★★★ Directed by #JustinDec Written by #JustinDec Starring #ElizabethLail #JordanCalloway #TalithaElianaBateman Film Review by #GeorgeWolf Who takes the time to read all those terms and conditions, amirite? Countdown knows we just agree without reading, and has a little fun with the notion that some of us could pay for that….WITH OUR LIVES!! Smartphones have become such a crutch in everyday life that “our phones want to kill us” is an inevitable – and perfectly understandable – horror premise. For his first big screen feature, writer/director Justin Dec uses it as the basis for a rewrite of The Ring with an unexpected side trip into Conjuring territory. TV vet Elizabeth Lail takes the Naomi Watts lead as Quinn, a rookie RN who’s still mourning her mother and trying to be a supportive big sis to the teenaged Jordan (Talitha Eliana Bateman). The mysterious death of one of her patients leads Quinn to download the urban legendary Countdown app. The verdict? Less than three days to live, which means Quinn and the similarly-fated handsome dude she met at the phone store (Jordan Calloway) have to learn the origin of the video tape I mean phone app so they can figure out how to opt out without penalty. Look, The Ring was great PG-13 horror (in fact, one of the best). While Countdown isn’t nearly as effective, it gives today’s high school horror crowd their own version, and some decent creeps and jump scares to spur date-clinging. For the rest of us, the film benefits from the comic relief of one smug phone guy (Tom Segura) and a priest (P.J. Byrne) who’s eager to battle demons. And it’s when those demons are conjured that Countdown finds a fun groove to call its own, with Dec ultimately managing to write himself a clever enough way out of these deadly terms and conditions. So read before signing, or you never know what’s next. Timeshare: sign up…and your time’s up!

★★ Directed by #TimMiller Starring: #LindaHamilton #ArnoldSchwarzenegger #MackenzieDavis #NataliaReyes #GabrielLuna Film review by Nathanial Eker When Sarah Connor, her son John, and a reprogrammed T-800 destroyed Skynet in 1991, the repercussions of their actions incited more than preventing Judgement Day. The legacy of sci-fi masterpiece Terminator 2: Judgement Day has allowed nearly three decades of creative desolation, misdirection, and laziness. Seven screenwriters across three films (not including the flawed yet ambitious Salvation), have dunked their heads into the grey post-apocalyptic sand, failing to craft anything more than a pale imitation of James Cameron’s magnum opus. Regrettably, despite the return of fan favourite Linda Hamilton (doing a much better Sarah Connor than a certain Targaryen queen), Terminator: Dark Fate is more synthetic than its cyborg namesake; a re-tread of a better film twenty-five years its senior. Sarah Connor must learn to accept the help of a hulking Austrian quip-machine, as she defends a youth destined to become the messiah from a stony-faced liquid metal attacker. Sound familiar? The script's ‘differences’ are so superfluous that it’s borderline insulting. With the exception of the surprisingly compelling inclusion of enhanced human Grace (Davis), every beat is derivative, with only the most rudimentary changes made to justify its existence. For example, Skynet competitor ‘Legion’, becomes our new faceless AI antagonist, despite suspiciously manufacturing nearly identical enemies and boasting the most generic evil company name possible. More creative risks are taken during a particularly spicy game of monopoly. Looking past its originality vacuum, Dark Fate at least delivers its sluggish, derived script with a certain panache. Mackenzie Davis shines as an exhausted yet determined Grace and Hamilton returns to her iconic role with a justified rustiness and a sense of crippled defeat. That said, the group dynamic is frustratingly underwhelming with little in the way of camaraderie. ‘New John Connor’ (yes, they actually say that), Dani is largely at fault, as Natalia Reyes offers the group’s blandest performance despite her vital role requiring more effort than daytime television acting. Schwarzenegger unsurprisingly fares better, as nostalgia-vision inevitably interferes with our impartiality circuits. Ironically, despite ample character growth opportunities for the human cast, Arnold’s robotic arc offers the strongest emotional development and the closest thing to a soul Dark Fate has. Miller delivers his trademark comedy, mostly by subverting the role of the once terrifying T-800 with amusingly trivial dialogue. These scenes aside, Dark Fate is a mostly joyless affair, despite lacking the gritty palette of T2, or the gorgeous neo-noir aesthetic of the 1984 original. Miller favours bland colours that typify the