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No Other Choice
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Paper-making acts as a lovely metaphor for people who are out of step with society’s cruelty: paper is disposable, and so too are these men … Beautiful shots almost feel like collages – [evoking] paper using all the other elements that cinema can marshal.
Posted Jan 27, 2026
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Hamnet
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Had so many things I love in a film, and Zhao’s direction is also beautiful: it’s so fresh and atmospheric and impressionistic. I just wish I liked it more. … [Buckley] goes off-chops in the final sequence. It’s kind of silly … but I didn’t want to laugh…
Posted Jan 27, 2026
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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
(2026)
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Mel Campbell
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I enjoyed that we spend so much time with Dr Ian Kelson (Fiennes). He's very erudite and humane, which makes for an interesting contrast to the savagery we see elsewhere … There are some magical moments in it as well; it’s not all horror.
Posted Jan 27, 2026
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4/5
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Song Sung Blue
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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The story wrings a lot of emotion out of the story - more than the documentary - making this fictionalised retelling punchier, more heartfelt, and yet still (mostly) true to its subjects
Posted Jan 22, 2026
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Eternity
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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What kind of eternity would limit you in such a banal way? I really could not get past the cruelty of the premise. I found it so, so bleak, and the way they resolved it was unsatisfyingly conservative. The problems of this film were all in the script.
Posted Dec 29, 2025
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Dead of Winter
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. The story’s a bit inessential and generic but Thompson elevates it [with] an alert, bruised vulnerability … The terminally under-used Judy Greer is tremendous in this. It’s just a real acting showcase.
Posted Dec 29, 2025
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The History of Sound
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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One of my favourite films of 2025 … a really tender film [about] pure performance as a way to express really complex ideas and emotions … It takes away your sense of irony and you respond to it in a pure way, which I loved.
Posted Dec 29, 2025
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Cameron manages to critique [violence] in a really heartening way to repudiate the idea of seeking revenge for your grief in further cycles of violence. … we’re seeing a more complicated picture of how different people respond to colonisation and tragedy.
Posted Dec 29, 2025
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5/5
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Raiders of the Lost Ark
(1981)
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Matt Neal
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Before I understood what "cinema" was as an artform, before I understood film as something to study and devour and drown in, I understood that Raiders Of The Lost Ark was the greatest movie of all time.
Posted Dec 13, 2025
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5/5
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Back to the Future
(1985)
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Matt Neal
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While it sucks to think we live 10 years beyond the future Doc and Marty visited in the under-appreciated Back To The Future II, at least it's good to know that 40 years on from their first outing, Back To The Future remains a timeless classic.
Posted Dec 13, 2025
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4/5
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Zootopia 2
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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The setting still sizzles with opportunity, the chemistry of its fox-rabbit pairing continues to zing, and the themes of prejudice and othering remain strong.
Posted Dec 13, 2025
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5/5
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Sinners
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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A movie that will stand the test of time, thanks to a refreshing mix of new elements to create tension, scares, depths and even laughs in an excitingly unique way.
Posted Dec 13, 2025
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5/5
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Train Dreams
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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While it's hard to sell this everyman tale to people, there is no doubt this is one of the best films of 2025, and it will stick with you long after Nick Cave's sepuchral tones ring out on the title track.
Posted Dec 13, 2025
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4/5
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Flow
(2024)
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Matt Neal
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With no humans, no words, and no significant plot to speak of, Flow is an astonishingly beautiful film that shows us how effective simple storytelling can be, and reminds us how animated movies truly are a balm for the soul.
Posted Dec 13, 2025
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The Running Man
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Having read the dark, bleak novel, I’m amazed by how faithful The Running Man is … Feels futuristic but still has that retro ’70s, ’80s vibe. … One of [Edgar Wright's] best films in years: Wright's eye for detail and visual irony is really on show here.
Posted Nov 24, 2025
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Wicked: For Good
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Not as lighthearted [as ‘Wicked’], not as fun. … I wasn’t sure how much time has passed … That said, the production and costume design are phenomenal; I want to single out Glinda's song that works with mirrors in a bubble-like set. Such a clever sequence.
Posted Nov 24, 2025
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3/5
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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As a biopic it's an underwhelming cry in the dark that only hits the right notes on occasion.
Posted Nov 10, 2025
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Bugonia
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Aidan Delbis is brilliant as the conscience of the film … It’s so clever how it keeps us guessing: Lanthimos keeps that doubt in our minds of whose world we’re in. It’s beautifully framed, beautifully paced. But I found [its ending] challengingly bleak.
Posted Nov 07, 2025
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One More Shot
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Yearning is played for comedy by a small but dedicated cast led by Emily Browning, who’s terrific – sardonic and sassy. This is a very actorly film, and the cast makes it satisfying to watch. I walked out of the cinema pondering my own romantic choices.
Posted Nov 07, 2025
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Roofman
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Not so much of a comedy as the marketing would make you think. It's actually kind of heartbreaking, really, because it’s about a guy who wants to be part of a community, but he just can’t. … Channing Tatum gets the sadness of this character.
Posted Nov 07, 2025
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Frankenstein
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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The physical towering of Elordi over Oscar Isaac – not a tall man! – is really interesting … And Elordi took me by surprise; I was not expecting this kind of empathetic performance from him, and it’s also a very physical performance. I loved it.
Posted Nov 07, 2025
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TRON: Ares
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Brilliant to watch, but on every other level it falls apart into cascading squares. … Like all franchised entertainment it’s always looking back over its shoulder rather than forward into the future, which is ironic for these kinds of themes.
Posted Oct 15, 2025
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The Thursday Murder Club
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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It was crap! … I love an anti-developer narrative, but it was so insubstantial. … I felt embarrassed for these actors, the way they were capering. There are so many good examples of this kind of thing done so much better; just watch one of them instead.
Posted Oct 15, 2025
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A Big Bold Beautiful Journey
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Has the vibe of an undergraduate student play … Nothing in this felt original. Even the title annoyed me; it just reminded me of other films with long titles which handle the fantasy material with much more authority and sophistication.
Posted Sep 25, 2025
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The Bad Guys 2
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Uses the animation in a heightened, expressive, silly way, but the stunts are all framed and shot like live action. There's a lot for adults to enjoy, but kids will still like the usual pratfalls and sight gags. … Eight thumbs up, if I were a tarantula.
Posted Sep 25, 2025
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Spinal Tap II: The End Continues
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Spinal Tap was such a cultural phenomenon, so how can a sequel possibly top it? The joke is that it’s the same: everyone’s here, but they’re much older. … [And] I found myself craving the kind of stupidity that Spinal Tap can offer.
Posted Sep 25, 2025
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Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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The overarching theme here is not being able to let go of the past – and it applies just as much to the show's own soothing nostalgia as it does to the former staff who can't stop popping back into the kitchen for a cup of tea, or to polish the silver.
Posted Sep 17, 2025
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The Roses
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Blackly hilarious, in what comes across as a very British way … but I was surprised that it focused so much on the affection in this marriage. This is a story of two people who punish each other out of disappointment, because they both feel abandoned.
Posted Sep 17, 2025
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KPop Demon Hunters
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Animation is better than live action at capturing that slick, intense, fetishistic glamour of Kpop, lingering on details like a fan's eye does … but then [the film] uses a looser comic style to express how unhinged the fans' big emotional reactions are.
Posted Sep 17, 2025
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The Toxic Avenger
(2023)
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Mel Campbell
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Cartoonish, funny, and kind of adorable … Peter Dinklage has a refined quality – it sounds silly to say Shakespearean, but there’s an elegance and emotion to the way that, through Toxie’s revenge, he reclaims his dignity and the respect of his stepson.
Posted Sep 03, 2025
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The Naked Gun
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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A very old-fashioned kind of movie, stuffed full of sight gags, throwaway puns and one-liners. Once you calibrate your expectations and your sense of humour, you will have a whale of a time. … Had me hooting with laughter.
