A Wild Life film review by UK film critic Joe Beck. Starring Robert Goodman, Raphael J. Bishop directed by Marie-Andrée Lemaire . HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS A Wild Life Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Joe Beck | Posted on: Mar 21, 2024 Directed by: Marie-Andrée Lemaire Written by: Zachary Goldman Starring: Robert Goodman, Raphael J. Bishop Sometimes it is the most simple things that have the most magical of healing properties. Nature, and time spent in it, be it swathes of rolling green grass, dense woodland, or even the open water or vast expanses of desert plaines, can soothe both the mind and the soul, putting life in perspective and making all our troubles that seemed so overwhelming before dissipate. The company of people, those whom you are able to form a deep connection with can also heal the mind and soul, letting us know that there are those that understand us out there. ‘A Wild Life’ portrays both those things, and though perhaps a little surface level, it is nonetheless beautiful and heartwarming to see the impact both have throughout the film. ‘A Wild Life’ establishes itself as a meditative, reflective film from the outset, with a score that immediately comes across as fitting the mould of thought-provoking and contemplative, while the opening shot is of leaves in a stream, as the water gently washes over them. It is a film about the virtue of life, and living life in nature and with people you connect to, but it is also a film about grief and sadness, and how individual’s move past those things. This is especially true of the old man, Chester (who is played by Robert Goodman with a weary charm and bluntness about him), who we first meet as he looks across a beautiful vista across a lake and brings a gun to his head. Chester has lost purpose in his life and feels as though he lacks any reason to continue with it, and so, with his wife having given in to ‘sadness’, he feels it is his time now to commit suicide. It’s chastening seeing a man having lost hope prepared to give his life away, but his attempted suicide is interrupted when the eager young boy scout Arthur (played by Raphael J. Bishop) comes stumbling into the picture pleading for help. Arthur has become separated from his scout group, and, having injured his knee, seeks the help of Chester to both strap him up and help him find his way. At first Chester is bemused and cold, though across the film he becomes tender and it appears as though he has rediscovered his joy for life once again. As Chester and Arthur sing camp songs and wear their white vests as they clamber through the wilderness we see not a young boy and an old man, but two young boys, both full of adventure and spirit for life, as Arthur, and the woodland that surrounds the two of them, have helped Chester rediscover his spark. Marie-Andrée Lemaire directs the film beautifully, and it is aesthetically beautiful, picking up on the little intricacies of the woods and using the natural lighting, and how it reflects off water, to the film’s advantage. The script, written by Zachary Goldman, is at times a little too obvious, but whilst it perhaps doesn’t go far enough in terms of nuance with its themes, it is nonetheless solid executing its simplicity very well. ‘A Wild Life’ is a life-affirming film, one which maybe doesn’t truly push the boundaries, but is nonetheless joyous to watch, and a reminder that life is much like its title suggests. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Joe Beck Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Tropical Night film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Kate Chan, Sebastian Law, Lucia Tong, Annie Long directed by Sebastian Li. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Tropical Night Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Jun 3, 2022 Directed by: Sebastian Li Written by: Yuan Xu, Noemi Korn, Sebastian Li Starring: Kate Chan, Sebastian Law, Lucia Tong, Annie Long A short film about the world of webcam girls. Jo (Chan) is an Asian student who lives with her mother (Tong). After her friend Alvin (Law) informs her about a website where women offer services as cam-girls in return for financial rewards, she decides to have a look and find out more about it. This interesting drama offers an insight into life as a webcam girl and investigates online socialising in general and it is also a coming-of-age story. The film begins with a computer screen containing an online conversation between Jo and Alvin, with browser windows that contain their characters as they are being filmed by webcams. The narrative then moves on to a conversation that Jo has with her mother while sitting at a table and eating. After that, Jo looks into the adult website, curious to see what camming is all about, which takes up approximately half of the film's duration. The screenplay focuses a great deal on the cam-girl universe and social media and the majority of the image is set on a computer screen. Jo spends a lot of time observing a webcam girl named Stacie (Long) and asks her questions regarding why she does that type of work and generally what it is like making a living as a cam-girl, while other users just flirt with her. Stacie is friendly and appears content with her decisions. The story does not focuse solely on how people utilise social networking services, as it explores Jo's family life, which is experiencing difficulties due to her father's absence and her mother is eager for her to find someone and be settled for life. The plot also involves an Asian King whose concubine has just been released from prison. The acting is good and Chan is convincing as a schoolgirl who is reaching a point in her life where she has to make decisions for herself. Tong is emotional as a mother who wants her daughter to live a comfortable life. The filmmakers effectively use webcams and social networking services in order to tell a story and the romantic song that is heard during the webcam girl part was a good choice. This short explores family values and looks into the world of camming. Focusing on interesting themes and utilising creative filmmaking techniques, this achievement offers a thoughtful experience. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Save Me From Heaven film review by UK film critic Jason Knight. Starring Abby Fitz, Diarmuid Noyes, Aida O'Malley, Muireann Ryan directed by Sean Treacy. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Save Me From Heaven Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Jason Knight | Posted on: Jan 14, 2026 Directed by: Sean Treacy Written by: Sean Treacy Starring: Abby Fitz, Diarmuid Noyes, Aida O'Malley, Muireann Ryan A tense and emotional sci-fi short film from Ireland, written and directed by Sean Treacy and starring Abby Fitz, Diarmuid Noyes, Aida O'Malley and Muireann Ryan. The story is set in a future where humanity has found a way for the deceased to enter a digital version of heaven and spend eternity there. That is through a program called 'Horizons'. One stormy night, Karl (Noyes) a software engineer who works for Horizons discovers is in his workplace and, via his computer, he discovers that a young woman named Rachel (Fitz) has just passed away from a car accident and she has now reached the virtual paradise. However, since she has lost her memory, she will soon vanish forever, unless Karl finds a way to make her remember her life. A race-against-the-clock science fiction thriller with plenty of drama and tension. Through his interface, Karl desperately tries to help Rachel regain her memories and he attempts to do so by programming digital version of her loved ones (her mother (Ryan), father (Shane Lynch), daughter (O'Malley) and partner (Cal O'Driscoll)) to appear in the computerised setting that Rachel is currently in (which is a forest) and communicate with her. They interact with her via sentences that are inputted by Karl in order to answer Rachel's questions, therefore enabling conversations and he carries on with this procedure, trying to beat the dealine. Meanwhile, Rachel appears lost and confused and frightened. The music by Alberto Hernandez and Guilherme Simoes deserves special mention as they create a tense and dramatic score that is a highlight in this film as it creates a vivid atmosphere throughout. Commendations also go to the filmmaking techniques that convincingly indicate that a storm is taking place. The core of the story is about saving Rachel and Fitz delivers an emotional performance, portraying a person (or maybe their spirit) who has found themself in an unknown place without memories. However, she shows that she is capable of remembering. Noyes is sympathetic as a guy who is determined to make the impossible possible in order to save someone. O'Malley deserves recognition for being able to be believable as a loving daughter and as an emotionless part of the computer program. The screenplay explores how much technology can affect humans, going as far as to suggest that technological advancements could interact with people even after they have passed away and in doing so, this short also looks into the afterlife. Family, loss and discovering oneself (or rediscovering) also play significant roles and a main message seems to be that memories are vital for people in order to know who they are. A sci-fi story about saving someone. It would be fair to say that this film is primarily about regaining one's identity than a science fiction thriller and it works quite effectively either way. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Jason Knight Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

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Coming Home in the Dark film review by UK film critic Hope Madden. Starring Daniel Gillies, ErikThomson, Miriama McDowell directed by James Ashcroft. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Coming Home in the Dark Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: Hope Madden | Posted on: Sep 28, 2021 Directed by: James Ashcroft Written by: James Ashcroft, Eli Kent, Owen Marshall Starring: Daniel Gillies, ErikThomson, Miriama McDowell I have always counted myself among the major fans of Kiwi horror filmmaking. Peter Jackson may mean Middle Earth to others, but to us he is king of splatter-gore comedy, and a generation of New Zealand horror filmmakers has embraced that same sense of viscous fun. Not James Ashcroft. Nope, making his feature debut with the road trip horror Coming Home in the Dark , the filmmaker is carving out a very different style. Not long into Hoaggie (Erik Thomson) and Jill’s (Miriama McDowell) weekend outing with their teenage sons, two armed drifters approach. The family is miles from anywhere, and it isn’t until they all stand by and let a car pass without incident that Ashcroft lets us in on two things. “Looking back on today’s events, I think this will be the moment you realized you should have done something.” The moment Mandrake (Daniel Gillies, chilling) utters this sentence, Ashcroft lets you know that this story will not go well for the family. He also introduces the general theme of this film: do something while you have the chance. Mandrake is the more talkative of the two villains, though friend Tubs (Matthias Luafutu) cuts an impressive figure. And in a style closer to that characteristic of Australian horror, Coming Home in the Dark offers a spare but unblinking span of gritty, punishing thrills. Ashcroft, who adapted Owen Marshall’s short story for the screen along with writer Eli Kent, crafts a deceptively layered drama. The trickiest bit comes near the end, but it would be unfair to give that away. Unfortunately, the audience has to be patient enough to wade through what feels like preachiness to get to the sucker punch. Performances are exceptional, loose ends are welcome, but with little in the way of visual panache and lots in the way of discomfort, not everyone will stick it out. I should confess that I firmly believe terror awaits anybody who wanders out into the wilderness. I am the audience for this movie. Maybe you are, too? Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Hope Madden Digital / DVD Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

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.. Brand new film trailers. Masters of the Universe The long-gestating return to Eternia has finally crystallised into something tangible. 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. Directed by Travis Knight, the visionary behind Bumblebee and Kubo and the Two Strings , this iteration appears to be distancing itself from the camp relic of 1987 while embracing a modern, self-aware sensibility that feels distinctly British in its irony. The narrative hook, as confirmed by production details, offers a significant departure from the pure fantasy realms of the original animated series. We find Nicholas Galitzine’s Prince Adam not as a royal heir lounging in a palace, but as an ordinary man on Earth who has spent his life oblivious to his cosmic lineage. This "fish out of water" setup—or perhaps "warrior out of the office"—places the burden of heroism onto a character who must first rediscover his own history before he can claim the Power Sword. Galitzine, who has rapidly become a dependable leading man, faces the unenviable task of balancing the vulnerability of an Earth-bound Adam with the hulking, mythic presence of He-Man. Opposing him is perhaps the most intriguing casting choice of the decade: Jared Leto as Skeletor. Known for his transformative, often eccentric performances, Leto’s involvement suggests a villain of genuine menace rather than a mere Saturday-morning caricature. Flanking him is Alison Brie as the formidable sorceress Evil-Lyn, a character whose complexity is central to the power struggle for Castle Grayskull. The supporting ensemble reads like a "who’s who" of contemporary talent, with Idris Elba stepping into the boots of the veteran strategist Duncan, or Man-At-Arms, and Camila Mendes taking on the role of the fierce captain, Teela. Visually, the production benefits from the cinematography of Fabian Wagner, whose work on Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon provides a gritty, textural foundation to a world that could easily have felt plastic. The film appears to be leaning into the "sword and planet" aesthetic, blending high-tech gadgetry with ancient, rugged landscapes. The inclusion of deep-cut characters such as Trap Jaw, played by Sam C. Wilson, and the hulking Goat Man, portrayed by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, indicates a script that is well-versed in the lore of Mattel’s universe without being strangled by it. As we look toward the June release, the question remains whether Knight can successfully bridge the gap between nostalgic affection and contemporary blockbuster demands. With a score by Daniel Pemberton, the film certainly has the auditory muscle to match its visual scale. If this trailer is any indication, we are looking at a film that treats its absurdity with just enough respect to make the magic feel real, potentially providing the definitive big-screen version of a franchise that has waited forty years for a worthy successor. Paper Tiger The Paper Tiger trailer suggests a searing, deeply moving examination of ambition, guilt, and the toxic pursuit of the American Dream. Ink The newly dropped trailer for Ink confirms those expectations, delivering a relentless, kinetic glimpse into Fleet Street's most disruptive era. The Social Reckoning Seeing the first teaser trailer drop for its spiritual companion piece, The Social Reckoning, sent an absolute chill down my spine. Focker-in-Law If the film can sustain the frantic, competitive energy displayed in this preview, Focker-In-Law might just be the rarest of cinematic beasts: a comedy sequel that actually manages to justify its own existence. We are officially on high alert. Heart of the Beast Heart of the Beast looks like a gripping, tear-jerking cinematic triumph that will resonate with action fans and animal lovers alike. We will definitely be front and centre with our popcorn when this one hits the big screen! Klara and the Sun Klara and the Sun looks like a heart-wrenching, beautifully acted triumph that will linger in the mind long after the curtains close. Power Ballad What has us incredibly excited about Power Ballad is the dynamic friction between its two leads. Paul Rudd seems perfectly cast as the rugged, everyday musician who just wanted a shot at the big time, acknowledging with a heavy heart that having his name on a song of that magnitude would have completely changed his life. The Debut UK Film Review hasn't yet seen the final curtain rise on this one, but if the film matches the sheer dramatic potency of its trailer, The Debut is set to be a staggering, must-see cinematic triumph. One Night Only One Night Only looks to be a sharp, subversively funny, and emotionally resonant look at how we connect when time is running out. It takes a wild, satirical premise and uses it to explore a timeless question: Who would you choose if you only had one night? 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.

Devil's Hollow film review by UK film critic Alasdair MacRae. Starring Shuler Hensley, David Dwyer, Skyler Hensley directed by Chris Easterly. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Devil's Hollow Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Alasdair MacRae | Posted on: Jun 11, 2022 Directed by: Chris Easterly Written by: Chris Easterly Starring: Shuler Hensley, David Dwyer, Skyler Hensley After a heist gone wrong, Bobby Hawkins (Shuler Hensley) spends over a decade in La Grange prison. Now, he is released to house arrest where he lives amicably. That is until he discovers that his estranged teenage daughter (Skyler Hensley) is being held hostage by a former criminal associate (David Dwyer). Ah, the slow burn journey of a middle-aged man to perform one last redemptive act. He doesn’t want to have to resort to his old ways, but he must… for the greater good. Films like this are ten a penny but recently writers have been having fun with this trope, stretching the mould. Take Pig (2021) for instance, a career-best Nicolas Cage seeking out his kidnapped truffle pig in the seedy underground hospitality scene, an emotionally resonant thriller with twists that no one saw coming. Devil’s Hollow on the other hand plays it frustratingly safe. Maybe comparing it to the best in class is a little unfair but variation is how storytelling evolves and this seventy-seven-minute feature stubbornly refuses to experiment or diverge from a tired formula. Everything about Devil’s Hollow is competent, but competence doesn’t make for entertainment. Almost every single scene is a conversation strictly adhering to the structure of establishing shot followed by shot, reverse shot etc. Even within that grounding, there is little to no experimentation with height or depth. Shuler Hensley and David Dwyer may be solid in their starring roles as protagonist and antagonist respectfully but there is a spark lacking to really push into tension or excitement. They seem too comfortable with the status quo, unwilling to venture into new territory. Furthermore, the film seems disinterested in exploring its core themes. A discussion around incarceration almost makes it to the fore at one point, with the sad truth of Bobby being taught how to use a mobile phone. Momentarily it offers a chance for a commentary on society. Instead, it turns out to be Chekhov calling. Throughout are small glimpses of a connection between Bobby and his estranged daughter. To begin with, she doesn’t even know who he is, the most she remembers of him is a fleeting memory of harmonica music. In one scene, the closest we get to her becoming a character rather than a plot device, she reluctantly discusses reading with her father, but this richness is quickly snatched away. And of course, it wouldn’t be complete without a throwaway reference to drug dependency in rural America. Overall, Devil’s Hollow is a thriller that lacks excitement and depth. It takes a wearisome paint by numbers approach and then makes you watch that paint dry. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Alasdair MacRae Indie Feature Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Nausea film review by UK film critic Swati Verma. Starring Kashyap Valle directed by Satvik Manepalli. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Nausea Film Review average rating is 2 out of 5 Critic: Swati Verma | Posted on: Mar 28, 2023 Directed by: Satvik Manepalli Written by: Satvik Manepalli Starring: Kashyap Valle The writer-Director Satvik Manepalli utilises a font for the title of the short film- Nausea to give a sense of disorientation to its audience and the need to focus on several aspects of the life- style one chooses becomes crucial when it comes to the male protagonist (Kashyap Valle). The plot of Nausea revolves around a young man’s exploration of loneliness, angst, and the fundamental absurdity of life. The film opens with a black screen and Nausea in white font in the centre with the eerie background music that suits the elements of thrill, mystery, and suspense to bind the viewers with the content and get them involved and make sure that they don’t lose interest. The black-white colour pallet is smartly used to evoke an emotional nostalgic bond with nature that Manepalli is trying to define through the creative choice made by him. The shadow figure is showcased to introduce the main character depicting an array of thoughts experienced by him helps the makers to the degree of engagement with it. The set design, dim lighting, sound, vegetation, landscapes, costume, hair, and makeup has been kept simple and natural so that it does overpower the subject matter and also the major life lessons Nausea tries to communicate to the audience. The filmmaker has open-ended closure incorporating no dialogues only music providing an opportunity for the viewers to understand the nuances and interpret it accordingly. In terms of performance, Kashyap Valle plays the unnamed young boy who is wandering out in search of the true meaning of life. Valle’s body language, facial expression, and eyes elevate the mood of the film per the brief given by the director making it relatable. The occasional eye contact with the camera is a good technic utilised for an interactive session with the viewers thus keeping the same close to reality. Nausea talks about the need to accept every shade of life as people don’t have the privilege to pick and choose every time. The short film reiterates the importance of the relationship between humans and nature, audience should realise that we have to go back to nature when we die so it is high time that people start respecting and acknowledging what it has given to us for years unconditionally. The cinematic piece restates the significance of silence as well as spending time with the natural surroundings can give answers to various issues and allow us to recognise the self-worth we perhaps are not paying attention to. The creative piece tells us that sometimes nature can be the companion one aspires for and help them to rejuvenate teaching survival skills, and boosting their morals to deal with problems life throws at humans. Nausea also talks about how crucial it is to take out time for ourselves to figure out and share with friends, and family and work together to mend something that is not right for the betterment of the person and other people related to him or her. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Swati Verma Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

Funeral for Furmanski film review by UK film critic Amber Jackson. Starring Johnny Catalano, Olivia Dennis, Chad Goodwin directed by Johnny Catalano. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS Funeral for Furmanski Film Review average rating is 4 out of 5 Critic: Amber Jackson | Posted on: Apr 23, 2022 Directed by: Johnny Catalano Written by: Johnny Catalano Starring: Johnny Catalano, Olivia Dennis, Chad Goodwin From Ohio with love, the story of the Furmanski family is about a family from small-town Ohio retracing their routes in the most raw and uncomfortable way possible. This directorial debut of writer and director Johnny Catalano, Funeral for Furmanski, is a short film positioning siblings Steve, Emma and Chase in the same place for the first time in years after the death of their father. Connections and conflict are exhumed as each character is forced to view the past and thereby examine their present. Aesthetically, the film is very clever in breaking the short up into chapters, with jarring yet effective interludes and a pointed colour contrast. These red chapter screens almost give the piece a Kubrick-esque thriller feel in that they are designed to unsettle the viewer whilst giving the film an older, classically authentic feel. Shaky camera shots weave in and out of this and provide deliberate variation of shots that are filmed very well, indicating Catalano’s excellent direction. His admiration of Western films certainly shines through in the look and feel of the home location where the three siblings grew up. His directing is pointed, as every aesthetic decision or movement is planned and focused on the young members of a family coming together despite their annoyance for each other. Plot points draw so many questions concerning Steve’s dynamic with his two siblings and the world outside of the home setting. Whilst the acting is a bit wooden at first, it quickly warms up as a family dynamic tinged with grief centralises itself as the characters all try to behave normally despite having just buried their father. Emma and Chase have an unavoidable reason to come back from their busy lives in the big city to see their brother, Steve, still living the small-town existence that they have tried so desperately to disassociate from. Their relationships become clearer as they struggle even to make surface-level conversation and attempt to mask the fact that they do not like each other very much. Everything they say to each other sounds insulting, confirming that old saying that grief does weird things to people. You suddenly get the sense that they are estranged, and the conversations turn volatile over the course of the forty-minute film as old memories are re-hashed in a painful way. We the viewer are positioned as the fourth member of the family – sat at the table experiencing these events like we are sat in on a very uncomfortable dinner table conversation. It feels too real to simply be an observer, further displaced by the eccentric interludes between scenes that further throw the film into clever chaos. Steve’s fury at his siblings not being there whilst their father was dying battles against Chase’s ideas for their father’s house and shop. On the other hand, Emma is simply struggling with her sense of self when being in her home town, pointing to the realities of her true relationship to her family. Tracking camera shots give a sense of all of their emotions in a very up close and personal way as they struggle to confront the ultimate question: what is next? Funeral for Furmanski subverts classic expectations as each grown-up child is forced to confront who they are now that their father and connection to their childhood is dead. As they torment each other in the midst of processing their grief, there is a sense of being stuck in time as if there will be no reconciliation. All the while, Furmanski remains the absent character who is very much still in the room. This questioning of what truly matters provides a deeply-layered and poignant short film. It will be exciting to see what future filmmaking Catalano embarks upon next. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic Amber Jackson Short Film < All Reviews Next Film Review >

The Outfit film review by UK film critic George Wolf. Starring Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch directed by Graham Moore. HOME | FILMS | REVIEWS The Outfit Film Review average rating is 3 out of 5 Critic: George Wolf | Posted on: Mar 17, 2022 Directed by: Graham Moore Written by: Jonathan McLain, Graham Moore Starring: Mark Rylance, Zoey Deutch The opening minutes of The Outfit give us a master tailor named Leonard (Mark Rylance) describing his process. We see him measuring fabric, cutting and sewing while he outlines his skill in sizing up customers to give them what they most deserve. Wait..is he still talking about suits? Maybe, maybe not. The setting is Chicago in 1956, where Leonard and his dreaming-of-a-better-life secretary Mable (Zoey Deutch) conduct business while local mobsters use Leonard’s shop to retrieve messages from a nationwide crime syndicate known as the Outfit. One night after a shootout with a rival mob, gangsters Richie (Dylan O’Brien) and Francis (Johnny Flynn) barge into the shop in need of help and refuge. Richie, the son of local boss Roy (Simon Russel Beale) has been shot, and soon most everyone involved will have to fight to survive the long night. Oscar-winning screenwriter Graham Moore (The Imitation Game ) adds directing duties this time as well, for a nifty big screen debut that often homages early Kubrick and classic Hitchcock. Essentially a two-room chamber piece, the film leans on a terrific ensemble to roll out a steady stream of delicious twists, relishing the nimble noir wordplay and skillfully keeping Moore’s sleight-of-hand from tipping its hand too early. Fellow Oscar-winner Rylance (Bridge of Spies ) is the perfect choice to bring Leonard to life, displaying a seemingly casual excellence right in line with who Leonard seems to be. Will underestimating the quiet shopkeeper prove to be a deadly mistake? Or is it Leonard who will learn a painful lesson tonight? Rylance peels pack the layers slowly, and Moore has good instincts for the pacing that allows for maximum fun. Deutch proves again that she’s a natural, making the most of a more limited role that still boasts an impressive ratio of secrets-to-screen time. Despite getting a little too cute for the room come finale time, The Outfit is a solid directing debut for an acclaimed screenwriter. And while you can’t help feeling that this salute to the brainy introvert may be a personal one for Moore, it’s artful and engaging enough to rope in anyone who loves untangling a well-fitted suit of clues. Buy UKFR Banner Space About the Film Critic George Wolf Theatrical Release < All Reviews Next Film Review >

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For a fantastic selection of movie trailers December 2019, click here. Featuring trailers for some of the biggest films coming out in December. December Movie Trailers It's the final month of the year and these December movie trailers could not be bigger, better, or more badass. Featuring films that are slated for the much sought after Christmas release slot, audiences will be able to parallel their food gorging with a veritable feast of cinematic output. Very often December movie trailers are taken over by the huge franchise films, such as Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and in recent years Star Wars. This does not mean that audiences cannot find some less commercial options and on this page we will try to bring a balance of movies that appeal to all genre tastes and cineastes. Check back regularly for updates and more December movie trailers, and check out the other months if you are looking to plan your cinematic calendar. If you would like to submit your trailer to this or any other trailer page please get in touch. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Jumanji: The Next Level Back to MOVIE TRAILERS