★★★ Stars Directed by: #TerrieSamundra Written by: #TerrieSamundra, #DavidWalterLech Starring: #ShabanaAzmi, #RivaArora, #SanjeedaSheikh, #HetviBhanushali, #SatyadeepMisra Film Review by: Alicia Moore Kaali Khuhi is a Netflix original horror film which follows Shivangi (Riva Arora,) a 10 year old girl, who is put to the ultimate test to save her family's village from the restless ghosts of its horrific past. The spirits that crawl from the depths of the black well in the village’s field hold knotted ties with Shivangi’s family, leaving her to be the one to break a cruel tradition of bloodshed and torment. The writing (screenplay and story by Terrie Samundra and David Walter Lech) does conclude to be quite weak in a sense. The story itself is absolutely incredible, there are many intricate details that make up the unfolding tale and the backstory to such a haunting atmosphere. From start to finish, suspense can be felt with every scene presented to the audience – however, an extensive suspense can only be perfected by giving the audience clear clues as to where the story is leading to. Viewers aren’t shown anything distinctly significant relating to the storyline until the film is nearing its ending. This eventually shows as a contribution to a good climax, but a film with a plot as comprehensive as this one would flow so much better if its pieces are slowly placed together at an extended pace, rather than quickly revealing the plot’s history before reaching the final, thrilling peak. A balance between suspense and satisfaction for viewers who are following the tale and mentally turning the pages of this horror is desirable; as it would be for any production. Although the writing can be somewhat criticised, Kaali Khuhi is a great, visually pleasing experience overall. The cinematography (by Sejal Shah) is simply entrancing. It captivates the intense ambience of each scene with skill and, with beautiful, wide shots, the eyes of viewers are left to wonder around the screen to check for hidden figures that may be lurking in the dark. As this is a horror film, it seems out of place for me to describe the cinematography as ‘graceful’ but I truly mean it; the camera follows the story in its own stride instead of standing behind the pages and aiding them to turn. The two elements compliment each other in different ways, intertwining together to produce an immersive escapade. The range of acting abilities held by the cast members adds to the vivid qualities of the film. A striking aspect that can be discovered in regards to the acting is the strong energy that surrounds the actors and how they represent their character’s personality – their emotions are so firmly settled into their approach to the character that every scream, cry and frantic act feels like a truthful reaction to the event that they are stuck in. That energy transfers to the audience immediately, passing a longing feeling of anxiety to claw at the pit of each viewing person’s stomach. In particular, I felt this power from Shabana Azmi’s approach to her role as Satya Maasi more than any other member of the cast. Her performance completely stunned me. Kaali Khuhi is a thoroughly enjoyable film for those who seek tension and excitement in equal measure. All components of this film sync superbly together yet are unique in their own ways as well. I think it’s time now for you to delve into the black well and swim through the bodies of the past… are you prepared?

★★★★ Directed by: James Kibbey Written by: James Kibbey, Kevin Mears Starring: Hugo Chegwin, Felicity Montagu, David Schaal Film Review by: Jason Knight Sometimes people need to reveal their secrets, in order to get things of their chest. A married couple and their son are sitting around a table, at a posh-looking restaurant, to eat and chat. The son, Alex (Chegwin), has decided that he wants to tell his parents something about himself. After he has done so, the father, Frank (Schaal), finds that this would be a good time to reveal one of his own secrets. And finally, the mother, Patricia (Montagu), also makes the decision to tell them about her own little secret! Almost the entire story takes place while the three protagonists are sitting down and talking. The script is very well written, with interesting characters and all three go through their own character development. The narrative is rather exciting, making the audience wonder what each person's announcement is going to be and how the other two are going to react towards it. the nature of the secrets and the characters' reactions make this film a comedy. All three protagonists deliver outstanding and entertaining performances and are obviously having a lot of fun with their characters! Chegwin wonderfully portrays the insecure, worried son, while Schaal is terrific as the serious father. And Montagu is delightful as the cheeky, cheerful, sympathetic mum! The three are formally dressed and their manners and behavior indicate that they are respectable people, who care deeply for each other. Another aspect that makes this short a pleasure to watch is the setting. As mentioned almost the whole narrative happens while the family are sitting in the restaurant, and the decorations do look luxurious, with many beautiful paintings decorating the walls. The music is quite appealing. The film begins with a piece that sounds innocent and comedic. The music heard during the conversations is jazz or blues, the kind one would expect to experience in a fancy restaurant. The Announcement is an enjoyable short film. The awkward atmosphere that is created by the convincing acting and clever screenplay, make this piece of work a must-see! #JasonKnight

