Mother Maker Lover Taker film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Bridie Shine, Emma-Kate Barry, Peter Broughton directed by India Howland, Will Pinhey. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Mother Maker Lover Taker Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Apr 27, 2024 Directed by: India Howland, Will Pinhey Written by: Will Pinhey Starring: Bridie Shine, Emma-Kate Barry, Peter Broughton A young witch manages to bring her lover back from the dead. This feature-length supernatural horror film has positive and negative aspects. If one begins with the positives, first there is the intriguing plot. Two young women (Shine and Barry) are lovers and they are happily living together in a large house in the countryside. The two women are never named throughout the film and therefore could be addressed as Shine and Barry's character. Shine's character claims that she was raised in a coven, surrounded by witchcraft. Then, one day her lover commits suicide by hanging herself from a tree in the woods. Devastated, Shine's character falls into desperation and starts drinking. After visiting her mother (Elizabeth Griffin), who is supposedly a witch, at the care home, she decides to use magic (that involves nasty tooth extraction) in order to ressurect her lost partner. Apparently it works and she emerges from the ground in the forest. However, shortly after, two more women emerge and they are identical to the deceased woman. The spooky plot and atmosphere certainly add pluses. A woman finds herself living with three identical women, who (in a way) have just been born. Although they look alike, they have different personalities and memories as, for instance, one is friendly and innocent while another is defensive and sceptical. The young witch becomes a sort of mentor to them, setting rules and taking good care of them while they live together in the isolated property. As time goes by, the otherworldly beings begin to question their existence and the tension rises as the worried witch tries to figure out how to resolve this extraordinary situation. The fantastic performances are another strength. Shine is terrific as a woman who is torn apart by loss and wants her partner back and Barry deserves a lot of praise for portraying three doppelgangers, each whith their own beliefs and concerns. What could be classified as bad in this film? The pace is slow and that might be unappealing for some. This is a psychological horror film and the action lies in the self-discovery that the doppelgangers and their creator go through. The story gradually unfolds as the witch struggles to keep things under control while the three look-alikes become more and more out of control. The abrupt and inconclusive ending will probably come across as a let-down. What themes are explored in this feature? Witchcraft is one and so is the devastating experience of loss. Death is another one and another is free will, which is an ability that is learned by the three ressurected ones. Howland also worked on the editing and acknowledgements go to the sections that involve the use of fast cutting and dynamic sound effects in order to create tense moments. Composer Luke Isom makes a good contribution with the sinister score and songs by artists including Hannah Gardner and Dead Rat Society add value to the viewing experience. Overall, this is a horror film with strong acting and an interesting plot and from some perspectives, it is also a lesbian love story. However, even fans of the horror genre might find it hard to deal with the slow pace and disappointing ending. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

An Anthology of Men film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Siddhartha Barman, Meher Ali, Amisha Rai, Arun Thapa directed by Aranyak Chakrabarty. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS An Anthology of Men Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Mar 16, 2024 Directed by: Aranyak Chakrabarty Written by: Aranyak Chakrabarty Starring: Siddhartha Barman, Meher Ali, Amisha Rai, Arun Thapa A unique exploration of life and its complications. This hour-long film from India is surreal and seems to leave many things open to interpretation. The feature is separated into five chapters, each with its own title: Naivety, Finesse, Futility, Distant Echoes, Rebel. The structure is basically five stories that alternate between a car journey. It begins with a man walking in the countryside and entering a vehicle, driving away. Then, after a while, he stops and picks up a guy who is apparently waiting for him in the middle of a forest. The film then moves to the first chapter and when that ends, it goes back to the car moving on a road in the wilderness and picking up another person. As mentioned this feature is surreal. There is no dialogue, not even when characters are apparently communicating with each other. During the sequences with the car, every person who is waiting for the car is standing in the middle of the road, smiling and they carry on grinning as they are in the vehicle, never speaking. Going to the chapters now, the stories, they are surreal and certainly have some awkward