Posted Sep 03, 2025
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4/4
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The Naked Gun
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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Rebooting a beloved classic comedy from a long-lost genre? It's a bold move that pays off handsomely in this uncalled-for rehash, which is surprisingly faithful and thankfully hilarious.
Posted Sep 03, 2025
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4/5
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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So they finally made a good Fantastic Four movie.
Posted Aug 16, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Looks gorgeous, and it’s incredibly charming … Feels like it should have it all, but there’s something quite hollow at the middle of it. I’m sick of watching skyscrapers getting knocked down … but again, maybe that’s the bind superhero movies are in.
Posted Aug 05, 2025
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Happy Gilmore 2
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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Really says a lot about having a network with a lot of money behind you … That combination of salty and sweet that is Adam Sandler at his best: you don’t see that [here] as much, but it’s better than I thought it was going to be.
Posted Aug 05, 2025
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4/5
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Superman
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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The best live-action Superman film of the past 50 years.
Posted Jul 23, 2025
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Superman
(2025)
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Mel Campbell
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I walked away from this movie feeling hope, and I think that’s why people are really responding so well to Superman. He’s just good! He’s honest! … At the moment, a character as simple and gorgeous as Superman is important.
Posted Jul 23, 2025
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3/5
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Jurassic World Rebirth
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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It's formulaic and frustrating, but you're here to see some dino action, and on that point it never fails to deliver.
Posted Jul 09, 2025
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3/5
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How to Train Your Dragon
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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Even with all the same ingredients, sometimes a dish just doesn't taste the same.
Posted Jul 02, 2025
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4/5
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Thunderbolts*
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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Is it possible after 36 films to do something new in the MCU? How about an hilarious and action-packed deep dive into depression, loneliness, self-worth, mental health, and overcoming the darkness buried within our souls?
Posted Jun 26, 2025
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4/4
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A Minecraft Movie
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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Video game films used to be a cursed proposition, but this wins by leaning into the game's aesthetic, digging out what makes it popular, and injecting a self-aware sense of humour that's not a million miles away from The Lego Movie.
Posted Apr 08, 2025
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5/5
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Ghostbusters
(1984)
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Matt Neal
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More than 40 years on from becoming the first big-budget comedy, Ghostbusters continues to sparkle because it remains funny and its premise still works.
Posted Apr 08, 2025
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3.5/5
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Disney's Snow White
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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This remake, which admittedly has its own problems, improves on some of the issues in the original, mostly by making its main characters actual characters with depth and emotion and all the things that make them engaging and interesting.
Posted Apr 05, 2025
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3/5
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The Electric State
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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The Electric State is akin to a robot that performs its set task, but you know it could have done it so much more efficiently and effectively.
Posted Mar 28, 2025
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2/5
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The Last Journey
(2024)
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Matt Neal
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Annoyingly contrived and often uncomfortable to watch, but its heart is in the right place and it does offer up some sweetly sentimental moments.
Posted Mar 05, 2025
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4/5
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Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
(2025)
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Matt Neal
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A fun, sparky rom-com with an utterly charming lead, but also a beautiful meditation on grief and the ups-and-downs of parenting and mid-life living.
Posted Feb 23, 2025
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4/5
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Conclave
(2024)
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Matt Neal
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A fascinating sermon on the state of the Church and its place in the world, with a Fiennes performance worthy of being put on an altar.
Posted Feb 02, 2025
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3/5
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Wicked
(2024)
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Matt Neal
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It has a heart, a brain and courage, but Wicked spends too much time singing and dancing when it should be storytelling.
Posted Dec 02, 2024
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2/5
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Red One
(2024)
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Matt Neal
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If this is what Red One is, don't expect a Red Two.
Posted Nov 23, 2024
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2/5
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Joker: Folie à Deux
(2024)
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Matt Neal
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Bold and daring, Joker: Folie a Deux is also deluded. It's a ridiculous misfire that takes an awful long time to get nowhere and struggles to say anything coherent along the way.
Posted Oct 18, 2024
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