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Reviews
The Channel (2023)
Superb heist thriller
What a great surprise - i only gave this a chance because Clayne Crawford is in it, terrific edgy actor (the talented one from TV series Lethal Weapon, the wonderful Rectify, and several acclaimed indie movies including The Killing Of Two Lovers and The Integrity Of Joseph Chambers), and was shocked by how good it was. A genuinely tremendous opening set-piece, in which a heist goes wrong, comes pretty close to the wonders of Michael Mann's Heat with an intense and prolonged shootout. The film is beautifully shot, well-acted with muscular and committed direction, tight and straightforward - it may not be Shakespeare, but for action fans it delivers what it promises and more, a gripping, visceral heist movie made with real style and quality. Highly recommended.
Sator (2019)
Mysterious, ambiguous, and pretty awesome.
Now and then a film comes out of nowhere that really thrills you, and Sator is one of them; the story is deliberately ambiguous, but this folk horror film about a family under the influence of a maleficent supernatural spirit is visually amazing, with wonderful framing and camera movement, and an atmosphere of chilling dread that any soulless "hit" horror movie would die for. The director Jordan Graham seems to have made this filn virtually by himself, and it's an amazing calling card for bigger but hopefully no less idiosyncratic films. An acquired taste (not for the lazy), but quite exceptional.
Green Fingers (2019)
Promising start with lots of potential
This comedy pilot likeable and engaging, and surprisingly touching in its tale of two mismatched workmates who garden for a living. Just like most pilots, it's still working out its kinks, but promisingly there are only a few and very easy to fix in future; but the show has one great strength, the excellent chemistry between the two leads, Velton Lishke and Pete Bennett, which carries the whole thing. Their awkward friendship has loads of potential to offer deeper, more touching moments alongside the comedy, that could give the show a warm heart similar to that of, say, BBC's wonderful Detectorists. This is a show that could definitely grow on you (pun intended).
Howl (2015)
Laughable
Sorry but I have to agree with the harshest reviews here - Howl is a howling mess. With cinematography like a bad student film, production design and visual effects woeful (the overhead shots of the train travelling through the English countryside look like Thomas The Tank Engine only cheaper !), and the plot and characterisation literally non-existent. What a disappointment from Paul Hyett, a legendary FX creator whose brilliant work made films such as The Descent into classics - even the monsters are rubbish, and the action sequences so ham-fisted and clumsy you almost feel sorry for the cast. The idea is simple but full of potential - a group of passengers stranded on a broken-down train fight to survive an attack by a pack of werewolf-like creatures. You can't help feeling when you watch this mess that with a better director and actors and some cinematic vision this could have been something special, but instead, sadly, it's just another terrible cheap British clunker.
The Boy (2015)
Ignore the morons, this is brilliant filmmaking
The Boy follows the evolution - or the beginning of it - of a young boy from troubled son of a failed motel manager, to budding serial killer. Cinematography and music score are simply outstanding, as are the performances by the whole cast, and the film carries a tremendous atmosphere of brooding menace, whilst simultaneously capturing the carefree curiosity - and cruelty - of a lonely child. I am saddened, but not surprised, by the lazy, idiotic reviews given by some people on this site - just so you know guys, this is how stories are supposed to be told, unfolding naturally to a great climax rather than throwing five murders into the first few minutes and then having absolutely nothing else to say for the next ninety... and all shot on "found footage", blah blah blah. True kudos to the director; this is a terrific calling card from a real filmmaker that will hopefully start a great career.
Honeymoon (2014)
Outstanding, brilliantly creepy little horror movie
Honeymoon is a gem of an indie horror movie in which a young couple's idyllic honeymoon getaway at a lakeside cottage slowly turns into a strange and horrifying nightmare. Rose Leslie, star of Game Of Thrones, is excellent eventually - as in the brilliant British TV series Utopia in which she featured, her performance is over the top at first, almost drama school, but as the weird and disturbing story ramps up she fully inhabits the role. Treadaway, a tremendous young British actor, is fantastic from start to end, as he comes to realise the near-extreme horror scenario they're in. Music is superb, the atmosphere from the moment they reach the cabin is brilliant - all in all, a tremendous surprise, great performances and a first-time director with a distinctive voice and real vision. Horror fans, seek this film out.