★★★★ Directed by #TeemuNiukkanen Written by #AnttiToivonen Starring #PirjoLonka, #MatveiGerman, #TommiKorpela Short Film Review by Jack Bottomley Sometimes the best intentions lead to even greater calamity. We’ve all done it, know someone who has or if nothing else have witnessed it play out before our eyes (often at parties or family gatherings)). That person who stresses about something or tries to help, makes it worse and then things get either awkward or rather crazy. Such is the case in this superbly dark Finish comedy short from Fucking Bunnies director #TeemuNiukkanen, Are You Hungry? (Onko Sulla Nälkä?), which is a humorous, unusual and rather sweet #LGBT themed story about assumptions, perceptions, communication and parenting. The story is actually rather simple, as a caring but concerned mother (#PirjoLonka) is increasingly struggling to communicate with her adopted asian son Tomi (#MatveiGerman). As she begins to think he is gay, she works out the best way she can help make things safe for him but soon her efforts seem like they could have taken a dark turn! From the very first minute, this 12-minute short wastes no time in getting things underway and writer (and regular collaborator of Niukkanen) #AnttiToivonen gets right to the heart of the films timely and worthwhile themes. We all want the best for our family, to make it easier for them and we all are guilty of stressing about the smallest and biggest of things. This story sees a mother’s mind quite literally run wild and become centred on fears of online predators and her kid being preyed upon by bad people. But in trying her best to let him be who he is (or at least might be) in the safest way possible, things inevitably get a bit out of control, or do they? From imagination sequences of bare bottoms and some very well shot handmade sandwiches (now there’s a sentence I thought I’d never write), this film has a brilliant absurd edge to it and the script is both heartfelt, a little dark and quite unmistakably funny. Pirjo Lonka as poor old mum is absolutely wonderful. She is very human, very commendable, very funny in her dedication to coming to the rescue and also rather shattering when she believes she has failed in her greatest duty. While a deadpan performance by Matvei German as her reserved lad, is likewise an excellent turn and perfect to help move the story where it needs to go. No doubt some things are a tad odd and some may react a bit differently to this style than others. For instance, a scene inside a flat with a man played by #TommiKorpela, does perhaps push the limits of comfort but I was engaged constantly to see where Niukkanen took his story and was very pleased and entertained by the results. In fact there is even a sense of thrill, when the narrative throws a potentially sadistic detour our way and mum goes all Bryan Mills parent mode. A phenomenal lead performance and supporting one, further brighten an already tight, relatable and wickedly fun short about some very important subjects. Are You Hungry? is well worth consuming!

★ Directed by: #NzinghaStewart Written by: #SamWolfson Starring: #AvaMichelle, #GriffinGluck, #SabrinaCarpenter, #ParisBerelc, #LukeEisner, #ClaraWilsey, #AnjelikaWashington, #RicoParis, #AngelaKinsey, #SteveZahn. Netflix Film Reviews by: Charlotte Little Netflix's Tall Girl centres Jodi (Ava Michelle), a high school junior uncomfortable in her own skin as she towers above her peers at 6ft 1 1/2. Nzingha Stewart's rom-com is a genuine testament to body positivity but falls short in its execution. "You think your life is hard? I'm a high school junior wearing size 13 Nikes." Jodi's narration pangs of privilege, and while pain is both subjective and relative, Tall Girl treats Jodi's height as if it was the worst thing that could possibly happen to a high schooler. Both the film's introduction and tone insinuates that Jodi has grasped the ultimate short straw, leaving her at a disadvantage to the rest of her peers. Jodi's mom (Angela Kinsey) preaches "you just have to be strong in the face of adversity." It's almost enough to make you laugh. Jodi's discomfort with her body echoes to almost anyone who's been a teenager. When Stig (Luke Eisner), a foreign exchange student from Sweden arrives at her high school, Jodi thinks she's found someone who understands her. There's just one problem; the popular girls are pursuing Stig, and 'tall girl' Jodi doesn't stand a chance. Clara Wilsey plays Kimmy, a Regina George wannabe who's responsible for tormenting Jodi since preschool. There's never an attempt of an explanation for Kimmy's harsh nature, with no theories, such as personal insecurities, to explain away her bullying. Stig begins dating Kimmy as a means to be accepted as a 'popular kid', despite his inexplainable feelings for Jodi. There's no apparent chemistry between Stig and Jodi, with the romantic build-up consisting of one High School Musical-esque piano session together. Throughout the film, Jodi's personality isn't explored and developed, magnifying height as her only characteristic. Another distraction within the movie is that it's difficult for viewers to feel sincere sympathy for Jodi. It proves a challenge to take her suggested 'oppression' seriously as when you strip the movie down, Jodi is a 6'1" blonde white girl living in a mansion with a family that cares for her. The much-needed characterisation of Ava Michelle's role is partly owed to the poor dialogue and scripting, with a story that throws away so much potential seen within the cast. Fareeda (Anjelika Washington), Jodi's supportive best friend, is a scene-stealer and charms audiences with her bubbly persona. Still, the audience is never invited to learn more about her, leaving an anticlimactic apprehension whenever Freeda goes out of shot. The love triangle between Jodi, Stig and Dunkleman, Jodi's childhood friend and not so secret admirer, reminds me of John Hughes's Pretty in Pink. Dunkleman and Pretty in Pink's Duckie are both characters who don't understand when to take a hint. The narrative that if a boy is in love with a girl, then that girl should give him a chance and love him back, is a tired and outdated take: a take that needs to be banished from future teen flicks. Offering very little in the way of romance or comedy, Tall Girl misses a trick with its lazy yet somewhat insulting storytelling. The most relatable line comes from a childhood flashback scene, where a young Jodi playing the keyboard declares "and that's why I want to be just like Taylor Swift when I grow up". Swift's hit song 'Fifteen' resonates more than the 102 minutes I endured watching Netflix's leftovers. #CharlotteLittle

★★★★ Directed by: #XiaMagnus Written by: #XiaMagnus Starring: #AinaDumlao, #JayneTaini, #JustinArnold, #JonViktorCorpuz Film Review by: Darren Tilby Sanzaru may be set on a farmhouse, in the rural state of Texas, in modern-day America, but it owes a great deal to the Gothic-horrors of yore and plays out decidedly like one. For here, in Xia Magnus’ psychological horror, the ghosts inherit the bones of the house; residing in its halls and walls and memories. Detailing the crumbling remains of the Regan household, whose matriarch, Dena (a brilliant run from Jayne Taini), is engulfed by dementia and reliant on home care. And, whose daughter, Susan (Tomorrow Shea), has moved away, and whose son, Clem (Justin Arnold), is living out of a trailer and seemingly uninterested in caring for his mother. But it’s through the eyes of home-care worker Evelyn (a fantastic lead performance from Aina Dumlao) that we see the erosion, and eventual breaking down, of this family unit. A woman with her own demons and whose mental state soon starts to become entwined with that of the house. There’s something inherently gothic about the way Sanzaru presents itself. The isolated rural setting, the dark family secrets, and the slow-burning suffocation of its all-enveloping atmosphere seem to take influence from movies like The Innocents, The Others, and the more recent, The Little Stranger. It has, of course, transitioned away from the opulence of the stately home to more modern and modest dwellings. It’s a transition that works well here and the film benefits from some beautiful cinematography from Mark Khalife which helps keep the film entrenched in its gothic roots with some gorgeous framing and slow, purposeful camera movements. But it’s Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs’ original score that really steals the show. Her work, a masterpiece in anxiety-ridden foreboding, is full of sinister and ominous-sounding tracks interspersed with uncomfortably long silences. It grabs the viewer from the very beginning and refuses, at any point, to let go. Where Sanzaru lacks is in the storytelling, or to be precise, in concise storytelling. By the end of the film, several things still remained unanswered (stuff I can’t discuss without going into spoiler territory), and because of this, the payoff is quite disappointing. This disappointment is only exacerbated by the fact that this is a real slow-burner of a movie, and with the amount of build-up throughout the film, it can leave the viewer feeling more than a little deflated. While the third act may be disappointing, if you like simmering-pot horror (as I do) and can enjoy the journey – the build-up of dread throughout the first two acts – there’s a lot to like about Sanzaru. There’s no jump scares here and no over-the-top, evil entities. In fact, it’s up for debate whether there’s even anything supernatural going on at all. What there is, however, is a well-crafted and thought-provoking piece on the fragility of the family unit that will stay with you long after it finishes.

★★★★★ Directed by: #SamMendes Starring: #GeorgeMacKay #DeanCharlesChapman #BenedictCumberbatch #AndrewScott #ColinFirth #MarkStrong #RichardMadden Film Review by Jasmine Holly Bullock 1917 Movie Review Sam Mendes’ WWI film, 1917, is hands down one of the most extraordinary films you will ever see. The film has received a whopping 10 Oscar nominations! Some of the nominations include Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay and Best Original Music Score. All these nominations are well-deserved. 1917, follows soldiers Lance Corporal Schofield and Lance Corporal Blake, respectively played by George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman, during the approximate 24 hours they have to relay a very important message to another regiment. Getting to this regiment means going through enemy territory. With 1,600 soldiers’ lives at stake, the two men set off on their almost impossible mission. MacKay’s performance was truly great and he carries the story well, he stole the show for me which was surprising considering how phenomenal the cast is. There were marvellous, albeit brief, appearances by very high calibre actors, such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Scott, Mark Strong and Colin Firth. The soundtrack was brilliant and complimentary for each scene it accompanied; the song ‘Engländer’ is particularly adrenaline-fuelling. The sound editing was also very impressive; the sounds of the gunshots were so powerful that I flinched every time I heard one due to the force of it. It’s no surprise 1917 is also Oscar nominated for Best Sound Editing. Yet, the cinematography was the best thing about this film. Mendes stated that it was intended to seem as if the film was shot in one take so that the audience could really be immersed into the experiences of the characters by seeing it as close to real time as possible. This was an ambitious goal and must have taken a huge amount of planning and skill, not only on the directors’ part but also on the part of the cameramen and editors. The film was not actually shot in one take. You can tell which moments in the film would have been impossible to do so and these are the only moments when there are slight breaks in the otherwise constantly smooth filming although, I don’t think this lessened the quality of the film in any way. This continual stream of filming is so visually attractive, furthermore it’s such a unique technique, because I can only think of two other films that have done this, which are Birdman and Victoria, the latter of which actually was shot in one take. 1917, was a hard but enjoyable watch. The film wasn’t too long, with a run time of 1 hour and 59 minutes, this was rather nice. The story didn’t drag; it was all straight to the point and didn’t waste time on any unneeded self-indulging moments. Every moment served a purpose. It seemed truthful and therefore impactful. Approximately 9 million soldiers and 7 million citizens in total were killed during WWI. On the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 19,240 British soldiers were killed. When you look at the incomprehensible amount of deaths that took place, and consider that WWI happened over 100 years ago, it gets hard to not view the people involved as just a bunch of statistics. Presumably, not many Millennials personally know someone who was involved in WWI either, which makes the loss harder to imagine. However, stories like these help us to remember that each of those numbers were an individual person with their own life and loved ones waiting for them to come back home. 1917 reminds us of those who came before us and how they fought... and it does it so artistically well. #JasmineHollyBullock

★ Directed by #JoeLeone Starring: #AngelicaAdams #JustenChu #RemiaraEve Film review by Nathanial Eker Before tackling the meaty content of Parched 2: Hangry, I must confess that I’m not au-fait with its predecessor. That said, a Google’s worth of research seems to show that it’s unlikely to matter, as the sequel not only features no returning cast members, but its dire execution of an already basic premise will leave viewers starved of entertainment. A found footage horror film is the perfect candidate for a low budget indie flick; indeed, some of the most successful chillers of all time have been created with startlingly low production values. Unfortunately, those films also possess coherent dialogue, convincing acting, and crucially, they’re effectively frightening. The scariest part of Parched 2 was when I looked at my watch and realised I was only half an hour in. With an eyebrow raising-ly similar premise to the disturbing cult classic Cabin Fever, Parched 2 revisits many a long-retired horror cliché, but most obviously, 'the horny young people at the lake'. Sadly, we’ll find no machete wielding maniacs in hockey masks here, as a virus that causes extreme hunger is the unseen antagonist. Our final girl is Ligeia (Eve) who demonstrates an unfathomable level of pretentious irritation throughout, matched only by her equally annoying friends. There isn’t even a dark gratification to be taken when they all start inevitably giving in to that zombie-esque hunger, as the performances are too poor to even find anyone unlikable. You just don’t even believe for a second that these people are anything by actors; put simply, the film develops a famine of convincing characters. While there initially appears to be some fun commentary regarding the priorities of the tech happy youth of today, this quickly dissolves into clichés that were dated the minute that they were introduced. They smoke weed, they tell scary stories, they have sex; blah, blah, blah; we’ve seen this too many times. Being generous, the script is mostly serviceable in the sense that it moves from A to B coherently, but the dialogue and characters are so poorly written, that the film drags far longer than any eighty-minute movie should. There are also moments totally devoid of logic; why does the camera operator simply watch as his friend is devoured? Why do they barely react to anything until their final chum succumbs to the virus? And why, oh why, does Xavi bring a horrendous liquid virus that reacts with water, on holiday with him, to a lake? Parched 2 is a case study for the importance of the redrafting process, if ever there was one. Does this film offer any redeeming elements? To give credit where due, the gore effects are actually quite nasty, and there is one singular joke near the climax that lands. Otherwise, there is little to gorge on in this bloated, misguided mess. As a horror film, it fails on almost every level; there is no effort to create spooky lighting, dramatic tension just does not exist, music is almost entirely absent, and even its jumpscares are ineffective. While it looks like the cast and crew had a ball making Parched 2, the audience experience is quite the opposite. If you feel like ravaging a new horror film, make sure to chow down on something better than this sloppy found footage dud. #NathanialEker

★★★★ Directed by #LukeLorentzen Written by #LukeLorentzen Starring #FerOchoa #JosueOchoa #JuanOchoa Film Review by Hope Madden For a population of 9 million, Mexico City keeps only 45 official ambulances. Private ambulances compete with each other to fill the need for additional resources. Midnight Family rides along with the Ochoas, one family making their living transporting the injured to government and private hospitals around the city. Do they have training? The equipment they need to tend to a medical emergency? Hell, they may not even have gas. The nuance of the act of goodwill or commerce tightens the film’s emotional grip. As one member of the team worries over an infant while police question the father, clearly unable to pay for these services, it’s obvious that the Ochoa family takes its life saving mission seriously. At the same time, every action is calculated: how to beat another ambulance to an accident, how to evaluate each situation to best secure payment, which hospital will be the most forthcoming with payment, which police are willing to alert them to accidents in return for a bribe. It all sounds seedy until you realize what would happen to the injured without them. And while you’re weighing the ghoulish balance between money and mercy, director Luke Lorentzen shows you just how a high speed chase should be filmed as 17-year-old Juan races and weaves his ambulance through traffic to beat another unit to the scene. (Honestly, you’d think a group of people this well-informed on the ills of Mexico City’s healthcare situation might be a little less daring!) Juan is all business, a savvy worker with ambition and wisdom to share with his little brother Josue, who rides along at night instead of getting ready to go to school. In these moments, when family members cobble together enough cash for a dinner of tuna on saltines before going home to shower without hot water, the larger context and struggle takes shape. An urgent portrait of a system in collapse, Midnight Family also uncovers one family's raft of hope amid an ocean of desperation. #HopeMadden

