★★★ Directed by: #PhilipBrocklehurst Written by: #PhilipBrocklehurst Starring: #PhilipBrocklehurst Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick #Shortfilm The Reflection presents yet another offering from the commendably prolific #filmmaker Philip Brocklehurst, whose other works in the short-horror genre include Vengeance Runs Red, Lock the Door and I’m God, as well as countless others. While a number of these previous ventures have perhaps fallen slightly short of the mark, Brocklehurst is a filmmaker who is never short on ideas, and The Reflection is perhaps a more encouraging example of the ever-busy writer/director’s potential for short-form storytelling. As with most of Brocklehurst’s work, the concept and execution of The Reflection is simple, concise and to the point. An unnamed man (portrayed by Brocklehurst, billed as his alias P.M. Thomas) stares intently into his bathroom mirror deep into his own reflection only to discover something unexpected staring back at him. Being completely honest, any true horror aficionados are undoubtedly not going to take much if anything at all away from this. The entirety of the film consists of a series of quick cuts between the same four or five angles of our protagonist and his reflection, the latter of those confined to a mere reflection or overly manic smile, and it’s a little frustrating to watch the opportunities for a well-placed jump-scare go begging every time, all in all meaning this film will struggle to scare even the most sensitive viewer. But it's clear that Brocklehurst is aiming for something a bit more than a cheap fright here and despite its crudeness and sparseness, The Reflection manages to achieve something that has been somewhat elusive in some of the director's work before, a bona fide sense of unease and tension. Filmed during a time of depression, the film has a subtle subtext around the conflicting personalities within ourselves, and again while the film doesn’t do that much with that premise, it's refreshing to see a valiant attempt at some depth in storytelling. The films super minimalist simplicity is perhaps the main reason why The Reflection doesn’t succumb to the same pitfalls and mistakes we have seen before, it’s hard to make errors when there is very little that can go wrong. Filmed entirely with an eerily dark monochrome vibe as well minimal lighting, practical effects and sound, all the technical aspects are at a level decent enough to serve the films purpose if nothing more. Brocklehurst’s best and smartest choice here however is to know when to call it a day. The film runs just north of two minutes in total, which just about keeps it on the right-side of the line before falling into tediousness. It’s by no means perfect, but by managing to create a brief yet genuine sense of unease and interest throughout, The Reflection succeeds where Brocklehurst previous efforts have perhaps fallen short. #ChrisBuick

★★★★ Directed by: #AlikaMaikau Written by: #AlikaMaikau Starring: #HoldenMandrial-Santos #AustinTucker Film review by: William Hemingway Moloka’i is the fifth most populous island of Hawai’i and boasts the tallest sea cliffs of anywhere in the world. While writer/director Alika Maikau doesn’t actually set his gritty, tense film on this particular island he does transport us to the Hawai’i where he grew up and which he knows intimately. This is not a Hollywood land of grass skirts and hula girls but a living, breathing community that is fighting hard to keep its own identity in the modern world. The film’s protagonist Kainoa, too, is struggling to keep his own identity as he faces a life after prison of which he is unsure. We meet Kainoa (Mandrial-Santos) as he approaches a young teenager waiting on his own after school, and as we watch the interplay between them and listen to the back and forth of the dialogue, we must work out for ourselves what Kainoa’s purpose and role is here. Is he out to sell drugs? Is he recruiting for a gang? Or is there a deeper connection between the two young men that they are only just finding out how to decipher themselves? The dialogue is fast paced and littered with colloquialisms which lends it a very genuine feel. It is also superbly delivered by Mandrial-Santos and Austin Tucker as Jonathan, who both supply a very natural tone to the rhythm of the speech. There is a real feeling of generational difference between the two and you can tell how hard Kainoa is working to identify with and keep the younger Jonathan on-side. The film is expertly shot, keeping close to the characters throughout and following them as they circle each other and jostle for position within the confines of their single location. The whole scene looks as though it comes from a large budget full-length feature; as though we are witnessing just one instance from a much wider story. The cinematography goes a long way to establishing this, using muted institutional greys as a backdrop while the colourful exchange of the characters gets to shine in the foreground. With a story that could rightly be told most anywhere in the world, Alika Maikau has managed to create an undeniably personal and local film that speaks to the heart of the issues that have impressed upon him from his own community. With a mix of universal themes placed into a particular setting he allows the viewer to transport themselves into his world and to share in an intimate story that has global reach.

