★★★ Directed by #JohnHyams Written by #MattiasOlsson Starring #JulesWilcox #MarcMenchaca Film Review by Hope Madden "Do you think you’re the first one to say that?” That is a good, sinister question when posed by the mustachioed traveler responding to his captive’s promise to remain silent if he lets her go. It’s good because it clarifies to her and us that this is not his first prisoner rodeo, an unsettling fact that increases tensions and moves the story forward. It’s also a good question to ask director John Hyams as his road trip horror Alone serves up a very familiar premise. Jessica (Jules Wilcox), her beat Volvo station wagon and hitched U-Haul trailer are making a cross-country trip. Nobody else, just them. Sure, Mom keeps calling, but Jessica just can’t right now. It’s beautiful, wooded country, but a little treacherous—more so once that black SUV starts following her around. You know where this is going from the opening scene, so the only hope is that the execution delivers some thrills. Drone shots of trees may be a little tired by this time, but they are pretty and they give the sense of isolation. Screenwriter Mattias Olsson makes subtle changes to the predictable story, giving each character an unexpected layer or two to keep you guessing. Wilcox’s no-thrills performance suits the project beautifully. Though frustrating in the early going (don’t pretend you wouldn’t do some stupid things in that situation, too), Jessica’s resolve and tenacity are proven with a focused, physical performance. Marc Menchaca, known only as Man, is a delight in the role of the villain. That ‘stache! Nary a false note creeps into his menacing demeanor. His is the saucier of the two characters and the hateful chemistry between the actors drives the thrills and commands attention. Anthony Heald also makes a welcome appearance at about the halfway point, and the action takes an effective turn with him. But mainly, Alone benefits from two truly savvy performances. It just doesn’t have much to say that we haven’t already heard. #HopeMadden

★★★ Directed by: Satyajit Das Written by: Satyajit Das Starring: Senha Biswas, Tiyas Dey Short Film Review by: Robert Stayte Director Satyajit Das has made a few short films since this one, but this article will be reviewing his first short, a depiction of India and the lower class’s living conditions. Whilst it is rough around the edges, it is still good for what it is. In India, a boy (Tiyas Dey) is taking care of his catatonic and presumably coma-stricken mother (Senha Biswas). Both are poor, clearly living in the slums. The boy goes out to get supplies. As one could tell from that short synopsis, Two World is very minimalistic, relying purely on visuals and music. It does not have much of a story, nor does it have much characterisation beyond “sad child that perseveres” and “mother that is catatonic”. Yet this works in a naturalistic way in depicting what it must be like for a child to live in the slums. It feels like a peak into a different environment with no artifice, with only the music being an artificial touch. There also is a narrative arc to some degree, which is useful in giving a beginning, middle and end to a film without a story. The thick atmosphere is guided by the authentic camerawork that looks almost documentary-esque yet uses visual storytelling, with a focus on low angle shots that emphasise the smallness of the boy in comparison to the world he lives in and a few high angle ones that are used when he is with his mother, to show how he takes on the role of the carer for her. These choices are not incredibly creative, but they make the film not feel dry. The music also keeps some attention, even if the tracks are not the best composed. The lack of story and character is admittedly the only thing that holds this short film back from being better. Both attributes would have added meat to the bone, but the lack of them means that there is not much here to analyse beyond symbolism. As for any technical flaws, the colour palette is very bland and ugly to look at as well. Even though this was most likely intentional it does get in the way. There are also a couple of moments where the camera focus is inconsistent. Two World is a decent short film with a lack of substance but a good and authentic portrayal of living in the slums in India. It is not especially worth watching yet it still succeeds in it’s aim.