moments. Again, there is no speech and they all move at a slow pace, with many long takes of characters doing a variety of actions. Regarding the strange scenes, one involves a man being fond of women's underwear, another a man entering someone else's home and playing with a duck, while another has a cockroach in a toilet. Looking at the stories from a different perspective now. What are the messages that they are carrying? According to a text on FilmFreeway, this film aims to explore nihilism and destiny. How this feature looks into these two concepts might depend on the viewer due to the surreal and unclear ways that things are presented. One example might be the story that includes killing of a duck, indicating that some people are animal lovers while others are not. Another might be the cockroach in the toilet, which might suggest that some people are no better than that. Generally, the film contains bad elements, be it animal cruelty, threats and it also touches on cancer. That might be a way that it deals with nihilism. Regarding destiny, how the film looks into this idea might be harder to acknowledge. Chakrabarty does a great job with the directing and creates many wonderful shots of nature that add value to the viewing experience, as does the emotional music by himself and Bikram Seal that includes piano melodies. As mentioned, there is are no spoken words, however, there is voice-over at the beginning and end of the feature by Dibakar Mukherjee, talking about life and fate. This was intended to be an anthology regarding destiny and nihilism. Does it accomplish that? That probably depends on the viewer's perspective. It is a quiet, slow-moving, surreal journey that will most likely be appreciated predominantly by those who understand and value the art of filmmaking the most. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

How to Train Your Dragon (2025) film review by UK film critic Chris Olson. Starring Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost directed by Dean DeBlois. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS How to Train Your Dragon (2025) Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Chris Olson | Posted on: Jun 9, 2025 Directed by: Dean DeBlois Written by: Dean DeBlois, Cressida Cowell, William Davies Starring: Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost It’s been fifteen years since the first cinematic version of How to Train Your Dragon wowed audiences, with its vivid adaptation of the much-loved children's books from British author Cressida Cowell. Two more animated movies were released, along with numerous TV series, such as Rescue Riders. In 2025, audiences have been given a new adaptation to explore, this live-action remake from director Dean DeBlois (who was also integral in the original movies), begging the question: do we need this? The answer is yes. This is how live-action remakes should be done. A powerful translation of everything that was superb about the original, combined with all the benefits of using all of the actors (not just their voices) and incredible stunts, set pieces, and some seriously swirling camerawork. For those who don’t know the story of How to Train Your Dragon , it is set on a small island called Berk where a community of vikings live. Among them, is Hiccup (in this 2025 film played by Mason Thames), a calamity of a viking whose penchant for messing up has garnered him an unfavourable reputation on Berk. His father, Chief Stoick the Vast (a returning performance from Gerard Butler, who voiced the character previously), is desperately embarrassed by his son’s lack of ability when it comes to defending the village from the dragon pests, who blight their lives with stolen livestock and scorched huts. When an opportunity presents itself to Hiccup to prove his mettle, a downed Nightwing that, if killed, would bring our hapless hero-to-be fame and glory, Hiccup decides instead to show mercy and befriends the dragon he subsequently names Toothless. From there, the pair must navigate the growing hostilities between Vikings and dragons whilst creating their own incredible bond. From the opening scenes of Berk being attacked in the night to the end credits, this 2025 version of How to Train Your Dragon is almost a like-for-like action-remake and that’s really its only downfall. Whilst audiences, especially die-hard fans, will often be upset whichever way a filmmaker goes when remaking a film, there is nothing original on offer here - if you have seen the 2010 animated version, then you have seen this film. Only a few small tweaks have been made, such as Snotlout’s troubled relationship with his father being given more screen time. That being said, every frame of this movie is glorious. It looks and feels just like an adventure film should, with high-velocity action sequences throwing you into freefall set perfectly against poignant moments of Hiccup’s journey towards manhood. The trials that Hiccup and the other young recruits go through are brilliantly shot, creating an intense gauntlet for them to survive whilst in the presence of the always creatively rendered dragons. Butler is sturdy as the Chief, but it is Nick Frost’s depiction of Gobber, Hiccup’s quasi-guardian, that brings the most impressive performance in the film. Mason Thames and Nico Parker (the latter playing Astrid - Hiccup’s love interest) have a terrific chemistry, and their scenes together on Toothless’s back provide engaging moments. If such a gem of an animated film can be given this kind of live-action remake, it gives us hope that others can follow suit. Scorch the soulless cash-grabs and merchandise opportunities and give us this instead, a foray into danger and adventure that glides off the screen. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Chris Olson Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Hard Goodnight film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Jf Davis, Bo Myers, Joseph Rene, Jason Lee Boyson directed by Seth Magana. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Hard Goodnight Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Mar 25, 2023 Directed by: Seth Magana Written by: Seth Magana Starring: Jf Davis, Bo Myers, Joseph Rene, Jason Lee Boyson Two elderly men collaborate with neo-Nazis in order to illegally acquire much-needed money. William (Davis) is a former Hollywood stuntman and actor who now owns a movie theater. However, the cinema is not doing well financially and unless he raises money quickly, he well have to close it permanently. Reluctantly, he is persuaded by his friend Bo (Myers) to do a deed for a bunch of neo-Nazis, which is to rob a van containing church donations. This feature follows a concept that is based on law-abiding people turning to crime out of desperation, which almost always leads to terrible consequences. However, this film is not an adrenaline-filled ride. It is a slow-burning story that focuses heavily on William's character and his strong friendship with Bo. The screenplay follows the two friends as they spend time together, prepare for the robbery and it has a resolution that is a bit overlong. People get hurt and like many films that have a plot about good guys turning to crime, it makes the statement that crime does not pay. There are tense moments, but drama, tragedy and contemplating the past is what mostly dominates throughout. William is quite an intriguing hero, a quiet, lonely former stuntman, who drinks a lot and has a passion for old movies (particularly Westerns), which is evident as he only shows films from the Golden Age of Hollywood at his theater and has a room with movie posters from that era decorating the walls. He is a man who is living in the past and is haunted by a devastating act. Bo appears to be the only person William truly has in his life, who looks out for him, yet has a declining health. Rene has an interesting role as the head of the neo-Nazi group, a calm, calculative and manipulative guy with a unique haircut and an obvious disregard for other people. Director of photography Mason Hunsicker deserves commendations for the cinematography and interestingly, there is a sequence that was filmed in black-and-white. Although this sequence is unexpected, by utilising black-and-white and due to its content, it appears to pay homage to early film noir films. The soundtrack includes a selection of good songs and there is tense and sinister music. Praise also goes to the creativity during the closing credits. With his first feature film, Magana tells an intriguing story about old age, nostalgia, friendship, regrets, neo-Nazism and crime. It is mainly a character study and could be classified as a Western neo-noir crime film. It has interesting characters and strong acting and it pays homage to the Western and film noir genres. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Women Talking film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley directed by Sarah Polley. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Women Talking Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Dec 22, 2022 Directed by: Sarah Polley Written by: Sarah Polley, Miriam Toews Starring: Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley “Maybe sometimes people confuse forgiveness with permission.” With nuanced writing and what may be 2022’s finest ensemble, Women Talking , the latest from filmmaker Sarah Polley, delivers quiet, necessary insight. Polley invites us to witness a secret gathering of women. A select group from an isolated religious community has been chosen to make a decision for the entire sisterhood: do nothing, stay and fight, or leave. For as long as any of them can remember, the women of the flock have been sexually preyed upon and told that they were wrong – they were lying, imagining it, or in league with demons. And they believed this, more or less, until one attacker was caught in the act. Now, while the men are in town bargaining for the release of the attackers, the women must come to a consensus about what to do next. Think of it as 12 Angry Men, only not all of them are angry and not one of them is a man. The entire cast is miraculous. Rooney Mara delivers an unusually gentle performance, while Frances McDormand (who also produces) leaves a heavy weight with her few moments onscreen. Jessie Buckley and Claire Foy are both on fire, one angry at everyone, the second angry enough at the men for everyone. The way Polley, who adapts Miriam Toews novel with Toews, unveils each individual’s motivations is remarkable. Her camera and script linger over moments of compassion and consideration. Women Talking dwells here, as if to point out that these women will offer each other everything the men they know would not. Polley shows respect for these women – not just for their bodies, their agency, their humanity. She shows uncommon respect for their faith. This is what every faith-based film should look like. Though dialog-heavy (as you might expect, given the title), the film never feels stagnant. A languid camera emphasizes the lovely tranquility of the community when the men are absent, but Polley generates palpable tension as time ticks away and the women’s opportunity to make a decision draws to a close. Women Talking is a quietly stunning achievement and a reminder of the power of dialog and respect. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Wolf and the Lion film review by UK film critic Christie Robb. Starring Molly Kunz, Graham Greene directed by Gilles de Maistre. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Wolf and the Lion Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Christie Robb | Posted on: Feb 1, 2022 Directed by: Gilles de Maistre Written by: Gilles de Maistre, Prune de Maistre Starring: Molly Kunz, Graham Greene Gilles de Maistre’s Mia and the White Lion is a stunt. According to RivieraBuzz , it was born out of a conversation between the director and two animal wranglers in which the three realized that there had never been a film featuring a wolf and a lion. So they raised some pups and cubs in front of a camera and developed a script. The story revolves around Alma, who returns to her family’s private island in rural northern Canada following the death of her only living relative, the grandfather who raised her. After the funeral, a plane carrying a circus-bound lion cub crashes on her property. Luckily for the lion, the grandfather had befriended a mother wolf who is happy to nurse the cub as well as her own pup. Once the mother wolf is captured by a group of scientists looking to start a breeding program geared toward releasing more wolves into the wild, the fate of the young wolf and lion is debated. Where do they belong? To provide a well-rounded perspective of this film, I’ve asked my 8-year-old daughter and animal enthusiast, Emmy, to contribute her thoughts. Mom says… I respect the guts of lead actor Molly Kunz. There are many scenes in which she had to get up close and personal with the animals, in some instances picking them up or lying down between them. It’s nuts. Somehow she manages work with the animals while radiating confidence and serenity and looking like a cover model for Faerie Magazine. Props also need to go to animal coordinator Andrew Simpson and his team for keeping everyone safe. Serge Desrosiers’s cinematography is glorious. He captures the four seasons of the forest in such sweeping, breathtaking shots that they made me long to book a vacation. The set design for Alma’s lakeside home is peak cottagecore—cozy, romantic, and nostalgic. The movie, however, seems to suffer from a lack of self-reflection. It explicitly ponders the question of where these animals belong and celebrates the animals’ unlikely friendship amid the wacky circumstances in which it developed (as these two species do not naturally coexist). The use of animals as entertainment in the circus is clearly coded as monstrous. Alma even gives a big speech to this effect at the end to sum up the film. Although they love each other like brothers, it’s only because as babies they were deprived of their liberty by human beings…They managed to be happy in spite of us. Yet… The filmmakers here deliberately manufactured a situation in which the cubs and pups were raised artificially and made to interact with each other for the entrainment of an audience. How is this functionally different than the circus the movie vilifies? Pure cognitive dissonance. The humans really are the weak link in this film. The acting isn’t great and the story is a bit random with logical inconsistencies, stakes that evaporate, and character traits that are dropped suddenly in dialogue because the plot demands it (apparently the lion is afraid of water because…reasons). Some of this was no doubt caused by script revisions necessitated by what the developing animals were willing to do on camera as well as production delays caused by COVID. Ultimately, to me, the film was kind of a beautiful mess. Kid says… I think it was good, but it was kind of confusing cause some of the timeline of events was unclear. I liked the fact that it was really realistic and adorable. Watching a wolf and a lion interact was really cute. The wolf reminded me of one of my favorite kinds of dogs—a husky—and the lion reminded me of my cats Tormund and Pumpkin. Some parts are scary, like when the lion didn’t go into the water and there were guns. But the ending wasn’t devastating. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Christie Robb Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Baby Teeth film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Toyhota Wilcox, Brooke Thomas, Liam O’Brien directed by Alex David. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Baby Teeth Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Nov 15, 2025 Directed by: Alex David Written by: Daniel Evans Starring: Toyhota Wilcox, Brooke Thomas, Liam O’Brien A mother who has suddenly lost her husband to a tragic accident goes to crazed lengths just to see her daughter smile again. Francis (Wilcox) loves her family. In pride of place on the living room wall is her favourite picture of them all together, mother, father, and daughter, smiling for the camera. It comes as a great shock to her, then, when there’s a knock on the door and she is presented with her husband’s head, putting beyond all doubt the fact that he is dead. This information sends Francis into a dangerous tailspin and she begins to obsess about having a new picture taken, of her and her daughter, Alice (Thomas), hopeful that by the time it rolls around she’ll be able to get her to smile again. The thing is, that Francis is a crazed nutbar, and everything she does or says is caught up in a frenzy of hysteria. She’s deliberately overbearing to Alice, and pushes her daughter in emotional and physical ways to get some sort of reaction out of her, all the time reminding her of the impending photoshoot for the new picture to go on the wall. In amongst all of this, the neighbour (O’Brien) is on the prowl outside the door in the hallway, intermittently sticking his head into Francis and Alice’s affairs in the most bizarre ways imaginable whilst offering nothing salient to the plot of the film. Then there’s Francis herself, played by Toyhota Wilcox, in one of the more interesting casting choices that’s ever been made for screen, and by interesting I mean strange and awful. Without knowing Toyhota’s background and self-identification, it’s difficult to pinpoint just why this casting and characterisation was made, as the film doesn’t present or imply any trans rights issues or gender neutral messaging, but what we get instead is a guy in a wig and a dress, putting on a high-pitched crazy voice, and acting hysterically for the whole ten minutes. It could be that this was all done as a tongue-in-cheek joke, to help flesh out the ‘comedy’ in this self-professed comedy horror, but really it just comes off as terribly badly judged. The feel of the film at least has some artistic merit to it, as right from the start we are led into a series of old-timey cinema cards and adverts, complete with dust on the film and crackles on the audio. This leaning towards a 70’s B-movie standard, or video nasty, allows for some leeway in the narrative structure of Baby Teeth , and director Alex David goes all out in exploiting this stylised notion for all its worth. The placing of the shots is also very in-keeping with the style and theme of the film, with things often feeling off-kilter, or at a jaunty angle, to keep the audience off balance. This also leads in to the cinematography and lighting choices which offer a soft-focus, pink-hued, filter to a lot of the scenes, lending a dream-like quality to a lot of what’s going on. All in all, Baby Teeth gets a lot of things wrong and doesn’t present enough of a coherent narrative to entice viewers to want to come and watch it. The characterisation and performance of Francis is just too far out there to be useful in any meaningful way, and there’s not a lot of sense to the plot either. The filmmakers do, at least, have a commitment to their vision that stops Baby Teeth from languishing in the depths of the real video nasties, but only barely. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Hemingway Digital / DVD Release, Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Love Has Nothing To Do With It film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Hanna Azoulay Hasfari, Yossi Yarom directed by Yotam Knispel. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Love Has Nothing To Do With It Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Dec 22, 2025 Directed by: Yotam Knispel Written by: Yotam Knispel Starring: Hanna Azoulay Hasfari, Yossi Yarom A mother is forced to stay inside with her son, who is under house arrest, while she interminably turns things over in her mind and tries to get to the truth of who he is. Rina (Hasfari) is having a hard time of things. She just wants to get out of the house for a little while and maybe run to the shops for a few messages and such, but she can’t. Somebody’s slashed her tyres, meaning that the car isn’t going anywhere, and her next door neighbour is being really difficult towards her, forgetting his commandments and turning his back on her in her time of need. So, Rina turns right back around and goes back inside, faced with the oppressive, stifling air of the house which hasn’t seen an open window or fully drawn-back curtains for quite some time. At home with her, is Dean (Yarom), Rina’s son who is under house arrest and awaiting trial the next day. It has been a long, hard slog being at home with Dean all this time, trying to keep him hidden from view and away from prying eyes, as well as the odd flying projectile, and also having to feed him, clean up after him, and deal with his overt noises and ablutions. Rina is really at the end of her rope, and everything is truly getting her down, so when she decides she wants to hear the story from Dean about his activities and his arrest, she isn’t in the mood for anything but the truth. You see, Dean was arrested on the charge of soliciting and sodomy, for relations he had as a teacher with a pupil. Everybody in the community has heard the news and already found him guilty, and so have been making their feelings felt vocally and violently any chance they get. After a clash with a home-invader, Rina finally faces up to how she feels about the shame her son has brought her. Set up as a pressure-cooker chamber piece, Love Has Nothing To Do With It spends the fifteen minutes it has trying to make the audience as uncomfortable as possible in the home of Rina and Dean. The dark, oppressive interior of the house, which is also mirrored in the mind and face of Rina, is captured clearly by cinematographer, Zohar Mutayn, while the sound design bundles sound upon sound from ticking clocks to crashing crockery, to help keep an unnerved feeling front and centre of the film. Hanna Azoulay Hasfari does a solid job of portraying Rina’s unease, and genuinely looks tired at everything she is having to deal with as the story progresses, while Yossi Yarom is surprisingly indignant as Dean, forced to account for what he has done to people who will never understand. There is a strong sense of direction and scope from writer/director, Yotam Knispel, who brings everything together to fulfil his vision for what Love Has Nothing to Do With It should be. He creates the tension in the house really well, and sets up a scenario that engulfs the viewer entirely when telling his story, using sound and lighting to their fullest to help. Underneath though, there’s a lot missing from the film that is never aired properly, leaving us guessing at most of what is happening behind the scenes. The way that Dean defends himself, and the words that he uses, sow doubt as to his innocence against the charges, while we are left guessing who is at fault, as everybody seems to be to blame in some way. If there is an analogy or a metaphor at work for bigger, more political themes, it is never expressed outright, and if one isn’t there, then everything seems muddled and complicated for no reason, and that in itself would be an opportunity lost. While Knispel’s motivations and themes are right there on the surface, there is no accounting for what is actually trying to be said underneath it all. Naturally, the complicated nature of human relationships precludes the idea that things could be wrapped up neatly in a nice little package, but in the end we’re no wiser or further forward than we were at the start. The idea of a ‘mother’s love’ winning out over all is truly tested throughout the film, but we are never party to any realisations that are made over that time, only that it is difficult for everyone involved. But then again, maybe that is the whole point after all. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Hemingway Digital / DVD Release, Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Stopmotion film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Aisling Franciosi, Caoilinn Springall,TomYork directed by Roberg Morgan. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Stopmotion Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Feb 20, 2024 Directed by: Roberg Morgan Written by: Robin King, Robert Morgan Starring: Aisling Franciosi, Caoilinn Springall,TomYork There will be moments when you’re watching Robert Morgan’s macabre vision Stopmotion that you’ll think you see the twists as they’re coming. That’s a trick. Morgan, writing with Robin King, assumes you’ll catch the handful of common horror twists, but he knows that you won’t predict the real story unfolding. Although you should because he’s given you every clue. Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale ) is Ella. She’d like to make her own stop-motion animated film, but instead she’s helping her mom finish hers. Ella’s domineering mother Suzanne (Stella Gonet, very stern) is a legend in the field, and she makes Ella feel as if she has no stories of her own to tell. But when Suzanne is hospitalized, Ella determines to finish her mother’s film. Her boyfriend Tom (Tom York) sets Ella up in a run down, empty flat where she can work and he can check in on her, bring dinner and take care of her. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Unless Ella really has no stories to tell, or the story she tells is too scary, even for her. Stopmotion delivers a trippy, uncomfortable, and deeply felt tale of a struggling artist. This is a descent into madness horror of sorts, but it’s also the story of an artist coming to a realization about what scares her most. Franciosi’s turn is brittle and often internal. Ella’s insecurities float to the surface, and Franciosi’s unafraid to make the protagonist frequently unlikeable. The dual storylines—live action and animation—are both well told, but the real pleasure is in the gruesomely tactile movie Ella is making. Her characters—wax and feather, bone and blood and ash—come to life in a lumbering, grotesque way that hints at any number of possible horrors. This should come as no surprise to anyone who’s seen Morgan’s animated shorts, including “D Is for Deloused” in ABCs of Death . The animator sees the monstrous possibilities in his medium, clearly. But his feature debut balances that with an existential ugliness in Ella’s real life, and thanks to committed and nuanced performances from the whole small ensemble, both sides keep you riveted. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, Indie Feature Film, Animation < All Reviews Next Film Review >

It'll Never Work film review by UK film critic Chris Olson. Starring Hans Unkles, Dougie Chirnside, Heather Unkles directed by Joe Osborn. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS It'll Never Work Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Chris Olson | Posted on: Apr 9, 2025 Directed by: Joe Osborn Written by: NA Starring: Hans Unkles, Dougie Chirnside, Heather Unkles Set on the West Coast of Scotland, a fisherman called Hans Unkles attempts to pioneer the use of an electric-powered fishing boat by converting a diesel-powered vessel. The technological transformation is far from his biggest hurdle, however, when faced with a bureaucratic nightmare. It’s a journey that may bankrupt and break him but whilst the defeatist wording of the title, It’ll Never Work, may allude to a hopeless endeavour, Hans is ever the upbeat man on a mission. Joe Osborn directs this light documentary that starts out in a similar fashion to an episode of The Repair Shop, with the focus being on adapting an old diesel boat and turning it into a sea-worthy, sun-powered vessel. Hans has a likeable charm as he talks about his history as a fisherman and how he plans to make a bold move that will hopefully inspire the entire industry to make steps towards a cleaner future. What becomes evident quickly is that Hans faces a gamut of red tape from numerous agencies, made all the more complicated as several aspects of the administration needed to set sail do not even exist for a vehicle like his yet. With deadlines looming and funding hanging in the balance, the pressure amps up to see if he can get it registered as an official fishing vessel in the UK. Whilst viewers may feel Hans’s fatigue at all the mention of the paperwork, licences, and safety checks, this bureaucracy is needed to support the documentary’s ultimate message, which is: it should not be this hard to utilise greener energy. There’s a moment in the film where one of Hans’s friends mentions the ironic political resistance which comes with doing things in a better, newer way. There are always lots of promises of “aiming” and “working towards” the exact thing that Hans is trying to do, but they are still ultimately focused on wrapping him in massive costs and their current system. From a filmmaking perspective, It’ll Never Work feels more televisual than cinematic, even with the fantastic coastal locations at their disposal. The music was twee at times but there are moments where it really works, especially when the tunes had a more maritime feel - such as when Hans is playing! The editing, also done by Joe Osborn, was smooth and got the story to where it needed to be. The use of drone footage was particularly impressive. It’s a heartfelt piece that champions a terrific personal struggle to make an important difference at an important time. Viewers will be glad they stick with Hans until the end because his endurance and perseverance are a lesson to us all. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Chris Olson Documentary < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Help Me film review by UK film critic Patrick Foley. Starring Victoria Frederika Slusar, Joris Van Daele directed by Joris Van Daele. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Help Me Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Patrick Foley | Posted on: Apr 21, 2026 Directed by: Joris Van Daele Written by: Victoria Frederika Slusar, Joris Van Daele Starring: Victoria Frederika Slusar, Joris Van Daele Independent rock twosome LOFTPEOPLE’s video for new single ‘Help Me’ is an energetic demonstration of the personalities and talents of singer Victoria Frederika Slusar and multi-instrumentalist Joris Van Daele. The video itself lacks a consistent theme or narrative however, functioning as no more than an accompaniment for the upstart bands’ music rather than a method to develop a deeper story or meaning to the song. The video is set in three locales, wherein Victoria sings powerfully along to the lyrics of the song with the verve and coolness of any great rock frontwoman. We switch from a psychedelic graffiti-covered wall, the inside of a recording studio, and a black and white forest as the video progresses, each allowing spontaneous dance moves and charismatic sing-alongs from Victoria. The video for Help Me succeeds in allowing each member of LOFTPEOPLE to get across their distinct personalities as performers – Victoria Frederika Slusar as a whirlwind leading