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Unintentional film review by UK film critic Swati Verma. Starring Rhythm Rajyaguru, Anil Modi, Dhuruvin Kumar directed by Sandeep Sharma. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Unintentional Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Swati Verma | Posted on: Apr 18, 2023 Directed by: Sandeep Sharma Written by: Sandeep Sharma, Mughdha Shah Starring: Rhythm Rajyaguru, Anil Modi, Dhuruvin Kumar The name of the short film-Unintentional given by the writer-director Sandeep Sharma to elevate the elements of drama, thrill, mystery, and suspense to increase the degree of audience engagement with the content through Nisha (Rhythm Rajyaguru). The plot of Unintentional revolves around a young and successful restaurant owner who was tasting her success, little did she know her nasty past contained some horrible consequences which could take away her everything. The white font of Unintentional has the connotation of purity, simplicity, and innocence that are in danger of being destroyed due to the subject matter of the film. The dramatic piece opens with the voiceover sounding like a police investigation along with an upbeat yet eerie sound effect utilised to make the audience pay tension to even the minute details showcased. The narrative continuously moves back and forth between the present as well as the past time lines during the questioning allowing the viewers to be interested and involved with the movie as the storyline picks up pace. The combination of white, black yellow colours to set the tone, set design, dim lighting, dialogues, costume, hair, makeup, and props complement the mood as well as the genre of Unintentional. The director has smartly incorporated sub-plots in the movie in an attempt to add a surprise element for the audience as they reach the climax of the crime drama. In terms of performance, Rhythm Rajyaguru plays the female protagonist Nisha Mehta who believes in giving her 100 percent when it comes to both professional and personal spaces. Rajyaguru depicts the changes in Nisha’s behaviour as per the script utilising body language, voice modulation, facial expressions, and eyes. The actress portrays the stress and emotional trauma the character goes through and appeals for an instant connection and the viewers too want to be at her side praying hard to come out of the abusive relationship she is bearing with. Anil Modi plays the role of Shrey(Nisha’s husband) who comes across as an ideal boyfriend/husband material initially but later we are introduced to multiple shades of Shrey. Modi finds a balance between the two versions of the character arc and executes the transition effectively and efficientl Dhurvin Kumar as the police inspector illustrates the combination of empathy as well alertness the two major qualities required daily especially when on duty mode. Kumar understands the nuances and delivers them as per the demand of the screenplay. Unintentional talks about the importance of keeping the career and personal equations separate or else one has to face dire consequences that would become irreparable as time passes. The short film reiterates the fact that violence as well as aggression will always pull someone toward their downfall only. The thriller movie highlights the power of law and so advises the audience to not commit anything wrong because the police can get the culprit to confess. The cinematic piece also discusses the significance of marriage in Indian culture but one shouldn’t be forced to stay in the relationship especially when it comes at the cost of mental stress or a threat to life. About the Film Critic Swati Verma Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Meaning of Hitler film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Yehuda Bauer, Saul Friedlander, Deborah Lipstadt directed by Petra Epperlein, Michael Tucker. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Meaning of Hitler Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Aug 11, 2021 Directed by: Petra Epperlein, Michael Tucker Written by: Sebastian Haffner, Michael Tucker Starring: Yehuda Bauer, Saul Friedlander, Deborah Lipstadt At a time in history where fascism, neo-Nazism, nationalism, antisemitism and white supremacy flourish out in the open, it seems natural that our collective conscious directs its attention to the rise of the Nazi party. And at the same time, doesn’t one more documentary about Hitler just add to his legend? Filmmakers Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker (Gunner Palace ) grapple with that conundrum in their latest, The Meaning of Hitler. Their primary aim is to look at how it happened in the first place to see how it might be stopped this go-round without romanticizing Hitler himself. But that had a lot to do with how he became the cult of personality he was, and why he