Micro-Review: Jungle Cruise (2021)

Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson in Jungle Cruise I've had a run of reviews lately that have ragged on Disney synergy and how each of their latest products (I won't say films) has been a way of linking to another of their properties in order to boost something or advertise something else. Be it all …

Micro-Review: The Courier (2021)

Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel Brosnahan and Angus Wright in The Courier Although this Benedict Cumberbatch led period piece is impressive when you consider the true story it tells, it isn't what makes it so excellent. Telling the story of real life amateur spy Greville Wynne (Cumberbatch) and how he was recruited to ferry Russian secrets to …

Micro-Review: Don’t Breathe 2 (2021)

Stephen Lang in Don't Breathe 2 Don't Breathe was a surprising mix of horror and novelty, which turned a home into a death trap and a frail old man into something darker. It was bold and new. Don't Breathe 2 however is not new and in many ways, it isn't bold but there are some …

Micro-Review: Free Guy (2021)

Ryan Reynolds in Free Guy Its fitting that Free Guy, the video game inspired comedy directed by Shawn Levy is set in two very different worlds because it consistently feels like one that belongs to two different studios. Originally developed under the 20th Century Fox banner, Free Guy finished up production after the merger with …

Review: Last Letter From Your Lover (2021) – Stuck on Paper

Shailene Woodley in The Last Letter From Your Lover On paper, where it first started as a novel by Jojo Moyes, The Last Letter From Your Lover seems like ideal romantic escapism. Mediterranean locales, a charming 1960s look and some stellar costume design all seem like the perfect recipe for a solid romantic drama, one …

Micro-Review: Old (2021)

Gael García Bernal and Vicky Krieps in Old While it is impossible to say that all of M Night Shyamalan's films are the same, it is becoming increasingly frequent that the reviews for his movies all point to the same issues. Be it the inconsistent dialogue, the odd casting choices or, most importantly, the twist …

Micro-Review: Zola (2021)

Riley Keough and Taylour Paige in Zola Despite the acclaim distributor A24 has among the film community for being arbiters of taste, capable of picking unexpected gems of entertainment and making them sparkle at the speciality box office, it is much more noticeable when they unfortunately pick up for lack of a better word, a …

Review: The Forever Purge (2021) – Racism Bad

Josh Lucas in The Forever Purge Its been a long time since The Purge series hit the right notes, both in terms of entertainment and social commentary and while The Forever Purge is about as subtle as a sledgehammer when it comes to the latter, there is no denying there is a certain grotesquely involving …

Micro-Review: Shadow in the Cloud (2021)

Chloe Grace Moretz in Shadow in the Cloud To say that Shadow in the Cloud is all over the place would be the world's biggest understatement. It jumps from World War 2 actioner to science fiction silliness to emotional family drama all in the space of 84 confusing minutes. Also thrown in for good measure …

Review: Stillwater (2021) – This Isn’t Hollywood

Matt Damon and Lilou Siauvaud in Stillwater It's hard to think back on a fish out of water story like Stillwater and not see a film with an intently American viewpoint overhanging everything that happens. Think Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, Owen Wilson in Midnight in Paris or even Harrison Ford in Raiders of the Lost …