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