★★★ Directed by #JohnWhitesell Written by #TiffanyPaulsen Starring #EmmaRoberts, #LukeBracey, #KristenChenoweth Film Review by Amber Jackson Fed up and frustrated with being single for the holidays, two strangers Sloane (Emma Roberts) and Jackson (Luke Bracey) agree to be a platonic pair every time a family event takes place. The result of this strange arrangement is heart-warming and funny, but results in confusion at times. The script has original flair and, ironic or not, is ultimately just a bit of fun. Suffice to say, some of these characters are relatable, if not exaggerated, personas of family members that some may encounter during the holidays. Emma Roberts yet again proves that she will eternally embody the moody young adult, but she acts this so well. Her sarcastic deadpan characterisation of the bitterly alone Sloane acts as the foundation for this film as she appeals to the relatability of being single at Christmas. We have all been there at one time or another. What we learn from Sloane’s family life is that her family members refuse to mind their own business and invoke judgement wherever possible. Sloane constantly feels attacked and is effectively shunned for not having a partner to bring to holiday events. Her older sister (Jessica Capshaw) at least tries to soften the blow and attempts a form of reassurance, but their mother (Frances Fisher) is an outright caricature. She belittles her daughter in the same way she exercises moral judgement over the famously single Aunt Susan (Kristen Chenoweth – who does seem to have the most fun in this film). This warped exaggeration of the American family stereotype seeks to gain outraged laughs and it succeeds. Differing from this, the film does not shy away from the infectious Christmas spirit that audiences adore. Tiffany Paulson’s scriptwriting invents both Sloane and love interest Jackson to be both broody and Scrooge-like when it comes to the holidays, which comes as a result of their serial singledom. One aspect of this film that is fun to watch is the gender role reversal between Jackson and Sloane that surfaces in certain scenes. To see a female character as flawed and complex makes her more relatable and to see a male character displaying emotions other than anger is refreshing to see. Luke Bracey takes a festive breakaway from his acting CV and characterises the comical, reliable and unruly Jackson like a budget version of the love interest. He does a great acting job in balancing comedy and seriousness well and it would have been nice for him to have clearer individual character development. Both Jackson and Sloane are constantly talking about famous rom-com films throughout and seem to enjoy making classic references to romantic films like Dirty Dancing. In making fun of these films, the film exists to ruin every cliché that these famous films of the 1990s and 2000s has created. Paulson’s writing is witty and meta in its mockery of the romantic genre, but it seems unfortunate that the entire premise of the film does not quite match up to its ending. Being single at Christmas is presented as such a negative thing and Christmas films are often notorious for making single people feel lonely. Holidate is ultimately so unromanticised that it becomes romantic and this seems a shame – why not do something a little different with a Christmas film? This film does end typically of its genre – leaving the audience with warm fuzzy feelings. Which is what you want out of a festive feel-good film, right? It's nice and new, but it's nothing too new. The overall takeaway? Always trust a date, holidate or not, who can provide peppermint tea. Ultimately, this viewing experience is like watching one of those mediocre TV Christmas films, except with better and more explicit humour and outrageous jokes. If you are looking for a fun and festive (and not so family-friendly) watch during Lockdown 2.0 as we approach Christmas time, this will be worth the watch. Holidate is available to stream on Netflix UK now. #AmberJackson

★★★★ Directed by #FrancisLee Written by #FrancisLee Starring #KateWinslet #SaoirseRonan Film Review by Hope Madden Writer/director Francis Lee’s Ammonite is a beautiful, insightful, lonesome film about European women falling in love in a time when patriarchal society only allowed that to happen because they weren’t paying attention. It boasts beautiful cinematography and two utterly stellar performances. And it suffers by comparison to Celine Sciamma’s similarly summarized 2019 masterpiece Portrait of a Lady on Fire. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth seeing—it absolutely is. Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan—simply two of the most talented humans ever to grace a film screen—play, respectively, British paleontologist Mary Anning and the married woman she falls for, Charlotte Murchison. Anning is, in fact, among the most influential scientists in British history. Being a woman in Victorian England, her work was accepted while she herself was not. There’s an interesting tale to tell right there, but Lee chose that repressive cultural landscape as more of a backdrop, like the forbidding English Channel coast town of Lyme where Anning did her fossil hunting. There’s no historical evidence that Anning was gay. There’s also no historical evidence that she was not, and filmmakers have told Emily Dickinson’s story dozens of times, only once actually addressing her sexual preference. If it’s OK for them to fictionalize, why not Lee? The telling gives Winslet opportunity—partly thanks to excellent support from Fiona Shaw, Gemma Jones and Alec Secareanu—to present a woman so ill-used by and out-of-step with the world around her that she sees a miscarriage of justice in every exchange. Winslet is sharp and brooding, superior and insecure. It’s another quietly outstanding performance. Aglow and lilting, Ronan is all warmth, offering a swoon-worthy counterpoint to Winslet’s chill. But there is something rushed about her attraction, and the deep, risky longing never feels authentic. The affection, however, feels painfully true, and that’s at the core of a story about limited possibilities. Lee’s no Tarantino, but keep an eye out for bare feet and (less Tarantino-esque) insects. There is something slightly melancholy in these images of freedom and vulnerability that suit the effort. Lee doesn't try to answer every question he raises or resolve every conflict he presents. Instead, he brings us into a story of outsiders trying to define their own realities, however limited they may have to be. #HopeMadden

★★ Directed by #YoonEenKyoung Written by #YoonEenKyoung Starring #SeyeongLee #JiYoungPark Film Review by George Wolf So there’s a big, old hotel that’s creepy now that it’s off season and no guests are around. There’s a little kid who likes to wander the halls of this empty hotel, and there’s one specific room that’s off limits. This hotel’s in South Korea, though, not Colorado, so Lloyd the bartender must have had an expired passport. Shudder premiere Lingering (originally Hotel Leikeu) finds Yoo-mi (Se-yeoung Lee) coming to the aid or her young half sister Ji-yoo (So-yi Park) after the death of their mother. Yoo-mi has no means to look after the child, so they head to Hotel Lake, which is run by “Auntie” (Ji-Young Park), their mother’s oldest friend. The plan is to drop Ji-yoo off quickly, but Auntie invites Yoo-mi to stay awhile, where she’s quickly drawn into a mystery of missing persons, murder and one surly, drunken maid (Park Hyo-joo). Writer/director Yoon Een Kyoung’s feature debut is light on originality, but heavy on common K-horror tropes and the usual superficialities of jump scares, music stabs and hallucinations. The director’s camerawork is occasionally fluid and effective, but most of the set pieces are more noteworthy for the atmospheric cinematography and sharp sound design that manage to punctuate the dark, empty rooms. Lingering feels like it’s doing just that, hanging around after its welcome has worn. Holding attention becomes a problem, as does the lackluster payoff waiting at mystery’s end. Maybe a guy in a bear suit would have helped. #GeorgeWolf

★★★★ Directed by #DavidFreyne Written by #DavidFreyne Starring #FionnOShea #LolaPetticrew Film Review by Hope Madden Awkward teens pretend to date each other to sidestep the school bullies, only to find a deep and genuine bond. That sounds pat enough, but writer/director David Freyne (The Cured) and a stunning cast have something far messier and human in mind. Welcome to County Kildare in the mid Nineties. Divorce is still illegal, homosexuality a curse, the Irish army or the hair salon are the likeliest post-graduation vocations. As Amber (Lola Petticrew) says frequently, “This place will kill you.” Amber should know. She found her father hanging in the forest near the trailer court where she rents out spots to horny teens, which she does to accrue enough dough to head to London the minute she graduates. But to survive between now and then, she proposes the “let’s pretend we’re dating” con to Eddie (a remarkable Fionn O’Shea). Because Amber is gay. Gay gay gay. And so is Eddie. No. No, he definitely is not gay. Not at all. But still…it isn’t a terrible idea. So begins Freyne’s semi-satirical look at the perils of high school generally and sexual conformity specifically. There are delightful, early, broad-stroke comic moments that simply feel like a cheeky Irish upending of John Hughes tropes. But that’s not Dating Amber. Not at all. The brightly familiar comedy trappings serve to lull you into a comfortable space so the film can unveil something beautifully untidy and really heartbreaking, something simultaneously devastating and resilient. Freyne mixes darkness and forgiveness in equal measure. Everyone has their own shit to deal with, and an depressed small town full of frightened people lacking in any real opportunity or choice is bound to take its toll—on the gay kids, on the parents who probably don’t want to be married anymore, on the younger brother who just wants to feel like his family is normal, and on everyone facing graduation and whatever likely dismal future lies ahead. But mainly, Freyne is interested in how Amber and Eddie contend with things. Luckily, Petticrew and O’Shea share a truly lovely chemistry, creating the kind of bond you long to see for every desperate and lonely teenager. Their honesty gives every scene an extra punch—of laughter or heartbreak. Coming of age still looks like it seriously sucks, but Dating Amber is a keeper. #HopeMadden

