Going to the Fire (1896)
Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. A group of people stand round watching as the Newark Fire Department respond to a call.
What we get here is people leaving the fire station but that is all. Pretty much this is just a single shot that pans slightly, not a huge amount to it. We are left to imagine whatever it is that the fire crews are responding to.
2/5
You Should Have Left (2020)
Directed by David Koepp this film based on the novel of the same name stars Kevin Bacon, Amanda Seyfried and Avery Essex. A married couple and their daughter go to stay at a strange house in Wales.
As horror films go this one covers a lot of familiar territory and is never especially scary or creepy. The message of the film is the depressingly familiar idea that a man can only prove his love for his family by sacrificing himself. I think there is a good film in here about the way guilt can destroy a person but this is not the story to handle it with any depth.
2/5
Big Time Adolescence (2019)
Directed by Jason Orley this film stars Pete Davidson, Griffin Gluck and Oona Laurence. A sixteen year old boy is best friends with a twenty three year old who spends his days drinking and high.
Covering classic coming of age content this is a decent watch if not overly revolutionary. The plot is funny in places and rolls along to an inevitable conclusion. Nothing stands out too much to recommend this film on but it is a decent watch none the less.
3/5
Skyfire (2019)
Directed by Simon West this film stars Wang Xueqi, Hannah Quinlivan, Shawn Dou and Jason Isaacs. Building a holiday resort around an active volcano turns out not to be a good idea.
Essentially this is Jurassic Park with a Volcano instead of dinosaurs. There is plenty of action but really not a huge amount of plot or depth to this film. You will be entertained for 90 minutes even if you take away very little from this film.
3/5
The Devil Has a Name (2019)
Directed by Edward James Olmos this film stars David Strathairn, Kate Bosworth, and Martin Sheen. A farmer in California goes up against an oil company for poisoning his land.
As court room dramas go this is not a great one, the black comedy elements of the film are not really the best either. No doubt there is an interesting story here but I am not sure this is the most engaging version of it. Given all the talent on show here I wanted a little more from the film.
2/5
Cut Throat City (2020)
Directed by RZA this film stars Shameik Moore, T.I., Demetrius Shipp Jr. and Ethan Hawke. Following Hurricane Katrina four friends in New Orleans resort to crime to make money.
To be honest the plot of this film is hard to follow at times and I am not sure it really makes sense at all. Character motivations change for no reason or are just not understandable. Unfortunately this is one to miss.
2/5
Sniper: Assassin's End (2020)
Directed by Kaare Andrews this is the eighth instalment in the series stars Chad Michael Collins, Tom Berenger and Sayaka Akimoto. A special ops sniper is framed for the murder of a foreign trade minister.
From start to finish this is a pretty ridiculous film. Most of the plot makes no sense and the action sequences are not great. About the only positive is you do not need to have seen the previous seven films in the franchise to be able to follow along.
1/5
A Storm at Sea (1900)
Directed by James H, White this is an early short film. We see two man standing on the deck of a ship looking at the rolling waves.
Unfortunately due to the quality of the image it impossible to see why the sky is like to really get the complete feel of the storm. What we do see in the waves is very impressive but only ever feels like part of the picture. Still a decent little short.
3/5
To Olivia (2021)
Directed by John Hay this film inspired by real events stars Hugh Bonneville and Keeley Hawes. Following the death of their first child Roald Dahl and his wife Patricia Neal suffer a break down of their marriage.
I am a hundred percent down for a deep dive into the life of Roald Dahl but this is a fairly superficial look at a small part of his life. The film sadly never feels like it has any real depth to it despite covering the terrible loss of a child. Unfortunately another poor effort from Sky's originals series.
2/5
Walkaway Joe (2020)
Directed by Tom Wright this film stars Julian Feder, Jeffery Dean Morgan and David Strathairn. A fourteen year old boy goes on the run looking for his absent pool playing father.
Covering standard coming of age stuff this script leans a little too heavily on telling rather than showing in some of its key moments. Overall this is a fairly enjoyable film with the sports elements feeling a little forced. Not the worst coming of age film you will see but there are many better out there.
2/5
Black Diamond Express (1896)
Directed by James H. White this is an early short film staring Benjamin F. Hardesty and Charles Lee. Railway workers move out of the way for a passing train.
Not even a minute long there is not a huge amount to this short film. We get some tension over if the workers will move out of the way in time or not to keep things entertaining. Truthfully I would have liked a bit more of the train, it is barely in the film only making the briefest of appearances at the end.
3/5
Blood and Money (2020)
Directed by John Barr this film stars Tom Berenger, Kristen Hager and Jimmy LeBlanc. During the winter in Maine a sick, old hunter faces of a against a gang of criminals in the woods.
In terms of depth there is not a huge amount to this film and the action is fairly low key as well. As budget films go this is not too bad but I did find myself clock watching towards the end. A decent set up that there could have been more done with.
3/5
The Parting Glass (2018)
Directed by Stephen Moyer this film stars Denis O'Hare, Melissa Leo, Cynthia Nixon, Ed Asner, Rhys Ifans and Anna Paquin. Three siblings and their father travel to clear out the apartment of their dead younger sibling.
The strength of this film is the fantastic ensemble cast and the humour found in a terrible situation. I would really recommend this film, it takes a while to get going but once it does it is a real joy to watch. A real independent treat.
4/5
Ode to Joy (2019)
Directed by Jason Winer this film stars Martin Freeman, Morena Baccarin, Jake Lacy and Jane Curtin. A man who faints whenever he experiences joy becomes attracted to a woman, breaking his life of romantic isolation.
There is something to be said for the characters in this film, it is unusual to see people who try to keep themselves from emotional harm on the big screen. Unfortunately the script is not that deep, sticking more to the light comedy of the situation. A fun watch but maybe some wasted potential.
3/5
Panorama of Eiffel Tower (1900)
Directed by James H. White this film stars the Eiffel tower and a bunch of passers by. We see the Eiffel tower from bottom to top.
Containing possibly the first camera tilt in history this film is ground breaking but not exactly impressive to modern eyes. Most interesting is how the people passing by react to being on camera. No doubt of historical value even if not the most thrilling of watches.
3/5
Adopt a Highway (2019)
Written & directed by Logan Marshall-Green this film stars Ethan Hawke, Diane Gaeta and Elaine Hendrix. After twenty years in prison a man struggles to reintegrate into society.
I really enjoyed this film and found it very touching in places even if it is a little obviously constructed. The set up is clearly made to tug on the heart strings with a protagonist that lacks a little bit of complexity. All in all a good watch with a top performance from Ethan Hawke.
3/5
Trick or Treat (2019)
Directed by Edward Boase this film stars Craig Kelly, Dean Lennox Kelly and Maimie McCoy. On Halloween a depressed man's brother turns up at his door claiming he has killed someone.
Trying to be something between a mystery, thriller and dark comedy this film does not really work. I am not sure it really knows what the point of the story is in the end. It is a real shame that the protagonists problems are not dealt with in a serious manner.
2/5
The Tomorrow Man (2019)
Written & directed by Noble Jones this film stars John Lithgow and Blythe Danner. A retired man preparing for the apocalypse falls in love with a woman.
I enjoyed nearly all of this film right up till the final moment which unfortunately ruins a lot of the character growth. If I could change just the last moment then this would be a pretty good film. It would also be better if the script tackled the more distasteful underside of the conspiracy theories that the protagonist is into.
2/5
Nuclear (2019)
Directed by Catherine Linstrum this film stars Emilia Jones, George MacKay and Sienna Guillory. A teenage girl and her mother go on the run following a violent attack by her older half-brother in the woods.
Without doubt the best the best thing about this film is Emilia Jones's performance, she is going to be a great actress. The film is interesting but not unfamiliar in the themes it explores. Over all I enjoyed the film although it is hard to talk about without spoilers.
3/5
The Oath (2018)
Written & directed by star Ike Barinholtz this film also features Tiffany Haddish and John Cho. Americans are being asked to sign an oath to the president and as the deadline approaches one family has a fractious Thanksgiving.
Injecting dark humour into a scary situation this is at least a funny film. I like the political commentary however none of the main characters are ever really put to the test on their beliefs which is a bit disappointing once events spiral out of control. Definitely relevant when it was made and right up to January of this year.
3/5
Villains (2019)
Directed by writers Dan Berk & Robert Olsen this film stars Bill Skarsgard, Maika Monro, Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Donovan. A young couple on the run break into a house and get much more than they bargained for from the occupants.
I enjoyed the dark comedy of this film but the plot does not ever really go anywhere. As enjoyable as this film is there is a lack of depth to make it rewatchable. There are some decently creepy performances from the real villains of the piece.
3/5
A Morning Bath (1896)
Directed by James H. White this is an early short film. A woman gives a child a bath.
Very simple in content this short film runs for just less than a minute in total. We get little more than a home video style film here. The child does not seem that into the whole experience but this is mostly a wholesome effort.
3/5
Birds of Prey (2020)
Directed by Cathy Yan this film stars Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez and Ewan McGregor. After breaking up with the Joker our heroine Harley Quinn has to find a new place in the world.
This is much more of a Harley Quinn film than it is a Birds of Prey film, the other characters are definitely supporting acts. The plot is fairly average and scatter brained for the sake of it. As DCU films go this is not the worst but also not one I would ever rewatch.
3/5
Bull (2019)
Directed by Annie Silverstein this film stars Rob Morgan and Amber Havard. A teenage girl is forced to work for her neighbour after breaking into his house while he is away working at the rodeo.
This is a classic coming of age film with hints of Shane (1953) about it. There is enough that is refreshing about this tale to get over the familiar story beats. Well worth a watch, good effort in a crowded genre.
4/5
Narco Soldiers (2019)
Directed by Felix Limardo this film stars Rafael Amaya, Carolina Guerra and Ricardo Chavira. A woman uses two best friends to try to take over the drug trade in the Dominican Republic.
This is a very familiar drug story that you can see the ending of from a mile off. Cheaply made even the action does not carry the film. There are a lot better versions of this film out there so watch one of those instead.
2/5
The 24th (2020)
Directed by Kevin Willmott this film inspired by real events stars Trai Byers, Aja Naomi King and Mykelti Williamson. An African-American regiment is sent to segregated Huston in 1917.
I think the Houston Riot of 1917 is a fascinating part of American history and I would much rather have seen the real version of what happened rather than the inspired by version. The film does a decent job of showing what happened but gets a little too tied to individuals. A decent watch none the less and an important reminder of the parts of American history some would forget.
3/5
The Argument (2020)
Directed by Robert Schwartzman this film stars Dan Floger, Emma Bell, Danny Pudi, Cleopatra Coleman, Tyler James Williams and Maggie Q. After having an argument during a party a couple try to recreate the party exactly to find out who was in the wrong.
Slightly odd ball this film is curious at first but does become a bit repetitive. I think what is lacking is a level of energy to keep the humour and film pushing forward. An interesting idea slightly lost in the execution.
2/5
Irresistible (2020)
Written & directed by John Steward this film stars Steve Carell, Chris Cooper, Mackenzie Davis and Rose Byrne. A Democratic party consultant gets involved in a small town mayoral election.
As political satires go this is very much on the gentle side, the script shies away from ever doing any deep thinking. Some of the humour seems a little aggressive for the otherwise calm nature of the film. Not bad but I could not help thinking there was a better film in here somewhere.
3/5