★★★ Directed by: Matthew Boman Starring: Elmer, John Law, Matthew Boman Film Review by: Jason Knight Get ready for a wild ride! The audience are in for quite an experience in the Western United States, when they go for a road trip, in order to become familiar with the extraordinary event that is the Burning Man. The Burning Man is an event that takes place annually, where thousands of people gather in an isolated location in the desert to socialize and enjoy themselves and the highest point is the burning of a large wooden figure, known as 'The Man'. This takes place on the Saturday evening before Labor Day. After witnessing such an event himself, filmmaker Boman decided to give a Latin American person living in the States the opportunity to go and see that event, with himself and his film crew, while they film his journey. Boman stated that his motivation for this film was that he was unhappy with the way Latin American immigrants are treated in the U.S. and therefore wanted to give one of them a unique experience and show how great these people are. The lucky one who gets to be the star of the show, ends up being Elmer, an immigrant from El Salvador, living in Los Angeles. The documentary is rather entertaining to watch and the mood is mostly uplifting. Elmer comes across as very friendly and the viewer will likely have a good time getting to know him and following him around as he meets other people throughout his trip. In addition to this, there are also montage sequences of old footage, depicting individuals coming to San Francisco in search of liberation, the Salvadoran Civil War and various politicians. Editor Boman also makes good use of fast cutting and fast motion techniques. There are also interviews of individuals with deep knowledge regarding the Burning Man, including one of the co-founders, John Law. All the interviewees provide information that helps the viewer have a much better understanding of the event that this film focuses on. It is also worth mentioning that the very amusing soundtrack brings great value. Even more, there are brief but very well created animation sequences. Blurring Man gives a detailed look into the Burning Man, and the life of a simple man, Elmer. There are moments that are a bit uninteresting, but generally it offers knowledge, a good time and shows plenty of likeable people. #JasonKnight

★★★ Directed by: #AdamMorse Written by: #AdamMorse Starring: #BillyZane, #LaurieCalvert, #SophieKennedyClark, #SadieFrost & #CristianSolimeno Film Review by Connor Slatkoff Sharpe Adam Morse’s 2018 science-fiction thriller Lucid follows a young, blundering car-park attendant named Zel (Laurie Calvert), whose reality begins to fracture as he finds himself drawn into the hypnotic world of lucid dreaming. Set in the not-so-distant future, Lucid’s environments are vivid and beautifully populated, showcasing strong and diverse performances from a cast which is spearheaded by a suavely disheveled Billy Zane in the role of Zel’s dreaming mentor. While the story doesn’t peak much past an initial interest in this film’s reality, the sheer excellence in world-building cannot be overlooked. The majority of this world-building is achieved through the incredibly strong set design on display throughout the film. Environments are loaded with detail and stylized set-dressing, perfectly toeing the line between a strong sense of setting and an overly cluttered shot. Deep reds and blues are expertly used to highlight change in mood and tempo, with striking use of practical lighting causing this film to have a somewhat watered-down Blade Runner aesthetic. The futuristic technology feels grounded in reality: a functional take on our own modern electronics instead of some unfeasible level of science-fiction, something which would have taken away from the general believability of this piece. Overall, the performances from this varied cast are strong, with leads Calvert and Zane complimenting each other in their polar opposition throughout their many one-on-one scenes. Calvert’s performance is disarmingly awkward, with an almost Eddie Redmayne-esq mumbled delivery that lends a shy attraction to the character, rather than being too socially uncomfortable to watch. Zane on the other hand gives a gentle, soft spoken, yet alarmingly confident performance which earned him a Gold Movie Award for best actor in 2018. Together, these two leading men fight to bring life to what is often painfully on-the-nose dialogue, and generally rushed emotional beats. Stylistically speaking, Lucid is beautifully shot and capably directed, with dazzling work from cinematographer Michel Dierickx as he captures the neon-lit alleyways and vibrantly strobing clubs through which Zel stumbles. There are hints of Ari Aster’s sensibilities throughout, as if the photography of Hereditary had found itself in the color scheme of Altered Carbon. And while there are odd choices in focus and forced perspective (whole scenes where Zane is in soft focus), the craftsmanship on display over the short