No Promised Land film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Destiny Soria, John Hall, Jennifer Ugochukwu directed by Colin Bressler. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS No Promised Land Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Aug 26, 2023 Directed by: Colin Bressler Written by: Colin Bressler Starring: Destiny Soria, John Hall, Jennifer Ugochukwu After a terrible event, a desperate young woman goes on the run with her child. The heroine of this story is an unnamed Native American woman (Soria) who works as a waitress and lives inside a caravan in Texas. After meeting a wealthy businessman (Hall), she forms a relationship with him and ends up having his child, a son. The man is actually married and refuses to have anything to do with either of them. Torn apart by his betrayal, the poor heroine goes to extreme measures in order to build a better life for herself and her boy. This emotional drama has a non-linear narrative. The screenplay constantly alternates between the woman and her toddler son in the rear seats of a car that is driven by an unknown woman (Ugochukwu) and flashbacks of the mother meeting and starting a romance with her eventually no-good partner, raising her child and failing to persuade the father to be part of their lives. Initially, it is not clear why mother and child are in that car and the devastating events that led to that are revealed later. Basically, the flashbacks work as a social drama and the present scenes in the car are where the feature becomes a road movie thriller about survival. The story strongly explores the heroine's emotional deterioration and how much she cares for her child. Soria dramatically portrays a tragic heroine. She is a character who unwillingly finds herself being a single mother, facing financial difficulties and making desperate decisions in the hope of making things better. Her son is her prime motivation for keeping strong. The film contains beautiful, melancholic music with wonderful piano melodies which (along with Soria's voice-over) creates quite a dramatic atmosphere. There are various sequences throughout where diegetic sounds disappear and a non-diegetic score dominates. There are short montages and the filmmakers frequently utilise slow motion and dissolve techniques. This hour-long feature is a dark and heartbreaking story that follows a woman's life going from bad to worse and her determination to protect her child. It is a distressing viewing about desperation, social class differences and lives being destroyed by cruelty, but it also explores parenthood and inner strength. No Promised Land is available on Tubi at https://tubitv.com/movies/100008386/no-promised-land . Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Found film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Paul Woodward, Jack McLaughlin, Hannah McGlynn, Martin McAleese directed by Thomas Elliott Griffiths. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Found Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: May 6, 2026 Directed by: Thomas Elliott Griffiths Written by: Thomas Elliott Griffiths Starring: Paul Woodward, Jack McLaughlin, Hannah McGlynn, Martin McAleese Two brothers deal with the fallout of some found footage that their dad had stashed away in a shoebox, only finding it now, after his death. Right from the off, in Found , we get to watch the footage that the brothers have stumbled upon in amongst their dad’s stuff. It’s brutal and graphic from the start, showing a young woman in a dimly lit basement, wearing only a nightgown on a filthy mattress, being tormented by the man behind the camera – Daddy. The performance from Hannah McGlynn as the victim is very convincing, and the rawness of the home video adds to the realness of the situation, giving a chilling aspect to the disturbing footage. Thankfully, we don’t have to stay in the basement too long, as writer/director, Thomas Elliot Griffiths, decides to give us more than just a regular found footage horror story. Conceptualised as an idea for a filmmaker challenge centred around the theme of ‘found footage’, it’s great to see that Griffiths chose to be a little meta with his narrative and allowed his story to come away from the strict ‘in-camera POV’ that so often restricts so many films in the genre, especially seeing as it’s so short. Coming out of the basement, we then meet the two brothers (Woodward and McLaughlin) who are watching their dad carry out these atrocities, and now we get to worry about their relationship to the footage and just what it is they’re going to do about it. This extra dimension is very helpful in standing the film out from what can be a fairly formulaic genre, and in only six-and-a-half-minutes, we get a lot of story and a double narrative to consider, along with a bunch of striking visuals and some deep themed dialogue. The real-world consequences of the brothers finding this footage are critical to the fact of its existence in the first place, and the problems that their father creates, even after his death, could follow them for generations to come. There are no easy decisions in Found , and it is not an easy watch either, testing audience boundaries with its content, while making the viewer really question what a ‘good’ decision would be in this situation. If there is any gripe to be had, it’s that the delivery from the main leads is sub-par. Understandably, with a fifty quid budget everyone’s working with what they’ve got, and good actors are hard to come by, but the quick Scouse that runs through the lines is too much for most of us to handle, and the dialogue slips from authentic to unintelligible at times. Despite this, the production in otherwise well handled, and the whole film comes together without wasting a second of its runtime, even in the credits. If only more things that we Found were as surprising and as satisfying as this chilling short film. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Hemingway Digital / DVD Release, Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Way Things Used 2 B film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Jackie Romankow, Lee Keinan, Meredith Brown directed by Kurstin Moser, Ciara Naughton. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Way Things Used 2 B Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Jan 7, 2026 Directed by: Kurstin Moser, Ciara Naughton Written by: Ciara Naughton, Kurstin Moser Starring: Jackie Romankow, Lee Keinan, Meredith Brown A short comedy written and directed by Kurstin Moser and Ciara Naughton and starring Jackie Romankow, Lee Keinan and Meredith Brown. This film is meant to feel like a Y2K romcom and the story takes place in the early 2000s. Jenny (Romankow) is a spoiled, jobless, university dropout who loves shopping (using her parents' card). Her disapproving sister, Lizzie (Brown) informs her that this situation cannot go on any longer and that Jenny needs to find a job. Following Lizzie's advice, Jenny heads to a local country club, where there is need for staff. There, she encounters Darren (Keinan), a former classmate from school who is now the manager, who she also used to dislike. Jenny will work at the club and re-evaluate her feelings regarding Darren. A light-hearted comedy about a young woman going through significant life changes and learning a thing or two about herself. There is good character development and significant dedication to the rapport that builds between Jenny and Darren, with her initially being reluctant to work and denying that she could ever fancy Darren. The humour exists primarily in Jenny's awkward perception on life and her attempts to adapt to the working world and to come to terms with her emotions. The film lets it be known that the story is set around the year 2000, with references here and there that include a poster of Clueless and mentioning the PlayStation 2. The selection of songs is quite cool, with tracks such as Girlfriend Song by Juice, One Love by Fox Drop ft. Lars Safsund and Don't Fall Apart by G9 adding a lot of entertainment. Having the role of the main character, Romankow leads the film well, playing a youngster who changes from a naive and carefree mall rat into a more mature and understanding person. Keinan's character is a hardworking and likeable guy, who serves as the person who changes Jenny's life, beginning from being someone who she detests then becoming her love interest. And finally, Lizzie is the criticizing and sarcastic sibling who pushes Jenny to change her life. This short tells a story about self-discovery, about a person turning their life around and learning more about the world and about themself. And it is also about romance and relationships, reminiscing the past and people changing and becoming better. A nice, feel-good story about making life-changing decisions and finding romance. The uplifting story, the humour and the soundtrack make this an experience that is amusing and worthy of recognition. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Rakthacharitham film review by UK film critic Joe Beck . Starring Maneesh MM, Surya Krishna, Awin Sunny, Devassy Puthoor directed by Nithin Jameson. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Rakthacharitham Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Joshua Boulton | Posted on: Mar 14, 2022 Directed by: Nithin Jameson Written by: Nithin Jameson Starring: Maneesh MM, Surya Krishna, Awin Sunny, Devassy Puthoor Over the past decade or so India has seen a boom of the thriller genre. Taut crime thrillers such as ‘Drishyam’, ‘Talvar’ and ‘Mumbai Police’ have been all the rage over there. ‘Rakthacharitham’ is a short of the same genre, but completely different in style. It tells the story of a small-time criminal who’s on the run from both the cops and rival gangs. The man is confident and brazen on the outside but inside he’s scared. The fear and paranoia is slowly eating away at him, the fly, which was buzzing very quietly at first, is now all he can hear. Trapped in this one small, scrubby room, with just himself, some liquor and the insects, he’s faced with the hard truth of what he’s done, and the growing sense that he’ll face serious consequences for his actions. Shooting a man is no small thing, especially in the Indian gang world, where there’s on average 2000 gang-related homicides each year. A small number compared to the US, perhaps, but that makes the quench for payback all the more excessive. To be a gang member in India, even at a local level, is an extremely difficult place to be. The criminal knows this, hence why he turns to the liquor, or what’s left of it, before trying to get some rest. The shut-eye is much-needed, he’ll need to be in prime physical and mental condition to evade the clutches of the law and the gang. But gnawing away at him, eating him from inside is that growing sense of guilt, the feeling that maybe he does deserve to face the music for his actions. That maybe he got in with the wrong people, and now he’s got to pay the price. Director Nithin Jameson understands that completely, guiding the camera with zealous precision over the criminal, as he contemplates his desperate predicament. The camera picks up on the distinct griminess of the room, resting on the ashes from a burnt out cigarette and the dirty label on the bottom of a bottle. It’s a relentlessly ugly view, but I think that’s what they were after, and it is in fact a credit to director of photography Ashfaq Ahmed for that. Ahmed also serves as the films editor, which is perhaps its greatest strength, with smooth transitions between shots and surprisingly good sound mixing as well. The biggest let down comes in the form of the script, or to be more specific the dialogue. There isn’t much, just one phone conversation, but it’s a poorly written conversation, and one which feels unnaturally crafted. The other gripe with the script is the lack of language when the criminal dives to the floor and begins madly rummaging through his belongings. At first it appears that he’s looking for his phone, but it isn’t until the lengthly sequence is complete that it becomes apparent that he’s just insane. It doesn’t feel as though the scenes fits in with the rest of the film. ‘Rakthacharitham’ is a promising film from Nithin Jameson, who shows potential behind the camera and has created an engaging, if not always concise story. It’s held back by a bad script, but after the dialogue stops about a minute or two in, it’s mostly plain sailing Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Joshua Boulton Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand directed by Wes Ball. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: May 8, 2024 Directed by: Wes Ball Written by: Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand Seven years after Matt Reeves wrapped up the solid Planet of the Apes trilogy with a thrilling, full-on war movie , director Wes Ball takes the reins for a new chapter with a revenant conscience. “You take his name, but twist his words.” The characters may be talking about Caesar, leader of the ape revolution, but the filmmakers are aiming higher. After a quick update on the rise of the apes, Ball and screenwriter Josh Friedman settle in “many generations” after Caesar’s death. Young ape Noa (voiced by Owen Teague) is part of a clan that bonds with Eagles, cares for the balance of nature, and is careful not to stray to the “valley beyond.” But their peaceful existence is shattered when the masked warriors of Proximus (Kevin Durand) invade, on a violent mission to bring in the human named Mae (Freya Allan). Proximus has anointed himself the new Caesar, and believes Mae is the key to opening a long dormant vault holding human secrets of higher evolution. Ball (The Maze Runner trilogy) returns to the adventurous roots of the original Planet of the Apes from ’68, and then ups the ante on action, visual spectacle and moral obligation. When Mae finds protection and friendship with Noa and the tender, learned Raka (Peter Macon), it sets off a journey that is drawn out but frequently thrilling. Visual effects are again often wonderfully evocative, teaming with Gyula Padros’s layered cinematography and some nifty editing from the Dirk Westervelt/Dan Zimmerman team for effective world building and satisfying set pieces. This is a story evolution that feels right, even urgent. The series, from its start, exposes the evil and hypocrisy in the lust for power that threatens every civilization. The fight in Kingdom may pit mainly speaking apes against each other, but it feels more realistic than most of what has hit the screen this year. None of the characters compel the same level of interest as Ceasar, though. Andy Serkis is missed, and with him, Reeves, who elevated the irresistible Ape-Pocalypse of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes to political theater of near-Shakespearean proportions. But Kingdom is on the right track and Ball has crafted a next chapter that leaves us wanting to read on. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Sand Parade film review by UK film critic Chris Buick. Starring Nick Bidar, Mary Harding, Hector Bhattarcharjee directed by Nick Bidar. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Sand Parade Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Chris Buick | Posted on: Sep 12, 2025 Directed by: Nick Bidar Written by: Nick Bidar Starring: Nick Bidar, Mary Harding, Hector Bhattarcharjee Sand Parade is the story of two young people forced to confront their shared past, fears and future when they reunite after years apart. After some time away, our nomadic lead, Kevin, lands back in Dover, rescued from the middle of nowhere by an old friend, Joanna (Harding). However, their happy reunion shifts when Kevin reveals he is returning to Argentina, possibly forever. Facing what may be their final goodbye, they are forced to confront the thoughts and feelings they’ve always been too afraid to speak out loud. Sand Parade is a considered and impressive short film that gets a lot