modern blockbuster, reflected by glossy yet uninspiring action. Few sequences feel truly nail biting and all encounters with the Rev-9 lack suspense; if a mid-air plane attack can’t sell us on its danger, nothing will. Even glimpses of the bleak future suggest a thoughtlessly bog-standard apocalypse, as the writers waste the opportunity to introduce a legitimately new threat, instead recycling a near identical Armageddon. The saving grace (aside from Grace), is the soundtrack; a timeless vessel for nostalgia. The main theme is usually Arnold-centric which, while admittedly cynically manipulative, does inspire a childlike glee that makes it hard not to discharge a guilty smile. Ultimately, Terminator: Dark Fate is identical to every other Terminator sequel. Its uninspired story is unsurprisingly a dull retelling of perhaps the greatest sequel ever made, with few transparent edits. A mixed bag of performances, dull action, and an overlong runtime will serve to make this little more than a footnote in the bloated, limping franchise’s never-ending history. It’s probably the best sequel since T2, though that’s not exactly high praise. Like its countless contemporary cash-grab colleagues, it leaches every inch of creativity from a masterful work of art, feeding a nostalgia hungry public who refuse to support anything but recognisable iconography and 80s catch phrases. If the upsettingly inevitable sequel can’t offer anything fresh, the series’ termination will be long overdue. Film Review by #NathanialEker

★★★★ Directed by: #BenBloore Written by: #BenFowkes Starring: #MarkTunstall, #SteveWood, #TinaHarris Short Film Review by: #AmberJackson McKinley Movie Review Detailed, dramatic and devastating, McKinley is reminiscent of an ITV thriller, with a successful cocktail of suspense, mystery, specific direction and subtle acting skills, all making it a release worth watching. The narrative opens on a broken family; a mother/son duo residing in fear over the man of the house and the abuse that he imparts upon them. Fast forward a minute or so and an entirely unpredictable tragedy strikes, inviting police scrutiny. Here enters Detective McKinley, who is seemingly impressive and attentive at his profession, but has a troubled past that infringes upon the narrative, leaving viewers craving more information, whilst being starved of the truth. Ben Bloore’s production allows the entire tone of the piece to feel like the introduction to a successful feature length, a dramatic snapshot of quick escalation with sharp cinematography. Each shot has been expertly edited together by Nick Archer in rapid succession, incorporating close-ups with blinking flashbacks so that the audience is provided with insight into the backstory of the detective. Set detail is also very impressive, yet again the location looking and feeling like that of a well-received drama. Production designer Sophie Black uses the nice house with a beautiful view and scenes with an abundance of woodland to create a chilling atmosphere so that, when the story delves deeper, audiences are completely engrossed. Narratively, the #shortfilm completely engages and captivates its viewers with dramatic irony and uncertainty. Each character’s story arc is woven together, ending through the eyes of the detective and how his own background ties into the initial plot. The complexity of this results in a lot of unsaid dialogue, which proves to be entirely effective as nothing is over-explained, or pointlessly included. The subtlety of each actor and their mannerisms provides further insight into each character from the offset. Mother and son have a seemingly close relationship that is untimely interrupted by their joint fear of Dad, Craig Fisher, arriving home. Steve Wood was instantly repellent as Craig, balanced by Tina Harris’ emotiveness to illustrate a hopeless Emma, broken and battered by torment. Mark Tunstall, too, creates a complicated and character for the misunderstood detective that sparks copious amounts of sympathy with his external frustration and his concealed vulnerability. My only reservation with this short is that it would have been nice to see more diversity on screen. I cannot shake the feeling that this film is missing a trick here and will potentially fail to resonate with wider audiences. McKinley ultimately proved to be a very interesting snapshot. It would be brilliant as a feature length film, as there is great potential for each character to be extended and developed. Audiences would benefit from seeing a greater story arc, from the Fisher family and Detective McKinley, and the film would surely be successful because of this. This short film is one to watch out for and it is an exciting prospect to see where it will be taken in the future.

