Hard Truths film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber directed by Mike Leigh. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Hard Truths Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Jan 15, 2025 Directed by: Mike Leigh Written by: Mike Leigh Starring: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michele Austin, David Webber Nobody makes films quite like Mike Leigh, and that may be because nobody’s films more accurately resemble humanity than his. There is nothing glamourous, nothing artificial about a Mike Leigh film. Certainly not Hard Truths . Marianne Jean-Baptiste astonishes as Pansy, the most unpleasant woman in England. Profoundly unhappy with everything and compelled to share her vitriol, Pansy is a tough character to love. Perhaps impossible. Leigh traps us for 97 minutes with a woman we would, in real life, do anything to get away from and Jean-Baptiste insists that we see her humanity, edgy and prickly as it might be. This performance should be studied. A supporting cast of characters, each bringing laughter as well as drama, buoys the quick run time. David Webber, in particular, excels, bringing surprisingly touching depth to a character with barely two sentences of dialogue. That’s mainly thanks to Pansy. Luckily, Pansy’s unpleasantness is balanced by her sister, Chantelle (Michelle Austin). Open, caring, and endlessly forgiving, Chantelle is Pansy’s opposite, and only friend. Austin’s warmth, which Leigh brings to the screen at exactly the necessary moment, offsets Jean-Baptiste’s bitterness and allows for a real story to begin to take shape. As is so often the case with Leigh’s films (Mr. Turner , Happy-Go-Lucky, Secrets & Lies , and on and on), the story unveils itself slowly. His writing is as deceptively structured as his direction, forever suggesting fly-on-the-wall but seamlessly moving toward deeply human revelations. It is this masterful craftsmanship that steers his films away from parody, from caricature, from melodrama and toward poetry. Leigh accepts even the most flawed and unlikeable character, holds them with compassion if not forgiveness. He doesn’t solve their problems, often doesn’t even offer them an opportunity at redemption. But he refuses to ignore even those people you would not want to have to spend 97 minutes of your own life with. And miraculously, in giving Pansy just a little slice of your day, your own humanity deepens. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Film news - Mortal Kombat (2021) Trailer. Find out more at UK Film Review. Mortal Kombat (2021) Trailer Chris Olson Thursday, March 4, 2021 at 7:23:17 PM GMT The Mortal Kombat trailer 2021, from director Simon McQuoid. If you liked this Mortal Kombat trailer, check out more movie trailers on our Dailymotion channel and follow us on social @UKFRevew (Twitter), @UKFilmReview elsewhere. The King's Man UK Home Release Date Announced The Latest King’s Man Film Will be Available on Digital February 9 and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 21. Read Now BFI Future Film Festival announces 2022 Awards Jury and full programme Find out who the jury is for the 2022 BFI Future Film Festival. Read Now The Wonderful: Stories From The Space Station UK Release Date The Wonderful: Stories from the Space Station is a Dog Star Films production in association with Fisheye Films. Directed by Clare Lewins (I Am Ali, Kareem: Minority of One, The Lost Tapes of Memphis.). Read Now Redemption of a Rogue UK Cinema Release Date Read Now Cryptozoo Coming to Mubi This October Having made a splash at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, filmmaker Dash Shaw's upcoming fantasy animation Cryptozoo is a highly anticipated film coming to Mubi later this year. Read Now Another Round UK DVD And Blu-Ray Release Date Announced Following its acclaimed cinema release, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of Thomas Vinterberg’s intoxicating Oscar winner, ANOTHER ROUND, starring Mads Mikkelsen, on early EST 24th September 2021 and DVD, Blu-ray and Digital on 27th September 2021. Read Now Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow DVD and Blu-Ray UK Release Date Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow To Land Early On Digital (August 10th) and 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD September 13th. Read Now My Little Sister Gets October UK Release Date My Little Sister is due for a cinema release in the UK, on Friday 8th October 2021. Read Now Grimmfest Reveals Line-Up for 2021 Film Festival After a year of “home invasions” in the form of virtual screenings and online events, this October sees Grimmfest returning to the cinema at last. Read Now Helen Mirren Narrates Powerful Documentary Escape From Extinction Kaleidoscope Entertainment presents Escape From Extinction, a powerful feature documentary narrated by Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren, coming to selected cinemas from 17th September celebrating ‘Great Big Green Week’ (18-26 September). Read Now Supernova UK DVD and Blu-Ray Release Date Following critical acclaim and standout performances, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of the heartbreaking British love story SUPERNOVA, arriving on EST 24th September 2021 and DVD and Blu-ray on 27th September 2021. Read Now The Djinn UK Release Date The story follows a mute twelve-year-old, Dylan Jacobs, as he discovers a mysterious book of spells inside his new apartment. Read Now Come Play UK Digital Release Date Jacob Chase’s directorial debut feature COME PLAY tells the story of Oliver, a solitary autistic boy who comes across a creepy children’s story on his new tablet. Read Now 15m Giant Starfish in Leicester Square Ahead of UK Release of The Suicide Squad British actor Peter Capaldi (BBC’s Doctor Who, World War Z) ‒ who stars in THE SUICIDE SQUAD alongside Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and John Cena as genius scientist ‘Thinker’, was bravely photographed with the imposing creature Starro in London’s Leicester Square earlier today in celebration of the film’s UK release this coming Friday. Read Now West Side Story In Cinemas December 2021 From acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, the 2021 remake of West Side Story will be coming to cinemas in December 2021. Read Now The Last Job UK Digital and DVD Release Date Screen icon Richard Dreyfuss takes on The Last Job in a brand new, all-action thriller, that stars Modern Family’s Mira Sorvino as his daughter. This rip-roaring gangster movie hits the UK on DVD and digital this August from 101 Films. Read Now Rise of the Footsoldier Origins UK Cinema Release The eagerly-awaited RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER: ORIGINS, starring legendary leading man Vinnie Jones, is showing exclusively in cinemas from September 3, courtesy of Signature Entertainment. Read Now Random Acts of Violence UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Date Jay Baruchel writes, directs and stars in his horror debut Random Acts of Violence, which makes its UK Blu-ray debut from Acorn Media International in conjunction with Shudder, following its success on the streaming service. Read Now Spirited Away 20th Anniversary Special Edition SPIRITED AWAY COLLECTOR’S BOXSET WITH DVD & BLU-RAY DOUBLEPLAY AVAILABLE 27 SEPTEMBER 2021 Read Now A New World Order Premieres in UK 23 August Black Mirror meets A Quiet Place in gripping sci-fi thriller A New World Order from director Daniel Raboldt in his feature debut, which gets its UK premiere on DVD and digital 23 August 2021 from Reel 2 Reel Films. Read Now

The Castle of Baron Finch film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Don Cunningham, Jay Pennington, Elisabeth Anne Steigelman, Brad White directed by Don Cunningham. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Castle of Baron Finch Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Dec 11, 2024 Directed by: Don Cunningham Written by: Don Cunningham Starring: Don Cunningham, Jay Pennington, Elisabeth Anne Steigelman, Brad White A short horror film written and directed by Don Cunningham and starring himself alongside Jay Pennington, Elisabeth Anne Steigelman and Brad White. The year is 1863 and Dr. Christopher Cushing (Cunningham) has travelled from England to Germany in order to rescue his wife Isobel (Steigelman), who has been abducted by Baron Janos Finch (Pennington), a vampire. Chistopher must find them, do battle with the monster and save his beloved spouse. Filmed over a period of six years in Menard, Texas, this short is clearly meant to pay tribute to the horror films of the silent era. Filming was executed in black-and-white with the image looking grainy. There is no speech, no diegetic sound at all actually and the dialogue is presented through sentences on title cards just like the old days. What is heard is the gothic music Andreu Jacob that plays throughout and creates a sinister and dramatic atmosphere. Looking at the mise-en-scene, the action takes place in the countryside and there are locations that are often associated with vampire stories such as a cemetery, a castle and it should be mentioned that there is also a coffin. As for the narrative, it pretty much alternates between Christopher trying to locate his wife and Finch spending time with Isobel, teaching her how to be a vampire. Eventually, things lead to desperate life-and-death situations. It is also worth mentioning that another famous horror film creature makes its appearance. The following is not intended to bring the film down, however, fans of the vampire genre might be disappointed by a couple of things. Firstly, there are no fangs to be seen (Finch never reveals his) and secondly, Finch appears to be walking around in broad daylight and vampires are supposed to be creatures of the night, yes, the image is black-and-white, however, the sky looks like it is daytime. Again, these two observations are not ment to damage this short but they go against the conventions that are associated with vampire films. Regarding the performances, arguably Pennington is the one who stands out, portraying a vampire. Dressed in black, with long hair and a beard, he is constantly grinning, with an evil look on his face, making it clear that he is bad. Steigelman plays his victim. Wearing a white dress, looking like a bride, she appears to be under the influence of some kind of spell as she walks alongside Finch, smiling. And then there is Cunningham, who impersonates Dr. Cushing (an obvious homage to actor Peter Wilton Cushing), a brave man, determined to get his wife back. Going to the themes now, this is a story about desperation, rescue, revenge, cruelty and tragedy. A story about Good vs Evil. This is probably not meant to be a modern horror film, but rather a tribute to Gothic Horror Silent Films. Fans of the horror genre will most likely appreciate this twenty-minute long dark story that brings the viewer back in time, showing them what horror films used to be like. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

In Search of Forgotten Crafts - The Heart of the Iron film review by UK film critic William Curzon. Starring Márton Kocsy, Gábor Csőre directed by Dániel Majoros, Marcell Betlej. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS In Search of Forgotten Crafts - The Heart of the Iron Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: William Curzon | Posted on: Feb 2, 2026 Directed by: Dániel Majoros, Marcell Betlej Written by: Dániel Majoros Starring: Márton Kocsy, Gábor Csőre In Search of Forgotten Crafts - The Heart of the Iron follows the personal story of a blacksmith, Márton Kocsy, who offers an insightful look into one of the oldest traditionally male crafts. The piece is the fourth episode of a documentary series and narrated by actor Gábor Csőre. The idea for the documentary was originally conceived by Dániel Majoros, who invited director Marcell Betlej to join the project as creative director, editor and cinematographer. While the material is fairly simplistic in its attempt to provide the viewer with enough insight into the disappearing professions in forgery, the formalism on display profoundly elevates the piece to impressive heights. Firstly, the drone photography is absolutely breathtaking, and the point-of-view camerawork is visceral and admittedly a sight to behold from co-cinematographer Péter Szögi. The opening of the piece is paced like a creature chasing its prey, with its ferocious camera movement and rapid editing. On the other hand, the sequences of the blacksmith forging are enthralling to witness due to the use of extreme close-ups and frenetic editing choices. It's simply a visual treat and satisfying to endure, accompanied by a remarkable title card drenched in flames from the forgery. The musical score is wonderfully incorporated into the piece, with its incredible motifs matching the forgeries on display. The filmmakers set out to explore the elemental relationship of forgery and the craft that is fading as the years pass due to technological advancements. However, the cultural and symbolic aspects of forgery still live on in the lives of individuals such as Márton Kocsy, who have devoted their careers to this art form. Márton Kocsy offers a unique perspective that is rarely seen in cinema, such as explaining the spirit of blacksmithing and the underestimated necessity for blacksmiths. The dialogue can be delivered at such a brisk pace that it's almost overwhelming to process at times. That being said, this decision is ultimately necessary to provide the audience with enough context due to its tight runtime. This particular episode could have delved more into other blacksmith forges and explored another individual's perspective on how much has changed in the past few years. Gábor Csőre’s voiceover is impactful and provides context for why fewer individuals visit blacksmith workshops in this current climate, as they have become increasingly inaccessible. The use of voiceover also underscores the significance of recognising the blacksmith's work and dedication to the craft, despite technological advancements. The Heart of the Iron alludes to future generations carving a path in this career to ensure the craft stays alive in years to come. Despite the restricted material, the piece never fails to engage the viewer due to the thought-provoking and fascinating dialogue from Márton Kocsy. The pacing rarely lets up, and that's a testament to the material and sublime filmmaking on display. In Search of Forgotten Crafts - The Heart of the Iron is bursting with energy from the first frame to the striking and surreal conclusion. Forged in flames and iron, the filmmakers tackle a profound subject matter that delves into the necessity of blacksmiths and the cultural aspect of forgery that endures for future generations. The piece is a palpable piece of filmmaking beautifully helmed by Dániel Majoros and Marcell Betlej. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic William Curzon Short Film, Documentary < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Strangers film review by UK film critic Chris Buick. Starring Adrian Arthur, Kelsey Delemar, Donnie Brown Jr, Andria B Langston directed by Harold Jackson. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Strangers Film Review average rating is 5 out of 5 Critic: Chris Buick | Posted on: Sep 7, 2025 Directed by: Harold Jackson Written by: Harold Jackson Starring: Adrian Arthur, Kelsey Delemar, Donnie Brown Jr, Andria B Langston Strangers , the latest feature offering from writer/director Harold Jackson (and the second I personally have had the pleasure of reviewing), documents the saddening disintegration of a marriage between businesswoman Brooklyn (Delemar) and photographer Diego (Arthur). Even after time, effort and stints in therapy, their growing separation appears insurmountable, and each begins to slowly find solace and attraction in other parties: Brooklyn towards charming bartender Apollo (Brown Jr.), and Diego, towards his current model-for-hire Eve (Langston). Jackson continues his knack for driving compelling narratives through his cast rather than around them. As was the case in previous works such as Iceman: Book One , Strangers success primarily comes from the meaningful and well-thought-out interactions between its four key players, each scene filled with purpose and intent, deepening the characters and advancing the story and their relationships simultaneously. With Brooklyn and Diego in particular, Jackson also allows the narrative to be fluid. Although we begin the film at the bitter end of their romance, the clever use of flashbacks reveals a sweet love that was once filled with hope and a future. Each glance back into the past shows the little things that would slowly chip away at that, at first, seemingly indestructible happiness, before leading us right back to where we started, resulting in a complex portrait of fading love brought to life by a pair of stunning lead performances from Delemar and Arthur. What’s most admirable, however, is how the two outsiders, Eve and Apollo, are also given an incredible amount of agency, both allowed to become far more than just the “other person”. Jackson dedicates plenty of time and space for each to unveil their own stories, thoughts and ideals, with both actors hitting all the right notes again to make doubly sure that their roles are elevated beyond mere supporting players. The film's steady dialogue also always ensures the characters, and their musings, always feel authentic, and its direction and arresting visuals are always optimised to accent the current mood of the scene, effortlessly and often shifting from sexy to sombre to explosive and back again. And ultimately, it won't be easy for viewers to pinpoint a single person, event, or moment where things went wrong for Brooklyn and Diego. Jackson understands that in life, there are sometimes no happy endings, right answers, or a single party to blame. He beautifully taps into those grey nuances, delivering a more real and ambiguous conclusion than other films might dare to offer. A proper, character-driven drama and further proof that Harold Jackson is a filmmaker to be reckoned with, Strangers is a deeply affecting, heart-wrenching and beautifully crafted observation of a relationship slowly fading away. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Chris Buick Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Cage Rage film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Matt Newton, Chloe Rann, Connor Horrigan, Kim Michelle directed by Matt Newton, Lucy Yong. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Cage Rage Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: May 22, 2026 Directed by: Matt Newton, Lucy Yong Written by: Matt Newton Starring: Matt Newton, Chloe Rann, Connor Horrigan, Kim Michelle A sports drama crime thriller written by Matt Newton, directed by Newton and Lucy Yong and starring Newton, Chloe Rann, Connor Horrigan and Kim Michelle. Joey (Newton) has recently separated from his partner, Ellie (Michelle) and is currently competing in Mixed Martial Arts, in the hope of becoming pro. However, his trainer, Mike (Bryan Lawrence) demands that he attends sessions more regularly, so Joey quits his job and what does he do? He collaborates with his cousin, Liam (Horrigan), a drug dealer and gets involved in his illegal activites: selling drugs for crime boss and nightclub owner, Mr Suarez (Silvio Simiac). Joey tries hard to make ends meet and succeed in his sport, unfortunately things go out of control in the drug business, threatening not only his career, but his life too. The world of combat sports and the underworld are combined in order to tell a dramatic story about the struggles of a guy trying to pursue his goals and win back the woman he loves. The narrative could be split-up into two alternating storylines: MMA training and competition and crime. The script follows Joey and he trains hard to improve his fighting skills and wins fights, hopin to eventually face-off with cocky champion, Nico (Nathaniel Wood), while simultaneously making money by dealing drugs for Suarez and his daughter, Sacha (Rann). Eventually, tensions rise in both parts, with plenty of martial arts training, fighting in a cage, dangerous men, guns and life-threatening situations. As well as having an intriguing plot, this feature has a fair number of interesting people. As the main character, Joey has a tragic past and he is hardly a likeable guy. He is short-tempered, aggressive, disrespectful and involved in drug dealing. Although he means well, he could be classified as an anti-hero. As a ruthless, feared gangster and an abusive parent, Suarez serves as the main antagonist and so does his son, Nico, who is a character who is the equivalent of Johnny in the first The Karate Kid film. As for Sacha, she ends up being Joey's romantic interest. Special mention goes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu expert Valmyr Neto whose role turns into that of Joey's mentor and co-director, Yong adds her own quality as a deadly assassin. Combat sports and crime aside, this is a story about pursuing goals, about embracing the will to have a better life, about redemption, regrets, relationships and parenting. A feature with cage fighting, criminals and meaningful drama. Fans of crime films and martial arts are arguably the target audience. And the soundtrack is pretty cool. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film, Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Lost Mantle of Elijah film review by UK film critic Joe Beck. Starring Louis Levi, Andrew McHale, Paul Sugars, Andreia Aguiar, Eaoifa Forward, Tayo Oyekoya directed by Lewis Critchley. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Lost Mantle of Elijah Film Review average rating is 1 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Jun 29, 2024 Directed by: Lewis Critchley Written by: Lewis Critchley Starring: Louis Levi, Andrew McHale, Paul Sugars, Andreia Aguiar, Eaoifa Forward, Tayo Oyekoya Elijah’s mantle is an ancient biblical legend similar to the likes of the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail featured in the Indiana Jones franchise. It is a miracle working cloak that Elijah passed on to his servant Elisha when he is told that his time on earth is over and that he shall be taken by chariot to heaven. It is believed that this cloak had powers to grant miracles yet was lost following Elisha, and ‘The Lost Mantle of Elijah’ depicts the fictional struggle to rediscover its mystery. The film opens with a loud dramatic overture, that sounds more like that of a typical sci-fi adventure like Star Trek than it does a swashbuckling faith based epic. We are then given e prologue that attempts to set the scene of the film for us, however, this prologue is so cheesy and overdramatic that combined with far too much of an overland of exposition, the audience has already lost interest and belief in the quality of the film before the adventure it depicts has even begun. It is laughably overdramatic throughout, not helped by its loud overbearing score, which hits all the beats of a classic adventurous biblical epic but feels like cheap imitation, especially when were you to remove the score, the film would lack any of that same sense of grandeur. It’s special and visual effects can only be described as amateur at best, removing any possibility of immersion with how blatantly false they are. Furthermore, the practical sets, when used, feel constructed and lack authenticity, giving the impression of a hollow world not lived in at all. The central character is a young teenage boy called Kai (Louis Levi) who receives the mantle from the spirit of a murdered king that wants him to raise him from the dead. It becomes far too potty and convoluted too quickly, with a whole host of supporting characters played by the likes of Andrew McHale, Paul Sugars, Andreia Aguiar, Eaoifa Forward and Tayo Oyekoya appearing on his quest to restore the mantle’s powers. None of these characters have a remotely endearing personality. This isn’t helped by either the poor writing, which lacks subtext and sounds as though it were generated by artificial intelligence, or the acting, which is stiff and robotic, with hefty pauses sometimes between lines of dialogue in conversation as actors struggle to form any chemistry with one another. 
The film is written and directed by Lewis Critchley, and though the directing is perhaps of a slightly higher quality than the screenplay, it is nonetheless bland and uninteresting. ‘The Lost Mantle of Elijah’ makes for a turgid watch, it is too bogged down in its plot that it forgets that swashbuckling adventures are supposed to be fun. This is anything but that. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Joe Beck Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Destroy All Neighbors film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Jonah Ray, Alex Winter, Thomas Lennon directed by Josh Forbes. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Destroy All Neighbors Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Jan 10, 2024 Directed by: Josh Forbes Written by: Mike Benner, Jared Logan, Charles A. Pieper Starring: Jonah Ray, Alex Winter, Thomas Lennon A film for anyone who squeezes creative passions into the hours outside other responsibilities, refuses the label “hobby” and still never manages to complete anything, Destroy All Neighbors lives that nightmare. William (Jonah Ray) has been working and reworking the final song on his prog-rock album for ages. Years. He’s so close, but then the loudest, most aggressively weird neighbor moves in next door. Vlad (Alex Winter, who also produces) may have charmed William’s longsuffering girlfriend (Kiran Deol), but he’s pushing William to the brink of insanity. Who can get anything done with all that noise?! William is that nonconfrontational nice guy who’s always being taken advantage of. But Vlad has pushed him too far. Which is why it will be so difficult to convince anyone that Vlad accidentally killed and dismembered his own self. But he did! Really! Destroy All Neighbors delivers silly, sloppy horror comedy with the highly relevant message: maybe this is all your own fault. Ray (MST3K) drives the lunacy with an earnest performance. You kind of already know this guy. Hell, he could be you. And that’s the real charm of Destroy All Neighbors. Director Josh Forbes, working from a script by Mike Benner, Jared Logan and Charles A. Pieper, isn’t wagging a finger of judgment. The finger is gently pointed inward. The writing team comes from animation and comedy rather than horror, which may be why the film is so gleefully gory, no meanness in it. Whenever William does find his inner badass, the film makes sure he immediately regrets it. A cameo from Kumail Nanjiani and the supporting goofiness from Lennon and Ryan Kattner as rock and roll has been Caleb Bang Jansen (say the whole name!) keep the tone silly. Destroy All Neighbors is not a great movie. It’s definitely not a great horror movie. But it’s a light, weird, gentle reminder that you may be all that’s holding you back. (And also, loud neighbors kind of suck.) Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Film news - Arrow Announces May Release Date for Threshold. Find out more at UK Film Review. Arrow Announces May Release Date for Threshold Chris Olson Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 9:58:43 AM GMT+1 Kiss your fingernails goodbye this spring, as ARROW announces the premiere of the truly creepy - and darkly funny - horror road movie THRESHOLD . It will release on ARROW in the UK, US and Canada May 3rd. The second feature film from co-directors Powell Robinson, Patrick R Young, and producer Lauren Bates, THRESHOLD is an intelligent, engaging and beautifully shot character-led horror/drama, telling the story of a pair of siblings embarking on a voyage of discovery. Following Robinson and Young’s debut Bastard (2015), THRESHOLD was improvised and shot on two iPhones over the course of a 12-day road trip with a crew of just three . The results are an inventive and compelling psychological thriller with hints of the supernatural that recalls such indie cult classics as Ben Wheatley’s Kill List (2011) and Justin Benson And Aaron Moorhead’s Resolution (2013). With likeable leads and remarkable production values, THRESHOLD is stylish, shocking and as unpredictable as a red-cloaked cult member. Fans of spine-tingling and audacious indie gems like After Midnight (2019) and The Bloodhound (2020) are in for a treat - but be warned, it’s one hell of a trip! “So you’re cursed? OK, cool.” Synopsis : When a phone call from out of the blue brings Leo (Joey Millin) back into contact with his sister, Virginia (Madison West), long estranged from her family due to years of drug abuse, he arrives to find her alone in a bare apartment in the midst of an apparent overdose. After the convulsions and nausea subside, Virginia insists to Leo that she has been clean for 8 months due to the help of a mysterious group. She confides to her cynical brother that her edginess and paranoia actually stem from a sinister ritual conducted by the group that took her in at her lowest and eventually revealed themselves to be a cult. This curse bound her emotions and physical sensations to a man she has never met before. With his marriage on the rocks, Leo has his own demons to face. Nonetheless, he is reluctantly persuaded by Virginia to embark on a cross-country road trip to track down this shadowy stranger under the caveat that if he's nowhere to be found and it's all in her head, she'll go to rehab. However, as their date with destiny draws nearer, Leo begins to suspect his sister’s tall tale might have some substance. The King's Man UK Home Release Date Announced The Latest King’s Man Film Will be Available on Digital February 9 and 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ and DVD on February 21. Read Now BFI Future Film Festival announces 2022 Awards Jury and full programme Find out who the jury is for the 2022 BFI Future Film Festival. Read Now The Wonderful: Stories From The Space Station UK Release Date The Wonderful: Stories from the Space Station is a Dog Star Films production in association with Fisheye Films. Directed by Clare Lewins (I Am Ali, Kareem: Minority of One, The Lost Tapes of Memphis.). Read Now Redemption of a Rogue UK Cinema Release Date Read Now Cryptozoo Coming to Mubi This October Having made a splash at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, filmmaker Dash Shaw's upcoming fantasy animation Cryptozoo is a highly anticipated film coming to Mubi later this year. Read Now Another Round UK DVD And Blu-Ray Release Date Announced Following its acclaimed cinema release, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of Thomas Vinterberg’s intoxicating Oscar winner, ANOTHER ROUND, starring Mads Mikkelsen, on early EST 24th September 2021 and DVD, Blu-ray and Digital on 27th September 2021. Read Now Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow DVD and Blu-Ray UK Release Date Marvel Studios Announces Black Widow To Land Early On Digital (August 10th) and 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD September 13th. Read Now My Little Sister Gets October UK Release Date My Little Sister is due for a cinema release in the UK, on Friday 8th October 2021. Read Now Grimmfest Reveals Line-Up for 2021 Film Festival After a year of “home invasions” in the form of virtual screenings and online events, this October sees Grimmfest returning to the cinema at last. Read Now Helen Mirren Narrates Powerful Documentary Escape From Extinction Kaleidoscope Entertainment presents Escape From Extinction, a powerful feature documentary narrated by Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren, coming to selected cinemas from 17th September celebrating ‘Great Big Green Week’ (18-26 September). Read Now Supernova UK DVD and Blu-Ray Release Date Following critical acclaim and standout performances, STUDIOCANAL are excited to announce the release of the heartbreaking British love story SUPERNOVA, arriving on EST 24th September 2021 and DVD and Blu-ray on 27th September 2021. Read Now The Djinn UK Release Date The story follows a mute twelve-year-old, Dylan Jacobs, as he discovers a mysterious book of spells inside his new apartment. Read Now Come Play UK Digital Release Date Jacob Chase’s directorial debut feature COME PLAY tells the story of Oliver, a solitary autistic boy who comes across a creepy children’s story on his new tablet. Read Now 15m Giant Starfish in Leicester Square Ahead of UK Release of The Suicide Squad British actor Peter Capaldi (BBC’s Doctor Who, World War Z) ‒ who stars in THE SUICIDE SQUAD alongside Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and John Cena as genius scientist ‘Thinker’, was bravely photographed with the imposing creature Starro in London’s Leicester Square earlier today in celebration of the film’s UK release this coming Friday. Read Now West Side Story In Cinemas December 2021 From acclaimed director Steven Spielberg, the 2021 remake of West Side Story will be coming to cinemas in December 2021. Read Now The Last Job UK Digital and DVD Release Date Screen icon Richard Dreyfuss takes on The Last Job in a brand new, all-action thriller, that stars Modern Family’s Mira Sorvino as his daughter. This rip-roaring gangster movie hits the UK on DVD and digital this August from 101 Films. Read Now Rise of the Footsoldier Origins UK Cinema Release The eagerly-awaited RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER: ORIGINS, starring legendary leading man Vinnie Jones, is showing exclusively in cinemas from September 3, courtesy of Signature Entertainment. Read Now Random Acts of Violence UK DVD and Blu-ray Release Date Jay Baruchel writes, directs and stars in his horror debut Random Acts of Violence, which makes its UK Blu-ray debut from Acorn Media International in conjunction with Shudder, following its success on the streaming service. Read Now Spirited Away 20th Anniversary Special Edition SPIRITED AWAY COLLECTOR’S BOXSET WITH DVD & BLU-RAY DOUBLEPLAY AVAILABLE 27 SEPTEMBER 2021 Read Now A New World Order Premieres in UK 23 August Black Mirror meets A Quiet Place in gripping sci-fi thriller A New World Order from director Daniel Raboldt in his feature debut, which gets its UK premiere on DVD and digital 23 August 2021 from Reel 2 Reel Films. Read Now

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

The Artist film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Pedro H. Valladao, Peter Seungchan No directed by Sebastian Li. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Artist Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Dec 19, 2021 Directed by: Sebastian Li Written by: Sebastian Li Starring: Pedro H. Valladao, Peter Seungchan No A young artist is struggling to get his work accepted by the public, leading to disturbing and dramatic consequences. Peter (Valladao) has a passion for painting self-portraits. However, his friend and artist agent (No) is having difficulties promoting and selling them, as people do not seem to appreciate that kind of work. As time goes by and things do not appear to be changing for the better, Peter is adviced to make other kinds of paintings. Peter is unwilling to change his ideas and comes up with shocking and sinister ways to be creative. This feature begins as a story about self-discovery and achieving one's goals and gradually turns into a psychological horror film about obsession. The film centres on Peter's stubbornness in not accepting the fact that his self-portraits are not enough for him to have a career and how that affects his life and his relationship with his agent, who has been trying very hard for ages to promote his art. There are scenes that involve characters who are irrelevant to Peter and his friend and these scenes contain people who are bleeding from chest injuries. These wounds could be a metaphor for their emotional traumas that will never completely heal. Valladao delivers a dramatic and dark performance as a struggling artist who firmly believes in the art that he creates and refuses to let anyone convince him that he needs to change his artistic ways. He thinks that other forms of paintings are no good because they lack a 'soul'. Generally, he comes across as a talented and hard-working painter but also as an antisocial, isolated, narcissistic and disturbed person. No is his supportive friend, who is desperately trying to convince him to create other kinds of paintings in order to progress in the art industry. The filming clearly took place on a low budget, as it shows throughout the movie. Nevertheless, that does not hide the creativity and hard work that was put into this project. Regarding the music, William Choo develops a score that is dramatic and sinister and includes wonderful sounds of piano and violin and the addition of the song Rose and Air by Edo Notarloberti is a huge plus. It should be mentioned that this movie is not for sensitive viewers as it contains shocking scenes that show wounds bleeding and self-harm. These are shown in closeup and they are hard to watch and thanks to Joanna Csillag's work in the special effects and makeup department, they are rather realistic. This dark feature is a character study about the life of a troubled man who only sees what he wants to see. The plot is about being different, focusing on ideas and it also explores themes of friendship, personal struggles, obsession and mental health disorder. The plot is intriguing and the final act is rather memorable. This is a film that will most likely leave a significant impression. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Backbencher film review by UK film critic Chris Buick. Starring Ellis J. Wells, Rohit Sujanani, Emma Beth Jones, Makenna Guyler, Scott Whatley directed by Daniel Irlan. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Backbencher Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Chris Buick | Posted on: May 21, 2025 Directed by: Daniel Irlan Written by: Daniel Irlan Starring: Ellis J. Wells, Rohit Sujanani, Emma Beth Jones, Makenna Guyler, Scott Whatley Writer/director Daniel Irlan’s ridiculously funny (heavy emphasis on ridiculous) mockumentary-style political comedy Backbencher follows the campaign trail of hapless MP John (Wells) in his attempts to move from government backbencher to a more significant role within the cabinet. Here, having commissioned a documentary crew to follow him around day and night, we get to follow John throughout his current campaign towards a hopeful constituency re-election, including meet-and-greets with the public, catchy slogans, important policies (if he can actually think of one), and everything in between. However, John’s ambition is consistently hampered at every turn by political rivals, scheming journalists, and most of all, himself. Because there is no getting around the almost immediately established realisation, John is a truly awful human being. Unreservedly sleazy, incredibly quick to anger, estranged from his wife but never his mistresses, full of one-liner politician cliches and offensive soundbites, only ever concerned for himself and taking everything out on the people around him, most of all his poor, unfortunate and long suffering campaign manager/assistant that he only ever refers to as Oi! (Sujanani). All of this sets up the idea that John could be one of the most aggravating, despicable and detestable characters imaginable, and really, he is. There are moments where the film's ridiculousness needed to be reined in but weirdly, it’s all such a clever skewing of modern-day politics, where politicians seem to be able to get away with pretty much anything they say or do, that it all just simply works. It’s The Thick of It inspired script and dialogue, whether in the moments sharply written or perhaps improvised, allow each line out of John’s mouth to become an instant quote, perhaps not ones to repeat out loud oneself and quite often drawing a grimace, but thankfully more often, a genuine laugh. It’s such a fun ride that even when it does go off the rails now and again, you just want to stay on. And, as with any good mockumentary, the life and death of it all hinges on its characters, and Backbencher has some real characters. More peripheral players such as John’s enabling and messy mistress Black Cherry (Longden) and his local constituents are great for padding out this deep world, but it’s his inner circle; his beleaguered camera crew he treats with nothing but contempt (especially the brilliant Emma Beth Jones’s boom operator), his equally ridiculous political rival Monty Phabreese (Whatley) and dogged internet journalist Zesty Lemon (Guyler, armed with a full arsenal of citrus based puns) who keep you invested. However, the biggest plaudits undoubtedly need to go to both Sujanani, the constantly put upon aide who gets sucked into all of John’s nonsense before finally snapping, and Wells, whose ability to demand full attention in every scene makes watching such a truly foul person so enthralling to watch. Judging by the post-credits scenes, you very much get the sense that the whole cast and crew had a real ball making this film, and ultimately Backbencher , even though it does occasionally descend into pure farce, is an undeniably fun time. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Chris Buick Amazon Prime, Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >