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These people… they’re blasphemers… a cult, a disease. Be careful. Be smart. Bring her home. The first thing that came to my mind while watching “Apostle“, was the movie “The Witch“. It takes place in the same time period. Here, too, an old-fashioned sounding English is spoken. And it’s also a religion-tinted theme. The biggest difference with “The Witch” is that I thought that one was rather boring and not a horror at all. It was more a historical costume drama. “Apostle” is, on the other hand, simply sublime. A mysterious film about religious madness. Not only content wise but also visually it all looks perfect And the facet of horror was indeed present. And no, not only because of the bloody and gore scenes. There’s only one thing that puzzled me afterward. What was it that the people of Erisden worshiped? Bring her back home. It all starts when Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) is asked by his father to rescue his sister Jennifer (Elen Rhys) from the grasp of an obscure sect. She’s kidnapped. And a large ransom is demanded. Thomas himself was once a sort of missionary spreading God’s word in the land of the rising sun. His experiences there, however, made sure that he got an aversion to everything that has to do with religion. Without further delay, he takes on the assignment to save his sister from the gang of fanatics and bring her back home. Two hours are gone before you know it. The running time of “Apostle” is 2 hours. Perhaps this is too much of a good thing for a horror with religion as a central topic. But believe me. Those two hours are over before you know it. Every sense of time is absent when viewing this captivating film. And this because of the excellent way of build up. The first hour you’ll be carried away in the enigmatic life on the island of Erisden. Beautiful images are interspersed with scenes from the daily life of this primitive living commune. Soon it’s clear that this sect developed a peculiar kind of faith with their own rituals (and despotic rules). Just as in any religion, a limited number of individuals rule and decide how to behave in this community. They are also the only ones who know what’s going on there. Bad harvests mean starvation. The reason why they abducted the daughter of a rich man is that their provisions are drastically reduced due to bad harvests and they are gradually heading towards a shortage of food. Prophet Malcolm (Michael Sheen) tries to turn the tide in a certain way but finally, he has to realize that he’s helplessly watching how his patiently built community gradually crumbles. Despite the sometimes rather barbaric punishments that have been introduced to keep the community under control, Malcolm seems to be a peaceful man who’s worried about the welfare of the islanders. More peaceful than some of his confidants who show a certain hunger for power and who, if the opportunity presents itself, try to claim leadership without delay. A lot of interesting characters. The characters Thomas and Malcolm are played in a brilliant way by Dan Stevens and Michael Sheen. Malcolm isn’t really a cruel despot, though he’s the driving force behind the terrible process of cleansing. And even though Thomas has to be careful while tracking down his sister, he immediately disobeys imposed rules and expresses his doubts about Malcolm towards the prophet’s daughter. Michael Sheen (who played a more funny role in “Passengers” as the robotic butler Arthur) and Dan Stevens were perfectly cast. I especially liked Dan Stevens (“Kill Switch“, “The Ticket” and “Beauty and the Beast“). Even though his grim and furious look started to get boring at a certain moment. There are also a few other characters that are worth mentioning. First, there are Bill Milner and Kristine Froseth who take care of the idyllic part. Then there’s Lucy Boynton as Andrea, the daughter of the Prophet. It’s not the most important role, but her appearance is in sharp contrast with the rest of the film. A dazzling beauty with a refreshing look. She looks like a fragile porcelain doll. And finally Mark Lewis Jones as Quinn, co-founder of this sect and in hindsight also a fanatic. Each and every one was an interesting character. A bit of suspense and a tad horror. “Apostle” is certainly not for sensitive viewers. Not that it ‘s really frightening (except maybe for the sewer scene). But there are some distasteful scenes that can be quite shocking for some. Especially in the second part of the film. It’s filled with sadistic torture practices where the accompanying sounds cause chills. This in contrast to the first part that you can call atmospheric. It’s difficult to label this movie with a specific film genre. But do you like a bit of suspense? A tad of horror? And pagan religious scenes? Well then, this folk-horror movie is definitely your thing. At least one of the better Netflix productions so far. My rating 7/10 Links: IMDB More reviews here

Christopher Nolan is back! Take a look at the Dunkirk movie trailer which makes other war film trailers quake in their boots...

here’s the trailer. the film is now playing here https://youtu.be/wgi6Pg4Mz84

I would have shot you in the dick, if the target wasn’t so small. “Guns Akimbo” is simply too absurd for words. It’s absolute nonsense and you shouldn’t take it too seriously. It’s simply “over the top” pulp and looks as if it’s based on some Asian comic strip. But believe me. This film is simply top-notch entertainment. A roller coaster that slowly takes a very steep run-up and then crashes into the depth with a breakneck-speed, shaking you back and forth. And this crazy, hyperkinetic ride lasts until the end. The action scenes with Nix (Samara Weaving) are equivalent to those in “John Wick“. Flashy editing. Blood splattering when bullets rip apart human flesh in slow motion. And all this under the guidance of an energetic soundtrack where you will hear amongst other “The Ballroom Blitz” from The Sweet. In short, I greatly enjoyed this film for an hour and a half. Once again respect for the actor Radcliffe. I have infinite respect for the actor Daniel Radcliffe. This guy could have benefited all his life from the “Harry Potter” stamp that they have tattooed on his forehead. It would have been possible to come up with a few sequels without any problems and without hesitation they could have exploited the success formula of the book series and film versions. He could also have demanded to be part of the “Fantastic Beasts and where to find them” franchise. But no. Instead, Radcliffe opted for not so obvious projects such as “Kill your Darlings“, “Horns” and “Swiss Army Man“. A homosexual-tinted film, full of literary blabbering on the one hand. And on the other hand a film about a friendship between a castaway and a corpse. It’s hard to say that these were commercially safe films that suit the fantasy-loving Harry Potter fans. And to avoid any misunderstanding. I was also enchanted by the Potter films (at least the first four anyway). Where did these freaking guns come from? So no magic formulas, mythological creatures and a Radcliffe with a wizard hat showing a boyish, shy smile. Nope, he’s a nobody in this flick. A nobody with a futureless job, who empties one beer bottle after the other while playing violent video games at home. And as a notorious online troll hunter, Miles (Daniel Radcliffe) cannot resist posting derogatory comments on the “Skizm” website and provoking supporters of this obscure platform. “Skizm” is an illegal website that organizes duels in real life where opponents try to eliminate each other. And this is thrown on the internet and followed by hundreds of thousands of fanatic fans and bettors. Obviously, the first movie that came to mind was “Death Match“. The organizer of all this is an ugly tattooed guy called Riktor (Ned Dennehy) who’s obviously completely nuts and is accompanied by a gang of weirdos whose muscle mass is noticeably heavier than the weight of their brains. And Riktor isn’t happy with the muscular language Miles places on his forum. And before the latter realizes it, he lies in bed with two automatic guns bolted to both his hands. And furthermore, he himself is a candidate for a duel between him and Nix. Over-the-top action. With this film, Daniel Radcliffe leaves his comfort zone for the umpteenth time and tries to show that he’s more than just Harry Potter. A bushy beard, constantly covered in blood and using a portion of self-mockery and humor, ensure that. Not to mention his clothing: a checkered dressing gown, boxer shorts, and fluffy giant slippers in the shape of tiger claws. For Samara Weaving, this is a little bit an extension of her role in “Ready or Not“. The same bloody and over-the-top situations. But here she got more of a Harley Quinn attitude. A disturbed, fearless person who’s extremely effective in terms of eliminating opponents. That her insane behavior was caused by an incident in her youth is briefly mentioned, but in fact, has no impact or significance. This mindless action film has only one goal in mind and that’s to show chaotic and limitless action. And all this topped with a sauce of humor à la “Deadpool“. There are quite a few hilarious moments in this film. The hand-mounted guns that cause problems for Miles to accomplish daily routines. Like for instance opening a door. Or making a phone call. And peeing is even a hazardous thing to do. The Australian-sounding hobo (Rhys Darby) was simply hilarious with his advice on suicide techniques and his Cypress Hill imitation. How he got Miles in that coat, however, remains a mystery to me. Wtf is Akimbo? If you can’t stand a chaotic storyline and you get annoyed when it’s a movie that’s plain predictable and that looks more like an exaggerated comic, then I recommend you avoid this one. Or you don’t take a too critical attitude and you simply undergo the film. Perhaps then you can appreciate the vibrant pace, the screamy images, the creative camera techniques and the complete insane undertone of this movie with a limited budget. “Guns Akimbo” is certainly not a film for everyone because of the video game-like mood and the raw sense of humor. And for those who want to know what the film title actually means: Akimbo is a combat technique in which two weapons are used, with one in each hand. Well, I had to look it up myself. My rating 7/10 Links: IMDB

The Star, is a computer animated adventure and comedy film which has an amazing cast including Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead) as the donkey Bo, Gina Rodriguez (Jane the virgin) as Mary and Zachary Levi (Chuck, Tangled and THOR) as Joseph. The Star also included a variety of stars as supporting characters including Oprah, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey and Keegan-Michael Key. The Star is a playful retelling of the Nativity story but instead of focusing on Mary and Joseph, it is told from the animals point of view, all while remaining loyal to the story. .The Star tells the story of a small brave donkey working in a mill with dreams of doing more when he finds Mary and Joseph. Bo is seen by Jospeh as being a disobedient donkey, however, all the mishaps caused by Bo are his way of protecting Mary from the soldier King Herod sent to kill the new unborn king. This lovable retelling is entertaining and amusing for the whole family and is excellent at teaching younger viewers about the nativity.

(Release Info London schedule; October 25th, 2019, Cineworld West India Quay, 5 Hertsmere Rd, Canary Wharf, London E14 4AL, UK, 15:30 pm) https://www.google.de/search?oq=&aqs=mobile-gws-lite..&source=hp&q=Countdown+showtimes+London "Countdown" If you could know the exact moment of your death, would you want to know? In "Countdown", an ambitious, young nurse Quinn Harris (Elizabeth Lail) is pressured to download an app that claims to predict exactly when a person will die. As her friends and colleagues reveal the many decades left on their lives, including Dr. Sullivan (Peter Facinelli), Quinn is shocked to see her clock will run out in only three days. Initially, she dismisses the app as a passing internet hoax, but when she discovers people are violently killed at the exact second their clocks run out, she starts to fear the hype. To change her fate, Quinn cancels plans on the day the app says she will die, breaking the user agreements and unleashing something truly evil. With her clock ticking away and fearing a sinister figure is following her, she meets Matt Monroe (Jordan Calloway) whose time is also running out. As the two make increasingly desperate attempts to delete or alter the app, Quinn realizes something worse than death is fast approaching. To save her own life, she must find a way to confront the demons haunting her before time runs out. A pivotal part of the film is ensuring 'The Demon' summoned if we choose to cheat death is truly terrifying. You can learn your fate and you can die a natural death, but if you take that information and try to change your fate, you’ve broken the rules, and you’re his. He’s a hunter who enjoys the chase and wants every second until your last to be a nightmare. "Countdown" choses to slowly reveal 'The Demon' to create a sense of suspense, starting with a shadow until you see more features of an evil that feasts on souls. As part of the chase, the demon also feeds on the fears we never speak of the inner demons that eat away at us. While Quinn appears to have her life together, she has ghosts lurking under the surface. Quinn blames herself for the loss of her mother and the strain it has caused her family, especially with her younger sister Jordan (Talitha Bateman). Clearly, Quinn is expected to take on a motherly role within her family, but she’s focusing on creating a life for herself. We all have these demons inside that we bury, and for Quinn, this is inhibiting her from having a close relationship with her family. This is already haunting her by the time she downloads the app. Quinn takes her family for granted, rarely speaking with them. When she attempts to reconnect with those she loves after downloading the app, something worse than death is quickly coming for her and she realizes it might be too late. A central theme of the movie is you only have so much time with the ones you love. Cherish those moments because you never know when your time will run out; so put down the phone. The film also subverts certain horror tropes, for instance, when you're dealing with a demon you need a serious, stoic priest. Father John (P.J. Byrne) takes to the cloth as a fan of the Bible’s more morbid teachings. He has this enthusiasm for the Bible and it's demons. The concept of "Countdown" is inspired by a simple moment; setting a timer on a smartphone. What if this timer is ticking down to when you die? It’s probably not a normal thought, but something just clicked. It's about a demonic app that tells you when you will die. 'The Final Destination'  franchise meets 'The Ring', in app. With "Countdown", this timeless temptation of wanting to know when you will die is tied to a timely theme, the obsession with our phones, giving it the foundation for a high-concept horror film capable of pushing cultural buttons. We all have this relationship with our phones, so much so, that people are more connected to their phones than their families. The film strikes a nerve while also mixing fear with fun. This film is terrifying, and it needs to be, but there’s also an element of comedy. Moments of levity go hand and hand with great horror, and this film does that in an exceptional way. It's the premise for a fun horror movie rooted in a concept that sticks with audiences. It’s an exciting ride with great scares that poses a very primal question, which starts a lot of conversation. It also shines a light on how dependent we're on our devices in a highly original way by showing how they control our lives, and potentially our deaths. It’s a smart, scary movie that knows not to take itself too seriously, there will be nothing like it in theaters. Comedy and horror shared key beats. While comedy sets an expectation and subverts it, horror establishes patterns, then surprises the audience. They've so much in common. The way you set up a horror set piece and the way you set up a physical comedy set piece. The premise of the film doesn’t lend itself to a relentless, gothic tale of horror. Moments of intensity are followed by levity so the audience can breathe again. You’ll be scared, but you’ll also laughm Those who find scary movies too unnerving will enjoy this film because there’s a good balance of frightening to fun. You’ll jump, you’ll laugh, you’ll be scared. It’s a fun, fast, entertaining ride that grabs you in the first frame and doesn’t let you go; that's the goal.  

(Release Info London schedule; June 5th, 2020, Curzon Home Cinema) https://www.curzonhomecinema.com/film/watch-guest-of-honour-film-online Guest Of Honour" Jim Davis (David Thewlis) and his daughter Veronica (Laysla De Oliveira), a young high-school music teacher, attempt to unravel their complicated histories and intertwined secrets in "Guest Of Honour", a film that weaves through time exploring perception and penance, memory and forgiveness. A hoax instigated by an aggressive school bus driver Mike (Rossif Sutherland) goes very wrong. Accused of abusing her position of authority with 17-year-old Clive (Alexandre Bourgeois) and another student, Veronica is imprisoned. Convinced that she deserves to be punished for crimes she committed at an earlier age, Veronica rebuffs her father’s attempts to secure her early release. Confused and frustrated by Veronica’s intransigence, Jim’s anguish begins to impinge on his job. As a food inspector, he wields great power over small, family-owned restaurants. It’s a power he doesn’t hesitate to use. While preparing Jim’s funeral, Veronica confides the secrets of her past to Father Greg (Luke Wilson) who may hold the final piece of this father-daughter puzzle. "Guest Of Honour" is a twisting morality tale exploring the complicated relationship between Jim, and his daughter Veronica, a young high-school music teacher, and the past that haunts them both. As the film weaves through time, scenes from the past catch up to the present, illuminating dark secrets. Jim is a food inspector working in a multicultural city. For him, each establishment is a potential hazard. He has the power to shut down restaurants not observing health codes. It’s a power he doesn’t hesitate to wield. Part of Jim’s weekly ritual is visiting his daughter in prison. Having confessed to abusing her position of authority as a music teacher during a high school band trip, Veronica rebuffs her father’s attempts to secure an early release. Confused and frustrated by his daughter’s intransigence, Jim’s anguish begins to impinge on his work. Scenes from the band trip gradually reveal that Veronica and Clive, one of her senior students, turned the tables on Mike, their aggressive bus driver. Their prank spirals out of control and becomes the basis for the charges brought against Veronica. Over Jim’s visits with Veronica, it becomes clear that there's another history at play. Veronica is using the prison sentence to punish herself for earlier transgressions. When she was a young girl, Veronica believed that her father was having an affair with her music teacher. Tragedy unfolds, in which Veronica is implicated, but was never held responsible. As a teenager, she confessed to the teacher’s son, with devastating consequences. Having lived with these secrets for years, Veronica has found a unique way of serving her penance. Jim doesn’t seem at all aware of his daughter’s true history even though he finds himself increasingly implicated in the compelling revelations of Veronica’s personal narrative. Father and daughter move towards a resolution, which is brought to a brutal halt when Jim dies. As she prepares for Jim’s funeral, Veronica confides in Father Greg (Luke Wilson) who may hold the final piece to the puzzle of the past. "Guest Of Honour" is a disturbing and compelling study of perception, memory and forgiveness. As a food inspector, Jim has the power to close a restaurant down, and while he uses this authority to determine other people’s destinies, he desperately tries to understand his own place in the world. Jim’s relationship with his daughter is obviously highly complex, that’s what the film is about. Realizing that the story really begins there, with the death of the mother. Jim is left on his own from then onwards, the fifteen intervening years between Veronica as young girl and Veronica as a woman. We've to understand what Jim so much loved about Veronica as a woman, a woman who’s gone off the rails, a woman who now baffles him, a woman who seems absolutely so incomprehensible in terms of her motives. And seeing that little girl playing the piano, the whole story becomes clear. Of course, there are sub-plots and various metaphorical issues and symbolism and storytelling, but it’s about a man trying to communicate with his daughter, trying to communicate the love he has for his daughter. That's utterly relatable in terms of how so many young people can get lost somewhere between adolescence and early adulthood, in all kinds of things that maybe one wouldn’t anticipate in their earlier years and can be catastrophic. It’s a terrible thing that’s happened really. One of the Jim’s characteristics is this sense of power he wields as a food inspector which may sound a rather banal job description. It doesn’t evoke wonderful images of this is a fascinating character we want to get to know until you really go down that hole and see what the issues are with food inspectors, and what a power-complex this man has. Simply, he can wreak havoc on people’s lives, close down family businesses with the flick of a pen-based on opinion or perfidy. He starts to abuse his power and manipulate his occupation to his own ends. But he’s rather delusional. He sees himself as some saviour, as some campaigner for health and safety, health and cleanliness, the health code is his bible and it takes him over. We've a backstory where he started a restaurant and that seems to have been scuppered by what happened to Veronica. He has to walk away from that business because of the vicissitudes of Veronica’s life and whether he holds some resentment there's another thing to be discussed. Maybe he’s doing this job as some kind of revenge. Now he enters a restaurant with the power to destroy the business, the lives of the owners. His vocation is taken away from him, and now he can visit the same fate on others. There are many levels to this film, you keep discovering. His daughter Veronica is a young music teacher who's passionate about her craft. But, she also carries trauma that bleeds into her relationship with her father. The film explores the complexities of family life. How family can absolutely make you or absolutely break you or both at the same time. The vast breadth of feelings, the turmoil those feelings cause! Music is very important to Veronica, it’s her source of joy and we’ll see in "Guest Of Honour" that she’s not always happy all the time so it will be nice to see the moments where she's lost in her music. She believes that she has found a way to a strange sort of peace in her life, until that is challenged by revelations of a past she never fully understood. She’s a character who’s broken, who makes impulsive, self-destructive decisions. We see her joy in music and we see her dark pain as well. With incarceration, she’s found a way of medicating herself. But it’s not sustainable and then something unexpected happens, which transforms her life. The character who holds the key to this past seems to be a priest. Father Greg is a Texan who's transplanted to Canada, The biggest mystery in the film is whether the food inspector Jim, in asking for his eulogy to be performed by this particular priest, has somehow planned an emotional reconciliation he could never have achieved with his daughter in life. Father Greg is an unusual priest. He knows about Veronica who’s come to see him to arrange a funeral for Jim. As he talks with Veronica to learn details for the eulogy, Father Greg comes to understand that he knows a great deal about her narrative. But he’s bound by oath not to share his knowledge. He breaks his word because, he decides, it's critical for Veronica to understand her father. Rather than see her continue to suffer, living with false assumptions, Father Greg renounces his pledge. As viewers, we can locate ourselves in this very complex narrative in terms of how he sets himself within it. Father Greg has an unexpected front row seat to Veronica’s story. Father Greg is one of those characters that’s woven throughout the story, Not quite a narrator, and not the protagonist, but a figure that intersects with the different characters. In that way, he knows all of the people that the audience meets, at different times and in different situations. And often times, as we find out, he knows these very personal parts of some of the characters’ histories. Father Greg’s character is a way for the audience to keep up with the storyline and these characters whose lives interrelate. You've these imperfect, interwoven characters and then there’s the priest who’s something of a psychiatrist, or a psychologist, or a doctor, somebody that people go to and share their personal stories. “Guest Of Honour" is an emotional investigation of the bond between a father and a daughter. Their history has been rocked by events that neither fully understands. They’re both in a suspended state for much of the film, trying to understand the nature of their connection to one another. There’s a very clear sense of time passing in this film. While we understand from the beginning that their physical relationship has ended with the father’s death, the details of their  past are evealed in a form of psychological autopsy. The film finds a cinematic way of allowing the viewer to inhabit they particular world the characters are trying to navigate. The film explores what might be called the emotional chronology of Jim and his daughter, Veronica, a way of measuring their complex feelings. While the structure of the film is non-linear, it's actually based on a simple recounting of the scenes as they flow into the characters’ minds. While the situations specific to Jim and Veronica are extreme, the parent/child bond will be very familiar to audiences. The film creates a sense that for Jim and Veronica the scenes all play in a continuous and sometimes shocking sense of the ‘eternal present’. The film itself becomes a sort of machine through which the characters come to an understanding of what they mean to each other. "Guest Of Honour" is a story told through glass. Apart from the actual glass of the camera lens, which displays the way in which images of the past can be refracted and refigured, there's a literal use of a glass musical instrument woven through the film. The use of glass as a distorting lens, as well as a material which allows the process of creative expression, is an important motif in "Guest Of Honour". The soundtrack wows in unexpected ways, as the characters come to terms with the complexity of their lives and the exoticism of their relationship to their own pasts. Every child feels their parents made mistakes, certain ways in which the parent did not express love, or pay the right sort of attention. Those moments reverberate through our lives in sometimes painful ways. "Guest Of Honour" covers such a wide range of time, you get to see the evolution of specific characters, which is very exciting. Our family has been around us for our entire lives, they’re everything we know. Sometimes we project our feelings onto them, sometimes we feel their words are hurtful, but that’s what having a family is all about. The film ends with an unexpected reconciliation.

Here is my review of Towering Inferno…sorry. Let me start again. Here is my review of Die Hard…sorry. Let me start again.  Here is my review of Skyscraper. I have no idea why I wrote those two other films that clearly have no relevance or similarity with the film I am reviewing.  📷Originally posted by justalittletumblweed Yes as Bruce rightly says, Skyscraper has joined the ‘there is a massive problem in a huge tower and a hunk of a man needs to fix it’ roll up roll up Dwayne Johnson. Move over Steve McQueen. Move over Bruce Willis. It’s time for The Rock to add his input. I mean, if Die Hard and Towering Inferno had a movie child it would be Skyscraper. Right, Dwayne is an ex army guy whose leg got amputated and he now works as an advisor on this new skyscraper, the tallest in the world. His family are in the tower whilst he is not in the tower. Terrorists come into the skyscraper and start a TOWERING INFERNO. Dwayne runs off a crane about 100ft in the air into the skyscraper, finds the terrorists and makes sure that they DIE HARD.  The film is a blockbuster dumb summer flick, there’s a few chuckles, there’s good action scenes. Is it gonna grip you? No. Is it a bit of fun? Yeah sure. It’s nothing new, it doesn’t add anything to the genre. It won’t stand the test of time like the other two films have when it comes to disaster/action films. It’s largely forgettable. Apart from the one scene where Dwayne jumps off the crane, there are no hilariously stupid scenes, you know, like in Fast and Furious eg the plane, the tank, the bank in brazil, the tower in Dubai. For me, that was the biggest disappointment. I went in knowing it was going to be dreadful, but was expecting big set pieces to rival F&F, alas, there was none. The cast were lacklustre which was a bit of a let down considering some of the actors in the film. The villain was useless, I didn’t feel threatened or scared of him. He was everything a villain shouldn’t be.  The only good thing was the representation of disabled people in the film. Seeing a guy who has a physical impairment on screen battling bad guys and saving the day is something very positive to see. Obviously there were a few criticisms of Dwayne being cast as he does not have an amputated leg, but the fact that there is that representation can only be a good thing if that continues.  2/5 Predictable, boring, pointless. Not much good about this. It’s a good summer flick, but you won’t come away wanting to see it again, or remembering it 30 minutes later.

Another outing for Drac and his pack! After years of running the hotel together, Mavis (Selena Gomez) decides her and her father, Dracula (Adam Sandler) need a well-deserved vacation to rest and relax and spend quality time together; booking the gang on the world's first monster cruise as a surprise. After a less than stress-free flight on 'Gremlin Air', the gang arrive, and once aboard, are met by the charismatic Captain Ericka (Kathryn Hahn), with whom Dracula immediately 'zings'. But unbeknownst to our monster holidaymakers, this seemingly innocent cruise will bring them into direct confrontation with Dracula's nemesis, Abraham Van Helsing. It says something when, after almost one hundred years since their big screen debut, and over one hundred and twenty years since the novels which inspired them, variations of these characters (or monsters) and their stories are still being written: and for children at least, the Hotel Transylvania franchise is one of the most endearing. The film's greatest strengths are the monsters who feature, the mythology surrounding them, and the filmmaker's ability to poke fun at the clichés that inhabit, whilst still being respectful to the pedigree. The cartoonish, colourful and surprisingly detailed – if slightly over-the-top – animation is extremely pleasant and accessible; complimenting the tenor of the movie nicely. The world in which it's set is vibrant and rich, and while I really enjoyed the setting of the first film (being primarily set in the hotel and its grounds), the franchise does benefit from occasionally getting away from that area and exploring different locales; something that's always a pleasure: in the second film it was the pack's "old haunts" and California: in this film, it's the cruise ship and the fabled lost (but now found.) city of Atlantis. Love him or loathe him; there's no denying that Adam Sandler is ideally suited to this genre of film: as is the rest of the cast which remains fundamentally unchanged from the first two films; with Steve Buscemi (Wayne-Wolfman), David Spade (Griffin-Invisible Man), Keegan-Michael Key (Murray-The Mummy), Kevin James (Frank-Frankenstein's monster), Andy Samberg (Johnny) and Selena Gomez (Mavis), amongst others, reprising their respective roles. Two notable additions include Jim Gaffigan as Abraham Van Helsing, Dracula's nemesis, and Kathryn Hahn as Captain Ericka, granddaughter of Van Helsing: both do a perfectly adequate job, but both are also wholly unremarkable: this isn't a criticism of Hahn and Gaffigan as actors; more of the movie's ability to extract more from its talent. The narrative and script are the movie's primary drawbacks; neither being able to produce anything innovative or intuitive; making these aspects of the film feel maladroit. Worst still is the character development, which is either non-existent or badly paced; resulting in characters that either haven't changed at all or experience a total metamorphosis seemingly out of the blue. The humour is a mixed bag of slapstick, fart jokes, and eccentric limb gesticulations; all the things kids (and, admittedly, many adults) like, unfortunately, this can make the movie feel a little in-your-face and irritating, even crass. Yes, you can argue it's a kids film, and, as such, it's just playing to its target audience, and you'd be right: however, the film does this even as it references things clearly intended for the adults in the audience; almost as though it can't quite decide who it's communicating to at any given time. And don't get me started on the ridiculous music and dance focused gags. Verdict There really isn't an awful lot more to say about Hotel Transylvania 3, it is what it is; a harmless, good-natured, sometimes irritating kids film. There's no deep, affecting poignancy here; no emotional resonance to be found. If you wanted to assign some deeper meaning to it, you could argue it speaks of the importance of tolerance. Most people will be content to take it at face value; as the entertaining and safe family film, it is. Hotel Transylvania 3 isn't likely to attract a significant number of adult viewers, but it will bring in families in their thousands, and that's great. If you have children wishing to see this, or even if you happen to have enjoyed the first two films, you'll likely not be disappointed: and if like me, you're just happy that these characters/monsters are still relevant and being introduced to a new generation of viewers, you'll be over the moon. 7/10

Actions speak louder than words is the tagline for Duncan Jones’ latest Sci Fi offering and ten minutes into the film and you can see why. Mute follows the story of Leo, an Amish man living in a near future, dystopian Berlin. Due to an accident when he was a child, Leo is unable to speak and so communicates through gestures, writing and drawings. Despite their being a handful of films, which centre on a moody, quiet protagonist exacting revenge, nothing has come along recently that has created an impact since 'Drive'. That is until now. Alexander Skarsgard gives a very impressive performance as Leo.  Like Gosling, Skarsgard manages to simultaneously appear vulnerable and sensitive, while at the same time being intense and intimidating. He balances these two traits perfectly, utilising each one at the right moment for the desired effect. His icy blue eyes can be cold and piercing one moment, then fragile and watery the next. In some ways the decision to have him mute adds more impact then 'Drive', as his silence makes all of his enemies nervous and awkward. The other aspect to his character is his Amish upbringing and belief. Although he isn’t as strict as most Amish followers, the lingering effect of his family’s influence is highlighted throughout. His traditional attitude and innocence is in stark contrast to the futuristic city that surrounds him. The image of this reserved and respectful man working behind a bar in a techno strip club is striking and adds to the already interesting visual style that is at play here. Religion is a theme that is explored from the start of the film and continues to be an important factor as the story unfolds. His muteness although not caused by his Amish lifestyle is affected by it, when his parents refuse treatment, leaving it in the hands of god. Then later, at various points in the film, Leo struggles to overcome difficulties, either due to his lack of voice or his inability to use technology. His choice to fall in love with a stripper, actually use a phone and drive a car is all fuelled by his repressed anger at religion. Leo is a character, who from the start always seems to be out of control of situations or worse prevented by others from doing what he wants. So, when he does finally snap, like Michael Douglas in 'Falling Down', in is truly satisfying to watch. Leo isn’t the only striking aspect of this film. The world itself is so vibrant and prominent it is almost a character itself. What I like about the film, is that even though there are flying cars and robots, there are still elements that are familiar with the current world. Like 'Blade Runner' it has a retro feel to it, opting for Tokyo style holographic billboards emblazoning the various buildings and speeding hover taxis, with 80s style lift up doors and bulky bumpers and hoods. These elements would hurl it further away into dystopia, if it wasn’t for the secondary characters that inhabit the world. Actors such as Noel Clarke and Dominic Monaghan give it cultural relevance with their down to earth and recognisable personalities. Even Paul Rudd, who brings something very different to his role, still has that zany, offbeat humour that grounds the film. The city itself is a great visual representation of the story’s tone. Near the start of the film, the bright lights, hypnotic music and colourful characters give it a glitzy allure. However, as the story unfolds, the city becomes colder, harsher and unsettling. There is a real sense of atmosphere to the piece and part of that is influenced by the strange and surreal world that Jones has created. It is hard to talk about one nemesis, as Leo seems to be surrounded by antagonists and it seems that he is constantly fighting to overcome evil. Paul Rudd is technically a bad guy in this outing, and although he doesn’t seem inherently evil, there is a definite dark presence lingering inside him. Rudd gives a notable performance, lulling viewers in with his aptitude for comedic timing and execution. However, it soon becomes apparent that there is a nasty, violent side to his personality. The fact that he has a young daughter makes for an even more conflicted viewing. The decision to explain his behaviour as being linked to him being a deserter from the armed forces is incorporated very well, despite it being a tad cliché. At the end of the day though, PTSD is a serious matter and it is both brave and commendable that Jones decided to tackle it. One scene sees a drunk Rudd flying off the handle at a security guard, after he is caught stealing peanuts. The inner demons spill out in this confrontation and it is written and performed fantastically. There are a few issues I had with the film. For one, despite the acting, world, style and concepts being incredibly strong, I did feel the choice to have the age-old story of a man falling in love with a stripper, who mysteriously disappears a tad cliche. There are a lot of films that feel the need to throw in mangst as the driving force behind the story. In this instance I can forgive it, as the characters, setting and style are so unique that it just about gets away with it. Although the romance element is a tad generic, the little nuances such as Leo’s secret project and the way they communicate with one another, keep it fresh and stop it from stagnating. It is always important to note that Leo’s love interest Naadirah is the only person bar one, he doesn’t have issues communicating with. After she disappears, Leo finds himself constantly struggling to understand other people or them not able to understand him. It serves as a good plot device, adding to the other conflicts he is already faced with at every turn. It is also saved by the fact that it suddenly turns from a film about love and loss to something a lot darker. There are technically two twists to this film. The first I suspected but the second was a surprise. Both these twists explore the darker and more sinister aspects of humans. Everyone has a limit to what they can deal with. For example, I do not get disturbed by murder as much as I probably should. Rape on the other hand, I find extremely disturbing. For those that are worried about this, there is no rape in the film. It has always been my opinion that there is no need for this in films. I can just about handle it being insinuated but there is no need to show it. Although this film doesn’t deal with that, it does deal with another very sensitive subject. So much so, that at points I was unsure whether I could carry on watching it. Although very well done, it is highly unsettling. Having watched the whole film, I would say that Jones did well. He did not go too far. More is implied than anything else and although stomach churning, the eventual outcome did have me sighing in relief, that the light overcame the dark. As well as Leo being an interesting protagonist due to his muteness and Amish upbringing, there are other traits that make him appealing. His relationship with water. His accident occurs in water at the start of the film and the concluding events of the story end in water. Throughout, he reveals that he has a curious ability to hold his breath for a very long time, as we witness him swim an entire length of a pool and down a whole glass of water. But this is not just a kooky quirk. By the end of the film, it becomes incredibly relevant and crucial that he has an ability to do this. The other aspect of his personality is his love of drawing, crafting and building. Underneath this insecure and unsure exterior, is a soul bursting with a confident voice, demonstrated through his art. Again, like with the water, it is actually crucial to the unfolding of the story and later becomes highly crucial in the eventual outcome. The small images and clues that are littered throughout are highly symbolic to the story and the world and Jones’ attention to detail is astounding. Mute is one of the most unusual and fascinating films of the year. It excels in its hybridity, presenting relevant and relatable themes in a futuristic world inhabited by weird and wonderful characters. The fact that Leo is mute, only reinforces the fact that everyone else around him who can talk, are less interesting and more dislikeable then he is. What almost is a love story, fuelled by mangst becomes something much more poignant and although the darker themes it explores are unflinching in their examination, they are explored in a tasteful and well-conceived way. The rhythm and pace are executed perfectly with slow building tension punctuated by hard hitting moments of impact. The characters are engaging, the word rich and vibrant and the narrative twists and turns at any available moment, making for an exhilarating nail biting watch. If you’re in the mood for something raw, exciting and which leaves a marked impression, then Mute is definitely worth your time.

In the last review I spoke about Yardie, and how Idris Elba, in his directional debut hadn’t made a good film. Well Aneesh Chaganty, in his directional debut, has made one of the finest thriller films I’ve seen this year. Searching is about how a father begins to suspect that his teenage daughter has gone missing. He breaks into her laptop to find out who her friends are, who she has been talking too, what she is doing with her life. What he finds out on the laptop lead to clues and discoveries that otherwise wouldn’t have been found.  It’s a thrilling film. And what is different about it is that the whole film is shot through a computer screen. The majority of this is using the daughters Mac and the father searching on it. Some of it is filmed through the news. Some through the camera in a police investigation room. It’s really clever how it is shot and according to the director it took them a long time to figure out how to shoot the film. Whilst it is like this throughout the entire film it doesn’t feel gimmicky. It’s brilliant how effective they use to add something fresh to the thriller genre. The opening scene of the movie is the family documenting their daughter growing up through home videos, calendar dates. We learn so much about the family in such a short space of time, the daughters interest, what the family gets up to. Tragically the mother has died of cancer which we see documented through the computer screen (think of a 21st century UP, seriously, it’s quite heart-breaking) that by the time we see the family in the present we feel really connected to them. It’s an effective piece of story-telling. Quickly this tool stops being noticeable because the audience are so drawn into the family life.  There are plenty of other things that are good about this film. However the way of telling the story is very fresh. John Cho, the lead actor is brilliant as a father who has had to deal with so much heart-ache. He learns, with the audience, because we are seeing it with him for the first time too, so much about his daughter through her laptop. There are so many twists and turns throughout the whole movie. What I found totally different to other thrillers is usually when you see the clues it’s right at the end of the movie when the actor is describing how he came to that conclusion. With Searching, he normally finds the clue early on, and realises later and we see it all. So he might be flicking through a page that is a clue, carries on and then goes back to it, it’s so similar to what the audience is experiencing. It’s so damn clever.   5/5 Searching is pretty damn good. I feel like I haven’t given it enough justice. But it’s so different to most thrillers. This review sucks. But the film doesn’t. Does that work?