★★★★★ Directed by: Brent Forrest Written by: Brent Forrest Short Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Dirty Pool Movie Review Not gonna lie, I am a fully fledged pool junkie, there is nothing more I enjoy than wasting my time in the dank and dark environment of a pool hall, tapping small balls into tiny holes while I forget what sunlight is, common theme, pool halls lack windows. Like casinos, pool halls have their own environment, a place that is shut off from the world where you forget time and space, as well as self-respect if you don’t play so good, but despite its lack of athletic ability, the game takes skill, patience and practice, couple that with the enclosed nature of a pool hall and you can meet some interesting characters. Dirty Pool is an animated short from #filmmaker Brent Forrest which shows two young men indulging in the sport, both take on opposing characteristics; one is confident, a bit of a show-off and the other is nervous and floundering around the basics of the game [I can relate!], it’s clear the narrative of good vs evil is at play on the screen and on the table. Evil takes centre stage as the more confident play decided that his foul shot can be overlooked, an obvious cheater, he does not believe the rules followed by his rival apply to him! They battle it out in physical form, using pool cues for well… strangulation rather than pool and before we know it, their bad sportsmanship upsets some fellow customers. With short film Dirty Pool, Brent Forrest takes great care in creating emotional content from the characters with an eye for facial details within his work, an important element, considering that the short has no dialect between the players, in fact, Forrest recorded the audio in a Tokyo pool hall to get the real feel for the distinct atmosphere he was exploring. The #animation is flawless, well-directed and beyond professional, he creates the atmosphere of the hall that any avid pool player can relate to, the actions and attitudes of the players are also well researched, all of these elements show dedication to Forrest’s craft, in short, I feel he too is a bit of a pool junkie! A classic exploration of good vs evil, set in an unlikely place, with an unlikely sport, we have all seen the competitive nature of football, basketball and other larger sporting events, so to take on this concept on a more overlooked game is creative as well as engaging, now I’m off to polish my cue skills. #RachelPullen Find out more about the filmmakers behind Dirty Pool using the link below: http://forrest-schlage.com/dirty-pool/

★★★ Directed by: #LeonLopez Written by: #JamesMcDermott Starring: #TerryGeorge and #LeonLopez Short Film Review by Taryll Baker Where’s Steve? is a short film highlighting some of the challenges families and primary carers encounter when providing support to people with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eric, who has early-onset dementia, arrives home from hospital after overcoming COVID-19 to discover his partner is still in hospital, uncertain of his future. Due to the lockdown restrictions, Eric is unable to visit his partner and relies on Benny, his carer to help him through his confusion. The film begins with a close up of Eric’s face. It’s quickly revealed during a few establishing shots that he’s alone and waiting for someone to return. A few moments later, a car pulls up but it’s not who Eric hopes it’ll be — instead it’s his carer, Benny. After showing him a photograph of his partner, Steve, Benny must break the news once again that he won’t be home for a while because he’s still in the hospital. We see Eric come to terms with Steve’s absence over the duration of this film, he grapples with his mind, trying to remember everything, but it’s a hard fight. Filmed during the Coronavirus pandemic, Where’s Steve? captures the mental strain that human separation can have on an individual. I’m certain everyone is struggling a huge amount during these dark times, but it’s often people like Eric that fail to cross most people’s minds. This film shines a light on the situation. Personally, as someone who is beginning to feel the affects of a restricted life, I can only imagine how difficult it is for people with dementia and the like. The pandemic caused a lockdown that has been dragging on for almost four months now, and although it seems like things are beginning to return to ‘normal,’ it’ll be a long time until we’re fully past it. Though simple in it’s approach and structure, Where’s Steve? manages to pack a fairly impactful punch. Though I feel it could have been even more hard-hitting, it’s a film that required a speedy production and release in order to grab attention whilst we’re still living in the pandemic. A heartfelt, saddening watch, but an important one nonetheless. The cinematography by Saeed Farhat is subtle and colourful. During the final moments, he returns to those establishing shots from the start of the film, but now comfortably wrapping up the story. Terry George’s small-scale performance is practically perfect and in those final shots, he captures the free spirit of Eric. I’m hoping that the lockdown can come to an end sooner rather than later, and that social distancing becomes a thing of the past. But until then, keep people like Eric in your mind. It may be a hard time for you, but I guarantee it’s even harder for someone else. #TaryllBaker

★★★★★ Directed by: #SamuelDawe, #PaulHolbrook Written by: #SamuelDawe, #PaulHolbrook Starring: #LauraBayston, #JoeSims, #AndrewGreaves Film Review by: Darren Tilby SPOILERS!!! I don’t want to drop any spoilers here, but there’s a beetle out there somewhere (the Japanese Red Bug, to be precise) whose mother works herself to death to feed her young. Then, once she drops dead from exhaustion, the young eat her...even in death, she’s serving her babies. Yeah...so anyway! 20-minutes long and full of extreme body-horror goodness, Hungry Joe is not for the faint of heart. But if you can stomach its gauche gross-out exterior, you’ll find it belies a surprisingly heartbreaking commentary on parenthood, postpartum depression and the moral collapse of the family unit. The film opens with home video footage of young married couple Craig (Joe Sims) and Laura Gilligan (Laura Bayston), who are ready to start enjoying their life as a family. They’ve just bought their first house, and Laura is pregnant with a boy - “Little Joe!” Things couldn’t be better, and they couldn’t be happier. But, mere seconds later, the ominously scored title screen tells us this isn’t to last. Make no mistake, this is a full-on horror experience that doesn’t let up from the moment it begins (about 30-seconds in), to its inevitably tragic ending. We’re taken straight into Laura complaining to – a somewhat patronising – health visitor about her son’s constant need for food. The health visitor insists Joe just has a “healthy appetite” and suggests she should “indulge” it. This “advice” is the first of many times we see what is essentially a child with an eating disorder, and a parent – obviously suffering from postpartum depression – desperate for someone to listen, being repeatedly let down by the system. It’s is a story that’s all too familiar; a troubled family, fallen between the cracks, all but forgotten by the very people supposedly there to help and beaten down by society’s ignorance. Laura Bayston gives an impeccable sure-to-be award-winning performance in the lead role. The frustrated desperation shows on Laura’s face, and the mental anguish, so well hidden by the movie’s careful use of dialogue, is apparent only through her body language. Thoroughly compelling and heart-achingly relatable to far too many people, Bayston’s performance is a tour de force of emotion. If Laura is the character we can all relate to and root for, then Andrew Greaves’ Joe is the polar opposite. To everyone else, Joe is a normal boy. But, to his mother, the self-concerned and wholly apathetic child/man is a monster: by extension, it’s hard for the viewer to see him any other way, either. That being said, there’s still a very empathetic element to this person. Dawe and Holbrook often remind us that Joe is a just a boy/man, a human being with problems (many not his fault) like anyone else. I mostly attribute this to the writing though, and less to do with Greaves’ performance, which is entirely unpleasant, as well it should be. Hungry Joe’s horror-movie ambience comes mainly from its atmospheric, dark and gloomy cinematography (James Oldham) and excellent sound design (music by Hollie Buhagiar), which never ceases with its melodically intrusive and oppressive hit-you-in-waves-like construction. It’s both beautiful and horrifying in equal measure. In all honesty, Hungry Joe is a hard film to recommend to anybody. Not because it’s bad but because it’s so repulsive and so dismal you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who could stomach it, particularly the last third of the film. I’m well versed in the way of body-horror, and I found parts of this difficult to watch—so well done for that! But if you can get past that (and I strongly suggest you try), there’s an incredibly clever bit of filmmaking here, which is held together by the empathetic characters, superb performances and heart-rending familia tragedy at its core.

★★★ Directed by: #JohnPerivolaris Written by: #JohnPerivolaris Starring: #BiancaCooper, #TonyMacdonald Film Review by: Darren Tilby Back in 1973, William Friedkin’s The Exorcist took the world by storm. This battle between good versus evil, along with its extraordinary practical effects, those “memorable” scenes and religious undertones landed Friedkin’s movie with a bang, the shockwaves of which are still felt today. John Perivolaris’s three-minute-long short film, The Orthodox, is the latest in a long line of titles to find influence in Friedkin’s classic: most notably in its visual design. Unfortunately, the similarities end there and any sense of horror gets lost to a tonally confused tale of moral ambiguity. A priest (Tony Macdonald) in mourning for his daughter comes face-to-face with a demon possessing and destroying the body of a young girl (Bianca Cooper). While mocking the priest (all demons enjoy mocking priests), it claims to know the whereabouts of his lost daughter. And the demon will tell him! If he’s willing to sacrifice the young girl. The problem with all this is there’s not enough context written into the film for us to really care about any of it. The performances themselves are generally pretty good though, and apart from the odd hiccup here and there, there’s very little to complain about. It’s just a shame that more time wasn’t taken to develop the characters further and establish the happenings leading up to the events of the film. It’s a tall order for such a short film, and making a movie even just a few minutes longer can be incredibly expensive. But it can be done. And it might not have been such an issue had the tenor of the film been a little clearer. For a good while, I thought I was watching a comedy. When in actuality, this is a piece which takes itself very seriously. And after rewatching the film several times, I still get the same feeling; like I’m waiting for a big laugh. But what’s weirder is I can’t for the life of me figure out why. From a technical standpoint, this is a very competently shot movie. The camera work (Ryan Bain) is lovely and the soundtrack (Christopher Belsey), with its residual eerieness, is one the best single elements of the film. And while the production value as a whole hovers around the cheaper end of the scale (which isn’t unusual), Nike Johnston’s makeup work is exemplary. I know it’s easier said than done, but The Orthodox really would have benefitted from being a little longer. The potential is here, but it falls short of achieving what it could have. There needs to be more work putting into it; a little more time put into setting the scene, or perhaps a more concise narrative. All said and done though; we’re left with a solid homage to the exorcism sub-genre, a decent shot at morally ambiguous storytelling, and a pretty entertaining three-minutes of film. Not bad at all.

★★★ Directed by: Kristian Kane and Lewis Carter Written by: Lewis Carter Starring: Charlie Lock, David Constant, Natalie Paisey, Film Review by: Robert Stayte Autistic audiences' mileage often varies when it comes to cinema about the subject matter of Autism. Some like the representation they see, some totally hate it. If anything, what is notable is that the film industry is mostly past stuff like Rain Main or I am sam, with stories about autistic people as inspirational figures being replaced with Movies/TV/Animation that attempt to explore autism in more interesting ways. Showdown is a short film that examines autism in a somewhat stylised fashion and the result is admirable but flawed. The central story is very simple, an autistic boy is ostracised by his peers and idolises Western movies. A situation then develops that he rises to the occasion for. There is nothing wrong with the central narrative. It feels well explored for something that only runs 16 minutes and the structure is functional. It’s heart is also in the right place, especially with the sweet text declaration at the end. But this story cannot help but feel overly sentimental and cheesy. The delivery of this story throws subtlety out the window in a manner that makes it feel hard to fully care about what is going on. The soundtrack and the situations that were shown felt contrived and manipulative, with the climax being especially corny. It always felt like the film was telling the audience how to feel rather than just naturally letting them feel it. A more realistic and toned-down film would have worked better, though some audiences might not care and may still feel the emotions that Showdown wants them to feel. Cinematography-wise, this film is quite well shot sometimes. The first few landscape shots are very impressive and the shots that clearly contained a decent amount of co-ordination look good as well. The rest of the direction is much worse. There is an overuse of Dutch angles that feel like they are mostly used in an inappropriate fashion, but the focus is the biggest issue. The camera constantly goes out of focus in several shots, which especially takes away from the attempt at having a tense climax. Overall, Showdown is a flawed short film, though it does have well intentioned and well told story, the unrealistic and sappy tone combined with the all over the place filmmaking brings it down. A stronger directorial hand could have made this film great, but it ends up merely being okay. #RobertStayte

★★ Directed by #KondorShekari Starring #KondorShekari Film review by Nathanial Eker Diving into another culture through the medium of documentary is often as educational as it is enjoyable. The Song of Galesh is a film that immerses itself in its titular Iranian village with an initially fascinating panache, only to become dull and ill-paced thanks to a lack of focus and copious technical hiccups. The Song of Galesh boldly heads straight into the action with only a few scripted lines explaining where we are and what we're watching. This sounds exciting, but the lack of a central figure to follow and overly-broad, overly-long examinations of the native culture soon spoils any initial elation. While watching a traditional potter make his goods is undoubtedly cool, the film's lack of narrative intent quickly becomes its Achilles heel. Some documentaries manage to remain engaging through stunning cinematography and captivating examinations of culture alone; The Song of Galesh regrettably isn't one of them. Director Kondor Shekari (who also produces, writes, edits, and narrates) has obviously immersed themselves into this culture, likely capturing hours of raw footage that successfully transports the audience to the mountainous farms of Galesh. However, as soon as we start to get to know an individual, or witness an ancient custom in action, Shekari cuts away to the next scene, seemingly anxious to get on with things while in a 'worst of both worlds' situation, scenes fixated on the beautiful setting paradoxically hold for too long. The film's obsession with using entire folk songs as its only musical accompaniment soon becomes monotonous, particularly in moments where the music simply doesn't gel with the tone of what the locals are saying. Most unforgivable, however, is the collection of amateurish filmmaking mistakes that regularly disturb the viewing experience. Sound crackles, translations are poor, and the sloppy fade cuts and awkward zooms - while not mistakes - fail to captivate or compel. The Song of Galesh provides an intriguing look at a culture far-removed from our western world. Its natural mise-en-scene is well-captured, and the many traditions, songs, and day-to-day happenings of the villagers are undeniably interesting to examine as a fly on the wall. However, the film quickly devolves from a captivating documentary into a history lesson, without considered pace or the promise of conflict. As an educational piece, it's well-worth a look to broaden your cultural horizons, providing you expect not an epic journey into the wilderness, but a begrudgingly attended school trip. #NathanialEker

★★★★★ Stars Directed by: #AamirQureshi Written by: #AamirQureshi Starring: #ZohaibHassan, #LaibaKhan, #MalikNaveed, #JunaidAwan Film Review by: Alicia Moore Aamir Qureshi’s Courage is a powerful representation of said title; having courage and strength within yourself and utilising those mature qualities rather than being caught up on your appearance. This two minute film showcases in-depth topics that impact the viewer’s thoughts on humanity’s choices through skilful filmmaking. The cast of this short film present enticing theatrical performances. Their approach to acting is perfectly matched to the writing of the film as there is no dialogue throughout its duration. Actors must focus on their use of expression and body language to portray the desired events, and they did this with great success. As an audience member, I was never lost in what was unfolding in the plot because of the brilliant attention to detail in the actors’ expressions and overall presence in scenes. Every presence in each scene is also very different from one another; the accomplished cast were able to separate themselves from other characters surrounding them, ensuring that their performances did not blend into the background. With their own source of talent and direction from Qureshi, the acting within the film is impressive. As mentioned before, with no dialogue to create a primary, striking environment for viewers to sink their teeth into, the film depends heavily on its music (also by Aamir Qureshi.) The music used is beautiful in its own right, something that would be pleasurable to listen to on its own, but it also works beautifully with the film as well. It is intense and builds a sense of suspense as soon as the film begins – but its intensity is not overbearing. It is the ideal mixture of sound to match the tone of the film. The music gracefully carries the plot on a perfect beat until the last second of the film. The cinematography and editing, by Syed Ali Bukhari, are definitely two of the most praise-worthy aspects of this short film. The cinematography is stunning and, like the film’s acting, pays great attention to the details of each shot. From a droplet of sweat running down the side of the main character’s bicep to the closer shots of his facial expressions, the cinematography creates an immersive experience for the audience. Pairing this with the stylish editing, it gives the film a very modern touch and, in this way, adds to the meaning behind the film – a topic that’s being dealt with is one happening in our modern society, especially with the rise in social media users and the many faces covering your feed everyday. “Muscles may give you strength, but not courage.” The film ends with these true words to live by. I’m a huge ambassador for riding the world of toxic masculinity and I think this short film touches upon that specific topic. The concept of toxic masculinity is used in reference to cultural norms that can be associated with harm to society and to men themselves. Traditional stereotypes of a ‘positive male figure’ – such as not showing deep emotions in the public eye, carrying a hard exterior and building their body to appear strong and ‘masculine’ – can be harmful to males, especially young boys as they grow, as these traditions do not let them explore themselves due to a form of social conformity. This film shows that the qualities within a being are of maximum importance compared to the qualities associated with appearance and physic. One can look tough but not have the ability to act with the strength they carry, which is what the events of the film unfold to represent. Courage is thoroughly enjoyable in every element of the word. It is appealing to the ears, eyes and also the mind. Every viewer who watches has the opportunity to learn something from its storyline and apply that new knowledge to their own life and views on others.

Star Rating: ⭑⭑⭑ Directed by: #DaveHastings Written by: #BrettDewsbury & #DaveHastings Starring: #BrettDewsbury, #RichardBuck, #LauraEvenson, #MatthewKinson, #JayPodmore, #JoshuaSewell, #DawnButler, #GregYates & #LouiseHewitt A modern revenge tale set in the West Midlands Kieran Flank (Brett Dewsbury) is a mechanic/family man based in the West Midlands. One night early into the new year, his younger, half-brother is murdered in a racially motivated attack and the film proceeds to document Flank’s struggle for justice and his turn to vigilantism as means to get his closure. Now there’s been a modern resurgence in this kind of ’genre‘ film if you will with the popularity of John Wick and The Equalizer the core narrative structure is practically as old as film itself and by proxy of that, Sustain doesn’t really add much to the conversation. In fairness I think the aspect of race and a hate crime makes the film distinctly modern and if it were handled with a different focus, could’ve had some cutting and sadly extremely contemporary commentary on the state of race relations in modern Britain but chose to be a little toothless dare I say. Whilst on that note though, it was good to see this type of extended, multi-racial family and as far as I’m concerned was a positive step for representations, though I suppose to some degree it is used as a bit of a crutch in the sense that it is the sole purpose of the character and his relationship with his younger brother doesn’t get much of a light shone on it, coming off as shallow. On the flip side of that the villains are also immensely one dimensional which doesn’t provide much of a believable conflict. Sustain makes no strides to add anything new or novel to this genre but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing, whilst I saw the ending of the plot coming from a mile off and some of the major story beats were a bit predictable, the film was still largely enjoyable during that two hour run time and kept me immersed throughout so credit where it’s due to some degree. Positives, there are a fair few to be drawn upon. Though it wasn’t ground breaking to any degree and didn’t reinvent the wheel, Sustain is a well made and serviceable, modern plot that in many ways, manages to almost perfectly depict some of the areas in more working class regions of the country in a manner that Shane Meadows did in his early filmography. Now it might come off as idle work on my behalf and I’m more than wary of that but in fairness, there were more than a few superficial similarities between this and Dead Man’s Shoes in as far as plot elements and the almost identical narrative catalysts. Performance was a mixed bag in all honesty, but the lead performance from Brett Dewsbury, the lead role and man behind the script was a standout amongst his peers. Cinematography was another notable element of film form, for this example it is hard to quantify what exactly makes it standout but it was ‘professional’ if I had to put it in some sense. It captured characters well and added to the experience as a whole. In all though, I felt that the film was severely impacted by some of its flaws and they were, sadly, massively detrimental. The sound editing was extremely poor and I’m afraid was absolutely jarring. Having watched this with headphones in it was perhaps enchanted but nevertheless was amateurish and a let down. Having mentioned Dewsbury, the supporting cast was borderline abysmal in my opinion. Having seen a few of these faces in some capacity before, they failed to impress here and it struck me in some ways that they weren’t fully committed to what they were being asked to do. That said however, I can’t and won’t flaw the films ambition. With some of the cast doing a fine job and largely consistent, professional standard of form elements. It aimed high but ultimately fell short. In all, Sustain has some attractive qualities but they were buried under some poor form elements and a myriad of bad performances. Entertaining but not one I’ll remember fondly I’m afraid. Film review by: Thomas Jay

★★★★ Directed by: Tony Clemente jr Written by: Tony Clemente jr Starring: May Kelly, Franchesca Davis, Jesse Regis Film Review by: Jason Knight How to Fold a Fitted Sheet is a short film written and directed by Tony Clemente jr and starring May Kelly, Franchesca Davis and Jesse Regis. The plot focuses on a young English woman named Bellamy (Kelly) who is a student in the United States and is having issues with her visa. The film has a nonlinear narrative by constantly cutting to scenes that involve two situations: Bellamy in her home, talking on her phone to a customer service representative named Salvatore (Regis) from her bank in the States, attempting to transfer her money to a foreign savings account because she is being deported and spending time with Val (Davis), with whom she is in a romantic relationship and the two intend to get married in order to solve the situation. The scenes involving each situation appear to take place in chronological order but it seems to be up to the viewer to decide. For instance, the opening scene shows Bellamy and Val walking on a beach, appearing happy and embrace and kiss. Near the end of the film Bellamy receives a letter, informing her that her application to renew her US visa has been successful. This could mean that the scene on the beach takes place after that revelation and therefore the two can still be together. Both Davis and Regis deliver convincing performances. However it is Kelly who gives the film some of its best qualities. In every scene she is in, she successfully depicts her character's emotions. She appears frustrated and angry when she talks to the bank assistant over the phone and happy and kind when she is with Val. It should be noted though that the scenes where she gets frustrated are her best because that is when she is the most entertaining. The film uses clever editing techniques. One example of this are the match cuts. In one scene Bellamy is in her apartment and she goes to grab a fitted sheet. The film then cuts from a shot of her hand about to pick up the sheet to a shot of her hand taking hold of Val's hand, while they are walking in a forest. In another scene in her home Bellamy is about to throw a fitted sheet across the room and the film then cuts from a shot of her about to throw it, to a shot of an item of clothing being thrown into a suitcase by Bellamy, while she is in Val's place. Another interesting technique is when the two girls are in the woods and Salvatore appears out of the blue. This occurs twice and both times he introduces himself as if he is talking to Bellamy over the phone, about to assist her with her banking. The film then cuts to Bellamy inside her apartment, continuing the conversation over the phone. By having Salvatore appear, the audience is informed that another over the phone conversation is about to take place. There is also a scene where jump cuts are used effectively. Bellamy is talking to the assistant on the phone and he keeps asking her questions. When a question is asked, the film cuts to her hearing the next question and then the next and so forth and with each edit her frustration becomes more and more apparent. It is a well structured sequence that gives the film one of its best scenes. The film's title could be viewed as ironic and humorous. The plot does not in any way teach the viewer how to fold a fitted sheet. Bellamy does hold a sheet while she is talking over the phone, but instead of folding it she tends to take her frustration on it by constantly messing it up and eventually tearing it. How to Fold a Fitted Sheet could be categorized as a wacky comedy. Kelly is a pleasure to watch and is especially funny when she gets frustrated with the assistant who appears sarcastic and unhelpful. One scene that should be mentioned is when the two girls are outdoors and Salvatore appears. He breaks the fourth wall and proceeds to speak as if he is talking to a customer over the phone. He is in frame from the chest upwards. As he speaks, he also unzips his trousers and proceeds to urinate, while Bellamy, who is in the background with Val, yells in frustration. It is a funny and rather awkward scene that truly catches the viewer's attention. How to Fold a Fitted Sheet clearly brings forward the talents of the cast and filmmakers. It is truly great achievement and deserves recognition and praise. #JasonKnight

★★★★ Directed by: #BrockCravy Written by: #BrockCravy Starring: #MichaelVincentBerry, #KamyDBruder, #IanMichaels Film Review by Lucy Clarke The Wild West has changed. Instead of the shootouts that characterise Westerns, first-time director, Brock Cravy, takes a cowboy, a desolate landscape and turns a Western into a dystopian nightmare. Innocent Boy is a poetic, riveting horror story. It’s a thought-provoking film which still succeeds in haunting and shocking the viewer. This short film is an unsettling inversion of Western tropes. Our Cowboy, Kamy D. Bruder, is a man on the road, his clothes stained with blood from his last victim. Cravy’s world is dark and there's an unsettling notion that this is the end of days. As the Cowboy reaches his destination, Penny, a young black trans boy (Unique Jenkins) lives with his brothers and begs to be loved by the ruthless Momma (Michael Vincent Berry). Cowboy’s destination is the brothel where the boys all live and vie for Momma’s affections. It’s clear that something globally traumatic has happened, but Cravy doesn’t need to explain why. The disconnect from this world from our own is horrifying enough. Money no longer has a value; rings and sex convey currency. The brothel is cult-like. The boys are hooked on Momma’s breast milk. It drugs them up, knocks them out and keeps them utterly obedient to the abusive Momma. Innocent Boy is a horror story full of exciting inversions and ideas. Not only that, but it is also an incredibly impressive film from a first-time director. The film has poetic energy, but it never feels inauthentic. Momma is an imposing villain, draped in black crepe, and wearing a feather ruff and pearls that snake up her wrists. She is Macbeth in drag. It is impossible not to compare her to Shakespeare’s villains, with her religious monologues and her dominating power over her “children”. Make-up artist, Madeleine Rose’s work is incredibly effective here. Momma manages to terrify her victims and enthral the audience. She is not the only terrifying person in this film. This world is stark and shocking. Blood and violence cut through each scene, and sex has more weight than gold. From Penny’s comatose brother wetting himself on the kitchen counter to Cowboy’s animalistic sex scene, Cravy delights in shocking his audience. Yet, although the content is shocking and horrific, the camera work isn’t filled with annoying jump-cuts and dark rooms. Cinematographer, Karissa Leicht, casts the scenes in neon blue and purple lights beautifully. Sometimes the colours pulsate, changing from blue to purple to green as if we’re in a club. However, no club is filled with this much violence. Piles of discarded bottles litter the floor, but in the glow of the neon lights, the mess looks like an installation artwork. The cinematography and brutal violence are very reminiscent of Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy. While Innocent Boy is gorgeous and innovative, admittedly there are occasionally too many parallels to Cosmatos’ work. In this story, no hero gallops off into the sunset. Brock Cravy’s American Epic gone wrong is thrilling and creepy, and like all good horrors, succeeds at disgusting us. Innocent Boy is fabulously poetic, and Leicht’s cinematography is immaculately controlled. Impressively, this is Cravy’s first time directing. He directs with such fluency that it is impossible not to be interested in his next move. #LucyClarke Innocent Boy is currently available to rent on the UK Film Channel. Watch the Movie Trailer

★★★★ Directed by: #MarleneEmiliaRios Starring: #SarahFlower and #CarlBriedis Short Film review by: Brian Penn The spirit of discovery is the inspiration for this thoughtful film by Marlene Emilia Rios. Its title is a story all by itself, recalling a legendary speech delivered by John F. Kennedy at Houston’s Rice University in September 1962. Kennedy mused ‘We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard’. It was a seminal statement detailing the human condition and man’s desire to break new ground. In flashback the film relates the agony endured by the proponents of space travel; a fundamental need to do the hard things in life because they present a challenge; and not to take the easy way out. But what is the human cost and risk of losing more than we gain however noble the cause? Angie Miranda (Sarah Flower) embarks on a mission to Pluto with two fellow crew members. A round trip lasting ten years requires a cryosleep to pass the time. However, Angie emerges from her pod aboard the Horizon and discovers something is very wrong. Her crew mates have died in their sleep and all food on board has expired by several years. The realisation soon dawns the craft has suffered a fatal mission error and overshot Pluto itself; they have instead experienced 60 years of directionless drift. Conversations with Nova (Marlene Emilia Rios) the on board computer system confirm the stark reality. Angie’s mind drifts back to those final, precious conversations with husband Gabriel (Carl Briedis). Did she really have to take this journey with its inherent dangers and face the prospect of permanent separation? It paints an affecting picture of a woman driven by ambition but ultimately undone by a machine that failed to deliver. Are our lives and personal happiness worth risking just to prove how clever we are. The film simply puts the viewer in that character’s shoes; how would we feel in that position? The final frames provide an achingly sad reflection of Angie’s deepest thoughts. It left me wanting to see much more, always a good point to end a film.

★★★★ Directed by #JunichiSato, #TomotakaShibayama Written by #MariOkada Starring #MiraiShida, #NatsukiHanae, #HiroakiOgi Film Review by Lawrence Bennie What’s the best way to get the attention of your high-school crush? Chasing after them in public? Falling hopelessly at their feet? Or, transforming into an adorable pet cat, all the while keeping your true identity a secret? That’s the next option for the main character in A Whisker Away, a wonderful Netflix original anime, directed by Junichi Sato and Tomotaka Shibayama. “Ultra Gaga” Miyo (Mirai Sida) is obsessively in love with Hinode (Natsuki Hanae) though his feelings aren’t mutual, largely due to her unapologetically manic behaviour. However, Miyo has been given a magical mask that allows her to turn into a cuddly-cute cat, which she uses to befriend Hinode. As time goes on, Miyo is torn between remaining as a cat forever to stay close to Hinode or revealing who she really is. Prolific anime writer Mari Okada surprises with the character of Miyo. Avoiding the cliché of the shy girl-next-door, Okada presents an intriguing protagonist in Miyo (brilliantly realised by Sida). Whether its attacking Hinode on the butt or jumping from a school roof to challenge his nay-sayers, we can never guess what she's going to do next. In fact, Okada subverts the familiar Jekyll-and-Hyde style narrative by having the human Miyo fiery and impulsive, whilst her cat persona is more subdued and astute. Naturally, there are underlying causes behind Miyo’s erratic nature - her mother abandoned her at a young age and she has struggled to readjust to life with her father and stepmother. As both human and cat though, Miyo is always appealing and Sida inhabits the role with tremendous passion and range. As well as the oft-used Faustian device at the centre of the story, Sato and Shibayama’s delightful film has parallels with numerous others, outside of anime. Miyo makes a deal to become a cat to be near Hinode just as Ariel in The Little Mermaid (1989) becomes a voiceless human to win the love of Eric. Her metamorphosis is made possible by means of an enchanted mask, just like Stanley Ipkiss in The Mask (1994). And, of course, with its story of a confused girl’s romantic desires manifesting in feline form, there’s an inevitable comparison with Jacques Tourneur’s classic Cat People (1942). Yet, despite the amalgam of stories in its DNA, A Whisker Away always feels fresh, inventive and original, principally through the vivid characterisations and heartfelt drama. Miyo masks her true feelings towards her family and friends by doing just that; wearing a cat's mask. Her real challenge is not to accept herself, or even win Hinode’s love, but to accept the others in her life. “I shut my heart to everyone”, she realises at the end of the story; Hinode’s love is only part of the bigger love that’s out there for her. And, ultimately, she can only fully express her acceptance of that love as a human. Sweet, cute and charming, A Whisker Away is a great piece of anime escapism; a purr-fect antidote for those lockdown blues. #LawrenceBennie