Creep writer/director Christopher Smith gets to exercise his talent for the bizarre and disturbing on a bigger scale with this smart, twisting tale of maternal guilt, deserted ships and hooded shooters. Echoing similar thrillers such as Memento, Groundhog Day and even Donkey Punch, this sees troubled single-mum Jess joining a group of posh yachters who are capsized in a…
This is a poisonous concoction of dreadful writing, awful acting, vicious violence and horrible characters. Adam Deacon, who seems to have become weirdly popular of late, plays a premiership footballer desperate to start a relationship with a well-spoken showbiz journalist (Nichola Burley). But our unlikable, arrogant leading man gets involved in funding a gang headed…
Those marketing this film have tried their hardest to make it seem as if it is comparable to Se7en. It isn’t. It contains murders and people mention sinning occasionally. Apart from that, it is light-years away from that film in terms of plotting and quality. Ray Liotta and Christian Slater are decent actors in their…
Saw VII: The Final Chapter (or, as it was called in the cinemas, Saw 3D) is an example of how an aging, creaking, pathetic mess of a franchise can pick itself for a last gory hurrah. It has taken me two years to get round to seeing it (admittedly in 2D rather than gimmicky 3D),…
Shattered Glass is the fascinating true story of young journalist Stephen Glass, writer for the New Republican and office suck-up. He constantly flatters his co-workers, slags off their new boss to gain their favour, and craves attention through an appearance of humility: his catchphrase when pitching an article is “but I know it’s silly, I…
Smart thinking elevates this horror classic.
Sergio Leone returns for his greatest spaghetti western.
Carey Mulligan always used to seem like an actor teetering on the very brink of stardom, but with this film she finally made it, giving a wonderful performance. She plays a bright eyed young Oxbridge hopeful, who is cramming in as much studying as she can for her big exams. But when she meets smooth talking…
Although I have a wonderfully happy Christmas each year, there are of course those who dread the whole festive season. This nasty little shocker from 2008 should reassure them that, however painful one’s family Christmas can be, it should never get this bad. The people here really are hateful. Two families, one visiting the other,…
Set in the land of Halloween, this dark and creepy stop-motion animation from the mind of Tim Burton and James and the Giant Peach director Henry Selick has become something of a cult classic since its release in 1993. Jack Skellington, who bares the celebrity title “The Pumpkin King” (a skeletal creation many will be familiar with without evens seeing…
This nasty and offensive little horror film centres around a woman with postnatal depression. The depression gets worse, she has a psychotic breakdown, then tries to murder all her children. At one point we see her stab to death one of her little boys with the handle of a mirror, blood splashing onto her face.…
Private Peaceful is based on a novel by Michael Morpurgo. I read the book when I was very young – possibly eleven or twelve – and I found it extraordinarily affecting. It was told is such a simple but memorable way and the final few pages still haunt me to this day. This film adaptation doesn’t quite…
Nancy Meyer’s continues to spread her charming, joyful humour with this typically gentle romcom. As ever with her films, It’s Complicated features actors a little older than those you’d expect to find in a mainstream romantic comedy, and all the houses look enviably divine. Meryl Streep plays a divorced, posh-cafe owner who lives in a big…
Todd Haynes Velvet Goldmine is an absolute must-watch for anyone that enjoys a slightly over-the-top visual spectacle. Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Ewan McGregor play two glam rock singers heavily modelled on the likes of David Bowie and Iggy Pop, with the story being told from the perspective of a very young Christian Bale as their…