The last thing I'd recommend

 The Last Man (2018)

Written & directed by Rodrigo H. Vila this film stars Hayden Christensen, Harvey Keitel and Liz Solari. In the near future a war veteran with PTSD believes the world is ending soon.

It was a real struggle to get through this film, the plot manages to be a real slog to get to a predictable conclusion. Nothing ever happens with the hints that the protagonist is an unreliable narrator which seems like a complete waste. Some of the dialogue was hard to catch and the visual effects gloomy at best.

2/5

Where no woman had gone before?

 Carmencita (1894)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is a short film staring Carmencita. We see a woman dancing in front of the camera.

Barely thirty seconds long this is not the longest dance you will ever see. What we do get here is possibly one of the first ever women caught on film. As early dance clips go this film does not stand out much beyond its historical significance.

3/5

A rose by a very different name

 Rosy (2018)

Written & directed by Jess Bond this film stars Nat Wolff, Stacy Martin, Johnny Knoxville and Tony Shalhoub. A young man kidnaps an aspiring actress to convince her to fall in love with him.

It may be an uncomfortable watch for some but this black comedy goes to some really interesting places. There is definitely something to the way this film explores trust between two people even if it goes at it from a very unusual set up. Possibly most interesting is seeing Johnny Knoxville in an actual serious, dramatic role for a change.

3/5

I wish I hadn't watched this

 The Final Wish (2018)

Directed by Timothy Woodward Jr. this film stars Michael Welch, Lin Shaye and Melissa Bolona. A young lawyer struggling with his life returns home after his father's death and runs into a wish granting demon.

This film relies far too heavily on fake scares and cliché characters. The script needs some serious work to save any sort of entertainment. Even the acting is poor with so much of it seemingly wooden.

1/5

An improvement!

 Monkeyshines, No. 2 (1890)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson & William Heise this film “stars” G. Sacco Albanese. We see a man moving around and waving.

Unlike this film's predecessor you can actually see what is going on here. Still not exactly a great film but at least identifiable as a person on screen. Probably not a milestone in cinema worth seeking out.

2/5

A film that should have been killed at birth

 Kill Ben Lyk (2018)

Directed by Erwan Marinopoulos this film stars Eugene Simon, Dimitri Leonidas and Simone Ashley. Someone is going round killing all the people called Ben Lyk in London.

There is some promise to the premise of the film but that is about the only promising thing this film has. From a terrible script with transphobic “jokes” to poor acting there is nothing to really enjoy here. Even the doors on the sets are not properly hinged.

1/5

Keep away

 Proximity (2020)

Directed by Eric Demeusy this film stars Ryan Masson, Highdee Kuan, Christian Prentice and Nomi Abadi. Despite having video footage of his abduction no one will believe a man that it is real.

There is a lot of pretty bad stuff in this film from the secret government agency that seems completely hopeless to the aliens that come to Earth because Jesus. I mentally checked out on this film really early on. Sad to say but this film is pretty much all round terrible.

1/5

The first of many

 

Annabelle Butterfly Dance (1894)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson this film stars Annabelle Moore. We see a woman in a flowing dress doing a butterfly dance.

This is the first of many similar films, several of which have the same star. On the short side even for films of this type there is not really a lot of dance here. A very average film that really is only notable for being first.

3/5

Not that well informed

 The Informer (2019)

Directed by Andrea Di Stefano this film based on the novel “Three Seconds” stars Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Clive Owen, Common and Ana de Armas. Working for the FBI as an informer everything goes wrong for a reformed criminal.

As genre films go this is a decent little thriller even if it stretches the boundaries of believability occasionally. Never more than the sum of its parts there is not much you have not seen before here. A lot of on screen talent sadly does not amount to much.

3/5

Double the taps, slightly less fun

 Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

Directed by Ruben Fleischer this sequel stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone. Years later the zombies have evolved and our heroes have been split up.

As sequels go this is a fine film but does not really add anything to the original. If you just want more of the same then this is decent without moving the world or the characters forward really. Enjoyable but completely forgettable.

3/5

Absolutely no Christmas cheer

 Hounds of Love (2016)

Written & directed by Ben Young this film stars Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings and Stephen Curry. In late 1980s Australia a teenage girl struggling with her parents divorce is kidnapped by a married couple.

