Film Essays and Analysis
From Low-Budget to Legacy: How ‘Saw’ Helped to Revolutionise Horror - How the intelligent low-budget budget horror movie 'Saw' created an active audience and a unique promotional campaign to revolutionise horror cinema. Article by Sarah Cliff.
To Take His Face Off: A Dive Beneath the Wacky Nic Cage - For those less interested in film history, Nicolas Cage will be remembered for scenery-chewing camp, but he's more than that. Cage is an everyman. Essay by Ceridwen Millington.
Sexual Assault in Wes Craven’s Filmography - How Wes Craven evolved his presentation and exploration of sexual assault throughout his films, from 'The Last House on the Left' to 'Red Eye' via 'Scream'. Essay by Isy Santini.
How ‘Whiplash’ Exposes the Cost of Perfection - Damien Chazelle asks us to evaluate the relentless pursuit of perfection in his jazz drummer fable 'Whiplash', now 10 years old. Film essay by Sadbh Boylan.
Quantity is King: How Tarantino’s Unique Filmmaking Ethos Reveals the Problem with Hollywood - Quentin Tarantino's 10-film rule is a lesson in restraint that Hollywood could learn a vital lesson from. Here's why. Essay by Evan Meikle.
A Changing World: Filmmaker Frank Perry’s 1960s - During one of the most significant periods of socio-political change, Frank Perry became a beacon of counter-culture independent filmmaking. Film essay by Lauren Frison.
Brian Knappenberger, Digital Disobedience, and Free Press in the 21st Century - The old model of journalism is dead. Brian Knappenberger is the filmmaker championing our right to access information in an anti-truth landscape. Essay by Jenson Davenport.
Who Is Michael Bay to Cinema in the 2020s? - Michael Bay is someone too hard to concretely define, but his influence and legacy continue to be re-evaluated. Who is Michael Bay to cinema in the 2020s? By Dorian Griffin.
The Fountain: John Cromwell’s Wartime Triangle at 90 - John Cromwell's 1934 romantic masterpiece, 'The Fountain', is tender and thoughtful in its representation of a desire for stillness. Essay by Annabel Jessica Goldsmith.
Alien: Romulus and How We Don’t Want Our Disadvantaged Loved Ones to Be Fixed - Loved ones of learning disabled people don't wish for them to be fixed. Fede Álvarez and 'Alien: Romulus' understands this. Here's how and why it matters. Essay by Joseph Wade.