The spectre of a missing person creates a different type of distress than death, because not knowing is a unique form of anguish. While there may be grief over the strong possibility that the missing person is dead, this grief is hard to process when the lack of certainty adds […]
Vincent Gaine
The Suspicious Death of a Minor (1975) Giallo Essentials: White Edition (Review)
The term ‘Giallo’ tends to evoke images of black gloves, much darkness, and a de-emphasis on the plot in favour of lurid colours. A viewer could be forgiven, therefore, for their surprise when coming across a film labeled Giallo that features jaunty music, comedy pratfalls and gymnastics, and an engagement […]
The Killer (2022) Less John Woo, More John Wick (Review)
One of the disadvantages of mainly consuming western cinema is that when one encounters films from further afield, there is a temptation to find western equivalents. Then again, it is also fair to say that much of the cinematic output of China, Japan and Korea has been influenced by Hollywood, […]
Leave (2022) surprising blend of Nordic noir, supernatural chiller and social commentary (Review)
Norway is a remarkable country, beautiful and foreboding all at once. The mountains and fjords speak of a wild landscape, while the universal health care and welcoming cities indicate a peak of civilisation. It is a country with a strong religious history, with over 60% identifying as Christian and only […]
Mother Superior (Glasgow Frightfest 2023)(Review)
A young nurse comes to a spooky house in the middle of nowhere to care for an old woman, with a crusty groundskeeper – the only other company for either of them. Within this house, strange things happen, and the nurse starts to wonder how much she is actually seeing, […]
The Owl Service (1969) Unsettling atmosphere, and echoes of folklore in this iconic 60s TV Show (TV Review)
The Owl Service is a notable curio in the history of British genre television. Originally broadcast on Sunday afternoons in 1969, the eight episodes of this adaptation of Alan Garner’s 1967 novel is ostensibly a children’s show in the vein of Swallows and Amazons, a 1967 adaptation of The Lion, […]
Jane (2023) When Teen Drama morphs into Psychological Teen Horror (Review)
Teenage suicide and cyber-bullying. Handle these tough subjects in a way that is crass or exploitative, and your film will leave a bad taste in the mouth. Handle it with delicacy and nuance and you might produce something impressive. Sabrina Jaglom’s Jane falls into the latter category, approaching these topics […]
Yes Madam! (1985) Enjoyably inconsistent Hong Kong Action with Michelle Yeoh & Cynthia Rothrock (Review)
Michelle Yeoh is a badass. This is evident to anyone who has seen Tomorrow Never Dies, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, her Oscar-nominated turn in Everything Everywhere All At Once, and even the misfortune that is The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. What western audiences are perhaps less aware of […]
The Lair (2022)A return to form for Neil Marshall, this is not (Review)
Buried deep within Neil Marshall’s The Lair is a stripped-down, claustrophobic and frightening monster thriller. An intense journey of lean storytelling where tough characters clash with malevolent adversaries in dark spaces, with eruptions of gruesome violence and lacings of dark humour. Or if you like, Marshall’s previous film Dog Soldiers […]
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) Unbalanced and Unwieldy, if still Enthralling and Spectacular
As the sequel to the biggest box office success of all time, Avatar, a return to the big screen by director James Cameron after a(nother) long absence, and a return to the ground-breaking and awe-inspiring world of Pandora, The Way of Water comes with multiple expectations. Laser projection 3D and […]