Covering a dark subject matter brutally this film is a tour de force of film making, the use of sound and image is near perfect at times. The plot is decent and serves the needs of the film but is not that deep to be honest. If you can stomach the subject matter this is a great watch.

4/5

Annie got her gun

 Annie Oakley (1894)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson and William Heise this short film features Annie Oakley. We see the famed markswoman of the old west do some shooting.

It is fascinating to see a figure of history like this caught on film even if so briefly. The actual action is not overly remarkable. A nice little piece of history saved for posterity.

3/5

Ordinary is the strength of the film

 Ordinary Love (2019)

Directed by Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn this film stars Lesley Manville and Liam Neeson. A middle aged woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, we see the strain the treatment puts on her and her husband.

I love that this film is not a melodramatic weepy but instead a really grounded, realistic look at cancer. So much of the script rings true to life. There are some great performances from the leads which are allowed to shine thanks to the low key direction.

4/5

Could have done with having more

 The Kill Team (2019)

Written & directed by Dan Krauss this film inspired by real events stars Nat Wolff, Alexnader Skarsgard and Adam Long. A young American solider finds himself part of a unit murdering civilians in Afghanistan.

It is rare that I wish a film was longer but this is one of the few films that I was was. The plot is good but I'm not sure it has enough run time to really dig into the subtle manipulations of the subject matter. At the end I found myself wanting to watch the documentary that covers this same subject.

3/5

A little too long of a visit

 Berlin Syndrome (2017)

Directed by Cate Shortland this film based on the novel of the same name stars Teresa Palmer and Max Riemelt. A young Australian woman travelling in Germany has sex with a teacher who holds her hostage.

As thrillers go this is a decent if unremarkable effort. I think the plot could have been trimmed a little, the two hour run time is a little excessive in my opinion. There are decent performances and a good level of tension through out the film.

3/5

Just a kid with clubs

 

Newark Athlete (1891)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is an early short film. We see a boy wave some juggling clubs around.

Even for films of the period there is not much to this film. What is lacking here is any kind of real action or entertainment. Weaker than a number of Dickson's similar films.

2/5

Same again

 Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)

Directed by Jake Kasdan this film features the cast of the previous film alongside Awkwafina, Danny Glover and Danny DeVito. A year after being trapped in the game four friends return home and find themselves drawn in again.

If you liked the previous film this is more of the same with a little less shine due to familiarity. Anyone that did not like the previous film in the series is not going to be converted by this film as there is not really anything new on offer. Fun but probably forgettable.

3/5

Poorly constructed

 The Shed (2019)

Written & directed by Frank Sabatella this film stars Jay Jay Warren, Cody Kostro and Sofia Happonen. A high school student living with his grandfather finds a vampire in his shed.

There is really not much to the plot of this film and to be honest the character actions are pretty stupid. I am not sure there is really anything to recommend this film on. Little tension arises from the set up, I found myself bored by the end of the film.

2/5

Man on a rope

 Caicedo (with Pole) (1894)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson this is a short film staring Juan A. Caidcedo and the titular pole.

We see a short clip of a high wire circus act.

Despite the short run time this is an entertaining moment captured for history. Not exactly thrilling but well shot for the period. A nice little piece of history.

3/5

Trapped by plot

 Disobedience (2017)

Directed by Sebastian Lelio this film based on the novel of the same name stars Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams and Alessandro Nivola. A bisexual woman returns home to the orthodox Jewish community she grew up in for the funeral of her rabbi father.

I expected a little bit more of this film given all the talent involved, the plot was a bit predictable and not especially ground breaking. While the film does nothing wrong it does not do a lot to stand out in my opinion. Really I think I would have liked to have seen a little more character growth from the protagonist when it seems she merely serves as a vessel for growth in others.

3/5

Better late than never

 The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018)

Directed by Terry Gilliam this film stars Adam Driver, Jonathan Pryce, Stellan Skarsgard, Olga Kurylenko and Joana Ribeiro. A director meets a man who thinks he is Don Quixote.

I am not familiar with the original story of Don Quixote so while I found this to be a fun film I may have been missing some context. It is nice to see Gilliam finally get this film over the line after so many failed attempts. Enjoyable but maybe not the director's greatest work.

3/5

Totally not about Harvey

 The Assistant (2019)

Written & directed by Kitty Green this film stars Julia Garner, Matthew Macfadyen, Makenzie Leigh and Kristine Froseth. A single day in the life of a young woman working as the most junior office assistant to a media mogul in the film industry.

It is amazing how this film does so much with so little. The plot is a brilliant look at the culture of silence in an industry rife with sexual harassment. I loved the minimalist nature of the film and how it builds to a claustrophobic and tense set up through such seemingly small events.

5/5

Not much shine

 Monkeyshines, No. 1 (1890)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson and William Heise this is possibly the first recorded film. A figure in white gestures, probably.

It is very hard to make out anything in this short film due to the poor image quality. There is no plot and little to recommend this film on. No doubt a landmark in film making but totally unwatchable.

1/5

The man who laughs

 

Joker (2019)

Directed by Todd Phillips this film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro and Zazie Beetz. In 1980s Gotham a clown and failed stand up comic becomes increasingly disenchanted with the world.

With big scoops of inspiration from the work of Martin Scorsese this film is a fascinating, grounded dive into the origins of a classic comic book character. About the only quibble I have with the film is the parts where it makes Thomas Wayne into a dick but given this story is coming from the point of view of an unreliable narrator I can let it slide. Brilliantly made and thoughtfully constructed this is a cut above so many comic book inspired films out there.

5/5

Not that different but still fun

 We Summon the Darkness (2019)

Directed by Marc Meyers this film stars Alexandra Daddario, Keean Johnson, Maddie Hasson and Logan Miller. In 1988 three young woman head to a heavy metal show but not all is as it seems.

This is a fun little movie that tries to offer a twist on familiar genre tropes. Even with the twists the plot is fairly predictable still so do not expect too much from this film. I would really like to have seen more of Johnny Knoxville's character, I thought there was some unrealised potential there.

3/5

A box of disappointment

The Boxing Cats (Prof. Welton's) (1894)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson and William Heise this film features Henry Welton alongside two cats. We see two cats have a boxing match of sorts.

To be honest to modern eyes this comes across as animal cruelty. The run time is blink and you will miss the entire film. No doubt a wonder to early film goers but pretty unimpressive now.

2/5

Waiting for a better adaptation

Waiting for Anya (2020)

Directed by Ben Cookson this film based on the novel of the same name stars Noah Schnapp, Jean Reno and Anjelica Huston. During WW2 a a shepherd boy helps Jews in hiding on the French/Spanish border.

While this film deals with an important subject matter there is not much that is surprising or original about this film. The plot contains a lot of familiar elements and a fairly weak script. Despite the mountainous backdrop the film seems fairly cheaply made.

2/5

Not a big fan

The Fanatic (2019)

Directed by Fred Durst this film stars John Travolta, Devon Sawa and Ana Golja. An autistic man living in Hollywood is obsessed with meeting his favourite actor.

This film is a pretty big disappointment, doing nothing of interest with its set up. The plot is very familiar and has elements that do not make much sense. Not a film I would recommend.

2/5

A dumpster fire

Otherworld (2018)

Written & directed by Corey Pearson this film also known as “Harmony” stars Jessica Falkholt, Jerome Meyer and Eamon Farren. A homeless woman has the power to take away other people's pain.

Oh boy, this film is pretty much terrible on every level. This is one of those films that you want to turn off after the first fifteen minutes but some how I suffered through the whole, mind numbing thing. Possibly the worst part about this film is that it is clearly franchise bait and uses that as an excuse to leave gapping holes in the plot.

1/5

Nothing to sniff at

Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (1894)

Directed by William K. L. Dickson this film stars Fred Ott. We see a man take a sniff of snuff and sneeze.

I am not really sure this film is up to snuff, as sneezes go the one recorded here is not that impressive. Maybe a second or third take would have elicited a bigger nasal reaction. There are more interesting films of the period out there.

2/5

The unresolved case of the murder of security guard Ralph

Charlie's Angels (2019)

Written & directed by Elizabeth Banks this film stars Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska. Three young woman work to stop a new energy system from being stolen and turned into a weapon.

My big problem with this film is that no one cares about the moral implications of some of the actions in the film such as the murder of a security guard or a long term member of the supposedly altruistic organisation so quickly turning on it for personal gain. There are some fun moments but there are times this film just feels like a disconnected group of set pieces. Some how this film is neither serious or funny enough to be enjoyable.

2/5