Writer-director Ben Sharrock draws on his own experiences of living in Syria and working with refugees in Algeria to shape Limbo. This bittersweet drama explores the loss of identity and self often felt by refugees waiting in limbo for their situation to change. The film centres around Omar (Egyptian actor Amir el Masry), a Syrian…
Confusingly, Swan Song is the second film with that title to be released in 2021. The other starred Mahershala Ali and you can stream it on Apple TV+. This Swan Song is a gentle tribute to a number of things – a man, a place, a time, a culture and an idea. Writer-director Todd Stephens…
Two newcomers, a rising star and a consummate veteran collaborate on Best Sellers. Anthony Grieco provides his first script for Lina Roessler to direct her debut feature. Both are actors who’ve now turned their hands to new fields. And despite some valiant efforts by all concerned, a lack of cohesion drags on this heartfelt film….
Set in the icy mountains of Kenosha Utah, The Killing of Two Lovers is a gritty depiction of a married couple that have decided to spend time apart. Starring Clayne Crawford, Sepideh Moafi and Chris Coy, the film has received critical acclaim worldwide. Director Robert Machoian spoke about the film’s stylistic choices, working with his…
The gig economy has grown exponentially in recent years. So much so, concerns are now being forcefully voiced about its actual and potential dangers. Director Noah Hutton taps into those fears as he takes audiences on an intriguing and sometimes frightening journey into a digitised future in Lapsis. Lapsis has something in common with one…
“Dead bodies usually mean something bad…” It’s 1945, towards the send of WWII. The German navy are even sinking hospital ships. When the film opens, a group of survivors from a sunken hospital ship are adrift somewhere in the North Atlantic. Tensions are high as they are desperately short of food and water. This motley…
One of the more buzzy features on the festival circuit last year was The Sound of Silence, the debut feature from Michael Tyburski. Within the film’s high concept however lurks a story of genuine heart. Tyburski and co-writer Ben Nabors expand their 2013 short Palimpsest into a feature film (even then short-ish at 85 minutes)….
Well, there’s always the “Disappointment of the year” award. I’m afraid this year Little Monsters will take this. I had regained confidence in the combination of horror and comedy after watching Monster Party and The Dead Don’t Die. I’ve always had a problem with it when moviemakers mix these two genres. But these last two…
Life is tough for a pair of adult sisters in Little Woods. Ollie (Tessa Thompson) and her estranged sibling Deb (Lily James) live in the economically depressed fracking town of Little Woods, North Dakota. Deb has a young son with a deadbeat dad (James Badge Dale). Mother and son live illegally in a caravan that…
Jim Cummings gives a bravura performance as a man on the edge in Thunder Road. This offbeat drama concerns a small-town US police officer who suffers a breakdown after the death of his mother. Cummings wrote and directed the piece, and appears in almost every scene. It’s based on his short film of the same…
