‘Lady Bird’ Review

Greta Gerwig has previously proved herself as an actor and writer, and now she adds director (Academy-award nominated, I might add) to her skillset. With Lady Bird, she infuses a beautifully observed tale of teenagehood with such heart and humour; it’s hard not to find yourself falling for it. We encounter the titular Lady Bird…

‘The Shape of Water’ Review

Arriving with an impressive 13 Oscar nominations, Guillermo del Toro brings us another fantastical tale, one featuring an amphibian man, that, despite its other-worldly qualities, is a deeply human tale of love. It is pure cinematic magic. Set in the 1960s, during the Cold War, the film follows Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute woman who…

‘Phantom Thread’ Review

The latest from Paul Thomas Anderson is hard to categorise. Yes, it is a period piece, it is a romance, but it is also, in some sense, a comedy of psychological games that eventually pushes its characters to the verge of absurdity. It is an entrancing and intriguing piece, prepared to challenge its audience. Set…

‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ Review

Playwright-turned-filmmaker Martin McDonaugh’s work is characterised by its pairing of darkly comic sensibilities with crime led drama, and he continues that thread here. Three Billboards is an astonishing film whose story is derived from a tragic event, yet the film manages to be equally laugh-out-loud hilarious, and utterly heartbreaking. Seven months on from the rape…

‘Call Me By Your Name’ Review

Following the gloriously electric A Bigger Splash from 2015, Luca Guadagnino’s intoxicating style returns to the screen with this adaptation of André Aciman’s novel, but in a much more restrained and melancholic manner, to produce one of the most authentic and touching romances of recent years. Set ‘somewhere in Northern Italy’ in 1983, the film…

‘Blade Runner 2049’ Review

The latest in the so far largely disappointing new genre of belated sequels hugely bucks the trend. It was a brave move to expand on an iconic classic (whose influence has stretched far and wide across many genres), and it is a risk that absolutely paid off in delivering one of the best sequels we’ve…

‘Dunkirk’ Review

One of the most highly anticipated films of the year, from one of the most innovative and beloved directors around, taking on a vital piece of history; the expectations were sky high. There was so much pressure on this film to blow us away that if it didn’t even quite reach those hefty heights, it…

‘Get Out’ Review

Jordan Peele’s directorial debut is a phenomenally original horror-comedy that carries a very real political commentary and message about our society. The film details Chris’ (Daniel Kaluuya) first visit to his girlfriend Rose’s (Allison Williams) parents’ home. Initially weary of how the white family may react to their daughter bringing home a black boyfriend, he…