Emily

Review by Lauren Madigan Too often, certain films leave the viewer grappling with the lost potential of “what could have been.” They set up the story tactfully, introduce intriguing characters and create stunning visuals, all elements that could lead to a great film but were abandoned before fully realized. Unfortunately, Emily (Frances O’Connor, 2022) is no exception

Do Revenge

Review by Leah Kelly Everyone loves nostalgia, and everyone loves aesthetics. Do Revenge (Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, 2022) is a product of these two concepts. Simultaneously stylish and curated enough that any screenshot could make it onto Instagram, and riddled with all the messines and cliches of classic teen films.  The story centres around Drea (Camila

Amsterdam

Review by Nóra Wittmann David O. Russell’s (American Hustle (2013), Silver Linings Playbook (2012)) newest feature Amsterdam (2022) tries embarrassingly hard to entertain but fails to meet the expectations to be a light yet engaging comedic murder mystery. Valerie (Margot Robbie), Harold (John David Washington) and Burt (Christian Bale) are close friends who stuck together

The Woman King

Review by Lila Funge In the West African kingdom of Dohemy, 1823, we find ourselves thrust into the world of the Agojie – real life Amazonian warriors. These women, led by General Nanisca (Viola Davis), are highly skilled warriors trained to defend their homeland against rival tribes and slavers. The Woman King (Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2022)

Flux Gourmet

Review by Sarah Murnane Flux Gourmet (Peter Strickland, 2022) is an independent movie that fails to hit the mark. The film follows a group of artists who join an institute dedicated to culinary performance. The ‘culinary collective’ made up of Billy (Asa Butterfield), Elle (Fatma Mohamed) and Lamina (Ariane Labed) gradually deteriorates in the search to

Bullet Train

Review by Alex Garrett !!Spoilers Ahead!! No matter how pretentious and contrarian my opinions about films may be, ultimately, I am a simple man. When I was about 14-15, I believed that Kingsman: The Secret Service was one of the greatest films of all time, valuing its visceral fight scenes and curse-laden dialogue (that I

Blonde

Review by Shane McKevitt Premiering at the Venice International Film Festival earlier this month, director Andrew Dominik’s Blonde (2022) chronicles the career of Marylin Monroe, with Ana de Armas in the lead role.  An adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’ novel, Blonde takes liberties with its subject matter, conveying the story of Monroe with the benefit

Don’t Worry Darling

Review by Eve Smith In the opening scenes of the sun-bleached Americana-world of Don’t Worry, Darling (Olivia Wilde, 2022), life seems a little too good to be true. Women in swing skirts smile and wave their husbands off to work in a technicolour coordination that looks like it could be a colourised 1950s infomercial. And

The 79th Annual Venice Film Festival

By Shane McKevitt The 2022 Venice International Film Festival held its closing ceremonies last weekend and, in the wake of eleven days packed with screenings from 8am to midnight, there is plenty to discuss.  While I am eager to get into some of the festival’s highlights, I should also note some of its lesser points. 

After Yang

Review by Sadbh Boylan In one of After Yang’s (Kogonada, 2022) most touching scenes, Justin H. Min’s ‘technosapien’ Yang quotes Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu: “what the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.” His human owner-slash-guardian, Kyra (Jodie Turner-Smith) asks if Yang believes the same logic applies to humans when