Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s film Force Majeure (2014) marked his arrival as a filmmaker of note. Americans Nat Faxon and Jim Rash wrote the screenplay for The Descendants (2011) and directed The Way Way Back (2013). But it seems the European sensitivities of Östlund’s film have been a little lost in translation in Faxon and…
It may follow the playbook, but The Way Back still grips tightly. Back in high school, Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) had everything going for him. A basketball phenomenon, he could have punched his ticket to college or even the pros. Instead, he chose to walk away from the game, forfeiting his future. Jack’s glory days…
A cleverly conceived and executed piece that purports to be one thing and turns out to be something else entirely, I am loathe to go into detail about the narrative arc for fear of spoiling the surprise. Suffice to say, the story concerns a couple of old mates – a straight girl and a gay…
A darkly comedic, sick and twisted story concerning an extreme job interview to find a perfect hit man or woman, you are highly unlikely to forget this one in a hurry. Six candidates enter a premises without any idea of what they are in for. The agency looking to recruit a new employee is KOC – which…
When you can list Guided By Voices, The Decemberists, Stephen Malkmus and Elliott Smith as artists you’ve played with it should be an automatic for any indie music fan to be following Eyelids. Now, when you find out that R.E.M.’s Peter Buck produced and plays on this record it should be a no brainier that…
Got a bit of free time and don’t want to get in too deep with your Netflix and chill? We have the series for you. I am Not Okay With This is a fresh teen drama that delivers a little extra on top of your classic high school revenge story. Don’t worry if you have…
As popular fiction catches up with the fact that the home is where true horror lives, there’s a heck of a lot of authors writing about the dangers nested deep in our most intimate relationships. My Perfect Wife depicts how many small acts of cruelty and control can incrementally cause enormous amounts of damage. Returning…
At first glance, Greenwood appears to be yet another environmental dystopia. The novel opens with a group of environmental tourists in 2038 being shown some of the last of the world’s great trees on an island off the west coast of Canada. And whilst there is a deep strain of environmentalism in Greenwood, it is…
A harrowing dramatic story about a troubled relationship between a son and his alcoholic father, Honey Boy features a series of stellar performances. From a screenplay by Shia LaBeouf, director Alma Har’el brings to life a young actor’s stormy childhood and early adult years, as he struggles to reconcile with his father through cinema and…
Our selection of the best new music across a range of genres from the week ending 21 February 2020. Sleaford Mods – Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn – stepped out of 2019 with a UK Top Ten album under their belt, Eton Alive, their biggest sold out tour to date and the swagger of a band that…