Filmmaker interview by Jason Knight For those who haven't seen it yet, what is Dual Action about? Dual Action is a short story about a dying gangster, confronted by two mysterious figures in his final moments. It's sort of a Reservoir Dogs meets Christmas Carol type of story, where the main character is forced to face his own mortality and define the meaning of life. He's tormented by guilt and repentance and must come to term with who he really is. It's a fun twist on the gangster genre. What motivated you to do this film? Two actor friends of mine (The fella playing White and the lady playing Black, Joel Bernard and Elyse Price) reached out to see if I'd be interested in adapting a play they did in highschool. The playwright sent me a copy of the script and I felt like I had to shoot it. We all make mistakes, and I think that this film shines a light on the stories we tell ourselves about those mistakes. How do we define ourselves? How do we excuse our own bad behavior? I love these types of stories, so naturally -- I said YES! I did some rewriting, and two months later we were on set. What did you find most challenging about the experience? The film was shot inside a tiny shed in Queens, on one of the hottest days of the summer. I think it was over 100 degrees that night. You can actually see how sweaty the actors get, it's ridiculous. Aside from the scorching heat, the echo and hollowness of the space contributed to a very challenging sound mixing process. A big chunk of the film's budget ended up being spent on sound engineers to try and fix the audio. It was a nightmare. How would you describe the cast? What was it like working with them? Well, I've worked with Joe Trombino, Elyse Price, and Joe Bernard before on my debut feature film, Pickings, they're amazingly talented. Joe Trombino blew us all away with his performance! (he has a mostly uncut, 4-minute monologue in this movie, and he nailed it!). We rehearsed the film a couple of times and then shot it all in one day. As for Lauren (Skye Stracke), she was a delight to work with, we casted her off Backstage. I even gave myself a little cameo in the film, my very first one! What do you like most about filmmaking? That's an interesting question, I love almost every part of the process (with the exception of dialogue editing, never again! I'll leave that up to the pros). If I had to choose I'd say my absolute favorite part would be directing the camera and working with actors, but then again without the writing process there's nothing to direct, and without the edit the story can't come together. So I think it's safe to say I love it all. What are your plans for the future? As for future plans, I'm releasing 2 short films this month (October) -- one is an award-winning horror short I wrote, directed, and produced called Trapped Inside, and the other is a psychological thriller I co-directed with Katie Vincent called Windblown (you've actually reviewed it: https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/post/windblown-short-film-review). In addition, I'm in post for 2 short films and will shoot my biggest one yet in April of 2021 (it's an insanely ambitious horror film). Lastly, I have 2 feature films in development, I'm hoping to shoot the first one in 2021 if the whole Covid situation will allow it, and the other one the following year. You can follow along on my Instagram @ushermorgan or on my production company's website www.darkpassagefilms.com Is there anyone you would particularly like to work with? Wow, the list is long. Honestly my biggest dream is to work with Bill Murray, in any capacity. #JasonKnight

★★★★ Directed by: Brian Largo Written by: Brian Largo Starring: Brian Largo Film Review by: Jason Knight It's a zombie apocalypse! In the movie world that usually means viewers are going to see zombies running (or walking) around, eating people and a handful of individuals struggling for survival! Plenty of gore, dead bodies, action and mayhem! However this particular found footage horror film, which was filmed by one person during the Covid-19 quarantine in Argentina, tells a story that takes place during a zombie outbreak in a rather unusual way. The audience will not see guns, heroes fighting the undead and the gore is rather limited. The plot is rather straightforward: A man has brought his baby daughter into an abandoned house, in order to find shelter from the danger. The mother did not make it. He uses a camera to document his thoughts and experiences. As time goes by he becomes more and more desperate. As mentioned this is a found footage film, therefore the audience gets the impression that it is a simple man filming himself. For the majority of the movie, the camera is stationary, mostly observing the man as he speaks or does other actions, including playing a guitar. Nearly the entire narrative takes place inside the house and the lighting is very minimum, creating