continues to fascinate entitled, angry people. “The Nazi ideals were acted out by people who were absolutely normal.” Historian Yehuda Bauer, a 95-year-old who knows firsthand, shares this insight. And while much of what Epperlein and Tucker cover feels well-worn, this one bit of information gives the film upsetting relevance. That’s why it’s happening again. Hitler was little more than a spoiled, profoundly selfish, childish man who wanted what he wanted. What he wanted was evil, but he found that an awful lot of people were OK with that as long as they believed they would also be allowed to take whatever it is they wanted. That sounds familiar, but thankfully the film’s main point is not simply to draw obvious parallels with another vane and repugnant manchild. Their central problem is how to expose a fascist’s need to be mythologized without mythologizing the fascist. They find freshness and relevance, partly in the transparency of their thought processes. It’s often as though we’re privy to the actual construction of the film: images of Epperlein in the scene with a clapboard or boom mic, the sound of Tucker asking the subject a question. Part of what makes this approach work is the way it deconstructs the propaganda that Hitler used to pretend he was more than a failed artist and spoiled child. Inviting us behind the curtain, Epperlein and Tucker puncture the gaudy theatricality that makes weak men look like something they’re not. These filmmakers are making a documentary about Hitler specifically to point out that it’s time we end our fascination with fascism. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release, Indie Feature Film, Documentary < All Reviews Next Film Review >

God & Country film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring Rob Schenck directed by Dan Partland. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS God & Country Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: Feb 21, 2024 Directed by: Dan Partland Written by: Dan Partland Starring: Rob Schenck When Rob Schenck was a young pastor, he was told never to prepare a sermon without consulting the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament , edited by Gerhard Kittel. Years later, Schenck learned that Kittel was also the man who gave Hitler a Christian blessing for his Final Solution. “That was an eye opener,” Schenck admits. The point—that there is no limit to what radical Christianity can be used to justify—is what drives God & Country. And much of the film’s success comes from how it combats that fanaticism with a measured, confident deconstruction. Director Dan Partland doesn’t insert himself into the conversation, but has no problem crafting a spirited one. Yes, he has a clear agenda, but includes enough footage from news reports, political speeches and televangelist messaging that the film’s worldview becomes the “other side” getting a chance to be heard. Partland relies on historians, authors, and theologians to trace the rise of Christian Nationalism, it’s deviation from actual Christian teachings, the quest for power over values that earns a rebranding as “White Religious Nationalism,” and how the true believers have been convinced that America has a God-ordained role in human history. And if democracy gets in the way? See January 6th, 2021. The attack on the Capitol is what bookends the film, and in between, Partland actually elicits sympathy for the attackers, who have been fed a calculated diet of lies, fear and outrage. The resulting echo chamber creates an alternative reality bubble, one that was always designed to burst. If you noticed the proudly theocratic ruling from the Alabama Supreme Court last week, you know that the threat to democracy is only becoming more dangerous. Partland makes it clear that the biggest hope is awareness, so that those led astray by the fervor (like Schenck) can experience a new awakening. Christian Nationalism has nothing to do with Christianity. And God & Country finds a useful tone between sermonizing and condescension that can help us see that light. About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release, Documentary < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Martyrs Lane film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Denise Gough, Kiera Thompson, SiennaSayer directed by Ruth Platt. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Martyrs Lane Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Sep 8, 2021 Directed by: Ruth Platt Written by: Ruth Platt Starring: Denise Gough, Kiera Thompson, SiennaSayer Six years ago, filmmaker Ruth Platt released the thriller The Lesson . While essentially no one else saw the film, I was impressed enough by it to look forward to whatever else Platt wanted to make. So here’s her follow up, the grief-driven horror Martyrs Lane. Platt’s story of a haunting walks in familiar circles, as confused and lonesome 10-year-old Leah (a heart-bruisingly melancholy Kiera Thompson) makes a spooky new friend (Sienna Sayer, wonderful). By day Leah rattles about the vicarage where her father (Steven Cree) is minister, her older sister (Hannah Rae) kills time before fleeing for university, and her mom (Denise Gough) mourns something secretly. At night, the creaks and whistles combine with Leah’s fears, imagination and loneliness to conjure a visitor who leaves Leah with clues to follow. There is a lot about Martyrs Lane that feels familiar, but Platt grounds her spectral tale in messy, lived-in family drama. Set design, costuming, framing, moments of silence, pointed cruelties followed by protective love—all of it combines to create an atmosphere both familial and haunted. No austere staircases, empty nurseries, or any of the other chilly and spare environs where you might expect to set a mournful ghost story. Instead, Leah’s home bears the weary chaos and forced cheer of family and absence. Thompson’s performance is driven by the recognizable, shapeless guilt that looms in a child’s imagination, making every perceived transgression somehow unforgivable and therefore impossible to share, even with a caring adult. Cree’s bright presence offsets the gloom nicely, while Sayer’s ghostly cherubic image is wonderfully, tenderly haunting. Gough’s understated frailty is the unease that haunts the film from its opening, a feeling that blossoms into dread as the tale wears on. Platt and her talented group do not fail to deliver on the promise of their ghost story. The issue is only that, while the execution is impeccable, the story itself is a bit tired. Wisely, Platt capitalizes on character over story, leaving you so invested in this little girl and her family that you’ll likely forgive the sense of having been here before. And, like me, you’ll probably keep an eye out for wherever it is Platt wants to take you next. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The horror-comedy world is officially being turned upside down as the first trailer for Scary Movie 6 has finally arrived, marking a monumental return for the franchise that defined a generation of parody cinema.. Brand new film trailers. Scary Movie 6 The horror-comedy world is officially being turned upside down as the first trailer for Scary Movie 6 has finally arrived, marking a monumental return for the franchise that defined a generation of parody cinema. In a move that has sent shockwaves through social media, the new film reunites the original creative powerhouses: Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Anna Faris, and Regina Hall. After years of spin-offs and sequels that moved away from the core cast, this "legacy sequel" looks to recapture the lightning-in-a-bottle chemistry that made the first two films global sensations. The trailer opens with a high-energy nod to the franchise's roots, set to Eminem’s "Without Me," signaling that the "OG" crew is indeed back to reclaim their throne. From the first few frames, it is clear that no modern horror trend or cultural shift is safe from their brand of irreverent, boundary-pushing humor. The teaser immediately dives into a parody of the recent "Legacy Sequel" trend in horror, mocking the very nature of its own existence while simultaneously lampooning modern hits like Scream VI, Smile, and Barbarian. One of the standout moments features the long-awaited reunion of Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) and Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall). Their dynamic remains as hilariously chaotic as ever. In a sharp-witted exchange that highlights the film’s willingness to tackle modern political and social discourse, Cindy hesitates to hug Brenda, claiming she’s "a Republican now," to which Brenda classicly retorts that she thinks all white people are racist anyway before the two share a warm, bizarre embrace. This scene perfectly encapsulates the Scary Movie ethos: taking uncomfortable social topics and turning them into slapstick, rapid-fire comedy. The Wayans brothers also make their presence felt immediately, bringing back the high-energy physical comedy and absurd dialogue that defined the early 2000s. The trailer showcases a series of frantic sequences, including a nod to the "Entity" from Smile—where characters are told to "stop smiling"—and a chaotic, gore-filled Christmas parody where a child receives a severed arm from Santa, only for his mother to remind him to say "thank you". Regina Hall’s Brenda continues to be the heart of the franchise's most relatable humor. In a highlight from the trailer’s climax, she refuses to help a victim in distress because she is "on break," choosing instead to enjoy her "falafel and pork rinds" while the chaos unfolds in the background. It is this mix of utter indifference to horror tropes and over-the-top reactions that fans have missed most. Scary Movie 6 seems poised to be a massive box office draw, bridging the gap between nostalgic fans of the original trilogy and a new generation raised on a decade’s worth of "elevated horror" ripe for parody. With the Wayans brothers back in the writer's room and the iconic duo of Faris and Hall leading the charge, the trailer promises a film that is as offensive, ridiculous, and undeniably funny as its predecessors. The message is clear: the masters of the spoof are back, and horror will never be the same. Supergirl As we look toward the 2026 release, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow stands as a testament to the new direction of DC Studios. Masters of the Universe With the arrival of the first trailer for the 2026 reboot of Masters of the Universe, the cinematic landscape prepares for a collision of sword, sorcery, and surprisingly, suburban Earth. Wild Foxes Dune: Part Three Picking up roughly seventeen years after the seismic events of Part Two, the trailer immediately signals a shift in tone. While the first film was an act of world-building and the second a visceral war epic, Dune: Part Three—an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah—looks to be a far more claustrophobic and tense affair. In The Grey Scary Movie 6 The horror-comedy world is officially being turned upside down as the first trailer for Scary Movie 6 has finally arrived, marking a monumental return for the franchise that defined a generation of parody cinema. Empire of Lies Empire of Lies arrives in UK cinemas and on digital platforms on 27th March. Undertone Undertone is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on Friday, March 13th, 2025. If the trailer is anything to go by, we suggest you keep the lights on and perhaps think twice before pressing play on your next favourite podcast. The Moment The Land of Sometimes Twins Alfie and Elise find a magical Wish Watch on Christmas Eve and are swept by the Wish Collector into the musical Land of Sometimes, where they learn that wishes have consequences. Avengers: Doomsday Fans are elated at the release of the first teaser trailer for Avengers: Doomsday. Set for a theatrical release on 18th December 2026, find out more here. Greenland 2: Migration Now, the first official trailer for the sequel, Greenland 2: Migration, has landed, promising to take that survivalist tension into even more treacherous territory. Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up Looney Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up Official Trailer. Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up will be in UK & Irish cinemas from 13th February 2026. Mother Mary Ultimately, the Mother Mary trailer establishes a compelling promise: a film that uses the theatricality of the music industry to explore something primal about identity and obsession. Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come In the trailer for Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come establishes a new, thrilling chapter. It’s a sequel that dares to go bigger, transforming a single family’s twisted tradition into a full-scale, world-controlling bloodsport. Shelter People We Meet On Vacation People We Meet On Vacation looks set to be a thoroughly British affair in its tone and appeal—a charming, heartfelt escape, promising both belly laughs and a good cry. Doctor Plague Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery This first glimpse of Wake Up Dead Man isn’t just a trailer; it’s a brilliant statement of intent. The film looks primed to be a festive treat for audiences looking for a compelling, cleverly constructed mystery. Michael Michael is set to arrive in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on the 24th of April 2026, and based on this compelling first look, the world will indeed be waiting.

Find the best UK film festivals including the annual UK Film Review Festival. Top film festivals across the UK partner with us to promote their film event. Film Festivals Arguably one of the most exciting aspects of the movie industry are the film festivals which appear all over the world, promoting the best and newest movies from tenured filmmakers as well as up-and-coming filmmaking talent. Indeed, the sheer amount of film festivals which can now be attended in the UK, and internationally, is staggering - meaning blocking out the calendar will leave your annual leave completely decimated! However, what you lose in holiday entitlement, you gain in choice, because there is pretty much a movie festival for every genre out there! Here at UK Film Review we like to scour the globe (by which we mean social media) for the most diverse and eclectic mix of film festivals happening around the world, and promote them here. Much like our Film Reviews and Movie Trailers , we do not discriminate on any kind of budget or scale. The events you see here are simply ones we think our beloved readers will find most interesting, and hope to bring them to your attention. If you would like UK Film Review to become an official Media Partner for your film festival, use the form at the bottom of the page to drop us a message. Spaces are limited. FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE Film Festivals Articles & Reviews Our team of dedicated film critics also attend many of these film festivals, writing up reviews of the events themselves, as well as the films which make up the programmes. You can follow our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages to stay up to date with these kind of goings on. If you are an organiser of a film festival and would like one of our team to attend, please send a luxury gift basket to...just kidding. Please use the contact form to get in touch and let us know what kind of coverage you would like. Similarly, if you want to promote your event here, feel free to drop us a line for consideration. We have several ways in which we can help and want to work with festival planners to help make their events a splash. One Fluid Night LGBTQIA+ Film Festival returns to London This April Chris Olson Mar 25 3 min read Lunar Sway (2026) BFI Flare Film Review William Curzon Mar 23 2 min read The Jury Winners of the 2026 SXSW Film Festival Chris Olson Mar 19 4 min read Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film Review - Mar 14 2 min read Black Zombie (2026) SXSW Film Festival Review Joyce Mar 14 2 min read Forcefield of Love (2026) Short Film Review Joyce Mar 13 2 min read TESTIMONIALS FROM FILM FESTIVAL ORGANISERS In 2017, Chelmsford Film Festival launched the first ever film festival in Chelmsford which was a huge success. I can say without hesitation that a large part of our success was due to the support of UK FILM REVIEW. In the build up to the 4-day festival, UK Film Review marketed the event to their audience and also directly engaged with filmmakers to discuss the benefits of submitting to our new festival. Throughout this process, we were in constant contact with Chris Olson to adapt our marketing strategy and react to the changing responses. Now as we prepare for our second year, we look forward to working with UK Film Review and cementing the fantastic relationship that has come out of CFF. Carl Mackenzie Co-Founder and CEO of Chelmsford Film Festival

Master Gardener film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Joel Edgerton, Quintessa Swindell, Sigourney Weaver directed by Paul Schrader. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Master Gardener Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: May 17, 2023 Directed by: Paul Schrader Written by: Paul Schrader Starring: Joel Edgerton, Quintessa Swindell, Sigourney Weaver A damaged man imposes order on his life, eventually growing confident enough in this structure to try to save someone else because he cannot save himself. That’s right. This is a Paul Schrader movie. Like most of Schrader’s best features (First Reformed, The Card Counter , all the way back to his script for Taxi Driver ) Master Gardener delivers a variation on that same riff. Lucky his characters are so compelling they keep us watching. In this case, that character – the titular gardener – is Narvel (Joel Edgerton). Narvel tells us, via his journal: Gardening is a belief in the future, that change will come in its due time. Is Schrader growing more optimistic? Or will we grow to hope for Narvel only to witness the worst possible outcome (a la Card Counter )? Longtime fans may get a little nervous before the general moviegoer, but either way, Schrader sets a hook early. The other element that jumps out early is the look of this film. Schrader’s gift for visual composition has never seen so exceptional a vehicle. Fitting, given the beauty of a garden. The lovely orderliness of Narvel’s garden is set against the riotous disarray that arrives in the shape of Mya (Quintessa Swindell): sloppy clothes, hair everywhere, no plans, no future. Maya doesn’t crave orderliness. Mya just is. What Mya is not is like her Great Aunt Norma (Sigourney Weaver, letter perfect as the wealthy matriarch of the estate). Norma has arranged for Mya to apprentice on the property. She’d like Narvel, or “Sweet Pea” as she calls him, to look after the girl. The arrival of this outsider sets wheels in motion. Narvel’s once orderly world now falls victim to his own past, drug dealers, the Feds. Edgerton’s a solid choice for the role, stoic but roiling with regret and quietly desperate for redemption. Swindell’s free spirit, tempered with the justifiable righteousness of youth, offers an excellent counterweight and Weaver outshines them all, stealing every inch of scene she’s in. But they don’t have enough to do. Redemption feels unearned. Drug addiction is treated as too easily overcome. Most troubling is the way racism is skirted throughout the film. “Gardening is the manipulation of the natural world, the creation of order out of disorder,” Narvel tells us. Filmmaking can provide much the same exercise. But forgiveness comes too easy for this damaged antihero, and Master Gardener feels too much like Schrader light. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Final Destination: Bloodlines film review by UK film critic Kieran Freemantle. Starring Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Ted Briones, Rya Kihlstedt, Richard Harmon directed by Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Final Destination: Bloodlines Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Kieran Freemantle | Posted on: May 21, 2025 Directed by: Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein Written by: Guy Busick, Lori Evans Taylor, Jon Watts Starring: Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Ted Briones, Rya Kihlstedt, Richard Harmon The Final Destination series returns after a 14-year break and sees a whole family needing to evade death. Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) is suffering from a recurring nightmare about a disaster in the 1960s. The woman who survived (Brec Bassinger) is called Iris, and Stefani believes she might be her estranged grandmother, so she returns home from college to get answers, However, this leads to opening family scars and awakens Death’s wrath. The Final Destination series had been financially successful, but critically much more divisive. Final Destination: Bloodlines has received the best reviews in the series, deservedly so. This film had some more prestigious writers: Jon Watts of the MCU Spider-Man films co-wrote the story, and one of the credited writers was Guy Busick, a writer who worked with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the team behind Ready or Not, Scream 5 and 6, and Abigail. Busick’s presence was felt in the sixth entry. It was a darkly funny and gory film, whilst also having much more substance than previous entries. Final Destination Bloodlines was about mental health and generational trauma. Stefani’s nightmares had detrimental effects on her, since she was sleep deprived and her college grades were slipping. She inherited her grandmother’s (Gabrielle Rose) and mum’s (Rya Kihlstedt) paranoia; they were unable to live their lives, and Stefani’s family thought she was losing the plot. Mental health themes have been in vogue in recent years, with characters inheriting their parents’ issues, like Hereditary, Last Night in Soho, Smile, and Talk to Me. Final Destination: Bloodlines did this in a more mainstream, popcorn manner. And it was a bloody fun popcorn experience. Stefani was a likeable presence, and her family run the gamut of being nice to arseholes. Since all the potential victims were related, they had more of an emotional connection. Even if one of the members of Campbell clan was a dick, the rest of them didn’t want them to die. Making the potential victims related was a genius move to help shake up the series’ formula, and one character was given more significance than originally thought. Fans of the series will enjoy all the references and Easter Eggs to the previous films. The themes enhance the film, but the appeal of the Final Destination films is the deaths and gore. Final Destination: Bloodlines offered plenty of that. The Final Destination movies have been part-disaster film, part-gore fest, and Final Destination Bloodlines continued that tradition. There’s a sadistic glee when watching people die in an overly elaborate way and seeing bad people getting crushed, set alight, and impaled. As the film series progressed, the filmmakers became more self-aware, and Final Destination: Bloodlines had a darkly funny approach to all the deaths and carnage. I was grinning and laughing like a psychopath when watching the sixth entry. Final Destination: Bloodlines was one of the entertaining films in the series, and the best in story quality. Who would have thought the sixth entry in a series about death could breathe new life into the series? About the Film Critic Kieran Freemantle Theatrical Release, Horror < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring Ben Schwartz, Idris Elba, Jim Carrey directed by Jeff Fowler. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: Apr 6, 2022 Directed by: Jeff Fowler Written by: Pat Casey, Josh Miller, John Whittington Starring: Ben Schwartz, Idris Elba, Jim Carrey I apologize in advance if I slip and call him Crash Bandicoot. I know it’s Sonic – Sonic the Hedgehog, but I’ve got limited first hand experience with any game after Frogger and sometimes get careless. I do have experience with the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie from two years ago, so more of that same broadly-drawn, kid-friendly eye candy was not a surprise. What I wasn’t expecting was so much more of it, and those 30 extra minutes turn a harmlessly forgettable romp into a real test of patience. Most of the gang returns from part one, including Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, that speedy little alien who runs around Seattle looking for opportunities to earn the heroic moniker of “Blue Justice!” But his human “dad” Tom (James Marsden) cautions Sonic of the need to grow up and remember that the moments that make a hero are not for him to choose. Sonic will get those chances to prove himself, thanks to the return Dr. Robotnik aka “Eggman” (Jim Carrey) and a new, not blue meanie from space. The ginger-maned Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) is a skilled Akidna warrior with an old score to settle against the hedgehog. That means Sonic and his buttcopter-powered pal Tails (voiced by Colleen O’Shaughnessey) will have to fight harder than ever to make sure the all-powerful Master Emerald does not fall into evil hands. Director Jeff Fowler again shows a good feel for letting the effects department do some flexing, and the mixing of live-action with animation is admittedly impressive. But like the first film, the storytelling here is so exaggerated that even Carrey’s cartoonish mugging doesn’t seem that much over the top. Screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller get an assist this time from John Whittington (The Lego Batman Movie ), but are still committed to putting big, obvious eyebrows on nearly everything. The welcome exception is Knuckles, and Elba’s perfectly authoritative delivery makes his character’s humorless interactions that much more humorous. It’s the one aspect of the film that doesn’t seem geared to keep the attention of easily distracted children. But hey, kids, how do you like dance offs? Sonic 2 sets the needle drop and move busting level to unnecessary, pushing the run time to nearly two hours, even before the obligatory mid-credits peek at part three. And all this time I thought speed was Sonic’s superpower. Or maybe that’s Crash. About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release, Animation < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Sting film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Alyla Browne, Ryan Corr directed by Kiah Roache-Turner. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Sting Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Apr 8, 2024 Directed by: Kiah Roache-Turner Written by: Kiah Roache-Turner Starring: Alyla Browne, Ryan Corr Is there a more reliable source of terror than the spider? Well, maybe clowns, but spiders are a close second. Australian filmmaker Kiah Roache-Turner is giddy to elicit shivers and gasps with his delightfully horrifying arachnid adventure, Sting. Roache-Turner’s love for sci-fi horror bursts gleefully from the dollhouse-set opening credits, a scene that efficiently outlines our backstory. This snapshot playfully predicts the film, even as it homages genre classics. The Wyrmwood director goes on to use the air ducts of an old Bronx apartment building to lay out the land, introduce us to tenants and their habits, and show our hero shimmying and crawling, all spider-like, through the building. Who is our hero? Malcontent 12-year-old Charlotte (Alyla Browne). Her baby brother is loathsome, her parents are tedious, no one pays attention to her, her old witch of a great-aunt/land lady blames her for everything. Ugh! But then Charlotte comes across a very cool little spider. And with so many cockroaches in Charlotte’s building, surely the newly monikered Sting will never need to look elsewhere for food! Boy, that is lucky. Browne channels Lulu Wilson’s Becky (maybe a little less angry). Her performance easily withstands the demands of a lead, but she does receive nice support from a variety of personalities living in the building: Nona Hazelhurt, Robyn Nevin, Danny Kim, Silvia Colloca and Jermaine Fowler. Fiona Donovan’s production design stands out, emphasizing the film’s distinctly Joe Dante vibe. Although instead of perverting some idyllic burb, Sting ravages a storybook version of the Bronx. But make no mistake, this movie gets nasty. The creature design and CGI are a bit campy, but the damage Sting does is convincing and pitiless. (Pet lovers be warned.) If you missed Roache-Turner’s 2014 post-apocalyptic thrill ride Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead , definitely check it out. With that film, his fondness for Mad Max flavored a delightful riff on the zombie movie. Here he channels affection for a wide range of creature features (he really loves Alien ) but still manages to create something decidedly his own. About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Maria film review by UK film critic Jack Salvadori. Starring Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino directed by Pablo Larrain. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Maria Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jack Salvadori | Posted on: Aug 30, 2024 Directed by: Pablo Larrain Written by: Steven Knight Starring: Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino There is no doubt that Chilean director Pablo Larraín is the master of biopics. By developing his own formula, he specialised in depicting pragmatic figures of the 20th century, mostly female, showing only a glimpse in their life, a few days that are enough to encapsulate their essence in a condensed amount of time. In other words, not the Wikipedia page treatment that most other biographical pictures tend to follow. Last year he brought to the Lido El Conde , portraying Augusto Pinochet as a vampire. This time, in a return to form, he’s dealing with a ghost. Maria Callas, in her personal third act, lives with the spectre of her past, having lost her voice but not her ego. And if in Spencer (2021) Lady Diana was striving for privacy, here Larraìn reverses the situation, with Callas chasing the spotlight instead. Intimate and yet never accessible, close but not too close, La Callas wanders around the streets of Paris accompanied by her disillusions, reminiscing of Varda’s Cleo from 5 to 7 . But the Diva’s lost voice still echoes in her present, cutting to operatic flashbacks that remind of Forman’s Amadeus , where the now mythological Callas becomes her own Salieri. Conscious of her withering, she has not performed in over four years, and her only companions are her butler and maid with whom she shares a tender familiarity; but “there is no life away from the stage” for Maria Callas. Morphing into La Traviata’s Violetta, Maria is as moving as the great tragedies Callas played at La Scala. Elegantly shot on film, mesmerising compositions alternate with zesty dialogues written by Steven Knight, particularly with her charismatic lover, Aristotele Onassis. Angelina Jolie delivers a career defining performance, fragile in her everlasting strength and irresistible eccentricity. Her lips alone, vibrating in each aria, deserve an oscar nomination. Larrain is in perfect tune. About the Film Critic Jack Salvadori Film Festival < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Devil's Fortune film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Connor Keene, Derek Orr, Craig Ng, Dre Davis directed by Rubidium Wu. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Devil's Fortune Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Apr 14, 2022 Directed by: Rubidium Wu Written by: Rubidium Wu Starring: Connor Keene, Derek Orr, Craig Ng, Dre Davis Bad guys are after a man for the information that he holds. James (Keene) lives in Los Angeles with his wife Jess (Davis) and they are expecting their first child. James works as a Fund Manager and one day his partner Leigh is found brutally murdered. It soon becomes apparent that the perpetrators were looking for something they believed Leigh possessed and now they are after James. James must evade his pursuers and find out what they are looking for in order to prevent further atrocities. This is an enjoyable chase thriller, with plenty of suspense, nail-biting moments and drama. The audience follows James, a simple man, as he unwillingly gets in way over his head in a dangerous plot that involves the fortune of a former Middle Eastern dictator and ruthless Iraqi criminals who are willing to do anything to get their hands on it. There is the constant fear of death, people pointing guns at others while threatening them, people getting killed and James desperately trying to sort everything out, along with the help of an associate named Kong (Ng) and the hot-headed detective Mills (Orr). The movie quickly gets the viewer's attention with the intriguing plot and continues to do so with plot twists and interesting characters. The action scenes are limited and some scenes feel overlong. The most appealing aspect is wondering what will happen next. Generally, the acting is OK. Keene is a likeable hero, goodhearted, intelligent, who faces circumstances that force him to do his best to stay one step ahead of the villains. Orr has a supporting role as an experienced and determined detective and Ng plays a friendly, reliable ally to James. As director, Wu does a good job and creates great establishing shots. Lee Groves develops a score that is tense and includes electronic music. Special mention goes to the opening credits. This is a thriller that evolves around the idea of the protagonist's life being in danger. Some might find the end to be a bit anticlimactic, nevertheless, this is still a feature that provides an enjoyable experience with a lot of suspense. About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >