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Dustlight film review by UK film critic Chris Buick. Starring Youlika Skafida, Evangelia Adreadaki directed by Chryssanthi Kouri. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Dustlight Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Chris Buick | Posted on: Mar 27, 2024 Directed by: Chryssanthi Kouri Written by: Chryssanthi Kouri Starring: Youlika Skafida, Evangelia Adreadaki Greek short drama Dustlight from writer/director Chryssanthi Kouri tells the story of Matina (Skafida), who arrives at the family summer house following the passing of her late mother to reflect and clear out her things while also attempting to come to terms with her immense loss and grief. Dustlight is a subtle film that respectfully focuses on the almost palpable heavy emotion of loss rather than trying to create any high drama from it. For some, the film might feel a little subdued and lingering, but by making that narrative choice, Kouri has given real authenticity and respect to not just a very touching story, but to a very universal part of the human experience. When we meet Matina her life is at something of a crossroads, suggestions of a stalled career and perhaps a failed past relationship are the only very subtle hints given as to who Matina is. But here, who she is as a person isn’t really relevant in the grand scheme of things, Kouri is more interested in showing what grief can do to all of us, regardless of anything else, which in turns makes for a highly commendable film that bravely does well to maintain its resolve in telling the story it wants to tell the way it wants to tell it. Kouri has a clear adroitness not just for emotive but also visual storytelling. There are a lot of powerful, well placed visual metaphors at play here, where all throughout the film but especially in the film’s opening and closing sequences (where light is seen to be piercing the literal darkness) the film’s clever use of light and dark speaks to a greater overall message of finding hope in despair. And in between those two endpoints which mirror each other brilliantly, through both Kouri’s skilful writing and a very controlled and emotive performance from Skafida, we are invited to follow Matina on her touching journey through each stage of grief along the way. And these well-crafted in-between moments are all part of what, at the end of it all, makes us fully feel the emotion and connection to Kouri’s story that we need to for it all to work. Matina is initially lacking in any real motivation to face the situation at all, instead opting to lie around the house in a general sense of apathy to everyone and everything, until the film begins to move on from that denial phase through towards acceptance, giving appropriate time and respect to the rest of the process along the way. Particular highlights that really exemplify this include a scene where Matina upon looking through her mother’s clothes, finds herself overtaken by the need to smell them all in one last desperate attempt to remember her, her grief finally becoming fully realised in that moment and subsequently released before finally embracing acceptance, a brilliantly poignant moment that because of how well the film does in the build-up to that moment, we feel in spades. Dustlight is a simple but elegantly told, universally understood story that many will enjoy and many more will find comfort in. About the Film Critic Chris Buick Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Letters film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Sarah Carroll, Mary Murray, Kathleen Warner Yeates, Ann Russell, John Connors directed by Robbie Walsh. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Letters Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Sep 15, 2021 Directed by: Robbie Walsh Written by: Robbie Walsh Starring: Sarah Carroll, Mary Murray, Kathleen Warner Yeates, Ann Russell, John Connors A heartbreaking feature about the consequences that incorrect results of cervical cancer checks have on three women. The story of this film is set against the backdrop of the CervicalCheck cancer scandal, which involved multiple women in the Republic of Ireland pressing charges against the Health Service Executive, after they were given false smear tests results for cervical cancer. The three unfortunate women here are Cliona (Carroll), Sam (Murray) and Mary (Yeates). Cliona is single, organized and career-oriented. Sam is a single mother raising four children and has serious money trouble and debts. Mary takes care of her mother Bridgette (Russell), who has Alzheimer's disease. After their lives and situations are introduced, the three of them receive a letter that announces the devastating news regarding their illness. From there, the audience observes them as they proceed to disintegrate, becoming weak and sick. This movie contains insights into some of the biggest hardships of life: debts, disfunctional family, loneliness, terminal illness and people paying the price for the errors of others. Some protagonists are already living hard lives and it is very sad when they find out that they have cancer. However, the joys of life are also present here, such as love and the act of caring for others, creating moments of tenderness. Basically, the narrative consists of three separate stories that are about three quite different but have one crucial thing in common: cancer. Their dissimilar lives become alike with the arrival of the letters about their diagnosis. Through effective use of parallel editing, the film moves between the three of them, showing their reactions and how they each go through their own suffering. The acting is brilliant, with Murray, Yeates and Carroll all delivering strong and convincing performances as individuals who have cancer. The feature utilizes mainly black-and-white cinematography, providing a downbeat feeling. There are sequences that are in colour, and these are scenes that move away from reality, eventually appearing like dreams. The colour sequences look wonderful and the terrific music that accompanies them makes them even better. Each of the three women is introduced with a title card and the film includes title cards with texts. One rather heart-rending sequence with a black screen and text involves the heartbreaking words of a woman who was a victim of a false smear test. Although she is not seen, her voice and words are enough to move the audience. The Letters is a powerful film, full of drama and emotion. It depicts how cancer affects people both physically and emotionally and raises awareness about the CervicalCheck cancer scandal and the consequences it had on people's lives. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Grima film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Monroe Cline, Lynn Allinger directed by Richie Harrington. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Grima Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Nov 7, 2025 Directed by: Richie Harrington Written by: Richie Harrington Starring: Monroe Cline, Lynn Allinger A short horror film written and directed by Richie Harrington and starring Monroe Cline and Lynn Allinger. Regarding the title, just explaining that ''Grima'' has a variety of meanings and one of them is a feeling of disgust that is related to the sound of nails scratching a chalkboard, which is probably the most appropriate one considering the events in the story. Sinister things are taking place inside a classroom. All the students are sitting at their desks, completely still, with their heads down. Their teacher (Allinger) is walking around, inspecting them very closely, making sure they are all obeying. One of them, Jen (Cline), is not and the teacher (Finster is her name) confronts her and viciously makes sure that the unruly girl learns her lesson by applying her nails to the blackboard and making ugly noises. Five minutes of tension and spooky moments and nails scratching a chalkboard. This is a wickedly fun film, whose main strength is arguably Allinger's character, a teacher from hell. The screenplay loses no time becoming gripping, turning towars the supernatural and bringing the viewer in an environment filled with dread, with Brendan F. Cochran's ominous music and Larry Tang's cinematography fitting in just fine. The sound effects are another plus, especially when it comes to nails being pressured against a blackboard. A lot of creativity is clearly present in the special effects, creating grotesque moments like a face disintegrating and the skin being removed from a hand. Any negative observations? That would be hard. This is a very well-made short with plenty of scares. As mentioned, Finster is a major asset and this is because it is this character that creates most of the elements that make this film a horror story. Played brilliantly by Allinger, Finster is like Cruella de Vil, a wicked and terrifying person, who might even be a witch. Cline portrays the poor schoolgirl who falls victim to Finster's attention, being emotionally tormented for failing to learn discipline. The director states that this project acknowledges the awful sound of nails on chalkboard, something that greatly annoys him and there is plenty of that happening in this story. Blackboards and nails aside, punishment, fear, cruelty, guilt and honesty are other themes that drive this story. A horror film with a nightmarish teacher and the dreaded sound of combining nails with chalkboards. According to Harrington, this short is a proof of concept for a feature film and that is something to look forward to. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Alba Rosa film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Nicola Wright, Charlie Clee, Keith Hill, Augustina Seymour directed by Bogdan Radu. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Alba Rosa Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Apr 18, 2024 Directed by: Bogdan Radu Written by: Thomas Kear Starring: Nicola Wright, Charlie Clee, Keith Hill, Augustina Seymour An elderly widow struggles to cope following the passing of her husband. Based on a true story and with a duration of just over an hour, this feature is a deep commentary about grief and it is explored entirely through Grace's (Wright) perspective, an ageing woman who lost her husband in a rather dramatic manner. The devastating event has had a serious impact on Grace, who has isolated herself inside her house that she used to share with her husband. Alone in the large house and rarely socialising, she spends her days mainly watching television and doing housework. She is so reclusive that she avoids attempts by her friendly neighbour Jason (Hill) to reach out to her and is reserved even towards her son, Adam (Clee), who is trying to convince her to sell her home and carry on with her life. She does therapy sessions with Marie (Seymour), however she is reluctant to cooperate with her. The screenplay pretty much observes how badly the loss has affected Grace, having turned her into a sad antisocial loner and the feeling of isolation is quite evident, with her spending a great deal of time alone inside her house. However, as time goes by, she makes efforts to makes things better, such as being more open with her therapist and spending time with her neighbours. Since the story is told completely through Grace's point of view, Wright's performance is vital in order for the film to work and she succeeds at that outstandingly with her strong acting. The character that she brings to life is a person who is torn apart by the loss of her partner and does not know how to move on. Sad and rarely smiling, she chooses to isolate herself and by doing so, she is making the situation worse as she is preventing herself from receiving support from those who care about her. She also has trouble sleeping and appears to be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as she has terrible memories of the day her husband lost his life, which are shown in brief but distressing flashbacks. Hayley Grant's moody cinematography is a key feature in this film as it creates a dark, downbeat atmosphere that suits the themes. Dimitris Makridis develops a dramatic score and the soundtrack includes two wonderful pieces, which are Gnossienne by Erik Satie and The Second Waltz by Dmitri Shostakovich and their presense adds significant value. This feature explores loss, grief and isolation and it does so very dramatically, by analysing the life of a woman who has reached rick bottom and must overcome her demons if she is to pull through. Wright's magnificent performance is one of the strongest aspects, along with the soundtrack and the heavy themes. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Him film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox directed by Justin Tipping. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Him Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Sep 18, 2025 Directed by: Justin Tipping Written by: Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, Justin Tipping Starring: Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox The goat is an apt image to anchor a sports film. The Greatest Of All Time. Every athlete’s dream. If you’ve ever watched horror, goats are also excellent avatars for evil. In the case of Him , co-writer/director Justin Tipping’s feature from Jordan Peele’s Monkey Paw Productions, it’s a bit of both. Isaiah White (Marlon Wayans) lives deliciously. Is Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers) ready for that? Cade is the up-and-comer, the college QB who may be the one man to dethrone legendary Saviors quarterback, White. The 8-time champion came back even after the bone-protruding leg injury Cam’s late father made him watch again and again as a child. Why would a father make a child watch something like that? To learn what it means to be a man, naturally. Him is dense with themes and imagery, beginning with the very real frights of traumatic brain injury and its effect on football players. But the larger horror is rooted in performative masculinity, of proving your physical superiority by overpowering an opponent, drawing first blood, drawing last blood, and calling it power when it’s simply entertainment for puny white men with money. Tipping equates the mechanics of sizing up an athlete with preparation for an auction block in one of the film’s most quietly unnerving sequences. Later references to gladiators obediently entering the pit at the behest of their trainers serve as additional, hardly subtle, illustrations of the power dynamic afoot. Withers’s overwhelmed acolyte feels more dopey than wide-eyed, but Wayans is slippery, diabolical fun as the primary antagonist. Naomie Grossman steals scenes as White’s biggest fan, and Tim Heidecker’s disingenuous smarm fits perfectly as Cade’s agent. There’s an intriguing half to this film. It’s the half making points about the way those with a financial stake in the game proselytize brutal sacrifice in search of greatness. The delicious living half, though, feels like a cheat. The supernatural elements in Him give way to a foggy mythology full of fever dream smash cuts and jump scares. At times—as on a shooting range—details are left delightfully, grotesquely vague. Elsewhere the ambiguity feels like narrative weakness. Worse still, the supernatural side of the film, to a degree, lets capitalism and white supremacy off the hook, no matter how satisfying the final bloodletting may feel. The set design is evocative and cinematography impresses, but the film can’t quite live up to expectations. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Film news - Her Voice: Black Women From The Spotlight To The Screen. Find out more at UK Film Review. Her Voice: Black Women From The Spotlight To The Screen Chris Olson Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 10:15:04 AM UTC BFI Southbank, 17 May – 30 June 2021 The BFI today announce full details of a new season, HER VOICE: BLACK WOMEN FROM THE SPOTLIGHT TO THE SCREEN , running at BFI Southbank from 17 May – 30 June . Programmed by curator, writer and researcher Karen Alexander , the season will celebrate black female performers whose talents have been a major inspiration for musicians and audiences globally; women known for their vocal performances who have adapted their talents to film, such as Whitney Houston , Beyoncé and Diana Ross , as well as those who are depicted in illuminating documentary portraits, including Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald . The season will include films such as the first feature to star a black woman, Josephine Baker in SIREN OF THE TROPICS (Mario Nalpas, Henri Étiévant, 1927), and the joyful 1940s musical STORMY WEATHER (Andrew L Stone, 1942) featuring an all-black cast, led by the luminous Lena Horne. Also screening will be THE WIZ (Sidney Lumet, 1978), starring Diana Ross, SPARKLE (Salim Akil, 2021), featuring the last screen role from Whitney Houston, and WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT (Brian Gibson, 1993) starring Angela Bassett as Tina Turner, in an Oscar-nominated role. Music documentaries about the life and work of performers who refused to let personal setbacks and systemic barriers hold them back will include AMAZING GRACE (Alan Elliott, Sydney Pollack, 2018), WHITNEY: CAN I BE ME (Nick Broomfield, Rudi Dolezal, 2017), ELLA FITZGERALD: JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS (Leslie Woodhead, 2019), ...BUT THEN, SHE’S BETTY CARTER (Michelle Parkerson, 1980) and many more. Across the years from STORMY WEATHER (Andrew L Stone, 1942) to TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM (Morgan Neville, 2013) there’s an invisible bond of recognition and sisterhood that links the rich legacy of those who went before to those who followed; HER VOICE will celebrate that legacy, and the performers who used their talent not only to entertain and comment but also to enrich and transform the entertainment industry and those around them. Her Voice: Black Women From the Spotlight to the Screen is at BFI Southbank from 17 May – 30 June. Tickets on sale from 3 May; bfi.org.uk/whatson The King's Man UK Home Release Date Announced The Latest King’s Man Film Will be Available on Digital February 9 and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 21. Read Now BFI Future Film Festival announces 2022 Awards Jury and full programme Find out who the jury is for the 2022 BFI Future Film Festival. Read Now The Wonderful: Stories From The Space Station UK Release Date The Wonderful: Stories from the Space Station is a Dog Star Films production in association with Fisheye Films. Directed by Clare Lewins (I Am Ali, Kareem: Minority of One, The Lost Tapes of Memphis.). Read Now Redemption of a Rogue UK Cinema Release Date Read Now Cryptozoo Coming to Mubi This October Having made a splash at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, filmmaker Dash Shaw's upcoming fantasy animation Cryptozoo is a highly anticipated film coming to Mubi later this year. Read Now Another Round UK DVD And Blu-Ray Release Date Announced Following its acclaimed cinema release, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of Thomas Vinterberg’s intoxicating Oscar winner, ANOTHER ROUND, starring Mads Mikkelsen, on early EST 24th September 2021 and DVD, Blu-ray and Digital on 27th September 2021. Read Now Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow DVD and Blu-Ray UK Release Date Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow To Land Early On Digital (August 10th) and 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD September 13th. Read Now My Little Sister Gets October UK Release Date My Little Sister is due for a cinema release in the UK, on Friday 8th October 2021. Read Now Grimmfest Reveals Line-Up for 2021 Film Festival After a year of “home invasions” in the form of virtual screenings and online events, this October sees Grimmfest returning to the cinema at last. Read Now Helen Mirren Narrates Powerful Documentary Escape From Extinction Kaleidoscope Entertainment presents Escape From Extinction, a powerful feature documentary narrated by Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren, coming to selected cinemas from 17th September celebrating ‘Great Big Green Week’ (18-26 September). Read Now Supernova UK DVD and Blu-Ray Release Date Following critical acclaim and standout performances, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of the heartbreaking British love story SUPERNOVA, arriving on EST 24th September 2021 and DVD and Blu-ray on 27th September 2021. Read Now The Djinn UK Release Date The story follows a mute twelve-year-old, Dylan Jacobs, as he discovers a mysterious book of spells inside his new apartment. Read Now Come Play UK Digital Release Date Jacob Chase’s directorial debut feature COME PLAY tells the story of Oliver, a solitary autistic boy who comes across a creepy children’s story on his new tablet. Read Now 15m Giant Starfish in Leicester Square Ahead of UK Release of The Suicide Squad British actor Peter Capaldi (BBC’s Doctor Who, World War Z) ‒ who stars in THE SUICIDE SQUAD alongside Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and John Cena as genius scientist ‘Thinker’, was bravely photographed with the imposing creature Starro in London’s Leicester Square earlier today in celebration of the film’s UK release this coming Friday. Read Now West Side Story In Cinemas December 2021 From acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, the 2021 remake of West Side Story will be coming to cinemas in December 2021. Read Now The Last Job UK Digital and DVD Release Date Screen icon Richard Dreyfuss takes on The Last Job in a brand new, all-action thriller, that stars Modern Family’s Mira Sorvino as his daughter. This rip-roaring gangster movie hits the UK on DVD and digital this August from 101 Films. Read Now Rise of the Footsoldier Origins UK Cinema Release The eagerly-awaited RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER: ORIGINS, starring legendary leading man Vinnie Jones, is showing exclusively in cinemas from September 3, courtesy of Signature Entertainment. Read Now Random Acts of Violence UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Date Jay Baruchel writes, directs and stars in his horror debut Random Acts of Violence, which makes its UK Blu-ray debut from Acorn Media International in conjunction with Shudder, following its success on the streaming service. Read Now Spirited Away 20th Anniversary Special Edition SPIRITED AWAY COLLECTOR’S BOXSET WITH DVD & BLU-RAY DOUBLEPLAY AVAILABLE 27 SEPTEMBER 2021 Read Now A New World Order Premieres in UK 23 August Black Mirror meets A Quiet Place in gripping sci-fi thriller A New World Order from director Daniel Raboldt in his feature debut, which gets its UK premiere on DVD and digital 23 August 2021 from Reel 2 Reel Films. Read Now

Kinds of Kindness film review by UK film critic Jack Salvadori. Starring Emma Stone, Jesse Plenons, Willem Dafoe directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Kinds of Kindness Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jack Salvadori | Posted on: May 19, 2024 Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos Written by: Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plenons, Willem Dafoe After the uber-success of Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos delivers his second film of the year, Kinds of Kindness. In this minor work, the Greek filmmaker abandons the epic ambitions of his recent pictures and returns to the deadpan, twisted wavelength of his early career. Patron saint of the Greek Weird Wave, the Hollywood experience grants him total freedom- and a higher budget- to revisit to his twisted neurosis and perversely amusing awkwardness. Kinds of Kindness is a tryptic of darkly comedic, unrelated stories centred around power dynamics and the irredeemable urge to please. Other than the thematic motifs, the only link connecting the three episodes is the indistinctive and mysterious character of “RFM”, a dull figure who titles each segment and somehow unawarely plays a key role in each without speaking a single word. The same few actors play multiple roles across the segments, always starring the director’s aficionados Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, and Margarette Qualley, and introducing Jesse Plemons to his stock. In each short they are confronted with surreally macabre decisions, waltzing between domination and emotional manipulation, and succumbing to committing personal sacrifices that echo biblical parallelisms. This is the kindness that the film sneeringly deals with, extreme acts of generosity driven by desperation and an inner fear of rejection rather than true love. A discordant piano and unsettling choir score the absurdities on screen, and enhance the general paranoia that Lanthimos thrives in. The cherry on top is the new irresistible and soon-to-be iconic dance scene with Stone, to add to the director’s collection. Yet, this newfound and fearless artistic freedom has its own disadvantages. With this film Lanthimos is simply having fun, shaking up his wicked creativity for its own sake, and thus resulting in a shallow ensemble that, despite the unquestioned entertaining element, wanders aimlessly without a clear destination. Perhaps the overproduction of two films per year might be detrimental to the works’ ultimate integrity and originality, and, just like for Wes Anderson, end up in a stylistic stalemate. About the Film Critic Jack Salvadori Film Festival < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Watch A Moral Man at the 2022 UK Film Review Festival. See the UKFRF 2022 lineup and buy your festival pass. A Moral Man Listen to our review on the film podcast What our film review said: READ FULL REVIEW Another exemplary Toby Jones performance enhances this moving and controversial short film. A Moral Man is an accomplished feat from writer-directors Paul and Simon Wade as they attempt to sincerely raise a difficult ethical question. Proudly supporting MediCinema for our 2022 film festival.

Watch True Colours at the 2022 UK Film Review Festival. See the UKFRF 2022 lineup and buy your festival pass. True Colours Listen to our review on the film podcast What our film review said: READ FULL REVIEW The script of this cinematic piece is the strongest point as it grips the audience up until the end and it forces the viewers to think about the issues addressed in the movie for a while after watching the short film. Proudly supporting MediCinema for our 2022 film festival.

Bitter Taste film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Alexis Trolf, Sam Kennedy, Audrey Jenkinson directed by Ethan Race. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Bitter Taste Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Apr 9, 2025 Directed by: Ethan Race Written by: Katerina Kalketenidi, Ethan Race Starring: Alexis Trolf, Sam Kennedy, Audrey Jenkinson A short drama written by Katerina Kalketenidi and Ethan Race, directed by Ethan Race and starring Alexis Trolf, Sam Kennedy and Audrey Jenkinson. One day, in Glasgow, Scotland, Fraser (Kennedy), a mischievous young boy and his friends run into a gang of youngsters, who slash Fraser's face with a knife, leaving him scarred for life. Now an adult, (played by Trolf), he lives in New York City and works as head chef at a fancy restaurant. One evening, just as the establishment is about to close for the day, some customers request that Fraser himself prepares a specific dish for them. He hesitantly agrees, as that dish brings back painful memories. A rather poignant story that deals primarily with the aftermath of a terrible incident. Following a dramatic beginning, the screenplay alternates between Fraser in the restaurant's kitchen, cooking the requested food and flashbacks about the immediate aftermath of the attack and the relationship between Fraser and his mother. By utilising this storytelling structure, the film effectively explores Fraser's character and the emotional pain that he is going through. The atmosphere is predominantly downbeat, supported by Joseph Race's dramatic music and Tyson Vanskiver's gloomy cinematography. The scenes involving Fraser's mother (Jenkinson) are the most uplifting as they deal with recovery and support. It should be acknowledged that the scene where young Fraser is attacked is quite distressing. This is not a negative ascpect, as by being brutal, it paints a realistic image of violence. However, some viewers are likely to find this part hard to watch. Since Trolf and Kennedy portray the same character, the latter's performance will be analysed first as he plays the child version. Kennedy plays Fraser in two phases of his life: before and after the incident. Before he is a cocky and carefree boy and a shoplifter and after he is broken and depressed, with a bandage covering his wound, being at home and cared for by his mother. Jenkinson is sympathetic in her portrayal of a loving and supportive parent and her character appears to represent the strength of support. Playing the grown-up Fraser, Trolf is very dramatic as a chef who relives his devastating experiences when he is told to prepare a specific course. Trauma and painful memories are two key themes in this short. From another perspective, yob violence and knife crime are brought into the spotlight and so is people's obliviousness to other's emotional suffering. More upliftingly, the significance of good parenting is also acknowledged. A person is haunted by a terrible event, even though it took place many years ago and he is now far away from the scene of the incident. The story is quite intriguing and it is a rather dramatic one that seems to imply that emotional wounds can last forever. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Another Day film review by UK film critic Alasdair MacRae. Starring Gráinne Good, Alan Hall directed by Daniel Topic. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Another Day Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Alasdair MacRae | Posted on: Jan 13, 2022 Directed by: Daniel Topic Written by: Alan Hall & Gráinne Good Starring: Gráinne Good, Alan Hall After a spontaneous hook up, Sam (Alan Hall) and Sinéad (Gráinne Good) rekindle the lost romance of their youth. Is this a chance for them to start anew or are their other commitments too big a hurdle to overcome? Guitar strings reverberate. A bittersweet melody forms over a sequence of shots of the couple looking at one another. Their eyes meet, their hands’ press against each other. As they touch, the memory of their love surfaces. The tempo of the music picks up, it verges on excitement. Their hands move together, dancing. They push through the centre of the screen into focus as everything around them fades into a soft blur. A beautiful cinematic opening. Then comes the rude awakening. The couple are forced to confront reality and the serious discussions of ‘what next?’ begin. Even though much of the dialogue is hard to swallow, Good and Hall truly sell the feeling of the narrative with their performances. The tenderness in their longing glances. The gentleness of their voices. The intimacy of their relationship feels believable. They make the everyday tragedy of an opportunity for a new beginning feel like the only thing that matters in the world. Together they give nuanced, filmic performances that justify the minimalistic style. The sparse bedroom set works mostly as a blank canvas allowing some variety in movement, but the visuals are largely structured around punctuating close-ups. The sound design works to distil the actors’ voices and is manipulated at times to isolate the couple’s memories to great dramatic effect. The film is bookended by a second montage. During the finale, there is a heart-fluttering visual expression that is a little clunky in execution but expresses the sentiment of the short as succinctly as the opening. This kind of experimentation is what makes watching short films exciting. The kind of risks that pay off. Ultimately, Another Day is a very accomplished short in which every member of the crew seems to contribute to more than one core aspect of the film. It is visually and audibly emotive thanks to DoP-editor Alba Skottowe and sound designer-musician Michael Smith. Producer-writer-performers Alan Hall and Gráinne Good are compelling and engaging on-screen. Altogether this comprises an impressive fully-formed directorial debut for director-editor Daniel Topic. It is a joy to see the convergence of such talent to craft what is undeniably a moving experience. About the Film Critic Alasdair MacRae Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

My Eyes Are Up Here film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Jillian Mercado, Ben Cura directed by Nathan Morris. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS My Eyes Are Up Here Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: May 16, 2023 Directed by: Nathan Morris Written by: Aminder Virdee and Arthur Meek Starring: Jillian Mercado, Ben Cura You know how it is sometimes – you wake up with a sore head, all groggy and bleary eyed from the night before, the dry rasp in the back of your throat letting you know that most likely you've been snoring the whole night through, and you look over to see that there's an international model lying next to you, except that she isn't next to you any more because she's fallen out of bed onto the floor as she tried to sneak out early in the morning without waking you up. “My Eyes Are Up Here ,” she says as you look down at her over the edge of the duvet, and rightly so, you shouldn't be ogling her nor helping her up without her asking you to, she's a strong, independent woman and she can do that herself. This morning Tom (Cura) finds himself in exactly this situation and instead of helping he's parading around naked as Sonya (Mercado) gets herself dressed and into her wheelchair. She just wants to get out of there but Tom is keen on spending more time with Sonya, and oh yeah, there's the small issue of the condom having split. So the two fledgling love-birds set off on a journey to the pharmacy to track down the morning after pill whilst trying to get to know each other along the way. The morning's travel plans are fraught with obstacles, however; as accessibility issues, preconceived notions, thinly veiled prejudices, well meaning but misplaced intentions and outright ignorance and bigotry all rear their ugly heads; which is all in a day's work for Sonya but now she has the awkward puppy-dog, Tom following her around and she's still not sure that she really wants him there. From writers Aminder Virdee and Arthur Meek, My Eyes Are Up Here is based on lived experiences and therefore cuts to the chase when highlighting the realities of living as a disabled person. Sonya is fierce and indomitable, living her life on her own terms despite the difficulties that the able-bodied world heaps upon her, but even she gets overwhelmed sometimes and is reticent about opening up to someone new. Tom is the perfect foil as he bumbles about awkwardly, constantly tripping over the right thing to say and wondering about just how much assistance he should offer, but it's his genuineness, as well as his ability to listen to and treat Sonya as she asks to be treated, that shines through. Director Nathan Morris handles everything superbly, bringing all aspects, from the editing, to the sound design, to the music together to tell Sonya's story with just the right amount of humour and gravity. He gets the best from his actors with both leads being excellent in their roles while also being professionally supported by the cast of secondary characters. Morris and the producers all worked hard to ensure that the Accessible Filmmaking (AFM) Guidelines were followed throughout the production of the film so that diversity and inclusion were at the forefront of the film-making process, both behind and in front of the camera, and this has led to a truly unique and genuine experience for the viewer. My Eyes Are Up Here is a fun and important short that opens up a dialogue about diversity and inclusion in film but also in the wider world, too. It allows the audience to feel first-hand just how many daily battles are fought, inside the mind as well as outside in the community, by disabled people who just want to get on with their lives and how important it is for the able-bodied world to start thinking and behaving like allies – or, you know, just regular, compassionate people. About the Film Critic William Hemingway Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >