Sean Baker’s The Florida Project is a bittersweet drama. Although the finale is signposted fairly early on, the film excels in shining a light on a particular kind of childhood. Young Moonee spends her summer getting into mischief with her friends, growing up close to Disney World in Florida. Her mother Halley, meanwhile struggles to pay the rent on their […]
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Azazel Jacobs’ The Lovers is at times poignant, often funny, and always watchable. The film boasts great performances from its cast. Mary and Michael have been married for a long time. They are both in secret affairs, waiting for their son to visit before having the talk. Just before he arrives, a spark between them reignites… The Lovers functions as a love […]
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Gilles Coulier’s North Sea-set drama Cargo is a slow burner, but offers a satisfying pay off. When their ageing father falls ill, it is up to three brothers to decide what happens next. Jean sees the debt of his father’s business, and worries about his own son. Francis is concerned with a private relationship. Then black sheep William returns… Cargo is a […]
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Directed by John Lynch Carroll and starring Harry Dean Stanton in his second and final leading role, Lucky feels like an ode to character actors. Lucky is a Navy veteran and a man of routine. When he falls at home, he must face the fact that his health will decline. With the reassessment of his condition, Lucky must examine what […]
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Alex Ross Perry’s observational Golden Exits offers good performances and a meditative look at lives of young and middle-aged adults. Naomi is a young intern who travels to New York to work temporarily with an archivist. Her arrival disrupts the lives of two families in Brooklyn… Golden Exits revolves around the lives of a group of characters which are somewhat intertwined. […]
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Tarik Saleh’s The Nile Hilton Incident is a classic noir with a political twist. The film feels very contemporary, whilst adhering to the conventions of the genre. Police detective Noredin is tasked with investigating a murder that took place in a hotel room. His bosses seem eager to shut down the investigation, whilst the one witness has gone into hiding… […]
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Jenny Suen and Christopher Doyle’s drama The White Girl is a film desperately seeking a narrative. The aimless wandering results in a film which feels double its actual duration. A teenage girl living in a small Hong Kong fishing village is allergic to the sun. She is ostracised from others in her community. She takes an interest in a newcomer […]
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The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a macabre tale which offers the requisite tension and horror. The film provides a quiet terror and a permanent sense of unease. Steven is a successful surgeon who lives a comfortable life with his family. This tranquility is shattered, however, when the behavior of a teenage boy he has taken under his wing […]
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Writer-director David Freyne’s zombie thriller The Cured boasts a great premise, which is executed pretty well. A cure for a disease that has turned people into zombies has been found. The former zombies have to be reintegrated into society, despite the reluctance of many who saw the horror of the outbreak… David Freyne’s posits a very interesting starting point; that there is a cure […]
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Paco Plaza’s Verónica is a by-the-numbers demonic possession horror that boasts good production values but little in the way of originality. Teenager Verónica must look after her siblings whilst her mother works. When she and two school friends play with a Ouija board, there are unwanted consequences… Taking place over a three-day period, Verónica is a demonic possession horror loosely based on […]
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