Contributor Hannah Strong

Outdoor scene with lush greenery, fields of tall grass, and a person in the distance with arms outstretched.
Review

Bird review – a magical, energetic marvel

by Hannah Strong

Social and magical realism merge in Andrea Arnold’s scintillating Thames Estuary fable about the friendship between a latchkey kid and a smiling wanderer searching for home.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
5
In Retrospect
A young Asian man wearing a red jacket and grey hooded jacket, standing in a wooded area.
Festivals

Missing Child Videotape – first-look review

by Hannah Strong

Kondo Ryota's debut feature is a chilling ghost story that begins with a videotape – but that's where the similarities to Ringu end in this impressive new J-Horror.
Three people, an older man and two younger women, posing in a traditional-looking Japanese interior setting with shelves and artwork on the walls.
Festivals

Teki Cometh – first-look review

by Hannah Strong

An elderly man plans the final year of his life in Daihachi Yoshida's impressive adaptation of Yasutaka Tsutsui's novel.
Two young people, a woman and a man, sitting on a sandy beach near a lake or sea, surrounded by mountains in the background.
Festivals

Route 29 – first-look review

by Hannah Strong

A standoffish young woman embarks on a road trip with an unusual 12-year-old girl in Yusuke Morii's offbeat sophomore feature.
A man in a black robe wielding a sword in a fighting stance.
Festivals

11 Rebels – first-look review

by Hannah Strong

Kazuya Shiraishi polishes off a 60-year-old script for this bloodthirsty samurai epic about a band of criminals recruited to defend a castle from the emperor's army during the Boshin War.
Two individuals, a man and a woman, standing together on a city street near a "College" sign. The man is wearing a black t-shirt, and the woman is wearing a light-coloured blouse. The buildings and cityscape in the background suggest an urban setting.
Review

Matt and Mara review – a sharp dramedy with magnetic leads

by Hannah Strong

Two college friends reunite and reconsider the trajectory of their lives in Kazik Radwanski's keenly observed relationship comedy-drama.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
Two women sitting on a teal sofa, engaged in conversation, surrounded by books and other items on a coffee table.
Review

The Room Next Door review – something is missing

by Hannah Strong

Pedro Almodóvar makes his English-language debut with an adaptation of Sigrid Nunez's What Are You Going Through, starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton as old friends who reunite in a time of crisis.

5
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Close-up of a woman with blonde hair wearing a blue sequined top, crying with tears running down her face.
Review

Smile 2 review – this is going to ruin the tour

by Hannah Strong

Parker Finn follows up his 2022 smash with a suitably silly sequel, in which a pop star becomes the latest victim of the grinning demon who drives victims to suicide.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Portrait of a man wearing a brown leather jacket and floral shirt, with a serious expression on his face.
Review

A Different Man review – an atmospheric, idiosyncratic thriller

by Hannah Strong

Sebastian Stan and Adam Pearson are an excellent double act in Aaron Schimberg's effective sophomore feature.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Two people leaning in close, lit by warm orange light.
Review

Joker: Folie à Deux review – a grim karaoke session

by Hannah Strong

Todd Phillips recruits Lady Gaga to his circus act as Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as the crime-committing clown about town in this shockingly amateur musical effort.

2
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect

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