★★★★ Directed by #FerasFayyad Starring #SalimNamour #AmaniBallour Film Review by George Wolf A mother wails in agony over her dead son. A child, sick from a chemical attack, cries for his mother. The bombs of the Syrian Civil War keep coming, bringing more dead and injured civilians, and inside a makeshift underground hospital known as The Cave, the attending physician wonders aloud if God is really watching over them. Director Feras Fayyad returns to the Syrian battlegrounds for a film that is perhaps even more unsettling than his Oscar-nominated Last Men in Aleppo. And while it is not enjoyable to watch, its grip is only strengthened by the heartbreaking relief you feel when it ends and you're free to return to your life. Fayyad's camera moves with frantic precision through the underground tunnels where Syrians have fled since 2013, when "the streets became battlefields." With an unflinching, verite-style eye, Fayyad follows Dr. Amani Ballour much as he followed the "White Helmet" volunteers in Aleppo. But here, Dr. Amani's fight to save lives and foster change also encompasses the systemic sexism she's been fighting all her life. Dr. Armani saw pediatrics as "a righteous outlet for her anger," and her experiences provide several juxtapositions Fayyad wields to great effect. Inside a world unfit for children and a religious doctrine used as a "tool for men," a subtle humanity is revealed, one that refuses to waver amid constant waves of inhumanity. Oscar-nominated this year for Best Documentary Feature, The Cave is among the most rewarding kicks in the gut you're likely to experience. #GeorgeWolf

★★★ Directed by #GilleKlabin Written by #CarlWLucas Starring #JustinLong Film Review by Brandon Thomas For a split second there in the early 2000s, Justin Long seem primed for stardom: Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, Drag Me to Hell and Live Free or Die Hard. His nervous charm mixed with casual handsomeness made him instantly relatable. The Wave might not be a major studio movie like the aforementioned, but Long brings his classic charisma with him to this trippy sci-fi comedy. Long stars as Frank, an attorney for a large insurance company. He’s about to have the best day of his career after finding a way for the firm to avoid paying out a large policy. To celebrate, Frank and a co-worker (Scrubs’ Donald Faison) go out on the town where they eventually find their way to a house party. At this party, Frank is reluctantly introduced to a new drug that turns his world into a living hallucination. With his job, marriage and life on the line, Frank races around town attempting to undo the mess caused by the drug. The Wave walks a fine line between various genres. For most of its running time, the film resembles many mainstream comedies from the last two decades. Long plays the kind of lovable chump that wouldn’t feel out of place in the latest Judd Apatow flick. He’s a dirtbag, but a pretty harmless dirtbag. For a time, avoiding the wrath of his overbearing wife seems like Frank’s biggest obstacle. But only for a time. The movie switches gears fairly seamlessly into a more sci-fi realm as the severity of Frank’s situation becomes more apparent. Visual effects play a large part, but director Gille Klabin also gets a lot of bang for his buck with simple in-camera effects. Frank’s jumps through time are more often than not sold through basic edits. Not only does this help keep the “weird” more grounded, but it also keeps the audience in Frank’s shoes as these strange things continue to happen to him. The film threatens to stall when it begins to veer into a message about fate, the decisions that people make and where that leads them. The theme is muddled and never does more than distract from the fun core sci-fi elements. Primer this ain’t, and rightly so. The Wave has aspirations of telling a complex story about good people who make bad decisions. While that message never quite lands with much impact, the movie is still a moderately fun sci-fi romp. #BrandonThomas

★★ Directed by #AdilElArbi #BilallFallah Written by #ChrisBremner #PeterCraig #JoeCarnahan Starring #WillSmith #MartinLawrence Film Review by Hope Madden It’s been 17 years since we last checked in on Detective Mike Lowery (Will Smith) and his goofy partner Marcus (Martin Lawrence). One of them has intimacy issues. One of them always wants to retire. They drive recklessly around Miami and wreak general havoc. In those 17 years, Generation X has gotten old. Marcus has a grandbaby now and wants to retire again. Then Mike is almost killed, so now Marcus really wants to retire. That means frustrated Mike, desperate to reestablish his manhood by finding the guy who tried to kill him, must team up with Miami PD’s new superteam, AMMO. That’s right, AMMO, which stands for literally the most attractive group of police officers in the history of crime. They’re tech-tactical. They have a drone and shit, and no one would ever notice a drone flying into the abandoned warehouse while they do an arms deal. But Mike don’t play that. He’s old school. And old. You know he’s old because he’s always wearing long sleeved shirts and jackets in Miami. Is Bad Boys for Life ludicrous? Oh, hell yes. Luckily its casual sexism and jingoism are offset by its refreshing pro-violence stance. Directors Adil El Arbi and Bilail Fallah—whose Shakespearean take on Brussels gang violence, Black, is well worth finding—offer no such lyrical balance of carnage and emotion here. It’s actually hard to imagine a film franchise so single-mindedly opposite of their insightful gangster drama. It's clear the marching orders were: get the bad boys back together, blow stuff up and trade quips! Fine, but who ordered all the forced ridiculousness and tonal whiplash? Saddled with a breathtakingly by-the-numbers script by committee (Chris Bremner, Peter Craig and Joe Carnahan), the directing duo punctuates dramatic moments with comic relief, distract from a weak story with nonsensical car chases and explosions, and when all else fails, fall back on daddy issues. Don't look at the credits and you'd swear Michael Bay directed this movie. (Bonus: Bay has a cameo.) The film broaches interesting themes as one partner turns to God while another turns to bloodthirsty vengeance in the face of death. But Lawrence, ever the sloppy sidekick, makes clear that spirituality and peace are only fodder for jokes and neither partner will regain his manhood until there’s a massive weapon between his legs and he’s shooting Mexicans out of the sky. Will Mike learn to love? Will he whip his tech-savvy and law abiding new team into shape (that is, help them to embrace lethal and mainly illegal justice)? And finally, can we expect more of this? Maybe. Whatcha gonna do? #HopeMadden

★ Directed by: #NicholasMaude Written by: #FionaLynn Starring: #SamuelKellyIV, #BaoTieu Short Film Review by: Corey Bulloch Awkward forced comedy desperately trying to evoke the iconic writings of Quentin Tarantino and Shane Black crammed into stilted framing, Red Mustang from director Nicholas Maude has little on offer. Entirely focusing on a conversation between two undercover police officers Jay and Tyler in a parked car, Maude has the film edited to cut with every new line of cringe dialogue but it does nothing to create an engaging rhythm to the film. Bao Tieu as Tyler is the chill, laid back detective while Samuel Kelly IV is the more straight-laced cop Jay who finds his partner’s attitude baffling. The whole film is a riff of snappy back and forth between Jay and Tyler trying to force comedy out of the whole notion of undercover police work and how their two personalities clash. It’s all very obvious with Kelly and Tieu having next to no chemistry or believability in their delivery. Fiona Lynn’s writing feels very much like “scripted banter” and the dialogue never establishes a tangible basis of realism for the audience to invest in. It all feels obviously performed from the enunciation to the body language which just undercuts the intended natural flow to this type of repartee, making the characters feel hollow. The cinematography locks the look of the film between two shots of Tieu sitting in his seat, and Kelly sitting in his seat, cutting back and forth repeatedly as Maude is unable to offer any visual flair in Red Mustang. The script focuses on creating humorous conflict between these two characters and quickly establishing the stakes of how they can’t mess up their next stakeout; Red Mustang operates more like a sketch than a short film. The payoff to the character’s story acts more like a deflated punchline to a joke the audience stopped paying attention to. The observational comedy between Jay and Tyler isn’t particularly funny and often aims for low brow humour with Bao Tieu and Samuel Kelly IV performance’s coming off as very derivative. Maude isn’t able to direct Red Mustang with any charisma either as the combination of static shots against hackneyed characters just make for a short forgettable experience. Red Mustang wants to be snappy and quick on its feet, hitting the audience with the goods and dashing out like a comedic stylish smash and grab. Unfortunately, the film is left without any notable style or engrossing characters and just leaves everything in the shadows of its obvious inspirations. #CoreyBulloch #Shortfilm

★★★ Directed by: #AleixBuch Written by: Aleix Buch Starring: #JuliaMolins, #JosepMAlejandre and #VeronicaRobles Short Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Hope Movie Review The mind is a fragile thing. You can be sane as you like one day, then suffer a touch of trauma and that’s it, gone, you have lost your mind forever. Pleasant dreams everyone. The point being the mind is a crazy thing; it will do anything to protect itself, it creates pain to make you fix the body it lives in, it creates hunger to make you stop, sit and replenish, and it also can create fun little mazes within your subconscious in order to protect you from some sad memories, like when they cancelled M.A.S.H. Writer/director Aleix Buch has decided to investigate this fun mind game in the new short film Hope. Hope opens with the tale of a young girl, she has been through trauma, she has seen some stuff, maybe the Nazis threw her jewellery into the river in front of her, or she only just realised Little Chef is no longer a restaurant chain, either way...she is sad, and her way of dealing with that is to be interviewed on a TV show. Her reality seems shifted, she seems to not be connected to the world around her, she clearly has been affected deeply by her past and although that could be storyline enough we are thrust into storyline B. A man who watches the news, watches the tale of this young girl in front of him, but it’s not long until he decided to take a stroll to see her, oh and he is packing heat...like you do. As a short movie, Hope has visuals and camera angles that any film nerd is going to go heavy over, Buch is a natural behind the camera, angles and lighting styles are implemented to make us feel uncomfortable, from intimate close ups, to distorted angles that allow the audience to feel that everything is not quite as it seems. An atmosphere of disillusion and discomfort scream at you from the screen. And while this is all good and essential to quality #filmmaking, I as an individual don’t seem to really get the storyline, as enjoyable as it is, there seems to be a lot of essential information left out, and while I’m all for questions being left unanswered and #filmmakers not treating the audience like idiots, it would be nice to have a little more of an idea into what is the drive behind the characters’ actions. Hope is a stunning piece of filmmaking, Buch is a force to be aware of in the movie industry, and me, well I’m off to find Mars delight pictures on the internet and deal with my trauma...because if I don’t, well who knows what could happen. #RachelPullen

★★★★ Directed by: #SebCox Written by: Seb Cox Starring: #JohnAndrews, #OliviaSewell, #LaurenceMcCartney Short Film Review by: Corey Bulloch A surreal yet poignant vision from writer-director Seb Cox about mental health and the isolation of emotional trauma. We see Harry dressed in a white dress shirt and black slacks but adorning a robotic helm in the style of vintage 1950’s tin robot stands motionless against the mundane backdrops of his existence. Harry Bot 9000 initially may seem like a quirky tale about a person hiding from their emotions through a character like 2014’s Frank but quickly the reality to this insanity becomes eerily clear. Harry suffers from depersonalisation disorder and Cox has the film represent a mind at war with itself as the imagery and editing emphasises the character’s refusal to confront his truth. There are lots of visual techniques on display that makes Harry Bot 9000 an interesting viewing, how it has the audience contemplate what is real as Harry’s mind continues to unravel. The imagery of robots, stop signs, morning routines all speak to the themes of automation and how Harry wants to forgo his own freedom in the aftermath of his trauma. Cox’s direction and editing have scenes bathed in red, green, intercut with flashbacks as Harry and his former partner Lucy be visited by a psychiatrist character. Although Laurence McCartney’s performance feels disembodied and we never see the character's eyes, questioning whether the psychiatrist is another piece of Harry’s broken psyche, an extension beyond the robot. Despite how strange the film can get, Cox does deliver clarity to Harry and Lucy’s story with a tragic reveal that places new tragic contexts on the film’s distinctive imagery. Performance-wise, Harry Bot 9000 is grounded in its ominous editing and cinematography by the detached but layered performance from John Andrews as Harry and the affection from Olivia Sewell as Lucy. Andrews keeps his performance as Harry intriguing, never letting the monotony become too disengaging and making his sudden emotional outbursts feel realistic rather than overcompensation. Sewell’s performance is the lightning rod for the audience and Harry in the surreal emotional nightmare of his fractured mind as she refuses to be part of the fantasy he has concocted for himself. Cox uses this to make the imagery more effective as Harry loses control of his own identity around her, editing revealing the robot helm to be a figment of his imagination rather than a physical extension of his delusion. Sewell’s character is how Cox delivers the message in how grief is not a journey to be taken alone, Lucy’s presence forces memory and reality to bleed through the editing and Harry’s perceptions. A well-edited, directed piece from Cox who effectively uses his imagery in a minimalist way that doesn’t have Harry Bot 9000 descend into pure pretentious drivel. Its themes of mental illness, connections, and routine resonate through the performances and in how Cox directs the audience through all the bizarre symbolism. Delivering an important message on the importance of communication and loved ones in our most vulnerable moments. #CoreyBulloch #Shortfilm