Luther The Fallen Son, review: Idris Elba proves he doesn’t need James Bond March 12, 2023 TV Shows that get movie spin offs are often faced with a conundrum: how to make this new format offer more than a long televised episode? BBC detective show Luther always seemed to have cinematic aspirations, but after five seasons, can Idris Elba’s world-weary cop find anything new to say? Following the events of the [...]
Meet Me In The Bathroom review: Low on insight March 12, 2023 Spanning a ten-year period between the turn of the millennium and the early 2010s, Meet Me In The Bathroom looks at the rise of the New York indie rock scene. Charting the arrival of bands including The Strokes, Interpol, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, it also introduces the venues, fledgling companies, and fans that made [...]
The Oscars 2023: Who’s going to win? (And who should win?) March 10, 2023 A quick quiz for you: off the top of your head, how many winners from last year’s Oscars can you name? 2022’s ceremony will be remembered for Will Smith slapping host Chris Rock, an event that overshadowed the actual awards, not leat his crowning moment when he was awarded Best Actor later in the night. [...]
Why Michael B Jordan’s Creed is the coolest franchise in Hollywood March 2, 2023 The Creed movies are an outlier in modern Hollywood. Their modest success at the box office might undersell the fact that they’ve done what few franchises have achieved convincingly: passed the torch. Yes, they aren’t the cultural landmarks that the Rocky films were, but the character has established himself enough to make this third chapter [...]
The Independent film 2023 review: All-star cast fail to ignite this political thriller February 27, 2023 Political movies used to be a specialist subject, but whatever side of the aisle you sit it’s safe to say everyone is better versed in his world than they were a few years ago. Sky’s new original movie, The Independent, seeks to look into our polarised world. Jodie Smith-Turner plays Eli, an ambitious young reporter who [...]
Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is back with the brilliant Broker February 24, 2023 Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda is back after almost four years, taking his talents to Korea for a drama with echoes of his Palm D’Or winning 2018 film Shoplifters. Broker is based around a heart-breaking reality. In many countries, overwhelmed mothers bring new-born children to Baby Boxes – drop off points at churches that guarantee the [...]
Why Cocaine Bear is exactly as good as it sounds February 24, 2023 You know the kind of movie Cocaine Bear is. It’s what made films like Snakes On A Plane, Sharknado, and last years The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent headline news. Director Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect 2, Charlie’s Angels) has the task of making it more than a one line joke. Based loosely on real events [...]
The Son film review: Florian Zeller returns after the success of The Father February 17, 2023 Florian Zeller’s incredible drama The Father won Anthony Hopkins an Oscar, and traumatised all who saw it with its harrowing portrayal of dementia. While his new film, The Son, isn’t a direct sequel, its themes continue the story started three years ago. Hugh Jackman stars as Peter, a man making a new life for himself [...]
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On review: Adorable animation February 17, 2023 The ungainly title isn’t the only thing unusual about this imaginative family film. Conceived as a YouTube short by former spouses Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer Camp, it centres on Marcel (Slate), an anthropomorphic shell who lives with his grandma. He meets documentarian Dean (Fleischer Camp), who makes him an internet phenomenon, prompting Marcel the [...]
The BAFTAs 2023 – Who is going to win vs who SHOULD win February 16, 2023 The BAFTAs are back with a bang this Sunday. After years of turmoil in the film industry, there’s a strong group of contenders led by sci-fi hit Everything Everywhere All At Once and The Banshees of Inisherin. But who’s likely to take home the famous mask, and who should be getting their moment? City A.M. [...]