Reviews
Love Lies Bleeding (2024) Review - Rose Glass follows up her exceptional horror film 'Saint Maud' with Kristen Stewart in small-town USA for 'Love Lies Bleeding', the ultimate cult flick. Review by Mark Carnochan.
The Sound of Music (1965) Review - Acclaimed movie musical 'The Sound of Music' (1965), Robert Wise's Oscars Best Picture winner starring Julie Andrews, is a memorable gem that never loses its staying power. Review by Alannah Purslow.
Letter to a Pig (2022) Short Film Review - Tal Kantor short film 'Letter to a Pig' is a beautifully put together Oscars Animated Short nominee with a lot to love. Review by Joseph Wade.
Ninety-Five Senses (2022) Short Film Review - Jared and Jerusha Hess forgo their usually identifiable filmmaking traits to embrace a more earnest story in their Animated Short Oscars nominee 'Ninety-Five Senses'. Review by Joseph Wade.
Our Uniform (2023) Short Film Review - Yegane Moghaddam's authorial short film 'Our Uniform', about a woman's relationship to the Iranian school system, is a well-conceived Animated Short nominee at the Oscars. Review by Joseph Wade.
Pachyderme (2022) Short Film Review - 2024 Oscars Animated Short nominee 'Pachyderme' is an intricately constructed piece at every level of filmmaking; a short to be experienced. Review by Joseph Wade.
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko (2023) Short Film Review - Produced by Yoko Ono and co-written by Sean Ono Lennon, 'War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko' is an Animated Short Oscars nominee worth seeing. Review by Joseph Wade.
Rebecca (1940) Review - Alfred Hitchcock's only film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, 'Rebecca' (1940) is not exactly perfect but it's certainly damn close. Review by Kieran Judge.
Nimona (2023) Review - You've never seen anything quite like Netflix's Oscars Animated Feature nominee 'Nimona' (2023), a film that deserves recognition for its own form of greatness. Review by Lamorna Peake.
The Wizard of Oz (1939) Review - 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) remains an impressive filmmaking achievement almost a century on from its release. Victor Fleming directs Judy Garland in timeless technicolour. Review by Clotilde Chinnici.
Madame Web (2024) Review - Sony Spider-Man spin-off 'Madame Web', directed by S.J. Clarkson and starring Dakota Johnson, is messy but consistently entertaining. Review by Sam Sewell-Peterson.
In the Heat of the Night (1967) Review - Trailblazing Oscars Best Picture winner 'In the Heat of the Night' (1967) starring Sidney Poitier feels tame by today's standards, but still shines a spotlight on inequality. Review by Martha Lane.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) Review - 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' (1975), from director Miloš Forman and starring Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, won the Big Five Oscars. It is immortal. Review by Kieran Judge.
STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023) Review - BAFTA-nominated documentary 'STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie' (2023) is the story of the 'Back to the Future' star's life in his own words. A film that provides some life lessons. Review by Rob Jones.
Titanic (1997) Review - James Cameron's blockbuster romance 'Titanic' (1997) was a cultural phenomenon and impossible to ignore, and remains a testament to what movies can do: make us feel. Review by Margaret Roarty.
The Iron Claw (2023) Review - Writer-director Sean Durkin presents the tragic true story of the Von Erich professional wrestling family that is guaranteed to make you cry. Zac Efron stars. Review by Joseph Wade.
Perfect Days (2023) Review - Wim Wenders directs Cannes Best Actor winner Koji Yakuso in 'Perfect Days' (2023), a philosophical celebration of the everyman. Review by Gala Woolley.
Raging Bull (1980) Review - The imagery, style, and performances work in concert to great effect in Martin Scorsese's 'Raging Bull' (1980), assuredly one of the director's best films. Review by Jacob Davis.
Society of the Snow (2023) Review - 'Society of the Snow' (2023), the Oscar-nominated Netflix Original from J.A. Bayona based on a true story of survival, is an unforgettable film about humanity. Review by Kyra Lieberman.
‘Blazing Saddles’ at 50 – Review - It's still OK to laugh at Mel Brooks' Western spoof comedy 'Blazing Saddles' starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, even 50 years on from its release. Review by Sam Sewell-Peterson.
The Color Purple (2023) Review - Blitz Bazawule's Oscar-nominated 'The Color Purple' is a fresh take on a timeless story, a fitting adaptation of the stage musical. Fantasia Barrino stars. Review by Clotilde Chinnici.
Argylle (2024) Review - Matthew Vaughn's 'Argylle' (2024) is a vaguely entertaining exercise in over-self-indulgence that has some likeable qualities but is massively stretched out. Review by Kieran Judge.
The Zone of Interest (2023) Review - Are you sitting comfortably? Jonathan Glazer's Auschwitz film 'The Zone of Interest' (2023) is cold, horrifying cinema; a movie of the decade. Review by Joseph Wade.
Rye Lane (2023) Review - Raine Allen-Miller's BAFTA-nominated British romcom 'Rye Lane' is as busy and vibrant as London itself, 'Love Actually' in Peckham. Review by Rob Jones.
American Fiction (2023) Review - Cord Jefferson's Oscars Best Picture nominee 'American Fiction' (2023) is an effective cultural and interpersonal story about identity, grief, love, and voice. Review by Emi Grant.
Anatomy of a Fall (2023) Review - Justine Triet's Oscar-nominated, Cannes Palme d'Or winner 'Anatomy of a Fall' features one of the great performances of 2023 from Sandra Hüller as a woman on trial for murder. Review by Joseph Wade.
All of Us Strangers (2023) Review - 'All of Us Strangers' (2023) is leaving viewers in floods of tears, Andrew Haigh and actors Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal offering a devastating new love story. Review by Mark Carnochan.
‘Sleeping Beauty’ at 65 – Review - Though 'Sleeping Beauty' (1959) is not one of Disney's strongest films, this fairy tale features surprisingly feminist characters and a compelling villain. Review by Emily Nighman.
The Holdovers (2023) Review - Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa anchor Alexander Payne's human drama 'The Holdovers', a multi-time Oscar nominee in 2024. Review by Sam Sewell-Peterson.
Sunset Boulevard (1950) Review - Billy Wilder's self-reflective movie about Hollywood, 'Sunset Boulevard' (1950), is still meaningful, visually impressive and relevant a lifetime after its release. Review by Clotilde Chinnici.
Mulholland Drive (2001) Review - David Lynch 2001 mystery thriller 'Mulholland Drive' starring Naomi Watts is a provocative piece of art presented with expert craft. Review by Jacob Davis.
Next Goal Wins (2023) Review - Taika Waititi sports movie 'Next Goal Wins' (2023), starring Michael Fassbender, fails to capture the charm of his older works. Review by Emi Grant.
Destroy All Neighbors (2024) Review - 'Destroy All Neighbors' is an over-the-top horror-comedy B movie sendup that fails to deliver on its outrageous premise for its duration. Review by Kieran Judge.
Mean Girls (2024) Review - The 2024 'Mean Girls' musical is as brittle and fake as plastic, Tina Fey phoning in what could have been a meaningful remake. Review by Margaret Roarty.
The Beekeeper (2024) Review - David Ayer's action-thriller 'The Beekeeper' starring Jason Statham offers 100 minutes of badly shot action sequences and should buzz off. Review by Kieran Judge.
Network (1976) Review - Sidney Lumet and Paddy Chayefsky's 'Network' (1976) truly was a film ahead of its time, putting all ends of the political spectrum to task. Review by Kieran Judge.
Foe (2023) Review - Despite glimmers of 'Marriage Story', 'Her' and 'Black Mirror', Garth Davis' 'Foe' (2023) starring Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan is severely lacking. Review by Rehana Nurmahi.
Good Grief (2023) Review - Daniel Levy's feature directorial debut 'Good Grief' (2024), a Netflix Original, promises a lot but doesn't reach the heights of 'Schitt's Creek'. Review by Martha Lane.
The Boy and the Heron (2023) Review - 'The Boy and the Heron', thought to be the final film from Hayao Miyazaki, is up there with the best that Studio Ghibli has ever made. Review by Sam Sewell-Peterson.
Ferrari (2023) Review - Enzo Ferrari biopic 'Ferrari', from 'Heat' director Michael Mann and starring Adam Driver, reinforces negative stereotypes and fails in its mission. Review by Clotilde Chinnici.
Night Swim (2024) Review - Blumhouse horror 'Night Swim' (2024), starring Wyatt Russell and Kerry Condon, is derivative of 'The Shining' and other better horrors. Review by Kieran Judge.
One Life (2023) Review - 'One Life' (2023), the James Hawes BBC film starring Anthony Hopkins as "The British Schindler" Nicholas Winton, doesn't hit every mark but does strike a powerful chord. Review by Kieran Judge.
9 Highest-Scoring Films 2023 – The Film Magazine - The 2023 movie releases that received the highest review scores - 5 stars - from the insightful expert writers on The Film Magazine.
Rebel Moon (2023) Review - Zack Snyder's pitch for a new 'Star Wars' movie has been re-tooled for Netflix and the sci-fi epic 'Rebel Moon', a film sadly derivative of better movies. Review by Sam Sewell-Peterson.
Anyone But You (2023) Review - 'Easy A' director Will Gluck balances humor and heart in 2023 romcom 'Anyone But You' starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell that proves love doesn't get old. Review by Margaret Roarty.
‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ at 45 – Review - The 1978 sci-fi horror adaptation 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' starring Donald Sutherland remains an all-time classic 45 years on from its release. Review by Kieran Judge.
‘The Ten Commandments’ at 100 – Review - Cecil B. DeMille's 1923 silent epic 'The Ten Commandments' is impossible to watch without your mouth hanging open in awe. The artistry is astounding. Review by Margaret Roarty.
Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023) Review - 'Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget' (2023), the 'Chicken Run' sequel almost a quarter of a century in the making, pales in comparison to the original. Review by Emi Grant.
Godzilla Minus One (2023) Review - Takashi Yamakazi's 'Godzilla Minus One' aka 'Gojira -1.0' (2023) has a very strong claim to being the best kaiju movie in 70 years. Review by Sam Sewell-Peterson.
Maestro (2023) Review - Bradley Cooper stars in and directs 'Maestro', a biopic on "West Side Story" composer Leonard Bernstein that is long overdue but served well. Review by Rob Jones.