The Stranger film review by UK film critic Josh Boulton. Starring Rowland Brand, Heidi Rochford, Clare Louise Harris, Sacha Grimstead directed by Jamie Montgomery. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Stranger Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Joshua Boulton | Posted on: Feb 11, 2022 Directed by: Jamie Montgomery Written by: Jamie Montgomery Starring: Rowland Brand, Heidi Rochford, Clare Louise Harris, Sacha Grimstead A grief-stricken widower is on the brink of life and death. With his life in his own hands, it appears that the pain he is feeling and the revenge he lusts for might just help him save, not only his own life, but the lives of others. The Stranger (2006) was the first short film project by director and writer Jamie Montgomery, his works also include the short film ‘Chain Mail’. The film introduces the audience to the horrifying murder of Karen (Heidi Rochford) with the sense of injustice and disgust towards her killer at the forefront from the outset. As she goes about her normal day, a hooded figure assaults her, ultimately ending the life of who appeared to be a very innocent victim. The story progresses to show what was left behind after her death, Vincent (Rowland Brand), her grief stricken husband. Here, the tale of revenge begins. A distressing depiction of, former police detective, Vincent’s pain is conveyed to the audience with great power. As he holds a gun to his chin reminiscing about his late wife and her unsolved murder, Vincent is on the brink of ending his own life. As Vincent takes to the street to place a rose at the site of his wifes death, there is a strong sense of anger as he barges his way along the pavements. Upon placing the rose, Vincent hears calls of distress form a lady (Claire Louise Harris), being sexually assaulted by a group of thugs. Talk about right place at the right time. As Vincent did not pull the trigger to end his own life, he now is fronted with an opportunity to save another life in the same day. Vincent approaches the thugs and ignores their calls for him to leave, filled with anger, rage and despair his former police training comes into action as he prepares to fight the four thugs. The newly turned vigilante disarms, and defeats the thugs saving the victim from further assault. Vincent stands above a thug, laying on the floor helpless, with a chance to kill him and truly get his revenge. However, he does not take this opportunity, chucking the weapon away not letting himself sink to the level of the thugs. Rowland Brand, in the time of a ten minute film, is able to take the audience on Vincents’ journey of despair. The pain he feels is clear, the anger as he walks through the streets and the sadness as he lays the rose. Yet, the most powerful emotion and characteristic that Vincent shows to the audience is his sense of good, his sense of justice as he sees mercy for the thugs and follows his true morals. Rowland Brand was exceptional as Vincent, this cannot be argued. Claire Louise Harris, playing the victim, also gives a throughly convincing performance with the relief clear as Vincent gives justice to the thugs. The fighting sequences of the film must not go without mention, the Fight Choreographer (Mary Albanese) has created a climactic fight scene that, for a low budget, independent film, is outstanding and would not be out of place in a higher budget and scale production. Furthermore, the musical production to exaggerate the sense of pain and the chaos in Vincents mind is executed excellently. With the writing of Jamie Montgomery, and the support of the strong cast, ‘The Stranger’ is undoubtably a very credible example of a tense, gripping and dark short film. ‘The Stranger’ is an extremely powerful origin story for the character of Vincent, a character and back story that could go far. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Joshua Boulton Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Not Forgotten Yet film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Sarah Mackenzie directed by John McDonald. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Not Forgotten Yet Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Feb 27, 2022 Directed by: John McDonald Written by: Sarah Mackenzie Starring: Sarah Mackenzie We've all seen the videos online of the 'everyday heroes' who find, foster and rehabilitate animals in their neighbourhood. These stray, abandoned and abused cats and dogs are cutesy fodder for the insta-generation as well as serious income for the youtubers, tiktokers and other social media moguls who film and post their 'rescues'. Some of us may view this type of content more than most, as Facebook latches onto the lag in our swiping as we come across these videos, and its all-seeing, all-powerful algorithm decides that we like this content and therefore should see more of it on our timelines. It may seem strange then that almost nobody seems to have heard of, or knows about, Shetland Animal Rescue in Hale, just south of Liverpool. Part of the reason for this may be that Shetland Animal Rescue doesn't just deal in the cutesy saving of cats and dogs but also in less immediately appealing animals such as pigs, sheep, goats, donkeys, ducks and chickens, along with horses and ponies too. Another reason may be that it's hard to chunk the story of any one of the animals into a five minute fluff piece which can cheerfully sell advertising, as they are commonly so neglected or abused that it can take the rest of their lives, sometimes up to forty years, to recover. One more reason may be because this is an actual working rescue centre, with all of the work, cost and resource that this entails. It's not always pretty and the animals don't get brought into an upper-middle class socialite's home to start their new life in front of the camera. This is real rescue and real commitment where the animals have already found their forever home as nobody is coming to take them away anywhere better. Film-maker John McDonald is trying to change things for the better by getting the word out there about the work being done at Shetland Animal Rescue through his documentary short, Not Forgotten Yet . Armed with just a camera, a microphone and sound technician Joseph Iliff, McDonald takes us on a tour of the shelter which used to be a working farm and which includes 35 stables and 9 acres of land. Initially the place appears to be a bit of a state, with palettes and wheelbarrows and other junk littering the yard, along with a clapped out motor and a chewed up sofa. The animals seem to wander around freely and there's muck and feed everywhere. However, there's more going on than meets the eye. A quick peek into some of the stables and pens shows the animals who don't socialise. Those who stare at walls, find it hard to move around or turn away to avoid the gaze of those looking in. We see that the animals who do socialise do so with every other type of animal at the shelter with no segregation or in-fighting and even that old sofa actually gets used by pig, dog and sheep alike. Sarah Mackenzie, the shelter's manager narrates her story along with McDonald's pictures. She tells of the struggles and hardship of maintaining the rescue as well as the thoughts and opinions of those who deign to shine a light on her practices. She obviously has to deal with prevailing negative views as well as positive ones but seems to take everything in her stride as she continues to do the one thing she knows she does well, which is look after the animals. The documentary itself is fairly sparse and stripped back with Sarah's audio running over carefully edited together shots of the farm and the animals. A lot of the shots are static and stand back from the fields and the yard to give a wider view as well as a feeling of looking on at the workings of the rescue centre. McDonald does manage to get up close to some of the animals, who begin to show some sort of personality, but there are very few shots of the humans who work to look after them or of any meaningful interaction at all. That's not to say it's not there, just that the overwhelming principle of the shelter seems to be something like, 'do what we can, but let them get on with it', which appears to allow the animals the space they need to be themselves. Whether or not McDonald's documentary will win any prizes for its technical achievements is yet to be seen. However, in terms of telling the story of Shetland Animal Rescue and getting the word out about their work and need for constant charitable support, he has already succeeded in his goal. Hopefully this documentary will find an audience, particularly in and around Liverpool where aid, support and volunteers could be sourced, and Shetland Animal Rescue continues to do its valuable work for the neglected farm animals of the country for many more years to come. https://shetlandrescue.org.uk Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Hemingway Short Film, Documentary < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Long Way Back film review by UK film critic Alasdair MacRae. Starring Tristan Sturrock, Chloe Endean directed by Brett Harvey. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Long Way Back Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Alasdair MacRae | Posted on: Jun 21, 2022 Directed by: Brett Harvey Written by: Brett Harvey Starring: Tristan Sturrock, Chloe Endean Following a tragedy, a father (Tristan Sturrock) picks up his estranged daughter (Chloe Endean) from her university accommodation in Manchester and the pair embark on a road trip back to their former family home in Cornwall. Like all Dads that think they are cool, David is relentlessly trying to convince his daughter, Lea, that his music taste is the best. For the first hour of this ninety-minute feature, a great deal of the dialogue is consumed by David offering up facts and anecdotes about the bands he loves, from Eels to Yo La Tengo, and the subsequent blunt rebuffing of his knowledge by a captive but thoroughly disinterested teen. Even when the conversation appears to move in a more personal direction little headway is made due to Lea’s dismissive attitude. Her behaviour appears to exceed even the expected snark of the stereotypical teen. Whilst it adds to the intrigue as to why she feels the need to distance herself from her father, it subsequently makes the first hour a tasking watch. This leaves the third act with a rather heavy burden to bear, and this reviewer feels as though the viewer’s reaction to the film’s emotional climax could go either way. As the title suggests this is quite the protracted road trip. There are detours to David’s foster mother’s house and to Wookey Hole, a series of caves that are a well-renowned tourist attraction, not to mention several delays due to car trouble. When on the road, scenes consist of footage filmed from a dashboard-mounted camera, an increasingly popular technique, think Under the Skin or Taxi Tehran , as well as b-roll of cars passing in mirrors with seemingly endless white lines whipping by. The soundtrack is fittingly divided into a melancholic piano score from Matthew Thomason and sombre songs provided by singer-songwriter Luke Toms, the latter particularly nagging at a sense of nostalgia for a relationship buried by time. Long Way Back is likely to be divisive. Although not a controversial film the entirety of one’s feelings towards it will largely depend on the ability to stomach the emotional turn it takes in the third act. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Alasdair MacRae Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Birth/Rebirth film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Marin Irelane, Judy Reyes directed by Laura Moss. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Birth/Rebirth Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Aug 16, 2023 Directed by: Laura Moss Written by: Laura Moss, Brendan J. O'Brien Starring: Marin Irelane, Judy Reyes Birth/Rebirth opens on two different women performing two different tasks in a hospital. Their paths will cross, but at the moment, Celie (Judy Reyes, Smile ) and Rose (Marin Ireland, The Dark and Wicked ) are revealing something of themselves to us. Celie’s environment: chaotic, human. A prenatal nurse used to comforting and nurturing patients in need while navigating an emergency, Celie is a tight balance of empathy and control. Rose – alone with a cadaver in a pathology lab in the bowels of the hospital – is a fastidious loner, cold, logical. She is pure science. Their story, like Barbie’s, is about how impossible it is to be a woman. Director Laura Moss moves seamlessly from short to feature with this modern take on Frankenstein and motherhood. Tragedy strikes early in Moss’s film. Overworked and under rested, Celie blames herself for her daughter Lila’s death. And now the hospital can’t even find the girl’s body. But Rose can. Little by little, with motives simultaneously opposed and identical, Celie and Rose become a duo. An odd couple, if you will, each with her own responsibilities, both with the same goal: bring Lila back. Ireland’s Rose is an exceptional ghoul because her every behavior feels rooted in reality, which makes her both repugnant and sympathetic. However cold her behavior seems, there’s logic behind it. Her joy, those rare flashes, hit harder. She’s like a macabre Spock. Reyes is her equal and opposite, compassionate but hard-headed. And as their relationship thickens, you see each woman changing thanks to exposure to the other. Rose slowly warms and becomes more human. Celie inches closer and closer to ghoul. The film amounts to a profound parenting nightmare, and each actor takes on the role of parent to create an unnerving dynamic again guided by authenticity. All of it pulls the psychological scabs of exhausted parenting. Moss can’t quite stick the landing, but her shoestring Frankenstein fable feels closer to the truth than most of them. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Red Wine and Rain film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Ell Lee, Nina Gosiengfiao, Koji Niiya, Vincent Eclavea Jr. directed by Jennifer Marie Morgan. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Red Wine and Rain Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Jun 9, 2022 Directed by: Jennifer Marie Morgan Written by: Alexis Camins Starring: Ell Lee, Nina Gosiengfiao, Koji Niiya, Vincent Eclavea Jr. A short film that focuses on an altercation between four people about adultery. Four young individuals are meeting at a car park. These people are Sophia (Lee), Kathy (Gosiengfiao), Danny (Niiya) and James (Eclavea). Sophia used to be James's girlfriend until he cheated on her with Kathy, who was with Danny at the time and she was also Sophia's long-term best friend. The meeting is taking place so that James can give Sophia the remaining of her belongings back. What was planned to be a brief gathering turns into a nasty confrontation with a lot of arguing and high tensions, but also with emotional and tender moments. The narrative is basically a long dramatic scene that reveals the consequences of infidelity. Beginning with the four protagonists meeting at the car park, the screenplay quickly moves to the pain and anger that an act of adultery has caused. Most of the shouting and swearing is done by Sophia as she angrily denounces James and Kathy's actions. Danny is also hurt, however he appears to control his anger. The atmosphere is quite tense and unpleasant throughout and the film also mourns the wonderful things that have been destroyed due to cheating thanks to emotional conversations between each former couple, as they recall happy times between them. Although on the surface Sophia and Danny are the victims, it becomes apparent that unfaithfulness has damaged all four of them. All the protagonists deliver great performances, however special mention goes to Lee, as she is very convincing as a person whose life has been turned upside down by James' deeds. Eclavea's character seems more or less unremorseful for his actions, while Gosiengfiao's openly expresses regret. The soundtrack contains songs from a variety of artists and although they are pleasant to the ear, some of them are utilised unnecessarily as they make the scenes feel awkward. This drama is an emotional roller-coaster that deals with themes involving adultery, reconciliation, forgetting about the past, remorse and self-expression. From start to finish it grabs the viewer's attention due to its subject matter and dramatic dialogue and provides a moving experience. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Fist of the Condor film review by UK film critic Daniel Baldwin. Starring Marko Zaror directed by Ernesto Diaz Espinoza. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Fist of the Condor Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Daniel Baldwin | Posted on: Apr 6, 2023 Directed by: Ernesto Diaz Espinoza Written by: Ernesto Diaz Espinoza Starring: Marko Zaror Since 2006, the Chilean powerhouse team of writer/director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza and martial arts superstar Marko Zaror has been delivering some of the best independent action cinema in the world. From raucous martial arts mayhem (Kiltro ) to street-level superhero satire (Mirageman ) to Eurospy parody (Mandrill ), their wild body of work together has been a diabolical fondue of influences ranging from kung fu movies to spaghetti westerns to blaxploitation cinema and beyond. What makes them all the more impressive is that of the four previous films they’ve made together, no two are alike in terms of style and tone. Other than a good time, you never know what you’re going to get from an Espinoza and Zaror pairing. The Fist of the Condor sees this duo reuniting for the first time in almost a decade. Their last outing, the rogue assassin tale Redeemer , had been their weakest effort to date, but I’m happy to report that they’ve bounced back here and then some. A deep-flowing love of classic kung fu cinema has always run throughout their collaborations, but it’s never flowed as deeply or as lovingly as it does here. This is a martial arts adventure just as concerned with evoking the philosophy of both the genre and the real-life practices behind it as it is in showcasing expertly-choreographed fights. There is a poeticism behind the fisticuffs on display here that calls to mind the Hong Kong classics of yore, leaving us with a masterful modern piece of meditative martial arts cinema that would make the Shaw Brothers smile. Espinoza has always had a way with striking imagery that is a delicious mix of exquisite location photography and beautiful artifice that holds decades of movie knowledge behind it. Condor is no different, as it births some of the best sequences his wonderful mind has conjured to date. All backed by another excellent ‘70s-infused score by longtime collaborator Rocco, of course! Those whose only experience with Marko “The Latin Dragon” Zaror are his villainous turns in Hollywood films such as John Wick: Chapter 4 and Machete Kills might be surprised to see the monk-like heroism of his primary role here. Fear not, however, as he also plays his own evil twin! His heroic (but not innocent) protagonist Guerrero is his best role since Kiltro and one we’ll be lucky to see continue, since this is meant to be the first in a trilogy. The next two cannot get here soon enough. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Daniel Baldwin Digital / DVD Release, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

False Memories film review by UK film critic Swati Verma. Starring Jack Caffrey directed by Jack Caffrey. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS False Memories Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Swati Verma | Posted on: Feb 20, 2023 Directed by: Jack Caffrey Written by: Jack Caffrey Starring: Jack Caffrey The writer-director Jack Caffrey attempts to combine the experimental and traditional genres with technics inspired by the French new wave. Caffrey builds up an intricate script incorporating the idea of memories as he dawns on the narrator’s cap. The plot of False Memories revolves around the theory of life that one dies twice once when the breathing process stops and the second time when the loved ones tend to forget the person and erase everything related to them from their mind. This is Caffrey’s creative tribute to keep a woman he has never known and never will know alive. It’s not the story of her life but it is a story of her life. The short film takes the form of a narration by Jack Caffrey allowing the audience to follow even the minute details of the film, therefore, increasing the degree of engagement and the emotional connection with content even in the short run time of the movie. The white poster with the black font utilised for the name of the dramatic piece offers a full spectrum of thoughts and connotations so that the viewers don’t have any preconceived perception and interpret the movie after watching it. False Memories project a series of images to tell the story similar to a scrapbook along with narration making it interactive provides a sense of being involved with it right from the beginning. The self-indulgent style of screenplay allows the audience to interpret it as per understanding without any interference from the filmmaker. The set design, colour palette, lighting, background music, dialogues, location, costume, hair, makeup, and props keep changing as per the switch in the issues discussed. The short film takes the form of a narration by Jack Caffrey allowing the audience to follow even the minute details of the film, therefore, increasing the degree of engagement and the emotional connection with content even in the short run time of the movie. The white poster with the black font utilised for the name of the dramatic piece offers a full spectrum of thoughts and connotations so that the viewers don’t have any preconceived perception and interpret the movie after watching it. False Memories project a series of images to tell the story similar to a scrapbook along with narration making it interactive provides a sense of being involved with it right from the beginning. The self-indulgent style of screenplay allows the audience to interpret it as per understanding without any interference from the filmmaker. The set design, colour palette, lighting, background music, dialogues, location, costume, hair, makeup, and props keep changing as per the switch in the issues discussed. In terms of performance, Jack Caffrey plays multiple roles as the film director, writer as well as narrator of the film taking most of the responsibility to bring the finished product to the viewers. Caffrey utilises the voice modulation to depict the combination of emotional upheaval and pride as he takes us through various subplots. The narration by Caffrey is well- suited and therefore complements the mood as well as the subject matter of the short film. The inquisitive and soothing tone appeals to the audience keeping them hooked to the movie until the climax of False memories. The short film reiterates the importance of both good and bad memories that affect the makeup of a person’s nature and the overall development of their personality. The creative piece restates the pain of being forgotten forever as if that person never existed. False Memories tells us about the significance of gaining knowledge regarding the inner realities of people in and around society. The documentary discusses that one needs to address every issue or learn new information with an open mind ready for overall growth and an updated version of themselves well-suited for future challenges. The cinematic piece continuously introduces the viewers to a new perspective regarding human beings, history, and general perceptions of life in the 1960’s 70’s. The dramatic piece also talks about the importance of evolution but people should also be aware of their roots. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Swati Verma Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

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Sanskar film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Vanshika Singh, Samar Shau, Rajikumar G Nadar directed by Sameer Anshari. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Sanskar Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Jan 5, 2023 Directed by: Sameer Anshari Written by: N/A Starring: Vanshika Singh, Samar Shau, Rajikumar G Nadar A journey through the countryside takes a sinister turn for a man and his daughter. A man and his young daughter are on a motorcycle, travelling through isolated locations. Eventually, they see a lone man by the road and offer him a lift. After a while, the transport fails and the father goes to get help, trusting the stranger to look after his child. Alarmingly, the unknown man is not what he appears to be and the girl's life might be in danger. This short film from India revolves around a plot that is often seen in the thriller and horror genre: people encountering strangers in the middle of nowhere and the strangers turn out to have bad intentions. After a frantic opening that shows the father desperately looking for his daughter, the film goes back to the joyful beginning, with father and child happily chatting while on the motorcycle. Things turn dark when the stranger walks off with the girl and from that point, the narrative alternates between the father searching for his daughter and herself facing a potentially life-threatening situation. A lot of tension is created and a great deal of drama too. The plot is interesting and that might be the only thing that gives this short positive qualities. The music is probably the aspect that brings the film down the most. The score is either sweet or quite intense and it just never works, especially when it is intense, making the scenes hard to be taken seriously. Maybe it would had been better if there was no music at all. Other elements that damage the film are awkward camera movements and editing that appears clumsy. The poor acting does not help either and the climactic ending is head-scratching to say the least. On the positive side, the plot is intriguing and the script explores the tender relationship between the father and his daughter. The film also seems to suggest that even children can be strong and achieve great things. Nevertheless, all this is not enough to categorise this short thriller as decent due to the faults mentioned above. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

A Deadly Beautiful Date film review by UK film critic Swati Verma . Starring Deniz Sodal Gulsen, Naja Julie Jensen, Tore Dokkedahl directed by Emrah Caso Ljucic . HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS A Deadly Beautiful Date Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Swati Verma | Posted on: Jun 19, 2025 Directed by: Emrah Caso Ljucic Written by: Emrah Caso Ljucic Starring: Deniz Sodal Gulsen, Naja Julie Jensen, Tore Dokkedahl The writer-director Emrah Caso Ljucic enjoys exploring mysteries of the human mind. Ljucic intermingled thrill, perceptions, and drama to create cinema that showcases the complexities of the human experience that resonate long after the credits roll leaving the audience inspired intrigued and eager asking for more. Deniz Sodal Gulsen, Naja Julie Jensen, and Tore Dokkedahl understand Ljucic’s vision delve into psychological thrillers blurring the lines between reality and Illusion. The plot of the short film revolves around a celebrity’s captivating and deadly beautiful date that escalates into a surreal nightmare. As tensions mount shocking revelations push the boundaries of sanity leaving the audience gripped on the edge of their seats yearning for answers. A Deadly Beautiful Date utilises various cartoons along with the opening credits and music to establish the subject matter of the movie engaging with the film’s content from the very beginning. The long shot of the male protagonist sitting alone in a lavish restaurant in a bad mood intensifies the narrative slowly picking up pace. The set design, the black, golden, and blue colour pallet exude elegance, and luxury but with hidden coldness/sadness, dim lighting, camera angles, sound, music, dialogues, costume, hair, makeup, and props complementing the storyline to depict authenticity, drama suspense, and emotions on a profound level. In terms of performance, Deniz Sodal Gulsen plays the male protagonist Deniz who likes to show off his luxurious life but he is running out of emotions in his day-to-day life. He is waiting for his date to arrive completely unaware of what the future holds for him. The young actor effortlessly portrays a dominant demeaner in major part of A Deadly Beautiful Date but is gradually forced to change his behaviour due to the situation that gets worse. Naja Julie Jensen plays the role of Mia Sofia a well-educated strong and charming lady who comes to meet Deniz challenging his thought process and standing against everything that she thinks is wrong. Jensen depicts all the qualities that inspire people and they can learn incorporating them in their lives. Phillip Bogh plays Dr. Nullermann who agrees to help the owner/ the waiter of the restaurant with an illegal activity for the sake of money. Bogh with his acting skills, body language, voice modulation, makeup, and facial expressions immerses himself completely in the negativity of the character arc. A Deadly Beautiful Date talks about the unconditional love of parents becoming our shield when something unforeseen happens that can turn life-threatening as well. The short film reiterates that society has given certain gender roles that’s need to be broken or altered to let people move on with the dynamic nature of time. The dramatic piece warns the viewers that choosing the illegal/wrong path may seem to lure them to take an easy solution for their problem but actually it comes with long term sadness, suffering for themselves and others around them. The creative piece also highlights that value people, relationships, and happy times spend it with the right mind-set because the time that goes by doesn’t come again and one is left with only regrets. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Swati Verma Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Dracula film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Caleb Landry Jones, Zoë Bleu, Christoph Waltz directed by Luc Besson. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Dracula Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Feb 3, 2026 Directed by: Luc Besson Written by: Luc Besson, Bram Stoker Starring: Caleb Landry Jones, Zoë Bleu, Christoph Waltz There are those who would call Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 film Bram Stoker’s Dracula a masterpiece. The score is undeniable, the costuming and set design glorious, the use of shadow, the creature design, the pulsing sensuality, Gary Oldman—all of it is exquisite. The entire balance of the ensemble? Terrible. There, I said it. Still, it’s a memorable take—for many, a beloved all-timer—on Stoker’s vampire classic. I will assume that French filmmaker Luc Besson (Léon: The Professional, La Femme Nikita ) is a fan. While his Dracula delivers much in the way of new ideas, the source material for his script is less Stoker’s novel than Coppola’s film. He’s not hiding it. He even borrows—homages—bits and pieces of Wojciech Kilar’s score. Caleb Landry Jones is Vlad the Second, Count Dracul. He loves his wife, Elizabeta (Zoë Bleu). He fights the Crusades to eradicate Muslims for God. But God does not protect his Elizabeta, so he curses God and searches the endless centuries, hoping for his loves return. This storyline is 100% Coppola, not in the novel at all. Landry Jones is a talented actor, and versatile. See Nitram . But his performances tend to be somewhat interior, and you cannot help but compare his anguish over Elisabeta with Oldman’s in the ’92 film. Landry Jones comes up short. And though Besson manages one pretty impressive wide shot of the Vlad armies, the earth burning behind them, nothing can compare to the macabre puppet masterpiece Coppola brought to the same scene. But, after Act 1, the film settles into some new territory. France! No Renfield, no Van Helsing, no fight for Lucy’s hand, no Demeter. Christoph Waltz (a little bit autopilot here) is a priest whose order has been tracking vampires for 400 years. With this storyline, Besson, who wrote the script, forges some new ideas. Newish. And Matilda De Angelis is a particular joy as Dracula’s helper. Fresh ideas aside, Besson doesn’t bring much Besson to the film. There’s too little action here, and most of it is carried out by little CGI gargoyles, more comedic than thrilling. One scene doesn’t naturally lead to the next, characters feel disconnected to the plot, and, worst of all, it’s very talky and a bit dull. I’d call it a fanciful period piece before I called it horror. It’s OK to borrow. What’s hard is to come up with anything original, because no fictional character has been on screen more often in the history of film than Dracula. Even Jesus hasn’t been depicted as often in film. So, it’s fine to borrow as long as you can do something new to merit another go. Besson just about accomplishes that. Just about. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Gungnir film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Cooper Alexander, Harmonie He directed by Leomax He. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Gungnir Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Aug 7, 2024 Directed by: Leomax He Written by: Leomax He Starring: Cooper Alexander, Harmonie He In Old Norse mythology, Gungnir was the spear of Odin. Neither as fancy nor as famous as its hammer-headed cousin Mjolnir, Gungnir is rather light on lore, save for the fact that it had the ability to always hit its target no matter who was doing the wielding. In writer/director Leomax He’s new short film, Gungnir is the present which Leo (Alexander) gets for his tenth birthday, this time made of cheap plastic and dodgy electronics, and with the ability to record the wish of the holder. Leo’s best friend and number one crush, Charly (He) is also at his birthday party, and the two of them do their best to have a good time despite the antics of the rest of the children who are running around. Everything is spoiled though, when it’s announced that Charly will be headed to China with her family in the next few days, to go and live there. In his grief, Leo makes a wish to Gungnir for Charly to stay in America; for something to happen which would mean that she didn’t have to leave, no matter the price that would have to be paid. When COVID-19 comes along to stop the flights and close the borders, Leo unwittingly gets everything he asked for, but when anti-Asian sentiment starts to get stirred up throughout lockdown, he has to try and comes to terms with the guilt he feels for the wish he made. The beauty of He’s film lies in it being a lockdown story without it being a lockdown story. Everything we see on screen is vivid and full of life; full of people. Lots of the scenes are shot outdoors and there’s a world of colour which comes through from the trees, the grass, the sunsets and other parts of nature. All credit goes to DoP, Mufeng Han who captures it all intensely, soaking in the colours and getting close to the characters with some nice, fluid camerawork. The direction, too, from Leomax He, is what stands this story out from the usual ZOOM call, static camera, isolation films which populate the lockdown genre. There is a large focus on family and togetherness in Gungnir , with the children representing a large part of the themes and issues being discussed. Some of the scenes have a shade or two of E.T. (1982) about them, especially with the way the kids interact, and the natural, everyday feel to the positioning of the camera, almost documentary style, is reminiscent of a lot of Richard Linklater’s work, especially Boyhood (2014). Whether Gungnir succeeds or not rests largely with the performances of the children, taking up as they do, a large part of the narrative. It is again credit to He that he is able to get such open and natural performances from the kids and it was a masterstroke to get six siblings from the same family to play them. Cooper Alexander and Harmonie He as the two leads also work well together, and their natural style and understated performance relate a maturity which sits behind the actions of their characters. What He has created in Gungnir is nothing short of extraordinary. He has managed to subvert the genre from something which is usually grey and static into something beautiful and full of life. The fantasy element and reference to Norse mythology sit nicely within the narrative, and it’s He’s original approach to the telling of the story which means that, as was foretold, Gungnir truly hits its mark. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Hemingway Short Film, Digital / DVD Release, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >