as his daughter. This rip-roaring gangster movie hits the UK on DVD and digital this August from 101 Films. Read Now Rise of the Footsoldier Origins UK Cinema Release The eagerly-awaited RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER: ORIGINS, starring legendary leading man Vinnie Jones, is showing exclusively in cinemas from September 3, courtesy of Signature Entertainment. Read Now Random Acts of Violence UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Date Jay Baruchel writes, directs and stars in his horror debut Random Acts of Violence, which makes its UK Blu-ray debut from Acorn Media International in conjunction with Shudder, following its success on the streaming service. Read Now Spirited Away 20th Anniversary Special Edition SPIRITED AWAY COLLECTOR’S BOXSET WITH DVD & BLU-RAY DOUBLEPLAY AVAILABLE 27 SEPTEMBER 2021 Read Now A New World Order Premieres in UK 23 August Black Mirror meets A Quiet Place in gripping sci-fi thriller A New World Order from director Daniel Raboldt in his feature debut, which gets its UK premiere on DVD and digital 23 August 2021 from Reel 2 Reel Films. Read Now

Burnt Toast and Cigarettes film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Becky Lindsay, Rhiannon Jones, Ellie Bindman, Craig Conway directed by Paul Stainthorpe. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Burnt Toast and Cigarettes Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Mar 9, 2022 Directed by: Paul Stainthorpe Written by: Paul Stainthorpe, Simon Jefferson Starring: Becky Lindsay, Rhiannon Jones, Ellie Bindman, Craig Conway A troubled teenager struggles to get her life in order and keeps getting into confrontations. After getting expelled from school over a conflict, Abi (Lindsay) finds herself in a position where she needs to deal with her problems and come to terms with everything if she is to move on with her life. She refuses the support from her father (Conway) and dance teacher (Jones) and holds a serious grudge against a schoolgirl named Chloe (Bindman). This short drama focuses on the life of a young girl who is facing inner issues and explores how her behaviour affects her life and those around her and it is not good. She alienates herself from everybody and hurts those who want to help her. Her aggressive attitude often gets the best of her, resulting in violent behaviour, arguments and drama. There are scenes of nasty confrontation and heartwarming scenes that make the viewing a rather emotional experience. The protagonists deliver strong and dramatic performances. Lindsay is superb as a teenager who experiences what many people her age tend to go through: alienation, anger, sadness, jealousy. Her negative emotions are preventing her from being the good person that she really is. Conway is her father and only parent who cares deeply for his daughter and is torn apart because of the lack of communication between them. Jones is Abi's dance teacher who disapproves of her aggressive behaviour but recognises her potential and Bindman is the fragile girl who falls victim to Abi's temper. Stainthorpe does a great job with the directing and the cinematography by James Alexander looks beautiful and includes brief moments of black-and-white and red-and-black. Composer Marco Belloni develops music that is dramatic and gentle and Eleanor Fielding is creative with the editing and utilises fast cutting effectively. This short is a hard-hitting coming-of-age film that explores themes of self-destruction and teenage anger and alienation. It is a character study that shows how a person's actions can affect their life and points out the importance of support and forgiveness. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Raspberry film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Emmie Rhodes, Samuel Marlow directed by Scott Kingsnorth. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Raspberry Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Mar 3, 2024 Directed by: Scott Kingsnorth Written by: Scott Kingsnorth Starring: Emmie Rhodes, Samuel Marlow Making films is such a really easy thing to do, innit? In fact, it’s so easy that I’m surprised more people aren’t out there giving it a shot; scripting their dreams, grabbing a camera and committing their ideas to film. And what about short films, eh? They’re even easier to make, aren’t they? So easy, in fact, that anyone can do it. All you have to do to make a short film is to come up with an idea, just one, and then film a small scene about it. It doesn’t even need to be that long, a couple of minutes maybe, and there doesn’t even need to be any dialogue if you don’t want there to be. Yeah, of course you’ll be able to get across what you want to say in that short, tiny, miniscule amount of time, without any words. Don’t worry, everyone is bound to understand it. Everyone is bound to love it. It’s easy – just go for it. And so, dear audience, today for your consideration we have Raspberry . Written, directed and shot by Scott Kingsnorth, Raspberry is one of those films. Coming in with a total runtime of just under two-minutes there’s not a lot of time, space or anything else for Kingsnorth to get his point across. Luckily for him though, his point is not all that involved, and to be fair it’s not all that subtle either, leaving the way open for a quick exchange of attitudes before it’s all over and we’re left to go our separate ways again. So, just what is it that Raspberry has to offer? Well, to start with there’s nearly thirty seconds worth of credits to lead us in, which along with the extra fifteen seconds of credits at the end, only leaves us with about one minute and fifteen seconds worth of actual film left to watch. Within that window we get to see a woman (Rhodes) sitting on a bench, in black and white. She looks like a bit of a schoolmarm, what with her rimmed glasses and her stern look, and it seems as though she probably isn’t very good at sharing or socialising. When another person – a gentleman – then decides to take a load off and sit on the bench, the woman doesn’t like it and so she shoots him a fierce look. Unperturbed, the gentleman (Marlow) shoots a look straight back at the schoolmarm and a Sergio Leone style face-off begins as the two sets of eyes are trained on one another with no sign of giving way. Eventually, with there seemingly being no other way out of the deadlock, the woman sticks her tongue out and blows a raspberry at the man before he turns around and does the exact same thing back. Fin. And so that’s it. That’s all we’ve got. That’s all there is. If you wanted to – and I mean really wanted to – you could try, I suppose, to link what’s going on in the film to the real world. You could try to say that the characters represent their respective sexes within wider society, and that the woman here, as in the wider world, is protecting her personal space from the inevitable invasion of men and is showing her disgust at the entitlement men have to all spaces, even those which surround women. You might try to say that the film is a commentary on modern society and the current generation, where actual face-to-face communication has broken down so much that it seems insults are the norm and the art of conversation has been lost. You could try to say that this is Kingsnorth’s two fingers up to the Oscars. You could try and say a lot of things, if you wanted to, about Raspberry but none of them would be right because in reality it has none of these things in it. It is merely a very short film about two people blowing raspberries at each other – it tells you right in the title – and that’s it. However, if that’s all that Kingsnorth wanted to show, then he’s managed it pretty well. In two-minutes he’s demonstrated that he can select, shoot and edit his shots with a degree of skill. He’s managed to offer a sort of characterisation through the look and wardrobe of the two leads and he’s offered some measure of directorial style by choosing to film in black and white. The story, for what it is, hangs together and does create a narrative, while the music from Matt Williams provides a throughline as well as a sense of atmosphere to the audience. Which means that while Raspberry may not be very much, it is at least something. Just who would want to watch it though, is another question entirely. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Hemingway Digital / DVD Release, Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Wished film review by UK film critic Michael Brennan. Starring Xia Yu, Yan Ni, Victoria Song, Pan Binlong, David Wu directed by Dayyan Eng. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Wished Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Michael Brennan | Posted on: Feb 24, 2022 Directed by: Dayyan Eng Written by: Justin Malen and Dayyan Eng Starring: Xia Yu, Yan Ni, Victoria Song, Pan Binlong, David Wu What happens when an insurance salesman is offered 19 of his childhood wishes by a mischievous "Earth Goddess"? Carnage, destruction, high jinks and hilariousness. Wished is a 2017 romance/fantasy Chinese film that created a name for itself thanks to its awards triumph, winning accolades at the Chinese American Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Awards and New York Film Awards for editing, acting, and cinematography. From its hilarious premise to its bonkers characters, Wished is a surprisingly charming film that captures romance and fantasy perfectly. The film starts with the Earth Goddess, played by Yan Ni, telling the audience how she playfully tinkers with people's daily lives so they "do good". We quickly learn that her next client/victim is Ma, a thirtysomething salesman whose life isn't going so well. After being invited to speak to a room full of students about his career, Ma Fendou, played by Xia Yu, realises that his career in the family business isn't all it's cracked up to be. After breaking up with his longtime girlfriend, Ren Shanshan, played by K-pop's Victoria Song, a collection of unfortunate events propels Ma to question his life and his choices. From his relationships to his career, Ma thought his life would be "more", which is a profound and relatable statement. He gets wrapped up in the idea of "what should've been", or better yet, "what could have been", which is a sad, relatable and heartbreaking moment to watch. Seeing her moment to cause some mischievous fun, Earth Goddess Shangguan Furong enters Ma's life and tells him that she will grant 19 of his childhood wishes. At first, Ma doesn't believe a word of what she is saying, and he goes on to live his day-to-day life without a care in the world. However, this is when the fantasy elements kick into high gear, and strange things begin to occur. From wacky hairdos, his desire for his childhood teacher, to acquiring the skills of the legendary basketball player Michael Jordan, Ma's life is turned completely upside down. From this point on, the film embraces its incredibly camp and comedic fantasy elements, taking us on a wild cinematic experience. However, despite screenplay writers Dayyan Eng and Justin Malen's best efforts, the film lacks a consistent tone and rhythm. Unfortunately, Wished jumps from one scene to the next with no real sense of purpose or intention, hindering the story's overall impact. Each scene feels slightly disjointed from the last, which is a real shame. Aside from those minor issues, the film is exceptional and is undoubtedly worth checking out. It's as romantic, hilarious, and above all, slightly absurd (in the best way). While Wished is somewhat predictable in the story department, its predictability doesn't take anything away from its satisfying (and hilarious) ending. The highlight of this film is Earth Goddess Shangguan Furong, played by Yan Ni. Not only does she introduce herself like a pro, but her sharp quips are what make this film so delightful. Ni injects a degree of comedy into the role that keeps you entertained and connected from start to finish. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Michael Brennan Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Lawrence Bennie writes movie reviews for UK Film Critic. As one of the talented UK film critics, find out more here. Lawrence Bennie I’m a lifelong film fan but have just got back into writing about film and am delighted to be here with the team at UK Film Review! I graduated from King’s College London in English with Film Studies in 2006. Soon after, I attended the Script Factory’s Script Reading course in London before later returning to university to complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Management at Birkbeck. In July 2014, I qualified as a teacher and currently teach History in the Outer London area. Of course, film history is a particular passion! Recently, I have been studying through the University of Pennsylvania, completing their Hollywood: History, Industry, Art online course. I’m interested in discovering, learning and exploring all aspects of film history and relish analysing films to share ideas, concepts and theories on film through writing. Additionally, I simply enjoy reviewing all the films I watch and writing up my thoughts, whether it’s a simple, short review or something more extended! Please read my film reviews and follow me on Twitter! It’d be great to hear from you! :-) Read Latest Film Reviews Gradient Descent Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie The Wildman of Shaggy Creek Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie Another Date Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie River of Grass Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie Farewell Symphony Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie Fervor Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie A Tight Squeeze Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie Gabriela Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie Bad Genius Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie Rabbit-T Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie Essentially Amy Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie M: Beyond The Wasteland Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie Neutopia Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie Invited In Read Film Reviews Lawrence Bennie

She's Perfect film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Eric Hanson, Julie Fontenot directed by Sheldon Maddux. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS She's Perfect Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Oct 30, 2022 Directed by: Sheldon Maddux Written by: Sheldon Maddux Starring: Eric Hanson, Julie Fontenot A man descends into madness following the passing of his wife. This short begins light-heartedly, then turns into a drama about loss, before turning into a serial killer horror film. Jack (Hanson) is a surgeon and he lives happily with his wife (Fontenot). After she tragically loses her life, Jack is devastated and gradually becomes deranged and begins murdering women, keeping some specific body parts for a disturbing reason that he thinks will bring back happiness to him. Through a non-linear narrative, this rather dark story that brings the viewer into the mind of a man as he turns into a psychopathic killer. He approaches and lures women that (from his point of view) have a special thing that is required in order for him to accomplish something that he believes will bring joy to him. The screenplay reveals the how happy the couple were, indicating that Jack eventually lost his mind due to tremendous grief. The majority of the narrative alternates between the couple enjoying themselves and Jack going after his unsuspecting victims. The film is quite gruesome at times, with scenes of dismemberment that are quite graphic and not for sensitive viewers. Although the killings take place off-screen, the aftermath is enough to disgust and so is the disturbing ending. Hanson plays his part very well and is convincing and chilling in his portrayal of a person who goes from normal to psychotic. He brings to life the feelings that his character is going through very effectively. He also provides a sort of creepy voice-over, during which he recites poems that seem to be about his character. The make-up work on the gory stuff deserves a lot of praise, as it is rather realistic. Maddux also worked on the music, which is one of the film's strongest features. With melodies of violin and piano, the score creates an atmosphere that is sometimes dramatic and sometimes sinister. The main themes in this short are loss, grief, mental illness, murder and obsession. The gore and dismemberment parts are shocking, however this film is not just about that. Its strength is effectively telling a dark story about a twisted mind. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Isolate Thief film review by UK film critic Brandon Thomas. Starring Mackenzie Foy, Sean Bean, Odeya Rush directed by John Suits. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Isolate Thief Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Brandon Thomas | Posted on: Jul 9, 2026 Directed by: John Suits Written by: Kevin Lefler Starring: Mackenzie Foy, Sean Bean, Odeya Rush To the casual viewer, the classic Western has its tried and true tropes: the dusty landscape, the haggard hero, and maybe the damsel in distress. However, those days are mostly long gone, and the few Westerns that find their way to the screen tend to offer up something a little more left of center. While not fully embracing the neo-Western moniker, The Isolate Thief still delivers a film a little bit more unique than its classical brethren. Young Ada (MacKenzie Foy, The Conjuring ) is the sole occupant of a remote outpost during the Civil War. After stumbling upon a cache of stolen gold, Ada finds herself up against a violent crew of outlaws led by the cunning Fiddler (Sean Bean, National Treasure ). As the gang’s patience wears thin, Ada struggles to navigate their growing frustration as well as keep the gold secret. The Isolate Thief has the traditional Western shootouts, but the real excitement comes from the tension director John Suits creates. More akin to a thriller at times, Thief uses the threat of violence to greater effect than violence itself. Still, when all hell breaks loose, Suits doesn’t shy away from the carnage inflicted by gunshots, stabbings, and beatings. This approach is especially effective given the film’s chamber piece approach – essentially taking place only at the outpost and the woods directly surrounding it. The aforementioned violence is often directed at Ada and the lone female member of the outlaws, Emily (Odeya Rush, Lady Bird ), who isn’t there by choice. There’s an interesting – and purposeful – juxtaposition between these two women. Ada is the younger, more naive of the two, and the one willing to try and outwit these vicious men. Emily’s world-weariness straddles the line between cynical and pragmatic – often within the same scene and conversation. Her tragic backstory comes to light, but the true horror of her ordeal is seen only in the character’s eyes. Bean is at his most sinister as the revolting Fiddler. Most will think of Bean as the redemptive Boromir from The Lord of the Rings or the gone-too-soon Ned Stark on Game of Thrones . Those of us who have been around long enough can remember when Bean cut his teeth on villain roles in Patriot Games and as a foil for 007 in Goldeneye . As Fiddler, Bean injects his natural charm into a character whose only love language is violence. We know what Fiddler is capable of long before Ada does, and it only ratchets up the tension as the film moves towards its brutal climax. The Isolate Thief is a thrilling and well-acted entry in the Western genre. While maybe not the next Hateful Eight , it will still satisfy most die-hard fans of this kind of rootin’, shootin’ film. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Brandon Thomas Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Lovesick film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Clint Ruben, Sandra Turell Henningson, Ellaha Lack directed by Alexander Saul. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Lovesick Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Nov 28, 2024 Directed by: Alexander Saul Written by: Alexander Saul Starring: Clint Ruben, Sandra Turell Henningson, Ellaha Lack A patient in an open psychiatric ward in Denmark deals with his attachment to a nurse as he finds out that she will be leaving the facility the day after their New Year’s party. Elias (Ruben) is sick. He has to live every day with his mental illness and deals with voices in his head, the urge to self-harm, and delusions on an almost constant basis. He also has the hots for his assigned nurse, Solveig (Henningson). Elias likes to play out the fantasy that he and Solveig will get it on at some point and this arouses him enough to see him through most of the days in the psychiatric ward. The fact that Solveig attends to him most days personally, as well as needing to be present in some of his most intimate moments, such as showering, helps feed this fantasy, and in her presence Elias makes himself as approachable and charming as he possibly can. On the day of the New Year’s party, however, Elias learns that this will be Solveig’s last shift, and so he determines to open his heart to her before his time runs out. The fact that Elias has had to find this information out from a couple of the other patients, and not from Solveig herself, should really have told him something, but he has deliberately been dishonest about taking his meds recently and his thinking is not as straight as it should be. Still, Elias is ready to make his move and so he enlists the help of another patient to smarten himself up for the evening and then manoeuvres himself to sit next to Solveig at the party. Everything is set up for Elias to declare his love but unfortunately things do not go as well as he had planned. Throughout writer/director Alexander Saul’s new short film, Lovesick , we get up close and personal with some of the more difficult moments of life on a psychiatric ward. We are party to the thoughts that constantly berate and confuse Elias in his own head, as well as bearing witness to moments of self-harm and self-abuse. There are also instances of friction between Elias and other patients which demonstrate the fragile balance which is so carefully kept inside the walls of the facility. Saul’s aim, however, is to also show the humanity which pours forth from these people and how their feelings, dreams and desires are no different from anybody else’s. He successfully manages this by showing us all aspects of the interactions which take place between residents and staff, and gently places the characters in situations which reveal their vulnerabilities. There is a softness which resides over the entirety of Lovesick that speaks to the intentions of Saul in helping us identify with his characters. This can at times feel like the scenario, as well as the manifestations of mental illness, come across as tame with no major drama ever being involved, but really it is just an extension of how Saul is treating his subject. The inclusion of Frederikke (Lack), as someone who looks at Elias the way he looks at Solveig, helps show that there is more than one side to everyone’s story while also allowing Elias’ sympathetic character to emerge. In terms of production, however, Lovesick has nothing to write home about. The writing is fine, if a bit simplistic, and the direction and photography are serviceable to the narrative. Nothing really stands out at you as being one way or the other in terms of quality and this feeling lasts with the viewer throughout the twenty-minute runtime. In his desire not to judge or impose historic stereotypes on his characters, Saul has forgotten to give his story any real heart to engage with. The actor’s jobs are very basic, with very little emotion seeping out, and Ellaha Lack as Frederikke is the only standout in a small, enclosed field. While Lovesick does its best to humanise those with mental illness and share a real-life story which could be transposed to nearly anybody on the planet, it doesn’t do enough to separate its themes and ideas from just how interminably ordinary they really are, meaning that fundamentally nothing new or of substance is expressed in its telling. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Hemingway Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

To Lucasta, Going to the Wars film review by UK film critic John McKeown. Starring Jose Enrique Moronta, Manuela Lopez Lantigna directed by Luis C. Taveras. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS To Lucasta, Going to the Wars Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: John McKeown | Posted on: Jul 12, 2022 Directed by: Luis C. Taveras Written by: John McKeown Starring: Jose Enrique Moronta, Manuela Lopez Lantigna Set in the comfy suburbs of some Central or Latin American city, Luis C. Taveras’ short silently acted film could be a sneaker advert. If it weren’t for the black and white filter, or the gravelly thespian voice intoning the verses of Cavalier poet Richard Lovelace’s ‘To Lucasta, Going to the Wars’. Though having said that, these days even Cavalier Poets aren’t beneath the ‘creative departments’ of sneaker companies. Comparing it to a sneaker ad isn’t to disparage it completely. It’s short and sweet, the sweetness fairly natural, and far from cloying; and though just brushing six minutes in length, it’s scenically varied enough, with a bit of tension and some evocative camera work from Arisbel Escolastico Jerez, to make it watchable. The two young actors successfully command attention, and let’s not forget that acting without words is far from easy. Lovelace’s poem is a short paean to a mistress the narrator is leaving behind for another mistress, a far more exacting one: War. But he’s an honourable man, and it’s his dedication to Honour which makes him such a faithful lover, so his mistress shouldn’t begrudge him the opportunity to sow some wild oats in the local killing fields. Taveras’ boy (Jose Enrique Moronta) isn’t off to the wars, the only blood on his hands is red paint (figuratively speaking, due to that black and white filter) but he still faces a hard choice between pursuing his artistic muse or canoodling with a real flesh and blood one. The choice is decided perhaps too quickly, even for a film as brief as this, and the rest of it shows the lovers playing cards, walking and talking earnestly in the dusk, and taking selfies (the only spots of colour). The artist’s lover (Manuela Lopez Lantigna) plays guitar and sings, though the lyrics are in Spanish, and it might’ve added interest to have the song subtitled or narrated (though not by that gravelly thespian). Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic John McKeown Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >