The Last Sacrifice film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Geraldine Beskin, Gavin Bone, Janet Farrar directed by Rupert Russell. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Last Sacrifice Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Feb 16, 2026 Directed by: Rupert Russell Written by: Rupert Russell Starring: Geraldine Beskin, Gavin Bone, Janet Farrar Documentarian Rupert Russell has a pretty wild tale to tell, one set in an isolated British community where outsiders aren’t wanted, information is hard to come by, and something sinister waits in the fields. And if that sounds like every British folk horror film from The Wicker Man in 1973 to Kill List in 2011, there’s a reason. Russell tracks the birth of British folk horror cinema to one specific moment and place in time: Cotswold District, Gloucestershire, England, Valentine’s Day, 1945. On that day in that hamlet—an isolated farming community of about 200 people—Charles Walton was found dead, a pitchfork in his face and throat, a billhook in his neck. The murder shook the nation, its description taking on wild details over the retellings: a cross carved in his chest, dead frogs all around him. The crime so enthralled England that its most prized Scotland Yard detective, Robert Fabian, came to Cotswold to investigate. What he found was a community unwilling to cooperate in the investigation, and the Rollright Stones, enormous ancient stones said to be what remains of an Iron Age King and his soldiers after a witch’s curse. This is all fascinating enough, but Russell goes on to explore the genuine British witchcraft phenomenon of the Sixties and Seventies, and even brings in a Teletubby. What’s wildest about this documentary is the way that the old films—including the campiest Hammer greats The Devil Rides Out , The Witches, and Dracula A.D. 1972 —are based directly from documentary footage of official witch rituals of the time. The campier and more ridiculous the scene, the more exactly it recreates rituals celebrated by Alex Sanders, the era’s self-proclaimed King of the Witches. Except that, of course, Sanders and his followers were harmless, and Hammer’s witches rarely were. But Sanders’s incredible popularity sparked new interest in the Cotswold murder and a whole, very British film genre was born. The Last Sacrifice is sometimes clunky in its true crime format. It’s trying too hard to be scary. The approach doesn’t always suit the material, because the wild cinematic crossover with nonfiction is exponentially more interesting, and no crime was committed there. The information is revelatory for horror film fanatics, jaw-dropping, even. And certain details are downright funny. Russell’s sometimes wobbly approach to the doc is hardly a reason to skip it. If you have any interest in British folk horror, The Last Sacrifice is a fascinating must-watch. (Give yourself the gift of a double feature, with Kier-La Janisse’s 2021 doc Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched , also on Shudder.) Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Documentary, Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, Ken Marino directed by David Wain. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: Jul 9, 2026 Directed by: David Wain Written by: Ken Marino, David Wain Starring: Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, Ken Marino You think Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is just about a small-town Kansas woman in ruby red shoes traveling to Hollywood on a quest to have sex with Jon Hamm? Get hip to the subtext, man! It’s also a film about a tragic bullfighting fatality, John Slattery pulling out a man’s eyeball while imitating Howard Cosell, a nefarious plot to dismantle the corrupt global financial system, a mailman’s beef with his overcharging roofer and Henry Winkler’s role in the deadly consequences of a briefcase mixup. But yes, this hilarity is centered around Gail (an irresistible Zoey Deutch), a fresh faced and endlessly upbeat hairdresser excited to soon marry her childhood sweetheart Tom (Michael Cassidy). But when a local book signing leads Tom straight into the legs of his celebrity sex pass, Gail’s best friend Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) knows there’s only one thing to do. Gail has to come with him to the big hair show in L.A., and settle the score with her own chosen wizard of aaahhs – Mr. Jon Hamm. Director/co-writer David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models ) and co-writer/co-star Ken Marino (veteran comedic support standout) have created a relentless assault of silliness that delivers a consistent string of smiles, yuks, laughs and belly laughs. Beyond the multiple nods to the yellow brick road adventure, Wain and Marino lampoon celebrity culture, paparazzi, the Hollywood bubble and various movie genres with winks, nods and relish, tossing in several surprise cameos to boot. Deutch proves again that she is a versatile talent with serious comedy chops, and the wide-ranging ensemble (led by Marino, Slattery and a delightfully understated Ben Wang) offers fun from every angle. Gail Daughtry is an unhinged cult leader in waiting, with a vibe that is set from the opening minutes. Ride it all the way through the credits (and one final Wiz bang) to score the funniest film of the year so far. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Captain America: Brave New World film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez directed by Julius Onah. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Captain America: Brave New World Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Feb 13, 2025 Directed by: Julius Onah Written by: Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson Starring: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Danny Ramirez Look out! There’s a bloated menace wreaking havoc at the White House, throwing temper tantrums, creating enemies of allies, and ruining everything he touches. But wait, could there be some nefarious, nerdy, unelected mastermind behind the villainy destroying the United States of America? Art imitates life in Marvel’s latest big screen attempt, Captain America: Brave New World . Anthony Mackie picks up the shield as Cap. We’ve known Mackie could act since his 2009 breakout, The Hurt Locker , but can he carry a franchise film? As a rule, franchise films are helped by the addition of Harrison Ford. He loses the mustache and picks up the mantle carried by Sam Elliott and William Hurt, playing Thaddeus Ross, newly elected President of the USA. The President has done some pretty horrible things, though, and should really be in prison. Instead, he’s in the White House. Pair that with a mysterious villain trying to orchestrate a war, and the end of the world could be in sight. But the movie has bigger problems, starting with its script. Writers Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson stuff the film with repetitive dialog and endless exposition. Not sure what just happened or what’s about to happen? No need to fret, somebody’s about to explain it again. Director Julius Onah (Luce , The Cloverfield Paradox ) strings together a few impressive action sequences, but the momentum always gets derailed by needless explanation and – especially in the third act – some bland CGI visuals. Even the cameos and end credits scene are less than inspiring. From the beginning, the Captain America character felt like the moral compass of the MCU. The best films in the franchise have found ways to balance the super-heroics with timely questions about power and responsibility. Brave New World creates the opportunity but never allows Cap to follow through. Instead, complexities are neutered in favor of easily digestible answers and the next weakly earned plot point. That’s what makes the film so disappointing. A deserving new hero and a solid cast are given a narrative treatment usually suited to streaming audiences who are looking at their phones or getting up to feed the dog. Above all, this new world seems satisfied with playing it safe. And that’s not brave at all. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Great Escaper film review by UK film critic Brian Penn. Starring Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson directed by Oliver Parker. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Great Escaper Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: Brian Penn | Posted on: Oct 7, 2023 Directed by: Oliver Parker Written by: William Ivory Starring: Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson With Remembrance Sunday barely a month away, the Great Escaper is a sharp reminder of how war scars the mind; no matter how much time we put between ourselves and the event. There are sadly few veterans of the Second World War left to tell the tale. But there is no substitute for living memories that show how past deeds shape the present. This wonderful new film directed by Oliver Parker provides real insight and lays bare the reality of growing old. Based on a true story, it resonates on so many levels and illustrates the debt we owe those who fought for this country. D-Day veteran Bernie Jordan (Michael Caine) lives in a retirement home with his wife Rene (Glenda Jackson). The 70th Anniversary of the Normandy landings is fast approaching. Annoyingly Bernie leaves it too late to register for the official tour party. Undeterred he decides to make his own way alone. Care staff smell a rat but Rene playfully covers for their errant resident. Walking frame in hand he boards the cross border ferry and is befriended by Arthur (John Standing), an ex-RAF pilot. They discover common ground as demons from the war continue to haunt them. Bernie and Arthur are introduced to German veterans with whom they share memories of D-Day. The realisation soon dawns that language is all that separates them. The grand ceremony is about to begin and Arthur has secured front row seats. However Bernie's pilgrimage is not yet complete. Caine and Jackson are outstanding in their respective roles and make a convincing couple in their sunset years. There is real truth in the portrayal of two people that have lived a happy and fulfilling life. But like so many of their generation are trapped by memories of a lost youth. Vivid flashbacks to the war are brilliantly captured with super sharp editing. Bernie looks out on a peaceful beach that turns into the deafening carnage of D-Day. Rene plays an old gramophone record and we land back at the dance hall where she and Bernie met. William Ivory's excellent script crackles with pathos and gentle humour. It pulls no punches and exposes over used platitudes about war. What remains is a thoughtful account of how the elderly can be marginalised; when they should be embraced for their knowledge and wisdom. A film we should all cherish and admire. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Brian Penn Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Longlegs film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood directed by Oz Perkins. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Longlegs Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Jul 12, 2024 Directed by: Oz Perkins Written by: Oz Perkins Starring: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Alicia Witt, Blair Underwood Very few 2024 films have been more eagerly anticipated by horror fans than Oz Perkins’s Longlegs . For some, it’s the filmmaker’s criminally underappreciated features The Blackcoat’s Daughte r, Gretel & Hansel , and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House that compel interest in his latest effort. For others, it’s lead Maika Monroe, a tremendous talent who routinely chooses challenging, satisfying horror, including It Follows , Watcher , The Guest and more. But for most people, let’s be honest, it’s the chance to see Nic Cage play a deeply deranged serial killer. (We are not made of stone!) Cage excels, as does Monroe—both aided immeasurably by memorable support work from Blair Underwood and Alicia Witt. Monroe is Agent Lee Harker whose “hyper intuitive” nature has her assigned to a confounding case of whole families murdering one another, the only sign of an outside presence being an encoded note left at the scenes. Monroe’s green FBI agent is as stiff and awkwardly internal as Cage’s psycho is theatrical. Her terror is as authentic as his lunacy. Perkins shines as bright as ever, too. As always, his shot selection and framing evoke dark poetry. His use of light and shadow, architecture and space is like no one else’s. His Longlegs direction and writing contain provocative notes of his own Blackcoat’s Daughter , but the plotting here is anchored by something slightly more predictable. I defy you to watch Blackcoat’s Daughter and figure out where it’s going, and yet it ends up exactly where it needs to be. For all the many fascinating flourishes and unsettling performances in Longlegs , there is something here that feels more obvious than any of the filmmaker’s previous films. Maybe it’s the clear influence of 90s thrillers: The Silence of the Lambs, Zodiac , maybe even a little bit of Se7en . It is nagging—the sense, for the first time in any of his films, of recognizability. But don’t let that deter you. In many ways, it’s Perkins’s sleight of hand, his way of suggesting one thing while saying something else, of rooting audiences in something familiar expressly to pull that comfy rug away. Longlegs is strangely beautiful, deeply unnerving, and a fine reason to be a horror fan. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Are You Lonesome Tonight? film review by UK film critic Rachel Willis. Starring Eddie Peng, SylviaChang directed by Shipwei Wen. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Are You Lonesome Tonight? Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Rachel Willis | Posted on: Mar 15, 2023 Directed by: Shipwei Wen Written by: Binghao Zhao, Yinuo Wang, Shipwei Wen Starring: Eddie Peng, SylviaChang A distracted driver makes a series of bad decisions one dark evening, setting the tone for director Shipei Wen’s first feature, Are You Lonesome Tonight (Re dai wang shi) . This is a film you expect to go a certain way, so when it veers off in a different direction, it’s an intriguing but not necessarily satisfying choice. The film follows a predictable pattern even though it might not be the pattern you were initially anticipating. The movie’s two leads, Xueming (Eddie Peng) and Ma (Sylvia Chang), are what’s most appealing. Though Xueming is a bit too similar to characters we’ve seen many times before, Ma is more complicated. Because Ma has lost both a husband and a son, you might expect her to put Xueming into the role of son – and in some ways, she does, but emotionally, she keeps him at arm’s length. We don’t spend as much time with Ma as you might want. Instead, we follow Xueming as he makes questionable decision after questionable decision. His motivations are murky, but this works to underscore the darkness of both the film and human nature. He deals with guilt and uncertainty in increasingly violent ways, making the sensitivity he shows Ma especially touching. Though she may be using him to fill certain needs, there’s no doubt there’s something that connects these two. There’s a lack of linear cohesion to the film that is surprisingly irrelevant to the whole. That we move around in time doesn’t increase tension or even really cause confusion. It simply is, and it’s a curious choice. A scene or two is repeated. One particular scene is shown from multiple perspectives, but the choice to work it into the film in two different spots is unnecessary. It would have worked as well – perhaps better – if we saw both perspectives at the same time. There isn’t much going on in this film. The ethical dilemmas are overlooked in favor of a paint by numbers mystery. However, as a slice of Xueming and Ma’s lives, it’s worth watching to see how they react to the events unfolding around them. As a character drama, it’s intriguing. As a languidly paced mystery, Are You Lonesome Tonight is a little underwhelming. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Rachel Willis Digital / DVD Release, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