★★★★★ Directed by: #VRRao Written by: V. R. Rao Starring: #JonahRobinson, #LilyPaige, #MaximilienKafel, #JayManus, #RamaVallury Short Film Review by: Chris Olson Abyss Movie Review Intense and skillfully assembled, short film Abyss from #filmmaker V. R. Rao is a remarkable and dramatic spin on the "gifted" genre. Think a condensed Chronicle with a stronger romantic thread and you are somewhere in the right arena. Jonah Robinson narrates and plays the central character, an artist struggling to find work. Sitting outside a coffee shop a little boy (Maximilien Kafel) throws something at him which takes him back to a different time and space, and he discovers he has the ability to move objects with his mind. Will this help him find a job or make any headway with Jane (Lily Paige), the girl he likes? Unlikely if he can't learn to control his powers and get a grip on his ever changing reality. Intelligently crafted and stylishly filmed, Abyss is one of those rare short films that is purely cinematic through and through. From the fluid editing to the special effects, it's not a story that would benefit more from any other medium than film. Rao is intentional with his pacing and complex narrative structure, ensuring the audience is swept into a severe confusion to match that of the central character. As the plot progresses and the viewer is asked to question the timeline of events as much as the events themselves, it becomes a rich piece to unpick. Robinson gives a strong lead performance, ruminating in numerous scenes with a compelling intensity. The dialogue which overlays the scenes, whilst mysterious and dramatic, works well to glue the sequences into something more than random and offers the audience some glimpse at coherence. All the while Robinson maneuvers through a deft turn as a super person (I can't say superhero or villain as those are not the dynamics we are working with in Abyss). Opinions may vary about the true intention of the filmmaker but there is a strong thread in this short film about the nature of power and self control. The main character's struggles seem to endure regardless of the powerful capabilities he seems to possess and that without fully understanding who he is and what he can do, he will never find his true destiny. As he flips through a book of symbolic memories, these seem to form a guide on how he can avoid the pitfalls of being overcome by power, something reinforced when he is handed the ring as a young boy later in the film. Movie storytelling with prowess, Abyss is, literally, a powerful short film that spectacularly combines the idea of superpowers with an intricate and emotional personal drama. #ChrisOlson Watch the Movie Trailer: Abyss is one of the free movies available to watch on the UK Film Channel. Click here to watch now.

★★★ Directed by: #BlakeHurford Written by: Blake Hurford Starring: #ZachRaabe, #JordanHood, #DanielWakefield, Blake Hurford, #DominicClement, #DaniCaruso Short Film Review by: Chris Olson A neon love letter to the eighties, #filmmaker Blake Hurford's irreverent short comedy Please Remain Seated - Episode 1 is a stylistically impressive blast of zany antics and a lacklustre narrative. Blake Hurford plays Tim, a sleeveless denim jacket-wearing punk who hangs with friends playing Street Fighter 2 in a local amusement joint. Their reverie is disturbed, however, when a murderous chairperson (Dominic Clement) emerges looking to tear them all a new one. The only way to slow the maniac down is by throwing chairs in his way, as he seems to have to sit on all that cross his path. Goofy dialogue and overtly distracting #filmmaking techniques are used in Please Remain Seated to ensure the audience knows very quickly not to take any of this too seriously. It's a short film (or possibly a web series?) that aims to send up the #retro nostalgia in current popular culture (Stranger Things) whilst still adoring it in some fashion. It's unevenly made, with some scenes being executed far better than others, but this is all part of its amateur charm. Music is used incredibly, with engaging remixes of 80s classics like Bohemian Rhapsody and Can't Take My Eyes Off You being used to enhance the theatrics. Video game blips can also be heard throughout the piece, ensuring the audience is fully immersed in the decor and time period. Certain aesthetic choices are also made to complement this atmosphere of excess, such as slow motion running on a beach before letterboxing the character's face. The performances are unlikely to garner any award attention, with a lot of mumbled dialogue and awkward pacing to their lines. That being said, there is a nice chemistry amongst the bunch that would cement a few more adventurous tales from these misfit characters. There just needs to be a coherence in what they are trying to achieve, is it a spoof? Is it modern retro? Is it period comedy? The complete mashup of all these things leaves the viewer feeling nauseated and unlikely to be begging for more. Far from a car crash of a short film, Please Remain Seated - Episode 1 is a funny and visually stimulating piece of throwback cinema. Its ambition perhaps outruns its capabilities and audiences could certainly reject the tone if they feel it's being spiteful, but for anyone who enjoys a bit of goofy #horror and a bit of Scott Pilgrim, this will have you on the edge of every seat thrown in your path. #ChrisOlson Watch the Movie Trailer:

