Critical Week: It's a slam dunk

It's been a fairly busy week for screenings, with another eclectic bunch of movies to sift through. There is an unusually large number of films opening this weekend, including several animated movies to coincide with school holidays, date-night movies for Valentine's Day and some awards-season gems that are finally getting into cinemas. Most are well worth seeing. One of the bigger ones screened for us this week was the animated adventure Goat, a lively basketball-adjacent comedy about a goat who wants to be the greatest of all time. Painterly animation and sparky characters make it worth a look. And then there's Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in Emerald Fennell's unsurprisingly lascivious adaptation of Wuthering Heights. I'm a fan of her deranged style of storytelling, and this movie is deliciously full-on.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Crime 101 • Wuthering Heights
Palestine 36 • Cold Storage
Goat • The President's Cake
Stitch Head • Little Amelie
My Father's Shadow
PERHAPS AVOID:
The Day the Earth Blew Up
ALL REVIEWS >

Other films screened this week include the nutty horror thriller Whistle, starring the gifted Daphne Keen. It's corny, but fun. Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough take a tearaway Anson Boon into their home in The Good Boy (retitled Heel in the US), an unnervingly dark British drama that raises some enjoyably provocative moral questions. Danny Dyer puts on a one-man show in One Last Deal as a London sports agent trying to save his career, or maybe his soul. It's rather thin, but riveting. And the Swedish-produced Egyptian drama Eagles of the Republic, starring the terrific Fares Fares, starts as a satire about politics and moviemaking before shifting into a tensely mind-spinning thriller. I also attended a live performance of Pina Bausch's Sweet Mambo at Sadler's Wells. And at a special awards-season brunch in honour of Sentimental Value, I enjoyed chatting with Oscar and Bafta nominated filmmakers Joaquim Trier and Eskil Vogt.

Coming up this next week, I'll be watching Sam Rockwell in Good Luck Have Fun Don't Die, coming-of-age drama DJ Ahmet, subterranean doc Underland, tour doc Palestine Comedy Club, plus attending the London premiere of Paradise season 2 and the programme launch event for the 40th BFI Flare.

Critical Week: On the road again

Hello from Rome! I'm here for a few days this week, my first-ever visit to the city, so I plan to do a lot of walking. I've also caught up with a London Film Fest movie here at the Rome Film Festival, namely Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi's Palme d'Or winner It Was Just an Accident, a riveting comical romp with dark undertones that surge to the surface in the haunting final act. Panahi was on hand to accept a special award before the screening last night, then today I attended a conversation with him about his extraordinary career. Before coming to Italy, I watched several films during London Film Fest's closing weekend, including Paolo Sorrentino's Venice festival opener La Grazia, another outrageously gorgeous odyssey starring Toni Servillo as a wry, reflective Italian president.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Bugonia • Hedda
Love+War
ALL REVIEWS >

Also at LFF: Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere offers Jeremy Allen White another wonderfully textured role as the Boss, so the film is entertaining even if it never surprises us. Richard Linklater brought his second film this year, Nouvelle Vague, a French comedy-drama about the making of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless, shot completely in period style. It looks amazing and is a lot of fun. There was also a lavish premiere for Annemarie Jacir's historical drama Palestine 36, beautifully dramatising a pivotal moment in time. The vast ensemble cast is excellent. From UAE, the psychological horror The Vile is a superbly unnerving thriller about a woman confronting her male-dominated culture. And the photography doc Love+War profiles top conflict photographer Lynsey Addario as she balances work with a lively family life.

My favourites from the London Film Festival:

1. 
   Is This Thing On? (Cooper, US)
2. Hamnet (Zhao, UK)
3. Rental Family (Hikari, Japan)
4. La Grazia (Paolo Sorrentino, Italy)
5. Wake Up Dead Man (Rian Johnson, UK)
6. Palestine 36 (Annemarie Jacir, Palestine)
7. Lurker (Alex Ross, US)
8. The History of Sound (Oliver Hermanus, UK)
9. Train Dreams (Clint Bentley, US)
10. Bugonia (Yorgos Lanthimos, US)

All festival film reviews are linked here: SHADOWS @ LFF >

Back in London this next week I'll see the horror thriller Shelby Oaks and the Argentine drama Belen, and I want to catch up on a couple of films that I missed because I was unable to attend screenings, including The Mastermind and Tron: Ares. I also have a live performances of Thikra: Night of Remembering.

Screen: May TV Roundup

There's been some very high-profile television over the past few months, including shows that have made global headlines, like Adolescence and the third season of The White Lotus. There have also been a few new series that are happy to simply keep us smiling, like The Four Seasons and The Studio. We need more of these at the moment! This roundup starts with four shows that came back for another season...

The White Lotus: series 3
Writer-director Mike White continues to take on major themes in unusually subtle ways, this time at a resort Thailand that's so beautiful we will all start saving up now. And the guests and staff are a terrific collection of people who are dealing with a range of issues that relate to morality and spirituality. It's so skilfully written and played that each scene worms its way into our subconscious. Standouts in the exceptional ensemble include Jason Isaacs, Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, Aimee Lou Wood, Patrick Schwarzenegger and Sam Nivola, plus a blazing Sam Rockwell. There are some loose threads that feel a bit messy, but this is top-tier TV. (Max)

Hacks: series 4
With a much darker tone, this season kicks off as war rages between the imperious Deborah (Jean Smart) and the feisty Ava (Hanna Einbinder). And things get very nasty indeed in these sharply well-written and performed episodes, with various subplots helpfully providing comic relief, most notably the ongoing antics of agents Jimmy and Kayla (Paul W Downs and Megan Salter). The depiction of the world of late night television is astute, including a properly pointed look at network TV politics. But as always, it's the rollercoaster relationship between Deborah and Ava that keeps us hooked, and it's a fantastic ride this time around. (Max)

The Conners:
series 7
There are only six episodes in this show's final season, capping a span of 37 years in the life of this working class family. The writers set out to both maintain the timely, salt-of-the-earth sensibilities while providing strong arcs for each of the central characters, and they manage to do this with clever plotting and their usual hilariously barbed dialog. The focus is on the veteran cast members, who continued to deepen their roles from episode to episode. So we'll miss John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert and Lecy Goranson, and it's a little frustrating that Michael Fishman (as DJ) wasn't back for the emotional goodbye. (ABC)

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light
Based on Hilary Mantel's historical novel, Wolf Hall gripped the nation in 2015, and it's taken a decade to get Part 2. The story picks up immediately, following Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) as he tries to navigate backchannel politics in the court of Henry VIII (Damien Lewis) and Jane Seymour (Kate Phillips). Beautifully written by Peter Straughan, and skilfully played by an excellent ensemble, this is a gorgeously made series that lives in its quieter moments. While the pacing is slow and delicate, the dialog is packed with subterfuge, as relationships are twisted by gossip and ambition. History is rarely recounted with so much introspection. (BBC)

S O M E T H I N G   N E W

Adolescence
This feels like landmark television, with four utterly unmissable episodes. It's written, directed and performed with staggering skill to tell a story that feels almost terrifyingly urgent. On the surface it's about a detective (Ashley Walters) investigating the murder of a teen girl by a 13-year-old boy (Owen Cooper), whose father (Stephen Graham) can't comprehend the situation. But the show is actually a deep dive into the impact of toxic masculinity on society, touching on a range of jaw-dropping aspects. Philip Barantini directs each episode in a single long take that ramps up the intensity and provides powerful gut punches. (Netflix)

The Studio
While this comedy is somewhat goofy, it's also so much fun that we never want it to end. Seth Rogen leads the cast (and creative team) to take us behind the chaotic scenes, playing a Hollywood studio boss who's in over his head. Each episode works as a meta-joke exploring various aspects of moviemaking with humour that's both jaggedly smart and profoundly silly. And amid the broad jokes are some knowing observations about Hollywood. The quality slips in the final few episodes, which begin to feel somewhat repetitive, but the terrific cast includes the great Catherine O'Hara, and more A-list cameos per episode than seems humanly possible. (Apple)

The Four Seasons
Loosely based on the 1981 film, this eight-part series created by Tina Fey centres on three couples who take four holidays together over the course of a year. As their relationships shift, there's plenty of sharp comedy and strong emotion thanks to first-rate actors Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney and Marco Calvani. Most enjoyable is the way the show is unafraid to indulge in some very silly antics alongside the much more serious storylines. So even if it all feels a bit too smart to be believable, the terrific actors find strongly grounded moments along the way. All of which makes it hugely entertaining. (Netflix)

Mid-Century Modern
Almost painfully broad, this is an old-school sitcom with a queer twist, essentially remaking The Golden Girls with three gay men in Palm Springs. Nathan Lane is the sardonic leader of the pack, Matt Bomer is the brainless himbo and Nathan Lee Graham is the wry socialite, with the great Linda Lavin as the resident house mother. This could work a treat, but the writing is almost painfully simplistic, falling back on obvious jokes and a string of starry cameos. Thankfully, the actors are excellent at providing the textures needed to make the characters likeable. But without much of interest going on, it's not easy to care if they return for more. (Disney)

Étoile
This has promise, an ensemble comedy centred around an exchange between premiere ballet companies in New York and Paris, but it's assembled in a bewilderingly uneven way. Everything is infused with slapstick, creating deliberately wacky characters who are both unsympathetic and frankly implausible. This almost works for quirky artistes like Tobias Glick's obsessively awkward choreographer, but it rings badly false with the administrators who take up the vast majority of the screen time. It seems like a crime to saddle actors like Charlotte Gainsbourg and Luke Kirby with such one-note roles. Still, it's just about watchable. (Amazon)

Mr Loverman
This is a beautifully written and directed series, based on the Bernardine Evaristo novel about a lively Afro-Caribbean family man in London (a stunningly complex role for Lennie James) who is secretly in love with his best friend Morris (Ariyon Bakare), but is still unable to come out of the closet. The show flickers back to previous times and places in their decades together, punctuated by both everyday encounters and momentous events. Most intriguing is how this sensitive, observant show traces how gay rights evolved around these two men, and their very different reactions to that. And the final episodes are powerfully moving. (BBC)

Carême
Loosely based on real historical figures, this French series centres around the very first celebrity chef Antonin Careme (Benjamin Voisin) in the early 19th century, and throws him into the middle of soapy romance and lots of political intrigue under Napoleon's turbulent rule. The food on display is fabulous, of course. And there's some fun to be had in Careme's sexual shenanigans, even if the plot badly bogs down in the more thriller-style elements that leave it little more than a quest for revenge. At least it plays out with some nice twists, and strong performances from the seductive Voisin, Lyna Khoudri, Jeremie Renier and others. (Apple)

GUILTY PLEASURES: Britain's Got Talent, Fool Us, The Traitors (Australia), Drag Race (17/Down Under), Million Dollar Secret.

NOW WATCHING: Overcompensating, Your Friends & Neighbors, Andor 2, The Last of Us 2, The Handmaid's Tale 6

COMING SOON: MurderBot, Adults, Stick, Long Way Home, And Just Like That 2, Fubar 2, Squid Game 3.

Previous roundup: MARCH 2025 > 

Critical Week: Baby you're a firework

While most London critics decamp to the South of France for 10 days, I prefer to avoid the chaos of the Cannes Film Festival if I can, as screening rooms get a bit quieter here. But it's not easy to read about all the intriguing films screening over there. While I have a bit more free time, there are still movies to watch! This week's films included the warm and properly inspiring biopic Young Woman and the Sea, starring Daisy Ridley as groundbreaking swimmer Trudy Ederle. This week's big release is IF, a child-friendly movie from actor-filmmaker John Krasinski that's remarkably sweet, warm and funny. And next week's kids' movie is The Garfield Movie, a frenetic animated romp that will keep very, very young children happy.

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
Tiger Stripes • IF
ALL REVIEWS >

A bit more high-brow is the fact-based action romcom Hit Man, starring the terrific Glen Powell as a teacher pretending to be an assassin to help a police sting operation. It's a great story, very well-told by Powell and director-cowriter Richard Linklater. Elizabeth Hurley stars in the sudsy erotic thriller Strictly Confidential, which is so camp that it's hilarious. JK Simmons goes all-in to play a ruthless killer menacing a nice family in the harrowing and rather harsh thriller You Can't Run Forever. From Pakistan, In Flames is an inventive dramatic horror film about women confronting the patriarchy. And I also caught up with Guy Ritchie's new film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, a snappy WWII adventure based on a true story. A terrific cast led by Henry Cavill, Eiza Gonzalez, Alan Ritchson and Henry Golding keeps it funny and sometimes thrilling. There was also a live performance by musical stand-up comic Dave Hill with his riotously hilarious Caveman in a Spaceship at the Soho Theatre.

This coming week I'll be watching Anya Taylor-Joy in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Greg Kinnear in both The Present and Sight, the Canadian drama Solo and the animated adventure Deep Sea. Plus on stage I have Pieces of Me at Camden People's Theatre.

LFF: Under a big sky

Yes, there was more queuing today for the journalists covering the 65th London Film Festival, but by now we're getting better at using the hours standing in the alleyways to write up film notes on our phones or get to know our fellow delegates. Today's weather was variable, with both sunshine and rainshowers. But it was worth it for the movies. Meanwhile, somewhere far from us there's an actually festival going on, with star-studded red carpets, private parties and lots of schmoozing. Or so I imagine. Here are some more highlights...

The Power of the Dog
dir-scr Jane Campion; with Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst 21/NZ ****.
Writer-director Jane Campion masterfully combines spectacular landscapes with complex internal journeys in this provocative Western set in 1925 Montana (which is beautifully played by New Zealand). A collection of characters and connections are delicately played to pull the audience into an intriguing web of desire, expectation and legacy. And while much of the big emotion is under the surface, the film still packs a vivid punch.

Passing
dir-scr Rebecca Hall; with Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga 21/US ***.
Shot in iridescent high-contrast monochrome, this brittle period drama raises some powerfully haunting themes before its more standard plot takes over. Finely written and directed by Rebecca Hall, and circling around a remarkably layered performance from Tessa Thompson, the story offers a lot to think about. This helps make the film involving even when the metaphors get a bit obvious, and when the story seems to veer off-topic.

