Reviews

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

On the 10th April 1955, Ruth Ellis (Lucy Boynton) fatally shot her former lover, racing car driver David Blakely (Laurie Davidson.) She freely admitted her crime, and seemed resigned to her punishment. Her lawyer, John Bickford (Toby Jones) desperately tried to get her to work the system, and evidence emerged of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of Blakely. There was also the involvement of her partner on the side, Desmond Cusson (Mark Stanley), who may have supplied her with the gun, but it all emerged to naught, and she became the last woman to be hanged in the UK on 13th July 1955.

The story of Ruth Ellis has been well documented, but on the seventieth anniversary of her crime and subsequent conviction and execution, ITV have delivered this four part dramatisation of her grim fate. It seems relevant on this anniversary, given how much more is understood about abusive relationships, and how power and control can exert their influence over actions, and as such, Ellis's case spearheaded public movement towards abolishing capital punishment.

Despite the case being well captured in the public domain, a TV drama still had the potential to deliver something worthwhile, but A Cruel Love fails to develop into anything with much depth and substance in regards the story. It unwisely plays in a reverse plotting style, beginning with Ruth's arrest, and then backtracking to her relationship with Blakely and Cusson. It's a shame, as the performances are decent, namely Boynton in the lead role, capturing Ruth's stubbornly determined acceptance of her actions, before the gravity of her fate dawns on her, with strong support from Jones as the lawyer who desperately tries to save her, but understands that the system is determined to crush her for being a free and independent young woman. Stanley is impassioned and intense as the man she loved on the side, while Nigel Havers makes a grimly pertinent appearance as the judge who sentences Ruth to death, given it was his grandfather who actually did the deed.

It plays out as it does, in its disjointed and clunky manner, but the tale still keeps your attention over its four part course, before drawing to its desperately sad conclusion. A story still worth telling, but it doesn't completely hit the mark here. ***

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

The Demeter, a cargo vessel commandeered by Captain Elliott (Liam Cunningham) pulls into dock at the harbour of Carpathia to select crew to assist on their dangerous journey. Among them is Clemens (Corey Hawkins), a man who possesses hidden skills. However, the ship contains more than mere cargo, and as a series of mysterious deaths rock the ship, tensions mount among the crew before a terrifying final reckoning.

Bram Stoker's Dracula is one of the oldest tales in existence, but it still continues to hold a vicelike grip on popular folklore, which is reflected well in recent cinematic outings, including 2023's subversive spin Renfield and more recently, Robert Eggers's spin on the tale in the shape of Nosferatu, but in between there has been this lesser publicised, more independent offering from director Andre Ovredal came about. Charting Stoker's specific segment of the tale, Log of the Demeter, it is, if nothing else, a unique effort, that just doesn't pull off as well as it should.

Running just within the two hour run frame, it takes until about two thirds of the way in before anything resembling horror starts to make its presence known, but by that point the dull, sluggish script has already started to weigh it down, with largely cardboard characterisation, with the exception of Hawkins as the more multi-layered crew member. The same cannot be said of Dracula himself, a CGI enlarged Gollum who poses a standard 'silent killer' threat we've seen in countless horror/sci-fi outings.

This had perfect potential to be an interesting exploration of a unique addition to Stoker's legendary horror tale, but sadly this just fails to capitalise on the chance. **

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Corby was a former steel making town, but by the early 1990's it was a shadow of its former self. Susan McIntyre (Jodie Whittaker), a local woman, is shattered when her son is born with a deformity on his hand, only to discover a series of other mothers in a similar situation, leading to a determined legal battle, with the help of solicitor Des Collins (Rory Kinnear), and insider Sam Hagan (Robert Carlyle), when it's discovered harmful chemicals from transportations to the local mineral mine may have played a part.

This true life series was the next on my watchlist, until the massively lauded Adolescence came along, and it got pushed down a little. With a similarly all star cast, and a tantalising true life script to work from, there's tonnes of potential to be gleaned from this four part examination of a case that was resolved in 2010, setting an historic precedent. And while it is very effective in many ways, it's sadly not quite the sum of its parts.

There's no attempt to sugar-coat its lead characters, and so these rough, working class folk are shown in all their 'warts and all' glory, leaving you to judge them on your own beliefs and convictions. This, at the very least, gives it a welcome air of realism, before moving on to dealing with them on a human level, as poor and powerless people left to suffer at the whim of the rich and powerful. There's reliably strong, realistic performances from the cast to carry it along, but the script doesn't quite deliver the strong emotional impact it really could have.

It's pleasingly succinct, and was a true life tale that certainly deserved to be told. It just doesn't quite deliver the emotional payoff it could have. ***

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

D. I. Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) and DS Misha Frank (Faye Marsay) mount an early morning dawn raid on a residential property, to serve an arrest warrant on Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), a thirteen year old boy suspected of killing a fellow pupil. Jamie is taken to a police station to be processed, where his dad Eddie (Stephen Graham), acts as his appropriate adult. With the evidence proving fairly insurmountable, everyone involved finds themselves plunged into a spiral of despair and regression, where the nature of masculinity comes to the forefront.

Phillip Barantini's four part production has already become easily the biggest word of mouth success for Netflix in quite a while, becoming the biggest talking point on creative content channels and on talk show segments. Plunging into the world of 'the manosphere', and the 'red pill' community, where things like the '80/20 rule' come up, it's a truly horrific examination of a generational divide, where the world of social media and online content can dominate a young person's life, with an older generation looking on at odds with it all.,

The 'one shot' take, employed in all four parts, succeeds in adding an unnerving realism to the dynamic drama unfolding on the screen, aided by a disconnected, step by step guide to an arrival at the police station and how to survive the interview. It's in this first part that Walters is the first performer to make an impression, delivering a mature, seasoned performance in a role where he steps out of his comfort zone. Graham has already begun to convey the intense, gritty delivery he is known for, but it is complete newcomer Cooper who is the biggest revelation, scared and vulnerable in the first part, but conversely cocky and intimidating when he returns in the third part, squaring off with Erin Doherty's pre sentence report writer, creating some deeply uncomfortable chemistry. He makes me think back to when I was thirteen, and my emerging attitudes to sex and women, and but for the grace of God how I might have turned out if I'd lived in the age of social media and online influences. But it's a real world influence, in the shape of Graham as his father, that may have shaped his mind the most, and when he returns in the final part, his powerful presence reaches its zenith, where a seemingly innocuous car bound discussion involving a childhood memory involving A-Ha's Take On Me that has a simmering undercurrent brewing beneath it that's just waiting to erupt into something darker.

It's depressing how quickly right-leaning outlets have been quick to miss the point and try and make it a race matter, regarding the young actor and how it would have been more 'realistic' to have a minority actor in the role, completely overshadowing the exploration of toxic masculinity and the influence of the likes of Andrew Tate that it's aiming at, and does so in such an inspiring and effective way. I'm probably not saying much that others already haven't, but this truly is worth the hype, and if you somehow haven't seen it already, do. *****

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Marley Wells (Kat Graham) is a high flying attorney, with a loving husband, Tony (Tyler Perry, also starring?!!) and her best friend, Fela (Meagan Tandy.) However, when Fela's partner, Kevin (RonReaco Lee) is slain in a police stop, by new recruit Officer Caleb (Jimi Stanton), under the supervision of family friend Shannon (Shannon LaNier), Wells's life is thrown into a whirlwind of disarray, with a devastating truth where everything may not be as it seems.

For the fourth time in the space of a year (including his two and a half hour unseen farrago Divorce in the Black), writer/director Tyler Perry has another passion project on the go that he can't wait for us all to see. Featuring a no name cast, including, it seems, the man himself, here he has a stab at a suspense thriller with a social justice slant thrown in ('cos that's still an in thing), but if at first he didn't succeed, trying, trying and trying again really hasn't worked for him.

The theme of black men being shot dead in police stops still holds a great deal of passion for many, and so it's still a fairly inspired premise on which to base a new film, but here it's delivered in such a ham fisted, heavy handed manner that it has no effect. There is the slightest hint of genuine suspense and mystery to the story, but it's quickly drowned out by descending into a preposterous, drawn out ending that pollutes the rest of the project.

Missieur Perry would do well to consider the likes of Uwe Boll, and even the 'legendary' Ed Wood, and consider his present trajectory in their direction before he gets carried away again. **

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

George Mullen (Robert De Niro) is a former president of America, who hit a downward spiral after the death of his son. Estranged from his daughter, Alexandra (Lizzy Caplan), with whom he disagrees on policy, he suddenly finds his entire being plunged into chaos when America's entire critical infrastructure is attacked, and the current serving President Mitchell (Angel Bassett) implements a 'Zero Day' order, where citizen's individual civil liberties and freedoms are temporarily suspended, and Mullen is assigned to get to the bottom of it.

In a modern age where technology controls so much, and we are dependent on it for so much of our everyday needs and demands, a project like Zero Day is certainly very prescient, and has a genuinely nightmarish tinge to it, especially when you consider it's power over life and death, as this series highlights. Lesli Linka Glatter's Netflix production has an all star cast, from the likes of De Niro, Bassett, as well as Jesse Plemons, Matthew Modine and Bill Camp, and, at the very least, makes the most of them.

With a largely older cast, it's clearly not aimed primarily at a younger, more frenzied audience, used to a more flashy, frenetic pace, and needs time to marinate and sink in with it's audience, even at a fairly succinct six episodes. So if nothing else, it's refreshingly different, even if some of the early dialogue is a little corny and theatrical. In the lead role, as an elder statesman less capable of physical intimidation, De Niro carries everything with his presence, a cold, uncompromising glare that gets the same effect, along with a supporting cast that are not wasted.