a rather claustrophobic feeling. The man is the only person (at least living person) seen in the film and the camera often gets a closeup of his face as he talks. There are zombies to be seen, although their appearances are brief. They are seen from a distance, as the hero films them. Even from afar, they appear menacing and move the way the undead would probably move! There are also scenes that show the chaos that is taking place outside the house. They consist of brief shots of abandoned and destroyed neighborhoods, and they give an idea of what is happening to the world, which is far from good! The main focus of Zurviving is the man himself. The movie examines the effects the terrible events are having on him, and they are devastating. The protagonist does a great job in portraying a man, who is falling apart. There is plenty of action, but not in the likes of the Walking Dead or Resident Evil films. This is a psychological horror film and the action is psychological. The action is the way the man reacts to events and the way he describes what is going on and how he feels. Largo has made a dark, frightening film that explores a journey of survival. His performance and creativity make this feature a must-see! #JasonKnight

★★★ Directed by: Martin Wood Written by: Gregg Rossen, Brian Sawyer Starring: Kat Graham, Alexander Ludwig, Virginia Madsen Netflix Film Review by: Chris Olson Operation Christmas Drop Film Review Kat Graham and Alexander Ludwig star in the Netflix festive movie Operation Christmas Drop. The former plays a political ladder-climber looking to undermine a military air base for career gain, the latter is a Captain who needs to throw her off the scent of his yuletide do-goodery which brings vital resources to isolated islanders but are not deemed militarily essential by the suits back home. Based on a true story, director Martin Wood eschews the winter winds for a sunnier climate and yet this Christmas film feels like a generic stocking filler all the same. Known for his strong performances in Vikings and The Hunger Games, Ludwig seems a strange choice for the role of a cocky people-person and yet that is the hat he dons in Operation Christmas Drop. It’s an uneven performance that often descends into awkward cliche and (despite the weather) cold scenes with Graham, who is likeable but feels unchallenged by the script which signposts the viewer like Santa’s Sat-Nav. The movie fails to get the sledge off the ground, however, because Ludwig and Graham simply have less chemistry than Trump and Melania. Their scenes together are bulging with awkwardness as if they hadn’t spent a moment together until the cameras started rolling and neither one of them has any interest in convincing us that they share a burgeoning passion/hatred. It’s tepid water and carrots rather than milk and cookies. Where Operation Christmas Drop does make a splash is in its sumptuous humanity. Christmas films are so often obscured by frenetic aesthetic trappings or plot points which align them with completely juxtaposing genres, whereas this story - from writers Gregg Rossen and Brian Sawyer - does pack a whole load of humanitarian in with an equal measure of humbug. Dropping off donations to people cut off from the world seems like an entirely obvious win for the US Air Force but Washington has its own ideas about what’s important. Virginia Madsen steps into well-worn shoes as a Congresswoman in this film and much like her similar portrayal in the TV show Designated Survivor, she spends her time navigating the relentless needs of the American people with her own soul - if only in the limited screen time given to her here. The set-pieces are underwhelming, the forced chemistry between the two leads is deflating, and the lack of snow and Christmas trimmings will challenge any festive film fan to hang this on their list of best Christmas movies. #ChrisOlson Read more: Netflix Film Reviews

★★★ Directed by: #AdrishNath Written by: #AdrishNath #TrinaChowdhury Starring: #SouvikDuttaRoy #RohanGoswani #DebanjanBiswas #BitastaGhosh Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick “Fear of rape is a cold wind blowing all the time on a woman’s hunched back”- Marge Piercy Indian #shortfilm Sarak from filmmakers Adrish Nath and Trina Chowdhury depicts the gravely serious and unfortunate reality that a lot of woman, especially in certain cultures, on some level often live in a constant state of fear for their own safety when alone, most typically from sexual assault. When a young woman walking alone at dusk encounters three men walking towards her, she mistakes their genuine efforts to escort her to safety for ill intent, instantly becoming filled with dread and panic and instead choosing to flee blindly into the dark, with horrific consequences. Extremely brief and lean, Sarak is a film that doesn’t leave much to chew on outside of its overall message, but it undoubtedly succeeds one hundred percent in saying everything it means to. It does well to weave a clear and concise narrative through the overarching themes of miscommunication, preconception and fear, really putting across the gravity of its subject matter