In Klansman Spike Lee combines the razor sharp dissection of racial politics of Do The Right Thing with the crowdpleasing thriller narrative of Inside Man, to produce his finest work for a long time, and possibly the film of the year. It relates the incredible but true story of black… Continue reading
Given the title of this blog, and my ongoing obsession with Jaws, I was always going to give this latest shark-fest an outing. Let me count the ways in which the two are not alike. Jaws isn’t really about the shark – it’s really about three aspects of masculinity (the… Continue reading
Let’s get it sorted all the things this film isn’t. It isn’t an effective neo-noir thriller, despite some well constructed shots and a love of neon. It isn’t a complex, multi-layered narrative that demands the viewer to construct the pieces. It isn’t a beautiful evocation of cityscapes. So it’s not… Continue reading
This film is all bags full of problematic. Perhaps more than any other recent actress Lawrence epitomises the new wave of strong women in cinema. Other are better actors (Blanchett) or more prominently feminist (Chastain), but none have the iconic role that was Katniss. I admire her willingness to take… Continue reading
There is a good film to be made about privacy and permanent surveillance. This isn’t it. The opening sequence of what a society where everyone has Google Glasses embedded in their heads would be like, is well executed. Every person is immediately identified, adverts are brought to life, information is… Continue reading
Fassbender used to be one of those actors you could rely on. His films might not always be great, but his presence was usually a benchmark of some quality, and he was always watchable. After the puzzlingly dull Assassin’s Creed and infuriatingly pointless Alien Covenant, he is on something of… Continue reading
The Purge series has become quite interesting as it has developed. It started with a fairly ludicrous idea, as the frame for some straightforward violence and redemption. In the second, and arguably best, instalment, it developed its own aesthetic. The idea of the Purge as a Holiday, with all the… Continue reading
[Probably a bit SPOILERy but not too much] This horror/thriller from the director, Fede Alverez, who did the remake of the Evil Dead (yes, I don’t know why either) uses post-recession Detroit as the backdrop for a home invasion gone wrong thriller. Three young thieves, seeking to escape Detroit, are… Continue reading
I watched a couple of Eli Roth films the other day (Green Inferno and Aftershock). They were unsatisfying and I found myself comparing them unfavourably to Jeremy Saulnier’s tight, believable thriller. Green Room follows a hardcore punk band who after scratching a tour get offered a gig at a neo-nazi… Continue reading
Eye in the Sky is a thriller that uses the Islamic extremism in Kenya as the basis for a taut, almost unbearably tense plot involving drones, local military and UK and US governments in the way the Cold War used to be an effective context. The film’s ability to make… Continue reading
