Arachnarche film review by UK film critic Swati Verma. Starring N/A directed by Emma Jordon. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Arachnarche Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Swati Verma | Posted on: Mar 14, 2022 Directed by: Emma Jordon Written by: Emma Jordon, Jack Egleton Starring: N/A The font and black color used for the title of the short film "Arachnarche". The animation/horror genre is highlighted by the makers so that the content of the film can attract a large amount of audience towards the film. The poster of the cinematic piece is creatively designed. The name of the film is in white while the surrounding around the doll is black. The black color symbolizes mystery and power while the white color is all about purity and innocence. The background music of this animated film is carefully chosen to suit the mood of the film. The level of intensity in the sound is varied as per the situation in the script. The director Emma Jordon and the writer Jack Egleton work towards building a concept that mixes animation and horror. It is a unique idea that gives the audience a chance to explore and experiment with the type of movies they like to consume. The set designer Giulia Croce plans out the dollhouse concentrating on the minute details of the same to keep it believable in the eyes of the viewers. The character designer Rebecca Jane wood has to understand the brief from the director and work on the character arc of both the doll and the spider. The director of photography Mitoshka Alkova uses her skills to dive straight into the action. It helps the audience to feel engaged with the film from the very start. The color grade given by Lorenzo Innocenti matches the mood of the film and enhances the impact the horror genre needs to have on the target audience. The use of red color in the story has connotations of danger, courage, anger, and life. The large size shadow of the antagonist instills the feeling of fear in the viewers as well. A dollhouse is invaded by the spider and how the little doll fights all her fears to defend her home or there is something unexpected that is in store for her to experience makes up the basic plot of this short film. The journey of the doll is captured so beautifully that it takes the viewers on an emotional ride where they want to safeguard the doll from all the dangers she faces as the narrative progresses. The conclusion of the film is completely unexpected. The makers of this creative piece have kept an open-ended closure. The director Emma Jordon and her team do not impose their thought process on the audience. They tend to leave the interpretation of the film to the end consumers. All the elements like the set design, lighting, camera angles, costume hair, and sound complement the genre of the film and help to hold the narrative together. The storyline does not lose the suspense factor. The animation team has done a superb job with the expression of the doll. It makes the film interesting retable and interactive for the audience. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Swati Verma Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Discoteque film review by UK film critic Chris Buick. Starring Masashi Yamamoto directed by Masashi Yamamoto. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Discoteque Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Chris Buick | Posted on: Nov 16, 2023 Directed by: Masashi Yamamoto Written by: Masashi Yamamoto Starring: Masashi Yamamoto “I feel your beat, you feel my rhythm, till the end.” Discoteque , the latest offering from animated short-film creator Masashi Yamamoto, tells the surreal but unique and highly imaginative story of a couple exploring the dizzying heights of love, passion and unbridled intimacy in the world of disco. Discoteque is, before and above anything else, a piece of art. Now, that’s not necessarily to say the film will be to everyone’s taste, art can always be subjective and flawed and there are some moments where, despite the tagline, the film in fact does have some slight issues keeping its rhythm steady until the end. But in terms of sheer presentation, a work of pure artistic expression is assuredly what it is. And after now having had a quick look at the brief but adept back catalogue of their other animated shorts, it's clear to see that Yamamoto is in an artist with an intriguing talent for animation and a truly distinct voice for storytelling. Using, as with their other works, stop motion animation as their artistic medium (and with a clear knack for it too I might add), Discoteque is probably Yamamoto’s most visually compelling work yet. The animation is brilliantly clean, precise, striking, imaginative and all other kinds of well-deserved superlatives. But what it achieves more for this particular film rather than simply just creating a feast for the eyes, is how this dreamlike blend of images, colours and abstract metaphors (some subtle and some definitely less so) manages to truly augment this overlying theme of love, connection and raw intimacy that runs throughout the film. In fact, if one were to remove any narration or indeed all sound from it, Discoteque would almost certainly still be able to