Film Essays and Analysis
Real-Time: Examining How the Safdie Brothers Experiment with Naturalistic Cinema - Are Josh and Benny Safdie, The Safdie Brothers, the quiet revolutionaries of contemporary cinema? Leoni Horton examines their exploration of naturalistic filmmaking thus far, looking at the likes of 'Uncut Gems' and 'Good Time'.
Superhero Bust: The Future of the Superhero Genre - Have we seen the pinnacle of the superhero movie mountain? Gillian MacLeod looks at the facts, analysing the genre in conjunction with a prominent film theory in this special superhero movie essay.
An American Werewolf In London – Unfinished Game-Changing Fun - Roger Ebert once described horror-comedy 'An American Werewolf in London' (1981), from director John Landis, as "unfinished". Sarah Williams looks at how this unfinished movie changed the game by making horror fun.
‘Green Street’ and Toxic Masculinity - Toxic masculinity and violence in 'Green Street' (2005) starring Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam. How critique of the film seems to have missed the point, as written by George Forster. 
Breaking Principles: Passive Characters in ‘Vivarium’ (2020) - How 'Vivarium' (2020) succeeds in frustrating some and enlightening others through its choice of presenting actively-passive characters against all usual writing principles. Essay by Kieran Judge. 
Examining Controversial Depictions of Jesus Christ in Cinema - As one of history's most influential figures, depictions of Jesus Christ have caused controversy and discord since the days of the early church, and the same goes for cinema. In this piece Katie Doyle examines cinema's most provocative interpretations of the Easter Story.
Are Musicals Cinema’s Next Big Trend? - With the future of the film industry uncertain, people are turning to the ultimate form of escapism: the movie musical. Could the often suppressed genre be cinema's next big trend? Charlie Gardiner explores.
Windows Into Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Parasite’ - Bong Joon-ho's Best Picture Oscar winning feature 'Parasite' (2019/2020) makes spectacular use of windows to establish and reinforce themes. Sam Sewell-Peterson explores in this 'Parasite' essay.
Plot Reveals vs Plot Twists – When They Work and When They Don’t - When plot twists work and when they don't. Kieran Judge explores one of cinema's most controversial, discussion stirring narrative elements, ruminating on some of the form's best and most famous examples.
The Identity Crisis of Hong Kong Cinema - How the films of the likes of John Woo and Wong Kar-wai have illustrated the identity crisis and cultural anxieties of Hong Kong during the state's rich history of cinema.
100 Years of ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ – Is It Still Significant? - Famed German Expressionism horror-thriller 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' turns 100 years old in 2020, but is it still relevant? Jacob Davis explores Germany's first massively popular German export here.
No, You Are: Deconstructing Dinesh D’Souza’s Interview with Richard Spencer - Dinesh D'Souza and Richard Spencer walk into a sit-down interview on right wing American politics. Jacob Davis deconstructs 'The Death of A Nation' here.
A Brief History of the Director’s Cut - From the Ridley Scott's Director's Cut of 'Blade Runner' to Peter Jackson's 'Lord of the Rings' extended editions and right through to the Snyder Cut of 'Justice League' - the history of the director's cut as presented by Sam Sewell-Peterson.
How Cathy Yan’s ‘Birds of Prey’ Reawakens the Ethos of the Riot Grrrl - ‘That girl thinks she’s the Queen of the neighbourhood, I got news for you, she is!’ - How Cathy Yan's 'Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey' embraces the Riot Grrrl ethos in its fresh attempts to validate female anger. Article by Leoni Horton.
10 Years of Shutter Island – Flawless Directorial Command and Mental Health Examination - Released 10 years ago (2010), Martin Scorsese's 'Shutter Island' has taken on a life of its own to remain a relevant and enticing masterpiece from one of cinema's greatest. Beth Sawdon explores...
The Streaming Romance: Reception and Perception in Modern Moviestaying - Jacob Davis looks at 5 Netflix rom-coms with noticeable disparities between their critic and audience scores to decipher why those disparities exist and hopefully lend a helping hand on which one/s to watch.Why Parasite’s Oscars Dominance Matters - 'Parasite winning, and winning so big, shows that maybe barriers are being broken down'. Jacob Davis on why 'Parasite' winning big at the Oscars 2020 matters.
From ‘Foreign Language’ To ‘International Feature’: Why A Change In Name Isn’t Enough - The Oscars have renamed their 'Best Foreign Language Film' category 'Best International Feature Film' in the name of inclusivity - but, as Sophie Butcher discusses, this alone is not enough to improve recognition for world cinema.
Could ‘Frozen II’ Win Best Original Song? – Oscars 2020 - "in the final “Into the unknown” in the chorus, [Elsa] goes so far past the safe notes, way into the enchanted forest. Here the chorus acts as a microcosm for the whole narrative." - Sophie Cook on why "Into the Uknown" should win Best Original Song at the 2020 Oscars.
In Defence of The Academy – A Sarcastic Address of the Controversy Surrounding The Oscars - For close to a century, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been a pillar of open-mindedness and has set benchmarks for inclusion. This article celebrates their otherworldly knowledge and passion that totally isn't bought or the source of controversy.
1917 Is Not Nationalistic - Is '1917' inherently nationalistic? The multi-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globes winner has come under fire from certain sections of the press, but Jacob Davis disagrees with the consensus. Full feature/essay here.
‘Joker’ Vs ‘Us’: Their Significance, Similarities – And Why Is One Missing From The Oscar Nominations? - The Oscar nominations for 2020 are out, and Sophie Butcher has a question - why has 'Joker' received so much recognition, and 'Us' none at all, despite their similarities? Click here to read in full.
Ravished by Romance – Before Sunrise’s Antithetical Approach to Love - After a quarter of a century on the big screen, why does Richard Linklater's seminal romantic piece 'Before Sunrise' still resonate with audiences? Joseph Wade explores.
Baz Luhrmann’s Iconic Postmodern Trilogy: An Exploration - Baz Luhrmann exercises postmodernism in his work through his instantly recognisable work in adaptation and reimagining, including in his three most iconic pieces, a postmodern trilogy explored by Sophie Cook.
Why ‘The Muppet Christmas Carol’ Has Become Hard To Watch - Why 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' Has Become Hard To Watch in the contemporary landscape of inequality according to Annice White.
5 Christmas Movies Rewritten According to Brexit and UK Politics - As the UK enters another General Election, Katie Doyle rewrites five Christmas classics of cinema to fit the modern political discourse in this entertaining piece.
What ‘Le Mans 66’ Gets Right That Other Motorsport Films Did Not - Does 'Ford v Ferrari' manage to satisfy racing fans as it seems to be pleasing filmgoers? Dan Mason analyses in this special feature. 
Shot For Shot: Safe-Theft Scene in Hitchcock’s ‘Marnie’ (1964) - Over half a century later, Hitchcock's movies still have us on the edge of our seats. But why? Kieran Judge breaks down how he masterfully manipulates his audience in a shot-by-shot analysis of a scene from 'Marnie' (1964).
Analyzing ‘Star Wars’ Lore: The Jedi - The history, development and contradictions in Jedi lore in the 'Star Wars' franchise. Article by Jacob Davis.
A24 Horror: Success, Religion and Difference in Modern American Cinema - How A24 have managed to tap into the zeitgeist with recent releases 'The Witch' and 'Hereditary' to offer horrors that do more than make you jump out of your skin. Article by Beth Sawdon.
Joker: Incels, Violence, the Alt-Right – Tackling the Discourse Around 2019’s Most Controversial Movie - Jacob Davis tackles the hysteria surrounding Todd Phillips' 'Joker' (2019), breaking down the discourse forged by the opinions of high-ranking journalists in an attempt to get to the bottom of the controversy. 
Modern Problems Require Modern Solutions: Expectations of Star Wars Lore in the 21st Century - How expectations regarding 'Star Wars' lore have been cultivated and why it isn't the end of the world that you don't know anything about Snoke. 
The Wizard of Oz – 80 Years of Social Relevance - The impact of 'The Wizard of Oz', its context to politics at the time and the profound effect it had during the 2nd world war examined in the year of its 80th anniversary by Beth Sawdon.
A Textual Critique of ‘Stand Your Ground’ - 2014 Michael McClendon movie 'Stand Your Ground' sides you with the assailant in a "based on true events" story of a real-life murder trial from the perspective of the perpetrator's mother. Jacob Davis explores its problematic stance.
The Art of the Social Media Thriller; Narcissism, Paranoia and Tools for Good or Ill - "Technological paranoia has always been great fuel for exciting films and filmmaking." Sam Sewell-Peterson takes us through 4 of the best examples from the recent trend of Social Media Thrillers.
Far From Home – Throwing Shade at the Superhero Factory - "Compelling character first, crash-bang-wallop second", the compelling subtext of 'Spider-Man: Far from Home' (2019), by Sam Sewell-Peterson.
Far from Home – E.D.I.T.H. and the Morality of the MCU - Spider-Man: Far from Home introduces a problematic new piece of technology that illustrates a genre shift in politics that Jacob Davis explores, here.
It Just Might be His Masterpiece: Revisiting Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ Ten Years Later - Will Quentin Tarantino ever top 'Pulp Fiction'? Maybe he already has. Samuel Sybert breaks down the artistry behind the iconic director's 'Inglourious Basterds'. 
A Textual Analysis of ‘John Wick Chapter 3 – Parabellum’ - An analysis of the use of colour and the narrative progression on offer in 'John Wick Chapter 3 - Parabellum' by Jacob Davis.
Loki: The Development of One of Marvel’s Greatest Villains - He became one of the most iconic superhero villains of all time. In this feature, Francesca Militello charts Loki's development from prince to villain to brother between 'Thor' and 'Infinity War'.