IDA film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Annick Cornette, Margaux Colarusso, Vivian Audag directed by Brandon Gotto. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS IDA Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Jan 19, 2023 Directed by: Brandon Gotto Written by: Brandon Gotto Starring: Annick Cornette, Margaux Colarusso, Vivian Audag A grieving young woman begins a friendship with an older woman, who seems to have sinister secrets. Following the tragic and sudden death of her mother, Alice (Colarusso), a passionate photographer, meets a middle-aged woman named Ida (Cornette) after the former delivers a lost letter to her home. Ida has also suffered loss and the two of them warm up towards each other and end up forming a bond. They spend time together, enjoy themselves, share their emotional wounds and appear to have made a great friend in each other. Then Alice discovers that Ida has a disturbing side and she quickly cuts her ties with her. This infuriates Ida and she proceeds to stalk Alice and threaten her. This dark feature from Belgium follows a concept that is common: a person meets a seemingly friendly stranger, who turns out to have bad intentions. The narrative begins as a drama about loss, grief and friendship and then it turns into a stalker psychological thriller. Appoximately the first half is about Alice trying to recover from her mother's passing and the other half is about Ida's wrath. Most of the story takes place inside Ida's isolated house in the countryside and things get quite tense as Ida goes after Alice and lead to nail-biting and life-threatening situations. The pace is a bit slow, which is not a bad thing as it helps in generating drama and suspense. Colarusso is emotional as a quiet person who has just lost her mother and is looking for a way to deal with her loss and initially she seems to have achieved that when she meets Ida. Cornette plays the most complex character in the film and she does so very convincingly. Ida has a lot of things in common with Alice, as Ida is also dealing with loss, which makes her a perfect shoulder to cry on for Alice. Later, as Alice attempts to erase her from her life, Ida reveals herself to be a disturbed and aggressive individual and it is her true colours that dominate the second half of the movie. Gotto's cinematography provides a downbeat feeling and there are some creative lighting techniques. The filmmakers make effective use of slow motion and there are times where the image is out of focus, which has interesting effects. Regarding the soundtrack, Morgan De Carvalho makes a great contribution with the sinister, sentimental and dramatic music and there is also a variety of songs. This film explores loss, grief, frienship, obsession and mental health. It is a dark, tense and dramatic story about an unlikely friendship by two individuals who are united by grief and it turns into a nightmare. The performances by the two leads are strong , the plot is intriguing and the suspense will keep the viewer engaged until the end. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Torn Hearts film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Katey Sagal, Abby Quinn, Alexxis Lemire directed by Brea Grant. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Torn Hearts Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: May 19, 2022 Directed by: Brea Grant Written by: Rachel Koller Croft Starring: Katey Sagal, Abby Quinn, Alexxis Lemire Heartbreak, hardship, hard living and broken dreams — that sounds like a country song. How well does it work for a horror movie? Director Brea Grant (12 Hour Shift ) finds out, with an assist from effortless badass Katey Sagal in the Music City thriller Torn Hearts . Sagal plays Harper Dutchess, country music legend and what remains of the Dutchess sisters, a duo that made it big in the 90s, before tragedy hit. Now a recluse in her Nashville mansion, Harper is none too happy to see upstarts Jordan (Abby Quinn) and Leigh (Alexxis Lemire) show up at her door hoping to record a song with her that will put them on the path to stardom. Screenwriter Rachel Koller Croft stumbled into something fresh with the country music angle. Horror is no stranger to rock music, disco, techno, metal, punk, but country? That’s new. Unfortunately, she repackages a lot of familiar ideas inside that Western fringe. But Grant finds ways to keep things interesting. An authentic soundtrack of music penned by Brittany Allen grounds Torn Hearts in authenticity, while Yaron Levy’s cinematography works the creepy Dutchess mansion for all its gothic, garish Nashville weirdness. Both Lemire and Quinn fit their roles well. As Harper picks away at the young duo’s insecurities, each performer gets the chance to show some range, both physically and emotionally. Sagal steals the show, though. The picture of hard living, Harper manipulates the young musicians with sometimes sadistic ease. Sagal relishes the contempt, crafting a formidable central figure and ensuring rapt attention, no matter what weaknesses the film has in store. Torn Hearts layers its somewhat rote plot points with context about the harsh misogyny of country music, points Sagal’s performance drives home. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Theatrum Mundi film review by UK film critic Isabelle Ryan. Starring Augustin Trapenard, Yéro Mbow, Silène Gerschel directed by Léo Boucry. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Theatrum Mundi Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Isabelle Ryan | Posted on: Sep 2, 2021 Directed by: Léo Boucry Written by: Léo Boucry Starring: Augustin Trapenard, Yéro Mbow, Silène Gerschel Léo Boucry’s short film Theatrum Mundi filters a young man’s coming of age through the lens of commedia dell’arte. The protagonist, named Pierrot (voiced by Augustin Trapenard, played by Yéro Mbow), is fascinated with cinema. He joyfully recounts introducing his girlfriend (Silène Gerschel) to the big screen at a showing of Edward Scissorhands, before bitterly reliving the moment she left him for someone else. That one betrayal shapes his life, and he begins to explore what it really means to be alive. Each performer represents a stock commedia dell’arte character, though some double. Pierrot, the sad clown, narrates the film; Isabella, his girlfriend, is the young lover (doubling as Columbina, Pierrot’s wife); Lélio is Isabella’s lover (also representing the Harlequin, who steals Columbina away); and finally Pantalon, the rich man (here, Pierrot’s boss). Prior knowledge of this form of theatre is unnecessary, as Boucry’s intentions are clear, and the storytelling simple enough to bypass anything that may be lost in translation. Through commedia dell’arte, Boucry explores his protagonist’s belief that birth and death (or, ‘entrances’ and ‘exits’) are life’s only certainties. In between, one must improvise. The film’s title can be understood as “all the world’s a stage”, and by presenting to the audience not only the experience of sitting in a theatre, but also the rich costumes, the visual of deep red curtains such as those that rise and fall between acts, and the interesting (and underused) puppetry, there is a clear feeling of performance and unreality. The protagonist grows up in an implicitly abusive household. The one scene with his parents shows them gesticulating and apparently yelling (the sound is covered by the score and Pierrot’s narration). He retreats to the sanctuary the cinema – and, by extension, movies – provides him. He is raised on films, and once he learns his girlfriend has been unfaithful, he begins to doubt their power. “Life is not like a box of chocolates,” he says. While it is understandable that sharing cinema with a person who eventually betrayed him could lead him to associate only negativity with that which he once loved, it seems strange that the main crux of the film is a man angry with his girlfriend. Of course, he is angry with the world, but it is a woman’s betrayal that pushes him over the edge, that turns film into a source of hurt. Despite the theatrical presentation, the influence of film is clear, not least in Pierrot’s falling in and out of love with the medium. At one moment, he echoes a sentiment from Mathieu Kassovitz’s 1995 film La Haine: “The most important thing is not the fall, it’s the landing.” This parallels Pierrot’s belief that death is one of life’s only certainties and, implicitly, he gets to choose how he dies. Sadly, none of the film references feel embedded in the narrative. Lines and titles are mentioned or paraphrased, but Pierrot’s interest in film could be replaced by something else (perhaps theatre or puppetry, as we see him puppeteering a homemade theatre as a child) and little would be lost. It would have been great to see that passion better represented. As it stands, the commedia dell’arte is much stronger, even solely as a visual. Theatrum Mundi feels both too vague and too obvious. The narration says nothing we haven’t heard before, while the visuals are inventive and often striking: Pierrot’s unchanging makeup forces us to wonder, is this simply a ‘costume’, or has he never had the opportunity to change? There are frustrating flashes of brilliance here, but they are buried in Boucry’s heavy-handed message. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Isabelle Ryan Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

I Saw the TV Glow film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring Justice Smith, Bridget Lundy-Paine directed by Jane Schoenbrun. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS I Saw the TV Glow Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: May 17, 2024 Directed by: Jane Schoenbrun Written by: Jane Schoenbrun Starring: Justice Smith, Bridget Lundy-Paine Fulfilling the promise of 2021’s We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, writer/director Jane Schoenbrun’s follow-up, I Saw the TV Glow , is a hypnotically abstract and dreamily immersive nightmare of longing. Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigette Lundy-Paine) meet as very introverted teens, drawn together by their love of “The Pink Opaque,” a Saturday night series on the Young Adult Network. Maddy’s basement offers shelter from her violent stepdad, while Owen has to join her there in secret, away from the sheltering grasp of his mother (always great to see Danielle Deadwyler) and father (Fred Durst!). Together, the teens escape into the weekly adventures of two young women (Helena Howard, Lindsey Jordan) who connect across the psychic realm to battle monsters sent by the evil Mr. Melancholy. But then the show is cancelled, the basement TV is left in flames on the front lawn, and Maddy vanishes without a trace. As the film wanders through the advancing years and Owen sometimes comments through the fourth wall, Schoenbrun layers Eric Yue’s cinematography and a captivating soundtrack to craft a completely transfixing pastiche of color, light, sound and shadow. Smith (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor A mong Theives) is heartbreakingly endearing, while Lundy-Paine (Bill & Ted Face the Music ) provides a revelatory turn of alienation and mystery. It’s hard to take your eyes of either one of them, with Schoenbrun often framing their stares through close-ups that become as challenging as they are inviting. And that feels organically right. Because Schoenbrun is channelling characters who imagine life as someone else, to again emerge as a challenging and inviting filmmaker with a thrillingly original voice. Worlds’ Fair got our attention – and A24’s. Now I Saw the TV Glow is here to get in our heads. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release, LGBTQ+, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Hilum film review by UK film critic Isaac Parkinson. Starring Audrey Alquiroz, Marijoy Cacho, Bruce Venida directed by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Hilum Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: Isaac Parkinson | Posted on: Apr 28, 2022 Directed by: Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan Written by: Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan Starring: Audrey Alquiroz, Marijoy Cacho, Bruce Venida A hazy, poetic story about performing emotions, and finding something genuine beneath the facade. The film opens with choral music and quick-change images of the cosmos. “Pray to the moon,” a voice tells us, for it controls the tides and the waters of the world, including our tears. We are beholden to the universe, and all inter-connected to the point where the movement of the planets is as meaningful as the movement of our bodies. The effects here are cool and crisp, interchanging the soft-lit images of nature and waves with broad-scope shots of the heavens. The message is succinctly communicated by a particularly effective shot of the earth dropping, becoming a tear in descent and splashing into water. The voices we hear are those of a mother and daughter, who are in the business of mourning. An unusual profession, yet one in demand enough to be passed from one generation to the next. Mourners such as them can be hired for funerals to perform grief and effect the idea that the deceased are more beloved than they actually were. The two sit across from each other, and comically stretch their eyes open to force tears to flow. The mother demands something more authentic from her, unsatisfied with her unconvincingly timid wails. The suggestion that, instead of all this training, she could simply apply Vicks VapoRub to her eyes to bring tears, is quickly dismissed. Immediately following the explanation that it’s all fake, her mother objects to this as cheating. The internal contradiction of this is lost on her, believing their profession to be noble despite its falsity. The funeral is shot beautifully, with the misty light coming through the detailed windows. This cloudy, overcast quality is reflective of the slightly unreal performance of its characters, taking on a surreal or dreamlike appearance. After doing their time at the casket, the two stand outside and eat bananas. Their faces are suddenly cold and unfeeling, although the daughter looks at her mother curiously, wondering how she can conjure such pain and then immediately let it go. After having watched her mother, she now joins in at the next funeral. The group of professional grievers outside apply makeup in a line, as though backstage before a big show. Complementing this, she applies the VapoRub much like they did their makeup. In a particularly startling shot, she is framed by a neon crucifix in the background. The contrived, plastic light emanating from it undermines any genuine projection of divinity, just as she constructs and contorts emotion like a mask. However, this choice of forced sadness is apparently a step too far, as when