woman with the heart of a rockstar, Joris Van Daele as the icy-cool lead guitarist who looks like he was born to wear shades. The band’s vibe comes across in the video from their performances, and establishes an engaging and attractive energy for fans who will be able to relate the music to the people performing it. But what is lacking is a more substantive bonding theme or story that acts as a throughline for the 4-minute short film. Whilst ultimately getting the music across is the key goal of any music video, what really makes them succeed is finding a way to compliment and expand on the song’s theme or meaning visually, either through scene-staging, spectacle or by bringing to life the story or message of a song on the screen. Help Me lacks any of these. The settings bare no relation to one another and don’t seem to match up with the song’s content. The monochrome woodland scenes would be much more at home for a band far dourer than LOFTPEOPLE, and feel awkward when switching with the vibrant graffiti wall. There is little sense of momentum or direction in how the band’s performances in the video align in a determinate sense – it is ultimately a collection of moments stitches together to sync with the track. All of which, is absolutely fine – especially considering the band’s independent, do it yourself background which means producing any music video is an accomplishment. The production quality of the video is impressive as well, delivering clear and crisp imagery that platforms the band and allows them to throw themselves fully into the performance. However, it feels like a more developed storyboarding of the ideas underlying the video itself would mean a much more memorable final product. LOFTPEOPLE’s music deserves as such, as it is clear the band is anything but forgettable. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Patrick Foley Music Video < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Sauce film review by UK film critic Helen Samuels. Starring Avigail Tlalim, Michael Workeye directed by Daniel Daniel. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Sauce Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: Helen Samuels | Posted on: Nov 10, 2021 Directed by: Daniel Daniel Written by: Daniel Daniel Starring: Avigail Tlalim, Michael Workeye Two people are on a date. But whether or not they are a couple is the issue at stake. There is one big question mark hovering over Beccs and Josh’s trip to the drive-thru. Are they going to be able to negotiate a form of togetherness which accommodates her practice of polyamory and his preference for monogamy? Beccs’s phone rings insistently as the couple tease each other about who is supposed to be navigating. She is hesitant about taking the call and this is less about dating etiquette vis-a-vis mobile phone usage than whether integrity demands that she reveal her other love interests. Can she whip out the tablecloth of polyamory without the whole relationship crashing to the ground? The script writers have found some better and funnier metaphors to illuminate the quandary - every element of the McDonalds Happy Meal is mined for innuendo. Why should you have to stick to just one ‘sauce’ when you can sample many? Should a fancy for ‘mayonnaise’ preclude an enjoyment of ‘ketchup’? Is a World War III of the condiments about to break out? Josh states his case clearly: “At some point you’ve got to sit down, look at the menu and choose your meal”. The whole short is filmed with one fixed camera angle - the viewer looking in through the front windscreen of the car. Reflected streetlights, tree branches and the headlights of other cars slide by. The McDonalds sign makes an appearance. It is an ultra-minimalist set with nothing wasted. A dangling blue toy gets its moment to squeak and even forms part of the commentary on fidelity. As a premise, a 15-minute two-hander where the action revolves around ordering burgers might not sound gripping but the two lead performances are animated and slyly hilarious. Avigail Tlalim shapes her portrayal of Beccs with an expressive delivery and offbeat humour. Michael Workeye as Josh presents a more measured and affectionately exasperated character. The tone is light but there is a good deal of underlying tension and frustration. Josh wants to seem ‘cool’ about polyamory but fundamentally doesn’t get it. Beccs seems to think that a rational explanation will be enough to bring him round. It would be entirely wrong to frame Sauce as a romantic comedy with ‘will the guy get the girl?’ as the burning question, yet this is the movie Josh seems to think he is in. Beccs steers the narrative in a completely different direction, offering an invitation to reconsider the rules of intimacy and whether exclusivity and longevity have to be the markers of a successful relationship. They are in the same car but on different journeys. In the end, whether the viewer prefers to inflame their nuggets with chilli sauce or smother their McMuffin in mayo, this brilliantly executed drama will provide plenty of food for thought. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Helen Samuels Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >