In Review
Welcome to In Review! Check out the latest reviews across film, TV, theatre and so much more…
Film Review - Megalopolis
It's hard to say how the film will be received by audiences now, but it is sure to have an impact.
Film Review - The Teachers’ Lounge
This is ultimately a film about power and rebellion, and it is within the interplay of the two subjects that it shines.
Film Review - Monster
Monster confronts viewers with an ambiguous ending, leaving us to decipher the truth of who really is the eponymous monster, but perhaps the objective truth is there are monsters in each and every one of us.
Film Review - Robot Dreams
It’s a light summer breeze of a film clearly aimed to bring joy to both parents and kids whilst still telling a compelling story, so some kind of deep underlying metaphor is unnecessary. Just go have fun watching a cartoon dog and a robot roller-skate to Earth, Wind & Fire! Your brain deserves a break.
Film Review - Anatomy of a Fall
Painting a portrait of a marriage in decline, a child irrevocably changed, and a woman in freefall, Anatomy vivisects the ripple effect of its victim’s demise, familial wounds spilling open to reveal grisly entrails for all to see.
Film Review - The Zone of Interest
Devoid of all but the implication of violence, The Zone of Interest commands you to reckon with just how easy it is to turn a blind eye without even realising.
Film Review - Stop Making Sense (4K Restoration)
Move aside Taylor Swift. The re-release of Stop Making Sense reiterates that Talking Heads still holds the title for the best concert film ever made.
Film Review - It Lives Inside
Overall, It Lives Inside illustrates itself to be a unique conceptual endeavour which struggles under the weight of its own potential. Although somewhat competent in facets of its execution, it ultimately sabotages its potency and settles upon a derivatively restrained final product which unfortunately struggles to leave a lasting impression.
Film Review - Scrapper
Offbeat, endearing, and at times, soul-crushing, Charlotte Regan’s feature debut Scrapper poignantly weaves tangerine-tinged whimsy into a tale of reconciliation, effortlessly bearing the weight of immeasurable loss with a touching irreverence.
Film Review - Marlowe
You’d be hard-pressed to say that its intended audience of older, weekday-matinee filmgoers won’t be satisfied by watching a canonised movie star like Neeson doing his thing as a 1930’s detective. Just don’t expect to be wowed by its stunning execution or originality.
Film Review - Pearl
If you’re a fan of Pearl’s previous instalment X and expect it to have the same gritty, slasher, exploitation elements to the story, then you may have to limit your expectations for this film.
Film Review - All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
All the Beauty is this wonderful study of the marginal, of someone with a heart uncorroded by time in the halls of power, who leverages the success of their life’s work to take on a pure, irredeemable evil.
Film Review - Close
Director Lukas Dhont’s sophomore feature film Close explores the relationship between two best friends, Léo (Eden Dambrine) and Rémi (Gustav De Waele) as they begin high school.
Film Review - The Whale
However blunt its approach may be (and perhaps that obtuseness is key to something like this working for many audiences), The Whale succeeds on its emotional front, conveying a broader message of understanding and sympathy before judgement.
Film Review - Mustang
Mustang follows the story of five young girls growing up in rural Turkey, as they navigate their youth and the looming social expectations of marriage and purity.
Film Review - You Won’t Be Alone
Considering the film's lofty, existential ambitions, You Won't Be Alone ends up a surprisingly resounding success, thanks in no small part to adept direction and incredible performances from the cast all round.
Film Review - Fire of Love
Bold and breathtaking in its awe-inspiring images of nature at its most fierce, Fire of Love does what any great nature doco should - not just fascinate, but entertain.
Film Review - The Forgiven
Outside of some stunning cinematography and promising themes, The Forgiven feels too inconsequential to be engaging. Hampered by universally unlikable characters and simple moral messaging, the story unfortunately fails the fantastic cast.