Reviews

Bearded man in colourful clothing holding a framed painting in a wooded area.
Review

Clandestina review – fails to do Tengarrinha’s story justice

by Maes Kerr

Maria Mire directs this innovative documentary about Margarida Tengarrinha, a member of the Portuguese Communist Party during António de Oliveira Salazar's premiership.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two individuals, a baby and an adult, lying close together, their faces visible but not identifiable. The adult is wearing glasses and a red garment.
Review

Between the Temples review – a wise, wistful dramedy

by Hannah Strong

Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane star in a beautifully told story of grief, faith, and finding each other in a time of crisis.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A woman with blonde hair and a determined expression holds a weapon in an interior setting with a wooden door and another figure in the background.
Review

Cuckoo review – never quite takes flight

by Hannah Strong

A young woman begins to suspect something is desperately wrong at the ski resort her family have moved to in Tilman Singer's uneven sophomore film.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Large satellite dishes and several men in traditional Afghan clothing standing in a barren outdoor setting.
Review

Hollywoodgate review – a fascinating, chilling, if limited study

by David Jenkins

An abandoned CIA base in Kabul becomes a playground for the resurgent Taliban in Ibrahim Nash’at's intriguing piece of documentary reportage.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two people, a man and a woman, embrace in a cosy, dimly lit room with a painting on the wall and a table with plates of food.
Review

Only the River Flows review – a spellbinding nightmare

by Josh Slater-Williams

A detective is haunted by a murder case he can't crack in Wei Shujun's unsettling crime drama.

3
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
4
In Retrospect
A dark, ominous creature looming over a person's terrified face in a dimly lit setting.
Review

Alien: Romulus review – does enough to get a passing mark

by David Jenkins

The Xenomorphs are allowed to run amok once more in this passable franchise offshoot.

3
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
A middle-aged man with short dark hair and a broad, cheerful smile.
Review

Trap review – classic Shyamalan, hold the twist

by Hannah Strong

M Night Shyamalan sets the stage for a killer game of cat and mouse as a psychopath attempts to outsmart the FBI while taking his daughter to see her favourite pop star.

4
Anticipation
3
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Diverse group of characters in futuristic costumes and masks, including a woman with a rabbit-ear headpiece.
Review

Borderlands review – rage-quit worthy video game slop

by Juan Barquin

Eli Roth's slapdash adaptation of the brash video game series is a joyless slog despite the presence of Cate Blanchett.

1
Anticipation
1
Enjoyment
1
In Retrospect
A woman with dark hair wearing a yellow shirt stands in a grassy field with trees in the background.
Review

Tuesday review – a magical realist allegory

by Anton Bitel

A mother and her teenage daughter come face to face with death in the form of a strange talking bird in Daina Oniunas-Pusic's feature debut.

4
Anticipation
4
Enjoyment
3
In Retrospect
Two people performing on stage, one woman singing into a microphone and one man holding a microphone, against a backdrop of neon lights.
Review

It Ends With Us review – struggles to grapple with its heavy themes

by Anna McKibbin

Literary behemoth Colleen Hoover makes her cinematic debut, with this meandering, shallow examination of domestic abuse.

2
Anticipation
2
Enjoyment
2
In Retrospect

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