right, but also feels like it's holding itself back in some respects. Visually and technically sound, the film, written, directed, and starring Bidar, explores a plethora of different themes, from love and longing to guilt and homesickness, the beautifully chosen landscape effectively evoking each of these in the viewer. Its minimalistic approach, either by choice, a consequence of certain restraints or both, is mostly played to its advantage, always working towards making sure every aspect serves the characters, the story and its emotion sufficiently. However, sometimes it does appear that the film is too content to operate on just one wavelength, one tempo, unwilling to ever dare to step out and take the risks needed for one truly stand-out moment. Those aforementioned characters are where perhaps the film's biggest strength lies. While the specifics are never clear, it’s evident immediately through both incredible performances the depth and significance of the history here, the magnitude of affections and feelings perhaps never fully explored or discussed, something that right away makes both Kevin and Joanna engrossing characters to sit down with. Bidar and Harding are electric together, a simple look between them at once tells a story filled with years of regret, longing and love that no amount of written dialogue could have done, the Bidar behind the camera allowing the performances to bring this sincere, character-driven piece to life, rather than force it out through any number of words. But neither character is allowed much space to inject any sort of impact or excitement into the piece, so while as much as these stellar performances do wonders to draw us in, it feels like the audience is always being kept just at arm's length, the film almost frustratingly never daring to take things up a gear. While it might feel a bit safe at times, the desire for more should be a testament to all the clear strengths Sand Parade has as a film, not to mention Bidar as a filmmaker. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Chris Buick Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Hobby Hustle film review by UK film critic Chris Buick. Starring AJ Dillon, Karl Kissnerm, Cliff Panezich directed by Michael Dault. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Hobby Hustle Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Chris Buick | Posted on: Jan 12, 2025 Directed by: Michael Dault Written by: Michael Dault Starring: AJ Dillon, Karl Kissnerm, Cliff Panezich Collecting as a hobby can take many forms. For some it’s music, for others it’s coins. Or comic books. Or stamps. Or books. Or figurines...the list goes on and on. The point is, collections and collectors come in many forms, but one particular corner of that world might be the biggest money-spinner of them all, the buying, collecting, and selling of sports memorabilia and trading cards. Hobby Hustle from filmmaker Michael Dault is about just that, a multi-billion-dollar industry full of passionate people all in it for a plethora of different reasons. The film predominantly guides us through it all via three core stories, with some smaller ones dotted throughout to give the whole idea deeper context for the less initiated. There is the story of Luke, a young teen with such passion and knowledge of the game that he is now on the verge of opening his own store and has become an industry icon. There is then the more cautionary tale of Cliff, an aspiring baseball player who then became the mind behind one of the biggest memorabilia forgeries networks the industry has ever seen. And bringing back the positivity is the story of Karl Kissner, the man behind “The Black Swamp Find”, one of the biggest finds of rare and old baseball cards ever recorded when he discovered them buried away in his relative's attic, a moment that transformed his and his family’s life forever. There really is no stone left unturned here, which one might expect from its more than two-and-a-half-hour runtime, but it is justified given just how much of this world is actually explored. We see how the hobby was started and then popularised, the rise and fall of the industry’s brick-and-mortar stores, the impact of the internet and selling sites like eBay, and the industry’s Covid boom. It also dives into the hobby’s darker side, the scam artists and forgers looking to pass off knock-offs and making ridiculous amounts of money in the process, again Cliff’s story is perhaps one of the biggest and most elaborate examples of this and arguably the most compelling. With so much covered it means there is constantly something new and interesting for the viewer to learn about, with the film very rarely re-treading any past ground. But where Dault is most clever is in how they splice these stories apart, telling each in part before switching to another and returning at a later point, adding smaller contextual tales in-between so that viewers can very easily get the whole picture behind this crazy popular hobby without ever feeling overwhelmed. Its primary focus on the baseball card industry means that references and their true significance might not necessarily land with some who do not know their Micky Mantle’s and Jose Canseco’s, but Hobby Hustle is built cleverly enough that there is no doubt that those who give it a go will more than get the idea and be fascinated by it. Whether it’s all completely unknown to you or indeed you are already in the game yourself, Hobby Hustle is a complete documentary that educates and highlights the passion for something beautiful and meaningful to so many. Watch our Video Film Review of Hobby Hustle . Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Chris Buick Documentary, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Blood Shine film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Emily Bennett, David Call, Brendan Sexton III directed by Emily Bennett, Justin Brooks. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Blood Shine Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Aug 25, 2026 Directed by: Emily Bennett, Justin Brooks Written by: Emily Bennett, Justin Brooks Starring: Emily Bennett, David Call, Brendan Sexton III Writers/directors Emily Bennett (who also stars) and Justin Brooks explore the concepts of sadism and masochism as vehicles for filmmaking in their spare, effective, bloody feature Blood Shine . Bennett is the delicately lovely Clara, all alone in a big old farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere. We meet Clara as she answers her door late at night to the recently out-of-work Keith (Brendan Sexton III — Session 9 ’s tragic, mulleted, and tragically mulleted Jeff!). It’s an effective prelude to the film to come of a zealot, a vessel, and an awful lot of blood given that the balance of the film consists mainly of two people. The second of those two people, Brighton West (David Call) is a horror film director. Like Keith, Brighton West is not such a great guy. Call is convincing enough that it’s tough to care what happens to Brighton, but Blood Shine gives both Call and Bennett opportunities to surprise. Though the film nods to Silence of the Lambs , American Psycho , Audition and some of the dreamier horror indies of the Seventies, that’s more in specific shot decisions than story. Bennett and Brooks have carved out something unique within the isolated zealot storyline and created a character in Clara that highlights Bennett’s skill as an actor. The small but strong supporting ensemble—extended cameos, really—include Toby Poser and Larry Fessenden. Both are characteristically wonderful, each bringing a presence that alerts viewers to creepiness afoot. The brings in filmmaking as a device, but it isn’t pieced well into the narrative and winds up feeling tacked on and unnecessary. But the one-on-one between Clara and Brighton, and Bennett’s increasingly brittle performance, compel attention. It’s an effective lead up to a passable climax. Blood Shine is more invested in the journey than the destination. That journey is a dark one disguised in whites, between two people we shouldn’t care about heading in a direction we shouldn’t want them to go. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Falling Stars film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Shaun Duke Jr., Rene Leech, Andrew Gabriel directed by Gabriel Bienczycki, Richard Karpala. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Falling Stars Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Oct 10, 2024 Directed by: Gabriel Bienczycki, Richard Karpala Written by: Richard Karpala Starring: Shaun Duke Jr., Rene Leech, Andrew Gabriel Co-directors Gabriel Bienczycki and Richard Karpala balance the banal with the uncanny in their desert folk horror, Falling Stars. Three brothers sit around a fire pit by the garage in some middle of the San Bernadino County desert. Their dad is eager for them to put the damn fire out and get inside. They know why he’s agitated—it’s the first night of harvest, and the falling stars will appear at any moment. And around these parts, everybody knows those ain’t stars. That’s what Falling Stars delivers—the creeping, growing sense that people do know. The inhabitants hereabouts may not have much, but the film never makes them out to be ignorant or caricatured. This story is not from a patronizing point of view—look at what these rubes believe. There’s a levelheaded authenticity, a lived-in superstitious normality that pervades the film and gets under the skin. The film, written by Karpala and expertly lensed by Bienczycki, creates a sense of place with lonesome landscapes, all stars and sky and desert roads leading to nowhere. So, the brothers—Mike, the eldest (Shaun Duke Jr.); Adam, the youngster (Rene Leech); and Sal in the middle (Andrew Gabriel)—know better than to get into the pickup and head out. But the sun won’t be down for more than an hour, and Mike knows something his brothers don’t. Their buddy Rob (Greg Poppa) not only saw a witch, but he shot one and buried her in a tarp out in the desert. Who wants to see her? It’s the same kind of innocent yet macabre curiosity that fueled Stand By Me , except Falling Stars replaces nostalgia and melancholy with witchcraft and curses. The filmmakers keep the tensions heightened, much thanks to the endearingly vulnerable and human performances of their ensemble. Little acts of friendliness balance with little acts of cowardice, logic gives way to magical thinking, but the fear is real. A b-story involving an am radio host goes nowhere, but a single scene with the boys’ mama (Diane Worman) turns the supernatural thriller into a psychological horror in seconds. Falling Stars delivers a fresh take on an age-old tale, but it feels like it’s lived out there in the desert waiting forever. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Real Cops & Robbers film review by UK film critic Patrick Foley. Starring Ricky Watts, Jason Hendy, William Clegg directed by Mickey Cornwell. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Real Cops & Robbers Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Patrick Foley | Posted on: Nov 5, 2022 Directed by: Mickey Cornwell Written by: Mickey Cornwell Starring: Ricky Watts, Jason Hendy, William Clegg Diving headfirst into London’s criminal underground, The Real Cops & Robbers examines the careers of Ricky Watts and Jason Hendy, two men on opposite sides of the law, and the sting operation that foiled a £862,000 heist. Watts stars as the former career criminal, reminiscing of his days learning how to burgle, defraud and thieve under the tutelage of his father – a man notorious enough to threaten the Kray twins (this is a London crime documentary you know…). Hendy meanwhile is the meticulous and committed copper – who is desperate to bring down his unwitting rival. The men’s lives are both changed by Watts’ planned heist on an Asda – and 16 years on from the attempted robbery, the documentary organises the first ever meeting between the two on camera. More than a blokerific, Men & Motors-style look at some proper hard geezers, The Real Cops & Robbers is an engaging look at the lives of Ricky Watts and his Walthamstow-based crime operation, and his downfall at the hands of Detective Superintendent Jason Hendy’s flying squad. The film brilliantly identifies a narrative running between the two men and their shared determination to accomplish their goals at the expense of the other. The charismatic Watts’ visceral attraction to a high-flying life of crime is detailed from his youth, whilst Hendy’s militaristic, rigid need to put him away makes them perfect antagonists. The film’s high-point is undoubtably its dual-perspective run-down and recreation of the Asda heist. Like a real-life version of Heat (without cocaine-fuelled rants from its starring detective), Watts relives his break-in and how his gang gained access to almost a million pounds worth of supermarket takings, whilst Hendy details the police’s stake-out and arrest – and the nail-biting tension as the officers wait to see if their targets have discovered their presence. The film’s dramatic reconstructions are effective and authentic – but it is the words of Watts and Hendy that bring the real intrigue. Whilst the robbery is the centre of the drama and action in the documentary, an intimate examination of how the heist impacted the two men’s lives away from their professions is at its heart. Watts tells the story of how his upbringing gave him little choice but to follow a life of crime. Viewers will be sympathetic to how prison changed his life – although his hint that he occasionally wonders what it would be like to try one more job is a glimpse at the man who became so notorious for avoiding the police. Hendy meanwhile made Watts his obsession, to the detriment of his own life. The men’s meeting years later is one of mutual respect – and the impish awkwardness between the master thief and the hardened detective is oddly charming in a strange way. Production is largely strong, with director Mickey Cornwell wisely allowing the leading pair to take centre stage with their interview pieces. The recreations are effective and authentic but never overtake the film’s focus. There are some imperfections – the initial narrator’s voiceover is never really given an identity for the audience, and there could have been more variation with the music themes which become repetitive quickly. But The Real Cops & Robbers is a worthy and entertaining feature that tells a much deeper story than just cop vs criminal. Diving into the psyche of its two fascinating lead subjects gives an emotional connection to the thrilling and daring robbery at its focus. Watch the official trailer here: https://vimeo.com/734171317 Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Patrick Foley Digital / DVD Release, Documentary, Web Series < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Avatar: The Way of Water film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver directed by James Cameron. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Avatar: The Way of Water Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: Dec 14, 2022 Directed by: James Cameron Written by: James Cameron Starring: James Cameron, Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver Week after week, really good films telling solid, compelling stories have been debuting in movie theaters and sinking like streaming-bound stones. What’s it gonna take for movies not named Top Gun to move people off the couch and back into the cinema? James Cameron thinks the answer is to provide a sensory experience you just cannot get anywhere else. And on that front, Avatar: The Way of Water is a resounding success. See it on the IMAX screen, with the 3D glasses on your face, the thumping Dolby in your earholes and the high frame rate injected in your eyeballs and you’ll be transported to a theme park-like world of technical wonder. The storytelling, on the other hand, is all wet. Since we last left Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) over ten years ago, he and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) have formed a happy family among the forest people of Pandora. Their peace is shattered by a new invasion from the sky people, with a Na’vi clone of Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) out to settle an old score. To keep the Na’vi from the fight, Jake and family flee to a village of the water people (including Kate Winslet and CCH Pounder) that’s led by Tonowari (Cliff Curtis). But just as the forest family is bonding with their new water world, Quaritch and his troops come calling for a showdown. You know who realized they shouldn’t run, that war would follow them and put others at risk? Neytiri did, the latest in a long line of smart women in James Cameron movies who no one listens to. That’s not the only throwback to Cameron films you may notice. Aliens, The Abyss, and Titanic are all over this film, and why not? Everybody else steals from them, why not Cameron? The problem is not that he borrows from himself, but that he repeats himself. Scenes replay the same beats again and again. There’s so much wasted narrative space in this three-plus-hour film, and yet voiceover narration explains what that space could have been used to show. And that’s the ironic weakness that consistently keeps Avatar 2 from resonating beyond surface-level amazement. Cameron (who also co-wrote the script) shows us so many wonderful delights, but precious few of them advance any investment in character, theme or narrative. It’s not that the ideals hitching a ride with the wizardry aren’t worthy, it’s just that they’re slapped together with so much obviousness and redundancy. As the long-promised follow-up to the all-time box office champ, and carrying a budget in the hundreds of millions with several more sequels in the pipeline, there was already plenty riding on Cameron’s new vision. But a big return for TWOW could fast-track a bittersweet bargain. The days of a rising tide at the multiplex lifting all boats seem to be fading fast, and one more huge wave might not leave room for anything on the big screen that’s less than pure spectacle. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

For I Am Dead film review by UK film critic Amber Jackson. Starring Al Nazemian, Riggsby Lane, Madeleine Fletcher directed by Patricia Delso Lucas. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS For I Am Dead Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Amber Jackson | Posted on: May 20, 2022 Directed by: Patricia Delso Lucas Written by: Patricia Delso Lucas Starring: Al Nazemian, Riggsby Lane, Madeleine Fletcher Written and directed by Patricia Delso Lucas, For I Am Dead features Oscar, a wealthy middle-aged man, living a life of indulgence but who is dealing with a deep secret that consumes his existence. As Oscar confesses that he is in love with his younger gardener, Jude, his depression and self-disgust overrides this short film as we uncover the unaired desires of a gay man who has been unable to live freely as his true self. Oscar’s house is vast, pointing to his wealth, but also empty and unforgiving to point to the fact that he must confront his deepest and darkest anxieties. The setting is sparsely decorated and the female characters an afterthought to point to the fact that he feels truly alone. We can see that the excess and indulgence he partakes in has no true meaning to him, as his narration explores how he truly feels about his actions. Loud sounds of chewing and drinking and breathing make each scene very uncomfortable so as to signify a man out of place with his surroundings and the camera is all-consuming and close-up to intimately read his expressions. The viewer is immersed in the action and, like Oscar, we are expected to be revolted. What becomes realised is that Oscar is trapped in a live of heteronormativity – he is expected to play this part as an affluent man who is passing his ‘prime’ and so must perform. The women he interacts with, however, are overlooked by the camera as they are not his real conquests – but the camera lingers on his interactions with Jude as he is able to express his true self to him. The film is clever in how it questions what it means to have ‘perfect gaze’ – how Oscar questions looking itself and who he should be looking at. His shame of loving Jude and wanting to be with him haunts him as his feelings are connected by a deep shame. Power dynamic of master and servant is explored within a backdrop of temptation and sin, as Jude invites Oscar to consider the consequences of his desires. The chemistry between the two men is divisive and electric as they confront each other. It is deeply moving, as Oscar cannot truly be happy in the era that he lives and cannot experience a true love let alone a public love. As he talks about ‘earning a good death’, the atmosphere is palpable as he seeks to reconcile how terrible he feels about himself. This is a film that demands the attention of viewers that not everybody is permitted to live as themselves. For I Am Dead acts as a memoir, or an ode, to the LGBTQ+ community that came before us and the contemporary consequences of living your truth. It is a thoughtful, heartfelt and emotional watch. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Amber Jackson Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >