The House That Jack Built (1900)
Directed by George Albert Smith this is an early short film. A boy knocks over a house made of toy bricks then the film is run in reverse to restore the house.
A simple in both concept and execution. Nothing that special really, the content is not that entertaining. Maybe it was impressive to viewers in its day?
2/5
The Miller and the Sweep (1897)
Directed by George Albert Smith. Two men bump into each other and have a fight.
Fine for a slapstick comedy, the action does sort of stray off frame at one point though. A decent concept for comedy in a black and white film. Nothing that impressive in the end.
3/5
Let Me Dream Again (1900)
Directed by George Albert Smith this is an early short film. A man has a lovely time with an attractive young woman then wakes up next to his wife.
A simple joke that is not overly funny. Fine for what it is but nothing that special. Survives in pretty good image quality.
3/5
Santa Claus (1898)
Directed by George Albert Smith this is an early short film. Santa delivers presents to children.
Impressive use of editing for when this film was made. Has a lot of charm to it for how short the film is. An enjoyable Christmas film even outside of the season.
4/5
The Watchers (2024)
Directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan this film stars Dakota Fanning, Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouere and Oliver Finnegan. A young woman finds herself trapped in a large, magical forest in Ireland.
Not a terrible start with an exploration of folklore and a dark take on fairies unfortunately I am not sure all of the plot makes sense. How exactly the bunker in the forest got built is not clear and the twist at the end is far too obvious. A bit of a disappointment really.
2/5
Thelma (2024)
Written & directed by Josh Margolin this film stars June Squibb, Fred Hechinger and Richard Roundtree. A woman in her 90s tries to get her money back after falling for a scam.
If you can look past the convenience of being scammed over the phone by someone that lives in the same city as you this is a decent enough film. The plot is a bit lightweight but fine for what it is. Has the occasional funny moment but could have done with punching up a bit.
2/5
Rob Peace (2024)
Directed by co-star Chiwetel Ejiofor this film based on real events also stars Jay Will, Mary J, Blige and Camila Cabello. A brilliant young African American student risks it all to try and get his dad out of prison.
Trying to raise the question of if a person can escape the expectations of others I think this film might be a bit short to get to grips full with the issues at hand. A lot of the trappings of the story are familiar. If you want to see a smart kid go Walter White then this is the film for you.
3/5
The X-Ray Fiend (1897)
Directed by George Albert Smith this is an early short film staring Laura Bayley and Tom Green. A couple get x-rayed.
What fascinates me is how close this film was made to the discovery of X-rays, would the audience actually get what they are seeing? As it is this is an okay special effects film for the period. Fine for what it is.
3/5
Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020)
Directed by Jasmila Zbanic this film stars Jasna Duricic, Izudin Bajrovic, Boris Ler and Johan Heldenbergh. As Serbian forces take control of the Bosnian town of Srebrenica a woman working as a translator for the UN tries to save her family.
This is an anxiety inducing film about people ignored by the world as they are left to genocide. There is almost a documentary like quality to this film it sticks to the events and does not get melodramatic. A really tough watch, well made.
4/5
Surge (2020)
Directed by Aneil Karia this film stars Ben Whishaw and Jasmine Jobson. A man frustrated with life has a manic episode.
While the tag lines might claim this is a film about a man on a journey of self liberation it seems pretty clear to me it is more likely a manic episode. The plot is pretty grounded and I do enjoy the subtle needles of real life that the protagonist has to live with. Lacks a bit of a resolution.
3/5
Blue Jean (2022)
Directed by Georgia Oakley this film stars Rosy McEwen, Karrie Hayes, Lucy Halliday and Lydia Page. In 1980s Britain a school teacher must decide between keeping her own sexuality secret and protecting a pupil from false accusations.
Another film where you can see the inevitable disaster coming from a long way off, that builds a lot of tension and anxiety in the viewer. A good look at the struggles faced by LGBT folk in a society trying to repress them. Well made and well acted.
4/5
A Place Called Silence (2024)
Directed by Sam Quah this film stars Ning Chang, Eric Wang and Wang Sheng Di. Someone kills three high school girls that are part of a group of bullies.
There are too many twists and turns for the sake of having twists in this film. I also found some of the moments over milked for melodramatic purposes. A bit of a mess really.
2/5
The Line (2023)
Directed by Ethan Berger this film stars Alex Wolff, Bo Mitchell, Halle Bailey and Austin Abrams. A young man in a fraternity at a Southern University gets involved in the beef between his immature room mate and a new pledge.
Nothing is particularly new about this film and you can see the inevitable car crash coming, even if it is in a good way. What I struggle with is why does the rebellious pledge not just walk away as he clearly does not seem that interested in joining the fraternity. A bit of a mixed bag despite good intentions.
2/5
The Kiss in the Tunnel (1899)
Directed by George Albert Smith and Cecil M. Hepworth this is an early short film. A train goes into a dark tunnel and a couple enjoy a smooch.
Considering when this film was made it is possibly the first use of editing to convey a narrative. The content itself is not overly special, clearly this one is remarkable for the technical advancement. Pretty good for when it was made.
3/5
Coronation of Their Majesties King Edward VII and Queen Alexandria (1902)
Directed by Georges Melies and George Albert Smith this is a short documentary. We see a short snap of the coronation ceremony.
Unfortunately this film does not seem to survive in the best quality, it is a bit hard to make out what is going on in the image. No doubt of valuable historical record in terms of entertainment it is not that great. One I would probably skip.
2/5
Precious Hair & Beauty (2021)
Directed by John Ogunmuyiwa this film stars Michael Akinsulire, Ade Dee Haastrup and Adjani Salmon. We see the world through the window of an African hair salon.
When this film is a study of the mundane I really enjoy it, the inclusion of a man flying off into the sky really took me out of the piece and disrupted the tone. I do enjoy some of the small human moments that are captured. It is just that one out of place note that messes with this one.
2/5
Citizen Ashe (2021)
Directed by Rex Miller and Sam Pollard this is a sports documentary. We follow the life and career of Arthur Ashe, the first black man to be a tennis superstar.
I did not know anything about Ashe before watching this film and it does a fairly good job of telling viewers who he is. There could have been a bit more depth to the documentary, at times it all feels a bit surface level and safe, no push back or comments from the other side so to speak. Pretty well made.
3/5
A Tricky Painter's Fate (1908)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A painter trolls would be passengers on a train by placing paintings in the window.
I am not entirely sure how the painter's prank is supposed to work, his paintings are not that life like. Fine for what it is. Not the best in terms of artistry or humour from Melies.
2/5
Dark Waters (2019)
Directed by Todd Haynes this film inspired by real events stars Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway and Tim Robbins. A corporate defence lawyer ends up working for an acquaintance of his grandmother to take on a large chemical company.
What I really like about this film is how it highlights the slow and often futile path of justice, much like The Searchers (1956) you can really see the passage of time in the film. As a legal thriller there is not a huge amount that is new or different here. Decent performances from the cast but nothing really special.
3/5
Turn Me On (2024)
Directed by Michael Tyburski this film stars Bel Powley and Nick Robinson. A young woman living in a community where people take pills to suppress all emotions stops taking her pills for a day.
Not hugely original in content this film is at least a little different in the lower stakes execution of the concept. Instead of the more action filled version you might get in the early 2000s this is a more personal, comedic film. Pretty well done although I am not sure it ultimately goes anywhere that interesting.
3/5
The Bikeriders (2023)
Written & directed by Jeff Nichols this film stars Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy. We follow the evolution of a motorbike riding club in the 1960s and 1970s.
Taking a loose inspiration from real events this film does remain grounded and captures something of the biker culture of the era. Where the film falls short is it never really captures the experiences or motivation of the “new members” who come to take over the club and turn it into a real gang. A good character study but fails to get to grips with the larger change in culture in my opinion.
3/5
Rogues' Tricks (1907)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. Two men break into a house then get disturbed by the occupant.
Not bad for what it is and a change from the usual Melies subject matter. Pretty fun little comedy where criminals get their just deserts at the end. Not one that will linger in the memory.
3/5
The Genii of Fire (1908)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A couple go into a cave where people do weird magic.
A scene straight out of a dungeons and dragons campaign. There may not be the most easily of understood plot but there is definitely stuff happening here. Good effects and sets.
3/5
A Crazy Composer (1905)
Directed by Georges Melies this is an early short film. A composer falls asleep and is visited by all manner of things in his dreams.
Another in Melies's series of films exploring the dreams of people. Well done in terms of costumes and staging. The film might lack a little in the way of plot but is entertaining.
3/5
Chuck Chuck Baby (2023)
Written & directed by Janis Pugh this film stars Louise Brealey and Annabel Scholey. A chicken factory worker reconnects with a woman she had a crush on since childhood.
For what it is this is a pretty fun film. The musical elements help add to what is a bit of an otherwise familiar plot. Decent performances from the cast.
3/5
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Directed by Jane Schoenbrun this film stars Justice Smith and Jack Haven. Two teens bond over their enjoyment of a television show.
This might be the best film I have seen in years, the way it switches from coming of age drama into Lynch style nightmare is fantastic. While the film is a trans allegory the concept living in fear rather than taking the big jump to what you really want can affect us all. Fantastic from concept to execution, perfectly nails the genre feel. I really need to see more from Jane Schoenbrun now.
5/5
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Directed by George Miller this prequel stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth and Alyla Browne. We learn the origins of Furiosa.
Prequels are hard to pull off, you have to take a character on an arc when we already know how things end, this film does a pretty decent job on that front. What I really like about this film is how it builds out the world and scale in a way Miller has not had the budget to before in the franchise. Lots of fun, may be a little on the long side, a bit of trimming would not have gone amiss.
4/5