run-time is stunning to behold. However, in the third act this lucid dream needs a wake-up call. With the intricate set-up of the world, and the surprisingly deep development in character, Morse has prepped his film for a promising finale. Instead what we receive in the end is little more than a half-hearted stumble to the credits, causing this film to feel more like a pilot-episode than its own stand-alone narrative. A medium within which this piece could have thrived would have been in an anthology series such as Black Mirror, where it could have allowed itself to live more within this world it has constructed without the need to create an entire arc necessary for a feature film. Nonetheless, what audiences receive is a colorful, attractive—albeit unfulfilling—look into a smart and unique concept, with excellent performances to compliment the creative world-building by the cast and crew of Lucid. #ConnorSlatkoffSharpe

★★ Directed by: #JoshBoone Written by: #JoshBoone & #KnateLee Starring: #MaisieWilliams, #AnyaTaylorJoy, #CharlieHeaton, #BluHunt, #HenryZaga & #AliceBraga Film Review by Connor Slatkoff Sharpe In a world where the superhero blockbuster genre is dominated by the Marvel Cinematic Empire, Twentieth Century Fox desperately clings onto one of its few remaining Marvel Comic properties by releasing Josh Boone’s “The New Mutants” to socially distanced theatre goers; and that desperation certainly shows on screen. The latest film in the ever-dwindling Fox-Produced X-Men Universe, The New Mutants follows five super-powered teenagers as they attempt to learn to control their various dangerous abilities. Set almost entirely within the sterilized halls of a remote Victorian hospital - picture Arkham Asylum meets the X-Mansion - the young patients are guided by a lone Dr. Reyes towards their hopeful re-integration into normal society, and perhaps even into the ranks of the illustrious (and briefly mentioned) X-Men. However, as the film progresses, the young mutants begin to question whether they are truly patients of this kind Dr. Reyes, or are in fact her prisoners. The casting for this film is inspired: Maisie Williams, fresh off her completion of Game of Thrones, headlines with Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Emma), Charlie Heaton (Stranger Things), Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why) and relative new-comer Blu Hunt (The Originals). These young actors are complemented by the experience and overall acting chops of Alice Braga (I am Legend, Elysium), who plays Dr. Reyes. Despite the level of talent available for this piece, the performances feel for the most part wooden and uninspired, especially from our young lead (Blu Hunt). While there are still moments in the film where the performances reach heights you would expect from such an energetic young cast, these are few and far between. With a relatively low budget of 67 million USD (Dark Phoenix by comparison had a budget of 200 million), the film still manages to retain some semblance of a summer blockbuster. The CGI is more than passable and - at times - inventive, with a large variety of creatures and horrors who appear to have been completely rendered in post-production. However, the lack of overall screen-time afforded to these impressive designs feels like a missed opportunity for the film to have expanded further on some of its more horror-centered themes. From the outside it appears as if this film isn’t brave enough to fully commit to its identity as a horror movie, this being how it was primarily marketed leading up to its release. It instead lives somewhere in the category of the Harry Potter films, with our young characters running into one or two frightening monsters, but being an overall un-frightening movie. The scariest part of this film is how underused the creepy, “Slender Man”-like creatures from the trailers turn out to be, whose truly terrifying design could have lent genuine fear to this otherwise “faux” horror movie. Unsurprisingly, Josh Boone (who is primarily known for directing The Fault in our Stars) puts excessive effort into kindling teenage romances between almost all of our young mutants. Rather than this adding depth of character and raising the stakes for our few action set-pieces, these budding romances feel fabricated and shoe-horned into an already distracted premise. This movie further cements the fact that what made James Mangold’s Logan so successful wasn’t the grit and gore of the “Old Man Logan” style, but the heart that each one of those beloved characters brought to the story. In many ways, this film lacks heart, and while The New Mutants is being distributed by Disney Studios, it also lacks any of the showmanship that has made up for any missing substance in some of the lesser instalments of the recent MCU and Star Wars films which Disney also circulates. Overall, this feels like a film that is trying to do too much, and failing at the majority of those attempts. Look at the success of similar genre blockbusters, specifically