★★★★ Directed by: #TreyEdwardShults Written by: Trey Edward Shults Starring: #TaylorRussell, #KelvinHarrisonJr., #AlexaDemie BFI London Film Festival 2020 Film Review by: Andrew Young Waves is a film about a life-altering event. In fact, it feels like 2 films: one about how we get to the event, and one about coping with it. Neither of these two films are perfect, but both are very good, with moments in the first half reaching a feverish intensity that I have rarely, if ever, felt in the cinema. The plot spans many events and many relationships, but is probably best described as being about a single wealthy, seemingly happy African-American family and the turmoil it faces. The drama is set in motion when golden boy Tyler - sporty, musical, good-looking, popular - faces an injury right as his sporting season takes off. Combine this with relationship troubles and the disappointment of father Ronald, who has pushed Tyler to be the best physically and academically for years, and you have a young man in trouble. To say much else about the plot would be to dull the effect of its many narrative shocks and shifts in focus. What Shults is able to explore in this story is what happens when someone at the top of their game begins to slip. There are several scenes in Waves of fast cars that look like they could crash at any moment. Tyler’s life is a bit like this: moving smoothly but with such high speed and intensity that if he loses control, it could be a car crash of astonishing proportions. He is someone whose identity and personal relationships are based on success. He is in a happy, loving life when everything is positive, but appears lost and alone when faced with adversity he has not felt for some time. The relationship between Tyler and his family is an interesting one, with the film largely interested in the dynamic with his overbearing father. Whilst the ‘pushy but well-meaning parent’ trope has been done before, Shults adds a layer of depth which makes it far more engaging. In one of the few moments in the film that openly discusses the family’s race, Ronald tells his son that “people like us are not afforded the luxury of being average”. You sense the pain in his voice, the frustration that he feels he has to push his son so hard, that in Ronald’s mind it is something that is absolutely necessary. Shults’ story has this kind of complexity and depth in abundance, but most impressive is the incredible pace and style with which he tells it. The film’s opening sequence is a stunning display of Tyler’s life unfolding smoothly before him, à la the Copacabana scene in Goodfellas. As things go awry Shults and DP Drew Daniels employ a variety of visual flourishes, mixing with enthralling soundtrack choices to give the action a propulsive tempo that leaves you feeling somewhat exhausted. As the film then moves beyond ‘the event’ the director manages to keep the style turned on, whilst also dialling the intensity down. Particularly impressive is his deft hand with the quieter parts of his film, knowing when to let his actors just sit and talk. The cast are uniformly excellent, carrying the film through its more overfamiliar story beats and themes. Much of the attention is going to Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Tyler, playing the golden boy’s breakdown with conviction and heart, making the downward spiral seem nightmarishly plausible. Praise must be given, too, to Taylor Russell and Lucas Hedges as Emily and her boyfriend Luke. They have a hard job to do carrying a second half that was always doomed to pale in comparison to the first. Their easy charm and chemistry brings out the humour in Shults’ film, providing something near elation as we finally get respite and restorative hope in the wake of Tyler’s nightmare. Given the acting calibre of Sterling K. Brown and Renée Elise Goldsberry as the family parents, it would have been nice to see more of them. In fact, there are several points at which Shults’ narrative priorities are awry. We get glimpses into so many relationships and dynamics amongst this family that, whilst each one is beautifully played and hits hard emotionally, there is also the sense that Shults is overreaching with his story, trying to make multiple films at once. There are things we should have more of, like Tyler and Emily’s relationship, and things we didn’t need to see, like a roughly fifteen-minute segment near the end that, whilst well-acted and attractively made like the rest of the film, feels largely unnecessary, hammering home a point that had already been more subtly made. Even amongst the magnificent depiction of Tyler’s turmoil, things happen so quickly that they feel slightly contrived. Shults’ script includes hints at so much pain and complexity that it’s almost overwhelming, which speaks to the film’s power, but sometimes it feels as though Shults is just piling it on rather than investigating the trauma. Waves is far from a perfect work, but it has so many high-points and such daring confidence in Shults’ direction that its praises are well worth singing. This is a film of startling ambition and confidence, addressing a host of issues and working its way through so many incidents and howls of emotion that it is a near-oppressively striking piece of cinema. It is a testament to Shults and his cast that they pretty much pull it off.

★★★ Directed by: #ToddPhillips Written by: Todd Phillips, #ScottSilver Starring: #JoaquinPhoenix, #RobertDeNiro, #ZazieBeetz Film Review by: Brady Clark Originally slated as a Martin Scorsese/Leonardo Di Caprio collaboration, Joker perhaps lost some of its pre-production hype after the announcement that, instead, Todd Phillips of The Hangover and Road Trip would pair with Joaquin Phoenix. Nonetheless, the excitement surrounding this film following it’s standing ovation at the 76th Venice International Film Festival was very apparent. They’ve got it half right. Phoenix is exceptional in every aspect of his portrayal of Arthur Fleck, a delusional and impoverished clown-for-hire with an uncontrollable laughing condition who descends into the chaos that is the legend of his character. Joker is undoubtedly a one-man show with an integral reliance on Phoenix being the right lead. He delivers a career high that only his portrayal of Johnny Cash in Walk the Line could equal. Fleck’s vulnerability, mental illness and pathological laughter is handled with increasing intelligence throughout and Joker is a well-versed character study of how the human mind can decline into mania without the semblance of a well-managed support network. The violence is impactful and harrowing, though Phoenix navigates this with an uneasy balance of defencelessness and power. Never has such dorky dancing or ill-graced running seemed so right. Whilst it’s hard to fault Phoenix, the same can not be said for the overall direction. The tone surrounding darker scenes is confused between comedy and terror meaning the plot provides a less convincing aspect to Fleck’s deterioration. Joker never quite finds the right angle of the story that it is trying to tell, perhaps weakening itself by a wavering association to DC and Batman. It may serve the film to either fully depart from (or possibly further embrace) this, rather than sitting somewhere in the unproductive middle. The supporting cast is strong with the likes of Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy, all of whom seem to bounce off of Phoenix in just the right ways, and the talk-show finale is a true De Niro/Phoenix acting masterclass. Many will struggle to push The Dark Knight and Heath Ledger’s Joker from their mind when watching the film – it is only natural to compare different versions of the same character. And whilst both portrayals are undeniably Academy Award consideration worthy, Joker is inevitably let down by never quite finding it’s rhythm on a confused path of the untold and the legend.

★★★ Directed by: #FrankSabatella Written by: #FrankSabatella Starring: #FrankWhaley, #TimothyBottoms, #SiobhanFallon, #JayJayWarren, #CodyKostro, #SofiaHapponen Grimmfest Film Review by: Darren Tilby Going into The Shed (yes, I know how that sounds), I wasn’t sure what to expect. I thought we’d get an entertaining creature feature—and that is kind of what we get. But the fact of the matter is this could have been much better. The Shed is pleasing in a sort of B-movie way, but it’s let down – like so many horror films – by a weak, clichéd, and confusing third act. In the end, it just feels too familiar. The film begins as a mysterious man, Bane (Frank Whaley), is chased through the forest by a shrouded creature (Damian Norfleet). The beast quickly catches him and sinks its teeth into his neck before being killed by the rising sunlight. Bane, finding that he is now sensitive to the light, seeks solace in a nearby tool shed—that of his neighbour, Ellis (Timothy Bottoms). Ellis lives with his downbeat grandson, Stan (Jay Jay Warren). And for Stan, life is not good. At home, Stan is subject to abuse by his Grandfather. And at high school, Stan and his best friend Dommer (Cody Kostro) are the targets of repeated bullying, and, in Dommer’s case, physical violence. It’s the classic high school, coming-of-age setup. Although, writer/director Frank Sabatella does try to change things up later on in the movie. Without giving too much away, after Stan and Dommer discover the creature, there’s an interesting dynamic shift in the film that I thought worked extremely well. Unfortunately, it’s short-lived, and from here on in, the coming-of-age stuff kind of peters out and doesn’t go anywhere. Now, this wouldn’t be a problem if the film had a tongue-in-cheek disposition, but it doesn’t. And this, in turn, wouldn’t be a problem if the movie was scary, but it isn’t. Performances start strong, however, and, apart from a few occasionally cringy moments, it remains so throughout the movie. It’s worth noting these are all near the end of the film, and I feel this may have more to do with the uninspired dialogue and repeated use of one-liners. And while performances are solid throughout, there is a (sadly) underutilised but exceptional performance in Cody Kostro’s Dommer. #MatthiasSchubert’s visuals are another standout aspect of The Shed; they’re always strong, and, at times, stunning. Frank Sabatella’s take on the classic vampire infestation tale, unfortunately, leaves a lot to be desired. The tonally confused homage to Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot and Joel Schumacher’s Lost Boys makes the unfortunate mistake of taking itself too seriously. A mistake both of those films successfully avoided. What’s left, is classic B-movie material—albeit with much production values. There’s still an entertaining film to be found here, full of 80s creature-feature nostalgia. But I can’t help but think this could have been so much better.