★★★★★ Directed by: #JonathanBlagrove Written by: #LyndaWilliams Starring: #RobertWhitelock #JonnyPhillips #VickyMcClure Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Tommy (Whitelock), an out of work building contractor who finds himself turned onto a life of crime as a getaway driver, sees his whole life unravel through a series of phone calls one night while on a job, forcing him to face the consequences of his lies and make some truly difficult decisions. How much Blagrove and Williams have managed to achieve in a little over eight minutes here is really incredible. While the “one-man-alone-in-a-car" premise may draw comparisons to 2013 Tom Hardy road-drama Locke, where that film waxed and waned over its feature length, here in short-form, Hold is a constant incline of fine filmmaking and engaging storytelling from beginning to end. It all starts with the timer. When Tommy receives an anonymous text message stating to be ready in five minutes, he places a timer for those five minutes on the dashboard, and waits. From that point, moving imperceptibly and effortlessly through the gears, Blagrove’s film slowly begins to tighten the vice around our attention as we wait for those five minutes to tick all the way down to the final second. It's such a simple device, but it absolutely works in instantly setting the audience on edge as we know that in five minutes from now, something’s going down. But what we don’t know in that moment is that the timer holds so much more significance than a simple countdown. Without giving too much away, that small window signifies the last five minutes of a life Tommy will never have again, and with each phone call we get to see that life crack more and more and until by the end it’s completely shattered. It’s remarkable writing from Williams and means Hold delivers much, much more than an exciting heist movie, it’s a brilliant study of the consequences of one’s choices as well. Finally, what might be most impressive of all is how all the aspects of Hold manage to keep in near-perfect step with each other. The editing, with simpler, longer cuts initially, becomes increasingly frenetic in the final moments, backed by an increasingly resounding score which grips relentlessly at your heart and ears in the film’s thrilling finale. Whitelock, our sole presence in the film, completely sells every moment, and his transition from calm to sweaty jitters to full on frantic is another example of the films seamless transition from standing start to full throttle, the performance from both Phillips and practically infallible McClure also fine examples of quality over quantity, a mantra this film practically breathes. With practically nothing but a car, an actor and a phone, Hold manages to deliver a wonderful character-driven drama wrapped in heart pounding heist movie that will keep you right on the edge of your seat. #ChrisBuick

★★★★ Written and Directed by #RichardWeston Starring #RichardWeston, #AugustaWoods, #EvaMarieKung Film Review by Amber Jackson This is one of those rare short films that genuinely takes your breath away with surprise. Richard Weston’s latest short film, Nocturne, is an emotional piece that holds the complexities of grief as its centre. The word ‘nocturne’ itself has a multitude of meanings here, all focused around protagonist Martin as he navigates the sadness of losing his wife to cancer. The script is heartbreakingly sweet and brutally honest as Weston cultivates a beautiful story about human struggle. Martin and Claire (played by Augusta Woods) do not have a perfect relationship, but their love transcends their words. The film begins with them in a seemingly perfect and loving relationship and the camera is all over them, as they touch and poke fun at each other. Shots of this happy couple cut brutally to Martin looking at people falling in love in a bustling pub and he is alone. The audience isn’t sure where this scene falls in Martin’s timeline, but it leaves them questioning what has happened in the short time since they saw him with Claire. The encounters Martin has with the supporting cast are brief but leave lasting impressions. His brief scene with an annoying drunk American man (David Menkin) reveal cultural and class differences that frustrate him, yet he says nothing in his sadness. Similarly, an array of family members and medical staff filter in and out of the scenery and mould Martin’s story around him. This storytelling is effective in allowing the viewer to guess his relationships, cementing his newfound solitude even further. Claire is an enigma and the only character that Martin shows powerful emotion in front of. Weston’s chemistry with Augusta Woods allows both Martin and Claire to speak aggressively to each other to expel passion rather than anger. The script deals sensitively with relationship themes such as the fear of settling down, fear of loving too much, and then when worst fears are confirmed, the fear of confronting pain. When we find out the reality of Martin’s situation, the story aligns seamlessly. The audience sees Martin being forced to deal with loss in clever sequences of well-timed and sensitive shots. The camera is incredibly intimate, with many close-ups, and allows us to feel the scene more. Likewise, music is also very powerfully timed in this piece. The beautiful piano score during special moments shared with Claire and scenes where Martin feels love contrast well with those silent scenes with no score at all. Weston has enabled such a clear distinction between perfect and brutal reality so that the music holds more power when it does begin to play. As the story unravels further, it begins to feel more and more like the camera and the music is Martin – as each shot and sound focuses entirely on what he is feeling and experiencing. Towards the end of the film, Eva-Marie Kung gives a mysterious and hopeful edge to Martin’s story, as her characterisation is witty and clever in a way that he feels like he can confide in her. A shocking and subtle revelation closes this film out and makes you want even more from the story. This makes it very easy to want this film to be a feature length, but the real power in this story is that it is not over-explained. The audience is allowed to play out further action in their imagination, which is a marker of an excellent film. Whilst there are many potential avenues and further plot points to explore with this story, Nocturne is an amazing balance of emotion, sensitively, humour and intellect all packaged up in less than twenty-five minutes. Richard Weston has done a fantastic job of bringing Martin’s story to life, making it well worth a watch. Watch the trailer here: #AmberJackson

★★ Directed by: Robert Gulassarian Written by: Robert Gulassarian Starring: Fresno Phinx, Lawrence Bill, Alicia Kapudag Film Review by: Jason Knight A crime thriller! Gangsters, guns, beatings, profanity and dark humor! Fresno (Phinx) is a criminal, who drinks a lot and is a broken man. He does not know what to do with his life. He spends a lot of time with his friend and fellow outlaw Sonny (Bill) and he reassumes his relationship with Serafina (Kapudag). Then things take a turn for the worse, when Fresno and Sonny get in serious trouble over a statue of a ballerina. One thing that stands out is that the film features both color and black-and-white cinematography, resembling Natural Born Killers (1994). There are interesting montage sequences and filmmakers also make interesting use of fast motion and slow motion techniques. And the soundtrack is rather entertaining! The movie does have flaws. The camerawork appears clumsy throughout and the lighting is poor. As far as the performances go, Bill is the one who steals the show as the wisecracking, foul-mouthed Sonny, who is not willing to let people get in his way. Phinx tries to do a good job as a man who is struggling with himself but not very successfully. Generally the acting is not very convincing and it does let the film down. Regarding the story, it takes a while to become interesting enough to follow. It basically consists of criminals doing bad deeds, violent scenes, a great deal of profanity, arguments and scenes of a sexual nature. Rearview is a crime film that focuses on the life of a gangster. It is fair to say that it does a successful job in exploring how the protagonist is suffering because of his actions and wants to move on to better things. Apart from that, it does not do much else. #JasonKnight

Kicking off at 2 pm tomorrow, check out the UK Film Review Festival 2020 Programme! Featuring all of the films in the festival, the live events, and more. Click the image below to download the file. #UKFRF #UKFRF2020 Want to join in the fun? The UK Film Review Festival launches at 2pm Friday 13th November. Sign Up Here - https://www.ukfilmchannel.co.uk/passes

★★★★ Directed by #SachaPolak Written by #SachaPolak #SusieFarrell Starring #VickyKnight Film Review by Hope Madden There is an unerring authenticity about the slice of life that is Dirty God. Co-writer/director Sacha Polak sugar coats nothing, wallows nowhere, and dares you to judge Jade (a breathtaking Vicky Knight), regardless of her behavior. The film opens on Jade, barely out of her teens, as she stares toward the camera, her face partially covered by a clear plastic mask. What you can see is badly scarred. This is her last day in what appears to have been a very long stint in the hospital. The reasons are fairly obvious. Back at the flat she shares with her own mother and toddler, Jade doesn’t adjust well. Business as usual bumps up against wounds—physical and emotional. No one, Jade included, seems to be dealing with the issue at hand. What follows is a downward spiral, Jade making one self-destructive decision after another. You’d think that “rock bottom” had been hit when  her ex threw that acid in her face, but the ugly truth is that there was a lot farther Jade had to fall. It isn’t fun to watch, but thanks to Knight’s understated performance and Polak’s unflinching gaze, you never want to look away. In other hands, this could feel maudlin or worse. But Polak doesn’t fetishize Jade’s suffering. She bears witness, but the overriding tone is of empathy, not sympathy. The approach is provocative because Jade’s torment is almost inconceivable. Few of us could honestly imagine it. Polak doesn’t soft peddle, and she doesn’t let the viewer off the hook with a pitiable or noble character. Knight, herself a burn victim, has never acted before. Her performance here, obviously informed by her own experience, is a minor miracle. There’s not a wasted gesture, not an overwrought emotion. The impact of that is jolting. Dirty God—a film about self-image and the unfair reality of limitations—makes other “coming of age” style films feel like soft drink ads. #HopeMadden

★★ Directed by: #JunayedAlavi Written by: #JunayedAlavi Starring: #ShreyasAdhikari, #HaimeeMukherjee, #KabitaPatwa Film review by: Patrick Foley There is something inherently enticing about any film that can get pulses racing. Thrillers can use shaky cam, a hammering drum soundtrack and imitate Jaws all they want – audiences have seen it all before. To really catch attention these days, there must be more at stake. We must feel and embody the characters we see. Odds makes an admirable attempt at reaching the high bar of modern thriller shorts like Brothers or Dream Girl, but falls short of its aims. A young man (Shreyas Adhikari) becomes obsessive around odd and even numbers, after being taught that odd people can be found everywhere. He takes this to new extremes when he stalks out victims in broad daylight, brandishing a knife as he hunts them down. But unbeknownst to him, his actions are to have consequences that he could have never foreseen, as the ‘odd’ people start fighting back. Odds is a competently directed and suitably delivered film. The film is at its best in moments of high tension as the protagonist stalks his victims, with fine camerawork and effective music choices. The film’s fight scene is particularly impressive, and gives director Junayed Alavi a chance to show off a well-choreographed and brutal brawl that would not seem out of place in a far longer film with a much higher budget. In such a short runtime (just under 8 minutes) the film does not seem rushed, and lands the technical aspects brilliantly. However, we never really get any sense of who our characters are. The plot is barely legible, and acts really more as an outline for the director to shoot action scenes. None of the characters are given names, or any time to develop personality. There is only so much investment a viewer can make into characters with such little development, and the thrill and tension we feel we inevitably hit a low ceiling because of this regardless of how well-directed or performed the movie is. The cast do a fine job with what they have, but really a failure for the audience to form any sort of connection towards any of the characters is where the runtime hamstrings the film. Odds shouldn’t be totally dismissed for lacking character development. It quickly establishes its themes and what little plot is required to jump straight to well-directed and stylish scenes of horror and violence. But do not expect it to leave too much of an impression. Director Junayed Alavi shows promise with this short, but even if he does not want to make Lawrence of Arabia, a little more time allotted would have given the film a chance to develop characters and become much more memorable.

★★★★ Directed by #ChristopherLandon Written by #ChristopherLandon #MichaelKennedy Starring #VinceVaughn #KathrynNewton Film Review by Hope Madden Nobody has more fun with the slasher genre than writer/director Christopher Landon. (Well, maybe his writing partner Michael Kennedy.) Three years ago, the duo created a time loop to allow one victim to return from the dead again and again and again and again until she stopped the marauder. Happy Death Day was so much more fun than it had any right to be, thanks, in part, to a giddy appreciation of the genre and some great casting. Landon and Kennedy are at it again, and this time the premise and casting might be even better. What if Freaky Friday met Friday the 13th? That’s gold right there. Freaky is as upbeat and lesson-filled as any Disney coming-of-age film, and its body count is as high and as messy as anything in the Voorhees universe. It’s a bloody riot, and Vince Vaughn hasn’t been this much fun since Old School. Vaughn plays the Blissfield Butcher—at least for a while. But the boogeyman who haunts Blissfield teens right around Homecoming each year steals a cool looking dagger while dispatching nubile youth at an art collector’s house. When he uses the weapon on Millie (Kathryn Newton, Blockers), their souls magically reassign. The evil menace wakes up inside the body of a 5’5” high schooler while Millie wakes up looking like Vince Vaughn. Oh, the hijinks. Part of the subversive fun is watching Landon and Kennedy’s wish fulfilment, as the now-evil high schooler dispatches bully teachers, catty bitches and would-be gang rapist jocks. But most of the joy is in watching Vaughn. He doesn’t overdo it, either. His gestures aren’t wildly feminine—he never feels like a caricature of a high school girl. It’s still funny, but the humor is far less built on a man playing a girl as it is on a petite female inhabiting the body of a really enormous man. That’s mainly the terrain Vaughn and Landon mine for physical comedy, and it is fertile ground. And the fact that Vaughn so believably conjures the heart of a teenage girl makes any number of scenes—especially the romantic ones—delightfully sweet and tender. And also, a lot of people die. This is not a PG-13 comedy. But it is a hoot. #HopeMadden

★★★ Directed by: Dana Ziyasheva Written by: Dana Ziyasheva Starring: Arman Darbo, Chloe Ray Warmoth, Nick Moran, Eric Roberts Film Review by: Jason Knight So many films have been made that depict life in different worlds. These worlds can be slightly different from the ones we live in, or completely different. Greatland is a Sci-Fi adventure which takes place in a world that is quite unique: people wear clothing that is unusual and colorful! The houses and buildings are decorated in a similar fashion, with beautiful, bright colors! People behave rather awkwardly and are constantly cheerful! Everyone also wears a wristwatch with a screen, which is how ''Mother'' (an automatic voice application) communicates with individuals. ''Mother'' is the one that everyone obeys. If anyone does not comply with the system, they are punished. The main belief is that love conquers all. Generally it is a place that appears happy, with no major problems. The main character is Ulysses (Darbo), a boy who has just turned fifteen. He means well, seems content and interacts well with others. However circumstances make him brake the laws and become a fugitive! What stands out more in this movie is the way the characters and their surroundings look. As mentioned the people are dressed...strangely. Their clothes and make-up give the impression that they are attending a fancy dress party! And the buildings (both interiors and exteriors) resemble the kind that would be found at amusement parks! In other words, the whole place looks like a massive dollhouse! The mise-en-scene truly makes the audience believe that this is a jolly, care-free place. Another thing that stands out the way the habitants of this extraordinary land behave. They have been raised to follow the beliefs and laws that were established by the ones in charge, and as a result, they behave almost like children! And the actors do a good job in showing that, although at certain points the performances are not very convincing. The music effectively accompanies the childish, circuslike world. It sounds like it is coming from a carnival, adding an awkward, unserious atmosphere. The filmmakers do an interesting job with the editing, creating several montage sequences and utilizing fast cutting to great effect. And the animated and stylized closing credits also deserve praise. The story can be dramatic at times and it should be mentioned that there are scenes of violence and gore! To conclude, the film does a good job introducing the viewer to its unique world, however after that it goes downhill. The narrative is not very enthusiastic and the main characters are not compelling. However, it does deserve recognition due to the settings, costumes and the world it presents. #JasonKnight

★★★ Directed by #EshomNelms #IanNelms Written by #EshomNelms #IanNelms Starring #MelGibson #WaltonGoggins Film Review by George Wolf Talk about a brand new bag. As an entry into the Holiday season, Fatman gives us a Santa with serious issues and some high-powered heat to unpack. This is a movie that's going to piss plenty of people off, starting right at the top of the cast list. Starring as Chris Cringle himself, Mel Gibson is the antithesis of holly and jolly. Times are tough at the workshop, since Chris's government contract pays by the present and kids seem to get more naughty every year. One of those is Billy (Chance Hurstfield from Good Boys), an entitled rich boy who makes servants do his school projects and threatens torture to any classmate who might beat him out of a blue ribbon. Santa knows who's been bad or good, and Billy gets a big 'ol lump of coal. Billy, for badness sake, decides that Santa must die. Ruthless assassin Skinny Man (Walton Goggins) has his own grudge against the Fatman, so when the call from Billy comes in, he's only too happy to make the long trek to the North Pole and stain the snow with Santa's blood. It only takes minutes to realize casting Gibson and his baggage was the perfect harbinger of what writers/directors Eshom and Ian Nelms (Small Town Crime) are bringing home for the holidays. This is no bad Santa, this is a dark and confrontational Santa, in an ambitiously unfocused and often bitingly funny takedown on everything from Trumpism to the military industrial complex to capitalism itself. Gibson delivers with a gritty, committed performance that's aided tremendously by the glorious Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Ruth Cringle. The two share a wonderful chemistry, as Ruth consistently brings the measured, cookie-baking wisdom to calm Chris's gruff cynicism. Workshop shortfalls force the Cringles into accepting a government contract to manufacture military hardware, which lets the Nelms brothers show just how far they're willing to go in depicting Santa as a struggling businessman weary from the fight. Indeed, they go far enough to threaten the precision of their own barbs. When the foreman elf comments, "It's the giving that keeps him young," the sudden deadpan underscores the clash of goals that muddies the road leading to the film's final showdown. A little more lean in either direction - coal black humor or grim metaphor - might have upped the accessibility and impact. But why would two filmmakers use uncomfortable realities, casual obscenities, wanton gunplay and blood-soaked violence to blaspheme the pristine legend of Santa Claus in the first place? That's a good question. The Nelms boys are glad you asked, and if you're open to it, Fatman has a wholly unexpected, brazenly unapologetic and pretty satisfying answer. #GeorgeWolf

★★ Directed by #ShannonKohli Written by #JamesPickering Starring #RayleneHarewood #BrianMarkinson Film Review by Rachel Willis All Joking Aside is an appropriate title for director Shannon Kohli’s first feature. Because it seems writer Brian Pickering left out most of the jokes from a film centering around a woman who dreams of becoming a stand-up comic. Charlene (Raylene Harewood) has her work cut out for her if she wants to be a comedian. Heckled off the stage at her first open-mic night, she then decides to seek out the man who heckled her, a former comedian named Bob (Brian Markinson), to get his advice on how to achieve her dream. It’s a bit of a stretch, even if there are a few pieces involved to get these two together. Bob is a cynical, down-on-his-luck alcoholic. Charlene is a broke young woman who sleeps on the floor of her apartment. You can see where this story is going; the curmudgeon and the promising young talent’s relationship is telegraphed from the start. Added into the mix are several clichéd elements: cancer, an estranged mom, a dead father who also dreamed of being a comedian, an estranged wife and child. Pickering piles on the misery, but it doesn’t add much to the overall story. The film would have been better served by closer attention to the jokes peppered throughout. Or on building a more believable, or even a more unexpected, relationship between Bob and Charlene. There are a couple of funny moments, some of Charlene’s jokes provide a minor chuckle. But much of the dialogue is delivered like a training video: Comedy 101. Or worse, if there was a retail store for comedy, this is the video they’d show you on your first day. Markinson is the film’s highlight, which is disappointing since this should be Raylene Harewood’s show. But even he seems to be phoning in his lines and resembling a poor man’s Marc Maron. Not a bad actor to emulate, but Markinson lacks Maron’s acerbic charms. And Harewood just can’t muster the pluck to make the audience root for her. This isn’t entirely the fault of the actors, as the film splits its focus across too many elements. Predictability may help to pull ideas together, but it does nothing to create a satisfying comedy. #RachelWillis