in a truly universal fashion. From a filmmaking perspective, everything is decent enough. The location and staging of the piece is well-chosen and works wonders for the narrative, the dusky twilight setting creating just the right kind of atmospheric tension to amplify the extremely uneasy mood the young woman and ultimately, we the viewers, find ourselves in. There are a couple of really very nice-looking shots and the rest is never unpleasant to look at either. But it’s also a film that never really comes close to setting the world on fire. Arguably, it doesn’t need to, as mentioned, the film seemingly achieves everything it wants to in three minutes without any issue. However, although it does try to really put an exclamation point on things with some stark visuals at the end, perhaps with a bit more depth in the narrative as well as the performances, Sarak could have made potentially made even more of an impact than it does. The words said, and ultimately who said them are unlikely to stick in the memory, the dialogue and performances are ultimately present to only serve a bigger purpose, but the final message is what stays and ultimately that might be all that matters. A bit more depth might have taken it to another level but for all its brevity and minimalism, Sarak is definitely a film that is concerned with its message above all else, which is certainly not a bad thing and should be commended for shining a light on such an important issue. #ChrisBuick

★★★★ Directed by Kyle Laursen Written by Laursen Starring Luke Forbes, Kevin Dunn, Mather Zickel, Melanie Chandra Film Review by Tom Boardman Josiah’s premise is simple: a man auditions for a role in a tv show, although the creators of the show make him quite uncomfortable. What makes this short so much more tense and interesting than this simple concept is the fact that it is shot in one single take. While invisible cuts may be hidden beneath the surface, this short is one single take, which is it’s master stroke. Any short could film this simple conversation and convey the rising tension well enough, but what Josiah does so well is making the spectator feel trapped within it. The short starts with the characters meeting each other, and as this happens, the mood and atmosphere in the room is light-hearted and free of any tension. The camera spends most of the short circling the characters, bouncing between them as they talk, balancing reactions and dialogue. However, as the first reading of the script occurs, the tone of the short changes and becomes much more strained. What the single take adds to this is the pace of the circling makes the room feels like it’s getting smaller throughout, not showing a character’s reactions can create a false sense of security, before revealing reactions of characters that completely change the context the short. While the short opens with music, once again lulling the spectator into a light-hearted sense of security that eludes to the fact that Josiah will be an playful short, the lack of music throughout focuses in on the dialogue and the issues that are raised through the conversation, as it twists from one thing to another. While the dialogue is very exposition-based, taking a very blunt stance that tells the spectator everything more explicitly and rather dryly at the start, it later becomes much more nuanced, as it speaks volumes about character without directly explaining the situation to the spectator. There are two cuts in the short, which takes the spectator within the camera that films the audition on its second reading, and this segment is almost like the climax of the short, where there is no camera movement, and instead it focuses directly on Brandon, the man auditioning, demonstrating how effected he has been by the dialogue that has occurred throughout the course of the short, and focusing in on the fact that he every word of the script is damaging following the discussion that has taken place. The build-up of events could be foreshadowing and setting up some kind of confrontation, yet the short decides to let the tension that has been built up remain at the surface, as there is no satisfaction or comeuppance at the end of the narrative, creating beautiful character alignment with Brandon which leaves the spectator questioning the issues raised and wondering what the outcome of some kind of emotional reaction from him would’ve been. While all the characters start out as likeable on the surface, each character carries their own outlook on the issues raised, and are expertly crafted by both the script and the actors portraying the characters to create layered individuals who inhabit the story in a way that never gives anyone the spotlight for too long, but gives everyone a stance on the matter at hand through simple things such as the camera lingering on them, or subtle looks, and the use of shallow and deep focus especially, which focuses the camera and spectator’s attention on certain characters at pivotal moments, to craft an incredibly well paced and structured short that twists perfectly, while also raising questions that many shorts would struggle to do with such fantastic nuance.

★★★★ Stars Directed by: #JamesTovell Starring: #SalimaIkram, #NabilEldaleel, #AmiraShaheen, #MostafaWaziri Film Review by: Alicia Moore Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb is a Netflix documentary which showcases a thorough and exciting journey – the discovery of the resting place of a high priest, named Wahtye. Before this tomb was discovered in 2018, it had been untouched for 4,400 years; a one of a kind find in decades. Audiences follow Egyptian archaeologists as they work to dig deeper into the sands of history and join together to decipher the pieces that they find. Not only does this documentary focus on the discoveries in regards to Wahtye, his family and other past connections, it also expands to share information and expert knowledge on further details of ancient Egypt. All of this knowledge beautifully connects to the primary topic of the nearly discovered tomb, but is extremely interesting in its own right. For example, Salima Ikram (a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo) talks about the beliefs that were held by Egyptians of that time, explaining the aspects of a tomb and showing why tombs were the desired resting place for the dead. Viewers are constantly being pulled into the depths of intelligence that are being shared, leaving no space for a ‘boring’ dip in this production. Linking to this continuous thrill, the mixture of onsite shots and more personal shots with archeologists alike, bring the film an atmosphere that contains pure passion and raw emotion. The audience travels with each person involved in the process; they see their emotions clearly and the love they hold for their work is evident. The connection that these individuals have with their work is beyond beautiful… it is quite touching to hear how some of their daily lives join with that of their past relatives, and those far before them, through various activities, techniques and tools. Every individual is seen to combine with the positive energy of another and viewers then intertwine with their output as well. Of course these emotions would be intoxicating in any setting, but James Tovell (director) has perfectly balanced the previously mentioned two sides of screen time to keep the heart racing. Even if you aren’t particularly interested in the topic of the documentary itself, I can assure you that it will still become a reliable source of motivation and inspiration that is easily transferable to anyone’s ambitions. Success for one can result in happiness for many, through shared smiles! The cinematography of this film (Ryan Earl Parker) is simply stunning. Every feature is enhanced due to the talent that sits behind the camera, each shot presenting a range of uniqueness. The unique element is primarily created by the discoveries of hidden history but the cinematography is one of the main gateways to enable viewers to see the past glow brightly in front of them. Bones, skulls, statues, colourful hieroglyphs and much more are uncovered and captured by the lens, filling the screen with such clear detail that will stay in one’s mind with a golden ribbon wrapped around the memory. As an audience member, I felt very close to the project as it was unfolding before me and that feeling of total immersion doesn’t leave the body for a long period of time after the credits have rolled. Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb introduces a mass amount of new historic events and, quite frankly, has the ability to change perspectives on the already existing history of ancient Egypt; also changing perspectives on a broader timeline of history as a whole. This is an extraordinary documentary, in relation to the content as well as its overall making — a fascinating conversation starter after experiencing the development of understanding and wisdom with just a few clicks.