★★★★★ Directed by: #MikeAhern, #EndaLoughman Written by: #MikeAhern, #DemianFox, #MaeveHiggins, #EndaLoughman Starring: #MaeveHiggins, #BarryWard, #WillForte, #ClaudiaODoherty Grimmfest Film Review by: Darren Tilby Extra Ordinary was everything I’d wanted...and more! Deft comedic writing from Ahern, Fox, Higgins, and Loughman means the movie can poke fun at pretty much anything it wants without causing offence. The film always felt amiable, never distasteful or unpleasant. Even the rare moments of gore and violence are offset by some brilliantly delivered lines of deadpan humour and extraordinary (hehe) comedic timing by the film’s pitch-perfect cast. Indeed, Extra Ordinary may not be the most daring of movies, and may even be considered ‘too safe’ by some. But honestly, I didn’t care, and neither should you. Rose Dooley (Maeve Higgins) is a kind but lonely driving instructor with a hidden ‘talent’: she can speak to ghosts. Bored of her mundane existence, but scared of her supernatural abilities, Rose floats aimlessly through life. That is until she meets Martin Martin (Barry Ward). Martin has a problem: his overbearing dead wife is causing issues at home between him and his daughter. But while Rose is initially reluctant to help, the evil machinations of the washed-up, one-hit-wonder rock star, Christian Winter (Will Forte) force her hand. If I had to make one complaint, it would be that on occasion, the jokes don’t work quite as well as they should. Either through awkward delivery or the odd slip in quality of the writing. But this is the smallest of niggles and happens maybe two or three times throughout the entire film. Thanks to the excellent standard of writing and superb comedic performances by the cast, the humour here are laugh-out-loud funny, but without being too in its audience’s face. Higgins is instantly likeable as the good-hearted and culturally oblivious leading lady, Rose; who has the perfect screen partner in Ward’s more down-to-earth Martin. And while the whole film airs on the side of the bizarre, the more outlandish roles belong firmly to the villains of the movie. Will Forte’s outstandingly off-beat, almost whimsical satanist, Christian Winter is continually facing off against his on-screen wife, Claudia (Claudia O’Doherty). Who never fails to bring her husband crashing back down to earth with razor-sharp put-downs—”It’s just a driving lesson dickhead, get on with it.” #GeorgeBrennan does an admirable job of scoring the movie, and his music drifts lyrically through the film; as if it, itself is in spiritual peace and harmony. There’s also some surprisingly accomplished cinematography here too. I say ‘surprisingly’ because films like this generally don’t require anything spectacular in that department. But #JamesMather gives it to us anyway. Particularly towards the third act of the movie when the blood moon has risen. The gorgeous blood red-bathed visuals and perfect framing of those graveyard scenes sent a chill down my spine, a chill I hadn’t expected from this film. Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman’s brilliantly directed and well-judged satanic comedy may be a safe choice. There’s nothing overly nasty or distasteful here like I’ve already said. But what is here is a beautifully put-together movie that is still able to surprise the viewer. It surprises you with its warmth and depth, and it surprises you with a technical proficiency you’d be forgiven for thinking it couldn’t possess. For me, Extra Ordinary was an absolute joy from beginning to end. Please be sure to support this film if you have the chance.

★★★★ Directed by: #TomBotchii Written by: #TomBotchii Starring: #ChaseWilliamson, #LaurenAshleyCarter, #JerryGAngelo, #MattMercer, #GavinWhite Grimmfest Film Review by: Darren Tilby Tom Botchii’s dark and gritty take on rural southwestern living details the day-to-day routine of the dysfunctional Brays family. And while It’s not unusual to find dysfunctional families, for Adam (Gavin White), things are a little more consequential than they are for most. Adam’s father – comic book-obsessed serial killer, Artik (Jerry G. Angelo) – spends his days reading, and writing comic books. But at night, Artik – along with Adam – drives out onto the isolated rural roads of New Mexico to find “guests”, whom he summarily dispatches in front of his young son. Artik’s murderous streak seems to stem from comic book-inflected delusions of righteousness. From the belief that he’s cleansing the world of impurity (‘Release the purity within’). An illusion his equally murderous wife (Lauren Ashley Carter) is all too happy for him to indulge. Artik wants Adam to carry on his work when he’s older. That is until, one night, Adam meets and befriends Holton (Chase Williamson), a mysterious man from town who starts to suspect that all is not well at home. Artik is a film I expected would take an earnest look at small-town life, of the tensions in Artik and Adam’s father-son relationship. And it kind of does. The problem here is, except for Adam, none of the characters is given much in the way of character history or development. There’s no reasoning for why these people are this way. The problem is this is important for an audience because that’s how we empathise with the character. Slight disappointment aside, performances across the board are excellent. Jerry G. Angelo is impressive and scary, physically imposing, and strikes an intimidating presence—even if his delivery can be a little flat in places. Gavin White’s performance as Adam brings much-needed depth to the character, and the conflict Adam feels is palpable. There’s also a reliable performance from both Lauren Ashley Carter and Chase Williamson. Unfortunately, both characters are underdeveloped and underutilised throughout much of the movie. However, the problems with character development are pretty much where my issues with the film ends. Artik is a beautiful looking film that understands and fully utilises its setting. Cinematographer #MartinMoody can visually capture the isolation and detachment of rural life. His decision to contrast the vast darkness of the landscape with small paintbrush strokes of very bright colour is gorgeous to behold and tantamount to genius. There’s also graininess to the film that, depending on who you are, will either annoy or delight you. I couldn’t decide if this was an artistic choice or because of lower quality equipment, although my money is on the former. Honestly, I really liked it. I felt it added to the gritty nature of the story, which is also helped by the film’s excellent practical effects. This gifts the movie the appearance of a really messed up home video. Artik’s strong point should have been its characters; unfortunately, most are underdeveloped and not interesting enough to hold up on their own. However, the story, themes, sound and visual design, oppressive atmosphere, and the profoundly unnerving and affecting performances still make this an incredibly enjoyable movie.

★★★ Directed by: #ChelseaStardust Written by: #TedGeoghegan, #GradyHendrix Starring: #RebeccaRomijn, #HayleyGriffith, #JerryOConnell, #JordanLadd Grimmfest Film Review by: Darren Tilby Chelsea Stardust’s satanic horror-comedy stands as an entertaining tribute to the satanic-horror movies of old. Under her skilful direction, Satanic Panic (a brilliant title, for sure) ridicules the old tropes of the genre. And although it does fall into a fair few in the process, it generally remains self-aware enough of its more ridiculous plot and character elements. Indeed, Satanic Panic is at its best when it’s not taking itself too seriously. Beth’s (Hayley Griffith) first day as a fast-food delivery driver isn’t what she was hoping for. “I took this job for the tips”—but no-one tips. What she probably wasn’t expecting, however, is that one of her deliveries would lead her into the clutches of a satanic cult. Suddenly, tight-fisted customers don’t seem so bad. Rebecca Romijn puts in a spectacular performance as Danica, the satanist’s leader; and Arden Myrin stars opposite as her power-hungry rival. There’s also a brilliant cameo appearance from Jerry O’Connell—which gets cut unceremoniously short. It’s great to see the cast of cultists revelling in the almost cartoonish silliness of the situation on screen, and they’re obviously having a lot of fun. But at times the over-the-top performances and excessive splatter-gore can become a little tiresome. They are, however, more often than not, balanced out by Hayley Griffith’s fantastically restrained performance and excellent comic timing. Thematically, Satanic Panic can be seen as a satirical take on class and generational tensions. Both are very much at the forefront of news reports these days, so this isn’t terribly surprising. It is effective, however, and helps bring relevance to an otherwise totally farcical concept. It also delivers some...interesting lines of dialogue. Sometimes witty and inspiring—“You’re a blue-collared badass, and I’m a spoilt rich kid with a gun.” And sometimes, not so much—“Fascism gets things done!” Say what you will, but Satanic Panic is never dull. And maybe that’s the most important thing here? Because for all its faults: the overtly camp quality to the narrative, the excessive performances, and the occasional irritants they cause. Satanic Panic is a beautifully put-together movie. It looks gorgeous, thanks in no small part to its excellent cinematography (#MarkEvans), exceptional set design and buckets of gore-laden practical effects. There’s a strong sense of nostalgia here, and for horror fans of my generation, I think this will be a hard one to dislike. Unfortunately, we’ve come to expect something different from our horror films in recent times, as such, this also proves to be a hard one to love.