Mad Max: Fury Road and the aforementioned Logan. Both these films have expertly trimmed-down narratives: driving across a wasteland to freedom, then seeking revenge on an individual who has wronged you. These are simple, almost primitive narratives, and yet the beauty of these pieces comes from allowing their characters and plots room to breathe. This allows for character beats and emotional stakes to develop naturally as they go along their journey, rather than having those beats be the character’s journey. Had this film embraced what it was originally advertised to be - a horror movie set in the X-Men universe - instead of bothering with all of the other elements it attempts to juggle, it could have been a refreshing take on an exhausted formula. Instead, it exhausts that formula to the brink of collapse. After Disney’s acquisition of Twentieth Century Fox, and the reunion of the X-Men and their mother company Marvel, it seems increasingly less likely that we will see any more of these Fox style “X-Movies.” And while audiences will surely cry out for more of the foul-mouthed, fourth wall breaking Deadpool, this writer hopes that the critical reception to The New Mutants will cause producers to let the dust settle on what was once a ground-breaking series of superhero films, before the inevitable reboot some years down the road. #ConnorSlatkoffSharpe

★★★★ Original Concept by: #DeniseHarrison Written by: #DeniseHarrison Starring: #DeniseHarrison Film Review by: Connor Slatkoff Sharpe The aesthetically striking animated short This is Depression is a beautifully simplistic, hard-hitting and raw exploration of mental illness and loneliness. Both written and narrated by Denise Harrison, we follow her matter-of-fact recounting of past demons, and how she nearly succumbed to her struggles with substance abuse and dark bouts of depression. Originally penned by Harrison while she was in recovery and rehabilitation, the film presents a bleak, heart-wrenching, but not completely hopeless view of living through trauma. The animation by Miguel Letang and illustrations from Juli Dosad make up a stylistically concise and artistically unique form for this short, managing to reflect the morose and intoxicated tone conveyed by Harrison—as if the animation styles were drunk bar napkin sketches, dancing to life after one too many pints. While Harrison’s body and the settings around her stand out in sharp, fidgeting clarity, every other character she meets is simply a smoky shadow in the foreground, lacking voice or shape, and greatly emphasizing the loneliness described in Harrison’s narration. It is through this narration that Harrison’s story truly takes shape. The rhythmic, meter-focused writing feels almost slam poetry-like in its delivery, and when expertly backed-up by a repeating and catchy piano riff, this piece begins to feel like a hip-hop spoken-word piece put to screen. Had this style been over-emphasized or played out, it could have very easily lost impact and specificity for the audience; however, Harrison’s writing and delivery never linger too long in one tone or rhythm, keeping the audience constantly on their toes, watching for every lyrical left turn that the narrator might take. Despite all of these filmmaking highs, This is Depression, as its title might suggest, lacks any emotional ups to match its constant downs. While it is undeniably accurate to Harrison’s story as she recounts it in rehab, the lack of any light in all of this darkness poses a threat to the possible success of this short. Had the film given us any insight into possible glimpses of happiness for Harrison before (or even after) the events of the piece, it would have leant far more weight to the helplessness and pain being felt throughout the four-and-a-half-minute runtime. Nevertheless, This is Depression is an undeniably effective demonstration of a life plagued by mental illness and alcoholism. This, paired with its creative narration and unique style of animation, make it a deserving winner of the 2019 Discover Film Award for Best Adaptation, and a short film well worth several viewings. #ConnorSlatkoffSharpe

★★★★★ Directed by: #JoshBird Concept by: #YanaIvancheva Film Review by: Connor Slatkoff Sharpe Under the Skin, the 2015 documentary short produced through the University of Stirling, is a soft-spoken and moving piece which discusses the dangers, stigmas and catalysts of eating disorders in today’s youth. The film primarily follows the interview of a young Scottish woman with a severe eating disorder and the battles she has faced in her life because of it. Out of respect for the subject’s privacy, the woman is simply referred to as “L”. Along with L, several medical professionals in the field (seemingly also from the University of Stirling) are interviewed, providing factual insight to her heart-wrenching story. The film opens on a striking shot of L backlit and in profile, successfully concealing her features without removing any of the humanity in her silhouette. It’s this creative twist on the usual blurred face and augmented voice (which we see in most modern Netflix docu-series) that is the first of several artistically strong choices made by director Josh Bird in order to preserve the audience’s connection to his subject. By using her real, un-edited voice and casting a halo-like aura of light around her fiery-red hair, the filmmakers highlight L as a character in this story, rather than simply hiding her behind her own words. Throughout the film, there are conscious shifts between this artistically shot, deeply shadowed style and old-school documentary filmmaking techniques of interviewing well-lit subjects in identifiable settings (such as office spaces or clinics). Our scenes with L feel eccentrically inspired by the works of David Lynch or even Jonathan Glazer, with heavily stylized close-ups and experimental lighting techniques used to great effect. In contrast, our more straightforward interviews resemble the work of documentary-maker Jimmy Chin in their honest and up-front question-answer form. These two differing (yet complementary) filmmaking forms give an incredibly strong sense of setting between raw conversations with L and the more factual meetings with medical professionals. Another heavily stylized technique used in the piece is the inclusion of everyday objects captured on a simple black background. These objects are used to animate L’s story, primarily her abusive childhood, in a far more subtle and moving way than simply having actors re-create the scenes being described. Rather than an acted-out scene of mother attacking daughter, the audience is instead shown a single broken wine glass, drops of red residue still clinging onto its sharp edges. When describing a child abandoned, a disheveled and beaten-looking teddy bear stares back at you one-eyed from the screen. These everyday items against a blank canvas give alarming weight and painful clarity to L’s words and add to the overall unique style of the piece, two of the many reasons why this documentary stands out from its genre contemporaries. Overall, the film is—in both execution and narrative—an incredibly strong documentary piece, expertly juggling both information and emotional stakes. A deserving winner of the 2015 Royal Television Society Scotland’s Student Television Award for best factual film, it is a brilliant amalgamation of dramatic and factual story-telling. Under the Skin is a raw, subtle and eye-opening film—a sad lesson in the consequences of neglectful and abusive parenting, an informative documentary on the subject of eating disorders and a tentatively hopeful piece of art. #ConnorSlatkoffSharpe

★★ Written & Directed by: #RyoKagawa Starring: #SyunMatsuoka #NarumiYonezawa #YuUrata #KenjiHorikoshi Short Film Review by: #ChrisBuick Japanese #shortfilm Michiko from writer/director and Ryo Kagawa is a cautionary tale of making the most of the time you have with the people you love before it's too late. Inspired by a true story, Ryo (Matsuoka), a man who spends more time worrying about his job than his deteriorating marriage or ailing spouse, learns this lesson the hard way after his wife, the titular Michiko (Yonezawa), begins to suffer from severe schizophrenia and is subsequently hospitalised, her ever worsening condition leading Ryo to (eventually) reflect on his lack of due care and attention. There are a couple of commendable aspects to this #shortfilm, however they are heavily outnumbered by several others that unfortunately aren’t up to scratch. Kagawa has succeeded for the most part in producing a decent looking film, a few shots are actually quite eye-catching but because the film runs somewhat longer than it perhaps should, certain shots inevitably end up being reused again and again until eventually they lose their aesthetic charm almost completely. The writing also falls prey to very much the same problem, but unlike the visuals it never has any remarkable moments of elegance. Instead, it’s an overlong narrative loaded with throwaway scenes, lazily written dialogue that can’t even be claimed to have been simply lost in transition and exposition so on the nose it is practically punches you in the face. But where the writing really under-delivers (and ultimately where the film suffers most) is in its characters. There is a complete absence of chemistry between the two leads, something that can also be attributed to a clear disparity in acting quality. Where Yonezawa makes a valiant effort to inject as much as she can into what little there is to work with, actually producing quite a laudable performance that makes hers the most complex and interesting character of the piece by a mile, Matsuoka simply cannot keep up, his character seemingly under-served by the writing which coupled with a fluctuating performance leaves Ryo appearing unlikeable and inspiring zero sympathy for his suffering, a clear miss in what is surely the point of the piece. Truth be told, apart from what Yonezawa manages to drag kicking and screaming out of almost nothing, there is little else to provoke any interest or emotional investment in their obviously painful story, which might sound heartless to say given the films premise and origins but is unfortunately still the case. Michiko is a film full of the best possible intentions with a story that is undeniably poignant and necessary, but unfortunately it never presents it effectively enough to fully do its tender subject matter any real justice. Had it been a leaner, more focused effort, it perhaps could have ultimately served its important story so much better. #ChrisBuick

★★★★ Directed by: #RogerMichell Written by: #ChristianTorpe Starring: #KateWinslet, #SamNeill, #MiaWasikowska, #RainnWilson, #SusanSarandon, #BexTaylor-Klaus, #LindsayDuncan, #AnsonBoon Film Review by: Darren Tilby Based on the Danish-language film (Silent Heart) from, and written by, Christian Torpe comes Director Roger Michell's Anglo-American remake, Blackbird. You likely know the story already: an ailing matriarch invites her fractured family around to stay for one last weekend of joy and festivities before she plans to end her life through euthanasia. But, as is so often the case in films like this, everyone's a long way from even pretending to play happy families. Susan Sarandon stars as Lily, the matriarchal head of the family unit, while Sam Neill puts in a career-high as Paul, Lily's husband, who proceeds with a stoic, removed air about his wife's illness and impending self-death. Kate Winslet's Jennifer is the first to arrive, early, along with husband Michael (Rainn Wilson) and son Johnathan (Anson Boon). Straight-laced and proud, Jennifer is the polar opposite to her younger sister, Anna (Mia Wasikowska); a flighty young woman who traipses in late, "looking like shit", with girlfriend Chris (Bex Taylor-Klaus) in tow. And completing the "family unit" is Liz (Lindsay Duncan), Lily's oldest and dearest friend. As you can probably tell, the film's main attraction is its star-studded cast. A sea of riveting performances are what awaits the viewer, and Torpe's well-written, character-establishing (and building) dialogue make these people come alive and feel genuine—even if some of their actions aren't. Indeed, Michell relies heavily on the strength of his actors to deliver the emotional clout the movie promises. There's no denying the cast is up to the task, but it's still an issue, as it leaves other aspects of the film feeling like an afterthought. The plot mechanics are hackneyed and unoriginal, while Peter Gregson's score feels generic and uninspired. Two crucial aspects of the film that haven't had the attention they needed due to too much time spent managing a cast capable enough of driving itself. Mike Ely's crystalline visuals, though, are an absolute delight, and effortlessly reflect the beauty and tragedy of both life and death. It's unoriginal, and it's certainly not perfect, but this is a beautiful piece of filmmaking about the celebration of life, love and family, rather than the sadness of death and loss. And it brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion.

As reboots go, Bill & Ted Face the Music is up there. More a threequel than a reboot, the classic adventure-comedy duo are back in this Bill and Ted Face the Music trailer with plenty of gentle comedy, rocking out, and talk about destiny needing to be fulfilled. Director Dean Parisot (whose filmography includes RED 2 and Galaxy Quest) has a tough balance to strike. Bill & Ted fans are united in a love of late 80s early 90s nostalgia, where the central characters were as “lost” as they were. What can be seen in the Bill and Ted Face the Music Trailer are the same two characters, now married with kids, experiencing a very similar sensation of being “lost” but the world has moved on dramatically. Will the Keanu Reeves adoration be enough to see this film elevate itself above anything other than a gimmicky throwback? Or worse, a conspicuous cash grab? Time will tell. What's in the Bill & Ted Face the Music Trailer? What can be gleaned from the movie trailer is that much of the tone and atmosphere remains unchanged. This could easily have followed on from Excellent Adventure and Bogus Journey, just with some age-defying tricks (if only the technology had been available at the time). Who is back for Bill & Ted Face the Music? Alex Winter is back as Bill, having done more directing than noteworthy acting in the interim from the original two movies and Bill & Ted Face the Music. His chemistry with Reeves seems spot-on in the trailer. William Sadler is back as Death. Check. The ever-funny Kristen Schaal can be seen in the trailer, rocking up as an other-worldly character who will likely be the harbinger of adventure for Bill & Ted. It is also likely that Dave Grohl will have a cameo somewhere in the film (as seen on the IMDb cast list), a stalwart of 90s culture, this can only be a good thing. Check out the Bill and Ted Face the Music Trailer below and let us know what you think. Extra points for using the phrase “Woah”.

★★ Directed by #PailinWedel Film review by Nathanial Eker Netflix's new documentary film Hope Frozen is truly amazing. It somehow manages to take some of the most compelling and emotive topics (religion vs science, the sanctity of life debate, and the death of a toddler) and drain any and all captivation. This is a story that should grip us and leave us breathless. Yet after a promising start it devolves into a drab mess, defined by poor pacing and staggeringly inadequate storytelling. It's difficult to imagine a premise more enticing than that of Hope Frozen. Einz, a two-year-old child from Bangkok is diagnosed with a fatal and incurable cancer. Her scientist father dreams of reviving her through the practice of cryonics, making Einz the youngest person ever to be cryogenically frozen. What follows is a discussion of whether preservation of the body is enough to bring someone back from death and how conservative Buddhist ideals of the soul and tabloid media attention can complicate things. Writer-director Pailin Wedel poses a number of intriguing questions through the development of this seventy-five minute long documentary. Regrettably, they fail to address almost every one and simultaneously neglect to provide relevant information and context to allow the audience to draw their own conclusions. Bafflingly, the film begins with only the most rudimentary exploration of who Einz and her family are. They are reduced to mere players in a film that begs to pull on your heartstrings and inspire endless moral debate. More infuriating is the lack of translation, not literally (the clunky and monotone voiceover work 'handles' that), but intellectually. Unfortunately for Wedel, most viewers will not be cryogenic experts and will thus require some level of explanation in lay-person terms. And those voiceovers. Perhaps the single most effective way to destroy an emotive moment is to have a dry, uninspired western voice over the image of a distraught Thai mother attempting to verbalise her grief. Whoever decided that subtitles were 'too distracting' to include clearly didn't watch the first cut closely enough. This should be one of the most powerful documentaries put to film, but the voiceover trivialises the family's toil, reducing it to the level of a local news broadcast. Hope Frozen owes almost nothing of its successes to its creators and most of it to the family themselves. Their struggle is real and their anguish obvious, even with the obstructive overlay of western monotony. The fascinating and controversial decisions by Sahatorn and his kin are clearly primed for a documentary that challenges cultural perceptions of death, science, and religion. Indeed, one of the most interesting discussions raised is that of futurism and whether anyone will care for Einz in the future should she ever be restored. Other big questions like the realities of restoring memory and the existence of a soul are also raised but left mostly unquestioned. The film paradoxically crawls along with trivial scenes that add little, yet it also speeds through each new ethical dilemma like it's a race to the philosophical finish. A documentary of this ilk should be pretty simple in terms of structure, but Wedel makes bizarre editing decisions both temporal and physical at every turn that make for a whiplash-inducing tone. At the very least, Hope Frozen undeniably encourages discussions around these issues and doesn't put forward a bias, which should be commended. From a technical point of view, the cinematography and music are passable though uninspiring, while the mise-en-scene is fairly well considered, characterised by a whiteness that simultaneously denotes both a suitably clinical aesthetic while also serving as a constant reminder of Einz' lost innocence. Hope Frozen is not an ill-intended film. At its core it intends to be a time capsule that will even be given to Einz should she ever be revived. It is also admirably respectful of the family; even the voiceovers can be considered a way to broaden exposure of their plight. Sadly, sloppiness reigns supreme and the poor pacing and uninspiring clips chosen ultimately make Hope Frozen a chore to watch. It of course inspires a degree of empathy and debate, but I'd sooner recommend reading up on the topic yourself and watching unedited interviews with the family. You're unlikely to get much of anything from this. #NathanialEker

★★★ Directed by #KurtisDavidHarder Written by #ColinMinihan #JohnPoliquin Starring #JeffreyBowyerChapman #AriCohen Film Review by Hope Madden How many films, horror or otherwise, open as a moving van leaves a fresh faced family unpacking in their new dream home? Kurtis David Harder and his new Shudder thriller Spiral welcome you to the neighborhood. What feels like your typical suburban paranoia film, this time given a fresh coat of paint with the introduction of a same-sex couple at its center, turns out to be something else entirely. Even as Malik (Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman) and Aaron (Ari Cohen) try to convince Aaron’s teenaged daughter Kayla (Jennifer Laporte) that she really won’t miss the big city, Malik is seeing some things around the cul-de-sac that worry him. But Aaron isn’t ready to believe the neighbors are homophobes (or racists, for that matter, even if Tiffany across the street assumed Malik was the gardener). Spiral quickly falls into a very familiar pattern. Malik, who works at home as a writer, begins to let his research get the better of him. Writer’s block has him paranoid—or maybe there’s a trauma in his past that’s to blame? Is he really seeing something strange in his neighbors’ windows? Is Aaron right, did he go overboard with that new home security system? It sounds familiar—so much so that the film sometimes just figures your brain will fill in blanks left open.  And while Spiral’s internal logic is never air tight, screenwriters Colin Minihan (It Stains the Sands Red, What Keeps You Alive) and John Poliquin are more interested in bigger patterns. Their social allegory doesn’t achieve the breathless thrills of Get Out, but Spiral swims similar waters. The filmmakers see patterns in political hatred and the continuing reaffirmation of the status quo, and those patterns are horrifying. While horror has always been an opportunity for the collective unconscious to deal with social anxiety in a safely distant way, Spiral is less interested in creating that comforting fictional buffer. It’s as if the filmmakers want you to see the holes in their plot so you’re more able to see the nonfiction it’s based on. #HopeMadden