Contributor Matt Thrift

Monochrome illustration featuring a portrait of a man surrounded by smaller images of other men, with a vintage style and bold colours.
Long Read

In defence of Robert De Niro

by Matt Thrift

Dirty Grandpa may be an indefensible dud, but the actor’s recent output is nowhere near as bad as everyone seems to think.
Two young men walking together, one wearing a black fringed top and yellow trousers, the other wearing a colourful shirt and sunglasses.
Review

Dirty Grandpa

by Matt Thrift

Robert De Niro hits an all-time low alongside Zac Efron in this insufferable road trip comedy.

1
Anticipation
1
Enjoyment
1
In Retrospect
A middle-aged Asian man with long black hair, wearing traditional clothing, playing an acoustic guitar against a backdrop of bamboo stalks.
Interviews

Hou Hsiao-Hsien: ‘There were a lot of gangs where I grew up’

by Matt Thrift

Meet the Taiwanese master who makes gorgeous movies and home-made Samurai swords.
A person stands on the bow of a sailing ship, surrounded by ropes and the open sea.
Review

In the Heart of the Sea

by Matt Thrift

There’s something majorly fishy about this high seas folk tale – and it’s not the enormous whale that shipwrecks Chris Hemsworth.

4
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Crowded scene of people and boats in an old harbour, with wooden buildings and structures in the background.
Review

Hard to be a God

by Matt Thrift

Alexsey German’s 15-years-in-the-making political allegory is a visceral, sensory, jaw-dropping masterpiece.

5
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
Older woman in bright green and white clothing, with large sunglasses, seated at a table in a restaurant with a man.
Review

Iris

by Matt Thrift

Albert Maysles’ penultimate film suggests that rabid consumerism can be refined and charming.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A smiling, well-dressed man with greying hair and a blue scarf against a colourful urban backdrop.
Review

Danny Collins

by Matt Thrift

A sappy Al Pacino vehicle reviewed via the medium of Heat's iconic coffee shop tête-à-tête.

3
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
1
In Retrospect
A woman in a blue top holding a tablet computer, with a man in a dark jacket standing behind her.
Review

The Divergent Series: Insurgent

by Matt Thrift

Exposition and naff CG fight for supremacy in this YA sci-fi sequel starring a seemingly unengaged Shailene Woodley.

2
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect
Stylised illustration of a man with a yellow face, dark hair, and a cigarette in his mouth against an orange background.
Interviews

Ben Mendelsohn: ‘The hardest things to act are fucking and fighting’

by Matt Thrift

The F-bombs fly in our interview with the Aussie character actor who appears in Starred Up.
A man in a white T-shirt holding a rifle, standing in front of a wooden structure.
Review

Out of the Furnace

by Matt Thrift

A magnetic Christian Bale adds much-needed gravitas to this otherwise conventional blue-collar revenge saga.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect

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