Reviews

The Beguiled (2017)

The most surprising thing about Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled is that it’s so straightforward. It tells a simple story of a repressed group of girls and women in Virginia during the Civil War. These ladies live in a war-abandoned boarding school on the fringes of society. Martha Farnsworth (Nicole Kidman) runs the household and doesn’t take any […]

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Reviews

The Transfiguration (2016)

The Transfiguration is not about sparkly, human-loving vampires as they were made out to be in modern TV shows and movies. (Yes, Twilight I’m looking at you). In fact, The Transfiguration isn’t really about vampires at all. What it does is use vampirism as a means to explore trauma, grief and depression. The main character is Milo (Eric Ruffin), a […]

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Reviews

The Foreigner (2017)

Jackie Chan is back in business. This time he’s in something a little more weighty. The Foreigner is a one-man vendetta film, very much in the vein of Taken. It’s an adaption of Stephen Leather’s novel, The Chinaman. Chan, in his sixties, still has enough juice left to pump out an engrossing performance. He plays Quan Ngoc Minh, a restaurant owner, […]

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Reviews

The Florida Project (2017)

The Florida Project has the precision of a documentary, the grittiness of a kitchen-sink drama, and the feel-good vibes of a coming-of-age flick. It sees the world from a kid’s perspective, which is full of wonder and excitement. I have a lot of praise for this film, but I would like to enforce that The […]

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Reviews

The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)

This is a dramatisation of a true social experiment that took place in 1971, at Stanford University. With searing performances by its cast, The Standford Prison Experiment thrills you for most of its runtime. It starts with one simple question: “Would you rather be a prisoner or a guard?” That’s what 24 college guys get asked […]

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Essential, Reviews

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)

The first John Wick is the definition of a sleeper hit. When it dropped in 2015, it looked like another generic revenge movie, but it turned out to be a terrific, action blast. John Wick: Chapter 2 is bigger, bloodier and builds on everything that happened in its predecessor. You better believe it: the second chapter is […]

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Reviews

Kicks (2016)

Do you ever get that fuzzy “after-taste” feeling when you finish watching a captivating movie? That feeling of awe, relief and a sudden craving for fictional characters in your real life. Kicks gives you all these feelings and more. Newbie director Justin Tipping draws emotion from his cast to generate tension and to express his vision. Only […]

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Reviews

Ingrid Goes West (2017)

SOCIAL MEDIA is taking over the world. I remember a time when it was all about connecting with your friends. These days, we go on social networks for news, videos and to follow famous people. We have a persistent urge to check Facebook, Instagram and tweet. That’s why Ingrid Goes West a.k.a First World Problems, couldn’t be more […]

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Essential, Reviews

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2018)

You’d be forgiven for thinking Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was going to be straightforward. It seems like a simple revenge tale. But it’s not. It’s more a tale of how life can hurt, heal and transform people in the strangest ways. Right from the off, it completely denies you the comfort of an easy viewing. If you […]

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Essential, Reviews

Tyrannosaur (2011)

There’s nothing like a British “grit-film” to give you a slice of life, in the bleakest way possible. Tyrannosaur, like most British films, doesn’t hold back on its depiction of violence and abuse. For want of a better phrase, this is an up-close-and-personal kind of movie. It focuses on Joseph (Peter Mullan), a middle-aged widower, […]

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Reviews

Mud (2012)

Damn this film is good, so good it has a timeless feeling. Mud is an adventure-drama, with a coming-of-age story at the centre. Matthew McConaughey plays the title character Mud, an edgy desperado in need of some help. Teenagers Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Neckbone (Jacob Lofland) find Mud hiding on an island in Mississipi. He says he […]

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Reviews

Inherent Vice (2014)

Inherent Vice has a rambled plot which is secondary to characters, incidents and drug-fueled comedy. How do I even begin to review a movie that’s so chaotic? It’s a detective tale and it’s completely riveting in its manic storytelling. It has a one-of-kind style and it’s all about mood and vibe. This is a big […]

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