The Mario movie plays it safe, but gives us decent nostalgia – review April 25, 2023 After his one-time rival Sonic became a box office hit, it seemed inevitable that Nintendo mascot Mario would get his own movie. Illumination, the animation studio behind Minions, will be hoping this animated adaptation fares better than the 1993 live action disaster with Bob Hoskins. Taking inspiration from 40 plus years of gaming history, The [...]
Sick of Myself film review: Self-obsession made into an artform April 21, 2023 Self-obsession is made into a literal artform in Sick of Myself, a new jet-black comedy from Norway. Kristine Kujath Thorp plays Signe, a shallow young woman who is jealous of her boyfriend Thomas’ (Eirik Sæther) sudden success as a modern artist. After a tragedy at work gains her the attention she craves, Signe puts her [...]
A Clever Woman review: A small film that asks big questions April 21, 2023 The Isle of Wight is the unlikely setting for an emotional goodbye in independent British drama A Clever Woman. Josie Lawrence and Tanya Myers play Dot and Phoebe, sisters who are both performance artists and arriving at the house of their recently deceased mother. Charged with clearing the place, memories begin to flood the rooms, [...]
Missing: Storm Reid stars in chilling look at the power of internet April 21, 2023 As smart phones have become a predominant part of our lives, Hollywood has attempted to make screen time cinematic. A variation of the found footage style of the late 90s, films like 2014’s Unfriended and 2018’s Searching tell a story through laptop and phone screens. The trend continues with Missing, a standalone sequel to Searching, [...]
Nic Cage brings comedy bite to Dracula movie Renfield April 13, 2023 It’s that special time of year when Nicolas Cage stars in a film so batshit crazy it just might work. This time he plays Dracula with enough scenery-chewing to make Hammer Horror look like The Shining. He’s joined by Nicholas Hoult in the title role of Renfield, Dracula’s “familiar”, who is given some of the [...]
Suzume review: Your Name director returns with new masterpiece April 13, 2023 Japanese animation can often be unfairly categorised as a niche genre, meant for the arthouses but not the multiplex. Disproving this point, Suzume arrives on these shores already a blockbuster. Its director, Makoto Shinkai, is an animation veteran who has found international success in the last few years with 2016’s Your Name and 2019’s Weathering [...]
In the Middle review: Documentary about being a referee hits the net April 3, 2023 In the world of football, the way referees are treated is a hot topic of conversation. This month Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has been charged by the FA after he appeared to push referee Chris Kavanagh during an FA Cup match; a heavy punishment seems likely, with The Referee’s Association asking what influence this will [...]
Tetris movie is a surprisingly slick thriller about the iconic game March 30, 2023 Whatever your level of video game experience, chances are you have played Tetris. The most adapted video game of all time found success in the early 90s and has been available on virtually every platform – latterly including mobile phones, ever since. Simple to learn but fiendishly tricky to master, the story of how it [...]
Dungeons & Dragons Honour Among Thieves review: An unlikely hit March 30, 2023 Whether it’s the elastic nature of the game, or just bad filmmaking, Dungeons & Dragons has resisted a quality screen adaptation. The 2000 fantasy film of the same name is notoriously bad, and its two straight-to-DVD sequels are even worse. However, a boom in the IP’s popularity and namechecks in shows including Critical Role and [...]
Scream is back with more self-referential slashing March 29, 2023 After the success of Creed III, it’s time to return to another franchise to another franchise that successfully rebooted. The fifth Scream movie, confusingly titled Scream, was released last year and became a surprise hit with its mix of old faces and new stars. It wasn’t quite up to the standard of the original but [...]
