For It Is Man's Number

Monday, 20 July 2026

Mubi Monday: Alpha (2025)

Like many others, I have enjoyed the first two cinematic features from writer-director Julia Ducournau so much that I'm already willing to make time for anything she does. I was excited to check out Alpha, a film I had heard some good word on already. Sadly, this feels like a bit of a step down, and it's so frustratingly simplistic and heavy-handed that I wonder why she felt compelled to make it now. It feels decades too late, considering the main metaphor at the heart of it, but it also feels disappointingly half-baked.

Mélissa Boros is Alpha, a young girl living with her single mother (Golshifteh Farahani) in a dangerous world. Alpha's mother is also a nurse, helping many people who have succumbed to a disease that starts to turn their flesh into something resembling marble and their blood into red dust. Nobody wants to catch the disease, which is why many become afraid and harsh when Alpha gets a strange tattoo on her arm that looks as if it could keep bleeding, signifying that Alpha herself is infected. With many quick to react, Alpha finds herself bonding with her uncle, Amin (Tahar Rahim), a heroin addict who doesn't seem too bothered by the idea of accidentally overdosing one day.

The performances are all excellent. No complaints there. Young Boros makes a very capable lead, easily carrying the film on her slender shoulders through many scenes, and both Farahani and Rahim do well as two adults with very polar opposite attitudes to life and responsibility. Louai El Amrousy also does good work, although it's hard to enjoy his presence as his character acts out in ways that we've seen young men act out so many times before in this kind of situation (aka a potential sexual health situation they want to stay away from while blaming a young woman), and both Finnegan Oldfield and Emma Mackey are a welcome inclusion, the latter also being quite the pleasant surprise, considering the other things I have seen her in recently.

Considering what they have to work with here, everyone deserves even more credit than usual. Because this isn't great material. It's sombre and heavy-handed, but also doesn't feel as if it's handled in the best way possible by Ducournau.

This may have been a very personal story for her, or she may have seen it as a metaphor applicable to many other issues we can see around us now on a daily basis, but that doesn't necessarily make it connect more with viewers. I might be very much in the minority here, but this felt like the cinematic equivalent of some elderly relative warning you about the dangers of unsafe sex after you've already spent years having your fun responsibly. It's a PSA about something that needed more people to take heed of it over 40 years ago. I'm not saying that STIs and AIDs have gone out of existence, but the information and resources are out there to avoid the kind of horrors we saw back when things were at their worst.

There are some other positives though. I enjoyed the music from Jim Williams. I also enjoyed the cinematography from Ruben Impens, and there are a few images here that will absolutely live in my memory far longer than anything else in the film. Maybe those images came to Ducournau first, leading her to create the film around them. She should have spent longer thinking about exactly how to couch everything, what points she could make most effectively, and how to justify what basically amounts to an all-too-minimal exploration of the AIDs crisis of the 1980s through a 21st century lens.

4/10

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Sunday, 19 July 2026

Netflix And Chill: Speak No Evil (2024)

There are times when everyone else seems to make time for a film that I know I won't get around to for quite a while, for all kinds of different reasons. Speak No Evil was one of those films. I just couldn't bring myself to be enthusiastic about it, despite the amount of people I know who said it was a surprisingly good remake of the original film.

While those people were quite correct in their general assumption, I think they should have also admitted that, despite the content throughout most of the runtime, there are a number of mis-steps in the third act that make this absolutely on par with so many other remakes that exist simply due to people not wanting to read subtitles. Speak No Evil is dark and mean-spirited, for the most part, but it's defanged and neutered just in time for the end credits to roll, leaving anyone who was impressed by the original sorely dissatisfied and disappointed.

Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis are Ben and Louise Dalton, a married couple with one daughter, Agnes (Alix West Lefler), and a lot of obvious tension in their relationship. While on holiday in Italy they meet Paddy (James McAvoy), Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their son, Ant (Dan Hough). Ant is unable to speak, but his parents are very friendly and chatty. And they invite Ben, Louise, and Agnes to visit them when they're all back in the UK some time. But things quickly become a bit strange and uncomfortable when the sheen of that "new holiday friendship" has gone and Paddy continues to tease and antagonise his guests.

Based on the original screenplay, this has been written and directed by James Watkins, possibly still a bit infamous for the darkness and horror of his debut feature, Eden Lake (one of the few films I rate very highly and never want to rewatch). Watkins is a great choice to helm this, and he's helped by the casting, which makes it even more of a shame to see how things ultimately play out. It's good that he didn't feel the need to change too much for the set-up though, which basically creates a twisted comedy of manners around the nightmarish notion that people who made casual mention of some future time socialising together actually meant what they said.

McAvoy is the overwhelming dark star of the film, dancing his way from mirth to menace repeatedly in a performance that taps into the impressive depths of scariness he's displayed in a number of other features. As the one who finds herself most often the target of his questions and barbs, Davis is also very good. Both she and McNairy play their characters with a slight snobbery and fragility that allows viewers to consider their downfall with some glee until the scales start to tip in their favour as they strive to remain calm and polite in the face of ever-increasing unpleasantness. Franciosi is on a par with everyone else, and both of the younger cast members are enjoyably natural and believable, whether they're just playing around or becoming afraid of the situation developing among the adults.

This is a good one to try and endure. And it's slightly easier to endure than the original movie. That's what makes it more entertaining and enjoyable. But it's also what leads to the biggest weakness. So, weighing up the good and the bad, I would have to rate this on a par with the original. It's a very solid thriller, and impressively dark. Until what feels like an obvious number of concessions in the third act.

7/10

Saturday, 18 July 2026

Shudder Saturday: Jimmy And Stiggs (2025)

The latest slice of neon and bloodshed from writer-director Joe Begos is arguably even more lo-fi and low-budget than usual. Fans of his work will find plenty to enjoy, I suspect, but others may be turned off by the strange energy of it.

Begos also stars onscreen as Jimmy Lang, a man who has a close encounter of the probing kind one evening. Determined not to let it happen again, he prepares to fight back against anything else that enters his home. That includes his friend, Stiggs Randolph (Matt Mercer), although maybe the two can work together to cause some harm to creatures that certainly don't come in peace.

This is a mess, but I expected that from a Begos movie. Unfortunately, it's a strangely boring and unimpressive mess. That's certainly not what I expected. Apparently shot in the home of Begos over four years, starting during wild times of the Covid pandemic, this may only run for 79 minutes, but it feels at least twice that long. And that's not to do with my viewing being extended by some fake movie trailers at the start (the best one being "The Piano Killer") that ensure you cannot forget Eli Roth being on board as a producer.

Moving between POV shots and more standard camerawork, Begos tries hard to make up for the single location. That cannot be done with energy and movement alone though. I would politely suggest that Begos spends more time on his next project working on the script. While I disagree with the idea that swearing equates to less intelligence, there's an obvious reason why one of the main bits of trivia for this film on IMDb states "the F-word and its variations are uttered over 700 times during the film." Begos has nothing else to fill in the gaps between flashes of violence.

He does a better job as an actor than a writer, but it's still not quite enough to make it easier for viewers to spend time stuck alongside someone so irritating and uninteresting. The same goes for Mercer. Viewers don't get much of a chance to dig below the surface of either character, making it even harder to care about the ultimate outcome of the fighting and killing.

I'm not going to namecheck the specific splattery film with a third act that this felt as if it was trying to emulate, that could spoil both that film and this one, but I will say that this fares even worse when there's a point of comparison. If you're big fan of Begos then you'll already be predisposed to like this, and kudos to him for just using his time and resources to get something made (he's many things, but an easy sell is not one of them). Everyone else should approach with extreme caution, or maybe completely stay away from something that should have been used as the framing story for the last V/H/S/ anthology.

3/10

Friday, 17 July 2026

Thunderbolt (1995)

I would never claim to be any expert on the films of Jackie Chan (although I can point you towards one or two friends who definitely are), but it's not often that I come across a star vehicle for him that I spent years being completely unaware of. Thunderbolt is a film that has Jackie and co. involved with lots of racing cars, which meant my expectations were high for some major vehicular carnage.

Thorsten Nickel plays a criminal/racer nicknamed Cougar, and the police want nothing more than to be able to throw the book at him. They get the chance when he crosses paths with Jackie Chan (playing a talented mechanic/fighter/ex-racer named Chan). Unfortunately, Cougar isn't able to be held long enough to make the case against him. This leads to him terrorising Chan and his family, and ultimately challenging Chan to a race. Meanwhile, a tenacious reporter (Amy, played by Anita Yuen) keeps trying to get a big exclusive while the story is playing out.

Directed by Gordon Chan, who would also direct his star in one of his worst mainstream features (The Medallion), Thunderbolt is an enjoyable enough action flick, co-written by the director, Chan Hing-Kai, and Kwok Wai-Chung. It's slightly overlong, clocking in at about 110 minutes, and action movie fans might be slightly disappointed by the pacing, as well as the scope of the stuntwork, but there's still a hell of a lot to appreciate here, not least of which is an extended sequence in which our main villain attacks our unprepared hero via a hugely destructive shipping container being swung around on the end of a crane. You also get Jackie Chan singing the theme song, some decent car stunts (as you'd expect), and an absolutely superb fight in a Pachinko parlor.

Chan is as he is in so many other movies. He's super-skilled, very noble of heart, and eminently watchable throughout, whether behind the wheel or doing his best to avoid confrontation. Nickel is a fun villain, completely over the top and cocky, but also working with his own specific code as he engineers (no pun intended) a grand duel with a worthy opponent. Yuen has to be won over by our hero, of course, while eventually giving up on her career ambitions. It's not a great role, most female roles in these movies never are, but Yuen is always very watchable. Everyone else, whether they're a determined Interpol agent (Michael Wong) or members of Chan's family, does what is needed of them, but they remain sidelined for most of the action beats, unless being placed in danger and needing to be rescued.

Maybe my expectations were a bit too high when I pressed play on this. I wanted some insane car stunts, lots of crashes, and the kind of life-endangering antics that you don't get to see in action films from countries with pesky health & safety regulations and insurance terms. What I got was an entertaining racing film with three memorable set-pieces (and two of those didn't involve cars) and a very standard sports movie final act. But the more time I have spent thinking on what is actually here, especially the wild and crazy shipping container sequence, I appreciate what it actually is, compared to any negativity I was feeling about it not matching what I thought it might be.

There are better options for you if you want dazzling Jackie Chan fight choreography or fast car action, but this does well enough in blending those two elements to make it a fun time for action movie fans.

7/10

Thursday, 16 July 2026

Maid Droid (2023)

I was very recently made aware of the filmography of writer-director Rich Mallery. It would appear that he is carving out a niche for himself making what we could kindly refer to as disposable entertainment for those wanting to spend some time in the company of attractive young women. Because there's a shortage of movies made with that in mind, of course.

Maid Droid is exactly what you think it is. A self-pitying man (Harrison, played by Jose Adam Alvarez) is persuaded by a friend to invest in renting a maid droid. You can hire them for all of your menial tasks, and they will do whatever is asked of them during that rental time. And they're absolutely like a live human woman in every way, as Harrison's friend informs him. And so it is that Harrison ends up with Mako (Faith West) in his home. Mako helps make the arc of the movie all too clear when she turns up in the kind of maid outfit that looks as if it was bought from the nearest branch of Ann Summers. But will things go smoothly for a man falling in lust with a household device?

Before I go any further I must pause to remind people of one important point: Movies should be examined and rated based on what they're aiming to do, not based on how they compare to every other movie in existence. While Maid Droid isn't great, the low budget and some poor performances really work against it, it's not that bad for what it is. Mallery has a simple idea that he stretches out to a bearable 91 minutes, and he knows that West is good enough casting to make up for some of the other shortcomings.

While she's not brilliant, West is the best thing here, and tries her best to portray her droid character realistically without falling into the trap of making herself too stiff and preposterously ignorant of the ways of us humans. Alvarez, on the other hand, sometimes feels more like the character who cannot understand normal behaviour. He's not helped by the script that only wants him to be either horny or morose, but it's a shame that he can't do anything to make a better impression. Kylee Michael does okay as the other main woman integral to the plot, although the focus of Maid Droid always remains the titular maid droid.

This is easy to sneer it, and it's equally easy to completely dismiss. It's not helped by the scenes that effectively bookend the main storyline, nor is it helped by the backstory given to Mako that is teased throughout. It's not terrible though, for the kind of film it is. Those after sexy sexy times may be disappointed, it's actually a very tame film when you consider where it could have gone, but those after some titillation and diverting silliness will find that this delivers just that.

5/10

Wednesday, 15 July 2026

Prime Time: Wildcat (2025)

I have tended to enjoy Kate Beckinsale in many of her movie choices, no matter how dubious they have been. Wildcat feels like a low point though. It's a horrible slice of mockney nonsense so dire that it will make you wish you could go back in time and enjoy the many other Guy Ritchie imitators that you once thought were scraping the bottom of the lock, stock, and two smoking barrels.

Beckinsale plays Ada, a woman who has to come up with a plan to pay off debts accrued by her problematic brother, Edward (Rasmus Hardiker). No worries though, because Ada knows just what to do, and she'll pit a couple of criminal giants against one another. Those criminal giants are Mrs. Christina Vine and Frasier Mahoney, played by Alice Krige and Charles Dance, respectively.

I almost gave up on writing that all-too-brief plot summary. The very thought of this film has me wanting to put my head through my laptop screen. It's THAT bad. Writer Dominic Burns takes every cliché in the tough geezer/audacious robbery playbook and mixes them all together without an ounce of wit or intelligence. He's obviously relying on his cast, but they seem unable to figure out exactly where they should pitch their performances.

Director James Nunn has some decent stuff in his filmography, and his next film, Hungry, is one that I am hoping will be a bit of fun. This has to be a strong contender for the worst thing that he's helmed, and I am saying that with the knowledge that he also directed The Marine 5: Battleground and The Marine 6: Close Quarters. I can see where this could have been turned into something moderately amusing and fun, but almost everything is ruined by the laziness and ineptitude of the writing and performances.

Beckinsale is a particular liability, considering that the film seems to have been crafted to be carried along by her name. She never feels like a believable character, and actually seems to be tired of the whole thing by the time the first scene plays out. I don't know why Krige and Dance agreed to be in this, and they're so far removed from doing what they're capable of that I wish they'd been able to refuse whatever pay they were offered for this. Lewis Tan tries to do well in his main supporting role, and is believably smitten with Beckinsale's character, but he's the only one who seems to be making any effort. Hardiker does nothing with a nothing role, and I'm going to do everyone else a favour by simply not mentioning them.

I worried when this ended, partly about the damage I had inflicted upon my own psyche and partly about the fact that people involved in the making of this may have thought they were working on something good. If they thought they were doing good work then they should be kept away from most future features. If they knew they were making trash then . . . they should be kept away from most future features.

2/10

Tuesday, 14 July 2026

Evil Dead Burn (2026)

It has been fascinating to see the Evil Dead franchise expand and evolve throughout the decades. When you think about it, the original film was just a gnarly little horror movie that was considered something like a rite of passage for years. Then the sequel reworked things to amplify and underline the comedy. The third film continued that journey. There have been comics featuring new adventures and crossover tales, there was a pretty good remake/reimagining, a wonderful TV show that we could never have imagined getting at the turn of the century, and then Evil Dead Rise managed to take things in another direction while still feeling true to the essence of the franchise. And now along comes Evil Dead Burn, bringing everything crashing down to a new low point.

I like seeing my deadites in a simplistic horror premise. I also liked seeing them used in ways that allow the movies to work as metaphors for addiction or the trials of motherhood. Evil Dead Burn is about family, what it takes to be together with loved ones, and what harm can come from refusing to acknowledge problems and serious character failings that can affect others in the wider world (EDIT: I have tried to be a bit vague and coy here, but it's worth noting, since I have seen others triggered by it, that almost the entirety of Evil Dead Burn is inextricably intertwined with the pain and claustrophobia of domestic abuse). It's not a terrible film, and there are some fun bits of gore, but almost every main element suffers in comparison to anything we've seen previously in this series.

A family is mourning. Will (George Pullar) has died in a horrific car accident. The funeral is a tense affair, attended by his mother (Tandi Wright), father (Erroll Shand), grandmother (Maude Davey), brother (Joseph, played by Hunter Doohan), Joseph's girlfriend (Thya, played by Luciane Buchanan), and Will's wife (Alice, played by Souheila Yacoub). Once back at the family home after the funeral, tensions rise further, and there are some evil entities who want to gatecrash the occasion, on a mission to gain possession of a dagger in the house that has the power to destroy them.

It's easy to see why director Sébastien Vanicek was considered a good fit for this franchise. His previous film was a decent bit of horror with some stylish camerawork and some good moments of claustrophobia. Once again sharing the writing duties with Florent Bernard, Vanicek knows how to build up a decent selection of horror movies. He doesn't seem to know how to marry his mentality to the tone of the Evil Dead series though. For as traumatic and gory as they have been, the best moments have always had some humour. People thought that was lacking in Evil Dead Rise, but I thought it was often still there. This one is a depressingly downbeat affair though. There's no sense of mischief or malicious glee, although one character comes close in the high point of the film (which was, sadly, already shown in the trailers), and that makes most of the runtime a bit of a tiresome wait to see how one main character will make it to the end credits, or indeed IF they will make it. Too many of the supporting characters are maimed or possessed too early to allow for anything playful and tense, and I would make a strong case stating that this franchise is no place for any director to show off their ability to create an extended single take sequence punctuated by violence and pain moving just in and out the edges of the frame. I also don't need strained connections to previous instalments, thanks but no thanks.

It doesn't help that the cast generally lack a sense of watchability. Shand and Buchanan are the notable exceptions, but the former is overused in a way that continually undermines the impact he could have made. Buchanan excels though, and steals the movie for a few minutes at the halfway point. Yacoub suffers from material that doesn't let her do anything other than react to the unfolding evil and craziness around her, Doohan suffers from the fact that he looks a bit too similar to Anton Yelchin in this, which just made me sad as I remembered how we lost Yelchin so young, and both Wright and Davey are used in disappointingly predictable ways. As for Pullar, his screentime is obviously limited, but he's also often surrounded by CGI of varying quality. There's also a dog here, and dog lovers may want to approach this with a fair amount of caution.

The score is decent, although it retains a level of constant noisy dread in line with the structuring of the film, and there are some of the enjoyably bloody and gloopy effects that fans would expect, but there's not enough here to make it feel as if it's worthy of using the Evil Dead name. Vanicek seems so pre-occupied with working in the fire and heat motifs that he forgets to deliver some actual fun alongside the mutilations and deaths. The previous film showed that the series didn't have to stay shackled to the mighty personality of Bruce Campbell's Ash. This film shows that there are so many other ingredients that should be retained by anyone wanting to rework a recipe from the classic selections available in the Necronimicon Cookbook.

4/10

Monday, 13 July 2026

Mubi Monday: Submarino (2010)

Anything from Thomas Vinterberg is going to be worth your time, trust me on that, so I went into Submarino with some amount of optimism. That was absolutely justified. This is a standard drama, albeit one with some moments of real darkness (of course), and feels like another essential viewing experience for anyone exploring Vinterberg's filmography.

Jakob Cedergren plays Nick, a man just released from prison. He seems to enjoy drinking and fighting. Or that may be what he used to enjoy. Nick's brother (Peter Plaugborg), on the other hand, enjoys drugs. He will steal to fund his habit, and may even be looking at an opportunity to become a dealer. Which doesn't look like the foundation for a great life for his young son, Martin (Gustav Fischer Kjærulff). Maybe Nick can help, or maybe there's not a lot he can do. Even brothers who were best friends in childhood can find themselves at opposite sides of a gaping chasm if they walk down very different paths through life.

Based on a novel by Jonas T. Bengtsson, turned into screenplay form by Tobias Lindholm and Vinterberg, this is a strangely captivating film that somehow manages to avoid turning viewers off by having the most unpleasant moments positioned at the very start of the film, during a sequence that has Nick dealing with an old friend/acquaintance, Ivan (Morten Rose), who has a very unhealthy view of women. This ensures that everything is dark and tense, but allows for the subsequent scenes, many showing an addict driven by his need to get his next fix, to feel much easier to endure.

Making use of some of the ideas at the heart of the Dogme 95 movement, mainly to do with the naturalism of the filming and the performances, but not limiting himself in any of the technical work, Vinterberg is well-placed to helm this. He often presents characters with an impressively non-judgemental eye, and there's no moments that feel as if they've been added to inject some shock and sensationalism into the runtime.

The performances are excellent across the board, but Cedergren is a very important anchor for everything. He's a calm presence, although very much battling with raging currents within himself. Plaugborg has to be more nervy and frantic, but he does very well in his role. As for young Kjærulff, he somehow manages to perfectly convey the essence of a child living with an addict parent, being carefree and enjoying life while also being more careful at times as the creeping suspicion that something is not quite right about the situation keeps interrupting your thoughts. Rose is good at being the most unpleasant man that you'd never want to meet, and everyone else maintains the standard set by the main performers.

More of a character study than anything else, and arguably easier to overlook than most of the other Vinterberg movies I have watched, Submarino is still one that I highly recommend to everyone. There may not be one big moment to remember, or one easy and obvious moral lesson (although a few are mixed together), but it still feels worthwhile, perceptive, and able to say a lot without dictating to others how everything should be interpreted.

8/10

Sunday, 12 July 2026

Netflix And Chill: Cuckoo (2024)

Having heard some good word about Cuckoo back when it was first released, I'm not sure why I kept delaying a viewing of it until now. Although, now finally having seen it, maybe that was some part of my brain already aware of the fact that it might not work for me. Because I didn't like this, and I am quite bewildered by some of the praise it received.

Hunter Schafer plays Gretchen, a teen who is forced to move with her father and his new wife, as well as her mute half-sister (Alma, played by Mila Lieu) to a fairly isolated hotel project in Bavaria. Gretchen is offered support and a warm welcome from Herr König (Dan Stevens), the man employing the services of her father, but she senses that something is quite wrong. Maybe it's to do with the hooded woman (Kalin Morrow) who starts to follow her around.

There's an interesting idea at the heart of Cuckoo, and it's clear that the core premise and the title were always clear in the mind of writer-director Tilman Singer, but it feels like a film made by someone so happy with the concept that they forgot to fully consider just how it would reverberate through a screenplay that needed something more. Every bit of tension and confusion has been presented much better in so many other "stranger in a strange town" tales, and the third act is disappointingly underwhelming when things are clarified that feel as if they were already quite obvious.

Schafer is good in the lead role. She's a captivating presence, and able to handle the escalating silliness with a straightforward approach that helps to keep everything grounded. Stevens is at the other end of the spectrum, having a lot of fun with his German phrases and accent, making himself so super-friendly that it's clear he has some involvement in whatever is going on. Lieu is often sidelined, but does a great job when involved in the finale, Morrow cuts an interesting figure, and there's room for Jan Bluthardt, Martin Csokas, Jessica Henwick, Greta Fernández, and others to have some screentime.

While there's an enjoyable oddness to this, I can't help thinking that Singer couldn't quite nail down the tone. The horror isn't as effective as it should be, and the second half should be much more disturbing and unsettling, considering what is being revealed. It all ends up just being one odd thing after another though, which makes it feel more like a parade than an intriguingly-developed narrative. Some of the visuals work well, but a few important touches (especially the main effect felt by those who are momentarily unsettled by something close enough to disorientate them) fall completely flat.

Add a point if you ever wished to hear Dan Stevens delivering dialogue in a well-executed German accent. But I would direct you towards better movies in which he has had fun playing non-English speakers.

4/10

Saturday, 11 July 2026

Shudder Saturday: Touch Me (2025)

Have you ever been in a relationship with someone that you know isn't necessarily great, but they help you to forget the rest of the world for a while? They feel like they're healing you from past traumas, they know just what to say and do, most of the time, and you can at least lose yourself in some throes of ecstasy during the good sex.

That's what Touch Me is all about. It's a psychodrama that also has some moments of horror and plenty of dark comedy running through it. The second film from writer-director Addison Heimann, after the interesting misfire of Hypochondria, this is a huge step up for him, and signifies the strong possibility of a bright future ahead.

Olivia Taylor Dudley is Joey, a lost young woman who finds herself drawn back to her ex, Brian (Lou Taylor Pucci). Joey's bestie, Craig (Jordan Gavaris), accompanies her, but he ends up also attracted to Brian. Brian is hard to resist, despite the fact that he's actually a multi-tentacled alien with some plan that is supposedly meant to save his home planet. Everyone knows this, including a line-in helper (Laura, played by Marlene Forte), but what are a few tentacles and dubious plans when you can feel so good for a short while every day?

Moving smoothly between light and dark, Touch Me works as an obvious analogy for more standard relationships without feeling too clumsy and obvious. It's helped by the alien tentacle content, which does a good job of distracting viewers while the central messaging remains clear and concise throughout. It's also helped by a great score, from Jimmy LaValle (who has worked numerous times with the brilliant Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, two of the producers here), and a fantastic core cast.

Dudley is excellent in the lead, one of those people who can be good enough to keep you on their side, despite the selfishness and difficult behaviour. Gavaris also does well, playing his part as equal parts supportive friend and jealous competitor as Brian takes, and maintains, a mesmerising hold over our two main humans. Pucci is given the toughest role, having to be charming, confident, persuasive, and sexually-alluring throughout. The fact that he somehow manages to be all of those things, despite the outfits that he's made to wear, is testament to his hard work. It's also great to watch him be so calm throughout most of the runtime, making the moments that have him worked up all the more effective, and I found myself believing that people could easily fall under his spell. Forte has the least of the four main roles, but she does very well with what she's given, and Ashley Lauren Nedd is a lot of fun in the couple of scenes that have her portraying Dr. Kelly, a psychiatrist certainly not about to take the tales of a wild past told to her by Dudley's character at face value.

Heimann has already received a lot of praise from those who saw this at a number of festivals, but that praise shouldn't stop now that it's more widely available. Those who know the themes being explored, and have an idea of how some familiar elements are being used to make everything feel a bit stranger and . . . out there than it otherwise would be, should be satisfied. Maybe not as satisfied as some of the main characters feel, but the satisfaction of the viewing experience comes with a lot less tentacles, trauma, or problematic untruths to be overlooked.

8/10

Friday, 10 July 2026

Dante's Peak (1997)

While Dante's Peak may be a film remembered more fondly than Volcano nowadays, it's worth noting that it was . . . also viewed a bit more fondly by many people back in 1997, the year or the competing volcano blockbusters. It also made more money in cinemas. Basically, Dante's Peak was to Volcano what Armageddon was to Deep Impact (although I would argue that the latter at least had some critics praising it for the more serious approach to the material).

Pierce Brosnan is Harry Dalton, the volcanologist who ends up in the small town of Dante's Peak. Linda Hamilton is Rachel Wando, the mayor, and also mother to a boy and a girl (played by Jeremy Foley and Jamie Renée Smith, respectively). It seems clear to Harry that something bad is going to happen in Dante's Peak very soon, but he struggled to get others to agree with him. To paraphrase another, much better, film: "You say tectonic plate disturbance and people go huh, what, but you yell volcanic eruption and you've got a panic on your hands on the fourth of July."

Written by Leslie Bohem, this is very standard disaster movie stuff. Our hero is shown in an opening sequence being devastated and scarred by a big event that viewers will know is due to recur before the end credits roll, the supporting characters are often given just enough screentime to make their potential demise at least slightly saddening, and everything is set up to allow some impressive special effects to dominate most of the third act.

I was going to say that it's not the most typical film from director Roger Donaldson, but a brief reminder of his filmography has shown me that there is no typical film from him. He's happily jumped around various genres throughout his career, and Dante's Peak shows him very comfortable to lean into the expected tropes of this particular sub-genre, helped by two leads who are happy to coast by on their charm and chemistry until they have to take a back seat to the VFX.

Despite his Bond schedule, Brosnan did well to deliver a decent selection of memorable star turns throughout the latter half of the 1990s, and this is right up there with the best of them. It's nowhere near his best film, nor is it near his best acting, but he holds your attention well as both Bohem and Donaldson try their best to build tension before allowing their volcano to erupt. Hamilton works brilliantly with her leading man, and she's able to portray her mayor character as someone who is also a busy single mother without it all seeming too patronising and cringe-inducing. Smith and Foley have to be tolerable until they're put in peril, which they do, and enjoyable turns come from Elizabeth Hoffman, Charles Hallahan, Grant Heslov, and Peter Jason, among others.

There are better disaster movies, if that's what you're in the mood for, but I cannot think of any better volcano movies. We might get something superior further down the line, but for now . . . this is the best you can hope for. It's silly, it's predictable, I doubt much of the movie science holds up under scrutiny, but it's enjoyably cheesy blockbuster entertainment.

6/10

Thursday, 9 July 2026

Jackie Chan's First Strike (1996)

AKA Jackie Chan's First Strike. AKA Police Story 4: First Strike.

If you ever wanted to see what a James Bond film would be like featuring Jackie Chan as 007 then First Strike is the film for you. It's also the fourth instalment in the Police Story film series, but there's no need to have seen the preceding films before you dive into this one.

Although it remains inferior to many of his better-known films, First Strike isn’t actually all that bad as an introduction to younger film viewers who may eventually become full-on fans of Chan. It’s not as slick and polished as the likes of Shanghai Noon or any of the Rush Hour movies, but it’s also not as overstuffed with CGI or weak set-pieces (such as The Tuxedo or The Medallion).

Chan plays Jackie, a cop who ends up helping a couple of different government agencies as he tracks down the whereabouts of a missing nuclear warhead. This leads to a shootout and an exciting chase down some snow-covered slopes. It's then up to Jackie to track down a villain, via his sister (played by Chen Chun Wu AKA Annie Wu), which leads to him facing off against multiple enemies, one or two big guys who look very much like Goombas from the '90s Super Mario Bros. movie, and a number of sharks.

Directed and co-written by Stanley Tong, this isn't actually too bad when it comes to the plotting. Tong was joined in the writing duties by Elliot Tong, Greg Mellott, and Nick Tramontane, and they work hard to get everyone where they need to be for every main story beat. It might never feel as if Chan is in any real danger, but that's inevitable when you know how skilled and strong he is.

Unless he's accompanied by a couple of his main Peking opera school friends, it's often not mentioning the quality of other performances in a Jackie Chan film. Jackie Chan films are at their best when Jackie Chan is at the heart of any scene, and that is the case here. Wu has to spend the third act being a damsel in distress, Nathan Jones and Steve Morris are the memorable "Goombas", and Jackson Lou does well enough as the man who appears to be the main villain to be apprehended. Chan delivers his star power though, especially in the set-pieces that elevate the entire film. That snowy opening sequence has some great stunts in there, and is certainly meant to bring a classic Bond opener to mind, there are at least two impressive fights that allow Chan to showcase many of his skills, and those who have tried to participate in some swimming pool fitness classes should appreciate just how inventive and tough the underwater fight in the third act is.

There's a lot in this that I didn't love. Rewatching it had me fearing that it was worse than I remembered. That's a bit unfair though. There are actually enough really good moments here to make this well worth your time, even if you know that it's not close to the best Jackie Chan movies. And it certainly uses the second half to reward those who were patient throughout the first half.

7/10

Wednesday, 8 July 2026

Prime Time: Driver's Ed (2026)

There comes a time when someone squanders enough of your goodwill that you stop mentioning their past glories. Although he's had at least one other very enjoyable movie in the past few years (Champions), that time has come for Bobby Farrelly. I'm not saying that Driver's Ed is a terrible film. It's just so generic and uninspired that it doesn't feel like it was made by someone with some modern classics in their filmography.

Sam Nivola plays Jeremy, a young man struggling with what seems to be the end of his now-long-distance relationship with Samantha (Lilah Pate). After mulling things over, he decides that a road trip is in order. Unfortunately, that road trip involves him commandeering the car used for his driver's ed class, which means that Evie (Sophie Telegadis), Aparna (Mohana Krishnan), and Yoshi (Aidan Laprete) are also taken along for the journey.

It's surprisingly hard to write a review for Driver's Ed. It's one of the most inoffensive and forgettable comedies that I've seen in recent years. Part of me almost wishes that it was terrible. At least I would work up some energy to shred it. It's not terrible though. It's not great either. It is, ironically, the most middle of the road comedy you could possibly imagine, unable to deviate from the plot beats that most viewers would be able to predict from the opening scene. It flops as a teen comedy, it doesn't make enough time for the more fun older cast members (Kumail Nanjiani and Molly Shannon, playing two people the movie should have really focused on instead), and there's not one memorable set-piece, or one big laugh, in the entire runtime.

I'd have to put most of the blame on writer Thomas Moffett, although he at least attempts to add some depth to a couple of the main supporting characters, but Farrelly should have worked harder to fill the film with enough extra treats to make up for the weak screenplay.

The acting isn't bad, so it has that going for it. Nivola is a decent young lead, and Telegadis works well alongside him. Both Krishnan and Laprete also work well together, especially as the former ends up becoming a bit more comfortable in herself. Pate is perfectly fine, but she's really just required to be the destination for a group of characters who end up on a very winding and valuable journey. Aside from the comedy stars already mentioned, Tim Baltz and Bri Giger are the other two main adults to join in with the fun, and their scenes are almost as welcome as those featuring Nanjiani and Shannon.

There are many worse choices you could make when picking a mild distraction from the streaming services available to you, but I cannot think of anyone who will watch this and then remember it fondly within a few months. It's frustratingly bland and tame, and, most importantly, it's disappointingly lacking in the comedy department.

4/10

Tuesday, 7 July 2026

Citizen Vigilante (2026)

Hoo boy. You're not going to like this review if you're the kind of person who uses the word "woke" unironically to insult someone. Or if you've ever headed out, armed with a facemask and an England flag to spend some of your spare time shouting at a hotel you suspect may be housing some people with different skin colour from your own. Then again, I doubt many of those people will bother to seek out, and read, this review. Unless they want to try and push back against the mass of negative reviews from those not already aligned to the central agenda presented here.

I've said it before, but rarely has it been a point that I have so wanted to highlight and underline. Creating art often comes with a great degree of responsibility. If you're movie has a message then it has to be a clear one, and you should be very careful about how people can take away that message. Writer-director Uwe Boll has, I fear, decided to throw his lot in with the growing cacophony of tiresome xenophobic bigots who prey on the insecurities and fears of others to stir up trouble and keep avoiding the real solutions to some of their problems (solutions that would require some proper effort and consideration). Not only is Citizen Vigilante unengaging and lazy, it's arguably the most morally repugnant film I have seen in my life. Other films have wandered through similar territory, but few have done so with such little attempt to hide the dangerous messaging. Never mind that this springboards from a premise that simply isn't backed up by actual facts and proper statistics. I wouldn't be surprised if Boll was already prepping a sequel to this, something in which Armie Hammer becomes a white knight for all of womanhood by assaulting and murdering members of the trans community. Because once you've gone out of your way to further demonise immigrants then surely you move on to the 1% of the population who continue to be disproportionally targeted for abuse.

Oh, did I forget to mention the actual plot? Sorry, how remiss of me. Armie Hammer plays Sanders, a man who spends his time tracking down people who haven't been given the punishment they deserve for crimes they have committed. All of the people he tracks down are immigrants, of course, because this is a film that aligns itself with the (often misleading or outright false) sensational headlines and toxic rhetoric delivered by the likes of GB News, the current sexual-abuser-POTUS, Fox, Elon "Artful DOGE-er" Musk, Nigel Farage, and other grifters. A lot of people are showing lending their support to the vigilante "hero", and many comment on how they're doing the job that the courts and police are failing to do. And let's not forget the interminably long scene in which Hammer has sex with a prostitute, is distracted by mould on her ceiling, advises her about how to avoid the issue and informs her that he is the owner of the building, and then gets back to his sexy time while staring at the patch of mould (yes, that really happens).

Is this a review or a rant? A bit of both. But if it feels to you as if it fails to be a proper review, and you would prefer me to keep politics out of my writing, then I would argue that a) this fails to be a proper movie, and b) dehumanising people and trying to blame entire races for the actions of a relatively small percentage of the population is something I will always push firmly back on. It's also not political, it's simple humanity.

I've also indulged myself slightly here because there's genuinely very little onscreen that's worth proper criticism. Hammer isn't good, and we know that he's picked this project because it's the easiest way he can see himself making a comeback to an audience that will accept him without questioning his problematic past few years. Maybe he's not very good because his heart isn't in it, to be optimistic. Maybe he's simply all at sea without a good enough screenplay and director, and Boll does poorly in both departments here. The only other cast member of note is Costas Mandylor, who feels as if he's just repeating some of his lines and expressions from the earlier Saw movie instalments that had him in a very similar role.

"Freedom of speech, freedom of speech" is what many will cry when they hear from others who dislike this as much as I did. I've already seen the standard "oh, did it offend your woke lefty sensibilities" comments and "so many lefty tears" jabs. Freedom of speech and freedom of artistic expression allowed for this piece of crap to get made. It equally allows for me to express my disgust and hatred of it. There's NO redeeming value to this, especially when you consider how far removed from reality it is. There are so many better movies you could choose to watch, many featuring vigilante vengeance without being so fully biased in favour of dangerous far-right fervour. And the end card stating "this film is dedicated to the thousands of rape and murder victims in Europe who were betrayed by our legal system" is one of the most disingenuous and sickening final frames I can think of.

1/10

Monday, 6 July 2026

Mubi Monday: Tatsumi (2011)

An animated film based on the autobiographical manga, A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi, this is a loving and effective exploration, and celebration, of someone credited with the birth of Gekiga (a style of manga aimed at an adult audience). What I know about manga, and most manga artists, could be written on a grain of rice, but I felt armed with enough knowledge once I read the very brief summary before watching this.

The structure is quite straightforward. We're shown the career progression of Tatsumi, the main everyday material interspersed with different stories lifted from other Tatsumi works, and the style of the animation seems to emulate what many will find familiar from the pages drawn by Tatsumi.

Written and directed by Eric Khoo, with plentiful source material to pull from, this works just like a great documentary. It looks at a central subject with great affection, tries to provide insight to those who already consider themselves fans, and encourages others to check out more from the artist. I might actually add someone who isn't named Junji Ito to my small amount of manga shelf-space, and that's something I never expected to say.

I can't claim to be any expert on Tatsumi after watching this, but that is more to do with the way I take in information than it is to do with the film. What Khoo does, and what I'm assuming Tatsumi did in A Drifting Life, is show some unforgettable moments in a life that could so easily be seen as unremarkable by those not interested in the art. While this is a film about one person, it's also about an entire people. This is best illustrated by a story, titled "Hell", that juxtaposes the huge shadow of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima with the darkness that can taint and cover the souls of those committing their own evil acts. "Hell" is a personal story showing people affecting one another, but it also makes clear how permanent the scarring is from the horrific events that ensured the end of any further Japanese involvement in WWII.

I really enjoyed this, and the 93-minute runtime passes by quickly enough, but I'd be keen to rewatch it after reading some of the printed works of Tatsumi. I could sense that the film would be even more rewarding to those able to spot more nods and references, and I found myself slightly jealous of the readers who have already spent so much time in the company of such a talented and interesting artist. Give me some time and I guarantee you that I'll at least dip a toe or two into the world of some more varied manga titles. Until that time comes, however, I am very happy to endorse this, and I cannot see anyone more well-versed in the featured medium being disappointed by it.

8/10

Sunday, 5 July 2026

Netflix And Chill: Little Brother (2026)

The last movie I saw helmed by director Matt Spicer was the very good Ingrid Goes West, but I didn't know that until checking on some details after watching this, a fairly broad comedy that feels miles away from his previous feature. Look closer, however, and there are some similarities to be found about the way people present themselves and how their perception of others can be affected.

John Cena plays Rudd Landy, a successful real estate agent who is about to take his career up a level with an appearance on a reality TV show. That might help him finally get out from under the shadow of his super-rich older brother, Josh (Christopher Meloni). Which makes it a particularly bad time for Rudd to end up reconnecting with his little brother, Marcus (Eric André). Marcus isn't related to Rudd by blood, but they were placed together once when Rudd participated in the Big Brother program. Rudd's wife, Deirdre (Michelle Monaghan), thinks it would be nice to give Marcus a warm welcome, and some time to recover after a recent car accident. Rudd isn't so sure, but he's unaware that Marcus believes they have been communicating with one another for some time, thanks to an ongoing email chain handled by Rudd's assistant, Mia (Sherry Cola).

Written by Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel, Little Brother starts off as exactly the kind of film you expect it to be. Cena's character is uptight and a bit selfish, and André brings some chaos with his behaviour and circumstances. It's never aiming to be believable, particularly when Monaghan's character accepts some specific advice for helping her husband relax, and viewers will be waiting to see how things escalate until the wild and whacky character is accepted by someone who has to accept that they could benefit from sometimes being on his wavelength.

The pleasant surprise here, in terms of both the screenplay and the performances, comes from the fact that things actually settle down before the third act. Marcus is loud and kooky for his early scenes, but he soon shows himself to just be a happy-go-lucky and optimistic individual with a genuine aim to help others. The biggest problem with Marcus is how Rudd views him, projecting his own insecurities and stress on to someone who is only ever trying to help him. I know that I am still making this sound like a hundred other comedies in the same vein, but you have to trust me when I say that it becomes better when it provides a bit of extra context and emotional impact. Spicer doesn't have to dive deep into any bag of directorial tricks, and it became tiresome a while ago to watch a comedy in which a main character starts to trip out, but he does well to keep the tone balanced as things move from silly to being a bit more serious.

Cena is good in the lead role, and it's in line with other comedy roles he's landed in the past decade. He pairs up quite well with André, who manages to be both chaotic and quite sweet. Monaghan does the understanding wife role that she seems to be offered for every second movie, Meloni is entertainingly n braggadocious, and Cola is good fun as the assistant who knows more about Marcus than anyone else onscreen. Ego Nwodim and Caleb Hearon also do well, playing the people in charge of manipulating shots and edits to optimise their reality show, and Bryce Gheisar and Pilot Bunch are the teen sons who end up warming to "Uncle Marcus". It's also worth mentioning Tony Torn, who is in scenes that almost bookend the main narrative, and provides a couple of big laughs when he reappears before the end credits roll.

I'm still not going to go out of my way to strongly recommend this to everyone, there's that feeling throughout that it's another one of those movies that feels a bit more like "content" than anything else, but I stand by my view of this being a bit better than I expected, mainly thanks to the developments that add dimension to a character who could have easily been presented as an entertaining and idiotic nuisance from start to finish. Add a point if you're a big fan of either lead. Take away a handful of points if you can't stand them.

6/10

Saturday, 4 July 2026

Shudder Saturday: The Voices Of Our Mother (2026)

The second feature to be written and directed by Mark O'Brien (who has also been acting in front of the camera for a number of years, and gives himself a role here), The Voices Of Our Mother is part horror movie and part dysfunctional family drama. It's just a shame that none of it really feels original, despite an effective ending that makes up for some of the issues elsewhere.

Sheila McCarthy plays Harriet, a seriously ill woman who is joined by her children as they wait to see what will happen next. Will she improve, or will their visit be one last opportunity to speak with their mother? Annika (Georgina Reilly) is the most level-headed and responsible family member, William (O'Brien) and Therese (Carolina Bartczak) have a major issue between them that leads to a palpable sense of real animosity, and Martin (Alex Ozerov-Meyer) is the seemingly-obligatory family member with addiction issues.

This could have been an effective and creepy little film. O'Brien has a lot of the right elements in place. He keeps everyone in a single setting, for the most part, he keeps his central cast small, and he works with a main premise that has the potential to go in any number of different directions. Unfortunately, either due to his instincts as an actor or due to a lack of commitment to the horror genre, he doesn't come close to realising the full potential of the thing. The bickering, the secrets being revealed, the problematic relationship with a parent, it's all been done time and time again. It was crying out for more chills and scares to be added, but O'Brien doesn't go down that route.

There's still enough to enjoy here, but that's down to the cast more than the writing and direction. Reilly is always very good onscreen, and does well here to hold her place as the lead. O'Brien and Bartczak are enjoyably unpleasant to one another, Ozerov-Meyer is saddled with the weakest role, but tries to do a good job, and McCarthy manages to make a strong impression, despite the fact that her character is so frail and quiet for most of the runtime.

As mentioned at the start of this review, however, the ending works. It's a surprisingly impactful and interesting way to tie everything up in a nice neat bow, even if it may also make you slightly resentful of the time spent elsewhere on less interesting developments. You could argue that the "quiet before the storm" makes everything better when it's time for the big ending, but I would have much preferred something that did a better job of interspersing the rest of the narrative with a healthy selection of surprises and scares.

O'Brien might yet have a great film in him. This isn't it, but he shows that he has mastered enough of the basics to put him in very good stead for whenever he gets his hands on a better screenplay, whether that is written by himself or someone else. He could even do himself a favour by disassembling and fully reworking this to see how much better he could make it.

5/10

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Friday, 3 July 2026

Finding Emily (2026)

A fun rom-com that explores the aftermath of a fateful "meet-cute", Finding Emily makes use of a number of sub-genre tropes, but becomes a more interesting film when it spends some time dissecting and subverting the filtered POV of someone who believes that they have fallen in love.

Spike Fearn plays Owen, a young man who finds himself at a loss after a great encounter with a young woman dressed up in a fairy outfit. She gave him her phone number, but there's one digit missing. So all he knows is that her name is Emily, she was dressed as a fairy, and she attends the university where he works (don't worry, he works in the student union, this isn't a look at some icky teacher-student relationship). Armed with this information, Owen sets about to find his Emily, which leads to him encountering a multitude of young women named Emily, including Emily Raine (Angourie Rice), a psychology student who offers to help Owen when she spies a chance to prove her thesis that love is the same as temporary insanity.

The feature directorial debut from Alicia MacDonald, Finding Emily tries hard to stay fresh and fun throughout, placing itself right in between something more grounded and something with a sprinkling of magic and romance. The Manchester setting helps, moving it a step or two away from the onscreen world of rom-com leads like Hugh Grant and Renée Zellweger, as do the challenges encountered by Owen on his journey to reconnect with someone he believes he was fated to be with.

The screenplay from Rachel Hirons is smart and funny, making me want to check out some of her past work (which includes a few more rom-coms, from the look of things, and . . . a 2023 movie showcasing some breakdancing skills). You get good amounts of sweetness throughout, but it also has fun pitting romanticised flights of fancy against the realities of modern life, especially when showing how the behaviour of rom-com leads is often unacceptable, and even quite a bit creepy, when viewed without any rose-tinted glasses on.

Fearn is a good lead, and his character is enjoyably upbeat and optimistic for most of the runtime. Rice plays the more cynical one, of course, but she does well to show how she's gradually drawn more towards appreciating the outlook of the young man that she offers to "help". Sadie Soverall makes a good enough impression in her first scenes, as "Fairy Emily", to make the desperate quest feel worthwhile, and there's a fun mix of supporting characters played by Prasanna Puwanarajah (a Professor trying to ensure that one of his best students doesn't ruin her thesis), Minnie Driver (a beleaguered Dean), Cora Kirk (good friend of Rice's character), Nadia Parkes (a university podcaster/presenter), as well as a veritable army of Emilys.

Cannily moving through a familiar modern world while swerving away from anything that could seem too dark (although it comes close once or twice), this is also helped by a strong selection of tunes on the soundtrack, as well as the essential chemistry that develops between the two leads. It's a shame that it rarely maintains the fun inventiveness that it shows in one or two small "set-pieces", but I'm sure that most people will find themselves charmed and entertained by this. I'm not sure they'll remember it in a year or two though.

6/10

Thursday, 2 July 2026

Avatar: Fire And Ash (2025)

The time may have come for me to admit that the shine has gone from the Avatar movies. Or maybe it's just that this particular instalment is the first one I was unable to get along and see on the big screen. Say what you like about these movies, they are most definitely made for the big screen.

The plot is basically the same as it was in the last movie. Jack (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) are trying to live a peaceful life with their family, but still find themselves targeted by the vengeful Quaritch (Stephen Lang). There's also another powerful enemy this time around, the fiery Varang (Oona Chaplin), who is very interested in getting her hands on weaponry that will give her people a huge advantage over those they seek to rob and conquer. Meanwhile, Kiri (Sigourney Weaver) is still trying to figure out how to best live in harmony with Pandora, and Spider (Jack Champion) has to ensure that he has a working facemask available if he wants to keep breathing properly while being the one full human living amidst the Na'vi.

It's James Cameron in the director's chair once again (I doubt he would ever hand the reigns over to anyone else), and he's also still one of the main writers (alongside the returning Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver). Avatar: Fire And Ash may be as derivative as the previous instalments, it may be as uneven in terms of the pacing leading up to an action-packed finale, but it's still one hell of a spectacle. Whether or not you enjoy that spectacle is entirely up to you, especially when a lot of the plotting seems to get sillier and sillier as the series continues. I still appreciate the beauty and detailing of the visuals though, and it's astonishing to see how much smoother and clearer everything is as the tech has evolved in the 17 years since the first movie was released.

Worthington, Saldaña, and Weaver are still very comfortable in their portrayal of the blue-skinned leads, and Lang remains an entertaining villain, although he's given a small amount of extra development this time around to make me consider referring to him in that role with quotation marks. There are some people here who are arguably worse, whether looking to hunt and maim some peaceful marine mammals or looking to rain down fire on their enemies. Chaplin is interested in the latter, and she's a great addition to the series. I'm not going to get into the problematic nature of some of the casting, but the supporting cast has time for many supporting names (Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, etc) and some welcome newcomers (Edie Falco being a standout). Sadly, the worst performance comes from Champion, the young man who seems to have become notably worse in his acting when he's not simply reacting to greenscreen elements and the wealth of CGI surrounding him.

Simon Franglen provides a very good score, and the soundscape throughout is fantastic (shout out to the oft-neglected foley artists), but this remains all about the visuals ahead of everything else. People may sneer when I say that it does feel like watching someone play a good videogame for a lot of the runtime, but that's not the insult it may once have been. Many modern videogames can look gorgeous, and the best of them have even better storylines than this, so watching someone play one isn't the disconnected and uninvolving experience it used to be.

Like a favourite holiday destination I've visited a few too many times, Pandora remains a beautiful place to visit. I just don't get as enthusiastic about it as I used to. I'll keep going back though, Cameron has maintained high standards that ensure my loyalty to the series, but I will no longer plan my calendar around it.

7/10

Wednesday, 1 July 2026

Prime Time: Hidden Agenda (1990)

There's always reason to be wary when about to watch a film set during, or around, "The Troubles", which is all I'm going to say about the setting for Hidden Agenda here. But I was comforted when I saw the main cast for this film, and further comforted by seeing it was directed by Ken Loach. That didn't mean it would necessarily be any less difficult to watch, but everything would hopefully be handled with a sensitivity and intelligence that runs through most of Loach's filmography.

Everything begins with the death of an American human rights lawyer in Northern Ireland. There's a reason given for his shooting (by police who apparently believed he was armed and dangerous), but the messiness of the whole thing leads to an investigation headed up by Peter Kerrigan (Brian Cox). Kerrigan wants to remain impartial and fair, and he is on the side of Ingrid Jessner (Frances McDormand), a young woman who was Sullivan's assistant, and suspects foul play. Can the two upset those in power without facing some serious, and potentially deadly, repercussions?

Written by Jim Allen, who worked with Loach on stage and screen many times over the years, Hidden Agenda uses the situation at the heart of the tale to look at those who profit from manipulating things from behind the scenes. It also shows how authorities often make excuses to avoid "playing by the rules", making the most of a turbulent and scary situation to tie up any loose ends and maintain their own, as the title says, hidden agenda. Whether fighting against enemies in our own streets or on a remote battlefield, there are rules that govern such things, even if they seem ridiculous in the face of such brutality and bloodshed, and when those rules aren't adhered to then it can be terrifying to think of just how easily people can have carte blanche to reshape narratives and territories.

Loach does well to tread much more carefully than his protagonist. This isn't about being on one side or the other. It's about trying to see proper justice done in a time when many decided they could act with impunity, considering themselves above the law (whether they were part of the establishment or fighting against it).

Cox is fantastic in his role, as strong-willed and smart as ever, and it's fascinating to watch him try his best to keep his moral compass pointed the right way while so many attempts are made to spin the needle in many different directions. McDormand is also very good, able to play someone in peril without seeming like a helpless "damsel in distress". The fact that she is American helps to make her character feel slightly ill-prepared for the true depth of the waters that she has waded into. Jim Norton is equally good, playing a member of the police force who may or may not know more about the killing than he's letting on, and Maurice Roëves excels as someone with a pivotal role in a piece of evidence that could change the entire nature of the investigation, if it can be corroborated.

This may feel like a bit of a dated snapshot to some nowadays, but I would argue that a number of current events make this just as relevant as ever. You can easily connect the dots from this to the importance of keeping checks and balances on Presidential power, for example, or the many times a "battle against terrorism" has been used to strip away rights and kill huge parts of a civilian population. In many ways, the most quaint thing about this is the fact that those pulling the strings did actually try to hide their agenda. That doesn't happen so much nowadays. People just keep over-reaching, and nobody else seems able or willing to force them back into their established boundaries.

8/10

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Exit 8 (2025)

Based on a videogame that I was unfamiliar with (not to worry though, the ever-watching internet ensured that my algorithm has since delivered me a number of videos showing me people trying to speed-run the game), Exit 8 is another film that has been given some decent amount of praise from horror movie fans. I was very keen to see it, but sadly couldn't get along to a screening while it was in cinemas.

Sometimes things work out for a reason. Exit 8 is good, but it's a bit too slight. While I enjoyed most of it while it was on, I doubt I'll rush to rewatch it. And I'm not sure it will be remembered by many a couple of years from now, despite how odd and relatively unique it is.

Kazunari Ninomiya is the main character, a man who gets lost when he steps off his train and wanders around a subway station that he soon discovers is a physics-defying test of observation skills. The man finds some instructions, details of how he can find his way to the titular exit, and then has to spend his time wandering through very similar, sometimes identical, corridors looking for anomalies. Those anomalies may be details in the posters on the walls, they may be some of the other people who pass by (a walking man is seen many times, played by Yamato Kochi, and there's also a young boy, played by Naru Asanuma, and a schoolgirl, played by Korone Hanase), or they may be some misaligned tiles. They could be anywhere, making it a great challenge to keep making progress towards Exit 8.

Co-written by Kentaro Hirase and director Genki Kawamura, Exit 8 is all about the concept. It tries to convey the feeling of disorientation and creeping dread as main characters struggle to extricate themselves from the situation, but the fact that so many scenes take place in an environment with bright lighting and plentiful white tiles stops it from being as creepy and tense as it could be. The game may be a more immersive and engrossing experience, and Kawamura tries to drag viewers right into the premise here by making use of some POV camerawork throughout the earliest scenes, but a film needs to work harder to unsettle and scare those watching it.

Ninomiya does a good job in the main role. He's good at reacting to the strangeness of the situation, and is allowed to make comments to help explain things without having to keep up any kind of running commentary. Kochi is arguably the most memorable of the characters onscreen, and he's easily as good as Ninomiya. Asanuma and Hanase play characters fated to be a bit more passive, for the most part, but both benefit from being able to present themselves as familiar archetypes.

Despite enjoying this, I struggle to see who it would work for. Fans of the game will probably always prefer to play the game, those unfamiliar with the source material won't appreciate the details recreated for the film, and horror fans after some straightforward thrills and chills will probably be disappointed by how tame the whole thing is. I must be missing some of the appeal though, because so many other people have already enjoyed this one, and they've been enthusiastically recommending it to others. I won't be matching their enthusiasm, but I'd still encourage people to check this one out. There are moments to enjoy. I just can't think of anyone who will love it.

6/10