Contributor Alicia Haddick

Young woman with long dark hair in a school uniform, standing in a doorway against a bright blue sky with clouds.
Review

Suzume

by Alicia Haddick

Makoto Shinkai's third feature continues his fantastical vision with a teenage girl who accidentally opens a magical portal, but fails to make the same impact as Your Name and Weathering With You.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Two figures in colourful sci-fi costumes against a blue sky.

With Shin Kamen Rider, Hideaki Anno realises a childhood dream

by Alicia Haddick

The Neon Genesis Evangelion creator brings one of Japan's most enduring morally grey heroes to the big screen, following in the footsteps of Shin Godzilla and Shin Ultraman.
Animated characters, a dark-haired girl and a blond-haired boy, standing together against a night sky with a crescent moon.
The Oscar Goes To...

Why We Met in Virtual Reality deserves the Best Documentary Oscar

by Alicia Haddick

Joe Hunting's playful documentary is a hopeful look at the space created in virtual worlds for people to form genuine emotional connections.
Young woman with long dark hair in a school uniform, standing in a doorway against a bright blue sky with clouds.
Festivals

Suzume – first-look review

by Alicia Haddick

Makoto Shinkai's third feature continues his fantastical vision with a teenage girl who accidentally opens a magical portal, but fails to make the same impact as Your Name and Weathering With You.
Smiling man wearing a black t-shirt with a camera graphic, next to a man sitting on a bed and smiling.
Interviews

Tsai Ming-Liang and Lee Kang-Sheng on a joint career in filmmaking

by Alicia Haddick

The Taiwanese master filmmaker and his muse discuss their long-standing artistic partnership.
Two men sitting on a sofa, drinking from mugs.
Festivals

Tokyo International Film Festival celebrates the next generation of Japanese filmmaking talent

by Alicia Haddick

At the revamped Tokyo International Film Festival, the spotlight shone brightly on upcoming Japanese artistic voices.
Three young men in a car at night, illuminated by the dashboard lights.
Review

Emergency

by Alicia Haddick

Three college students eager to party end up in a fraught situation in director Carey Williams’ comedy-thriller.

2
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Robotic figure with glowing eyes, wearing a red scarf, in a wooded environment.
In Praise Of

Shin Ultraman is the culmination of a career indebted to a pop culture icon

by Alicia Haddick

As the cult Japanese hero receives a new live-action outing, we explore Ultraman’s influence on Hideaki Anno.
Two women conversing by a yellow car in a wooded area with trees and greenery.
Review

The Quiet Girl

by Alicia Haddick

A young girl’s difficult home life takes a turn for the better in Colm Bairéad’s impressive debut feature.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
Young girl with long brown hair sitting at a table, holding a plate of food.
Festivals

The Quiet Girl – first-look review

by Alicia Haddick

A young girl discovers a life she never thought possible in the Irish countryside in Colm Bairéad’s affecting debut feature.
Individuals climbing on and around a graffiti-covered wall, with cityscape in the background.
Festivals

Bubble – first-look review

by Alicia Haddick

Despite boasting an interesting concept, anime giant Tetsuro Araki’s first original feature plays it a little too safe.
A young woman with dark hair wearing a white winter jacket and a blue top, standing in a snowy forest.
Festivals

A Piece of Sky – first-look review

by Alicia Haddick

Michael Koch’s drama about an Alpine couple whose lives are changed by a devastating medical diagnosis proves a frustrating watch.

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.