land narratively as well as it does. While much of Yamamoto’s previous works such as When You Touch Me and Our Future undoubtedly also explore more mature themes of a sexual nature, Discoteque seems like an effort to push those types of boundaries even further with its more explicit nature, and it is always great to witness a creator's clear and uncompromised vision be realised as much as it is here. The film does suffer slightly from maybe overreaching in this regard however, the moments where the more explicit disco-orientated segments (which are provocative yes and which is almost certainly the intention) suddenly interject and feel somewhat out of step with the rest, meaning the film does actually lose a bit of its rhythm in these moments. But Yamamoto is telling the stories they want to tell, how they want to tell them, and that kind of unwavering sense of pure self-expression can only be applauded. It may get lost in itself at points, but Discoteque is well-crafted, wonderful-looking film about love, made with love. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Chris Buick Animation, Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

What The... film review by UK film critic Alex Crisp. Starring Attul, Kiran Dev, Stevie Sunny directed by Sarin Kumar. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS What The... Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Alex Crisp | Posted on: Aug 19, 2021 Directed by: Sarin Kumar Written by: Sarin Kumar Starring: Attul, Kiran Dev, Stevie Sunny A comic short film from Indian director Sarin Kumar, or should that be bonkers. A bonkers short film from Indian director Sarin Kumar. Two friends find themselves in the home of a former school acquaintance, and get involved in something a bit bloodier than they bargained for. There are four principle characters. The two friends, Kathir (played by Attul) and Karthi (Kiran Dev), get the most screen-time, but Attul and Dev falter with shouty performances. The best thing in the film is Stevie Sunny, who goes for cock-eyed psychopathy and lands it as Rocky, so it’s a shame when he becomes the first victim in a series of increasingly farcical manslaughters and murders. And strangest of all is Radhakrishnan as a corrupt policeman billed simply as “Cop”, strange because he plays him like a disturbed sensei. His introduction provides the first real jokes of what turns out to be a comedy (honestly it could’ve been anything). Earlier on, a long still of Kathir and Karthi sitting against the kitchen cupboards while Rocky’s dead body lay propped up between them acted as a moment of realisation, a kind of oh, it’s a black comedy. When trying to dispose of Rocky, the pair are stopped by Cop, who asks them to open their trunk. Only there’s a twist. It turns out the cop has a body in his car too, which is a funny subversion of a staple crime-genre scene. That’s followed up with a monologue that ends in a punchline about shooting a goat. A goat the pair ask? A pregnant goat. Yeah, that isn’t so funny. There is an unfortunately inescapable hindrance to these efforts throughout however—an intrusive soundtrack by Arvind Raghunath. Every tense plot development—such as the trunk scene—is punctuated by a sledgehammer bass-bwah, and though the intended effect may actually be silliness, it’s hard to tell whether the emotionalism is deliberate. It’s not just that the music is overbearing, it’s schizophrenic too. There’s a cue that’s bluesy, there’s several that are funky, and during the climax the soundscape slips into a harsh cascade of Tenet -like electronic pulses. That would be too many musical styles for a film twice as long—everything I’ve listed takes place in less than 35-minutes. It’s no surprise that Cop betrays the pair in the last of those minutes, leading to a stand-off, a sizeable body-count, and a very Quentin Tarantino-ish title caption—yellow block letters over a whirlpool of blood. It’s his lurid brand that Sarin Kumar attempts to emulate with What The , and not successfully as such. Truth be told though, for over two decades Tarantino hasn’t successfully illustrated his own brand either. This ambitious but over-extended short isn’t any further away from doing so. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Alex Crisp Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Primate film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Johnny Sequoyah, Troy Kotsur directed by Johannes Roberts. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Primate Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Jan 6, 2026 Directed by: Johannes Roberts Written by: Ernest Riera, Johannes Roberts Starring: Johnny Sequoyah, Troy Kotsur My working theory is that Johannes Roberts saw Nope and thought, when does Gordy get his own movie? IP being what it is, Primate is likely the closest the co-writer/director could come. The film follows Lucy (Johnny Sequoyah) home from college. She’s summering with family—dad (Troy Kotsur, CODA ), little sister (Gia Hunter), and Ben, the family’s beloved chimpanzee in their incredibly impressive compound on the side of a cliff in Hawaii. But Dad’s off to a work event Lucy’s first weekend home, so friends crash to drink beer, smoke weed, eat pizza, and get picked off one by one when Ben turns super feral. Roberts (47 Meters Down , 47 Meters Down: Uncaged , Strangers: Prey at Night , Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City ) has not built a career on nuance. He makes fun, obvious monster movies. The telegraphed scares are at least goretastic, and what he lacks in subtlety he makes up for with macabre humor. Like any monster movie worth its chlorine, Primate is a survival tale. Quickly, the partiers assess the danger and jump into the pool because chimps can’t swim. Did you know that? I didn’t know it. Is it even true? Google says it’s true. There you go. Johannes Roberts taught me something today. Superficial character development feeds into teen horror cliche as Sequoyah and her supporting players, including Jess Alexander (A Banquet ) and Victoria Wyant, struggle with insipid dialog. The writing is pretty awful, and aside from jumping into the pool, the kids’ behavior is consistently dumb. Some of the gore is inspired, though, particularly one jaw-related injury. The creature design is a little more touch and go. At times Ben’s look is passably realistic, but not always. But Kudos to Roberts for going practical, and Miguel Torres Umba inside the suit moves with menace. There’s also an effective device made of Lucy’s dad’s deafness, handled with minimal manipulation and landing some authentic tension. In the end, Gordy Meets Cujo delivers exactly what you should expect: jump scares, cliché, young adults behaving stupidly, and plenty of blood. Is it a great movie? It is not. Nope, definitely not. But it might be what you’re in the mood for. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Nowhere film review by UK film critic Patrick Foley. Starring Derek Nelson, Jill Greenacre, Jennifer Martin directed by Tim Seyfert. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Nowhere Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Patrick Foley | Posted on: Jan 16, 2024 Directed by: Tim Seyfert Written by: Tim Seyfert Starring: Derek Nelson, Jill Greenacre, Jennifer Martin Writer/director Tim Seyfert’s Nowhere is, in many ways, a perfect January movie. It is after all, the time of the year where most of us feel at our most miserable, aimless and dejected – much like the film’s lost protagonist. A thoughtful examination of trauma, and an ultimately uplifting message, is an effective tonic for the month’s blues. Max (Derek Nelson) is a Californian living in the UK working as a supply teacher. Haunted by a difficult past that led him to leave home, he spends his days in-between temporary jobs getting high and having meaningless sex. When a fateful encounter with a woman named Michele (Jennifer Martin) leaves him with a strange sense of longing, Max begins a journey to confront his own past, and reclaim his life’s purpose. Nowhere is an elusive film that examines a complicated protagonist in the midst of a quiet crisis. Audience investment in Max’s story is key to the film’s success – and a combination of Derek Nelson’s empathetic and endearing portrayal and Tim Seyfert’s slow unravelling of his protagonists’ past mean this buy-in is assured. The film is about very human problems – such as addiction, PTSD, depression and rejection – and ultimately its messaging on these matters is one that feels authentic and realistic. This does mean it lacks a little sizzle throughout, but the viewer’s will to follow Max’s story means emotional engagement. A key theme of the story is Max’s tendency to be his own worst enemy. He fails to meet deadlines, abuses drugs and lies to family amongst a number of other failings – with the ultimate cause being an unresolved family trauma that he has never fully confronted. Derek Nelson ensures that despite his failings, Max remains relatable and supportable. The ‘fish out of water’ element is pulled off brilliantly – an introduction scene in his new classroom being a highlight – and the wry humour injected also sands Max’s edges enough that he never comes across as selfish or frustrating as a lead character. The film ends up feeling a little dreary by the end of its runtime. It’s perhaps inevitable given it is ultimately a drama about depression and anxiety set in the UK with significant time spent in a secondary school or a run-down apartment, but uninspired scene-staging risks disengagement even with this in mind. Sections of the film set in the past which are shot in black and white almost feel revolutionary. The story and character examination is ultimately still strong, but the actual storytelling itself feels lacking. Nowhere however is still a worthwhile drama that successfully captures the sense of melancholy and gloom that comes with not knowing where you are meant to be or doing in life. Seyfert does a fine job of realising Max as a character, and interrogating the human tendency to box our problems away to our own detriment. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Patrick Foley Digital / DVD Release, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

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Fisher film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Lilly Leann Wright, Nasim, Jessie Bell, Mia Naipaul, Zachary Rodriguez-Gardner, Alexander Chastain directed by Cassandra Bryson. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Fisher Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Oct 1, 2021 Directed by: Cassandra Bryson Written by: Cassandra Bryson Starring: Lilly Leann Wright, Nasim, Jessie Bell, Mia Naipaul, Zachary Rodriguez-Gardner, Alexander Chastain Bad things are happening in Eden, Tennessee during Halloween that involve murder, online deception and death threats. Clara (Wright) is a teenager who uses catfishing to her advantage and what she does is pretend to be another person on social networking services and sends intimate pictures of women to various men online in exchange for gift cards. Things go well for her until her activities attract unwanted attention and end up putting her life in danger. As things turn more and more sinister, Clara finds herself being a victim of stalking and receives disturbing life-threatening messages involving dead animals and blood. This psychological mystery horror film contains a variety of characters, including socially awkward Micah (Chastain), who has to deal with his abusive father and Jacob (Gardner), who along with his parents is deeply religious. There is a great deal of online socializing going on and characters are often seen interacting with their laptops. Since the events take place around Halloween, there are scary costumes to be seen. The plot explores the hazards of interacting with others through social media, particularly catfishing. Religion is also a significant part of the story and the unknown stalker appears to be strict when it comes to religion. The story and characters are interesting and there are nail-biting moments. The movie begins rather sinister, with a brutal murder. After that, the atmosphere is more relaxed during the first half of this two-hour-long feature, mainly exploring the lives of the main characters and the pace is a bit slow. Things pick up during the second half, with the intense stalking and the emotional damage it causes to Clara. Generally, the film seems overlong and there are montages that include Micah cleaning and Clara carving pumpkins which come across as awkward and unnecessary. As far as the acting goes, it gives the impression that it could had been better. Bell probably has the most interesting role, that being of a religious woman whose life is turned upside down after a discovery that causes her to develop a desire for revenge. She plays her part well and manages to make her character fragile and fierce. There are numerous great establishing shots and composer Kevin Czaja makes a positive contribution with the dramatic and tense music. Overall Fisher is not a bad film. The plot deals with a dangerous individual looking to harm someone and that is intriguing. It might require patience for a while, but eventually the narrative gets better and better and eventually grabs the viewer's attention. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Panama film review by UK film critic Brandon Thomas. Starring Cole Hauser, Mel Gibson directed by Mark Neveldine. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Panama Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Brandon Thomas | Posted on: Mar 18, 2022 Directed by: Mark Neveldine Written by: Daniel Adams, William Barber Starring: Cole Hauser, Mel Gibson There’s been a lot of talk lately about the “Geezer Teaser” subgenre. What’s a Geezer Teaser you might ask? Well, it’s typically a cheaply made action movie or thriller that has a semi-recognizable young lead (usually Scott Eastwood or Devon Sawa), and a much more famous older actor that shows up for a solid 10 to 15 minutes tops. A lot of action movie heavy-hitters have done these. Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, John Travola, and Mel Gibson have all done their fair share. I guess the big question is “Are these movies any good?” The answer? No, not really, and Panama , Gibson’s latest in this subgenre, is particularly sleep-inducing. Ex-marine James Becker (Cole Hauser of 2 Fast 2 Furious ) is recruited by Stark (Mel Gibson) to negotiate an arms deal in the country of Panama. As the American invasion of Panama looms over the country, Becker becomes more embroiled with the corrupt government and a shadowy local (Kiara Liz). From the get-go, Panama is a chore to sit through. Director Mark Neveldine (Game Over , Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance ) tries hard to craft a sexy, tropics-based thriller, but nearly every beat is a re-heated moment from infinitely better movies. It’s not a matter of budget, as Daniel Adams’s and William Barber’s script fails on even an entertainment level. The twists lack surprise and a coherent story or character motivation seems to have been an afterthought. That Panama is so inert is a shame as Neveldine and former directing partner Brian Taylor made two of the wildest action movies with their Crank series. Panama – while not trying to be anything that zany – lacks even a tenth of Crank ’s macabre sense of humor or electric visual style. Cast wise, the bulk of the heavy lifting is put on the shoulders of Hauser. Hauser has rarely been a leading man, and his work in Panama does nothing to show that this should change. Supporting turns in Dazed & Confused , Good Will Hunting and Pitch Black allowed the actor to play second, third or even eighth banana in some really good films. For a character that’s supposed to be charismatic and suave, Hauser brings nothing to the role. His constant stoic and dry delivery conveys the opposite every single time. At this point, Gibson is just doing his traditional thing. He shows up, kicks a little ass, delivers a few cool lines and heads off into the sunset. It’s the kind of role Gibson could do in his sleep, but doesn’t offer anything we will remember even five minutes after the credits begin to roll. As far as Geezer Teasers go, Panama is hardly the worst. Still, with weak action, a “been there, done that” story, and a phoned-in cast, it’s still one to skip. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Brandon Thomas Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Slightly Red Handed film review by UK film critic Joe Beck. Starring Wayne O. Reid, Adam Tucker, Katie McKenna directed by James Hastings. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Slightly Red Handed Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Mar 2, 2022 Directed by: James Hastings Written by: James Hastings Starring: Wayne O. Reid, Adam Tucker, Katie McKenna The western genre has been enjoying something of a revival over the past decade or so. Films like ‘Django Unchained’ and ‘The Hateful Eight’ from Quentin Tarantino have given the genre a more pop-infused tone, whilst the likes of ‘3:10 to Yuma’ and ‘Hell or High Water’ have maintained the traditional dusty feel of an old classic like ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’. The short film ‘Slightly Red Handed’ certainly feels more like the former films in tone. ‘Slightly Red Handed’ tells the story of a retired magician, Carson Avery (Wayne O. Reid), who has now settled into his ranch in Wyoming. One dark, stormy night an anxious reverend , Jericho Pile (Adam Tucker), turns up at his door searching for a miracle. He doesn’t get it. Tensions between the two come to the fore after the true reason for the reverend’s wife being ‘ill’ is revealed. As with all great westerns, the theme of redemption is overarching. Redemption is relevant to all three characters, including the reverend’s wife Dorothy Pile (Katie McKenna), but all in different ways. Our protagonist Carson Avery seems to be searching for redemption - it’s never explicitly stated but the character’s morals and the bodies hanging outside suggest that there’s something in his past driving his search for salvation. Ironic then that it should be a reverend who acts as the main antagonist, and the character most in need of atonement. Can his actions be redeemed? His incessant begging and bout of tears suggest a profound regret; the drawing of his gun suggests otherwise. Then, and perhaps most interestingly there his wife Dorothy, who is faced in the end with the need for redemption. In the spirit of redemption it is only right to mention another major influence on the renaissance of the western, not a film, but a video game - ‘Red Dead Redemption’. The vast popularity of those games have undoubtedly spurred on the rediscovery of the western, largely due to their massive scope and engaging stories. Elements of those games - in particular ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ are also evident in ‘Slightly Red Handed’. For starters, the short takes place in 1503, at the dusk of the wild west, the same as the much-acclaimed video game. Furthermore, the character of Carson Avery resembles the two protagonists John Marston and Arthur Morgan from the games in his desire to retire and rest - and his inability to escape trouble. However, if there’s one thing you can take away from any western, its that trouble always finds its way back to you. That is no different in ‘Slightly Red Handed’, where our one-eyed jack is confronted with the priest. The issue is, that at times the film feels extremely gimmicky, in particular when the band pops up singing an old-timey cowboy tune. The song is good and fits the rather bleak mood of the film, but it instantly loses its cinematic feel when the band are show singing away in their cowboy gear. At that moment, a long, lingering shot on the ranch, on Carson, or just on the stars in the sky would have accompanied the song better. The other, though relatively minor problem with the film is that it suffers from bouts of mumbling from actors, in particular Adam Tucker as the reverend. This is particularly annoying because otherwise Tucker’s performance is phenomenal, portraying a believably corrupt churchman who’s soul interest is self-salvation. There are moments when he resembles Paul Dano in his mannerisms and facial expressions - it is a very good performance. Wayne O. Reid is imposing and charismatic as the retired old magician, working well with Tucker and creating an all round likeable character in just 15 minutes. Katie McKenna has a lot less to do, but when she does do it she is also charming in her own way. Aside from the inexplicable cuts to the band, the direction from James Hastings is impressive as well, creating an atmospheric and believable setting from the outset. The way the camera is set up on the table as Carson and the reverend have a little, let’s say, talk is nothing you haven’t seen before, yet it isn’t utilised often enough in shorts, so it’s a pleasant shot. In truth, it’s a story which could be expanded to a feature length version, and yet it tells a whole and complete story in just 15 minutes. By the end you’ll be wanting to see a lot more of Carson Avery, who is an enigmatic and engaging character that deserves a chance on a bigger screen. The film has its faults and so the title ‘Slightly Red Handed’ is fitting - it would have gotten away with the perfect short if it weren’t for the drops of blood on its hand from the bizarre cuts to the band. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Joe Beck Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Hocus Pocus 2 film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker directed by Anne Fletcher. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Hocus Pocus 2 Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Sep 29, 2022 Directed by: Anne Fletcher Written by: Jen D'Angelo, David Kirschner, Blake Harris Starring: Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, Sarah Jessica Parker Thirty years ago (more or less), Disney released a family-friendly seasonal comedy that underperformed and was forgotten. Forgotten, except by every 8-year-old who watched Hocus Pocus then or would go on to rewatch it annually during spooky season. The entertainment behemoth finally realized what it had and commissioned a sequel. Hocus Pocus 2 reunites willful witches Winnifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Mary (Kathy Najimy) with Salem, the town that hates them. What is it that reawakens the evil Sanderson sisters? A somewhat convoluted storyline, actually, but it involves female empowerment and community and it’s charmingly, inoffensively told. Halloween’s here, and with it, Becca’s (Whitney Peak) 16th birthday. She’ll celebrate this year as every year by sharing a little spookiness in the woods with her bestie, Izzy (Belissa Escobedo). It’ll be the first year that the third in their trio, Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), doesn’t join because she’s hanging out with her boyfriend. Meh! Anyhoo, the Sandersons are accidentally conjured. Somehow the local crystals and essential oils purveyor (Sam Richardson, likable as ever) is mixed up in things. And Cassie’s dad – kindly Mayor Traske (Tony Hale) – is in mortal danger! Director Anne Fletcher (The Proposal ) hits enough nostalgic notes that adult fans of the original will feel seen. Its contemporary story allows for brand new witch-out-of-water scenarios to explore, and, of course, the sisters are always up for a musical number. But this is definitely a kids’ film. The original was a kind of sibling to Fred Dekker and Shane Black’s 1987 family film Monster Squad . Both showed poorly at the box office and went on to become beloved seasonal fixtures. Hocus Pocus brought the sensibilities into the nineties by, for one thing, recognizing that boys can also be virgins. HP2 modernizes further. To begin with, not every citizen of Salem is white. And though it’s impossible to entirely redeem three characters looking to eat children, at least the sequel skims the ideas of systemic misogyny. But mainly it offers campy, scrappy, bland but amiable fun. Midler, Najimy and Parker reinhabit the old trio well enough to remind us why so many kids loved the original. Whether HP2 can strike the same chord with today’s youth is tough to tell, but at least there’s a Halloween flick everyone can watch together. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Mein, Mehmood film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Ozair Abdul Aleem directed by Prataya Saha. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Mein, Mehmood Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: May 5, 2022 Directed by: Prataya Saha Written by: Prataya Saha Starring: Ozair Abdul Aleem A man is having a hard time making ends meet due to the language barrier. Mehmood (Aleem) is a middle-aged immigrant from the Middle East living in Dubai. His wife and daughter are back in his home country and he is working as a travel consultant. Things are tough because COVID-19 is having a devastating impact on the travel industry and to make things worse, Mehmood does not understand English, which makes it very difficult for him to do his job. This short film from the United Arab Emirates is a hard-hitting drama that straightforwardly reveals the enormous difficulties that immigrants around the world have to deal with due to the fact that they do not speak a particular language. In this case, that language is English and the protagonist of this story appears to be unable to progress in the world because he cannot communicate via this language. His line of work requires him to know English and therefore he fails to reach his assigned targets and struggles to send money back home, for his daughter's education. It is a sad story, one that focuses on an unfortunate individual who lacks a specific quality in order to move forward and who seems isolated from the entire world, as he is never shown interacting with anyone face-to-face, only through devices. Aleem delivers an emotional performance as a well-meaning person who has found himself living away from his country and facing the same challenges that many immigrants do, which include language barrier and being away from loved ones. He tries hard to deal with everything, unfortunately things just get harder and harder for him and the audience will most likely sympathise with him. Saha does a great job as director and the cinematography by Abhishekh Saravanan looks wonderful. Karthik Bhandare does an amazing contribution with the dramatic and beautiful score. This film is dedicated to hard-working immigrants around the globe and it points out the problems they often have to deal with due to language barriers. It also indicates that the English language has a dominant role worldwide, affecting people's ability to find work and progress. It theorises that if one does not understand English, they are likely to have trouble moving forward with their life even though there are so many other languages. This is a viewing that provides a thoughtful experience. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film, World Cinema < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Lioness film review by UK film critic William Hemingway. Starring Sara Oliva, Lily Jane directed by Molly E. Smith. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Lioness Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: William Hemingway | Posted on: Dec 30, 2023 Directed by: Molly E. Smith Written by: Sara Oliva Starring: Sara Oliva, Lily Jane As Lioness opens, we find a tired and weary mother and daughter settling into a dingy motel room for the night. The daughter (Lily Jane) is already asleep on the bed while the sound of a car engine outside has spooked the mother (Sara Oliva) into action. She’s taking no chances and gets to work barricading the door to keep them both safe for the night. When her phone starts making noises she switches that off too, as she tries to ensure that nobody can locate them in this small, unexpected safe-haven. No words need to be uttered as we watch this spent, frightened mother do everything she can to keep her child safe from whatever danger lurks outside that empty, lifeless room. We see that it’s gone well after midnight, but still the mother’s work is not yet done, and we watch as she empties the contents of her handbag out onto the floor as she frantically searches for tools and resources to work with. Everything from the Yellow Pages, to chewing gum, to her own spit, to sanitary towels somehow get utilised by the mother’s ingenuity to help create the atmosphere that she is looking for, but it’s not until we watch her take the surgical tape from a bandage covering a very serious wound on her stomach that we realise just how desperate the situation is for the two women in this story. Produced, written and edited by Sara Oliva, who also plays the mother, Lioness is a delicate look into an all too common situation. Inspired by her time in one such motel room filming another project as well as her experiences helping out at a Florida based women’s shelter, Oliva fleshed out the idea for Lioness fairly quickly, with the story coming to her in images. These images are in truth both affirming and harrowing at the same time and with Oliva deciding to let them tell the story, along with her incredibly affecting performance, without the need for any real dialogue, they then create a rich, intense and moving short film which is impossible to tear your eyes away from. Director Molly E. Smith shows a skill and understanding well beyond her years as she helms the project and handles the camera while still being in her senior year at high school. Oliva explains the decision to hire someone so young to direct as coming from the fact that Smith could bridge the generational gap between mother and daughter and nowhere is this expressed more beautifully than when the attention shifts to the daughter’s perspective and the full meaning of the film comes sharply into focus. Helping things along is a beautiful and sometimes haunting score from Austin Becker, while Smith keeps everything stripped back and natural with the sound and lighting coming from within the scene. There are some really nice details scattered throughout Lioness which should help the eagle-eyed viewer stay aware of the analogy offered by the film’s title; that of a fierce, protective mother doing whatever is necessary to look after her young and give her the best opportunities in life despite any oppressive outside concerns. My favourite of these is that the mother in this story never speaks but is only heard once through a Lioness’ roar. With this seven-minute short film also being dedicated to all the other lionesses out there it can only be hoped that as many of them as possible, as well as anyone else who can identify with a lioness’ soul, will find their way to viewing this small, well-crafted gem, and take from it the strength, ferocity and nurturing tenderness which shines through every frame. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Hemingway Short Film, Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >