No matter how many films I see, there always seems to be a few big blockbusters that I just don’t seem to catch on the big screen. Ford Vs Ferrari was one such film, and despite it taking the top spot on a lot of people’s favourite films of 2019 it still took a couple…
Category: Film Review
Detective Pikachu (2019) Film Review
Although I remember quite clearly when Pokémon took over the playground in the late 90’s, I was never really a fan – however when Pokémon Go was released in 2016 I quickly became hooked and embraced the ‘Gotta catch ’em all’ mentality. I’ll admit I was a little dubious about how successful a hyper-realistic, live…
Men In Black: International (2019) Film Review
After Will Smith’s surprisingly successful revival of the Men in Black franchise back in 2012 – oh, how time flies – it makes sense that they would want to capitalise on that success and continue the franchise with some younger, on-trend talent, and given their playful chemistry in Thor: Ragnarok, Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson…
Black Widow (2021) Film Review
Before Covid, the long awaited standalone Black Widow movie was set to kick off Phase 4 of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe but, with cinema’s closed and the subsequent reshuffling of movie releases, Black Widow made way for MCU’s first canonical forays into television. No matter how much buzz WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and…
Booksmart (2019) Film Review
Often referred to as a female-centric Superbad, Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut is a modern and feminist take on the traditional high school ‘coming-of-age’ stories that are chock full of teenage shenanigans and raunchy comedy. Booksmart was one of those films that I had every intention of watching at the cinema but was always superseded by…
Bad Boys For Life (2020) Film Review
With a gap of 17 years between Bad Boys 2 and Bad Boys For Life, it would be fair to question whether another instalment is really worth it but if anyone can pull it off, Will Smith can. After all, he did give us the surprisingly brilliant Men In Black 3. I was hoping this…
Run (2020) Film Review
After enduring the harrowing and traumatic birth of her tiny premature baby, Diane Sherman (Sarah Paulson) can be forgiven for being a little over protective but seventeen years later she seems ready for her daughter Chloe (Kiera Allen) to leave the proverbial nest and go off to college. Chloe has a sharp engineering mind many…
Sonic The Hedgehog (2020) Film Review
Back when I was young, children sat firmly in one of two camps; you were either a Sonic fan or a Mario fan, rarely both. Me? I was a total Sonic fan and have some very fond memories playing the games with my mum. So, when they announced their plans to develop a live-action Sonic…
Luca (2021) Film Review
I don’t think I’m the only one who has been a little disappointed by Pixar’s last couple of offerings, Onward and Soul. For me, they didn’t have the same level of heart or spark that I have come to expect from my favourite animation studio. I remember when Pixar releases were once every 12-18 months,…
Things Heard And Seen (2021) Film Review
Over the last few months Netflix have been churning out a host of female-led psychological thrillers, including Amy Adam’s The Woman in the Window and most recently Gina Rodriguez’s Awake. Kicking off this influx was Amanda Seyfried in Things Heard And Seen, a part gothic horror, part psychological thriller inspired by Elizabeth Brundage’s acclaimed novel…
Love And Monsters (2021) Film Review
From The Hunger Games to Divergent to The Maze Runner, I do enjoy a good young adult fantasy film so I was cautiously optimistic when Netflix released their monster adventure film Love and Monsters especially with Maze Runner star, Dylan O’Brien at the helm. In order to prevent the Earth’s destruction from an approaching asteroid,…
Whiplash (2014) Film Review
Even though Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash was one of those ‘Best Picture’ films that I felt like I should watch just because it was nominated for a best picture Oscar, I never really had much inclination to do so and so it stayed on the outer edges of my, mentally kept, watchlist. When I recently found…
Cruella (2021) Film Review
The origins of the deliciously devilish, dog-napping fashionista, Cruella De Vil, was never really something that had crossed my mind but with the announcement of Emma Stone (one of my favourite actresses) taking on the role and those incredibly edgy early images of her in full costume, I think it’s safe to say that I…
A Quiet Place Part II (2021) Film Review
One of my most eagerly anticipated films of 2020 was the follow up to John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place, which smashed it at the box office and became an instant classic, even garnering praise from the King of Horror himself, Stephen King. Although it was the right thing to do, the postponement of A Quiet…
Army of the Dead (2021) Film Review
After being out of the limelight for a few years, Zack Snyder is taking 2021 by storm with the highly anticipated Snyder cut of Justice League and the return to his zombie flick roots with Netflix’s Army of the Dead. Penned by Snyder himself, Army of the Dead is a unique and interesting blend of…
The Mitchells Vs The Machines (2021) Film Review
With the surprising success of the LEGO movie franchise and the groundbreaking, Oscar winning Spider-Man: Into The Spider-verse, it seems as though anything that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller touch right now turns into gold, and with the release of their latest endeavour The Mitchells Vs The Machines, the question is whether they can keep…
Spiral: From The Book Of Saw (2021) Film Review
It’s good to be back! On the 17th May, UK cinemas reopened their doors in the country’s next big step towards normality and after fourteen long months Mark and I finally settled in our seats to watch something on the big screen. In a rather dramatic change of pace from our last outing which was…
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) Film Review
Although the last twelve months felt as though they dragged something chronic, the awards season appears to have come and gone in the blink of an eye with most of the big Oscar contenders still sitting unwatched in my watchlist. So Mark and I decided to make the most of some recent time off work…
Ma (2019) Film Review
In the need of a new life and a fresh start, Erica and her sixteen year old daughter, Maggie, move from San Diego back to Erica’s home town in rural Mississippi. Maggie quickly makes friends with her fellow classmates Haley, Darrell, Chaz and Andy and they invite her to join them on a night out…
Birds Of Prey (2020) Film Review
Although 2016’s Suicide Squad was a total disappointment, that didn’t get any better on a second viewing, there was one shining light in amongst all the crap: Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. But in much the same way that Gal Gadot’s standalone Wonder Woman didn’t quite live up to the character’s potential shown in Batman Vs…
The Woman in the Window (2021) Film Review
Much in the same way that it took Leonardo DiCaprio five nominations before he finally took home an Oscar, Amy Adams has been nominated six time (SIX!!) and has still not received one of those coveted statues. So when I first saw the trailer for Joe Wright’s psychological thriller, The Woman in the Window, I…
The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness (2021) Series Review
The fact that there are so many well known serial killers is an unfortunate reflection on humanity’s capacity to inflict harm on one another and our seemingly ingrained fascination with the macabre. From Ted Bundy to Richard Ramirez to Peter Sutcliffe, Netflix have been capitalising on that fascination with a seemingly endless parade of documentaries…
Promising Young Woman (2020) Film Review
Each year there always seems to be one particular film that everyone, and I mean everyone, is either talking about or hearing about. Last time it was Bong Joon Ho’s history making Parasite, this time it’s Emerald Fennell’s #metoo era black-comedy thriller Promising Young Woman that was making all the waves. Now I’ve been wanting…
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal (2021) Film Review
I am one of those unsocial butterflies who likes nothing more than to stay in my little bubble hanging out with the hubby and our two kitties, and largely ignoring the wider world around me. I very rarely pay much attention to the goings on in the news which means that a lot of the…
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (2019) Film Review
2019 feels like it was decades ago, but I do remember that Mark and I were quite keen to watch Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark when it was released but, for one reason or another, we never got round to it but when it got randomly pulled out of our lucky dip box…
The Dig (2021) Film Review
If you’ve been following me for a while, then you may already know that biographical dramas are one of my favourite genres, they are a great way to uncover some of history’s little known stories. Simon Stone’s The Dig shines a light on the discovery of an ancient Anglo-Saxon burial site in Suffolk during the…
The Help (2011) Film Review
Considering the calibre of the cast, including the likes of Emma Stone and Jessica Chastain (two of my favourite actresses), it is shameful that I have only recently got round to watching Tate Taylor’s 2011 Best Picture nominee, The Help, based on Kathryn Stockett’s 2009 novel of the same name. Jackson, Mississippi in the early…
Doctor Sleep (2019) Film Review
Almost 40 years after Stanley Kubrick’s horror The Shining thrilled fans and pissed off Stephen King, Mike Flanagan, of The Haunting of Hill House fame, took on the challenge of bringing us its sequel Doctor Sleep, adapted from King’s 2013 novel of the same name. Now I know I was a little late to the…
Escape Room (2019) Film Review
As someone who loves a good puzzle, and who has completed an escape room or two, I have to admit that the idea of turning the concept into a saw-inspired horror flick is something that really appealed to me, so when Adam Robitel’s Escape Room came out of our lucky dip box, I’ll admit, I…
Sentinelle (2021) Film Review
Klara, a highly trained interpreter for the French military, is transferred back home to Nice following a traumatic combat mission in Syria, where she is assigned to Operation Sentinel – an anti-terror programme that patrols the streets of France. After her sister Tania is savagely raped and beaten following a night out, Klara goes rogue…
Seaspiracy (2021) Film Review
Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard some chatter about Seaspiracy, the new documentary from the team who produced the award winning documentary Cowspiracy. So, what with all the noise surrounding it, Mark and I figured this should be our next watch. Inspired by the likes of Sir David Attenborough…
What Happened To Monday (2017) Film Review
With the world projected to have 8.5 billion people by the end of the decade, I don’t think anybody can argue the fact that our planet has a massive population problem. The idea of restricting the number of children born to reduce humanity’s impact on the planet’s resources is not exactly new, China implemented a…
The Imitation Game (2014) Film Review
Way back in 2018, the Bank of England announced the shortlist for the new £50 note, consisting of great scientific minds such as Stephen Hawking, Ada Lovelace and Alexander Graham Bell, all deserving nominees in their own right but both Mark and I were rooting for Alan Turing, the father of modern computing. So, when…
Escape From Pretoria (2020) Film Review
Prison escape movies are not exactly few and far between but, as far as I am aware (and I am probably wrong lol), not many of them are inspired by real events. If they are, then I think the prison system as a whole might have a serious security problem. Our latest randomly selected watch,…
Yes Day (2021) Film Review
The idea of being a ‘Bad Guy’ as a parent is a rather common trope in many coming-of-age movies. Netflix takes that concept and runs with it in their new family comedy Yes Day starring Jennifer Garner, Edgar Ramirez and Jenna Ortega. Allison Torres was never afraid of saying yes to new experiences. Travelling alone…
Bigfoot Family (2021) Film Review
Currently streaming on Netflix, Bigfoot Family is the sequel to the 2017 film The Son of Bigfoot but don’t worry if you missed it, you can still follow the story with ease. As a quick recap, The Son of Bigfoot sees teenager Adam go on an adventure searching for his long-lost father, eventually finding him…
Modern Classic: Moulin Rouge (2001)
I know my original plan for my ‘Modern Classics‘ feature was to celebrate my first time viewings of recent classics but with Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge available on the new Disney+ Star channel, I couldn’t resist. Director: Baz Luhrmann Starring: Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh, John Leguizamo Awards: Oscar Winner – Best…
Moneyball (2011) Film Review
With reviews of his films Molly’s Game and The Trial of the Chicago 7, February had turned into a bit of an Aaron Sorkin appreciation month so for my last review of the month we decided to check out the 2011 film Moneyball, which Sorkin co-wrote the script for. Based on real events, Moneyball tells…
Hidden Gem: Zack And Miri Make A Porno (2008)
Zack and Miri has been one of my favourite comedies since it was first released in 2008 but in my opinion it doesn’t get the appreciation it deserves so when it was recently added to Netflix I figured it was the perfect time to review it as my next Hidden Gem. Director: Kevin Smith Starring:…
Late Night (2019) Film Review
I think it’s fair to say that representation in Hollywood has been something of a hot button topic over the last however many years, and whilst I certainly believe that it’s a conversation that needs to be had it’s not something that I am particularly vocal about myself, in part for fear of incurring the…
Songbird (2020) Film Review
I have to say I am loving the whole lucky dip idea for movie nights, it really takes the pressure off of having to pick a film and you have the added benefit of not knowing what to expect. The latest film to be drawn was the 2020 Amazon exclusive film, Songbird. In the not…
Tag (2018) Film Review
During what turned out to be a rather stressful week, including an impromptu visit to A&E, Mark and I decided to chill out with a movie, and out came our new lucky dip box. This time the movie drawn was Jeff Tomsic’s 2018 buddy comedy Tag starring Jeremy Renner, Ed Nelms and Jon Hamm. “We…
Below Zero (2021) Film Review
To take the stress out of deciding what movie to watch, and save a certain someone from getting the blame if the film turns out to be sh*t, I decided to create a lucky dip and the first test of our new system was the new Spanish drama film Bajocero aka Below Zero. Set over…
Film Review: Peppermint (2018)
Despite the unfortunate experience that Outside The Wire turned out to be, this weekend we once again decided to go with an easy watch, with the 2018 action thriller film, Peppermint from Taken director Pierre Morel. With money a little tight, Chris North considers helping a friend rob powerful drug lord Diego Garcia but ultimately…
Film Review: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
Hot on the heels of my review of Molly’s Game, we decided to check out Aaron Sorkin’s second venture in the director’s chair with his Netflix film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, which tells the true story of seven people on trial for conspiracy to incite a riot whilst protesting the Vietnam War. The…
Hidden Gem: Molly’s Game (2017)
I am a big fan of Jessica Chastain but I don’t feel she gets as much love as she deserves so I thought I would use my next ‘Hidden Gem‘ review to help rectify this injustice, looking at the 2017 film Molly’s Game, based on the incredible biographical book of the same name. Director: Aaron…
Film Review: Outside The Wire (2021)
Originally I was planning to have Pieces of a Woman as my next watch but instead I opted for something a little less emotional and with Outside The Wire currently sitting at number three in Netflix’s top ten, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a good old action flick…. It’s the not too distant…
Film Review: Enola Holmes (2020)
I don’t really buy into the whole ‘New Year, New Me’ mentality but as January rolled around it seemed as though my desire to watch new content came back, along with my motivation for writing. Now, Sherlock Holmes is a name that everybody knows but the world famous detective is taking a bit of a…
Film Review: Death To 2020 (2020)
If anyone can put a humerous spin on the rollercoaster year that was 2020 it’s Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker, and I have to say his satirical mockumentary Death to 2020 definitely delivers. Given the sheer volume of unbelievable shit that happened last year, Death to 2020 ran the risk of becoming too crowded and…
Film Review: Soul (2020)
From the realisation that sometimes Joy and Sadness go hand in hand, to Boo’s softly spoken “Kitty?” and to the total gut punch that was Andy’s final goodbye, Pixar have been delivering emotional rollercoasters for nigh on 25 years. Personally, my opinion on the success of a Pixar film is largely determined by its ability…