★★★ Directed by: #MicheleOlivieri Written by: Michele Olivieri, #IanReid Starring: #SimoneMumford Short Film Review by: Chris Olson The Game of the Clock movie review An Empire magazine interview with horror #filmmaker Jordan Peele recently revealed how he started making movies following the poor output from Hollywood in the wake of 9/11. He didn't name names but it doesn't take a genius to know that the horror films with the most popularity in that era were franchises like Saw and Paranormal Activity. The former of which is most definitely an influence on this short #horror film from filmmaker Michele Olivieri, The Game of the Clock. Starring Simon Mumford as Alice, who turns up at her friend Susan’s house late at night only to discover she’s not in. And instead of going home, our protagonist enters the house to find a seriously screwed up game of terror awaiting her. Aside from the clamorous alarm clock ringing, there is a note drawn in crayon asking if she can endure 5 minutes in this, The Game of the Clock. As Alice pokes around the house still looking for her mate, she finds more eery notes and something lurking in the shadows. Suitably scary and achieving a decent atmosphere of spookiness throughout, Olivieri is able to thrust the viewer into a thrilling set up quickly and keep them fixated on the twists and turns of this warped tale. The camera follows Alice around the house as if part of the game, honing in on her vulnerability and keeping the audience guessing as to what’s to come. Regrettably, The Game of the Clock is hampered by transparent storytelling and a weak script. There is no nuance to the narrative that would set it apart from horror movies made fifteen years ago and instead the piece leans heavily on genre techniques to get the job done. The jump scares are there, as is the overcooked sound design, all creating a cacophony of horror stylings that audiences will be overly familiar with. Mumford is a decent lead but turns in nothing more than slapdash panic and terror because that’s what’s in the script. Our investment in her character is minimal, as is our concern for her fate. Instead, the viewer simply awaits to see what kind of horrific trappings and gimmicks the filmmaker will employ in this tale of terror. To expect Peele levels of #filmmaking from an indie short is obviously unreasonable but there should certainly have been more of a relevancy to this piece being made in 2019. With Halloween fast approaching, there is more of an appetite for the latest trick but with this we get a passable but very recognisable treat. #ChrisOlson

★★★★ Directed by: #SamFichtner Written by: Sam Fichtner Starring: #RevellCarpenter, #LukeLenza, #NicoleWolf, #StephenFriedrich, #ErinDinsmore Short Film Review by: Chris Olson Thick As Thieves Movie Review The Thief Who Came to Dinner meets Ocean’s 11 in this short film from #filmmaker Sam Fichtner, Thick As Thieves. Starring Revell Carpenter and Luke Lenza as Rose and Gary, a new couple who are about to go through the most formidable of relationship tests - a couples dinner. To make the situation even more harrowing, the latter quickly realises that the former is a professional thief looking to rob his friends. Rose and Gary attend a rich couple’s party, where there is plenty of wine and good food. Rose wastes no time in making excuses to be alone in their glorious house, where she attempts to loot anything that looks expensive and is fairly obvious in the process. Gary tries to balance the good opinion of his new girlfriend, whilst following Rose around the house and preventing her from making a huge mistake. However, a twist in the tale is coming and it will put their relationship through a further test. Delightfully funny and with an easy atmosphere, Fichtner knows how to play with #heist genre techniques and mashes them well with #romcom aspects. It would still be a difficult trick to pull off had the chemistry between Revell Carpenter and Luke Lenza been anything but brilliant - fortunately it is. The two performers give strong and nuanced performances that navigate the character reveals well and the audience quickly invests themselves in this relationship because it feels believable and charming. Carpenter’s depiction of Rose’s lithe recklessness is particularly enjoyable, moving around the couple’s house like a ninja socialite. The narrative is a tad slapdash, opting for a simple premise and a fairly underwhelming ending, however, the journey in the first two-thirds of Thick As Thieves is bountiful. Music is used well to heighten the suspense and capture that classic atmosphere of characters-about-to-be-caught, although it did overpower the dialogue in a few places. The production, overall, was done to a high standard and looked really professional, with smooth editing and camerawork. It has the look and feel of an #HBO comedy like Curb Your Enthusiasm and indeed some of the aloof charm. Sam Fichtner has delivered a familiar and funny short film that capitalises on a wonderful central chemistry and lively premise. The piece shows great cinematic knowledge and deft skill by employing multiple genre techniques which elevate it above the usual indie comedy crowd. Had the storyline been a bit more nuanced they may have escaped with a 5-star #comedy, as it is, however, we still get a thrilling and enjoyable heist movie with plenty of laughs and two great central performances. #ChrisOlson Watch the Short Film Trailer

★★★ Directed by: #FernandoLebrija Written by: #BrandonBroussard, #HudsonObayuwana, #JanaSavage Starring: #NestaCooper, #KeithPowers, #AliciaSanz, #JakeBorelli, #KateWalsh Netflix Film Review by: Charlotte Little #RealityHigh Netflix Movie Review The plot of #RealityHigh is a narrative far from original; this #Netflix teen flick recycles tired plotlines and characters, missing the mark with its commentary on social media culture. An ambitious but bashful high school student accidentally finds herself part of the popular cliché, becoming enamoured with the seemingly idyllic illusion of an Instagram-centric lifestyle, only to find herself neglecting her real friends. This digitised Mean Girls wannabe emphasises the toxicity and damage that social media culture can bring about, assembling another dimension to the film about the dangers of an unhealthy focus to foster an online persona favourable to the wider public. Although this theme runs throughout the movie, the depth needed to execute this topic successfully wasn't there. It's difficult to relate to beautiful and wealthy high school students driving around in sports cars, the backdrop of vanity and selfie-obsessed extravagance felt cheesy and over the top for this subject matter. Not every coming-of-age movie about social media culture requires the raw realism and execution seen in Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade, but it does require robust dialogue and a plausible sense of direction. It was disappointing to see the prevalence of ableism in this Netflix teen movie, just like that of Sierra Burgess Is a Loser. During a cafeteria scene, the vapid antagonist pretends that her handbag-dog is an emotional support dog, attempting to humiliate the school principal by asking if he has a problem with dogs, disabled people or both. He replies: "I love dogs and disabled people". A boisterous and disruptive student calls out in response: "That explains your wife!" Yikes. It has grown tiresome and frustrating to continuously observe ableist material in Netflix productions and to recognise the same cheap dialogue which stigmatises disabled people and invalidates service dogs as a means for independence. The constant presence of ableist content rings alarm bells, especially due to the magnitude of Netflix's platform and potential influence among viewers who may interpret that these comments are funny and appropriate in this day and age. Despite the flaws within this movie, the cast provides solid performances, with Nesta Cooper's charming portrayal as the protagonist shining through. It was a delight to see television and film veteran Kate Walsh (Grey's Anatomy, 13 Reasons Why, The Perks of Being a Wallflower) on the screen. Her short-lived but quirky performance saved #RealityHigh, tempting audiences to keep watching in the hope of scenes sprinkled with Walsh's magic. Although this film should be entirely dismissed based on its cringe-worthy title, #RealityHigh is an unexpectedly enjoyable Sunday afternoon watch. #CharlotteLittle

★★★★ Directed by: #TobyKearton Written by: Toby Kearton, #HarryStainer Starring: #BenjaminSchnau, #JonasGrosserhode, #JonasOlsen Short Film Review by: Rachel Pullen UK Film Review critic Rachel Pullen gives her verdict on short film The Little Picture, directed by Toby Kearton. Find out why she's giving it 4 stars and why she's dressed as a German soldier by watching the film review above. #RachelPullen

★★★★ Directed by: #MarieVandelannoote Written by: Marie Vandelannoote Starring: #DamienBoisseau, #StefenEynius, #AnneLaureGruet, #AnneHélèneOrvelin Short Film Review by: Chris Olson Funeral (Funerailles) short film review French short film Funerailles aka Funeral from #filmmaker Marie Vandelannoote is a meditation on life, death, and family that grapples with grief and guilt terrifically. Starring Damien Boisseau, Stefen Eynius, Anne-Laure Gruet, and Anne-Hélène Orvelin as siblings at the wake of their brother, who has recently taken his own life with pills. As the brothers and sisters reminisce about their fallen brother, secrets and shame emerge as their grieving process unfolds before the eyes of the audience and we pay witness and tribute to a lost soul. Told with a minimalist design and simple #filmmaking approach, short film Funeral leans heavily on its cast and dramatic themes rather than any overly stylish camera work or special effects. Aside from a brief drinking montage, the camera mostly swoops from one side of the screen to the other, as the characters regale the viewer with anecdotes and transgressions. The atmosphere is palpably anxious, with a familial tension layering most sequences and characters migrating from joy to anguish in a heartbeat. Anne-Hélène Orvelin, who plays one of the sisters, is a standout for this emotional fluctuation in her performance. In a post-alcohol outburst she switches from hysterical laughter to complete misery beautifully. Anne-Laure Gruet is also splendid as the angered and slightly judgmental sibling. Movies that attempt to explore themes such as grief and mourning are often guilty of rushing the process and going too heavy in one direction, or even focusing more acutely on the narrative distraction (such as Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close). With Funeral, director Marie Vandelannoote is unafraid to stay in the moment and allow the pain of the scene to linger. The only let up from the tension is the aforementioned drinking montage but this was necessary to permit a looser and more emotionally honest second half of the movie. All of the dialogue is honed to inhabit the personal intimacy that losing a loved one can cause and the silver-lining bonding that can occur through tragedy. The role of religion within the piece is also noticeable. Several references to God, heaven, and hell are made and the fact that the man took his own life is heavily remarked upon in the opening section. This deliberation between good and bad is an important aspect to the story, with the death of their brother acting as the catalyst, a time for reflection is enabled and each character begins to inspect the actions of each other but also their own selfish involvement. Dramatically performed and bearing all manner of life's enduring quandaries, Funeral is a profound examination of the fallout from someone's passing. The repercussions and personal reverberations are compellingly explored by a talented cast and skillful director. #ChrisOlson #worldcinema #frated Watch the Movie Trailer

★★★ Directed by: #ConradVernon and #GregTiernan Written by: #MattLiberman and #PamelaPettler Starring: #OscarIssac, #CharlizeTheron, #ChloëGraceMoretz, #FinnWolfward, #NickKroll, #SnoopDogg, #BetteMidler, #AllisonJanney Film Review by: Corey Bulloch They’re creepy and they’re kooky and still as delightful as ever. The animated reboot of the classic comic family is a refreshingly modern update that still retains the classic charm. With a Tim Burton-esque design to its characters and world, the film balances family-friendly comedy and scares with a story celebrating individuality against conformity. The script may tread over obvious story beats making its reveals and conclusions expected but the energetic action of the animation and performances makes it a delightful experience. The Addams Family focuses on how the family’s peculiar aesthetic clashes with a “perfect” neighbouring town built and designed by an egotistical home makeover television host. After a decade of exile, The Addams finally interact with this modern world, with the new discoveries creating unforeseen obstacles between the parents and the children. The film tells a sweet story of Gomez and Morticia both trying to have Wednesday and Pugsley adhere to family customs rather than concede to more modern ideas. Reflective of the film itself which has to balance the tradition and nostalgia of the source material but also updating it to make it relevant for a current audience. Through their conflict against the new community literally named Assimilation that despises the Addams family with a hive mind mentality, the film has the elder Addams’s accept and celebrate what makes their children unique especially if