Hello Out There! (1949)

James Whale was certainly an enigmatic figure – while he is most well-known for defining the genre of horror as we know it (being amongst the first auteurs to ever make a career out of scaring audiences), he was known to try other genres from time to time, experimenting with different stories and finding a…

Bernice Bobs Her Hair (1976)

Bernice Bobs Her Hair is a work of incredible artistic integrity, accomplishing in 45 minutes what even the most well-crafted feature-length film fail to do in twice the amount of time – it provides us with a deep and insightful glimpse into the human condition, carefully curated by a director who has rarely received much…

The Castle (1997)

The Kerrigans are a mild-mannered middle-class Australian family living in a small suburb on the outskirts of Melbourne. They’re led by the mischievous but resourceful Daryl (Michael Caton), whose commitment to his family is truly admirable. He may work a low-paying job as a tow-truck driver, but he always makes sure to provide for his…

9 to 5 (1980)

Has there ever been a film that better encapsulate’s William Congreve’s oft-quoted quip that “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” more than the timeless classic 9 to 5? If there was ever a film that could be considered a definitive work of feminism on screen, you’d do worse than to name Colin Higgins’…

Monsoon (2020)

When thinking back on his childhood, Kit (Henry Golding) doesn’t remember much, with his younger years in Vietnam being nothing but a blur, since his family fled the country when he was barely six years old, taking him to the United Kingdom, where he spent most of his life. Three decades later, Kit finally has…

A Woman Is a Woman (1961)

It’s always something of an experience when you discover a new side of an artist you’re normally agnostic towards. I’ve often expressed my troubled feelings towards Jean-Luc Godard, a director whose importance is undeniable, but often tends to be eclipsed by his self-referential style that can often be analogous to some deeply-embedded arrogance that gave…

Banana Split (2020)

April (Hannah Marks) and Nick (Dylan Sprouse) are high school sweethearts that have been together for a few years. They share similar interests and seem to possess the same cynical view of the world, which manifests in their abstract sense of humour. However, they soon realize that they simply aren’t made to last forever, and…

Clemency (2019)

Anthony Woods (Aldis Hodge) is a prisoner currently on death row, having been found guilty of the murder of a police officer fifteen years before. His parole hearings continuously result in his appeals being rejected, and his legal team, led by his dedicated friend and lawyer Marty (Richard Schiff) does whatever they can to ensure…

The Other Side of the Wind (2018)

I’m faced with a decision here – I’ve got two very different options as to how to proceed with this review. I could pretend that I loved The Other Side of the Wind, noting how it is an astonishing achievement, a beautiful parting letter from arguably the finest filmmaker of all time, a complex masterpiece…

First Man (2018)

When I opted to watch First Man, I was doing it for a number of reasons: my loyalty towards Damien Chazelle, who I find to be a massively talented filmmaker (and one that, despite the criticisms of his detractors, has not come close to peaking yet, even if his breakthrough moments with Whiplash and La…