It's a present day concept, paced towards an older audience, resulting in a strange but successful result, with a slightly hackneyed but satisfying payoff that just about makes it worth it. ***

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

In an alternate 1990's landscape, artificial intelligence has advanced to a degree that robots now work and co-exist among humans, until they rise up, demanding equal treatment and a war breaks out, in which Michelle (Milly Bobby Brown) loses her brother, Christopher (Woody Norman.) Years later, a robot, that appears to possess the spirit of her brother, comes into her life, and takes her on a wild journey, involving war vet turned trucker Keats (Chris Pratt), Dr. Amhurst (Ke Huy Quan) and Mr. Peanut (voiced by Woody Harrelson), the leader of the robot rebellion.

Their involvement with the Marvel Comic Universe has made the Russo Brothers a hot property, and presumably it's a status that has endured, even though this latest utterly peculiar effort emerged completely out of nowhere, but heading straight to the top of the Netflix chart nonetheless. There's certainly an all star cast, with new talent including Pratt, Bobby Brown, alongside older, established hands like Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Mackie and Brian Cox, as well as what's obviously a lavish, grandiose budget, that would render it better suited to the big screen. At least there, its flaws might be better glossed over.

In an age where AI has evolved into its zenith, the script seems to be angling to be some intelligent, thought provoking exploration of if it had happened earlier, and gone even further than in its present form, but all it emerges as is some weird, far fetched Frankenstein's monster of a work, plucked out of the deepest recesses of a script writer's mind, with an uneven tone shifting between light hearted family fare and darker themes of loss and pain. As the lead star, Pratt is basically there to do his Guardians of the Galaxy wise-cracking schtick, getting some clever lines ("I am not dying to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch!!!"), but failing to lift things any higher.

It's a visually appealing spectacle, with some wondrous robot designs, including Harrelson's Mr. Peanut, that will please kids, and the inner kids in us all, but the script, story and pacing are all completely devoid of such magic. And that's where it counts. **

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Jack (Danny Dyer) is a middle aged dad of one, whose only outlet remains through organised ruckuses at football matches. After getting caught up in his latest scrap, a judge orders him to get his life back in order to avoid a prison sentence. Over the coming weeks, he attempts to reconcile with his childhood love, Dani (Stephanie Leonidas), secure a construction job with Dani's dodgy dad (Geoff Bell), and reconnect with his son, whose hit double figures. But his connection with the psychotic Kenny Boy (Callum McNab) threatens to derail it all.

"Back in the good old days, when men had a c**k and women had a s**g..." From the off-set, it's clear that the first collaboration between Danny Dyer and director Nick Love in well over a decade, somewhat unsurprisingly, isn't going to concern itself with any sense of political correctness. After all, who are either of them to disappoint their fan base, even in what are surely more sensitive, understanding times? But then, the film is an examination of a man whom time has passed by, and so it's all the more fitting.

The reunion of the directing/starring pair feels framed as a follow up to their signature piece, The Football Factory, despite featuring completely different characters in a completely new setting. In contrast to TFF's flashy, frenetic approach to its characters, Marching Powder portrays an older, more beaten down man, more honestly shown as a desperate loser with little else in his life. The tone uneasily shifts between tongue in cheek humour and heavy, more reflective drama, without the most focused plot to keep you following to the end, but somehow it does.

It's a throwback reunion of old faces of the British crime genre, in front of the camera and behind it, rebelliously non-PC, messy and incoherent, but funny and wild, pleasing to those it's aimed at. ***

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Jimmy Erksine (Ian McKellen) is a critic at a major Fleet Street newspaper, renowned for his brutal put downs and sharp tongue. His present target seems to be struggling young actress, Nina Land (Gemma Anderton), leading to him being laid off by senior editor, David Brooke (Mark Strong.) To enact revenge, he concocts a scheme with Miss Land to bring him down, leading to a trail of destruction and death that leave a devastating trail.

Among the other underrepresented minority groups in stage and screen, elderly/older actors get a lot of attention for losing out on headlining roles to their younger counterparts, often seen as less of a box office draw for the apparently younger cinema-going audience (even though most of them are more into streaming now.) But The Critic, from director Anaud Tucker, headlines legendary elder thespian Ian McKellen, in a role that suits him to the bone and which he devours with relish. He's probably the best thing about it.

The script has the perfect concept for a biting dark satire, in an age when professional reviews appearing in established daily papers (i.e. Not this one) still have an impact on a major new films box office opening weekend, but the whole farrago is just strangely uninvolving throughout, with a meandering script that veers between its dark comedy setting, and heavier dramatic interludes. An all star cast, including the likes of Anderton and Strong, deliver committed, credible performances, but can't really lift the material any higher.

This is, if nothing else, a worthy effort to bring a project headlined by an older actor to the screen, even if it did disappear fairly quickly from theatres, but sadly it all comes off wrong, and is all the more of a shame for it. **

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor -* Awful

Agent Levi (Miles Teller), a man with deep personal scars, is summoned to a meeting with Miss Bartholemew (Sigourney Weaver), who offers him a special assignment. He must perform guard duty on a secret 'gorge' in the middle of nowhere, on a designated side. After a while, he spots the guard on the other side, Drasa (Anna Taylor-Joy), a firm headed French national with her own issues to deal with. After forming a bond and coming together, the pair are thrust into a devastating final battle with an unimaginable life force.

The Black Phone director Scott Derrickson's latest feature offering appears to have arrived on Apple TV+ with little in the way of fanfare and in turn any sort of anticipation. Luckily I stumbled across it whilst skimming for my Saturday night film, and now the connection with the man at the helm of that most wonderful horror flick is all the more pleasing. And while nowhere near the standard of that film, what we have is a curiously pleasing work indeed, an extraordinary cross between Love, Actually and Resident Evil, with a touch of The Lord of the Rings thrown in. Yes, you read that right.

Derrickson opens his project with a dark, moody tone that isn't entirely consistent with what is to follow. While the dim lighting and oppressive cinematography are fairly enduring, the script chirps up midway through, with a lively soundtrack added to the mix that helps lift the proceedings. It's really not the best plot, pretty thin and piecemeal, and all rather outlandish and far fetched, but the insanity of it makes it all the more fun. Performances wise, Teller is a convincing straight tough guy with some clear internalised demons, while Taylor-Joy delivers a commanding tough girl whose front cracks at the right points. Weaver is also cold and unfeeling in her supporting role.

It really is a zany, unconventional piece, not unforgettable in any way, but a fun and wild ride while it lasts, and you'll be pleased you took it. ***

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Young brothers, Hal and Bill (both played by Christian Convery) are raised by their mother, Lois (Tatiana Maslany) after the disappearance of their father. While sorting through his things, they discover a grinning toy monkey, that operates when a device is turned on its back. After a series of gruesome deaths occur, the boys get rid of the monkey, only to be drawn back together years later when the deaths resume, in a final confrontation with their furry nemesis.

Riding high on what could, at the very least, be described as the cult success of last summer's Longlegs, writer/director Osgood Perkins returns with an adaptation of a Stephen King short story (because, what else?), from his anthology, Skeleton Crew, sticking with the serial killer theme, albeit with a more outwardly supernatural slant. But unlike the morbid darkness of Longlegs, The Monkey emerges as a dark comedy, with its tongue lodged cruelly in its cheek.

Perkins takes a familiar horror trope, in the shape of a seemingly innocent, childlike entity being transformed into something sinister and unsettling, and could have crafted something much scarier, but instead embraces the absurdity at the heart of the premise, and delivers something knowingly otherworldly and exaggerated. Adapted from a short story, it's also pleasingly succinct and so doesn't wear the premise out. It's nothing more than it thinks it is, but for what it is, it's more than satisfactory.

Even the best horror ends up as a divine comedy of sorts, and this time Perkins takes a short King tale, and goes right to the source. How accurate it is to King's words, I don't know, but this in itself is something pleasingly different. ***

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Tim Ballard (Jim Caviezel) is a federal agent, tasked with bringing down child sex predators . After snaring a suspect, he learns of a much wider human trafficking network, involving a group of kidnapped kids, and becomes determined to bring it down and return them to their homes. He teams up with insider Vampiro (Bill Camp) and organises an event on a remote island in an attempt to catch the perpetrators, but events are further from his control than he imagined.

Director Alejandro Monteverde's lengthy delve into the hidden underbelly of what is now the world's largest criminal enterprise received some negative feedback from certain quarters, not towing the politically correct/woke line that exists within Hollywood, which was somewhat on account of the true life central character, and certain assertions about him. The actual result is a fairly hit and miss affair, that still leaves a decent impression.

Monteverde plunges headfirst into the nitty gritty of his murky subject matter, hammering home the impact and enormity of the human trafficking industry, and the vulnerability of defenceless children in the order of the vile scheme. He details things in a largely po faced, humourless fashion, although there are occasional flashes of dark humour here and there to lift things up. The main thing is the hard hitting, intense nature of the script, and all involved combine to deliver an overlong and rambling, but sincere and determined effort.

It ruffled a few feathers upon release, even if it left theatres without making much of an impact, and the end result is an effective, if ultimately forgettable experience. ***

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1983, the Pacific Northwest. A series of armoured heists rock the small town of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, coming to the attention of FBI agent, Terry Husk (Jude Law) and his team, but Husk is carrying his own heavy burden. But the perpetrators, headed by charismatic young upstart, Bob Mathews (Nicolas Hoult), have a more sinister agenda at heart, and Husk and his team must stop him to avert a terrible event.

Current hot property Nicolas Hoult is back in another role, a darker, more unsettling part than usual, and even more so given it happens to be based on a true life tale, that I had never heard of before, making it even more perversely interesting. But he has fellow established acting royalty Jude Law to fall back on, and although they share no screen time together beyond shooting at each other, together they create a fusion that results in a dynamic result.

Director Justin Kurzel has crafted a film with echoes of Michael Mann's classic Heat, in its themes of heists and law enforcement, but it has a style and substance all of its own, with the husky, slow burning musical score, and naturally dim, blurry cinematography, reflecting Idaho at that time of year, that combine to craft an engaging and worthwhile thriller with a true life framework.

It's a true life tale that feels grounded in real life, and so is all the more engaging, with two solid leads carrying the proceedings in a reliably commanding fashion. ****

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Jerry Springer had served as the Mayor of Cincinnati, but in the early 90's, when the chat show reigned supreme, and Oprah ruled the airwaves, he found himself presenting his own show in a daytime slot. The producers, and the public, found the format rather boring and indistinguishable from the many other chat shows doing the rounds at the time, until producer Richard Dominik, who'd worked on the zany National Enquirer publication, came in and completely transformed the style of the show, and it became renowned for its increasing outrageousness and depravity, setting it on a downward trend that left destruction in its wake.

The Jerry Springer Show now exists in something of a cultural vacuum, something those who remember it when it first came out can feel a weird kind of sentimentalism for, recalling firsthand the sensationalism and wackiness of the show when it first aired, but it now feels consigned to a dark, forgotten corner of the public consciousness, much like The Jeremy Kyle Show in the UK, and for much the same dark, sinister reasons. With Springer now dead, it feels like an equally tight lid has been shut on the affair.

The show was always renowned for its 'larger than life' approach to its guests and themes of the various shows, and leaving you wondering if any of these people could be real, and indeed, often it seems it wasn't. Much like the Kyle Show in the UK, we learn of how producers would often coach guests on what to say, how to say it and the trash talk their fellow guests had said. And like the Kyle show, the guests often weren't the best educated, and came from poorer, small American towns, and so even the trip to Chicago, where the show was filmed (where '...they'd see deep pan pizza for the first time') was in itself an experience.

Springer himself emerges as he always seemed, reserved and mild mannered, and more genuinely suited to the gentle nature of the original show when it began in 1991, before Dominik came along and transformed it into the 'freak show' it became, following a similar trajectory to how Vince McMahon transformed the wholesome nature of the WWE, but he did seem to quietly revel in the fame the show brought him, lapping up the trappings of the limelight, but all the time Dominik was always pulling the strings. All the wildness ran along, until there was a human cost in the shape of guest Nancy Campbell Penitz, who met her end at the hands of her ex, who she appeared on the show with. Springer does show a callous and dismissive side when asked if he remembers her. In the end, he is left to ponder that he is ashamed of the mark he left on the cultural landscape, which seems fitting with his fundamental nature.

I never had any time for the show when it first aired, lamenting the trashy, low IQ nature of it, but I was interested in seeing this documentary, made long after it ended, a succinct two part piece that holds it up to a modern lens. ****

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Justin Kemp (Nicolas Hoult) is a recovering alcoholic, about to become a first time father with his partner, Allison (Zoey Deutch), who has been selected for jury service, in the case of James Michael Sythe (Gabriel Basso), who is accused of killing his girlfriend, with whom he was seen arguing with shortly before her death. But Justin is harbouring a guilty secret, in relation to the case, that prosecuting counsel Faith Killebrew (Toni Collette) is on to.

Clint Eastwood, it seems, is still going strong, or, at least, is still making films, with his legendary Malpaso production company, once again sitting in the director's seat. Juror #2, despite the lead presence of current hot property Nicolas Hoult, had only a fleeting run in theatres, the distributors obviously not completely convinced in a return on the budget at the big screen, and marking what could most probably be 94 year old Eastwood's final film. The result is an imperfect, but satisfying endeavour.

The plot is a high concept idea, that sounds like the sort of thing that would make a fitting paperback novel, but is actually an original screenplay from Jonathan Abrams, with an interesting supporting cast including Collette, J. K. Simmons as an obsessive, snoopy fellow juror, and Kiefer Sutherland. Eastwood's slow, considered direction is always a pleasing experience, especially in this flashy, frenetic modern world, and all the sadder to lose if this is his last film. And it is a perfectly fine mystery/moral conundrum drama, save for some improbable plot turns and blurry narrative.

An Eastwood film always a unique and pleasing experience in its own way, and Juror #2 is an interesting and thought provoking feature, with strong performances, just not entirely the sum of its parts. ***

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Nathan Williams (Martin Clunes) is a rural farmer in the Welsh valleys, living with his teenage son, Johnny (Louis Ashbourne Serkis.) He is becoming frustrated at the sight of the drones he sees flying over the fields near his home, on account of the county lines drug gangs operating in the area. When it becomes clear Johnny has become caught up in this world, Nathan is driven to extremes to protect his son, until a terrifying act of violence plunges them all into a swirling whirlwind of hell.

In the later years of his life and career, Martin Clunes is moving away from the fluffier, more light-hearted comedy roles he broke through with, into more mature, rounded serious drama roles, the latest of which is this six part ITV drama, honing in on the still relevant topic of 'county lines' drugs gangs, exploiting youngsters to distribute drugs in smaller, more secluded towns and cities. The result is a curious mixed bag that just about holds your attention to the end.

In the lead role, Clunes has to carry the project, which he has long form with, and he does so reliably well, managing a decent Welsh accent, numbingly calm, even during high stress moments, and losing his cool only when his emotions overpower him. He has some strong chemistry with co star Lewis Jones as his brother, who has an arguably stronger presence. It's the strongest aspect of a first half that drags a little and feels uneventful, before the gravity of the story kicks in in the second act, and things get dramatic all at once.

It's not entirely believable in its execution, but it's a depiction of an increasingly desperate situation, and it manages to keep you riveted to the end, with an opening for a follow up, to at least make things add up that little bit more. ***

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Rain (Cailee Spaeney) lives and works on a Weyland Industries mining site, with her companion, Andy (David Jonsson), a synthetic android designed by the Weyland Corporation, who tells lame jokes to help feign a human side. When she is refused leave, she and Andy join a couple of renegades, Tyler (Archie Renaux) and Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and their female companions, Kay (Isabela Merced) and Navarro (Aileen Wu), who commandeer a Weyland ship, split into divided sections Romulus and Remus, on a mission to another space colony. However, the ship has some deadly occupants aboard who have their own plans in store for them.

Like a number of franchise films I could mention, the Alien series was never one that really held any great affection for me, but like a number of 80's favourites with an established fan base in 2024 (Beverley Hills Cop, Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters), it got a modern update that defied the passage of time between modern film fans, and those who went to see the original films before they were even born. In fairness, director Fede Alvarez does at least give a respectful nod to Ridley Scott's original film, in both the opening and closing segments of his film, clearly paying a respectful homage to his source material. But, on the other hand, it also highlights how ineffectual it all is.

This is a big screen adventure with an entirely no name cast, quite a gamble with a project with such a big budget and such a lot to lose at the box office, but it soon becomes clear why this lot are such unknowns, given their acting ability is so lacking. The central characters seem to be a pair of lumbering, murmuring 'road men' types, who would lack the intelligence, acumen or restraint to cross the road, much less commandeer a spacecraft. Since they're so unlikeable, it's even harder to care about their fate, along with that of a pre-programmed automation, some secondary characters and a cut price Ripley. Throw in a piecemeal plot with minimal genuine tension or suspense, and it's all a big lot of nothing.

There is some impressive visual spectacle, and pleasing creature effects in the confined spaces of the spacecraft, but these are minor compensations in such an otherwise ineffective experience. Maybe Remus may have been a better choice. **

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Frida (Naomi Acke) and her friend, Jess (Alia Shawkat) are two down on their luck stewardesses, who have a chance run in with tech mogul, Slater King (Channing Tatum) at a big event. They find themselves invited to his party island, for a weekend party, including family members Uncle Vic (Christian Slater) and Cousin Tom (Haley Joel Osment.) But during the partying and frolics, things suddenly take a darkly sinister turn, and Frida finds herself fighting for her life.

Zoe Kravitz's second feature film after her debut Kimi certainly seems to have a fitting title, since it appeared in theatres and then swiftly disappeared in a 'blink and you'll miss it' fashion. I've finally got around to seeing it on Amazon Prime, purely on account of just getting around to it at that point. It seems to have some relevancy, in the shape of a central figure belonging to the 'tech bro' phenomenon of recent times, as well as a plot line that seems to be touching on the topic of Epstein's Island, and all the horrors that went on there.

Kravitz definitely has an intriguing story on her hands here, with a slow build to the reveal of the mystery behind the girl's invite to the island, and the unnerving truth behind the cheery facade and party atmosphere there, but none of the central characters are developed enough to illicit any investment in their plight, or what their outcome is likely to be. It's most prominent in Tatum's lead character, who doesn't seem to have much depth invested in him beyond being a rich guy without much of a vocabulary or personality, but with an uncomfortable darkness brewing beneath him.

This was an interesting idea, that had great potential, but some underwritten characters, a yawner of a script and an inconsistent tone sadly stop it from realising this. Shame. **

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

The pope has died. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is assigned to oversee the selection of the new pope, over a series of elections before a significant majority is reached. Along with his friend and confidant Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), he must navigate their moderate approaches to religious doctrine, against the more traditionalist, less progressive stance from the likes of Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castelitto), whilst handing the mysterious arrival of Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diezh) from Afghanistan. But a scandal involving the esteemed Cardinal Trembley (John Lithgow) could push him over the edge.

After Best Picture and Best Actor nominations at The Golden Globes, Conclave, from All Quiet on the Western Front director Edward Berger, and adapted from the novel by Robert Harris, is now enjoying something of an extended run in theatres. Revolving around a cultural event that could rock the world, in the event of the death of the pope, which has been explored briefly before in films such as The Godfather Part III, an intelligent and contemplative script, with some strong performances, ensures a strong outcome.

A decorated, all star cast ensures everything is in a safe pair of hands, from lead star Fiennes, delivering a calm, assured lead performance as the padre assigned with the most Herculean task, whilst the likes of Tucci and Lithgow deliver reliably stellar support in their own right, and lesser known performers, like Castelitto and Diezh, provide a startling balance in approaches and attitude. Rather than heading down the road of a traditional mystery thriller, the script delves down a more believable and relatable world of politics, which is inextricably linked in the world of religion and the church, and so comes off as relevant and intriguing, rather than preachy or off-putting.

In a world of film franchises and style over substance, it's highly reassuring that intelligent and inspired films like this do still get made, and all the more of a rewarding experience all round. *****

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Matt (Jamie Foxx) and Emily (Cameron Diaz) were spies and lovers, who had a narrow escape during a mission to retrieve a device from a Russian crime lord. When Emily discovers she is pregnant, they take an early retirement and ten years later, they've settled down with their kids, Alice (McKenna Roberts) and Leo (Rylan Jackson.) But their peaceful existence is shattered when their old boss, Chuck (Kyle Chandler) arrives back on the scene, and tells them their identities have been compromised, and they find themselves plunged back into a wild ride of chaos and pandemonium.

This lazily titled action foray, the first notable feature length film from writer/director Seth Gordon after the long forgotten 2017 Baywatch film adaptation, shares its name with a few other trashy, long disposed of action schlock from years gone by. But most sensationally, it's the anticipated comeback of A list superstar Cameron Diaz, after a ten year sabbatical, pursuing other things. While it's great to have her back, it's a bit of a damp squib of a celebration.

Gordon keeps the tone light and the tongue firmly in cheek, with a script that never lets up with the wisecracks and clever quips. Somehow none of it ever manages to hit the mark, wrapped up in a tired and unoriginal plot line that offers no surprises. Even the big scale action sequences come off as ineffective, and cheaper than they were meant to look. In between it's big name stars, there's some surprises in support, most notably Glenn Close as Diaz's stiff-upper-lip English aunt, and Steph Does Flats star Jamie Demetriou, in an unnecessary and totally unfunny role as her toy boy lover, as well as Spectre villain Andrew Scott, who does little more than prance around and look determined, to little effect.

It's shocking that Diaz, a former Golden Globe nominee, would choose her comeback with something as uninspired and flat as this, unless her star power flattened in the time she was away. She may be back in action, but I don't think she's quite back in the game. **

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Muncie Daniels (Colman Domingo) is a CNN correspondent, with fixed views on topics he feels strongly about. He goes for some retreat in the woods, and runs into a fellow cabin dweller, only to return later and find the man brutally murdered. But when Muncie returns with the cops shortly after, there is no body to be found. While it seems he might be losing his mind, he finds himself plunged into a terrifying conspiracy involving political extremists, which he attempts to get to the bottom of, while reuniting with his estranged son, Demetrius (Thaddeus J. Mixson.)

With increasing awareness of mental illness, and the comprehension of things like gaslighting, a title like The Madness might seem like something of an anachronism. But it's still the basis for an intriguing set-up with this several part thriller. With a cast of not particularly well known stars, there's no one with enough star power to upstage anyone, it's left with only the outlandish story to carry the proceedings, or rather lead star Domingo. So, see how things go.

The off-beat plot line may hold your attention for a while, however incredulous and off the scale it may seem, but before long it's completely dissipated and it's become a dramatisation fixed on racial politics and tensions. The story that does remain becomes increasingly unbelievable and implausible, with minimal comic relief to lighten the tone, and some overwrought family drama thrown in to cover the cracks.

For a project focusing on 'madness', this is a pretty demented effort in itself, a messy, mishandled piece that feels a lot longer than the several parts it features. **

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Following his successful battle with the big banks, Dave (Rory Kinnear) now he faces a new adversary: Pay Day Loan Lenders, who are targeting the poor and vulnerable, offering financial lifelines before charging exorbitant interest rates. When the top companies are identified, it is discovered that they are just subsidiaries of financial companies based in the U. S., headed by the shady Carlo Mancini (Rob Heaney.) Dave calls in the help of U. S. based expert Jessica (Chrissy Metz) and shy accountant Oliver (Amit Shah) to help in his battle against them.

2023's Bank of Dave obviously made enough of an impression that this hastily delivered sequel has arrived early in the new year, perfectly understandable as times remain tough, and many people are struggling to get by and see their standard of life declining, even though this film actually charts events that now occurred over ten years ago, concerning the regulation of pay day loans. But the present situation was the result of gradual design, and so it's worth a look in.

Director Chris Foggin returns to directing duties, and pretty much repeats the formula of his previous film, basically aiming for a feel good true life tale, in the midst of hard financial times, but while the novelty of this might have seen it by the first time, this time the cracks are a little harder to cover over. While it's portraying no doubt fundamentally honest, salt-of-the-earth working people, it feels over sanitised, lacking the raw, gritty feel of a true, working class area, and suffering as a result. All the gang from before have returned, but it's on a bigger scope now going stateside, leading to an unnecessary and distracting subplot involving an awkward romance between Oliver and Jessica.

If you particularly enjoyed the first one, there are more rich pickings for you here, with Kinnear back on form as the earthy, modest Dave, and a strong supporting cast, just a script that doesn't do the most with the potential at hand. ***

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) is engaged to Thomas (Nicolas Hoult), who works on behalf of a banking firm, but finds herself plagued by haunting visions of a sinister entity, that wants to consume her for himself. Thomas is sent to a remote castle in Eastern Europe, to close a property deal with the reclusive, eccentric Count Orlok (Bill Skaarsgard), but he has ulterior motives for summoning Thomas, leading to a determining final showdown involving the crazed, eccentric Professor Von Franz (Willem Dafoe.)

The Dracula (or Nosferatu, if you rather) legend has proven to be one of the most enduring fables in filmic folklore. With the first Nosferatu film released around 1922, and various adaptations over the years since then, it continues to fascinate and captivate new generations of filmgoers, and now it is the turn of Robert Eggers to deliver his vision of the old, familiar tale, because if there was any modern day director who could do anything interesting with the story, it's hard to think of anyone else.

With Eggers at the helm, the main focus is, naturally, on the visual style and cinematography, which is an inspired angle in the Dracula fable. Here, the familiar names from Bram Stoker's original novel, have been given new, unique ones, even though if you're familiar with the story, you'll still know who they are and their relevance to the proceedings. With all this established, all that's left is the performances, beginning with Rose-Depp, who captures a shallow frailty in Ellen matched with a prodded determination, whilst Hoult convinces as a timid man forced to assert himself against the forces of evil. He already appeared as Renfield in another Dracula themed movie of recent times, so the different names here might serve him well. Skaarsgard is unrecognisable in the title role, but his Dracula is an imposing, thick voiced entity that works well. But it is, of course, Defoe, as ever, who carries the proceedings, doing his zany, wild act to brilliant effect.

It's a tale you'll have seen before, and even with different names, you'll know who they are and why they're there. It's a version carved more by atmosphere and style than any deep character development or connection, but it leaves an effective mark, Dracula, Eggers style. ****

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Shadow (voiced by Keanu Reeves), escapes from the military installation he's being held in in Tokyo, and a massive push gets under way to get him back under control. Meanwhile, Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz), Knuckles (voiced by Idris Elba) and Tails (voiced by Colleen O Shaughnessey) are up to their usual capers, until they're approached by the military top brass to try and help get Shadow back under control. But to do this, Sonic must enlist the help of his old adversary, Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and his father, Gerald (also played by Jim Carrey), who has his own agenda.

The Sonic films are obviously proving a successful franchise, and so part three has rolled around. It was always going to at least make it to a third part, and while the rule is that three is the magic number, if enough box office dough is rolling in, odds are there will be more to follow. The third instalment introduces Shadow, basically a dark furred version of Sonic, but with a meaner attitude. Ostensibly an extension of Knuckles, he still gives the film a certain feel of its own.

Director Jeff Fowler returns to directing duties after the last two films, which probably explains the feeling of saminess that pervades the whole thing. And so the gang are their usual wisecracking, smart-arsey selves, but even for a kid's film and even for Sonic, it's all moving too quickly at a million miles a minute, but maybe the kids won't notice. It all really kicks off, naturally, with the arrival of Jim Carrey, this time in a double role, and so giving him more opportunity to chew the scenery with his zany shenanigans and madcap impressions. Things take a surprising and disconcerting dark turn towards the end, with themes of revenge and inner conflict creeping in uncomfortably. Sonic, as done by Christopher Nolan, it feels.

If you loved, hated or were indifferent to the last two films, you'll probably feel exactly the same about this third instalment. They do say you should leave it at three, though, and with the introduction of another new character right at the end, it looks like advice this series isn't going to follow. ***

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Callum Drift (Dwayne Johnson) has become cynical with people's indifference to appearing on Santa's naughty or nice list, and hands in his notice as his assistant. But things take a drastic turn when Santa (J. K. Simmons) himself is kidnapped by a malevolent force, the head of a unit designed to protect the aura of 'true myths' (Lucy Liu), recruits a man called Jack O' Malley (Chris Evans) to accompany Callum in a mission to rescue the big man before it's too late.

2024 has ended with a satisfying selection of festive themed films relevant to the time of year, with Black Doves and Carry On on Netflix, and Red One, a theatrically released film from director Jane Kasdan, that has appeared very quickly on Amazon Prime. With a glossy, all star A list cast, it seems the star power may not have been enough to secure success at the box office, even being a Christmas film released at the right time of year, and how much word of mouth may have played in that, but the end result is something that will make you wonder.

As a Christmas themed, family friendly fantasy, a light hearted, tongue in cheek feel would have worked very well, so it's surprising how largely heavy and joyless the script feels, with even the usually affable, wise cracking Johnson on a largely gruff, grumbling tone. It's not helped by the slow, sluggish pace of the script, that drones on towards the end of an overly long two hour length, where the plot motivations are never entirely clear, along with the relevance of the characters to the proceedings, including an underused polar bear with an attitude, and J. K. Simmons himself as Santa.

It's a visually impressive spectacle, with some cool action sequences, and some spectacularly appealing special effects (to wit, Dwayne Johnson shrinking himself to take down several heavies on a beach, or two giant rock em/sock 'em robots getting to work in Krampus's lair.) Sadly, these can't gloss over the quite glaring flaws. ** and a half.