Directed by: #MacieKaliski Written by: #MacieKalinski Film review by: #AnnieVincent Polish filmmaker #MaciekKaliski has produced a 4 minute short entitled ‘Dziwny, jest ten swiat’ which translates into English as ‘Strange is this world’: a not-disinteresting title. Sadly, the strangest thing about this short is, well the short itself. With little narrative direction or intention, it is hard to see how this film will appeal to audiences and as such I cannot give it a star rating at all. Opening with footage of a religious ceremony in a grand cathedral, it is clear from the outset that the film is an edited collection of home videos. There isn’t anything wrong with that in itself, but the nature of these videos and the way in which they have been edited appears incoherent with no narrative or character focus. Each clip, often from a family event in the 1990s, includes multiple figures, none of whom seem to reappear in later clips. Two or three of the clips are from Christmas gatherings, but even they show no progression in the lives of those captured on film and it is unclear if there is any link between the family members of each clip. Interspersed throughout these home videos are slow motion clips of the natural world: the sea at night time; a dog running in the snow; and some time-lapse clips too, mainly of day passing into night and back again. Whilst well composed and edited, it is again unclear what relevance these have to the sequence Kaliski has put together. To play Devil’s Advocate, there may well be an explanation for all of this. The home footage includes dialogue, all of which is in Polish, and there are no subtitles, so it could well be that my lack of Polish language knowledge is at fault here and there are indeed links and connections that mean this short is relevant, is engaging and does have a story to tell. If this is the case, Kaliski needs to consider his wider audience and help them to engage through the addition of subtitles, or more deliberate visual connections. As it is, this film lacks any of the basic story-telling conventions audiences require to engage and as such, is just not going to be worth their time.

★★★ Directed by: #JustinDix Written by: #JustinDix, #JordanProsser Starring: #RobertTaylor, #AlyssaSutherland, #NathanPhilips, #ChristopherKirby, #JohnLloydFillingham Grimmfest Film Review by: Darren Tilby I was excited to see Blood Vessel for two reasons: firstly, it’s a creature feature, which I love. And secondly, I love the deserted/ghost ship setting. Now I’ll be the first to admit I had high expectations for this film, and perhaps they were too high. Because by the end, I was left feeling a little deflated. Now I want to be absolutely clear when I say Blood Vessel is NOT a bad film. Not by any stretch of the imagination. My main issue with the film comes from the pacing. We follow a group of seven survivors of a German U-Boat attack. Three Americans: Malone (Robert Taylor), Jackson (Christopher Kirby) and Bigelow (Mark Diaco). Two Brits: Nurse, Jane Prescott (Alyssa Sutherland) and codebreaker, Faraday (John Lloyd Fillingham). Also Australian, Sinclair (Nathan Philips) and Russian, Teplov (Alex Cooke). A diverse selection of allied forces. We join this mixed bag of characters adrift at sea and with dwindling supplies. On the verge of losing all hope, a Nazi minesweeper hoves into view—a visually stunning sequence. Deciding that capture, or possibly even murder by the Nazi’s is better than starving to death the group clamber aboard. But once aboard, the ship seems deserted. Apart from a mysterious young girl who – in a sequence mimicking Newt’s discovery in Aliens – is found hiding deep in the ship’s interior. Blood Vessel gets off to a strong start and wastes no time getting the survivors onto the doomed vessel. The visuals here, and in fact, throughout the film, are incredibly compelling and atmospheric. The eerie red hue of the sky and crashing waves of the ocean as the Nazi ship pierces the seemingly unnatural pelagic fog is quite a sight to behold. The movie’s excellent visual quality is maintained in its production design and particularly with its creature effects. And while the creatures themselves are, without a doubt, grotesque and frightening looking, they are never fully utilised. Which brings me to the issue of pacing; for me, the film’s biggest problem. Which really is a shame because, actually, it starts off so well. But after a long time of exploring the ship and discovering the desiccated and burnt corpses of the ship’s crew (which is fun), we still haven’t learned anything new. And by the time the creatures are released, the events in the story restrict them doing anything that feels worth our wait. What this does mean, however, is that we get to spend more time with these characters, which isn’t a terrible thing. The quality of the performances throughout the film’s cast is solid, with Alex Cooke’s, Teplov really standing out for me. The problem here is the unoriginality of the characters themselves. None really express as anything other than genre typical stereotypes, which isn’t a massive problem for a film like this; character backstories and development aren’t terribly important. But it would have been nice to have seen something a little different. All things considered, and in spite of a few issues, Blood Vessel is an entertaining enough horror romp. A well-directed, situational horror film with gorgeous cinematography (#SkyDavies) and superb special effects (#JohnSanderson) is what awaits anyone daring enough to hop aboard. And while the problems with pacing meant it didn’t reach my expectations, I’m quite aware this is likely because I was expecting too much. I’d heartily recommend Blood Vessel to anyone (particularly try to see it on the big screen) and have a feeling it’ll do very well at #Grimmfest.

★★★★★ Directed by: #StatenCousinsRoe Written by: #StatenCousinsRoe Starring: #KatieBrayben, #PoppyRoe, #SianClifford, #BenLloydHughes Grimmfest Film Review by: Darren TIlby Road trip movies aren’t a recent phenomenon. And, if I’m honest, they don’t particularly excite me. But within minutes, I knew I loved this film. So what makes Staten Cousins Roe’s Thelma & Louise inspired film any different? Well, to begin with, this is a thoroughly modern take on small-town isolation and loneliness. It’s a typical genre setup but excels here with brilliant use of its setting—nothing screams ‘dejection’ like a sleepy seaside town. While #JamesLayton’s superbly drab cinematography, with its muted colour palette and perfectly framed landscape shots, completes the oppressive atmosphere. It’s here that Lou (Katie Brayben) exists. And that’s all Lou has...an existence. Only the most cynical of people would call what she has a ‘life’. Lou drifts through her day-to-day routine of working a dead-end job, caring for her overbearing mother (a wonderfully unpleasant performance from #SarahBall), and attending the occasional self-help seminar. It’s at one of these seminars where, after sitting through the usual self-righteous drivel, Lou meets Val (Poppy Roe). Val fills the genre’s typical mysterious stranger role. She’s confident, strong, and independent; everything Lou wishes she was. And, of course, it doesn’t take long for Lou to leave her mundane life behind in favour of excitement and adventure with her new ‘life coach’. This journey across the home counties, partaking in various self-help classes and murdering the group leaders, is a profoundly contemporary take on the ‘women against the establishment’ concept. But instead of hitting out against the patriarchy, these ladies are taking on the oft sanctimonious hypocrisy of said self-help groups. But as things begin to unravel, it may be that the couple are bound by more than blood. This central pairing is the lifeblood of the film. The performances here are excellent: with the emancipated and powerful Val being the perfect antithesis to the unassuming and timid Lou. And the chemistry between the characters, the most crucially important aspect of the movie, feels all kinds of right—it’s naturalistic and respectful. Of course, having a good script to work from goes a long way towards helping an actor/actress with their work. And writer/director Staten Cousins Roe’s has written a belter. Marvellous and witty dialogue, unapologetically full of British mannerisms, imbue the characters with a sympathetic charm that serial killers really shouldn’t possess. I mean, where else apart from Britain could you have someone apologise to another, after bludgeoning them to death, and think ‘yeah, that’s relatable’. I really enjoyed A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life. The Thelma & Louise influence is quite apparent, particularly towards the end of the film. But I felt enough had been done to create distance from any obvious reference point that the film was more than capable of standing on its own two feet. Brilliant performances underlie this very British and expertly written tale of dead-ended loneliness. And with its wickedly sharp but understated black humour, A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life is destined to become a British cult-classic.

★★★ Directed by: Harley Wallen Written by: #HarleyWallen Starring: #DamienChinappi, #ErikaHoveland, #RichardTyson, Harley Wallen, #ShaneHagedorn Indie Film Review by: Chris Olson A homeless ex-soldier finds himself entangled with a million dollar kidnapping when two companies are due to merge over a humanity-altering scientific breakthrough. Written by, directed by, and featuring Harley Wallen, indie film Eternal Code is an action-packed thriller with high stakes and no brakes. Damien Chinappi plays the aforementioned war vet Corey, whose glum days of sitting on park benches begging come to an end when the daughter of a CEO (Erika Hoveland) comes crashing into his life. Finding purpose in her dangerous situation, Corey springs into action and puts his combat skills to good and deadly use. Audiences who enjoy their cinema light on substance but drenched in quickfire entertainment will likely find Eternal Code a foot-to-the-floor frolic in the right direction. Characters are either stupendously heroic or cartoonishly villainous, with very little reasoning in between but still intriguing enough. Aspects of the movie were quite wooden or lacking in polish. The acting varies from being passably efficient to wildly hammy. Certain sequences were written like a twelve-year-old had penned them, such as the vague explanations of brain transplants or the gaggle of goons making various threats over mobile phones. That being said, a solid layer of emotional investment is made using the chemistry between the players. Hoveland delivers a particularly memorable turn as the influential and didactic leader of her father's company. Her anxiety over the consequences of what her company may be about to release upon the world is very compelling. Wallen proves himself to be a proficient #filmmaker when it comes to the pacing of the movie and the set-pieces used to keep the viewer enthralled by the exploits of all the characters. Sinister and evil elements, whilst fairly basic in terms of depth, are delivered well to curate an atmosphere of palpable peril. Other aspects could definitely be improved, such as the clangy musical score which shoehorned itself into too many scenes, or the #choreography of the fight scenes which was laughable. When combining a #scifi premise with an #action movie structure, you need to be prepared to fully flesh both aspects out. Regrettably, Eternal Code skimps on the narrative development and keeps pumping energy into the plethora of scenes involving running, shooting, and threatening conversations, which ends up exhausting rather than engrossing. That said, it’s a film that can certainly be enjoyed with the right appetite for mainstream stories of violence and retribution, and there are elements, such as Hoveland’s performance, which are captivating. Watch the movie trailer below.

October 3, 2019 | UK Film Review ★★★ Directed by #MatthewTibbenham Starring #ClaytonNemrow, #JessicaLynnParsons, #SarahSchreiber Film review by Nathanial Eker Faith is a timeless theme in storytelling. That said, as society has shifted to a more secular existence, we’ve moved on from blunt depictions of belief and men in white nighties harping on about spouting wings to James Stewart. No, the pervading populace now favour a voyeuristic examination of true faith; what it means and the examination of how so many maintain it in a world of science and tragedy. The latter manifests as the key theme of Surviving Confession; an intriguing indie with an intelligent premise hindered by dissolute attempts at comedy. This is an issue of biblical proportions for a drama – comedy. Father Morris is a middle-aged priest. He’s frustrated, exhausted and represses a buried scepticism that’s anything but holy. Friday night means confession night, bringing with it a host of sinners to test his faith (and patience); some genuinely wish to repent while others are simply there to hedge their bets, with one so overtly licentious it’s laughable. The accompanying claustrophobia of the confession booth, the film’s only set, could not be a more appropriate metaphor for Morris’s inner conflict, as he laments his eternal confinement in the oppressively small box. This theme of repression is woven throughout the surprisingly deep narrative, though it ultimately clashes tonally with less than subtle jokes. Jessica Lynn Parsons’ Amber is an obvious foil to Morris, as she attempts to coax him from his conservative mindset and encourages him to start living. In better hands, this quasi-parental relationship could’ve been an emotional highlight, particularly with the poignant resolution to her arc. However, the combination of an uninspired actor and irritating dialogue make Amber the audience’s penance to endure. Her role as the antithesis of Morris obviously lends her dialogue to the crude and the childish, but poor taste jokes combined with her stereotypical performance ultimately makes her profanity ridden escapades so groan inducing that you’ll find yourself praying for a reprieve. Fortunately, Clayton Nemrow acts as the film’s veritable messiah, saving the picture from mediocrity and damnation to indie hell. His performance is subdued and warm, though small ticks and deliberated expressions foreshadow a man on the edge. Nemrow’s kind eyes and soft voice make him perfect as a religious devotee while under the skin, his loaded performance hints at a mind wrestling with itself from the moment the credits roll. Father Morris is written with delicacy, realism, and attention to detail; far more so than Amber, or most of the supporting cast. Though even he isn’t safe from the jarring writing of the rushed finale, which leads this pious story to an unforeseen, problematic apex, transforming the empathetic pillar of virtue into a bit of a creep. That said, perhaps that’s the intention; he’s only human after all. Surviving Confession makes the clever narrative decision to dive into metafiction, as Morris channels his inner Deadpool, smashing the fourth wall with markedly blasphemous dialogue, far removed from his conversations within the diegesis. This clever filmic choice not only aligns us with Morris, but crafts the film’s only successful comic component; satire. Hearing the exasperation of the priest as he derides his confessors, only to speak to them with an insincere warmth is a novel device to satirise the role of authority figures and our expectations of them. Additionally, while asking important questions, the film addresses common myths about the church with a respectful yet amusing fervour. The more dramatic scenes (putting the ending aside) are equally impactful, asking the audience what it means to be a good person. These scenes are where Daniel Perry’s solemn score shines, aiding the mise en scène of the tensest moments with a committed fortitude. Much of Surviving Confession is witty, thoughtful, and in places, enjoyable. A well-cast protagonist and an absorbing theme should let this indie ascend to the heights of the most revered religious dramas. Regrettably, the unfocused secondary protagonist and awkward conclusion let it down immensely, as does the comedy and melodramatic finale. Much like the duality of Morris’s inner turmoil, the attempts at wit conflict with one another; the fresh satire profoundly clashes with unintelligent, poor taste jibes that muddy the humorous holy water. Overall, parts of Surviving Confession are like taking communion; sincere, thought provoking, powerful. Unfortunately, the elements that don’t work are akin to loudly choking on said communion biscuit, as the congregation gawps with a confused frown. Film review by #NathanialEker

★★★★ Directed by: #TobyKearton Written by: Toby Kearton Starring: #JoshuaGurr, #AnthonyManiscalco and #AnThienPhan Short Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Short film The Dust Child is based deep in the hot and sticky jungles of Vietnam (all films just show the gross, sweaty and sticky nature of any jungle, why has nobody installed air conditioning?) two army medics are chilling by a river, probably because of all the sweating, when they get the call that they are desperately needed to attend to some injured soldiers. As they try to depart, they hear the cries of a young girl nearby and decided to investigate...No! Don’t, go the other way, don’t you understand that you are needed urgently? Are they sharing her injuries? Is this communism at its finest? The girl has been shot/stabbed/attacked by the massive snake in anaconda who took a liking to #JenniferLopez, and the two medics deliberate leaving her to scream in a field or go help their brothers in arms who desperately need some assistance...They decide to do the communist thing and share their medical equipment with the victim of an anaconda attack. They are idiots though because like a good communist she wants to share the grenade blast from her secret grenade she has on her, and we swiftly learn that all good deeds go punished…war is hell. But I will tell you what is not hell, the beauty and attention to detail that has gone into the visuals of The Dust Child as a #shortfilm. The costumes, location, the hazy filter used throughout which creates that vintage feel, all generate a high quality to the immersion of this work. Director Toby Kearton clearly draws inspiration from the old 1980’s Vietnam #warmovies, the script, soundtrack and stylized shooting reminded me of classics such as Good Morning Vietnam and of course Full Metal Jacket. The storyline is well thought out and moralistic, as a viewer we have to consider what we would do in that situation, we have to care about the characters whether we want to or not, and despite the negative ending to what was just somebody trying to help, we learn a vital lesson; sharing is for life, not just for communists.