Boiling Point
dir Philip Barantini; with Stephen Graham, Jason Flemyng 21/UK ***.
Bravura filmmaking elevates this propulsive British drama, as personal issues engulf a group of characters over one fateful evening in a busy restaurant. Unfolding in real time as a single, continuous handheld take, it remains fast and busy all the way through, and frequently gets very intense. The collision of momentous plot lines in a small space feels somewhat overwrought, but the ace cast make it gripping.

Playground
dir-scr Laura Wandel; with Maya Vanderbeque, Gunter Duret 21/Fr ****
Despite a tough theme, this film has such a bracing sense of authenticity that it can't help but deeply engage the audience even as it gets under the skin with some provocative issues. Actor-filmmaker Laura Wandel shoots it with both doc-style urgency and intimate emotionality, while eliciting powerfully complex performances from a cast of young children. It's a remarkable achievement, putting us into the perspective of a little girl.

Full reviews of festival films will be published as possible and linked at Shadows' LFF HOMEPAGE 
For full information, visit BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 

Critical Week: Under attack

There's been some tentative move to ease lockdown, but cinemas are still mainly showing old movies (The Empire Strikes Back is No 1 on the UK box office chart this week). I had my first meal in a restaurant since early March -- well outside it on a distanced table. But the weather has been gloomy, which is more suited for watching movies at home really....

BEST OUT THIS WEEK:
The Sunlit Night • The Painted Bird
Palm Springs
PERHAPS AVOID:
Fatal Affair • Getting It • Divos!
FULL REVIEWS >

The biggest movie I saw this week was the gripping WWII thriller Greyhound, which no doubt would have looked better on a big screen. As always, Tom Hanks is solid as a captain shepherding a convoy of ships through a pack of Nazi submarines in the North Atlantic. Much better is the Andy Samberg comedy Palm Springs, a bit of time-loop madness that's both clever and surprisingly deep. By contrast, Fatal Affair is a simplistic and derivative thriller that wastes excellent actors like Nia Long and Omar Epps.

As for arthouse titles, The Sunlit Night is a very smart comedy-drama about a young American painter (Jenny Slate) working in Arctic Norway for a summer. It's quirky and involving. Carmilla is an atmospheric 19th century gothic freak-out based on a pre-Dracula vampire novel. It looks amazing. From Denmark, Dreambuilders boasts seriously impressive, ambitious animation and some great characters. But the goofy comedy Divos! never lives up to its promise, and Getting It has a solid story but works too hard to praise its writer-director-star. There were also two entertaining, offbeat docs: In Bright Axiom is about a playful secret society that sparks imagination and collaboration, while Superhuman: The Invisible Made Visible explores the untapped power of the mind's connection to, well, everything.

Films to watch this coming week include Elisabeth Moss in Shirley, Brenton Thwaites in Ghosts of War, Josh Hartnett in Most Wanted, underground boxing thriller American Fighter, horror movie Open 24 Hours and the Italian drama Piranhas.

Critical week: Jump the shark

Yes, the big event this week was the release of The Last Sharknado: It's About Time. I suspect the title is a joke, but in the Sharknado pantheon this certainly isn't the worst episode. Of course it's terrible, but it's also a lot of fun. Idris Elba's directing debut Yardie has a lovely look and vibe, with a terrific cast led by Aml Ameen, which helps make up for a rather familiar East London crime plot. Kelly Macdonald is terrific in Puzzle, a low-key drama about a woman who begins to realise that she has never lived her own life. It's beautifully observed.

Out of the mainstream, I Am Vengeance is a muscly British action movie starring beefy he-man Stu Bennett as a guy on a mission. The plot is ludicrous, but it's still entertaining. From Italy, Matteo Garrone's Dogman has been gathering prizes at film festivals, and deservedly so. It's a clever updating of those 1950s Italian neorealist dramas with a wonderfully compelling central character.

And there were two docs: Gun No 6 traces the 11 shootings that have been linked to England's most notorious illegal handgun. It's a fascinating look at police investigations, and also inventively sees things through the eyes of the criminals and victims with interviews and re-enactments. And Hot to Trot follows two couples as they compete in a same-sex ballroom dance competition, leading to the Gay Games in Cleveland. The central narrative is fascinating, but the real power is in the moving personal stories of the dancers.

Coming up this next week we have the hit comedy Crazy Rich Asians, Melissa McCarthy in The Happytime Murders, Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick in A Simple Favour, the British heist adventure King of Thieves, Johnny Knoxville in Action Point, and Gaspar Noe's Climax, plus at least two FrightFest films: Boar from Australia and The Cleaning Lady from America.