Film Review Club

An Oxford scholar finds himself a part of a friendship group full of the wealthy elite and gets himself an invite to Saltburn, to spend the summer at his friends family estate.  Saltburn might be one of the strangest films of the year, one that creates a sense of awkwardness that can’t help but make the audience squirm in their seats. It includes everything that you want to see in a film, a great cast, stellar cinematography and wonderful direction and for me it’s a certain contender for film of the year, even if it doesn’t quite have the hype like other big movies of 2023. Barry Keoghan leads the cast and of course he kills it as the peculiar psychopath that slowly reveals his true colours as the film progresses. The films musical score and soundtrack along side the very creative editing really emphasises that aura that the movie carries, it makes you feel so uncomfortable and I mean that as a positive, it was certainly Emerald Fennell’s intention. It begins by reeling you into the ch

Set years before becoming President of Panhem, an 18 year old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading Lineage.  A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes does a brilliant job at diving into the psyche of Coriolanus Snow, providing vital context to the character we witnessed in the Hunger Games franchise. The film runs for 2 hours 37 minutes which is quite a hefty run time but there was plenty to dive into. Personally I think the first to acts would have made a good film in itself, ending with his banishment to the peacekeepers then a second film really exploring his time there and the events that moulded him into a cold monster. We could have seen his relationship with Lucy Gray blossom and explored even further how that eventually turned sour because it all happened pretty suddenly and quickly in the movie. I loved being back in the Hunger Games world though and although the games in this movie didn’t quite have the production value of the previous films due to it being set 65 yea

A solitary, cold and methodical killer waits in the shadows for his next target but when the assassin makes a costly mistake it has deadly consequences. The Killer marks the return of David Fincher and it has plenty of his director trademarks stamped on the film. The entire tone and aesthetic fits perfectly into his filmography and creates a beautifully shot film with excellent cinematography by Erik Messerschmidt. The movie opens up with a twenty minute narration of Michael Fassbender setting up his next target and some may find this a rather slow start but I thought it was a perfect introduction to the character, understanding what makes him what he is and what makes him tick. It also illustrates a perfect set up, with is a clear contrast of how things actually turn out, which allows the audience to feel that surprise right along side the assassin himself, which I thought was a nice touch. Fassbender was probably the perfect casting here too, he delivers a fantastic performance where

Captain Marvel finds herself apart in a new team when their light bearing powers link them together. But the unpredictability of this link is the least of their worries, as the tyrannical Kree threaten the universe. I think it’s fair to say that The Marvels won’t be contending for the fans favourite award and it’s likely to be towards the bottom of most people’s MCU rankings. That being said, despite its obvious flaws, I actually had fun watching it and it’s clear that Nia DaCosta intended for it to be goofy and silly, a point that is evidenced from the planet of people who can only communicate in the form of song… Some of those silly punchlines landed, garnering quite a few laughs from the audience in my cinema and others fell flat, coming across as cheesy and cringe. I guess that’s the risk you take when you opt for that approach and with the current atmosphere amongst MCU fans right now, it’s a risk I personally wouldn’t have taken. The Marvels is guilty of hollow writing, producing

Season 2 picks up right where the first left of, with the god What of mischief working frantically to try and fix the multiverse with his new friends from the TVA.  Wow, Loki season 1 was loved by fans, myself included, some believed that with just how hit and miss marvel have been as of late, that season 2 would find it difficult to live up to its debut season. Well it’s fair to say it did and in the process it blew me away with its storytelling, its performances and its immaculate cinematography. It’s only fair to give the MCU its credit where credits due and what they have created here will leave a lasting impact on the franchise for the entirety of the next phase and beyond. Firstly I want to commend Tom Hiddleston who continuously delivered throughout the show, it almost felt like a theatre stage performance and I mean that in the best possible way. He elevated every duologue he was part of and of course that works hand in hand with the writing which was another element at such a

A school for hormonal, competitive superheroes hides a horrifying secret that tests the loyalty of its top 10 students. Gen V does a brilliant job at maintaining the same adulterous shock factor of The Boys, yet producing its own unique and captivating storyline. We have an enticing group of characters that the audience can really root for, each with fascinating new powers. Meanwhile we’re presented with plenty of easter eggs to the main show, that will have fans reenacting the DiCaprio meme in their living room! The storyline is a nice blend of high school drama and a much larger overarching storyline that really ups the stakes. My favourite character would have to be either Emma, who is hilarious but she also provides an opportunity to explore the societal sub plots around social acceptance. Or similarly, Jordan could also be my favourite, their powers are actually pretty cool, where she can compete with the most powerful supes in combat but on the other hand, this is probably the mo

Mike is employed as the new security guard at an abandoned child’s pizzeria called Freddy’s Fazebear’s Pizza. But how long will he last as he soon realises all is not as it seems! I must admit that I went into the movie with no nostalgia or appreciation for the Five Nights at Freddy’s IP. I wasn’t familiar with the game and although the title felt familiar, that’s about as far as my knowledge stretched. Nonetheless I had hear rumours of it being a PG movie and I couldn’t quite believe it, fortunately what was actually released was a 15+ in the UK and the subtle gore and darkness was a pleasant surprise. With Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard and Elizabeth Lail, leading the film, my interest peaked! They certainly didn’t disappoint, I enjoyed seeing Josh as the lead, playing the troubled Security guard packed full of trauma and of course Lillard was perfect as the twisted William Afton, even if he did have limited screen time. It was almost reminiscent of his appearance in scream! The ci

A single mum, a priest, historian, tour guide and a psychic walk into a haunted mansion… This team try to understand why a stately manor is plagued by so many spirits, unable to escape until they do. Haunted Mansion was ridiculed by many, some for its quality and some for its questionable release date. However I saved it for spooky season and found myself having a pretty fun time. The remake is still very much a kids film and with that comes some cheesy dialogue and some childish scenes but you know to expect that going in. It has plenty of wholesome moments, plenty of laughs and lots of Easter eggs to the world famous ride too! It’s certainly a movie I’d show to my future children, they would have a blast with it! With a pretty stacked cast, it’s hard not to enjoy the wild ride the movie takes you on. Overall (6.5/10) Thanks for reading. Callan