There are some stories that are universally known and adored, and can be traced back over the centuries, or even going as far back as antiquity. It can often be fascinating to see where these stories originated, and while it is more likely than not that they emerged through the oral traditions that populated most…
We’re No Angels (1989)
The boundary between right and wrong can sometimes be so narrow that even the most principled and straight-laced of individuals can find themselves on the wrong side of the law. None of us is entirely immune to making mistakes, and we have come to realise that society is not necessarily designed to protect the rights…
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
While his name is now synonymous with a very particular kind of reliable independent cinema that offers exactly what it promises and doesn’t always inspire much passion outside of potentially having some intriguing narrative elements, and which are mostly adherent to the kind of star-studded, lightweight dramas and quirky comedies that speak to the neuroses…
Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025)
A good film lingers with you after the credits end and you walk out of the cinema. A truly great film stays with you forever, settling in your memory and being recalled whenever it is required. This isn’t a description of Kiss of the Spider Woman itself, but rather the central premise of Bill Condon’s…
A Piece of the Action (1977)
A brief disclaimer: A Piece of the Action is a film that co-stars Bill Cosby, a notorious figure whose fall from grace has been well-documented. While I maintain the importance of separating the art from the artist in most instances, it is also vital that it is made clear that by covering this film, I…
The Best Films of 2025
Every year when putting together my list of the best films of the past twelve months, I attempt to find one cohesive theme that connects them all – a quote, a song or even an abstract concept, anything that can bind together what always ends up being a very dynamic and often wickedly offbeat year…
Harvest (2025)
History tends to be presented to us in a form that is either nostalgic or heroic – whether it’s the valour of soldiers on the battlefield, or the beauty of the simpler existences lived by those in a time when we weren’t so preoccupied with modern problems. What we don’t often see – and for…
Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970)
Life has never been easy for people like Junie Moon and her friends, who decide to check out of the hospital in which they have been residents for a while, and take up the challenge of starting their own home – Junie is a victim of a vicious acid attack that has left most of…
Colours of Time (2025)
The inherent challenge that comes with assessing the past is that there is simply so much of it – even by the time you’ve read this very sentence, it can be considered a historical remnant, an action that only exists in the past tense. This has led history to be viewed as stodgy and immovable,…
Dune (1984)
There are few literary works that inspire as divisive a reaction, while still attaining some degree of radical popularity, more than Frank Herbert’s masterpiece Dune – and even those who find themselves entirely critical of his universe-spanning futuristic fable have to admit the influence of his writing on contemporary science fiction. As a cornerstone work…
The Postmodern Pelican 