Written and directed by young actor George Jaques in his debut feature, Black Dog is about two teenage boys from contrasting London backgrounds who embark on a road trip together up North, all the way to Scotland. Nathan (Jamie Flatters), who has almost aged out of foster care, wants to locate his biological sister, whereas…
drama
Review: Ganymede
Ganymede opens to a calming lake, but the score is tense as a single tear drops down the face of a man, smoking alone on a pier, before he jumps in, never to return. The man’s identity becomes clear later, but in the present day, we’re introduced to two very different teenagers who become drawn…
Review: ‘The Requin’ Loses Human Story of Survival Message to Laughably Bad CG Sharks
I’m not a fan of Shark films. There’s nothing particularly wrong with them — they’re just not for me. I find them quite boring and predictable, the sort of qualities I much prefer to be in my beloved slasher flicks. I watched The Requin (which means “shark” in French) purely because of Alicia Silverstone, but she delivered what…
Review: ‘The Fallout’ is an Intimate Character Study of Life After Trauma
The opening of Megan Park’s feature-length directorial debut, The Fallout, which follows the aftermath of a school shooting, felt reminiscent of 2018’s Vox Lux, in that abrupt gunfire suddenly destroys what began as a normal day. Unlike Vox Lux, however, we don’t see anything, we just hear it. It’s an inciting incident that won’t sit well with everyone,…
LFF Review: Wildfire
In memory of Nika McGuigan. Set on the fractious Irish border, Cathy Brady establishes the tone of her feature-length debut, Wildfire, by opening with archival footage of the conflict and terrorism linked to The Troubles, and more recently, the divide caused by Brexit. The social and political unrest simmers in the background of the film’s main story,…
Review: Eilsabeth Moss’ Shirley Jackson Walks a Tightrope Between Chaos and Control in ‘Shirley’
This review was adapted into an essay for HorrorWood and published with them on September 18, 2020. Josephine Decker, director of experimental drama Madeline’s Madeleine, explores the life of American horror writer Shirley Jackson in her newest film, Shirley. Jackson, who has written six novels, two memoirs and over 200 short stories, is perhaps best known for ‘We…
‘Starfish’ Review: A Visually Stunning Debut Exploring Grief
“For the end of the world, press play.” A.T. White’s debut feature Starfish follows Aubrey (Virginia Gardner), whose reality begins fraying at the edges as she struggles with the death of her best friend, Grace (Christina Masterson). The film opens at Grace’s funeral and her gravestone reads ‘Always Right,‘ which is the first insight we get into…
Film Review: The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
The most striking part of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) is its fresh and innovative animation style which parts from the boldness we are so used to seeing in Studio Ghibli’s more refined films. Director Isao Takahata, who has worked on other Ghibli films (Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday, Pom Poko and My Neighbours…
Film Review: Jenny’s Wedding (2015)
“When you meet the right person, you go the distance. And let me tell you about the distance: everybody changes. But if you’re with the right person, and they change; you meet the right person all over again.” Jenny Farrell (Katherine Heigl) and her immediate family are brought together for a baptism, and Jenny learns…
Film Review: Girls Against Boys (2012)
Bad Girls Don’t Cry. They Get Even. Girls Against Boys is unlike any other revenge drama. It touches upon some elements of horror and delivers a few twists which is what makes it stand out from other films that carry a similar premise. It stars Danielle Panabaker as Shae who has a lot of bad experience…