★★★ Written and directed by: Juliana Capile Starring: Maria Luiza Tozato, Tatiana Horevicht Film review by: William Hemingway You know what it's like at school – there's always some kid telling tall tales or rehashing urban legends. This boy (it's almost always a boy) personalises the story and tells it like it happened to him, or someone close to him, or his cousin's friend's uncle, so it must be true. Any adult overhearing this nonsense immediately recognises the tale and wryly smiles to themselves while yet another generation succumbs to the telling of the eternal story. You know which tales they are – giant sewer alligators that have grown big after being flushed down the toilet; a girl who got a large red spot on her face one night which grew and grew until a nest of baby spiders erupted from it; the teenagers who spoke the name 'Candyman' five times into the mirror until he appeared and slaughtered them all mercilessly – you know the ones. In The Boy And The Egg, the urban legend that Joana (Tozato) hears in the school canteen one day is altogether more sedate, but for her none the less potent. It's been a scorcher of a summer in Cuiaba, capital of the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil, and it seems, so the story goes, that it's hot enough to crack an egg onto the asphalt and it will fry itself right there and then. Joana is so taken with the idea that she loses concentration in class from thinking about it and then embarrasses herself in front of everyone by asking her teacher if it's true. Not to be discouraged, Joana begins sneaking eggs out from under her mother's nose to try out her own experiments. Unfortunately she is foiled at every turn and can't seem to find the right conditions to fry each successive egg she tries. In the end, while on a weekend trip to see her Aunt in the city, she has one last egg and one last attempt to see if she can conduct this amazing feat. In The Boy And The Egg, writer/director Juliana Capile has created an intriguing short story where her main character goes on a journey to find out what's important. Through the ups and downs (mostly downs) of trying to prove the story true, Joana loses sight of a lot of other things in her life. She has been taken over by a singular idea and we watch as this narrows her view of the world. In the end it's only when Joana may or may not be able to give up on this all consuming notion that she has a chance of being redeemed and able to move forward with everything else that is good in her life. Throughout the rest of the twelve minute runtime there are plenty of shots of family, love and affection, care and attention, mealtimes, outdoor spaces and reasons to be cheerful – all things that will pass Joana by if she's not careful. Capile does a good job of placing the camera and setting up her shots while cinematographer Marcelo Bliss allows the colour to pop from the screen in the outdoor scenes, contrasting this with the muted palette of the school. Maria Luiza Tozato does a great job of expressing Joana's emotions and is an excellent guide through this simple but effective story. While there may not be much going on outside the confines of this short narrative, the denouement does point to a wider world existing beyond Joana's door. Capile is probably right not to dwell on or politicise her final point and in the end what we get is rightfully Joana's own story, which in itself is honest and true. #WiliamHemingway

★★★ Directed by: Jacob Chase Written by: Jacob Chase Starring: Azhy Robertson, Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr. Film Review by: Chris Olson Come Play (2021) Film Review Based on his short film Larry, filmmaker Jacob Chase brings us a feature-length version of his tale of possessed technology with the 2021 horror movie Come Play. At the centre of the story is a family of three, mum Sarah (Gillian Jacobs), dad Marty (John Gallagher Ji.) and their autistic and mute son Oliver (Azhy Robertson). The family is going through a tumultuous period, with Marty in the midst of moving out of the house due to the failing nature of his marriage - largely due to the pair’s inability to agree on how to look after Oliver - whose lack of language and friends is becoming increasingly distressing for everyone. Searching for a friend in a strange app on his phone, Oliver meets Larry - a nightmarish creature who also is looking for friends. Soon, Larry is wreaking havoc by exploiting the family’s abundance of screens which he uses to find friends. With some impressive visual moments and an effectively unsettling sound design, Come Play follows all the usual plot points for a solid genre piece. It has similarities to 2016’s excellent A Monster Calls, in particular the emotional attachment the audience creates with the central character. Sadly, the flimsy premise fails to stay charged for the duration of the film, resulting in a lacklustre final third which felt like a Goosebumps episode. With a 15 certificate, Come Play suffers from a lack of tonal awareness. The film has some genuinely scary moments, especially in the early section of the film, but as the plot becomes overburdened with relying on apps and screens to flesh out its menacing character, the film loses its sense of peril, instead becoming gimmicky and tiresome. Having not seen the original short film, I can definitely see this really working as a potent smaller piece. Stretched out like this, it sadly just doesn’t work as well. Points for trying and some great individual moments, it’s 3 stars on the App Store here. #ChrisOlson Watch the Film Trailer

★ Stars Directed by: #DaveNeedham Written by: #KevinSullivan, #ChrisViscardi, (based on characters by) #ChrisSavino Starring: #AsherBishop, #DavidTennant, #MichelleGomez, #JillTalley, #BrianStepanek Film Review by: Alicia Moore ”With his parents and all 10 sisters in tow, Lincoln Loud heads to Scotland and learns that royalty runs in the family in this global musical journey.” It didn’t seem fair for me to dive straight into The Loud House Movie without knowing a bit more about the show that these characters originate from. The Loud House starts off with a good run of episodes, letting its audience grasp onto the personalities of so many members of the family. However, the writing becomes weaker and weaker as the episodes then continue. For the most part, the writing eventually evokes more frustration rather than joy from this lighthearted cartoon. Each episode begins to feel quite repetitive; they carry the same type of structure to the story and the predictability becomes almost overwhelming, overriding any other viewer perspectives attached to each episode. Despite the show being centred around the family themselves, the relationships between siblings aren’t explored efficiently through interactions. A very confusing writing choice to say the least. Plus, any main interactions that are had are ones that harm the main character (the one brother out of ten sisters) Lincoln and are far from benefiting the story or opinions of those watching. The Loud House drags a lot of disappointment behind it by the end since the animation is so eye catching and colourful, as well as smoothly edited throughout. Alright, moving on to talk about The Loud House Movie now that we have the basis covered – the film doesn’t connect to the show’s storyline but sadly, in my opinion, it’s actually worse than what you are left with as you make your way through each episode. Scottish royalty, dragons, ghosts; and why? I don’t know. I have absolutely no idea of the purpose of this film. The plot gradually expands to reach new levels of obscurity. Obscurity is highly welcomed in my life but not when it’s a negative form of it. Obscurity is meant to lead to excitement and creative ideas, not… a path that ends in no substance whatsoever. The starting point of The Loud House Movie presents the upcoming content as the typical “I’m not good enough, I simply follow in the shadows of those around me” storyline but even this is carried through in the most ridiculous way possible. Lincoln appears to pride himself in helping his family and supporting them throughout their individual projects and schedules, then five minutes later he is weeping about not being recognised for such efforts. He is being recognised though, his parents praise him and so and so forth; it left me feeling somewhat annoyed by how Lincoln’s characterisation has been written for the film as his stance comes out a bit self-centred. Again, we are all watching something that is based around family, right? So why dismiss the kindness and bonding between them with a primitive writing framework? Lastly, since I knew that the film would have some snazzy musical numbers I was hoping that those sections would be able to uplift my viewing experience. To my disappointment, they totally didn’t. Much younger children might enjoy the musical aspect though and can use that to their advantage to immerse themselves in the film more if they are able to blissfully move past the strange plot setup. There’s a cute dragon, that kept me occupied anyway. I’d recommend The Loud House Movie for a much younger generation of kiddos to watch rather than it being a ‘fun with the family’ movie night type of viewing, which is honestly hilarious to me since the premise here is family. The animation is truly amazing to watch unfold however and I definitely have to praise the crew for that; the colours and range of distinctive features for each character makes this a great watch for the eyes but the writing unfortunately doesn’t tingle any other senses in the same way.

Directed by: Mark O'Brien Written by: Mark O'Brien Starring: Henry Czerny, Mark O'Brien, Mimi Kuzyk Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: A burdened man feels the wrath of a vengeful God after he and his wife are visited by a mysterious stranger... Grimmfest say: A guilt-ridden former priest is confronted by a mysterious figure from his past, who seems to embody past transgressions. Is he the ex-priest's abandoned son as he initially claims, or is he something more supernatural, some walking embodiment of sin & death? Or is the whole situation largely in the protagonist's head? If Ingmar Bergman had ever directed a Southern Gothic home invasion movie, the end results might have turned out something like this. An intelligent, slow-burning, morally challenging meditation on sin, retribution and damnation, it keeps any sense of objective reality slippery and ambiguous, while exploring its philosophical and theological themes with impressive nuance. Beautifully played by a strong cast, and elegantly shot in crisp B&W, with a fine eye for framing and composition, and some mischievously symbolic imagery, it's a subtle, low-key, thought-provoking, and quietly unsettling film, building to an understatedly apocalyptic climax. A really impressive showing for writer-director-producer Mark O'Brien, who also plays the sinister stranger with chilling panache. What I'm expecting: The Righteous isdescribed by Grimmfest as "a Southern Gothic home invasion movie" (in black and white no less!); a slow burner with subtlety about it and a subtext-laden psychological element. And, honestly, there's absolutely nothing about that that doesn't have me hugely excited. I love a good simmering-pot horror film: some of the very best horror films let you stew in uncertainty rather than throwing corpse after corpse at the screen in a vain attempt to shock its audience. The problem with movies like this is that pacing is difficult to balance: too slow, and the film is boring, too fast, and it doesn't have time to build suspense. This is the crucial issue, and it needs to be just right, or the film will suffer. What I'm most excited about, however, is the movie's use of a Gothic setting wrapped in the beauty and nostalgia of black and white film (as can be seen in the film's excellent poster). There simply aren't enough films like this around these days, and, hopefully, The Righteous will deliver a unique experience.

★★ Directed by: #FrankieShaftainFenner Short Film Review by: Corey Bulloch A short sweet look at honest work, there’s nothing overly memorable or spectacular about Autumn at the Oak Tree Farm but that’s not the point. This portrait documentary short from director Frankie Shaftain-Fenner is all about the beauty of the ordinary, meditating on this community-supported agriculture farm and its simplicities. The film does a fine job of exhibiting the appeal of these ventures, complete with cutaways of chickens and an adorable cat who rightfully has full reign on the place. The people interviewed are friendly enough to make you want to look up where your nearest farm share is so you can get in on the fun. Though I enjoy Autumn at the Oak Tree Farm’s subject matter, I do have issues with its editing and runtime. Shaftain-Fenner serves as editor of the film and does a standard job in the documentary editing format; talking heads and cutaways, having voiceover accompany footage of the day, textbook stuff. The interview segments are spaced out by extended sequences of actuality from the farmwork; moving chicken coops, harvesting leeks, organising delivery crates. This footage definitely captures the portrait of Oak Tree farm, showcasing the rewarding fulfilment one can attain from this activity but Shaftain-Fenner lets the scenes run longer than needed, unable to shake the feeling it’s just filling out a mandated runtime. In my experience, filmmakers crafting portrait documentaries have to be cautious, it’s easy to film B-roll of a person or place but it’s a whole other story in trying to craft a piece of art from it. Autumn at the Oak Tree Farm in its longest moments can just feel like dailies for a puff piece for a local news channel. Shaftain-Fenner’s directorial intention is clear but the sincerity gets muddled in the edit, the film ends up dragging and underwhelms the audience. The only dynamic image in the film is the cutaways of the chickens but their appeal only stretches so far. It’s not an exciting subject, but that doesn’t mean it has to translate to a boring film, Shaftain-Fenner has about ten good minutes in a twenty-minute runtime. A stronger, leaner edit alongside more focused voice-over montages and a musical score would help with creating a more poignant experience. I enjoyed this film but the point of Autumn at the Oak Tree Farm is made very quickly, then everything afterwards is just needless repetition. #Coreybulloch #shortfilm #documentaryshort

Directed by: Richard Bates Jr Written by: Richard Bates Jr Starring: Ronnie Gene Blevins, Shane Brady, Emily Chang, Kate Comer, Barbara Crampton, Matthew Gray Gubler, Ray Wise Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: The High Priest of a modern-day coven finds his life thrown into turmoil and ventures out on a journey of self-discovery. Grimmfest say: Ricky Bates makes a welcome return to Grimmfest with this sweet and sour satire of a counter-cultural guru whose followers uncover his mainstream middle-class roots, and a past popularity he's never quite been able to square with his current lifestyle. How can he sustain his self-image as an outsider, who rejects and is rejected by mainstream society, when he once embraced the values of that society so wholeheartedly? Balancing Bates' customary cynical wit and razor-sharp dialogue with an uncharacteristically affectionate look at the foibles and falsehoods of its fallible hipster-coven protagonists, and plentiful sly digs at the various illusions and idiocies of New Ageism, Wokeism, and the very notion of a Counter-Culture in an age that embraces pretty much anything and everything, it's both broadly, blackly hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt. Boasting an all-star cult cast, anchored by perfectly pitched performances from regular Bates lead, Matthew Gray Gubler as the hapless guru and Andrea Sarafyan as his long-suffering girlfriend, and directed with blistering, breakneck timing, it's sure to prove a real audience favourite. What I'm expecting: Richard Bates' previous film, Tone-Deaf (now known as Killer Instinct here in the UK), screened at Grimmfest in 2019 to much acclaim from the audience. It's a sharp and incisive look at cross-generational similarities and differences, and Bates holds no punches as he takes swipes at both millennials and baby boomers. I expect, nay, I want to see this level of finesse replicated here. I want to see an intelligent and unprejudiced takedown of the extreme societal and political divides currently plaguing our society, and it sounds like that is what we're going to get! It's also great to see that so many regular Bates collaborators are returning for King Knight (Matthew Gray Gubler, Ray Wise, and AnnaLynne McCord have all been in several of Bates' previous films), and the inclusion of Barbara Crampton – whose presence always improves a movie – is incredibly exciting. Bates is a talented writer/director, and he has a great cast of actors at his disposal; there's no reason why this shouldn't be another big hit!

★ Directed by: #EmmettLoverde Written by: #EmmettLoverde Starring: #TianaTuttle, #AlexisPhillips, #SamanthaSkelton Film Review by: Emily Davison Three best friends meet for a monthly dinner party, when an incident occurs which causes them to separate and revaluate their friendship and, by extension, themselves as individuals. Girls' Night In (Beauty, Brains, and Personality) (2021) is a comedy/drama based on director Emmitt Loverde’s most popular play and is scheduled to be released onto streaming sites like Amazon Prime, Xfinity and RCN by Green Apple Entertainment. The film may promise a quirky tale with laughs, but this was unfortunately did not deliver for this critic. The three lead women struggle with their friendship when one announces: “Together we make the perfect woman – you’re the brains, you’re the personality, and I’m the beauty!”. Lynette (Phillips) is the ‘smart’ one with a PHD, Jessica (Tuttle) is the self-designated beauty working as a receptionist at a company and Candace (Skelton) is the ‘personality’, adapting to a new lifestyle as she prepares for the arrival of a baby from a sperm donation. The narrative is framed by Maddie (Samantha Elizabeth Johnson), the grownup daughter of the trio who raise her together. She who introduces scenes and fills us in on her mothers, with some black and white flashbacks taking place to early times in their lives when the three first met as kids. It is clear that the movie is a play to film adaption due to the majority of scenes taking place in Lynette’s apartment, where the leads sit and talk about various topics, especially in relation to sex and men. The cinematography is flat and uninteresting, with some poor continuity editing noticeable at the beginning, when Lynette answers the door to one of her friends and she suddenly disappears in the next shot to be magically appear on the other side of the room. The pacing is also very off during the first few sequences, where we are immediately overwhelmed with many characters and flashbacks to people we barely know any context about, making for a confusing opening. The narrative device of Maddie does unfortunately come across as too cheesy, with photo frames sitting next to her of the characters she is going to discuss with us next and the ending also leaves a lot to desired with its over-sentimentality. The film incorporates a similar style to the sitcom with situational comedy and depending on the viewer’s sense of humour, the comedy will either amuse or appear quiet forced and staged. The latter is the general consensus this critic gathered from not just the comedy, but the characters themselves and performances. The movie did feel very scripted and line delivery was often unconvincing and robotic from all involved, making it difficult to become emotionally invested in the relationship between the three women. As the film does focus on the comedy, the themes of feminism and female sexuality are addressed in a light-hearted manner, but the title is likely to be off-putting due to the implication it gives towards how women should identify as with stereotypes. Of course, the movie does eventually emphasise that women can be whatever they want to be and do not need to conform to labels, however, the message was too obvious and on the nose from the start and only confirms what audiences already know. In the end, Girls’ Night In is a difficult film to review as humour is purely dependent on the viewer’s personal taste and this movie may find its audience with its style of comedy. However, the film suffers from a predictable, formulaic narrative with problematic execution and underwhelming performances – not the most entertaining night in! #EmilyDavison Girls' Night In (2021) trailer:

Directed by: Erik Bloomquist Written by: Erik Bloomquist, Carson Bloomquist Starring: Amelia Dudley, Taylor Turner, Greg Schweers, Beau Minniear, Erik Bloomquist Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: Fraternal twins spend a hellish night at the remote inn their father disappeared from the night they were born. Grimmfest say: Erik and Carson Bloomquist, the creative team behind last year's elegantly retro-styled Grimmfest hit, TEN MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, return with another sharp and cineliterate spin on classic genre tropes. Full of sly visual and verbal nods to such hellish hospitality hotel-based classics as PSYCHO, THE SHINING, and Ti West's THE INNKEEPERS, and at times outrageously arch and knowing (actually going so far as to have the characters mention the very movies the film is referencing, even as it is doing so), the film's postmodern playfulness and sense of cinematic mischief calls to mind 90s genre cinema just as vividly as the visual textures of their previous film evoked the 80s. But appearances are again deceptive. This is no mere pastiche. The twin protagonists' wisecracking reactions are quickly revealed as a defence mechanism, a means of holding emotion at arm's length as they try to face down the traumatic mystery that has blighted and shaped their lives, and which now threatens to consume them. Amelia Dudley and Taylor Turner create an entirely plausible central relationship, warm and witty and mutually supportive, anchoring the film's ever more slippery sense of reality and increasingly metaphysical narrative trajectory in recognisable human emotions and personal frailties. Alternately darkly comic and deliriously disorientating, it's a deft and dynamic examination of the dark lure of our own pasts, and of the various ways in which we damn ourselves as a result. What I'm expecting: Erik and Carson Bloomquist's Ten Minutes to Midnight was a fascinating film: a retro-drenched piece that played up the genre conventions of 80s horror, twisting them into a reality-bending commentary on the ageism often faced by women in the workplace. It showed a lot of promise, and while I still enjoyed much of it, I felt that it was slightly let down by its convoluted ending. That would be my main concern here: I really hope the writers are better able to make something more concise with the brilliant ideas they're bringing to Night at the Eagle Inn. The mention of Psycho and The Shining is incredibly compelling: both of these films are brilliant delves into the minds of troubled people, and psychosis, brought about by loneliness and personal demons, feature heavily in both. Night at the Eagle Inn sounds very similar, and honestly, I'd love that to be the case; a slow burner with an ambiguous nature. I have really high hopes for this one, and after all, who doesn't enjoy a good psychological horror?

Film Feature by Chris Olson Filmmaker Briar March has a strong history of documentary filmmaking, with 7 of their 8 directing credits being for documentaries. And now, in conjunction with Universal, March will be launching a piece to mark the 40th anniversary of the Greenham Common Women's March and Peace Camp, with the upcoming documentary Mothers of the Revolution - which will be coming to UK cinemas soon. On 5th September 1981 a group of women came together to change the world. These women marched from Wales to Berkshire to protest over nuclear weapons being kept at RAF Greenham Common. The Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp that followed, challenged world leaders, altering the course of history and went on to inspire millions as the world’s first and biggest female-only demonstration, preceded only by the suffragettes. MOTHERS OF THE REVOLUTION, a feature-length documentary that tells the story of the extraordinary women behind the Greenham Common Peace Camp heads to the UK this Autumn. Narrated by Glenda Jackson and featuring interviews with key participants including Julie Christie and Rebecca Johnson, alongside archive footage from the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp, Mothers of the Revolution takes you through of one of the longest protests in history, when between 1981 and 2000, thousands of women from around the world came together at Greenham Common to take a committed stand against nuclear proliferation. Forty years ago, these everyday human beings began with that first step on their march to Greenham Common and became the heroes of a movement that changed the world. Directed by Briar March (Coffin Club, There Once Was An Island) and produced by prolific filmmaker Matthew Metcalfe (The Dead Lands, McLaren) and Leela Menon (Born Racer, Wayne). Watch the Mothers of the Revolution film trailer:

Directed by: Stefan Lernous Written by: Stefan Lernous Starring: Tom Vermeir, Ruth Becquart, Anneke Sluiters, Tania Van der Sanden, Dominique Van Malder Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: Dave inherited the dingy and dilapidated Hotel Poseidon from his late father. He lives there and works as manager, and rarely seems to leave the place. The days and nights all bleed together. His existence is a hopeless one. When a young woman knocks at the hotel’s doors one night looking for a room, and his best friend shows up wanting to throw a party in the backroom, Dave's world starts to spiral out of control, and his sense of reality starts to be shaken by recurring nightmares. Grimmfest say: A sour, sweaty fever dream of alienation and repression, this plays like some manic and macabre mash-up of Caro and Jeunet's DELICATESSEN, David Lynch at his most dreamlike and disorientating, and the League of Gentlemen at their most baroquely grotesque (right down to the protagonist, somewhat improbably for a Flemish-Belgian, being called “Dave”). A series of increasingly bizarre and nightmarish vignettes, in which Dave struggles to regain control of his environment, his life, his sanity, his basic sense of reality as everything spirals out of control around him, this is a truly wild ride; consistently startling and surprising, full of twisted, pitch-black humour, and eccentric, oddball performances. And the cinematography and production design, are just jaw-dropping. You can almost smell the grime and decay, almost feel it on your skin. Dark, disconcerting, and weird as all hell, this is a truly immersive cinematic experience that you won't forget in a hurry. But you might well feel like you need a long hot bath afterwards. What I'm expecting: Described by Grimmfest as a "fever dream of alienation and repression", this is already an interesting sounding movie, and this description of it immediately brings to mind Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse and Dario Argento's Suspiria. Imagine a combination of these two films; a dizzyingly nightmarish dreamscape-like atmosphere, worthy of a Lovecraftian epic, but with more emphasis on League of Gentlemen's unique brand of grotesquely dark humour, and I reckon you're onto a winner. Of course, as with any film with "eccentric, oddball performances", there's always the risk of that all-important eldritch horror underpinning being lost in favour of farce and camp, which worries me a little. But, as with any film of this type, good cinematography and production design are the most important things to get right. Grimmfest's words on this matter ("truly immersive cinematic experience") are incredibly reassuring and give me high hopes for Hotel Poseidon, as this is one of my favourite genres of horror!

★★★★ Directed by: Harold Becker Written by: Lewis Colick, William S. Comanor, Gary Drucker Starring: John Travolta, Teri Polo Vince Vaughn and Matt O’Leary Throwback Film Review by: Rachel Pullen Domestic Disturbance (2001) Film Review Remember 2001? Flip phones, baggy jeans, bright yellow being considered a desirable colour to paint your lounge? Good times, but what we sometimes forget is that in 2001 John Travolta was not only making power moves in the church of Scientology but also in the world of domestic-based thrillers. Oh, I have a soft spot for these flicks, films like Pacific Heights, Crush, Cape Fear. Some things about the Norman Rockwell American family being torn apart by some evil force, such as the girl next door, or your creepy boss, give me the good vibes, so it’s no surprise to find out that 2001’s Domestic Disturbance has got to be one of my favs. John Travolta plays Frank, a divorced dad who builds boats and is all working class, and his ex-wife is about to marry the complete opposite to him, Vince Vaughn dons his villain cap to play the stepdaddy from hell called Rick, as he invests money in stuff and wears turtlenecks (they keep all the evil from bursting out I think) and basically is one of those dudes who has a car phone and no one really likes, but they have to kiss his ass. Anyway, the homies go back and forth in the obvious, ‘’You’re porking my wife’’ kind of relationship, but it's not long until Rick starts being a proper lame dude and is mean to the step kid and makes shady deals…oh no, he may lose his car phone we all scream, but Rick does not have car phone attachment needs, he is more worried about people cutting off his thumbs because he is not the smooth businessman he wants his new family to believe. Frank tries to protect his son and in doing so uncovers what a super evil lame dude Rick is, he also kicked a puppy...probably! Frank is a good guy, he builds boats for god's sake, like Jesus or Moses or something, and his son is like, I saw Rick do a murder, and Frank is like cool I got you, get in the boat. No one believes the son but he and Frank stay side by side in an epic finale to take down that turtlenecked villain of a stepdad. Domestic Disturbance has definitely got to be one of the best of this weird genre of late 90s early 2000 home thrillers, it ticks all the boxes: family drama, well-timed suspense, plot twists and car phone loss, the pacing keeps enough momentum to allow for immersion but also draws out the plot to keep us guessing and wanting more. And even though John Travolta is in the latter part of his career at this point, we get to see stellar performances from a younger Steve Buscemi and Vince Vaughn (you know, before he thought comedy was the way to go and we all had to deal with those movies). So, immerse yourself in the world of crappy stepdads and god-like people building boats, and strap in for a classic thriller that sadly gets overlooked time and time again. So, this week we ponder: If I build a boat, am I biblical? Do car phones make you evil? And if you see a murder, only John Travolta will believe you. #RachelPullen Watch the film trailer

Directed by: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe Written by: Jim Cummings, PJ McCabe Starring: Jim Cummings, Virginia Newcomb, PJ McCabe, Jacqueline Doke Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: A Hollywood agent, engaged to be married in a few weeks, receives a mysterious letter inviting him for an anonymous sexual encounter and thus becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lying, infidelity, and digital data. Grimmfest say: Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe's outrageous black comedy takes the popular 80s thriller trope of the successful man who torpedoes his comfortable life with an ill-advised sexual liaison, and spins it into a savage satire of preening toxic masculinity and the hollowness of Hollywood success. Stylish and quietly surreal, the dialogue dripping with venom and outrageous, cruel wit, the characters all beautifully observed, it plays like some breakneck, blackhearted farcical fusion of AMERICAN PSYCHO and ENTOURAGE, and features an astonishing lead turn from Cummings, who actually has us rooting for his swaggering, boorish entitled jerk of an antihero, hysterically trying to hold on to his shallow sense of self-worth amid the escalating chaos he suddenly finds himself caught up in. Laugh-out-loud hilarious, and with real emotional depth, this is sure to prove a real audience favourite. What I'm expecting: If you're familiar with Jim Cumming's earlier films (Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow), you'll likely have a good idea of what to expect from The Beta Test, at least in regards to Cumming's unique brand of humour. What concerns me here is that, while perceptive and well made, Cumming's films can be a little tonally messy: it took me a long time to warm to The Wolf of Snow Hollow (although I'm now incredibly fond of it, and it was one of the few films of recent years to genuinely shock me). My next concern is that Grimmfest's description of The Beta Test as "a savage satire of [...] toxic masculinity" seems to be in direct conflict with the description of Cumming's character as a rootable "boorish entitled jerk of an antihero". It will be quite the balancing act, but Cumming's work is proving incredibly popular with audiences at the minute, he's a talented writer and director, and I count myself as a big fan. His ability to play remarkably flawed but likeable characters is irrefutable, and the humour he brings to a film is sharp and biting. If he and co-writer/co-director PJ McCabe can pull this off (and if anyone can, they can), I can see this being a Grimmfest favourite. The Beta Test has me VERY excited!