Rubika Shah’s documentary feature White Riot re-tells the inspired story of Rock Against Racism. RAR was a grassroots movement that stymied the rise of racism in 1970s Britain by galvanising youth through politically charged music. The film contextualises a growing white supremacist sentiment born from the Nazi Party, but manifesting in numerous cultural and political…
The documentary Girls Can’t Surf is a look at those pioneering female surfers who fought against the entrenched sexism of this male dominated sport. In the 60s, the male surfers were the heroes, while female surfers were largely relegated to the sidelines, forced to wear skimpy swimsuits and were treated almost as a sideshow or…
The scourge of opioid addiction is at the core of the dramatic thriller Crisis. A tension-filled opening sees a teenager, Cedric Beauville (Charles Champagne), in deep snow near the US-Canadian border being chased by unseen pursuers. The lad’s capture sets off a chain of events. Jake Kelly (Armie Hammer) is deep undercover. The Drug Enforcement…
Anthony Scott Burns’ Come True is a singular vision that pays strong homage to 1980s fantasy horror films. Gorgeous neon-tinted lighting is complimented by a haunting synthesized score that imbues a floating-like atmosphere for its characters, and seduces predominately with a chilling atmosphere. The film follows teenage runaway Sarah (Julia Sarah Stone), who sleeps…
Director Shaka King breaks out of TV and onto the big screen with Judas and the Black Messiah. This (literally) incendiary film tells the somewhat overlooked story of Fred Hampton, the charismatic leader of a Chicago chapter of the Black Panthers. Unlike others involve in the civil rights movement – like Dr Martin Luther King…
A steady stream of mum and dad jokes lay the foundations for Then Came You, written and starring Kathie Lee Gifford. Depending upon your perspective, you might find it pleasant or painful. Over a year ago, 60-something Annabelle lost her beloved husband Fred in an accident at their hardware store in Nantucket. The would-be entertainer…
Climate of the Hunter is a off-beat horror film, directed by Mickey Recce, whose astute detail for the psychedelic elevates its small-scale story into an other-worldly experience. The reclusive Alma (Ginger Gilmartin) lives a vacation cabin, tucked away from the rest of the world except for her dog and a stoner who lives nearby. Her…
Chaos Walking is a science fiction action adventure set on a distant planet known as New World in the year 2257. The male settlers are constantly bombarded with the thoughts of others in the settlement. These take the form of an unrelenting cacophony of sounds and visions, called The Noise. It drove the men insane…
In Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland, Fern (Frances McDormand) is a loner. The highly capable 61-year-old has little to her name. She’s averse to traditional societal norms. Now she leads a frugal, nomadic life with memories of the past with her now-departed husband. Fern has always been a free spirit. But she settled in a nondescript house…
About Endlessness is the sixth film from Swedish auteur Roy Andersson, and, according to some suggestions, possibly the last of his career. It is his first film since 2015’s A Pigeon Sat On A Branch Reflecting On Existence, (which I must admit, I loathed) and is pretty much in the same style as the rest…