it leans towards the sadistic and the destructive. Performance-wise Oscar Issac and Charlize Theron embody Gomez and Morticia so perfectly it's almost a shame they aren’t able to play them in live-action. The loving relationship between the characters is perfect and grounds the gothic madness around them. Chloë Grace Moretz’s Wednesday is also a great addition with her character arc leading to the film’s funniest moments as her teenage rebellion has her exploring her creativity for torment. The more bizarre members of the family; Fester, Lurch, and Thing are regulated to quick portions of comic relief but each gets several moments that get the whole family laughing. Packed with references not only to the 1970’s television show and comic series, The Addams Family is able to inject modern pop culture naturally into its unique style. Whether it's through Lurch playing musical cues on the piano or Snoop Dogg voicing a very dapper Cousin Itt, the film can keep a fine balance between classic and contemporary. The obvious visual inspirations from Burton films Edward Scissorhands and Nightmare Before Christmas makes the polished feel of the animation style a detriment, however. Everything is smooth and refined, like an Instagram filter to soften a harsher image, while this works in establishing the “dreamlike” town of Assimilation it robs The Addams Family of their full visual capability. Burton’s stop motion animation always captured a gothic beauty to their characters and that level of detail could have brought a new level of storytelling to the film. Even with its shortcomings, The Addams Family still has what it needs to deliver good comedy and family fun. There is a care and respect from the filmmakers to this property that's reflected in its script, performances and music. Capturing the nostalgia for the adults and delivering a new adventure for the kids that will have them all snapping their fingers by the end. #CoreyBulloch #FilmReview #AnimatedFilm

★★★★ Directed by: #RangaBandaranayake Starring: #MalkanthiRanasinghe, #JohnDineshSandaruwan, #DivyaSharikaPigera and #KamalaSriMohan Short Film Review by: Bruna Foletto Lucas The Silence Short Movie Review The Silence is a production of the Department of Government Information and the Drama Unit of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. Written by Chamara Prasanna Kodithuwakku and directed by Ranga Bandaranayake, The Silence is a film that focuses on the struggle of the families of the people who have “disappeared” in Sri Lanka due to the civil war. The short starts with a woman, Kanthilatha (Malkanthi Ranasinghe), cleaning the picture of her son that we later understand has been missing for 25 years. She hitches a lift in a tractor to the city in order to look for him. Her pain is tangible and her eyes hold an amount of sorrow no human should ever endure. The sequence cuts to different characters holding tight pictures of different men – inviting the audience into their reality, as bad as it is. Introducing to the characters and the situation, Bandaranayake contrasts two characters perfectly - Kanthilatha, who they call Aunty, and a younger girl (Divya Sharika Pigera) are both going to the city in the back of a tractor – however, they have different reasons for their journey. The young woman asks the driver to go back because she has lost her phone, but Aunty pleads them not to because she needs to look for her son and cannot afford to lose any more time than she already has. The young woman calls Aunty selfish and asks her how it is possible that she is still searching for her son after so long. Here, the director shows us how the suffering is still very much alive in the families’ hearts but how the young generation is forgetting their history and the disappearances. Despite the lack of support she receives, Aunty is still fighting to keep the memory of her son – and all the others who have suffered the same fate – alive. The acting in The Silence, especially from the older cast (Malkanthi Ranasinghe and Kamala Sri Mohan) is outstanding. These two characters are depicted as broken yet hopeful, their looks and gestures convey grief that makes it impossible for the audience to ignore their pain, making us question how the younger characters are able to do so. Ranga Bandaranayake has a vast experience in working for television, especially in films, both fiction and documentaries that touch on human rights, having as a statement: “Born for people, Live for people, Work for people, Expire for people.” In The Silence he asks us not to judge others’ suffering without looking at their history and what they have gone through. Moreover, he appeals for the people not to forget the disappeared. The result is a beautiful film that was made with heart.