★★★ Directed by: #RockyPalladino Written by: #RockyPalladino Starring: #SherikaSherard, #KatarínaAndrejcová, #AndrewWhipp Film Review by: Emily Davison Phea, busker and aspiring singer/songwriter, loses her girlfriend, Justine, one turbulent day and is drawn to the orbit of a dangerous trafficker, who puts her own life and that of her lover’s under serious threat. PHEA (2022) is a British indie film which fuses elements of the aspiring artist, thriller and music genre and is set in the bustling streets of London. It stars real-life busker/artist Sherika Sherard as Phea, who makes her acting debut and she wrote and performed the songs her character sings in the film. She was hired by writer/director Rocky Palladino when he first witnessed Sherika performing at Waterloo Station, with the two working together for two years to bring parts of her life and music to the screenplay. The film was unfortunately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, support from the BFI thankfully helped the team return to production. The lead and narrative frame a modern take on Orpheus, the Greek poet and musician, whose mythology closely ties in to how the movie’s suspenseful screenplay pans out over the course of an hour and a half. There is an admirable focus on diversity and celebrating minority groups in the film, with a mix of both behind and in front of the camera. Casting Sherika herself as our protagonist is an inspired choice, as the focus on a black woman struggling to score a gig in the music industry is rarely discussed as the main subject of filmmaking, therefore this movie certainly stands out as a fresh take for such an unrepresented group of the population. PHEA exhibits lush cinematography with a gorgeous colour pallet, resulting in many shots appearing like they could belong in a museum. Palladino directs with a clear visual flair, implementing a variety of techniques to keep viewers invested in his story, ranging from shaky hand held cam to arc shots. When Justine goes missing one morning, Phea searches for her at her workplace, where suspicious and dark activity is taking place in the basement, resulting in a heart racing sequence as Phea sneaks around the building. The film bosters an impressive, immersive sound design alongside brilliant direction throughout, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats as we are introduced to a dangerous figure in a trafficker, deemed ‘Uncle’. Although the film does subtly confront issues surrounding mental health and well being in both Phea and her partner, Justine, there does appear to be a lack of focus to the screenplay, especially during the middle act. The first and final segments of the film are very strong for character writing and maintaining an engaging pace, however, an added surreal quality to the halfway mark and some meandering segments may be off putting to many viewers. The movie is essentially saved by its gripping final fifteen minutes, where our leads find themselves in a riveting life or death situation and the fates could go any way. Overall, PHEA struggles from an often stretched narrative, but dynamic direction, original inspiration and exceptional performances manage to elevate this indie flick to something worth investing your time in. #EmilyDavison

★★★ Directed by: #RayKnowledge Written by: #AshantePTStokes Starring: #AshantePTStokes, #AulsondroNovelistHamilton, #GemmaMcIlhenny Film Review by: Theo Rintoul PTtheGospelSpitter (Stokes) has been taken to trial for his ‘service for The King’. His Attorney (Angelo Diaz) encourages him to pray before he faces the Judge (Aulsondro Novelist Hamilton) Emcee N.I.C.E.. After a few comedic moments shared between the Defendant and his Attorney, Stokes breaks out into song, rapping to the camera whilst the world carries on as normal around him. When the Judge eventually appears, he too begins to sing before the District Attorney (McIlhenny) arrests them both. The film is seems like a bizarre combination of things until you understand that Stokes is an actual real-life rapper and this is his pseudo-music video/film mash-up. It’s hard to review a film that’s essentially a music video with a little bit of comedic narrative thrown in alongside poignant social justice moments, all in just a seven minute run time. However, it ends up being a cool little story that says a lot all whilst promoting Stokes’ music. Service for The King may seem odd at first, as it combines these funny moments (heightened by the blooper reel at the end) with a song about being trialled for Christian faith; images and clips of real-world events of racism and wrongful treatment of minorities even include a snippet of George Floyd’s death. This actually allows for a deeper meaning to the song and film, which in turn acts as a good juxtaposition to the other character moments of comedy. The film is funny from the get go, from Diaz’s encouragement to Stokes’ sudden break into diegetic rap that only McIlhenny seems to be able to hear. Everything becomes increasingly surreal when a full light show accompanies the music, which escalates even more when the Judge starts rapping his response. The film stays grounded with its social commentary despite its comedic tone. Whilst the message of being wrongly prosecuted for one’s beliefs didn’t particularly resonate with me, there is substance to the film’s lighthearted and surreal mockery of the American judicial system. The film was clearly made with a specific and niche audience in mind, but viewers outside the target demographic will find something to enjoy, be it the fun and engaging performances or the catchy track from Ashante P.T. Stokes.

★★ Directed by: #AlexAlessi, #JeffStewart Written by: #AlexAlessi Starring: #AlexAlessi, #GabrielRush, #AlexEmanuel, #CatherineBlades Film Review by: Emily Davison Set in the aftermath of a devastating air born plague which had killed the majority of the world’s population, a man haunted by his past searches for answers and other survivors, hoping for an brighter future. In this post-apocalyptic drama, Rory (Alessi) has hidden out in the barren wilderness for over a year, troubled by memories of his younger brother, Chris (Gabriel), whose tragic fate is left unspoken until the film’s final scenes. Rory eventually stumbles across a small family, befriending a man named Casper (Emanuel) and his twenty two year old daughter, Rosie (Blades). Together, they embark on a life changing journey to find more survivors, confront their own personal demons and rediscover the hope they all desperately need to continue on. The movie is classified as a thriller, however there are only a few action sequences which do not make an appearance until the first hour has crept up at a plodding pace. Unlike other films in the genre, the thrills are few and far between, with directors Alessi and Jeff Stewart focusing on a more introspective, meditative exploration of its characters. The original first draft of the script was written back in 2014 and the appearance of a real life global pandemic with the emergence of COVID-19 became a bizarre coincidence for the production team. The majority of the screenplay is taken up by flashbacks to Rory and his brother from their childhood adventures to their attempts to escape the plague, and Rory’s time he spends with the family who have taken him in. A poignant, reflective tone is established by a more sombre take on life after an epidemic, which does offer a thought provoking take on the genre, but also presents its main downfall in the lacking a big entertainment factor. The narrative addresses significant themes of loss and how we cope with this, ultimately expressing optimism in the face of death and the connections we make with one another, yet its sluggish pacing leaves a lot to be desired. Although the film struggles to maintain a decent momentum, William Kaufman’s cinematography is stunning, with some exceptional drone and bird’s eye shots of lush woodlands of greens, reds and browns, complimenting the story beautifully. The production team certainly capture a realistic apocalypse tone with the barren land and woods. Performances from the leads are all reliably strong as well, with Catherine Blades making the best impression as the hopeful, youthful Rosie. When Everything’s Gone offers a thoughtful take on the post apocalypse genre by examining its characters and the relationships between them, brought to life by impressive visuals and good performances, but is let down by a lack of entertainment value. #EmilyDavison When Everything's Gone (2020) trailer:

★★★ Directed by: #SamRogers Written by: #SamRogers, #KathleenLee Starring: #KathleenLee, #MariaAngelico, #IsabellaGiovinazzo, #NicholasJacuinot, #ChloeMartin Film Review by: Emily Davison Four internet-addicted, interconnected millennials fumble through the modern maze of sex and connection as their online addictions spiral out of control and into the void of an alien disguised as a human female. Discontent (2022) is an Australian feature anthology television series, with a narrative presented in six parts, by focusing on four technology driven characters and the bizarre circumstances occurring in their daily lives. It is not a straightforward interweaving of stories, with simple, easily digestible story beats being offered up to viewers, however, there is much up for interpretation here. The anthology style chosen by director Sam Rogers is certainly utilised effectively, with the different characters and circumstances varying from somewhat ordinary with a Tinder hookup resulting in the pair only inhaling laughing gas together, to the totally bizarre, with an alien disguised as a human female making herself ill from allowing her stomach to feed off previously introduced characters. There is an undeniable air of charm and an endearing quality to the overall experience of watching this fifty minute compilation of comedic scenarios, which do not offer much relevance for any overarching story thread, but do entertain in their own little ways. We begin with Sandra, a mysterious woman with a creepy way of smiling at people to lure them in, who feeds her voyeuristic addiction by constantly buying random items from strangers on online classifieds. This first sketch is paced well and succeeds at drawing you in to other goings on, with the next short seeing neglected girlfriend Milly trying and failing to get the attention of her phone addicted boyfriend. This segment features a great scene of the couple sitting facing away from each other as Milly announces a pretend pregnancy in a last ditch attempt to receive acknowledgement, with their lines delivered to the camera instead of each other, signifying their emotional distance. One of the funniest stories revolves around Archie, who refuses to pay for a streaming service after his ex-girlfriend changes the password and resorts to online dating to help him watch his shows. Due to an embarrassing injury he received during sex, he finds it difficult to be successful in his pursuits and the the strange side to online dating is also demonstrated in Apple’s attempted hook up with a Tinder match going astray. The final segment of the film is certainly the most unsettling, with a sci fi angle fitting snugly into the already odd, unique stories presented to us previously. Strong coloured lighting and a calculated performance from Chloe Martin as the humaoid alien, combined with a deeply chilling score by Chiara Costanza and Andrew Coates makes for a disturbing viewing experience when Maya consumes her victims. Although lacking in any concrete answers or explanations for peculiar plots, Discontent manages to be completely worth while for its intriguing presentation, thought provoking themes on how our society has become so technology integrated, charming performances and jokes and sound direction from Rogers. #EmilyDavison

★★★ Directed by: #SophieKing Starring: #IsabellaSpeaight, #CatWhite Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Farewell She Goes is a short 18th century period drama which follows two young women who have fled their restrictive home to lay their pet to rest on a pebbled beach nearby. The topic of race is raised within this short and with it comes this sense of belonging. Actress Cat White who plays Sophia is mixed race and believes that she will never be treated the same as her cousin Charlotte played by Isabella Speaight. There is a strong connection between the two characters, however, this sense of belonging clearly creates some form of unrest within their relationship. The audience learn that Charlotte, is pregnant and is debating with her cousin as to what she should do now. A gripping short film which raises some very prominent issues which are being spoken and debated about heavily today. What cannot be faulted with this piece is the costumes, makeup, and location. The level of detail with the outfits was fantastic, it added a vulnerability and softness to the characters and fed into the emotion of the film. The beach was secluded and with the waves crashing against the shore created a sense of foreboding. It was atmospheric and the combination of the sound of the waves and the harmonic music in the background completely set the scene for the main characters and was able to tell a story. I think it’s interesting to have an 18th century drama speak on a subject that women are still having to fight and make changes on to this day in the 21st century. Our right to make decisions about our own body. This is an extremely powerful message to incorporate, and I applaud director Sophie King for exploring this subject. It’s a difficult topic to delve into and brings with it a lot of thought and emotion but it is something which should be spoken about openly. This short was shot during lockdown which would have been extremely difficult however this did not hinder the performance at all. This was a moving piece, and the isolated beach really helped the film, as this drew focus to the characters interacting as well as have the audience being able to immerse themselves into the beautiful location, which was very well scouted, this was a great historical drama.

★★★★ Directed by: #JonJamesSmith Starring: #AlastairParker, #StevenElder, #CharlesEdmond Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Last Orders begins in a dark and quiet London pub, this is when the benefits of lockdown really did help film makers alike as they could take advantage of fantastic locations. In this case for a horror film, a deadly silent street and pub makes for a perfect setting and feeds into the genre. The film is separated into chapters almost a retelling of the landlords past and future. As the landlord shuts the pub for the night, there is just one man sitting at the bar who later confirms that they have crossed paths before. He then disappears into the night, leaving the landlord full of questions and regrets from his past. As the story develops, the landlord must battle with the past that constantly haunts him, unable to escape. This short has some supernatural elements to it which adds another layer to the piece. The sound kept the audience on their toes throughout, the constant dripping of the tap, the heavy thuds become heightened when coupled with the loneliness of the pub. Although the film was shot using just one location, its amazing to see what can be done with limited resources and budget. Occasionally, film makers believe the bigger the budget the greater the film. This is not the case, if you utilise a space and experiment with a variety of camera angles, sound and a good cast, there is a potential for greatness. It merely depends on whether directors are willing to put in the work and imagination to create something truly unique. Director Jon James Smith has certainly succeeded in this respect and has taken advantage of the lockdown to create Last Orders. I think what would have helped the story was to just make the landlords past a little bit clearer to the audience, so that we can fully understand his fears and what has been taunting him as the story develops. At times this was not always obvious, so a little more detail into the main characters past would have helped. However, this horror makes for an extremely entertaining watch especially if you are an avid horror fan like me. The best horrors play on the audiences’ emotional response to certain scenes and tease you with a non-scary scene when you were expecting a jump scare or blood coming down the walls. Jon James Smith is certainly familiar with this horror technique and tantalises our horror taste buds with these kinds of shots. Last Orders is a great film to curl up on the sofa to and hide yourself behind a blanket with its creepy characters and atmospheric sounds. This short is a great example of directors, writers, actors, film makers taking a chance and turning something, which can be considered a limitation such as lockdown, and turning it into something positive.

★★★ Starring: #CarloSardon, #LuzRodríguezBasavilbaso Directed by: #MartinPonferrada Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Sí explores the topic of sexual consent between two people and the debate regarding power of the word ‘yes,’ or Sí in this instance. Characters Anita and Carlos meet at a bar and hit it off instantly, so much so, Anita decides to invite Carlos back to her place. The look of passion between the two is undoubtedly fuelled with sexual tension and desire, they look like a perfect match for one another. However, as the two enjoy a night cap at Anita’s apartment, the conversation takes a sudden unexpected turn. Anita makes a flippant comment of a time she had been spiked and left stranded alone with no money and had potentially been sexually abused. Carlos’ body language stiffens after learning about this traumatic event in Anita’s life and questions whether his actions are moral and begins to shy away from any possibility of moving their relationship forward in a sexual way, through fear that he is taking advantage of Anita. This short film focuses primarily on the characters, their responses and body language towards one another, as well as this heavy conversation of what defines consent. The characters go back and forth on what constitutes as consent and can you take away someone’s power if they have provided you with their consent and you decide to take the offer off the table. Are you then removing the person’s power and disregarding their emotions and feelings? It is a complex subject, especially for men that want to do the right thing and want to make sure that their partner is comfortable throughout any form of sexual contact. As this short was centred around this consent discussion, it can be considered lacking in some areas such as location or perhaps even editing and cinematography. It may have been interesting to have flashbacks for Anita as she speaks of her past in order to add another layer to the storyline, and to highlight the seriousness of this trauma and what she has experienced. However, the acting between the characters were perfectly executed, and you could really invest in the emotion playing out on screen. This short was interesting as it forces the audience to take a step back and reflect on what they believe is true consent. It is great to have debate within film, it makes you walk away and think about the two characters, who would you side with and why? It is especially interesting as well because these types of subjects are not raised enough within society and really should be because they are important and can define this idea of boundary and or breaking these boundaries within a relationship.

★★★★★ Directed by: #TomWright Starring: #AlexBritt, #MaxPercy, #RikkiBeadleBlair Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Stockholm explores a variety of complex emotional topics such as gay sexual experiences, abuse and the effects trauma can pose onto a victim. Tom Wright, director of Stockholm, invites the audience to look deeper than what people portray on the outside. Many people suffer in silence if they have been through a traumatic or abusive experience and tend to either punish themselves or drown their sorrows in any way possible, whether this be through alcohol, drugs or perhaps meaningless relationships. Stockholm is a very real representation of an underrepresented issue that faces our society today. This saddening short film highlights the knotty experiences of male victims who have been sexually assaulted and live with this sexual shame unable to voice their trauma through fear of not being listened to or because of this taboo that remains around it. Stockholm begins with two men on a date, it looks warm and inviting with a pleasant atmosphere surrounding the couple as they make eye contact, laugh and flirt with one another. However, things take a turn and the audience witness a passionate encounter between the two in the bathroom which seemed out of place when compared to the first impression of the date who seemed like a placid, calm, seemingly sophisticated gent. At this point Tom Wright introduces a series of flashbacks of our main character Alex and we soon discover that he has met this man before and had walked away from his previous encounter in tears and in a state of fear. It is this panicked reaction which we are then able to deduce that his date is not at all how he presents himself. This encounter has led Alex down a dark path, involving drugs, alcohol, and many futile sexual escapades. Anything, to distract him from the memories of that night and attempt to bury this guilt and shame that he carries round his neck like a noose. We are quickly brought back to the present as Alex sits with his date Ed and states ‘I don’t remember much.’ As if the memories of that night were nothing and has not been haunting him ever since. His voice becomes lost, and Tom Wright has shown another angle to the story and expresses this view from the victim’s perspective, their story often becomes trampled on by their abuser. Ed comes across as very cocky and confident and completely unsympathetic, he completely disregards Alex’s emotions and has absolutely no remorse for his actions. It is this dismissal, which causes Alex’s emotions to become mixed up, and he begins to doubt himself, and feels this need to let out a tyranny of anger and breakdown but becomes too afraid to let this emotion out. It is only when Alex sees a mental health professional at the end of the film played by Ricki Beadle-Blair, where he allows Alex to take the spotlight and share his story, unfiltered and in a safe environment. Ricki lets Alex become the main character of his own story. Stockholm was an honest representation and a great narrative. It was artistic, heartfelt and captures the story of many victims within society who feel ashamed to share their experiences and seek help. This is an inspiring piece and highlights the issues that many people within the LGBT community have faced and gives them a voice.

★★★★ Directed by: #MuhlisGürsoy Short Film Review by: Alexandra James Istanbul is a moving short film which shows the hidden beauties of the city and allows you to discover the intricate details of the historic buildings, the turquoise oceans, and mesmerising sunsets all from the comfort of your own sofa! If this short doesn’t make you want to catch the next flight to Turkey, I’m not sure what will. Istanbul was shot over two trips and captivates the stunning scenery of the city, with not a single bit of narration, which is not at all necessary as the city does the talking for you, the only thing you need to do is sit back, relax, and immerse yourself within the heart of Istanbul. This short film begins at Istanbul Airport and shows the hustle and bustle of the people coming from all over the world to see such a beautiful country and city. Time lapses were used frequently within this short. The contrast between the two worked extremely well, with the slow movements of the camera and the fast, vibrancy of the city itself synced perfectly together. The editing for this short film was amazing and looked very professional, not only that but the locations which were selected were a great way to entice the viewer. Beautiful harbours, detailed historic buildings, even taking the audience on a boat tour scaling the coastline of the city allowing us to absorb the vastness and view from an entirely different perspective. The background music was slightly melancholic in a way, but also dramatic and was great when coupled with the fantastic scenes of Istanbul. An upbeat soundtrack would have been beneficial just to elevate the piece slightly and to reflect the exciting atmosphere of the city. However, the music did work well and created just as good an impact. Istanbul included some fantastic editing; the smooth transitions and use of both slow motion and fast paced editing showed a range of techniques and skills which for a small budget film was very impressive. This short film reveals the beauty hidden within the city, the viewer is taken on a tour which only invites us in further and want to experience these fantastic scenes for ourselves in the flesh. Istanbul is a wonderful short film that acts as a visual guide and highlights the importance of exploration and to take yourself out of that comfort zone.

★★★★★ Directed by: #TathagataGhosh Written by: #TathagataGhosh Starring: #ShimliBasu, #PayelRakshit, #AliAkram Film Review by: Huw Buckley Dhulo (The Scapegoat) (2021), written, produced, and directed by Tathagata Ghosh, is an intoxicating short film which very deftly engages with some highly emotive subject matter. In particular, the film tackles endemic racism towards Islamic people in India, an issue that allegedly continues to persist in a country divided along religious lines. Another key theme is the deep-rooted patriarchy engrained within Indian culture, which has been touched upon in recent films such as The Great Indian Kitchen (2021). To deal with such heavy subject matter is bold and the result is a truly rewarding watch. In this respect, the film very much starts as it means to go on, with the brutality ratcheted up to ten from the off; a shocking shot of a decapitated goat’s head - which serves as a symbolic source of tension throughout the film - chosen as a suitable opening for the film. The film explores the relationship between a rural village with a majority Hindu population and an Islamic couple who are treated as outcasts. The representatives of the Hindu village are Topu (Shimli Basu) and Asif Ali (Ali Akram), whose toxicity borders on unbearable. Their relationship is tension-filled from the start, and it feels antiquated, foregrounding restrictively traditional gender roles. The performances in the film are great, with the female performers Payel Rakshit (Neeta Dutta) and Shimli Basu superb, conveying the fear and claustrophobia of an oppressively patriarchal societal structure. This is representative of the production overall. With an estimated budget of just $2000, the film is surprisingly well-made with rich production values and the excellent performances helping to lift it well above the standards one might expect from such a low-cost production. The film ends on a bittersweetly hopeful note that feels like a riposte to patriarchal values and xenophobic discourse. In the context of such a complex political climate, taking such a decisive stance is brave filmmaking and, I would say, highly engaging viewing.

★ Directed by: #JózsefGallai Written by: #JózsefGallai Starring: #GáborVarga, #LauraSaxon Film Review by: Emily Davison Running from his tormented past, a man takes a job in the middle of the woods, only to find his quiet life shattered when it soon turns out nothing around him is what it seems. Filmed in nine days, I Hear the Trees Whispering (2022) blends a combination of genre elements to its atmospheric, isolating setting by a cabin in the woods, including mystery, thriller and science fiction. The film has won an impressive twenty two awards since its release, including six Jury Prizes, and many critics have praised the movie for its unsettling tone and direction. We begin with an intriguing opening, an aerial shot highlighting a lone car driving along a deserted road nestled amongst a forest. Various radio voices and music segments can be heard, setting up a mysterious tone when one woman discusses the found footage genre (which the film will soon begin to initiate in its direction) and one reporter discusses a man who lived in a tent for thirty years without any human contact. These reminders of disturbing realistic and media related content do well to establish our chilling setting of a secluded cabin in the woods, a typical horror setting. Director József Gallai favours the first person perspective (Varga) for the majority of the runtime, shooting in the point of view of protagonist Will , who goes about exploring around the cabin and experiences bizarre occurrences in the process. In a later twist this choice of direction becomes a key element of set up and pay off and whilst the concept is undoubtedly fascinating, the execution fails to deliver on the most basic function of a film - keeping its audience engaged and entertained. Will goes about his days speaking through a headset to his supposed boss, June (Saxon), revealing his tragic personal life of losing his wife to a car crash and leaving his daughter with his father in law to care for her. This slow burn mystery/horror combination can work well and there are creepy moments scattered throughout, such as when Will sees a lone man with a flash light in the woods, or when he finds what he first thinks is a human finger in a bag, only for it to be a USB stick. However, the film very soon begins to challenge your patience through its simplistic presentation of two people talking from opposite ends of the phone. This makes it difficult to build a rapport between these characters, who are given development from their conversations, but remain too disconnected from us to care about them. Unfortunately, Gábor Varga gives a particularly distracting and unconvincing voice performance as the voice of Will, sounding more like that epic voice guy we always hear in superhero trailers rather than a normal person. Although the big twist at the end does offer an interesting meta commentary, inviting us to think back on the film in a different light, the fundamental basis of an engaging screenplay is missing here. Therefore, the ending does not leave as strong an impression as it wants to due to the sloggish pacing which built up to it and despite some beautiful cinematography throughout, strong visuals are not enough to save a plodding screenplay. #EmilyDavison I Hear the Trees Whispering (2022) trailer:

★ Directed by: #JakeOlive Written by: #JakeOlive Starring: #JakeOlive Film Review by: Emily Davison Swindon based filmmaker Jake Olive presents his direct sequel to Todd Phillips’ Joker (2019), which starred Joaquin Pheonix in an Oscar winning performance as Arthur Fleck, washed up stand up comedian who would eventually go on to take the persona of Joker. Joker Part II (2021) is Olive’s passion project, directing, writing and starring in the film, which continues the dark character study of the misfortunate Fleck and his transformation into the notorious Clown Prince of Gotham. This brooding crime movie of epic proportions was filmed on location in Swindon and Paris, however, due to national lockdown as a result of of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of footage planned from storyboards was sadly unable to be filmed. Therefore, the final product, which was published on YouTube on Christmas Day of 2021, largely contains a screenplay reading from the director, minimal footage which the team managed to take and clips from other famous gangster movies for a visual reference. Despite clear differences in production design and a lower budget, Olive presents a film with admirable attention to detail with his passionate attempts to capture the same gritty, mature tone of the original movie. Although we are given very limited footage, Olive potrays Arthur/the Joker in a convincing fashion, where he has evidently watched the first movie closely to capture Pheonix’s disturbing mannerisms and painful sounding laughter. This is demonstrated by the first shot during the opening of the film, emulating the opening to Joker, where Arthur sits smoking, giggling and coughing uncontrollably it seems. Olive made a solid first impression with his performance here. The film also makes use of Hildur Guðnadóttir’s Oscar winning score for Joker, which is integrated well into this sequel and is often used to heighten the drama of many scenes. Unfortunately, early scenes of Arthur and his psychiatrist involve a very distracting sound design, which appears distorted and unpolished and it remains unclear whether this was an intentional choice to represent Fleck’s uneasy mindset or otherwise. Despite this, the footage we do have is aesthetically pleasing to see with a grainy film quality to the image. The movie takes heavy inspiration from cinema crime classics like The Godfather (1972) and Scarface (1983), even taking direct narrative events from these films and making them an important part of Olive’s screenplay. Although a charming addition, it is hard to deny that this does feel like plagiarising other works of art. This sequel is well intentioned and constructed, but does come across as more a fan film than a genuine sequel to the original movie. The sad fact that the film remains largely unfinished and relies heavily on Jake’s reading of his screenplay, unfortunately results in a very lethargic viewing experience with an unavoidable disconnect due to the uncompleted product. Even accurate film footage to go along with the dialogue, the screenplay does feel overstuffed with cameos, characters and plot, taking on a large epic scale and making it difficult to see how this would have been translated to screen if the film had been able to be completed in full form. As it is, Joker Part II makes a valiant effort to capture the dark mood and psychological terror of the original movie, yet its incomplete status and unreachable ambitions leaves a lot to be desired. A sound effort nonetheless. #EmilyDavison Joker: Part II (2021) trailer: