★★ Directed by #PhilipBarantini Written by #GregHall #GeorgeRusso Starring #CraigFairbrass Film Review by Rachel Willis With a tense opening scene, Villain starts off strong. Unfortunately, it’s downhill from there. When Eddie Frank (Craig Fairbrass) is released from prison after a long stay, he is determined to live life on the straight and narrow. It’s too bad “life won’t let” him. When Eddie discovers his brother, Sean, has run afoul of some of London’s most dangerous men, the brothers are left with few options. There isn’t anything new in Villain, and "generic" is the word it brings to mind often. These are characters that you’ve seen before in situations you’ve seen before in a movie you’ve seen before. Writers Greg Hall and George Russo (who also portrays Sean) expect your preconceived notions about films like this to carry you through the movie. It doesn’t work. That’s not to say there aren’t things to like about director Philip Barantini first feature length film. Barantini certainly knows how to create tension, and there are a few scenes that are difficult to watch. The relationship between Eddie and Sean is winning because the chemistry between Fairbrass and Russo is evident. They play off each other like real brothers. Their bond, their fights, and their love for each other rings true. Other characters don't fare as well. When Franks tries to reunite with his daughter, Chloe (Izuka Hoyle), there are many head-scratching moments over her reactions. Her initial resentment of him too quickly gives way to feelings he hasn’t earned. Sean’s girlfriend, Rickie, could just as easily be a table from which he snorts coke. That’s not to say the actors aren’t doing their best, they’re just not blessed with particularly good material. The tone of the film is all over the place, creating an overall messy feel. The family drama between the Franks and Chloe borders on the melodramatic, and the montage of the brothers remodeling their pub is odd and out-of-place. There’s a lot going on in the film, but there isn’t enough time devoted to each piece of the puzzle. If you dig British thug dramas, there’s enough that works to make this enjoyable. But if you’re looking for a fresh take on the genre, you won’t find it here. #RachelWillis

★★ Directed by #PeterCattaneo Written by #RosanneFlynn #Rachel Tunnard Starring #KristinScottThomas #SharonHorgan Film Review by Rachel Willis When the men and women living on a military base in England ship off on their latest tour, the wives left at home need to find a way to pass the time until the tour of duty is completed. Enter Kate (Kristin Scott Thomas). Struggling with her own recent tragedy, Kate decides to take on a bigger role in the choir activities that are primarily organized by Lisa (Sharon Horgan). As a colonel’s wife, Kate’s participation is unusual, but it’s not important for us to understand these intricacies of life on the base. What writers Rachel Tunnard and Roselyn Flynn are interested in is the conflict between uptight Kate and laid-back Lisa. The movie proceeds as you would expect. Though inspired by real events, director Peter Cattaneo doesn’t inject any originality into the formulaic script. I couldn’t help but think of A League of Their Own while watching the events of Military Wives unfold. It’s almost a beat for beat remake with choir substituted for baseball. However, where A League of Their Own managed to subvert expectations and round out its cast, Military Wives can’t compete. It’s hard to keep track of everyone in the sizable cast. Not every character is given depth, most are one-dimensional. The story, however, isn’t concerned with fleshing out these women—they serve to add depth to the conflicts faced by the main characters and to enhance the setting. We see these women preparing to send their spouses off to war, little moments of goodbyes, of children and mothers trying to connect to their loved ones overseas, of women trying to pass the time until they’re reunited. Still, it seems Kristen Scott Thomas will always be remarkable no matter how little she’s given to work with. The few emotional moments the film manages to mine are delivered through Thomas’s strong performance. Horgan doesn’t quite match up to Thomas, but Lisa is also the less interesting character. Formulas are often reused because they work, and if you’re looking for a feel-good film you won’t go wrong here. However, this is the kind of forgettable film that will fly under most people’s radar. #RachelWillis

★★★★ Directed by #MichaelWinterbottom Starring #SteveCogan #RobBrydon Film Review by George Wolf "Exhausting? Me? You should meet you!" Yes, the boys are at it for the fourth time on the big screen, enjoying exotic locales, savoring sumptuous cuisine, and critiquing the finer points of each other's celebrity impressions. Since taking The Trip around England ten years ago, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon have also toured Italy (2014) and Spain (2017), reviewing restaurants and juggling their slightly fictionalized lives while director Michael Winterbottom documents it all. This time out, they've also adopted more of an interest in history. They journey from Troy to Ithaca, following in the footsteps of the Odysseus, checking the tour book when they aren't quizzing each other on historical timelines or Bee Gees tunes (Brydon's bit with "Stayin Alive" is a scream). The sarcasm is thick and the barbs sharp per usual, but while the overall hilarity level may be down a notch, this film boasts the most impressive vistas and enticing recipes of the entire series. Sure, it might be the quarantine talking, but less than an hour in I was ready to call either a travel agent or a Greek restaurant. Maybe both. And in what might be a nod to the end of the franchise, the whiff of mortality pierces the air. Steve calls home often for updates on the health of his dad, and the levity of the "at our age" references carries an added layer of wistful resignation. You get the feeling these guys are finally giving up chasing youthful ghosts and embracing the time they have now. These trips have always been about appreciating old friends, great food and often uproarious conversation. But while this isn't the franchise high point, there's a poignancy here in Greece, underneath Aristotle's ashes and all the painful falsetto harmonies, that would make it the most satisfying finale. #GeorgeWolf

★★ Directed by #VaughnStein Written by #MatthewKennedy Starring #LilyCollins #Simon Pegg Film Review by Cat McAlpine Lauren learns of her father’s untimely death from an aggressive reporter shoving a microphone in her face. There isn’t a lot of room for privacy when you’re a part of the Monroe family. Lauren is Manhattan’s District Attorney. Her brother, William, is running for congressional reelection. The Monroes are in the news and in the spotlight. Unfortunately, the harsher the light, the darker the shadows. When her father’s will saddles her with a cruel inheritance and a bunker full of secrets, Lauren has to explore what she’s willing to do for the family name. Simon Pegg has above and beyond the best performance here as the villainous Morgan Warner. It’s not just his excellent dialect work (as always) that helps him disappear into the role, but his commitment creating a full, if not deranged, character. The film’s weak script and loose plot points fail to support his choices, and often leave him out to dry, making Pegg cartoonish when he’s meant to be menacing. Lily Collins falters as Lauren because she has so little to build on. The family dynamic itself is vague and cold. Brief flashbacks reveal a tumultuous relationship with her father, but little else is done to explore Lauren’s relationships. Lauren is grappling with how she chooses to remember her father, but he’s given no redeeming characteristics and frankly, neither is she. The rest of the cast suffers a similar fate, with characters barely introduced, underdeveloped, and quickly discarded, resulting in stiff deliveries and people you simply don’t care about. That makes it hard to buy in to a story that hinges on putting it all on the line for family. All said, this film lacks the commitment it needs to be memorable. In an effort, maybe, to keep mainstream, Inheritance only skims the horror/thriller genres instead of really getting its hands bloody. Penned by Matthew Kennedy (his first) Inheritance works too hard at the top, and gets the pacing all wrong. While it hits a much better tempo later on, director Vaughn Stein (Terminal) piles on with some impatient cuts that make the story feel rushed. Too little too late comes a breakneck plot twist that attempts to definitively draw a line between the good guys and the bad guys. In the dark, there are only shades of gray, but Inheritance isn’t elegant enough to navigate them. The film’s tiptoeing around the darkest inclinations of the family patriarch rob the story of its real moral dilemma and its real fun. There is definitely fun to be had in the final 20 minutes of the film. You just have to make it that far. #CatMcAlpine

★★★★ Directed by: #TilmanSinger Written by: #TilmanSinger Starring: #LuanaVelis, #JohannesBenecke, #JanBluthardt, #LilliLorenz, #JuliaRiedler, #NadjaStübiger Film Review by: Darren Tilby Tilman Singer’s German/Spanish-language graduation project, Luz, is a pretty straightforward horror affair. There’s no deeper meaning here; no hidden metaphor - at least there doesn’t seem to be. And, in places, it feels a little contrived. But it’s also an enthralling, Dario Argento-inspired retro-horror flick with haunting imagery and brilliant sound design. Luz (Luana Velis), a young Chilean taxi driver with a somewhat mysterious past, arrives, dazed and confused, at a quiet police station late one night. Meanwhile, in a bar across town, Nora (Julia Riedler), a mysterious young woman – oozing confidence and sensuality – recounts to police psychiatrist, Dr Rossini (Jan Bluthardt), the story of her old schoolmate, Luz. What the psychiatrist doesn’t know is that Nora has been possessed by an evil entity craving the one who brought it into the world—Luz. Rossini quickly falls prey to Nora’s seductive charm, and, when paged to attend Luz at the police station, the demon makes its move. A now demonically-possessed Rossini arrives at the police station, ready to “assess” Luz. If that all sounds a bit confusing, that’s because it is. It gets a little clearer as the film goes on, but this is a hard one to decipher. Partly because of the otherworldly nature of the film; the nightmarish dreamscape-like atmosphere, and partly because the characters, except for Luz, are so underdeveloped. Whether has been done on purpose – with the intent of heightening the already discombobulating tone – or as a consequence of weak character writing, I’m not sure. But it does make it a little difficult to connect with the characters at times. Performances across the board, though, are stellar, with Velis being exceptionally good with her fascinating portrayal of Luz. To be fair, it all gels quite well with the movie’s retro vibe: the film’s mid-late 70s aesthetic, which emanates, primarily, from the filmmaker’s decision to shoot on 16mm film. This decision, along with some devilishly haunting imagery and superb sound design, bequeaths a grainy throwback quality to Luz. A quality with echoes of horror classics Suspiria and The Exorcist - indeed, Paul Faltz’s cinematography work is phenomenal. And completing that throwback ambience is the marvellous synth-heavy soundtrack – so popular in the 70s and 80s – from Simon Waskow, which is to be released on vinyl by Death Waltz Records/ Mondo Music. As a graduation project, Luz is exceptional. While it falls short in certain areas and runs a little too long overall, this is a cracking feature-debut which brilliantly showcases the potential of Singer’s future. It's a refreshing and enjoyable take on the possession sub-genre, and it's releasing in the UK on June 1st.

★★★ Directed by #MichaelScott Written by #DavidGolden Starring #CamilaMendes, #JessieTUsher, #ElliottGould Film Review by Amber Jackson “These things, you never know how it can change someone” Directed by Michael Scott, Dangerous Lies tells the story of Katie (Camila Mendes) and Adam (Jessie T. Usher), who are a young married couple trying to make their way in the world after a scary encounter in a diner. The film is clumsily titled and seemingly un-daring, but after the death of Katie’s employer and friend Leonard (Elliott Gould), the story becomes a little more unexpected and at times, pleasantly surprising. The real situation of a couple struggling financially and feeling desperate as a result is an aspect of the film that actually seems real. Good sympathy is built up for protagonist Katie by Mendes with her emotive performance as a conflicted woman. The audience feels for her situation entirely, alongside Usher, who explores a man who has lost his way after a terrifying experience and becomes hungry for money and a job, rather than focusing on his education. Adam's priorities warp as a consequence and this results in him clashing with his wife for the first time. Plot is slow in parts especially during the first half of the film. However, as the film progresses it morphs into more of a dramatic burn, as though it is a slower version of a Pretty Little Liars episode. This isn’t a bad thing! Director Scott knows his audience, particularly with Riverdale actress Mendes assuming the main role. Yet the script is a little stilted at times and ends up catching up with the audience, who have the ability to guess what is happening first. It doesn’t live up to its full potential and could be more chilling and unpredictable within its dramatic genre. Yet, the film does pick up in the latter half, when the audience and characters alike begin to question Adam’s motives and how the fear of losing everything makes him go crazy. It becomes clear that husband and wife have different monetary priorities as the plot progresses, which makes them seem even younger. It is as though Adam’s love for Katie is deeply entwined with monetary love, implying that they don’t really know each other. Cleverly shot, the camera colours and the overall look of Dangerous Lies is the real substance to the film. It is well-toned, looking exactly like a classic Netflix style drama/thriller (ie. Anything that Camila Mendes stars in). The opening scene in particular is an immediate hook, as the diner scene lights up in a spectrum of bold colours. A good use of lighting and shadows working against each other is continued throughout, creating an ominous tone. Abrupt scene changes also add to this, with uniquely shot moments such as the camera being underneath working garden shears, or sitting in the back of a car as it is reversing, which makes the film feel an extra layer of sinister. Performance-wise, acting was scarcely above average. The actors give enough to spark audience sympathy, but not much else. Mendes does well to follow the script and constantly verbalise what Katie is thinking, but this isn’t very effective within the narrative as it doesn’t allow the audience to fill in the gaps. This is perhaps because the drama itself is hard to follow during those crucial moments and so the script over-explains itself. Despite her only being Leonard’s carer for four months, Gould’s characterisation of him was a little odd. They appear too close too fast, which seems unrealistic, but this could work in the film’s favour in that it feels unexpected. However, some of the supposed key characters feel out of place. Audience members can’t help but wish that Detective Chesler’s (Sasha Alexander) character was more established, as her motives aren’t that clear and she acts hostile for no reason. Lawyer Julia (Jamie Chung) too doesn’t seem to appear for a lot of the initial key plot moments and then turns out to be **spoiler alert** integral to the storyline. It seems strange that these characters lack personality depth and seem to only exist for the characters. Despite having to suspend your disbelief for parts of the film, it is ultimately enjoyable to watch. Michael Scott knows the audience he is catering for and delivers a ninety-minute ‘what you see is what you get.’ It’s not necessarily a film to be watched twice, nor does it offer anything that unique in the way of film-making, but it's good escapism while it lasts. Dangerous Lies is streaming on Netflix now. #AmberJackson

★★★ Directed by #DawnGiffordEngle Written by #DawnGiffordEngle Film Review by Rachel Willis People around the world generally know something about the 14th Dalai Lama. Whether you know him as a religious figure, political refugee, or something else entirely, director Dawn Gifford Engle wants to highlight another aspect of the Dalai Lama – scientist. For over thirty years, the Dalai Lama has hosted talks with some of the world’s leading scientists. From George Greenstein (cosmologist) to Francisco Varela (biologist and neuroscientist) to Steven Chu (physicist), the Dalai Lama has opened discussions, facilitated new ways of thinking, and highlighted similarities between western science and Buddhist science. From interviews with the Dalai Lama, we learn that had he not become the 14th Dalai Lama, he may have pursued a career in engineering. Many of those who speak with the Dalai Lama emphasize the fact that he has a “curious mind.” Most, if not all, of these meetings with scientists were recorded, so Engle has a wealth of footage to use to tell this story. Unfortunately, this is largely where the documentary falters. With all this footage, the film spends too much time trying to help the audience understand the basics of fields like cosmology, quantum physics and biology. Unless one is particularly keen to learn about these topics, the documentary becomes tedious. It fails in its primary purpose of underlining the ways in which the Dalai Lama has contributed his understanding to these subjects. Most of these scenes focus on the scientist of the moment, animating his words with simple graphics, while the Dalai Lama listens intently. Most of what is learned through these scenes is that His Holiness is a good listener (admittedly a good trait to possess). The film is also guilty of meandering as it digs through thirty years of footage. Early on, there is a brief section explaining the war between Tibet and China that led to the Dalai Lama’s exile in India. Some beautiful animations appear in the first ten minutes of the film, showing some of the moments in the Dalai Lama’s young life that made him interested in the universe. Those animations are discarded too early – an unfortunate decision, as they are some of the most effective moments. The film does remind us why the Dalai Lama is admired around the world. He is a champion of using science to improve the world for all conscious beings, he advocates scientific understanding for all (it is a requirement of monks in their monastic training), and he stands as a reminder that religion and science can go hand in hand. These are a few of the lessons worth learning within this disjointed documentary. #RachelWillis

★ Directed by: Mohan Singh Gaharwar Written by: Mohan Singh Gaharwar Starring: Chirag Mandawaria, Sadgee Shrivastava Short Film Review by: Philip Giordano Charger - A Love Story Movie Review A film about a smartphone bringing a couple together. Shot on a smartphone. Mohan Singh Gaharwar’s ‘Charger’ is quirky, melodic, dips in and out of reality, and ultimately chronicles the beginning of a budding relationship. The nearly 15-minute short film begins without sync sound, just pure soundtrack. A repetitious club song, set to visuals of a guy alone in various locations. As the film progresses we see that we are in a world where people don’t utilize their voices to speak, instead, they communicate through text message or physically writing with pen and paper. This is not a futuristic sci-fi world à la Black Mirror, instead, it uses this gimmick as a moment of connection when the main character meets a girl who can also communicate without pen and paper. Seemingly the two of them are the only ones that can speak with their words. But we’ll get back to that. The main character meets our girl at a bar and later she comes to his door and asks for a cell phone charger. He quickly passes it to her. Mesmerized by her beauty or seemingly searching for connection, he quickly hands it over. This routine continues on and on and until as said earlier, they both discover how alike they are. At the climax of the film, we find out that the girl uses an iPhone and the entire time he was giving her an android charger. She came back because she liked him…not because of the charger. This is a breath of fresh air in our current climate because cell phones and technology are often symbols of disconnection, which is justified (they’re destroying us all!!!!), but hearing a new perspective is always refreshing. Overall, the film's technical execution has glitches in editing, subtitles, clean sound, lighting, and narrative storytelling, but what makes it unique is its endearing heartbeat pulsing through every frame. This is not a perfect film, it could easily be half the run time, but it was made with love. The comments are overwhelmingly positive and this makes sense because you can feel the filmmaker's passion pulsating through the lens. It’s clear this is a filmmaker who is out there not just talking but doing. In an era where top filmmakers always say the same advice “anyone can make a film, you can do it with your phone now,” Mohan Singh Gaharwar and his collective ‘Rather Other Guys’ are actually doing it! Power to them and their independent spirit! #PhilGiordano

★★★★ Directed by: #DanThorburn Written by: #JackSherratt, #DanThorburn Starring: #NeilBell, #KrisHitchen Film Review by: Alexander Erting-Haynes Trucker’s Atlas opens with two power-line repair men working in silence, a rural UK countryside providing the backdrop. Before long, a melancholic acoustic guitar begins to play in and you’d be forgiven for drawing parallels to Mackenzie Crook’s seminal slice of life show, Detectorists. However, this is where the similarities end. The aforementioned Detectorists hones in on the mundane lives of two middle-aged men, balancing the bleak with moments of comic levity. Trucker’s Atlas, however, does not trade any of its melancholy for happiness, opting not to settle on a reflective exploration of the mundanity these two men face and instead choosing to probe deeper. The film focuses on the two protagonists, played by Neil Bell and Kris Hitchen, as they head to their next job. As they drive to the next repair, Mike (Bell), picks up a card from the dashboard that welcomes him back to work and offers condolences for his loss. They continue to carry out the rest of this job, for the most part, in silence. Writers Jack Sherratt and Dan Thorburn have used this dull setting to tackle themes such as masculinity and our inherited, outdated expectation that men should carry grief with them and repress it so as not to appear weak and they have done so in an impactful, concise and seemingly effortless way. As to be expected from such experienced performers, Bell and Hitchen are superb in their roles. With little dialogue at their disposal, the two rely on their arsenal of downtrodden, hardened looks to convey the hidden sadness trapped within them. However, it is when dialogue comes in that the fireworks go off. After a long stretch of silence, it feels like an explosion of catharsis for both the characters and the audience as the two men finally release what they’ve been holding on to. It is emotional cinema that is sold completely by its believable central performances. What makes this impact bigger is the incredible sound design. As they go about their work together, every single footstep, every rattle of a tool, every rung of a ladder as it’s climbed can be heard. This serves to make the tension between the two so much more palpable, magnifying the unwillingness to communicate to one another and puts the audience in the situation with them. Talking to one another will only help them, so why aren’t they? By now, we all know the answer to that question. Moreover, Trucker’s Atlas is also very pretty. It is stunningly shot, the lighting is immaculate, director Dan Thorburn’s shot choices are gentle and reflective and there is one scene towards the middle that proves difficult to watch but ultimately encapsulates the frustration and tension seen throughout. Perhaps the only qualm that can be found is that some of the characters’ exposition can feel unnatural, though this can be expected from a film clocking in at just over ten minutes. While the tone and themes of the film are melancholic, that isn’t to say that it is bleak or depressing; quite the opposite, in fact. Sherratt and Thorburn have somehow managed to do the impossible. They have focused in on two middle-aged men that are grappling with great grief, they tackle men’s unhealthy perception of what is expected of their emotions and they have made it a mostly silent film and yet the overall feeling that the viewer will come away with is that of hope; a sense of positivity and reassurance. It is an impressive and professional piece of cinema that has a message and conveys it concisely and with great skill. #AlexanderErtingHaynes

★★ Directed by #AshaRosemond Written by #BrielleCarroll Staring #SeanKneese #PhilKramer #NedraShamberger #TimothyJCox Film Review by Jasmine Holly Bullock Incognita is a ten minute long student film, which gives us a glimpse into the life of an ethics professor who has just moved to a new university or ‘college’. Professor Ben Park goes about his daily life, unaware that some shocking revelations are coming his way. The cast of this film were of very mixed ability. The principal of the college is played by Timothy J. Cox, whom I have seen in a few other short films. Cox has so far never disappointed me with his performance and the same goes for this instance. Cox was probably the shining star amongst the actors in this production. Sean Kneese plays Professor Ben Park, and Phil Kramer plays Trevor. Both actors were of average acting ability, with the latter being a bit more realistic and believable than the former. Nedra Shamberger plays the wife of Ben Park, and I have to say, I wasn’t too thrilled with her performance. Shamberger’s performance was the least realistic and convincing; some of her mannerisms were over-the-top, whilst others were too dull. Asha Rosemond probably did her best as a director to work with these actors, but nevertheless not all of them did amazingly. In regards to the cinematography, the quality of the visuals wasn’t too impressive due to the slightly off-putting fuzziness or wave-like interference pattern in the recording. However, I understand that this is a student film and so won’t judge the visual quality too much, not everyone can afford high tech equipment or high quality gear. Some of the shots used were interesting choices, although not entirely impressive. For example, the shot of a pillow being thrown and yet missed most of the pillow in the shot was poor. The shot of Professor Park looking at some books online was just a screen recording from a laptop, the quality of this shot was too much of a contrast compared to the rest of the film. Therefore, this shot seemed misplaced. Also, there was a shot of Mrs Parking talking on the phone to her husband, but for the most part Nedra Shamberger seemed to be looking nearly directly at the camera and this was really detrimental to the shot. The soundtrack was pretty good and consisted of only one song: The Great Next Idea by James Horner. Although, I realised it was just a song that has been taken from another film, so the credit really goes to the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind for the song. Again, not all students know people who can create a personalised song for their project, so that is also understandable. The story itself was nice but also not super impactful or as heart-tugging as it was probably intended to be. The dialogue was fairly basic and for the most part predictable. For a film that was 10 minutes long, there could have been so much more to it. I’ve seen films that are shorter than this and yet more meaningful and eventful. Incognita was written and produced by Brielle Carroll, and considering that this was a student film, I understand resources were most likely limited for Carroll but there were some things that could have been paid more attention to. Just a little bit more attention and consideration would have made this film much better. Incognita is on YouTube and easily accessible, so go give it a watch if you’re interested! #JasmineHollyBullock

★★★★ Directed by: #LukeCouch Written by: #MimHyde Starring: #KamranMohammed, #JazzmineLettita, #FreddieFlack, #AnthonySenior, #ClaudiaCosta, #EsmeMartin, #GraceLeBachelet, #JoshSanders, #LaurenDormand, #NadeyneLewis, #BenHillBrooks Short Film Review by: Thomas Jay A Boy George cameo is NOT included. Directed by Like Couch known for helming: Alone Together, The Culture Club is a fifteen minute short film concerning the messy maiden meeting of a satanic cult, caught on camera by a documentary crew who were granted access to the session. A simple enough concept, this is executed to a really high degree and has a lot of potential (a point I’ll return to later). With the film crew acting as a surrogate for the audience, Couch and his team manage to mimic the conventions of a documentary quite well and, for the remainder of the short, the camera is a clear and evident presence amongst the group of characters and their proceeding interactions. As a whole the cinematography is excellent, we capture the arrivals of all the major players in a manner that both breaks the fourth wall as well as revealing a number of subtle, key traits of each new arrival, see for instance: the married couple in a slight crisis, a drunk, a yearning single, a lost music fan and a few individuals in competition to see ”who had the hardest childhood” A dialogue that both Sad Boi (Anthony Senior) and the fire loving Lucifer (Ben Hill Brooks) play out with such charisma and character. With the likes of Peter Jackson and Edgar Wright discussing eyeline shots and working with large casts for The World’s End (d. Edgar Wright, 2013), there are some serious A List Directors who stress the difficulty of shooting such scenes and the fact that this short, produced for the Official National Youth Film Academy can both manufacture this complex maze of shots and provide unique and standout characters regardless of how much of a share they get in terms of runtime, is a truly remarkable achievement. Eventually the group work to the realisation that they must sacrifice a member and set about finding a fitting victim, which highlights my main flaw with this. Marketed as a horror-comedy hybrid, I enjoy the comedy aspects as the slightly surreal Eric Andre elements and the postmodern character comedy seen best in Modern Family (2009-2020) & What We Do in the Shadows (d. Taika Waititi & Jemaine Clement, 2014) the balance feels ripped more towards humour than horror. It’s a very difficult ask to find that perfect balance, hence why the latter two instalments of The Evil Dead Trilogy (1983-1993) are perceived so differently to the video nasty original, but here I feel it slightly detracts from the plot, at least on first viewing. Had I known even the slightest bit more clearly it was more comedy heavy It‘d have probably got the full 5 stars. There isn‘t a lack of substance or anything too majorly detrimental as the characters truly make the film what it is but the reveal of the Cleaner (Grace Le Bachelet) being the puppet master felt a little tacked on, especially as she is then excluded from the final, closing scene. A little inconsistent regarding tone as a result, its likely a subjective issue but one that could have also been completely bashed out with a longer run time which leads me on nicely to the following: So, for my final point I’ll return to something I mentioned earlier in the opening when regarding potential. This is a very unique and special film, that boats a cast and crew with promising futures and I would genuinely love to see more from this world, Whether or not it features this original cast in full, or has a complete narrative shift I can see this unfolding in maybe a series of episodes or similar short films that make a great long form narrative. Whether or not it’s picked up on later down the line, there’s a charm and style to this which needs to be seen by the masses, true “lightning in a bottle“ filmmaking and I’d absolutely urge you to commit 15 minutes of your time to this film, available on the YouTube Channel for the National Youth Film Academy. So, Same Time Next Week? Reviewed by: #TomJay

★★★★ Directed by: #AlexMachlouzaridesShalit and #IsaacNathanielFisher Written by: #AlexMachlouzaridesShalit and #IsaacNathanielFisher Starring: #IsaacFisher and #TimMedcalf Film Review by: Bruna Foletto Lucas The Attic Loop is a short film made as a side project at the MetFilm School in London by Isaac Nathaniel Fisher and Alex Machlouzarides-Shalit and it stars Fisher alongside Tim Medcalf as two flatmates who discover they have an attic. This very short film, just under 5 minutes, starts with a man leaving his poorly lit room and going to the hall where he realises the attic door is open. That’s not what is surprising to him, but the fact that he actually has an attic, fact that neither him nor his flatmate were aware of. Confused, he knocks on his flatmate’s door who responds very nonchalantly to the discovery and to his flatmate’s bloodied forehead. This simple exchange between the flatmates gives us an insight on the characters’ lives and relationship, and which, in turn, helps us to draw some kind of understanding of what happens next – it might be a question of whether the film itself is causing us to trip or the characters themselves are tripping. One of the characters goes up the stairs to explore the attic and leaves quickly upon seeing something that shocks him. As he tells his flatmate what he's seen, we learn that what shocked him in the attic was a mirror image of themselves – doubles wearing the same clothes and conversing. What follows is a series of sequences showing the same situation through different perspectives. The doubles seem to multiply as a “new set of flatmates” emerges on the stairs. We never know exactly how many doubles are there since the situation is explored through objective and subjective shots but we are unaware of whose point of view we are being forced to identify with – thus, the confusion of the characters as well as ours augments. The short briefly follows a pair of doubles who hide and the screen goes black right after one of them complains he has hit his head. The last sequence of the film closes the loop as it goes back to the beginning when the character leaves his room and discovers for the first time the attic door. Fisher and Machlouzarides-Shalit have made a very interesting short that plays well with its assets – the story, more like a logline – is very simple and the short shows no attempt at resolving it since resolution and a tight-narrative aren’t the target of the film, but rather the focus is to entertain us for a few minutes and leave us questioning whether the flatmates are still there, multiplying themselves and being surprised with the attic door all over again. Although it was made in 2019, The Attic Loop proved to be a perfect watch for the lockdown days where the discovery of the attic is just a metaphor for the mundane tasks we do every day.