noticing what she has done, her mother breaks the illusion by slapping her and chasing her outside. Disillusioned by this environment of pressure, she leaves to seek answers and finds a spiritual guide to help rediscover some genuine feeling. Stood on the beach, she is more spiritually connected to nature and to the water from which she has been detached. Here, the misty sunlight is even more powerfully saturated, becoming almost psychedelic at moments. We are drawn into the meditative haze along with her as she reflects on the trauma that has led her to bury her grief. The constant lapping of the waves reminds us of the presence of nature, and the moon’s influence, moving water toward her. She was six years old when she last cried, when her father passed away. Without being able to process her own grief, there is no hope that she could express it for others. Instead she is caught in a cycle of forcing acute sadness until it becomes banal. The intense sunlight grows as she reaches something of an epiphany, revealing the feelings she has been unable to experience. Telling her story, she begins to cry, and with her tears, she is drawn closer to the ocean. Leaning forward at an impossible angle, the introduction of more surreal movement leads to a return of the more expressionistic images of the film’s opening. The tears pulled from the sky are returned to her, and in the closing credits we see tears floating in the cosmos again, finding some balance personally and universally. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Isaac Parkinson Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Ali In Gabbia film review by UK film critic Patrick Foley. Starring Gabriele De Cenzo, Jessica Truda directed by Valentina Galdi. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Ali In Gabbia Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Patrick Foley | Posted on: Sep 7, 2022 Directed by: Valentina Galdi Written by: Valentina Galdi Starring: Gabriele De Cenzo, Jessica Truda Ali in Gabbia (Caged Wings) is a satisfactory, though ironically restricted short film from director Valentina Galdi that skirts close to greatness but is frustratingly prevented from standing out due to a runtime that does not allow its characters to properly develop. A paranoid and possessive young man (Gabriele De Cenzo) with only his pet birds to comfort him reflects on his relationship with his girlfriend (Jessica Truda). He replays one of the pair’s arguments in his head – one caused largely by his inability to keep his anger and bipolar behaviour under control. The argument threatens to spiral – as the reason for his isolation in the present becomes evident. The main issue with Ali in Gabbia is that it feels just a little undercooked dramatically. Viewers are given little context behind the couple’s relationship – other than that Gabriele De Cenzo’s protagonist has created a toxic, tumultuous, and dangerous environment in which Truda’s partner is trapped. His mood swings like a trigger – going from angry, to caring, to furious within the space of minutes. Whilst psychotic swings are far from unimaginable, some extra time developing the character – particularly in his ‘loving’ phase – would give some context as to how someone could get sucked into his world to begin with. It is somewhat cheapening to both characters to rush through the film’s crucial scene as quickly as it does. The film laments on freedom, and the dread that comes when its removal is imminent. The protagonist initially appears sympathetic to his birds and their lives stuck in a cage – to an extent that viewers will find him endearing. But it soon becomes apparent why he is reflecting on this life and what it may mean as a state of existence. It is an effective way to demonstrate his vanity and narcissism to the audience and challenge assumptions about supposedly caring people. The film’s irony is that the man cannot see that he is the cage for his girlfriend, and is preventing her from living a free life with controlling and threatening behaviour. Gabriele De Cenzo performs well in a challenging lead role. His gentleness and sympathetic behaviour towards the birds makes his character endearing, and this is shockingly contrasted in his ability to portray terrifying anger when his character’s real nature emerges. Jessica Truda meanwhile plays the exasperated girlfriend well, and her pushback to De Cenzo’s character leads to a believable conflict. It is just a shame as mentioned earlier that the plot’s breakneck speed means the differing sides to the characters – particularly De Cenzo’s – develop far too quickly and inauthentically, making the performances feel unnecessarily forced at times. It's a shame that Ali in Gabbia rushes through its plot as quickly as it does. Time is always of the essence in a short film – but here the pacing of the film’s key scene is off and this unfortunately impacts the overall feature. There’s a lot of good ideas in this Italian-language offering, but not enough time spent developing them. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Patrick Foley Digital / DVD Release, Short Film, Indie Feature Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >