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Flies film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Tim McGill, Julie Haves, Ceni Wyatt directed by Jason Housecroft. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Flies Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Nov 11, 2021 Directed by: Jason Housecroft Written by: Phil John Starring: Tim McGill, Julie Haves, Ceni Wyatt A troubled man isolates himself inside a large house, where he contemplates his current situation and surroundings. A man (McGill) is in his untidy home by himself. He wears a blue dressing gown and appears to be distressed. He never leaves his property and observes things that are significant to him, such as flies, broken glass on the floor and photographs. Occasionally, he becomes upset and throws things around. It is indicated that he has been in this state for a while and that he is dealing with the consequences of a terrible tragedy. He receives regular visits by a doctor (Wyatt), who seems unable to help him. This is a short drama that looks into the mind of an individual who appears to have lost his way and does not know how to move on. The overall mood is generally unhappy, with the man being sad and not smiling and unwilling to take action in order to improve his situation. His voice-over is heard throughout the film, which provides an insight into his feelings, which tend to be mostly negative. There are flashbacks that utilise different cinematography than the rest of the film and they appear to show the incident that led to the man's current state. Some scenes mix fantasy with reality and give an idea regarding the protagonist's psychological state. The special effects that are used on a character's head are impressive. There is effective use of slow motion and sound effects and Daniel Greensmith provides music that is beautiful, dramatic and mesmerising. As McGill is almost constantly on screen and almost constantly by himself, his performance is the centre of the film and he is very convincing in his role as a person whose life has come to a standstill due to a tragedy. Isolating himself, throwing things around and not interacting with anyone, he is in a rather sad situation. This is a story about loss, grief and isolation. It is a character study about an isolated man and his perspective on his life and his environment. It provides an emotional viewing experience and deserves a lot of praise. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Hoppers film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Piper Curda, John Hamm, Bobby Moynihan directed by Daniel Chong. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Hoppers Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Mar 3, 2026 Directed by: Daniel Chong Written by: Daniel Chong, Jesse Andrews Starring: Piper Curda, John Hamm, Bobby Moynihan Funny, relevant, overstuffed and a little too busy, Pixar’s latest, Hoppers , throws a lot at you. Mabel (Piper Curda) has always been a handful. In the film’s opening act, after she gets caught trying to break every elementary school classroom animal out of captivity, her frustrated mother drops her off with her grandmother. Grandma Tanaka (Karen Huie) introduces Mabel to the calming effect of nature. As they age together, the two sit on a rock by the glade behind Granny’s, learning to be silent and feel a part of something bigger. Then the mayor, Jerry (Jon Hamm), decides to bulldoze the glade to extend the city’s beltway, shortening commutes by 4 minutes! Through a series of events both clever and complicated, Mabel hijacks a research experiment, avatars her way into the robotic body of a beaver, infiltrates the local wildlife community, learns more than any human has ever learned about their hierarchy, and just about gets Jerry squished. Hamm is perfect as Mabel’s foil, but the entire cast is excellent. From smaller supporting turns (Meryl Streep, Vanessa Bayer, and Isiah Whitlock, Jr. in one of his final roles) to larger roles (Bobby Moynihan, Dave Franco, Kathy Najimy), each voice brings life and wit to Pixar’s characteristically enthralling animation. Co-writer/director Daniel Chong’s script, co-written with Jesse Andrews (Elio , Luca , Me and Earl and the Dying Girl ), is warm, forgiving and quite funny. Pixar has a knack with movies about a world unknown, even forbidden, to humans. Hoppers plays with that idea, and the thrill of being part of the animal world offers contagious joy. It’s also an honestly emotional film, and Curda makes an excellent anchor for that emotion. The film’s one big drawback is that it simply tries to do too much. At an hour and 45 minutes, it feels slightly longer than necessary, but more than anything, it is very complicated. Had Chong pruned some of the human world complexities, favoring instead the merry time spent in the surprising world of the animals, his film might find broader appeal. As is, it will delight older children and adults, although the littlest viewers may struggle to keep up. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, Animation < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Tabby Daly film review by UK film critic William Curzon. Starring Declan Curran, Andrea Kelly directed by John Doherty, Conor Kilkelly. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Tabby Daly Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: William Curzon | Posted on: Mar 12, 2026 Directed by: John Doherty, Conor Kilkelly Written by: Conor Kilkelly Starring: Declan Curran, Andrea Kelly Tabby Daly is set against the backdrop of rural Ireland in 1847, as the potato blight tears through a community. A charitable woman, being the titular character Tabby Daly (Andrea Kelly), helps young boys emigrate in search of a greater life. However, as doubts begin to surface within the community, questions arise about her true intentions. One of the most mesmerising aspects of the piece is the fantastic production value throughout, as it is an impactful portrait of rural Ireland during the 1800s, making the experience feel lived-in and true to its time period. The boxed-in 4:3 aspect ratio is another commendable formal decision that pays off wonderfully within the rural community at the height of the famine. David Christopher Lynch’s cinematography is striking, as the piece consists of gorgeous drone photography that gives the viewer a sense of the beautiful landscapes of Ireland, along with the shift to extreme close-ups of each character. These close-ups are impactful thanks to the intimacy in each interaction between characters, making the experience more visceral throughout. The film primarily relies on low-key lighting, achieved with candles, which is an admirable choice given its rural setting. Conor Kilkelly, serving as the film's composer, delivers an evocative musical score that creates a sense of awe and wonder between dialogue-heavy sequences and anchors the quieter aspects of the material. The piece is an audacious portrayal of a woman during this time period helping younger boys emigrate with a fully realised characterisation for the titular character that's both shocking and endearing to witness throughout. Both central performances from Andrea Kelly in her portrayal of the titular character and Declan Curran in his portrayal of Father Winters are the centrepiece within the narrative, as their dialogue is enriching and deeply provocative throughout. Each performance displays a sense of warmth and urgency during the struggles of the potato blight ravaging through the community, and it's utterly gripping to watch. Andrea Kelly, in particular, is the standout of the cast, as her actions are widely unpredictable, and this pays off heavily in its final moments, as the piece takes a shocking tonal shift. The piece tackles incredibly potent themes such as the rise of the Great Famine, a time in Ireland of mass starvation and disease, and themes of religion. While the piece takes a meandering approach in its pacing, this gives the audience enough time to connect with each character despite the film's incredibly tight runtime. The sluggish pacing also allows for the jarring tonal redirect to feel more natural, thanks to the prolonged build-up, as it explores the intentions behind the titular character's ideal motivation within the community. The brevity of the piece’s exploration of the subject matter makes the overall viewing experience worthwhile and rewarding. Whilst the piece would perhaps not have enough material to sustain a longer runtime, it certainly leaves the viewer wanting more, which is a testament to directors John Doherty and Conor Kilkelly's sheer attention to detail. Tabby Daly is a provocative exploration of the rise of the Great Famine against the titular characters' mischiefs within the community of rural Ireland. Anchored by a spellbinding central performance from Andrea Kelly, alongside John Doherty and Conor Kilkelly’s formalism, Tabby Daly is an engrossing experience. About the Film Critic William Curzon Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Prowling film review by UK film critic Joe Beck. Starring Henry Owen Richardson, Kai Hall, Craig Wakefield directed by Henry Owen Richardson. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Prowling Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Jul 21, 2023 Directed by: Henry Owen Richardson Written by: Kai Hall, Henry Owen Richardson Starring: Henry Owen Richardson, Kai Hall, Craig Wakefield The found footage horror genre is an interesting one. After reaching international recognition in 1999 with the legendary ‘The Blair Witch Project’, a film of dubious quality itself, it has spawned numerous, lesser films such as ‘Paranormal Activity’ and ‘V/H/S’, films high on stupidity and low on acting and logical writing. Therefore, ‘Prowling’ comes as a pleasantly refreshing surprise, invigorating a stale and uninspired genre with fresh chills and suspense, though not through reinvention, rather through playing with previously established tropes to maximum effect. A standalone sequel to last years ‘Lurking’, created by the same guys, ‘Prowling’ depicts your traditional figures of found-footage films - young filmmakers - the perennial victims. Naturally burdened by low budgets and an awareness of cinema and horror tropes, its only natural that these would be the only people filming in an abandoned forest in the middle of the night. In ‘Prowling’ this is Liam (Henry Owen Richardson) and Mark (Craig Wakefield), two film students scouting for locations to film their low budget student thriller film. They are rapt with excitement as they set out - thinking, as all do, that this footage could be used in future ‘The Making of…’ documentaries, à la the films of Spielberg, Scorsese, or Coppola. Their guide is Daryl (Kai Hall), a man that immediately appears to them as dodgy, and whom neither have met before. Nevertheless, Daryl promises an amazing shooting location, and so Liam and Mark follow him into the forest, trusting that they’ll be in and out before the night properly falls. There isn’t anything too disturbing about Daryl - other than his worrying lack of film knowledge - rather he’s just a bit of an outsider, an annoying presence against the unity of Liam and Mark. However, as darkness falls tensions between the three grow - with the conflicting desires to return or to go on, and the unnerving discovery of missing person posters scattered throughout the forest. ‘Prowling’ is, at least for the genre, a surprisingly smart film in how it builds tension. It doesn’t do anything to transgress the traditional story of these kinds of films, yet nonetheless, adeptly builds suspense through a combination of Henry Owen Richardson’s direction, which has a surprising amount of verve and doesn’t feel confined by the found footage model, as it does so often in other films, and the tenacity of Kai Hall and Richardson’s script, which both presents the characters as easily relatable and leaves no fat or exposition. Another surprise is the competent performances by the three young men at the forefront of the film, who are all instantly believable - as young filmmakers themselves - and have genuine chemistry with one another. Though occasionally it falters into illogical missteps - i.e. not simply walking down the side of the motorway or not begging the grumpy farmer to call the police - this is nonetheless a clever film, and one that slyly pays homage to defining filmmakers such as John Landis and Neil Marshall. ‘Prowling’ is a pleasant surprise, standing out amidst a crowd of subpar found-footage films as one that is genuinely chilling, clever, and well-made. About the Film Critic Joe Beck Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Rub film review by UK film critic Brandon Thomas. Starring Micah Spayer, Jennifer Figuereo directed by Christopher Fox. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Rub Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Brandon Thomas | Posted on: Jul 31, 2023 Directed by: Christopher Fox Written by: Christopher Fox Starring: Micah Spayer, Jennifer Figuereo As disheveled loner Neal (Micah Spayer) sits at his work desk scanning through dating site profiles, it’s hard not to immediately think of other cinematic losers. Taxi Drive r’s Travis Bickle, One Hour Photo ’s Seymour Parrish, and Joker ’s titular character spring to mind first. However, as Christopher’s Fox feature debut Rub plays out, our expectations are slowly thrown out the window and the film unfolds into something completely different. Neal leads an isolated life. His coworkers don’t take him seriously, his relationship with his family seems to exist only over the phone, and any attempt at a romantic relationship is dismissed. At the urging of a co-worker, Neal visits a tawdry massage parlor where he meets Perla (Jennifer Figuereo). As Neal’s humiliation at the hands of his co-workers boils over, he makes another visit to the parlor – a visit that will wind up with both Neal and Perla on the run. The way Rub nimbly dances between sub-genres really allows it to surprise. Just when you think it’s going to become Maniac , the film veers off into Taxi Driver territory. However before Rub can fully commit to homaging Scorsese’s anarchic opus, the film takes another hard right into Badlands . Director Fox never lets his film get comfortable in any of these genre-defining areas. Instead, the tone and tenor of the film follows the characters and their journey, not the other way around. Spayer has the flashier role of the two roles, and he handles himself quite well, but the real fireworks happen when both Spayer and Figuereo are sharing the screen. They are an unlikely pair but their vulnerability shines through to something deeper and more meaningful. Both characters have been discarded by those around them – to be used only as things of either enjoyment or ridicule. It’s a pairing that begs for a happy ending, but the mounting suspense and tension only point to one inevitable outcome. Rub is the kind of character-centric genre outing that evokes the electric and gratifying cinema of the 1970s. Sure, it’s a low-budget film that’s rough around the edges, but any shortcomings on a purely production level are soon erased by the commitment to surprising storytelling. About the Film Critic Brandon Thomas Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Raquel's Legacy film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Sandra Del Cid, Woody Wilson Hall, John Johnny Mach Maciag, Mario Navarro directed by Sandra Del Cid. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Raquel's Legacy Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Sep 21, 2025 Directed by: Sandra Del Cid Written by: Sandra Del Cid Starring: Sandra Del Cid, Woody Wilson Hall, John Johnny Mach Maciag, Mario Navarro A crime feature based on the book Raquel's Legacy by Sandra Del Cid, written and directed by Del Cid and starring herself, Woody Wilson Hall, John Johnny Mach Maciag and Marion Navarro. A crime syndicate is operating in Houston, Texas. Their activities involve kidnapping and trafficking women for sex. Lorusso (Maciag) is the head of the gang, and Arpad (Navarro) is his right-hand man. Raquel (Cid) is the daughter of billionaire Randy (Hall), also living in Texas, and one day, the criminals abduct her and bring her to their hideout. There, she convinces one of her abductors, a woman named Brianna (Sarah Wyckoff) to release her in exchange for a reward. Now free, Raquel must find the courage to find a way to put an end to their atrocious crimes. The plot is certainly intriguing: a bunch of criminals profit by forcing women into sex trafficking, and the film examines in detail how the crooks plan and execute their vile deeds and how it destroys the lives of the victims. More importantly, though, according to FilmFreeway and IMDb, this film aims to acknowledge that Houston has the highest statistics of sex trafficking in the United States and that by viewing this feature, people will become aware and be more cautious. It is worth mentioning that the ending states that the story will continue. As interesting as the plot is and as much as the feature hopes to raise awareness of sex trafficking, that does not save the low level of creativity. The low production value is evident throughout, one of the lowest points being scenes where the background is evidently fake during numerous of the long takes. The screenplay is flawed, with uninspiring and childish dialogue and scenes that go on for far too long, such as a chase in the countryside and a character escaping captivity. The music that is added clearly intends to highlight the emotions of the scenes; however, it is exaggerated and makes the viewing feel ridiculous. On top of all this, the acting is...well, not convincing. Although the performances are far from realistic, some characters have some depth. One is Raquel, a wealthy woman who finds herself coming face-to-face with sex trafficking, and her experience drives her to do something about it. The other is Lorusso, the ruthless leader of the criminals. Of course, sex trafficking is the main theme here, with the film exploring how it operates and the devastating impact it has on the people who become victims. By focusing on this illicit occurrence, the feature also brings attention to bravery and morality. A poorly made film. The fact that the intention is to raise awareness of sex trafficking is to be acknowledged and commended. Nevertheless, taking this into account, a feature carrying such an important message deserves to have creativity of respectable standards. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

You Won't Be Alone film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Noomi Rapace, Alice Englert, Anamaria Marinca directed by Goran Stolevski. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS You Won't Be Alone Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Apr 1, 2022 Directed by: Goran Stolevski Written by: Goran Stolevski Starring: Noomi Rapace, Alice Englert, Anamaria Marinca To suppose that filmmaker Goran Stolevski is a fan of Terrence Malick seems fair. His tale of 19th century Macedonian witchery offers the same type of visual aesthetic, whispery voiceover and absence of dialog in much of Malick’s work, especially 2018’s A Hidden Life . You Won’t Be Alone follows Neneva (Sara Klimoska), a teenager raised in isolation, hidden from the Wolf-eatress (Anamaria Marinca) who’s claimed her. Freed from hiding, the teen shapeshifter takes on different forms (Noomi Rapace, Felix Maritaud, Alice Englert) and learns of life. The vast majority of the film’s spoken language comes in the form of Neneva’s thoughts via voiceover. Having grown up alone and unable to speak, Neneva’s language is disjointed and poetic, her musings untouched by traditional socialization. These reflections are periodically punctuated by the bitter logic of her lifelong tormentor, the Wolf-eatress, whose own upbringing among the human race has left her horribly scarred, literally and metaphorically. Sections of the film are quite lovely. Admirable performances all around help to keep you engaged. Klimoska’s physical performance reflects the primal beginnings of Neneva’s explorations. Rapace brings an awkward adolescence feel to the character’s early interpretations of normal human behavior. Englert carries the character into adulthood with quiet curiosity, never losing that animalistic inquisitiveness carried throughout the earlier performances. Stolevski’s cast gives him all he could have hoped. Unfortunately, he doesn’t entirely deliver on his end. The story free floats, its style often overwhelming its substance. You feel every minute of its running time. That’s not to say Stolevski’s approach is a failure, only that it’s taken too far. His fractured storytelling suits his purposes of exploring gender identity and the nature of humanity. He builds dread well and his fluid camera allows his tale to cast a spell. The result is mainly entrancing, but too often frustrating. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Cruel film review by UK film critic Patrick Foley. Starring Erin Taylor, Chris Dettone, Patrick Johnston directed by Naim David. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Cruel Film Review average rating is 1 out of 5 Critic: Patrick Foley | Posted on: Apr 26, 2024 Directed by: Naim David Written by: Naim David Starring: Erin Taylor, Chris Dettone, Patrick Johnston A loud (well not so loud) and proud low budget mystery horror like Cruel is the type of film that should appeal to indie and horror film fanatics alike. Unfortunately, crippling sound problems that appear to be inherent in the film’s production make following an ambitious and depth-filled plot a considerable difficulty. Following the brutal murder of her parents Ava (Erin Taylor) lives with the burden of never knowing the identity of their killer. A devoted detective Peter Savage (Chris Dettone) suspects a deeper conspiracy as he works to put the pieces of case together, whilst Patrick (Patrick Johnston) starts to come closer to Ava who pursues her own investigations – with a much more violent fate for the perpetrator her preferred outcome. I really did want to engage with Cruel more than was possible. But unfortunately, sound production issues cripple a film that is heavily reliant on dialogue to tell its story. Numerous pivotal and establishing scenes are barely legible, even with volume turned to the max. Others blast out with these volume levels that suggest a poor job of sound mixing that is unacceptable even for a lower budget offering. Much in how the main takeaways from Christopher Nolan’s Tenet were not anything related to the film’s story or thematic devices, but its muffled, incoherent dialogue, these basic building blocks of cinema overshadow anything else in a movie if they are not in place. It’s particularly damaging to a film with a twisting and winding plot that requires an audience to be engaged fully with its set-up to feel the benefit of the payoff. The film has highs and lows outside of the sound issues. Its central mystery does offer intrigue, and keeps viewers guessing as to the identity of the culprits. Cleverly raising several possibilities, the result is a satisfying and shocking revelation that thankfully doesn’t collapse the narrative. Ava’s self-destructive quest for vengeance is an interesting contrast to Savage’s law-focused investigation, with both leading to dangerous places that neither are prepared for. The film is let down by some sub-par performances however – Erin Taylor failing to properly capture a genuine sense of grief throughout the film that is Ava’s driving force. A particularly devastating moment that occurs within the film is incredulously met with borderline indifference, which inadvertently undermines Ava’s moral justification for her entire plot. Once revealed, the killer is portrayed as a giggling, maniacal psychopath that mirrors a teenagers attempt at edginess. It's a shame as some scenes are staged beautifully in a way that feels like a loving homage to B-movies in general. Vibrant lighting is utilised well to stage carnage and chaos, and a grungy, gritty soundtrack makes for an ominous, underground dread that steadily builds until the explosive conclusion. But ultimately, it all comes back to the sound issues. Under-par performances and clunky action sequences are to be expected and hardly fatal for a lower budget production. But failure to address the volume levels make this film sadly unwatchable. With this issue fixed the film would be easier to judge on cinematic merits. But films also must be ultimately judged based on the condition they are presented in. Cruel as it may seem, Cruel is a disappointment on these terms. About the Film Critic Patrick Foley Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Remi Milligan - Lost Director film review by UK film critic Chris Buick. Starring Yoshi Barrigas, Sara Granato, Sebastian Romaniuk, Andrew Forbes directed by Samuel Lodato. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Remi Milligan - Lost Director Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Chris Buick | Posted on: Nov 11, 2023 Directed by: Samuel Lodato Written by: Samuel Lodato Starring: Yoshi Barrigas, Sara Granato, Sebastian Romaniuk, Andrew Forbes Celebrating the life as well as the diverse and bizarre works of one Michele Benedetto aka Remi Milligan (a maverick film director who just disappeared one day under mysterious circumstances) through a clever combination of interviews, “behind the scenes footage” and a showcase of impressive fictional short films, Remi Milligan: Lost Director is the brilliant story of one of the greatest low-budget film auteurs that never existed. It's important to remember while watching Remi Milligan: Lost Director that, despite how one might feel while watching, it is actually all a work of fiction. And that is in no way intended to take away anything from the film, quite the contrary. In fact, it’s a testament to how ridiculously well writer/director Samuel Lodato has crafted such a complete and thought-out legend around this enigmatic character of Remi Milligan that you might in fact come away in the end, like I did, actually a bit sad that it’s not all true. The film is complete with talking head interviews from Milligan superfans, ex-girlfriends, former crew members, family and even his personal biographer, all of which are brilliantly delivered and utterly convincing. We are also treated to a showcase of some of Milligan’s most notable works: Killer Pencil, a five minute short about a cursed writing implement (that you can and should actually watch online), The Greek Connection, Song and Dance at Guantanamo Bay (featuring original songs with changed lyrics) and finally, the has-to-be-seen-to-be-believed Satsuman, a film about a giant Satsuma seeking out their long-lost father. Each of these films within the film are given as much care and attention as the main feature, and watching them will not only put a smile on your face, but highlights the care, passion and hard-work that Lodato and co. have put in to making this all feel as real as it does, and maybe even leave you wondering if we will ever get that Satsuman movie you didn’t know you wanted. Lodato definitely hits all the key notes that make a great mockumentary work, the most crucial being believability, which is absolutely nailed on. One would challenge anyone not to at some point get caught out by the “authenticity” of the ever-deepening mythos of Remi Milligan that Lodato invites us into, it’s very likely you may find yourself, again like me, suddenly remembering that in fact, Remi Milligan: Lost Director is merely for fun, but still a shining example on how mockumentaries should work. It could have perhaps had its tongue wedged a bit more into its cheek to establish a bit more of a stable tone throughout, but other than that, the look, feel and delivery can only be greatly admired. Remi Milligan: Lost Director is a wonderful addition to the mockumentary genre, as well as an homage to the tribulations and ingenuity of the guerilla, low-budget filmmaking process and to all those weird and wonderful creators out there who believe film is their calling. About the Film Critic Chris Buick Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Titane film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle directed by Julia Ducournau. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Titane Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: Oct 1, 2021 Directed by: Julia Ducournau Written by: Julia Ducournau Starring: Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle I’m just going to go with the official synopsis: “Following a string of unexplained murders in France, a father is reunited with the son who has been missing for ten years.” Fine, done, because knowing anything more about Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or-winning Titane could steal some of the mesmerizing, can’t-look-away, what-is-happening spell it inflicts on you. Ducournau’s 2016 feature debut Raw shocked audiences with a brutally in-your-face metaphor mixing primal appetites and familiar bonds. She ups all the antes available with Titane , claiming her film is “its own wild animal” like a mad doctor unleashing her creation on an unsuspecting city of fools. The film is alive with alternating color palettes, pulsating sounds and endless shocks of body horrific visuals. The sudden bursts of violence are downright pedestrian alongside the parade of boldly squirm-inducing clashes of flesh, bone and other. But as she did with Raw , Ducournau finds humanity clawing out from the inhumane. Truly unforgettable performances from Vincent Lindon and Agathe Russell provide intimate examples of the extremes that even the most damaged souls are capable of in the search to care and be cared for. It may not be shy about homages and influences, but Titane is indeed its own ferocious animal. Open the cage look the F out. About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release, LGBTQ+, Indie Feature Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Target film review by UK film critic Sam Quarton. Starring Charlie Toko, Damian Verguson, Isabel Monroe, Ajay Kalyansingh directed by Tony Mitsinga. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Target Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Sam Quarton | Posted on: Dec 24, 2021 Directed by: Tony Mitsinga Written by: Tony Mitsinga Starring: Charlie Toko, Damian Verguson, Isabel Monroe, Ajay Kalyansingh Robbery and police “stop and search” are placed cheek by jowl in Tony Mitsinga’s Target Institutional racism within the UK is indefatigable. In under two weeks, the Johnson government has set in motion the Police Bill and the Nationality and Borders Bill: the most draconian legislation observed in decades, granting governmental authority to strip a person of their citizenship without warning – disproportionately affecting millions of BAME citizens – and expanding police “stop and search” powers to unfathomable heights. But as the foulness of this state-sanctioned evil festers, it is essential to acknowledge the work of filmmakers refusing to remain taciturn in the face of racism: Tony Mitsinga’s Target is no exception. A powerful no-budget short about the frightening similarities between criminal gangs and the police, Target places these two entities cheek by jowl; their attitudes posited in the same framework of aggression: one scenario a robbery, the other a stop and search – by the end of the film’s one-minute running time, there is little to distinguish the two. And as writer-director, Mitsinga is adept at showing the mechanics of fear underpinning the speech of these violent criminals and so-called agents of the law: “oi, what are you doing in these ends, fam?”, asks one thug (Damian Verguson); “tell us where you’re coming from and where you’re going”, asks a policeman (Charlie Toko) - these intrusive questions are broken down to their intimidatory essentials, the only discernible difference is their delivery. Here, words are weapons; cruel little devices used to enforce a regime of humiliation over their victims. But of the two encounters, the police appear most terrifying. Their powers to “stop and search” – or harass and harangue – are hidden under a cloak of legitimacy; a systemic process of intimidation protected by law. Do not show fear, though. This would be admittance of guilt: “you seem nervous, are you hiding something?”. Though packed with emotional heft, these disturbing set pieces are not infallible: slipshod costume design dons the police officers in fancy dress-esque uniforms constituted by ill-fitting caps and comically large badges; venomous taunts are sometimes diluted by poor line delivery; turbulent camerawork shakes – assumingly by accident – from one end of the screen to the other. But these flaws are few too far and between to interfere with Mitsinga’s ambition. Target is an uncomfortable nay essential reminder that racism is a pervasive force: an evil found on our streets and in our homes; an evil embedded in law and upheld by its agents. About the Film Critic Sam Quarton Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Clearance film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Abigail Lee, Conor James, Ze Rebelle directed by Charles Normsaskul. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Clearance Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Oct 26, 2024 Directed by: Charles Normsaskul Written by: Rashdan Radha Starring: Abigail Lee, Conor James, Ze Rebelle Clearance , by director Charles Normsaskul, takes place in a small interview room at a London airport. Mia (Lee) has come all the way from Malaysia ostensibly for a holiday, at least that’s what she’s willing to tell the immigration officer (James). She has been singled out and brought to the interview room presumably because someone thought there was more to her than meets the eye. While there, the immigration officer is patched through on the phone to an interpreter, Khadijah (Rebelle), who is then put on speakerphone to allow the three-way conversation to take place, and so the interview begins. However, the officer has barely been able to ask his first question before he is called through to another interview room to help deal with another detainee, giving Mia and Khadijah a chance to talk to each other privately. Somehow, Mia recognises Khadijah’s voice, as it turns out they’re from the same village and went to school together. Khadijah sets out very clearly that she is not allowed to speak to Mia while the officer is not there, but Mia persists, pulling on a lot of personal information and using their common history to try and convince Khadijah to help her out. When the officer finally returns, the conversation becomes more and more protracted, with Mia asking more and more of Khadijah as things move forward, embroiling her in a web of lies which she never asked to be a part of. The officer suspects that more is being said than is being translated and Khadijah’s attempts to cover up the other parts of the conversation, by blaming a bad connection on the line, becomes weaker and weaker every time she tries it. Throughout the conversation we find that Mia is an unsympathetic character. She finds herself in a difficult situation and becomes a bully and an emotional manipulator to get Khadijah to do what she wants, eventually threatening her and her position if she doesn’t do what’s asked of her. This characterisation shifts the viewer’s perception of the scenario somewhat and now we’re left in our own minds to decide what we think about what’s going on. This clever moving of the dial by writer Rashdan Radha really lifts the tension the audience feels by being in the small room with the interviewer and interviewee, while Khadijah struggles on the other end of the line to do what she feels to be the right thing. There is suddenly a real dilemma at play, and all preconceptions are thrown out of the window about immigration and legal or non-legal routes into the country, as we are left to come to our own conclusions about the people we have in front of us. In what is a fifteen-minute chamber piece, the three actors do a great job of relating the backgrounds and pressures of their characters in a short amount of time. There’s not really much for director/DoP Charles Normsaskul to do in such a small space, but he makes sure that we get the right close-ups of the feelings on the character’s faces at the right times, helping us to relate to them and their situations. What really stands out from Clearance , is the writing, which gradually ramps up the tension as we go along without forcing any sort of moral judgement on the whole scenario. In fact, Clearance is quite rare in that it doesn’t try to push a point or tell the viewer what to think, but instead plays on prejudices and preconceived notions and subverts them until we’re forced to confront our own thoughts and feelings on the whole scenario. The whole point of Clearance seems to be the conversation that you have once you have watched it, whether that conversation is with yourself or with other people. It’s not there to tell you the right and wrong of the situation but instead displays a likely common scenario with multiple strands and considerations, as well as a deeply muddied morality, then allows you to make up your own mind about it all. Even if you can find fault with one character, does that mean that the outcome is fair for all characters? Are you able to side with one and not the other, or does their complicity (forced or otherwise) condemn them both? Clearance is a clever short film with a real-life dilemma at its heart, and will keep you thinking long after having watched it. About the Film Critic William Hemingway Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >