★★★★ Directed by: #GuySoulsby Written by: #GuySoulsby Starring: #AnthonyFlanagan, #AlistairPetrie, #LeahRhodes Short Film Review Written by: #JackBottomley It is remarkable how often you find yourself saying, when reviewing features, that a specific concept may have worked better as a short film but it is even more surprising how increasingly often that the opposite applies to short films. Some ideas carry such weight, such potential and such impact that a shorter duration feels like a tease and in the case of writer/director Guy Soulsby’s incredibly shot God’s Kingdom; this is most certainly the case. The short sees Jack (Anthony Flanagan) and young Ella (Leah Rhodes) on the run but whom are they running from? From the moment it begins, you feel the considered approach being taken with this story of cat and mouse, a story amplified by both the grave tone and the immaculate cinematography. The Yorkshire setting (shot in and around Bradford), layered in grey skies, harsh landscapes and quiet nature, constructs an absorbing backdrop to this tale and the great work of DOP Nicholas Bennett is put to excellent use by Soulsby in both writing and direction. The fragmented structure of the story does initially disrupt the film’s flow as it kicks in towards the latter end but come the thematic denouement (which is brave in a number of respects) it is understandable why it was used, although the story as a whole begs for more to come. This initial survival story soon comes on to take a literal biblical meaning and the delivery of this is professional, with terrific special effects and gruellingly realistic make-up by Robbie Drake, Jo Turner and Paula J Maxwell. The score also anchors this point, with the soundtrack by Echoic Audio (Composers – David Johnston and Sam Foster; Sound Design – Owen Hemming-Brown) reminding me a little of the skin-prickling work of Colin Stetson in this year’s horror hit Hereditary. Led by a weathered, stripped back and worn down lead in Flanagan’s Jack, this film rolls out slowly and carefully before taking a lot on in reaching its summation but the acting feels raw and real. Rogue One’s Alistair Petrie is bone chilling and offers a callous opposite to Flanagan’s righteous but desperate hero. Young Leah Rhodes gets very little to say but like other recent strong big screen youthful performances (see Logan and War For The Planet of the Apes) she excels in her part. There are also some nice supporting faces that turn up throughout, again though, had we have had a bit longer to work with, some of their parts may have been able to be fleshed out a little more. To that end, more is certainly what I am hoping for here because God’s Kingdom was a gripping, fascinating watch and no doubt but a brief glimpse into the mind of a confident filmmaker. Wowing in a number of respects, the minor niggles that disrupt the pace or small intricacies of the overall story do not detract from a strong piece of work all round by this team. Blessed (if you’ll pardon the pun) with a brilliant crew, setting and a rather excellent cast, Soulsby has delivered a most interesting film and I can only pray we shall see more good things on the horizon. Watch the full film below as part of the UK Film Channel...

★★★ Directed by #BryanSinger Written by #AnthonyMcCarten #PeterMorgan Starring #RamiMalek #LucyBoynton Film Review by #GeorgeWolf After several false stars and a midstream director change, the long-awaited Queen/Freddie Mercury biopic lands as a celebration of one legendary band and one bravura performance. Rami Malek is a certified powerhouse as Mercury, the former Farrokh Buisara, the uniquely gifted performer and iconic presence who became of rock's most enduring frontmen. Mercury's extravagant persona lent itself to caricature, but Malek has none of it. His is a true characterization, eerily mirroring the singer's appearance, elegance, movements and, with help from both original Queen music and Mercury soundalike Marc Martel, his incredible voice. Malek's performance stands out all the more from the void left by Queen's surviving band members. As executive producers, they've whitewashed themselves into more reaction shots and less actual human beings. It's one of several ways the film plays it safe and settles for a crowd-pleasing greatest hits package. Directors Bryan Singer and an uncredited Dexter Fletcher work wonders with the performance pieces (the thrilling recreation of Live Aid is worth paying for IMAX), but soften the sharp edges of rock hedonism enough for a PG-13 rating. And rock and roll ain't PG-13. The biggest missed chance comes in the relationship between Mercury and his muse for the song "Love of My Life," Mary Austin (Lucy Boynton). From their first scenes together, Malek and Boynton fuel the emotional core of the film, creating an absence felt whenever screenwriter Anthony McCarten (Darkest Hours) broadens the focus, which is often. Factual liberties are taken, timelines are sometimes carelessly misrepresented ("We Will Rock You" was not written in the 80s), and there's a totally needless gag from Mike Myers, but whenever Bohemian Rhapsody is most unsteady, Queen's music is there for a bailout. It's still great. And so is Malek.

★★★ Directed by: #PeterMelrose Edited by: #DarrenKelly Documentary Film Review by: #ChrisOlson An exploration of multiculturalism through the eyes of school children, Peter Melrose's short #documentary Growing Strong manages to cut deep into the heart of a centuries-long divide using tools made of compassion and love. The short film takes place in an integrated school in Londonderry, where the students are taught about every type of religion and culture, something fairly refreshing in Northern Ireland where the education system has predominantly focused on being either Catholic or Protestant. Humanism reigns supreme here and the children seem all the more respectful, tolerant, and happier for it. Documentaries that do not rely on narration are always more challenging in their attempts to convey story and structure to their audience. Growing Strong benefits from some superb editing from Darren Kelly, whose fluid splicing of lessons, sports games, activities and home life, creates the perfect tapestry for these heavy themes to be discussed in a way that never feels burdensome or morbid. At times the piece feels like a promo for the school itself but that is just a bi-product of the substantially moving elements of the movie. Aesthetically there is a classic feel to the documentary style, only a few moments of slow-motion and sun glare are injected for style. Low-angle shots of the kids talking or distance shots of the teachers teaching make up the majority of sequences. This simplistic approach is perfectly suited to the piece, where the positing of a theory that we should remove segregation as much as possible could be potentially enough for some audiences. Ultimately what is created in this #shortfilm is the idea that when rigid structures are removed and people are free to engage without the demands of traditions or expectation, a harmony of ideas and thoughts can all exist together where the only common denominator is that we are all in this together as people. Told through the innocence of children who are brilliantly articulate in their attitudes towards the world, this is a lesson for us all and one worth attending.

★★★ Directed by: #JulieRobinson Starring: #RhonaMackay, #LaraMcbride, #SerenaDoran, #AlanSymington, #GaryFyfe, and #JamesKerr Short Film Review by: #RachelPullen Women...when will we learn not to trust men? Oh no wait, we did after years of male oppression and a bunch of serial killers in the 70’s took their mommy rage out on our female gender time and time again, well most of us did. But sometimes, we dames like to go in to the woods, make a campfire and chow down on a bunch of hot dogs, because you know we love them wieners, and while that seems like a nice girls night out, there is always going to be some guy who wants to get in on our sausage action. So welcome to the stage Julie Robinson’s #horror short Were, a tale of women spending some time alone in the wild, not fearing the serial killers of the 70’s or food poisoning from ingesting undercooked meats...silly ladies. And of course it’s not long before a flannel wearing dude [he’s in the woods, he could just be a lumberjack] decided to get in on these lady's sausage action. He’s creepy, but most men who slink out of a bunch of shrubs are, he sniffs their bag of burgers [I would leave at that point, no meat sniffing man is gonna murder me], he makes awkward conversation about werewolves, straight up this guy is a party-pooper, and the ladies make it very obvious that he is not welcome. Despite the clear indication that these gals don’t want him there, he continues on with his random conversations, enraging them further and further, I don’t know why they are surprised, men are not the best on picking up signals...so what do you do? Transform into a wolf and kill him of course. Yes this is a classic case of the old switcheroo in the horror genre, just when the audience is comfortable with the path the story is taking, it's turned on its head, making the loving neighbour, the step dad, the trusted Jehovah Witness on your doorstep, the one you should fear. And despite this being done to death in cinema it still packs a punch, director and writer Julie Robinson invests so much into making the male role so unappealing and unnerving, that you don’t really see it coming, you're too focused on this creep who is eyeing up hot dogs like his life depends on them, a clever move to bring new life to a classic horror trick...oh Julie you’re so sneaky. Each of the actors within this #shortfilm embody their roles fully, making for believable and engrossing performances, an important element to any horror flick, at the end of the day you’re dealing with unbelievable circumstances, so your leading roles need to be on point if the film is going to have any success. One of the factors of this short I enjoyed was the lighting aesthetic, there is a beautiful contrast between the calm blue lighting of the forest backdrop, in contrast to the harsh reds and yellows of the flames illuminating our characters, a reminder that maybe the safest place is not where you think it is, maybe the forest is the better option. I mean if history has taught men anything, women in a group around a fire means they are probably witches. So what have we learned loyal readers? If you want to pick up chicks don’t hide in a bunch of shrubs and sniff bags of meat, and no matter what your gender you can’t trust anyone alone in the forest...well maybe tree surgeons, and a good girls night out involves a hot dog and a murder...classic weekend activities.

★★ Directed by #LasseHallstrom #JoeJohnston Written by #AshleighPowell Starring #MackenzieFoy #HelenMirren #KeiraKnightly #MorganFreeman Film Review by #HopeMadden Let’s say your birthday falls in December and as a lovely gesture your family took you to The Nutcracker Suite every year to celebrate, and every year you remembered again that you had no idea what the hell the ballet was about. Suppose, then, that Disney decided to make it into a movie and you thought that maybe now, with some narrative, you could figure this shit out. Well, you would be disappointed. But if you went to see the ballet and thought, damn, there is too much dancing here, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms might be for you. Mackenzie Foy is Clara, a young lady who dreads enduring the first Christmas without her mother. She doesn’t even want to go to the big party thrown by her godfather, Drosselmeyer (Morgan Freeman in a really bad wig). But her dad (Matthew Macfadyen) drags her, along with her brother and sister. After that, things begin to feel familiar, although they rarely feel like The Nutcracker. The film becomes an inverted exploration of childhood and adolescence. Like Alice in Wonderland meets The Wizard of Oz meets Hunger Games. Helen Mirren plays lord of this disused amusement park overrun by rats and clowns, though, and that is hella cool. Meanwhile, Keira Knightly shamelessly steals scenes as Sugarplum. Both are fun in a film that desperately needs a bit more of it. Joe Johnston (Captain America: The First Avenger) and Lasse Hallstrom co-direct. That checks out. Johnston brings a rather workmanlike attitude for spectacle, while Hallstrom—whose credits range from the Oscar-winning Cider House Rules to the unwatchable A Dog’s Purpose—brings an eye for manicured beauty and an utter lack of whimsy. Do you remember watching the ballet as a child? The spooky, eye-patched uncle? The 7-headed rat? It is seriously creepy, and at the same time, there is wonder in every dance whether you understand the storyline or you don’t. There are lovely moments peppered through this visually elegant picture, but there is no passion, no danger and no excitement. And weirdly enough, very little Tchaikovsky almost no dancing.

★★★★ Directed by #FelixvanGroeningen Written by #LukeDavies #FelixvanGroeningen Starring #TimotheeChalamet #SteveCarell #AmyRyan #MauraTierney Film Review by #GeorgeWolf Those of a certain age hear the title Beautiful Boy and most likely think of the John Lennon song, a sweetly poignant ode from father to son. It's used to touching effect in the film that shares that title, an utterly heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful adaption of separate memoirs by David and Nicolas Sheff. David was the proud father, a successful writer who dreamed of great things for his bright, ambitious son. Instead, Nic became an alcoholic and drug addict who offered his family countless  promises of recovery that always fell empty. Two masterful performances drive this film to its emotional heights, keeping it steady the few times it teeters on slopes of undue manipulation. Steve Carell makes David an instantly relatable mix of unconditional love and crestfallen confusion. As Nic's addiction batters David's homelife with his wife (Maura Tierney) and two young children, flashbacks to sweet memories with a younger Nic outline the bond between father and son that only grew after David's split with Nic's mother (Amy Ryan - also stellar). Carell makes it feel real with a thoughtful, often understated turn full of quiet detail. And people, if last year didn't hip you to the immense talent of Timothee Chalamet, he's back to seal the deal with a performance certain to be hailed come Oscar time. Just when you're comfortable with the authenticity of Nic's slide into addiction, Chalamet digs deeper to find the shattering center of a soul at war with dependence and desperation. Though his baby-faced smile stays miles away from meth addict ugliness, Chalamet finds a raw humanity that makes Nic a walking wound, and makes us feel part of the frayed parental bonds. His scenes with Carrell - where Nic tries taking advantage of his father's love only to turn on him moments later - find two actors in complete sync, revealing a crushing humanity that hits you hard. Bring tissues. There are two important stories here, and they only falter when it feels some intimacy from each has been shortchanged to make room for the other. Director Felix Van Groeningen (The Broken Circle Breakdown), collaborating on the screenplay with Luke Davies (Lion), merges the dual memoirs for a series of episodes that resonate best when given room to breath, free of any heavy-handed reminders about how quickly children grow up. Beautiful Boy illustrates a vital, shattering cycle of addiction, rehab and relapse, often beautifully. Through first-hand insight and two towering performances, it finds a thread of hope in the ashes of a family's nightmare.

