Blowing Up film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Maria Todero, Tenaya Cleveland, Danielle Rodd, Don-Dimitri Joseph directed by A.J. Fitzgerald. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Blowing Up Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Nov 25, 2025 Directed by: A.J. Fitzgerald Written by: A.J. Fitzgerald Starring: Maria Todero, Tenaya Cleveland, Danielle Rodd, Don-Dimitri Joseph Dedicated to his late father, this short drama is A.J. Fitzgerald's directorial debut, that he also wrote and it stars Maria Todero, Tenaya Cleveland, Danielle Rodd and Don-Dimitri Joseph. Janine is not well. It is her 30th birthday and she has not been well for ages due to a loss. Her condition has alienated her from her loved ones, damaging her relationship with her partner, Scott (Joseph), testing her friendship with co-worker Miranda (Rodd) and causing her to ber less competent at work, much to the dissatisfaction of her boss (Cleveland). Scott and Miranda are planning to take Janine to a restaurant for the special occasion and there, things will get quite dramatic. Here is the thing: Janine is an inflatable doll. Just a doll, lying on a bed, sitting at a desk at work, listening to a smart speaker or sitting at a table at a restaurant with friends. She is treated by others as an actual person: they talk to her the same way they would speak to a friend and the doll is also dressed in clothing, although she does not move or speak, she seems to be an object, not one that is magically alive. The fact that a doll appears to be the protagonist and all characters view her as a real person is probably what makes this film stand out the most, as it is an intriguing technique. The reason that Janine is presented as a doll is revealed eventually, meanwhile one cannot help but wonder whether the doll possesses supernatural powers or whether the characters have lost their mind. Without spoilers, the answer is neither. With a doll as a protagonist, this story goes into deep drama, filled with emotional pain and confrontations with the atmosphere being enhanced by Julien Monette's music. Throughout the film, several quotes appear that are about a variety of themes, such as happiness and bravery. Although their apparent intention is to add further meaning to the viewing, ultimately, they are not required in order for the film to have an impact. The performances are strong. Rodd and Scott play characters who are concerned about Janine's well-being but do not seem to be able to get through to her. Cleveland plays a different role, that of a selfish employer who is more concerned about people's performance at work than their mental health. Todero is arguably the one who stands out the most, thanks to her terrific job as a broken woman who is being torn apart by loss and has become isolated. The film begins with a title card stating that this story contains distressing subjects such as grief and depression and it is a correct statement as what follows heavily involves these themes and it also brings attention to alienation, anger, self-reflection and the importance of support. Furthermore, the significance of smart speakers is brought forward, how much people rely on these devices in today's world. A dramatic and emotional story about loss that focuses on the aftermath of a passing. Great acting, great drama and a doll as a protagonist being the most memorable aspect. Doll aside, this film does not differentiate itself much from other films that deal with similar subjects. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Big Pelvis film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Joseph Jeavons, Howard May, Jordan Mook, Beckett Nichols directed by Joseph Jeavons. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Big Pelvis Film Review average rating is 1 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Dec 2, 2025 Directed by: Joseph Jeavons Written by: Joseph Jeavons and Owen Swift Starring: Joseph Jeavons, Howard May, Jordan Mook, Beckett Nichols Three friends meet up for their monthly attempt to land the fabled fish known as ‘The Big Pelvis’ before their arch-nemesis gets to it first. It’s that time of the month. The time when ‘The Big Pelvis’ comes out to play and is active enough to be caught, but only for a brief, short window. Three teenage friends who have been searching for ‘The Big Pelvis’ for quite some time now, are together again to go fishing down by the pier, in the hope of landing the biggest catch of their lives. The Cast Master (Jeavons), Knot Master (May), and Bait Master (Mook), who prefers to go by the name of Brad, are all suited and booted in their cargo shorts, tie-string bucket hats, and short-sleeved shirts, ready to take their shot at ‘The Big Pelvis’ , while their close rival, Other Brad (Nichols) also wants a piece of the action. We watch as the scene plays out down by the lake, with the three stooges bouncing off one another in that bumbling, annoying, nonsensical way, as they argue over who should be doing what, and who is the most/least useful in their group. Then thrown into the mix comes Other Brad, who approaches the simplest member of the group on his own first, coming over all nicey-nicey while actually listening to and being considerate of this mostly overlooked of the three friends. Knot Master thinks it might be quite a good idea if they let Other Brad join the group and the hunt for ‘The Big Pelvis’ , but when faced with the staunch disdain of the Cast Master and Bait Master/Brad, it soon becomes clear that this is not going to happen. So, what we’ve got is a home movie style of video, shot on a digital camera, with four friends acting out a scene down by the lake thinking they’re funny, while the world goes on around them in the background. The dialogue at least has been scripted and is then delivered, but that doesn’t mean that it’s any good or makes any real sense to anyone outside of the group, or that the performances are any better for it. The direction and sound are as basic as they can possibly get, with a home camera being pointed in people’s faces as they stand around statically talking with one another, and everything being picked up ‘as is’ from in front of the lens and the microphone. There’s also some background incidental music as well as a process of editing going on behind the scenes, which helps The Big Pelvis mark itself out as an actual production, but beyond that there’s very little for the viewer to enjoy. It seems as though the teenagers behind the film wanted to make some jokes around their idea of ‘the fish that got away’, and their puerile humour comes through at every mention of The Big Pelvis and the fact that ‘they want their shot at it’, or they ‘don’t want to distract it from coming’, and other such basic double-meanings. It’s obvious that ‘The Big Pelvis’ is a metaphor for sex and judging by the poor, poor quality of this film, it’s something that the filmmakers are going to be chasing after for quite some time. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Hemingway Digital / DVD Release, Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Starve Acre film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Morfydd Clark, Matt Smith directed by Daniel Kokotajlo. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Starve Acre Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Jul 25, 2024 Directed by: Daniel Kokotajlo Written by: Daniel Kokotajlo, Andrew MichaelHurley Starring: Morfydd Clark, Matt Smith Perhaps it’s impossible to create a folk horror film that feels truly fresh. Maybe freshness is at odds with the very idea of folk horror. What director Daniel Kokotajlo, adapting Andrew Michael Hurley’s novel Starve Acre , manages in lieu of freshness is an enigmatic slow burn enlivened by memorable performances. Richard (Matt Smith), Jules (Morfydd Clark) and their young son Owen (Arthur Shaw) are settling in. They’ve recently moved into Richard’s childhood home out in the bleak and foggy British countryside circa 1970-something. The fresh air will do Owen good, surely. I mean, nothing maleficent ever happens in situations like these. What could go wrong in a place called Starve Acre? Unless Richard’s late father—and maybe rugged old neighbor Gordon (Sean Gilder, stellar)—dabbled in child abuse and the occult. Or the old tree trunk that Richard obsessively digs around is some kind of gateway. But what are the odds? So much of Kokotajlo’s film pulls from existing genre fare: unhappy couple, new home with an ugly past, familial tragedy, father numbs himself with work while mother loses grip on reality. But a handful of intriguing scenes and conversations, as well as an entire ensemble of strong performances, ensures that the creeping storyline captures and keeps your attention. Little Arthur Shaw is a heartbreaker, so be prepared. Kokotajlo sidesteps overt gruesomeness to leave an impression that’s even more menacing. Gilder’s a solid salt-of-the-earth presence, offset admirably by Erin Richards. As Jules’s sister Harrie, she’s civility-meets-hardiness and her character feels deeply human and relatable. But it’s Smith and Clark (the latter who was so astonishing in Rose Glass’s 2019 genre masterpiece, Saint Maud ) who carry the film. Both deliver characteristically flawed but tender performances, each commanding the screen without an ounce of showiness. Careful writing, some fine genre direction and misdirection, and these compelling performances help Starve Acre rise above its spooky familiarity. It’s not enough for Kokotajlo to leave you lying awake and hoping for dawn, but you won’t regret watching. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

River of Grass film review by UK film critic Lawrence Bennie. Starring Dylan McTee, Derek Magyar, Darren Darnborough directed by Derek Magyar. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS River of Grass Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Lawrence Bennie | Posted on: Aug 7, 2024 Directed by: Derek Magyar Written by: Jon Bloch, Derek Magyar & Chad Christopher Kline Starring: Dylan McTee, Derek Magyar, Darren Darnborough A bravura performance from Victor Webster is the stand-out in director and co-star Derek Magyar’s hard-hitting River of Grass . A prolific TV and film actor, Magyar’s latest directorial effort explores the dark side of a seemingly celebratory military homecoming. Larry Johnson (Dylan McTee) returns home from the Vietnam war to a warm family celebration. However, Larry’s abrasive elder brother, Robert (Webster), clearly feels otherwise. When Larry then accompanies Robert on a shady family business venture in the Florida Everglades, events soon take a dark and devastating turn… In terms of its performances, River of Grass is first-class all the way. All the cast are splendid but the real highlight is Webster. His character is ruthless, tough and uncompromising. It’s a powerful turn and Webster shows terrific presence. Indeed, it’s clear that Webster (with the right script) would be a brilliant bad guy in a major production. Indeed, Magyar’s impressive drama has the potential for further development and it would be fascinating to see Webster explore the darkness of Robert Johnson further. This could well be a memorable TV antagonist in the making. As Larry, McTee is equally impressive taking on the familiar role of a traumatised Vietnam veteran but, at the same time, delivering an always believable and heart-breaking performance. One can’t help but feel here that the wrong brother went to Vietnam and, in many ways, that dilemma feels at the heart of Magyar’s story. As soon as they share the screen together, we get the sense of a painful history between the two brothers. Perhaps, Larry didn’t go to fight the Vietnamese. He went to fight Robert. He returns decorated and honoured, but he’s mentally broken and wounded and maladjusted to life back home; the family scenes with Larry’s barely-suppressed rage and trauma breaking the festivities evoking Bradley Cooper’s performance in Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper . Even worse, he’s no different to the ever-domineering Robert. He’s still “Baby Larry” and dressed “like a marshmallow”. Magyar closes his piece with a dazzling firework display, with a tearful Larry gazing on hopelessly. His life has already been altered forever in war. Now, his chance of normal life back home has gone too. He is mocked repeatedly by Webster and Darren Darnborough’s snake-like rogue for failing to understand the tough underbelly of the world he left behind. In reality, they have no clue of the horrors he’s seen. In its 16 minutes, River of Grass presents us with characters who seem unable to comprehend the real world out there - regardless of how tough they are in their own - and seem destined, no matter where they are or what they do, to face and cause devastation. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Lawrence Bennie Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

TELEPROMPTER - Late Night Television film review by UK film critic Matt Trapp. Starring Late Night Television directed by Will Long and Josh Montgomery. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS TELEPROMPTER - Late Night Television Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Matt Trapp | Posted on: Jun 28, 2026 Directed by: Will Long and Josh Montgomery Written by: Will Long Starring: Late Night Television Late Night Television’s TELEPROMPTER is brimming with youthful energy and a devil may care attitude that feels like a throwback to the indie rock of the early 2000s. Directed by Will Long and Josh Montgomery, the video is appropriately dynamic, casting two members of the band as masked bandits robbing a wedding cake. It’s a largely breezy caper, giving Late Night Television an overall impression of harmless rebellion, with a detectable hint of edge. TELEPROMPTER is a very likeable track, with an infectious chorus that will worm its way into listeners’ heads. The video for TELEPROMPTER cuts between the main narrative sequence and footage of Late Night Television in a stripped back, minimalist white room set. For lack of a better word, the ‘story’ of the video involves two members of the group driving through an American suburb, dressed in suits, and clearly on a mission with no time to lose. Once they make it to their destination, they don balaclavas, open the car boot (playfully reminiscent of Quentin Tarantino’s signature trunk shot), and rush in. They dash out and into their car with a wedding cake and balloons in hand. Speeding through the streets once more, their destination is revealed to be a Baptist church. They race up the stairs, pull on the door handle, and the video abruptly ends. Over the credits, the two of them sit on the church steps eating the wedding cake themselves. It’s a charming video that feels like a fusion of the Blues Brothers and Queens of the Stone Age. While it’s well shot with some impressive visual flourishes, it’s hard to deny that a lot of the video is spent inside a car in bright daylight. It may have been more interesting for the wedding cake heist to have been expanded into a longer sequence, or to spend some time with these characters outside of the car. The blinding brightness of the daylight scenes, when intercut with the group performing in an all white room, can become tiresome. It would have been interesting for the video to make use of more varied lighting, perhaps shooting the band footage in a darker environment, or to use a more stylised colour grade in the outside photography. Alternatively, it may have been appropriate for the band to appear throughout the environment alongside the narrative, connecting the two á la Sum 41’s In Too Deep . Still, TELEPROMPTER does well to synchronize both the pace and the tone of the video with the music. Onscreen flashing lyrics during the chorus (“I CAN’T EXPLAIN” ) succeed in selling this track as an anthem, inviting participation with an energetic hook. The performances from the band during the footage of them playing together should also be lauded. Late Night Television appear as a confident, expressive, and unified group, visibly passionate about their music through their unrestrained movements. TELEPROMPTER is in many ways a throwback to years past, and Late Night Television have done well in invoking the attitude of their predecessors, especially on a shoestring budget. The group successfully present themselves as likeable, with charisma and verve to boot. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Matt Trapp Music Video < All Reviews Next Film Review >

A Mouthful of Air film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Amanda Seyfried, Finn Wittrock, Amy Irving, Paul Giamatti directed by Amy Koppelman. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS A Mouthful of Air Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Jan 18, 2022 Directed by: Amy Koppelman Written by: Amy Koppelman Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Finn Wittrock, Amy Irving, Paul Giamatti Writer Amy Koppelman does not fear the murky, unpopular waters of an unredeemed female protagonist. She challenges you to face that character and recognize your own discomfort, your own desire to either wag your finger or to pity, but not to understand. Her novel I Smile Back gave Sarah Silverman fodder for a blistering, unforgettable lead role in Adam Salky’s uneven 2015 film adaptation. What Silverman ran with was the notion that depression and trauma create selfishness, necessarily, and audiences hate to see selfishness in women. It’s that tension that makes A Mouthful of Air so devastating. Directing her adaptation of her own novel, Koppelman taps Amanda Seyfried to play Julie Davis, a children’s book author and struggling new mom. Seyfried’s performance aches with tenderness and raw emotion, but she never caves in, never makes Julie more sympathetic than she should be. Once again, the tension in the film is the reality that your own personal demons demand as much from those who love you as they demand from you. A Mouthful of Air is not entirely forgiving of all those who orbit Julie — the sister-in-law (Jennifer Carpenter) who’s protective of her brother, the mother (Amy Irving) whose love and lived-in dysfunction play such a role, the father (Michael Gaston). Neither does it condemn. Instead, Koppelman attempts to show the human complexities at work in relationships weighed down with trauma. Finn Wittrock excels at finding a human center — tender, desperate, angry, compassionate – in an underwritten, heroic character. The great Paul Giamatti lends his considerable talent to a small but important role. As was the case with I Smile Back , A Mouthful of Air prefers to hint at past trauma co-mingling with chronic depression without spelling anything out. The result is both appealing in the way it avoids easy answers and problematic in its vagueness. That vagueness is part and parcel of a script that, even with its bravery in depicting an honest truth about motherhood that most films avoid or deny outright, still feels superficial. There’s power here, especially in Seyfried’s raw performance. For all its flaws, A Mouthful of Air is a film you’ll be thinking about long after the credits roll. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Saturn Bowling film review by UK film critic Matt Weiner. Starring Arieh Worthalter. Achille Reggiani directed by Patricia Mazuy. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Saturn Bowling Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Matt Weiner | Posted on: Oct 24, 2023 Directed by: Patricia Mazuy Written by: Patricia Mazuy, Yves Thomas Starring: Arieh Worthalter. Achille Reggiani The sins of the father might be laid upon the children. But it’s the women who suffer the most in Saturn Bowling , a tight and gripping French noir from director Patricia Mazuy (Paul Sanchez Is Back! ). Police detective Guillaume (Arieh Worthalter) inherits a bowling alley from his late father. Too busy to run the business himself, he allows his estranged half-brother Armand (Achille Reggiani) to oversee the alley’s operations. While Guillaume tracks a brutal serial killer who is violently attacking and murdering young women, he must also juggle a new relationship with animal rights activist Xuan Do (Y-Lan Lucas) while keeping his father’s rowdy hunting buddies happy at the bowling alley. It’s not a murder mystery—we know right away who the killer is, even if it takes Guillaume too long to realize the suspect is someone close to home. But it’s the killer’s motivations (as well as the unflinching misogynistic rage) that makes Mazuy’s thriller so deeply discomfiting. Saturn Bowling is also sumptuously filmed, with the bowling alley’s seedy nighttime scenes bathed in deep blacks, reds and blues. And the daytime offers little respite. As befits this neo-noir, there are no heroes to be found. Worthalter and Reggiani are well-matched to fill in the blanks in the brothers’ long-estranged relationship with their demeanors. The grizzled detective is a familiar character, but it falls to Reggiani to turn the cryptic Armand into a fully absorbing (if detestable) person. The film plays it coy at times with just what is haunting Armand, natural or otherwise. Which makes it incredibly effective and hard to watch when Reggiani unleashes the full extent of Armand’s perversity. The brothers’ fates take on almost Shakespearean proportions in the shadow of their dead father. Mazuy and co-writer Yves Thomas construct a seamy world where predators are constantly on the hunt, driven by almost supernatural forces that are beyond their grasp to understand, let alone stop and imagine what a less hateful existence may look like. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Matt Weiner Digital / DVD Release, World Cinema, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Hot Box film review by UK film critic Patrick Foley. Starring Julie Whelan, Steve Tsang, Brandon Rhiness directed by Brandon Rhiness. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Hot Box Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Patrick Foley | Posted on: Dec 1, 2025 Directed by: Brandon Rhiness Written by: Brandon Rhiness Starring: Julie Whelan, Steve Tsang, Brandon Rhiness Everyone has that one party that ascends into legend, regaled amongst friend groups long after the days of debauchery leaves them behind. Hot Box is a multi-branching comedy that follows the odd-ball attendees at house party that is on the verge of swerving out of control onto the road to infamy. The feature follows a number of different friends who have all arrived at the party for wildly differing reasons. There’s the group of goth girls who believe a serial killer is stalking the night out for his next victim, the religious society trying to steer party-goers from their sinful ways, the sex-deprived guys who are convinced a porn star is in attendance, and the guy who is freaking out that his boss is organising drug tests the next day. Their stories inevitably end up colliding and colluding, making the party a night to remember for all of them. Following in the footsteps of Dazed and Confused, Superbad and American Pie , Hot Box is a fun and lively attempt to capture the fleeting madness of partying in your teens and twenties. It is suitably filled with energy, consisting of quickfire storylines, eccentric characters and enjoyable misdirects that mean audiences will be seldom bored whilst watching. Rhiness has a fantastic sense of when to hold back from wackiness or vulgarity, and when to ramp it up to escalate the layered, yet mostly relatable predicaments. Some of the storylines are a little out-there. The religious group who’ve ventured into the party solely to preach the good word stretch credibility, and their presence feels like it is for the filmmakers to take shots at the low-hanging fruit of evangelism that has been hit far more effectively in high school movies since the dawn of time. Their persistence and childlike ignorance lead to a few laughs, and Mary (Elizabeth Chamberlain) acts as something of a protagonist as the audience’s introduction to the rest of the cast. However the premise of their presence is shallow. Perhaps it is more relatable to US audiences (the film’s primary target), but UK viewers may find the jokes don’t travel as well. It probably would have also been a benefit to give a little more focus to certain characters and put more time into making them memorable rather than spreading the characterisation too thin. Mary and her fellow churchgoers are at least memorable, but other members of the cast are interesting by virtue of what happens to them rather than what the audience knows of them. The panic of an imminent drug test failure is a great set-up for hijinks, as is the uncertainty of approaching someone about an unconfirmed porn career. Yet what these moments mean to the characters themselves are what makes them memorable. An overabundance of storylines may be at fault here – with all being fun but few carrying any substance. Hot Box is undeniably entertaining, and anyone looking for a party film will find enough here to satisfy their craving for youthful craze. But you get the sense that a little more focus would have led to more memorable characters and a tighter grasp of story. Like any great party though, it’s a great time even if the details are a little fuzzy. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Patrick Foley Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Cross film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Ryan Hayes, Gillian Harker directed by Gillian Harker. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Cross Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Dec 9, 2023 Directed by: Gillian Harker Written by: Gillian Harker Starring: Ryan Hayes, Gillian Harker A man cross-dresses behind his partner's back. Through the relationship of a young couple, this short drama explores the act of cross-dressing, particularly how it affects the cross-dresser and their partner. In this story, the person who engages in cross-dressing is Tom (Hayes), a young man, who lives a happy life with his partner Kelly (Harker). In secret, when Kelly is not home, Tom experiments with his activity, trying on women's dresses and high heels and applying lipstick. Eventually and by chance, Kelly walks catches him in the act and that creates significant complications between them. As mentioned, the screenplay explores the effects cross-dressing has on people who do it and their partner. Tom is clearly ashamed of himself for having such tendencies as while he dresses up as a woman, he seems to have some sort of epiphany that makes him believe that what he is doing is wrong. When Kelly finds out, she is upset (and so is Tom) and she distances herself from him. After some time, she warms up towards him, appearing to have accepted the fact that that is who he is. The film seems to suggest that those who cross-dress tend to be ashamed about it and that they should not be and that those around them, who are aware of it, should come to terms with it and let them be who they want to be. This is an intriguing and thought-provoking film that utilises cross-dressing in order to tell a story about self-expression, inner struggles and acceptance. It is a dramatic viewing with atmospheric music and contains main messages that seem to be that people should not hide who they are and that understanding is crucial for relationships to work. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Deadly Nightshade film review by UK film critic Patrick Foley. Starring Suzie Houlihan, Christopher Blackburn, Matthew Laird directed by Benjamin Rider. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Deadly Nightshade Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Patrick Foley | Posted on: Mar 5, 2023 Directed by: Benjamin Rider Written by: Tom Baldachin, Christopher Blackburn, Suzie Houlihan Starring: Suzie Houlihan, Christopher Blackburn, Matthew Laird Brixton-based experimental feature Deadly Nightshade is trippy, unnerving and unique – but this unusually structed and designed psychological horror from director Benjamin Rider misses more of marks than it hits, and fails to engage on an emotional or visceral level. Victoria (Suzie Houlihan) and Marcus (Matthew Laird) are a couple who take advantage of a long weekend to get away to Brixton. But when they arrive in their flat, bizarre occurrences begin to haunt them, and their reality becomes distorted by a strange TV which appears to be directing events. Victoria tries to keep her grip on the real world as the flat becomes a prison. Deadly Nightshade’s originality and unconventional storytelling style is admirable and notable, but unfortunately it is not enough to prevent the film from being dragged down by a muddy and inconceivable main plot that ultimately results in the film feeling like a slog to unpick. The filmmakers took the unusual step in allowing the film’s main arc to be largely improvised by the cast on set rather than following a defined script. From the results in this film, this unusual method is likely to remain as unrecommended as it sounds – and viewers will do well not to get lost by the film’s second act. Not every film has to follow conventional storytelling methods, and audiences shouldn’t be expected to be shielded from difficult or complex plots. But Deadly Nightshade fails to find a real hook to engage viewers enough to want to understand it. This problem is exacerbated by the lack of engaging characters. Neither Victoria nor Marcus make for engaging co-leads, and viewers will find little within these characters to empathise with or root for. The film feels more focused on shooting off unsettling visuals and messing with perceptions of the audience rather than embodying its cast of character with distinct or memorable personalities. Eric Roberts’ sinister Father Walsh leaves an impression, but his lack of interaction with the rest of the cast means this role ultimately feels ancillary. The film looks slick and dynamic enough, and scenes are framed well to create a disturbing and disconcerting tone. The film is dark – both metaphorically and visually – which helps create a sense of mystery and gloom but becomes somewhat bland and unstimulating by the film’s conclusion. Deadly Nightshade is an example of a film that is too experimental for its own good, and where its creativity gets points for originality, it fails to conjure enough of a legible story, intrigue or audience engagement to justify its’ extended runtime. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Patrick Foley Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Chambermaid - BFI Flare film review by UK film critic Amber Jackson. Starring Dana Droppová, Radka Caldová, Vica Kerekes directed by Mariana Cengel-Solcanská. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Chambermaid - BFI Flare Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Amber Jackson | Posted on: Mar 22, 2023 Directed by: Mariana Cengel-Solcanská Written by: Mariana Cengel-Solcanská and Hana Lasicová Starring: Dana Droppová, Radka Caldová, Vica Kerekes The Chambermaid is a Slovakian period drama film that captures a turbulent period of disruption around The First World War and the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Europe during this time. In the midst of all this, protagonist Anke travels from a small Slovak town to Prague to be a maid in a wealthy noble family. She meets Resi, the family’s daughter, who was raised to marry well. Being the same age, but at polar opposite ends of the social class ladder, the two women find solace in each other and slowly grow very close. Their story is equal parts unconventional and unsettling as a new era dawns in Europe. Whilst there are more abstract moments, this is an obviously fiery tragedy wrapped up in a queer love story. This film feels like Portrait of a Lady on Fire meets The Handmaiden and is fascinating to watch as a result. It considers an Eastern European perspective to a major historical war, as well as massive citizen disruption, dispersal and the search for a true home. Anke must learn how to work as a maid and the viewer is privy to the struggles of a class system working against her, as well as the societal trials that Resi encounters as a wealthy woman intended for marriage. At first, Resi is cruel and conniving towards Anke, with both actresses having great chemistry as two women who are unable to avoid each other. Quickly, they develop a close and complex relationship which, although it is unclear why they begin to like each other, is still captivating nonetheless. Director Mariana Cengel-Solcanská does not allow this film to shy away from any brutal reality. This is a film about the lived experiences of all women and the pain, heartache, hardship and cruelty that they endure, often under the control of men. Both Anke and Resi are forced to function within a male-dominated backdrop of war where their choices are not always their own. What stands out in their story is its total honesty, as the women seek to take ownership of their own lives. In the midst of much emotional distress and discomfort, the two women cannot keep away from each other. This film does well to portray the chaos of a large house and all those within it when Czechoslovakia was emerging as a new country. From gossiping maids, to the extravagant lifestyle of the Austrian upper classes, each character portrayed shows a completely different side to the story with exaggerated performances and actions. What remains at the heart of this narrative are both Anke and Resi as they seek to find solutions wherever they can. The directorial decisions to have both candid camera shots and beautiful depictions of the Slovakian countryside and cityscape of Prague worked as great contrasts on screen. Every shot is deliberately intended to incite reaction from viewers and remind them not only of the cold realities of society during this time, but also the desire for a peace. These hard-hitting themes also included how veterans with deformities were treated during and after The First World War, with these scenes forcing audiences to consider the anguish and confusion felt during this time. Cengel-Solcanská’s film is designed to consider these issues through the perspective of the women who lived through them and takes the viewer on a journey that conveys both destruction and despair. The Chambermaid portrays a confusing, yet compelling, lesbian relationship at the height of a brutal war. Both actresses Radka Caldová and Dana Droppová are fantastic on screen as they each represent a dying empire and hope for the future of Europe, respectively. Desperately sad and emotive, this is an engaging film that, whilst it may have unfavoured moments, is still worth watching. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Amber Jackson Film Festival, World Cinema, LGBTQ+ < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Crack film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Marquis Moodie, Charda Jameson, Nino Cimino, Zoe Meehan directed by Gregory Hatanaka. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Crack Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: May 7, 2025 Directed by: Gregory Hatanaka Written by: Nino Cimino Starring: Marquis Moodie, Charda Jameson, Nino Cimino, Zoe Meehan A feature-length crime drama written by Nino Cimino, directed by Gregory Hatanaka and starring Marquis Moodie, Charda Jameson, Cimino and Zoe Meehan. The title probably gives away a lot. Yes, this is a film with a story that involves drug dealing and like many films with such a plot, there are criminals, shootings, beatings and murders. In this case, the story takes place in Los Angeles, where Byron (Moodie), a young African American, makes a living by selling drugs for Mickey (Cimino), his long-time friend and mentor. Things are going smoothly, until Didi (Meehan), Byron's sister, gets into trouble with her boyfriend (Omari Washington) and complications arise between Byron and his partner, Venus (Jameson). This feature works well as a crime story with the heroes (or maybe antiheroes) doing what they tend to do in their line of work: sell drugs and eliminate anyone who tries to harm them. The screenplay does a good job in exploring the characters, revealing the loving relationship between Byron and Venus, how much Byron cares for his sibling and the unstable relationship between Mickey and his partner, Annette (Heather Marie Zagone). As mentioned, there are plenty of crimes taking place and there is also romance, arguing and soul-searching. Regarding the directing, there are well-executed aerial shots and as for the soundtrack, it gains from the addition of some good songs. It could be argued that it might be hard to comprehend what kind of story this actually is. For the most part, it appears to be a serious, hard-hitting film about living a life of crime, with violence and drama present. However, there are times where things move towards comedy, particularly during scenes that involve Mickey and Annette. These scenes do not seem to go with the dark atmosphere of the rest of the film. Moodie's character is a well-meaning guy who happens to be a drug dealer. He is willing to resort to violence if he believes it is necessary, yet he loves and respects those around him. He embraces the life that he has, even if it involves illegal activities because that is what he has always known. Venus is the love of his life, the kind-hearted person who wants him to stop being a criminal. Cimino is the one who steals the show with the portrayal of his character, a seasoned gangster from New York City who knew Byron since he was born and used to do (illegal) business with his father. Mickey's friendly and lively attitude make him stand out from the rest. He is a man who is enjoying life, understands his line of work and makes sure that he is protecting the ones that he cares about. Obviously, this is a story about drug dealing and urban crime in general. Additionally, it also explores romantic relationships, family relationships and loyalty. Furthermore, it is a story about self-reflection and making life-changing decisions. Fans of the crime genre fill probably find this feature to be worth their while. There is nothing original to be found, but the narrative and the characters are interesting and Cimino's performance adds a great deal of value. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >