CALIGULA: THE ULTIMATE CUT threatens to prioritise style and depravity over substance, but perhaps that excess is the critique. While the new version does not elevate the material to masterpiece status, McDowell’s fearless turn and the curiosity of an unsanitised release make this worth watching.
GETTING LOST is a worthy two hours because of how it forever returns to Lost’s fans and the communities they created.
Some uninspired creative choices in WE LIVE IN TIME are not enough to detract from Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh’s central performances, dispelling most of the tired cancer cliches with a heartfelt, moving tale of love and loss.
GRAND THEFT HAMLET is a relic of a strange time made with love, ingenuity, and originality, a testament to the enduring, almost addictive appeal of live theatre and human connection no matter what obstacles arise.
ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL – Rungano Nyoni’s second feature film – is a skilfully constructed balance of tone and expectations. The film finds reason in oddities, truths in ambiguities, and joy despite trauma, all underscored by a superb performance from Susan Chardy.
Despite a messy and unfocused narrative trajectory, the depth of absurdity Guy Maddin (and co-directors Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson) offers in RUMOURS skewers the modern geopolitical scene better than most.
Andrea Arnold’s latest film, BIRD, is a beguiling blend of British social realism and magical realism, exposing the deep yearning towards nature in a dying England left adrift at the end of the world.
EMILIA PÉREZ is heavily inspired by the shocking twists and family secrets of telenovelas. Unfortunately, the film is aurally and visually ugly, and the way in which it uses Mexican drug violence and cartels as scenery without engaging with the social reality leaves a bad taste.
THE ASSESSMENT has enough interesting ideas to bolster the excellent central performances and basic premise. It never quite rises to meet its loftier concerns, but intelligent writing and captivating performances result in something well above a passing grade.
SANTOSH is a patient film, that illustrates how a dysfunctional environment can pervert the meagre empowerment it offers marginalised people.