★★★★ Directed by: #FrançoisSimard, #AnoukWhissell, #YoannKarlWhissell Starring: #GrahamVerchere, #JudahLewis, #CalebEmery, #CoryGruterAndrew, #TieraSkovbye, #RichSommer Grimmfest Film Festival Review by: #DarrenTilby With 80’s nostalgia very much ‘in’ at the moment, it’s perhaps easy to presume some filmmakers have jumped on the bandwagon; looking to ride the coattails of success It and Stranger Things have enjoyed. That certainly seems to be the case for some who have reviewed the film badly on the basis that it’s trying too much to be Stranger Things. But believe me, Summer of 84 is more than capable of standing on its own two feet. “Even serial killers live next door to someone.” contemplates Davey whilst biking through his ‘safe’ suburban neighbourhood; desperate for something “...exciting…” to happen. The problem is Davey is a bit of a conspiracy theorist; once insisting on the presence of a demonic entity in his bedroom as it had been built on ancient Indian burial grounds. And so when he begins to observe ‘suspicious’ behaviour in his next-door neighbour, Wayne Mackey – a local and very popular police officer – no-one really takes him too seriously. Even his friends, Tommy, Dale, and Curtis, only seem to go along with it all, so they have something to do during the summer. But as Davey’s obsession over his neighbour’s supposedly unsavoury activities grows, he finds himself on a very slippery slope. A gifted cast of child actors underlies this suburban-based coming-of-age horror film; taking inspiration from The Goonies and Stand by Me in the presentation of its central group. Graham Verchere is our lead and typically bored suburbanite, Davey, and Judah Lewis puts on an entertaining performance as the tougher, more potty-mouthed member of the group, Tommy (Eats), who seems to spend as little time a possible in his deeply dysfunctional home: Caleb Emery and Cory Gruter-Andrew complete the group, starring as Dale (Woody) and Curtis respectively. And with this being an 1980s retro film there also has to be a love interest for our lead: Tiera Skovbye fills that role as Nikki, the girl-next-door, who makes a very welcome, if slightly forced appearance during the second act; becoming the only female member of the gang. The performances are good across the board but fall short of ever being great: this isn't helped by a fairly weak script; lacking that naturalistic flair which is so important in films like this. This is more noticeable during the dialogue between the boys and doesn't seem to have had any consequences on Rich Sommer's performance as Wayne Mackey, which is always spot-on. Visually, however, the film is pitch perfect, and, along with the excellent soundtrack, really captures that feeling of 1980s nostalgia. Summer of 84 is a dark and twisted parody of your typical 80’s coming-of-age flick; playing out like The 'Burbs during the first two-thirds of the film, then taking a grisly turn down a very dark path during the final act. And whilst it never reaches the same height as some of its influences – suffering from script issues which negatively affect the boy's group dynamic – it's still a fun and engaging trip down memory lane that you're not likely to forget anytime soon.

★★★★★ Directed by: #SaurabhThakur Written by: #SaurabhThakur Starring: #SadiyaSiddiqui, #EnabKhizra, #SidharthBhardwaj, #ShivJhaMathur, #Preeti, #Sandhya, #MonicaArora, #AbhinavDandge Film Review by: #DarrenTilby SPOILER ALERT “Every time you suffer in silence a new victim is born. Speak up.” A powerful parting message from a powerful and poignant film. This to-the-point examination of #domesticviolence doesn’t pull any punches in its delivery; getting the message across eloquently and candidly. The film’s title, Inheritance, refers to the inheritance of silence in the face of #domesticviolence the mother has unwittingly passed down to her daughter, Divya. Having suffered violence at the hands of her husband, the mother is told to “bear it” and “think of your daughter” by family and friends in a heartbreaking flashback sequence; brought on after spotting her old makeup kit, which she had used to cover up the evidence of violence for years. Then, when Divya enters sporting fresh bruises of her own, the look of guilt and pain on the mother’s face as she’s made to realise the consequences of her own silence are deeply felt and equalled only by the sheer look of embarrassment and shame on Divya’s face; the same embarrassment and shame her mother likely felt years before. It’s this mother and daughter pairing that really stole the show for me (although the cast is excellent throughout). The relatively brief time they share on-screen creates the film’s most poignant and affecting scene, one which can be seen as a defining moment for both women. Divya, after inadvertently revealing she’s the victim of #abuse sits down, just like her mother, to apply her makeup, saying only “I know, mum. I understand…” The remainder of the scene contains no dialogue; only tenderly crafted and achingly beautiful close-ups, in which the absolutely first-rate #cinematography from Ram Babu Gupta allows the camera to linger on our mother-daughter duo; who convey more with a few glances of guilt and shame than any amount of dialogue could. But it's that final moment, in which Divya's mother gently takes the makeup sponge from her now inconsolable daughter's hand, returns it to the makeup box and closes the lid that marks the turning point for these women; it practically screams 'we will not suffer in silence anymore!’. It's an uplifting and empowering end to a film with an otherwise dour atmosphere. The way in which the story comes full circle really hammers the idea home that #domesticabuse can be a generational issue, sometimes, even a cultural one. The film's many parts come together to create a deeply moving experience, one you're not likely to forget anytime soon. Indeed, this is a remarkable piece of filmmaking which needs to be seen by as many people as possible and the importance of its message cannot be undervalued.

★★ Directed by #DonovanMarch Starring #GerardButler #Common #GaryOldman #LindaCardellini #MichaelNyqvist Film Review by #HopeMadden On a scale from Gerard Butler to 10, how bad is Hunter Killer? It’s not London Has Fallen bad. Or Gods of Egypt bad. It’s not Geostorm bad, but what is, really? But is it any good? Well, no. Don’t get loony. I’m just saying, it could be worse. You know, because Gerard Butler stars. That doesn’t make him the worst actor in history. It’s just that he’s not especially talented and he makes impressively awful films. And yet, the king of January inexplicably gets a prime October release with this one, playing Captain Joe Glass. He’s not an Annapolis guy, but that doesn’t mean he can’t successfully lead his first crew through Arctic waters to save the President of Russia from a botched coups attempt. If you’re worried about subtitles—well, you’re clearly not familiar with the work of Mr. Butler. No, fortunately the Russians only speak Russian when it doesn’t matter if we understand what they say. The moment the dialog is important they switch (sometimes mid-scene) to English. How lucky is that? I’m sure we’d never be able to follow this plot otherwise. It’s not like every scene is telegraphed in advanced. Director Donovan Marsh’s film is not unwatchable. It’s shallowly packaged derivative entertainment, boasting passable water scenes and hand-to-hand action choreography that’s entirely adequate. It’s the drama that will make you wince. There are three primary focal points. Firstly, the drama back in DC, where level heads try to outmaneuver war mongers. Gary Oldman plays a monger. Everybody follows up their Oscar with garbage. Don’t fret for Gary. Common plays one of those level heads. This is literally Common’s third film in three weeks. The prior two—The Hate U Give and All About Nina—were both very good. Nobody bats 1000. The second dramatic focus takes place on the ground—thank God, because honestly, without the small military unit landing covertly on Russian soil with their drones, swagger and witty banter, this movie would never leave a confined area and you would feel even more trapped by it. The highest drama is, of course, hundreds of feet underwater with noble everyman Cap. Glass. You know what he has? A level head. Just not, you know, a ton of talent.

★★ Directed by: #NdumisoMnguni Starring: #SphepheloMnguni, #SpheleleMpanza, #LungeloNkosi and #NospiphoMdakane Film Review by: #AnnieVincent This 2015 short from #BarnhausCollective has a wistful production quality which is both beautiful and almost haunting, but the narrative structure does present some problems. Set in rural South Africa, the film is a sequence of flashbacks from the perspective of Lighthouse, a young boy, whose best friend Bongani has committed suicide. Lighthouse has returned home in the aftermath of this sad event. Bongani’s charismatic nature means he was a popular boy and it is clear his death has had a profound impact on his three closest friends with his girlfriend Mbali devastated and feeling unwanted and his friend Stereo completely withdrawing and becoming mute, only interested now in old music and tinkering with audio equipment. Lighthouse tries to keep them all going with his light humour, but the damage has been done and the subtitled narrative captures a huge sense of loss and regret quietly, but effectively. The story is touching; quite a feat in a film that is only seven minutes long, with a series of flashbacks, accompanied by soft backing tracks such as Somewhere over the rainbow and slow harmonica chords, really capturing the tragic note of the story. Inevitably though, the question turns to why: why would a charismatic young man commit suicide? The film sets out to tell us, but it isn’t particularly clear and it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear audiences had missed this moment altogether. This important reveal is made in the dying moments of the film – structurally a relevant and impactful decision – but it isn’t obvious enough, being delivered through an audio recording on an old cassette, the voice unrecognisable as that of Bongani’s – a voice not heard at any point during the film. The audience’s lack of familiarity with Bongani – a character we have only observed, not heard - becomes a major flaw and jeopardises the effect of this otherwise quite pretty short film, which deserves credit for its cinematography and sound. Visually this is a captivating film, wistful and nostalgic, but its impact is threatened by a lack of clarity in the script.

★★★★ Directed by: #CharlieColdfield Written by: Charlie Coldfield Starring: #MorwennaTowns, #JaneBennett, #PoppyWatts and #OzaineJohnson Short Film Review by: #RachelPullen Obsessions are fun right? You can actually be obsessed with anything you want, go ahead...right now obsess over something, let it fill your life, consume you and turn you into a long finger nailed mentalist living in a cave, which is perfect if your obsession is caves. But obsessions can be selfish, and often we don’t think about how they affect the people around us, which is the angle which Charlie Coldfield has approached it from with his #shortfilm Repercussions, how we cope when someone we love and care about is deep within their own desires to pursue something, and in this case it’s drumming. Now, drumming is clearly not the hardest obsession to deal with, sure being super into drugs is probably worse but let’s not confuse obsession with addiction, but if you really think about it, drumming is pretty annoying for everyone other than the drummer. Repercussions follows the story of a couple where the boyfriend has taken to playing the drums...all the goddamn time, and instead of packing up her shit and leaving this tapping insane man she once loved, our leading lady sticks it out and narrates the story of their relationship and her coping mechanisms with her lover's new found lust. I once dated a man who painted those tiny Warhammer figures and I stood on one barefooted once, that was nearly enough for me to end his life, but instead of smothering him with a pillow, the same response to non stop drumming, she diligently tries to feed him and support him in his passions. This film delivers a lot in regards to aesthetics, director Charlie Coldfield chooses to not make the drum kit the focal point of any of the shots, instead focusing on the faces of the actors, forcing us to ignore the elephant in the room and consider the relationship and human element to this story. This short film gives us an uneasy sense of normality, almost as if we should just take this drumming obsession on the chin and not really see it for the insane scenario that it is, this allows for anyone to access the subject matter at hand, you may not love drumming, heck you may not be a musician but instead obsess about collecting used chewing gum from under church hall tables, but you will be able to relate to the characters, subject and film in general. Repercussions is a beautiful and enjoyable piece, tackling a pretty average subject in an innovative and compelling way, so if you love to love something in an unnatural way then don’t feel shame, get out there and embrace your desires, just don’t let it cost you the love of the people around you.

★★★ Directed by #RichardWeston Written by #LaurenceThompson and #RichardWeston Starring #MatthewStaite, #SidPhoenix, #JoyceBranagh, #BenjaminLongthorne, #HarryOwens, #WillBurren, #AndrewCaley Indie Film Review by #HannahSayer Considered by many to be the greatest war poet of his generation, the final year in Wilfred Owen’s life is captured in #TheBuryingParty. 100 years after his death, the film is having #centennial screenings in cinemas nationwide this November, including in Edinburgh where Owen was treated for shell shock and in his hometowns in Shropshire and the Wirral. The film follows #WilfredOwen, played by Matthew Staite, as he meets prominent literary figures of the time including #RobbieRoss, #CharlesScottMoncrieff, #RobertGraves and his mentor, #SiegfriedSassoon. As well as focusing on his #poetry and those around him who would go on to influence his work, The Burying Party also explores his time as a soldier in the #FirstWorldWar as he returns to the front. Even for those unfamiliar with the life and work of Wilfred Owen, his story makes for an intriguing watch. The film is accessible to those wanting to learn more about the poet’s life and what his final year was like before his death at the young age of 25. Many themes are tackled in the film, including the impact of war and Owen’s sexuality, and these are subtly linked to how they have had an impact on his poetry and his decision to return to the front. As Owen says in the film “This is hell, nor are we out of it”, The Burying Party works well at exploring how the emotional and psychological effects of war linger long after the soldiers are done fighting. War has a lasting impact and the film tackles issues such as shellshock with care and sensitivity. The film’s strength lies in how the poetry is translated on screen and seeps into the production, as the film feels poetic with its quietly moving tone, evocative score and beautiful cinematography. The Burying Party is wonderfully shot and many of the shots are static and the camera lingers, waiting as the action unfolds in the frame. The production design places the viewer back in that era and the scenes are well-acted, with Matthew Staite’s performance as Wilfred Owen being the standout. The film delves deep into the life of Wilfred Owen and it is this romantic and poetic exploration of his final year which makes the ending all the more moving. The Burying Party captures the power of Wilfred Owen's words and just how wonderful his poetry is. Watch the official movie trailer for The Burying Party below.